The Leica R7

I didn’t like the first Leica R camera I tried seven or eight years ago. I was shooting mostly with my Sover Wong serviced Nikon F2 at the time and I unfairly compared every camera I tried to Nikon’s mechanical masterpiece. Coupled with the fact that at the time I had really not even ventured too far out of the Nikon world, the Leica SLR did not get its fair shake. Now, with some years and many different brands and models of cameras under my belt, I have learned that sometimes it is worth taking a second look at a camera I disliked the first time around.

Such is the case with the R cameras. Dismissed and nearly forgotten until James Tocchio wrote a piece on Casual Photophile about the Leica R5. After reading his Martha’s Vineyard Leica R5 piece, I was intrigued and dropped him a note mentioning that if he ever wanted to sell his R5, I would be interested. He was and I did.

Shooting that R5 was a different experience than I had remembered from the earlier meeting. This time, the Leica felt substantial yet refined with a big beautiful viewfinder and great ergonomics. There were multiple exposure and metering modes. And those amazing Leica R lenses!

The R5 prompted me to buy the mechanical everything R6. I love my R6 and when an online photo friend offered me his R4s MOD-P, I snapped that up as well. I’ve probably shot the R4s more than any other camera during the last six months—just feels great in the hand and I have had some pleasing results from shooting it in aperture-priority mode with the 60mm Macro-Elmarit lens. Love, love that lens!

As most everyone who shoots old film cameras knows, one leads to two and two leads to ten. So for no reason other than I wanted one, I went looking for the last of the traditional bodied Leica R cameras—the R7.

The R7’s production run was 1992-1997. It’s a full featured camera with two metering modes; “selective” or spot metering and “integral” or full frame. Exposure modes include manual, shutter-priority, aperture-priority and program mode. Like all of the Leica R cameras, it offers a big, brilliant viewfinder that covers 92% of the frame. There’s built in diopter correction and for the first time ever in a Leica SLR, digital display of shutter speed in the viewfinder and automatic DX film sensitivity. The R7’s body is a bit larger and heavier than previous models to allow for added electronics. All this 1990s technology also requires a 6V power source.

The R7 I found is in very nice condition and came in one of those fancy Leica presentation cases. I’m shooting it now with a roll of Kodak Ektar 100. A user review and photos coming soon.

The Leica R series cameras were produced in cooperation with Minolta. The R7 was the last camera in the line to have any association with the Japanese camera maker. The R8 (1996) and the R9 (2002) would be designed and built entirely by Leica. These last two film cameras from Leica are radically different in design. Some say you either love the look or hate the look. Right now, I am not motivated to try either…but you know how that goes! :-)

Like Coming Home

This picture from an online auction site stirred up some nice memories of my earliest days of photography…

There are a number of hobbies that were immensely popular when I was in junior high school in the early to mid 1970s that I am almost certain are virtually extinct with the same age group today: model airplane and rocket building, model trains and slot cars, ham radio and home darkrooms.

I had a brief fling with model rockets. These were little plastic and balsa wood kits that included solid propellent. You’d spend a bunch of time building and painting your rocket, only to launch it into the sky the first time and have it come crashing back down into a million pieces in the neighbor’s driveway.

I was interested in ham radio, but lawn mowing and snow shoveling money in those days wasn’t adequate for even the cheapest build it yourself Heathkit radios.

A friend and his Dad built an elaborate Lionel train layout in their garage, complete with little buildings and trees and streetlights that lit up. And while I could see how designing, building and painting all of these miniature things would be fun, I just couldn’t warm to watching little trains going round the same path over and over again.

Photography was a different story and that bug bit me hard in the 7th grade. It didn’t hurt that a healthy number of school friends were into the hobby and most all of them had home darkrooms of one sort or another.

My best friend Mike, who taught me how to develop black and white film and make contact prints and enlargements, had a small and inadequately ventilated darkroom in the basement bathroom of his parent’s house. We spent hours in that little room with stop bath and fixer fumes swirling around us. I am surprised we didn’t asphyxiate ourselves.

I had two photography friends named Dave. Dave #1 carved out a corner in his parent’s unfinished basement by hanging heavy black drapes from the ceiling. We worked down there with a big coal furnace grunting nearby. His space lacked water, so fixed prints were held in a bucket of water that we’d carry outside to a hose near the garage for “proper” washing. Imagine doing that outside in January in Upstate New York!

Dave #2 developed his own film but didn’t have the capability to make prints. He’d bring his negatives to school and use the school’s darkroom for printing. Yes, many junior and senior high schools had darkrooms, usually in the art department. Our high school had a big elaborate darkroom with a neat revolving door that let people enter without letting any light in with them!

Paul was another friend of mine and while he wasn’t into photography, his father was. Paul’s father had a real darkroom in the family basement with an Omega B-22 enlarger, a proper set up for print washing, lots of space and good ventilation. He shot with a Nikon F 35mm SLR and I remember holding that camera and dreaming of someday owning something that nice. Paul’s father also made it possible for me to set up my own home darkroom. In addition to giving me a Kodak Home Darkroom Outfit, similar to the one in the photo above, he also sold me an old Federal enlarger, some porcelain developing trays, bamboo tongs, film clips and a starter supply of Kodak D-76 and Dektol developers, Kodak Indicator Stop Bath and Kodak Fixer.

A Federal Enlarger Model 269—Same as the one I had.

My Mom reluctantly agreed to let me set up my enlarger in the corner of her laundry room and hang my little Kodak Brownie safelight from the ceiling. I’d tape black plastic to the window when I wanted to work in there and put a sign on the door that said “Darkroom In Use—Do Not Enter!”

Winter Friday nights or rainy Sunday afternoons were spent holed up in my makeshift darkroom under the warm glow of the safelight and listening to the local Top 40 station on my Realistic transistor radio. I have fond memories of those years.

By the middle of my high school years, photography took a back seat to other interests. Like most boys, I spent lots of time thinking about girls and cars. I also became interested in airplanes and took some flying lessons, soloing a Piper Cherokee on my 16th birthday.

I didn't fly much after that solo but did finish up my training in the mid 1990s and got my private pilots license. In recent years, bouts of vertigo have kept me out of the left seat.

In 2012, I brushed up on my radio theory and took the test for my ham radio license. I passed and got the General Class license. The places I have lived since then really haven’t allowed for the construction of a proper antenna though, so burning up the shortwaves is on hold.

Of all of the hobbies and recreational pursuits though, photography has been the one constant. Even if I took a break from it for a while, I’d always come back to it. It’s always felt warm and comfortable. Like coming home.

Manual Cameras Slow You Down. And That's a Very Good Thing.

On a Sunday afternoon, a week or so after the holidays, I grabbed my Olympus OM-1n and headed out for a five mile hike on the Skyline Trail in the hills above Napa. It was just that perfect kind of day with warm sun on my face and a cool breeze blowing. I loaded up the Olympus with some Kodak ColorPlus film, stashed some cheese and salami into my backpack and headed out for a day of exercise and picture taking.

I am not an aggressive hiker, but my long legs carry me at a pretty decent pace. A pace that I am sure sometimes makes me miss some things along the way. That’s why when I stopped at this foot bridge to take a shot with the Olympus, it occurred to me how perfectly this old manual mechanical camera slows me down.

First, turn it on. (The OM-1n’s meter does not go to sleep between shots, so for a long hike it’s best to keep the meter switch in the off position to conserve battery until you are ready to use it). Then focus, compose, adjust shutter speed or f/stop or both to center the needle in the viewfinder. Finally, take the photograph.

During this whole process, I became aware of the sound of the water trickling down the little creek under this bridge, some happy birds overhead and a bit of wind rustling the leaves in the trees. I can’t be certain that I would have paused along the trail here if not to take a picture.

I stopped to make this next shot and found some large flat rocks suitable for sitting a bit and good space for spreading out my feast of Pt. Reyes cheese and dry Italian salami. From my resting spot, I could see the Napa River finding its way to San Pablo Bay. Just around the tree to the left is the skyline of San Francisco. I fiddled with different combinations of shutter speed and aperture, but this is the photograph that came out the best. And it was time well spent. It was quiet up there. And nice.

I didn’t make any remarkable images during this hike, but gosh was it good for my soul! And as I made my way back down to the trailhead and in the days that followed, I got to thinking about all of my manual-everything cameras. About how I’ve made some of my most personally satisfying shots with them. And how so many times they’ve slowed me down just enough to appreciate the moment.

Like standing under the Golden Gate Bridge with my Leica M6 waiting for just the right light…

Enjoying some solitude at lands end, Pierce Point Ranch on Pt. Reyes with the Pentax Spotmatic as the sun began to sink into the Pacific…

Or getting up close and personal with some grapes near Dry Creek. I was shooting the Spotmatic that day as well…

Immortalizing a favorite chair I’d sit in near Salmon Creek when I lived in Freestone, taken with my Hasselblad 500C/M. You don’t do anything fast with a Hasselblad…

Exploring Bodega Bay with my Nikon F2…

That same grand old Nikon in San Francisco…

A foggy day with the Leica M6 at Sonoma Coast State Park…

An interesting old fence out at the Marin seashore captured with a 50mm Super Takumar on the Spotmatic…

That same camera and lens on a dry June day at Yosemite…

The Pt. Reyes lighthouse with the Leica M2…manual and meter-less…living dangerously!

The Leica M6 at Bodega Dunes…

An Autumn walk with my Nikon FM2n…

One of my favorite spots out on the Kortum Trail north of Bodega Bay with the Spotmatic and 50mm Macro-Takumar…

Even a rainy Sunday shooting still life with my Nikon F2 and 55mm Micro-Nikkor…

I love aperture priority automation and there are times when I’ll happily let the auto-focus automatic everything Nikon F100 do the driving. But looking back on the past eleven years of film shooting, it is apparent that some of my best shots and best times have been spent looking through the viewfinder of a manual everything camera.

Assignment: Red

I was in a bit of a photographic slump a few weeks ago and decided to give myself a little assignment: go out for a photo walk and shoot only things that are red.

I decided to use my Leica R4s and the 60mm f/2.8 Macro-Elmarit R. I love this lens as it’s fast, not too heavy, close to normal focal length and it allows me to get up close if need be. I decided to load the Leica with a roll of Kodak Ektachrome 100 slide film that has been calling my name for a while now.

I have never been pleased with anything I’ve shot on slide film. Maybe it’s because I am not as competent a photographer as I like to believe I am when it comes to exposure. Dead on exposure is critical when shooting slide film. Color print film has so much latitude that even when I screw up completely, I still can get pictures that look pretty good.

Such was the case with this roll of Ektachrome. Shadows came out a bit greenish, which might be due to underexposure. Or, something might have been off in processing. I was also toggling back and forth the day I shot these between the Leica’s full field and spot metering modes. I think I was on a second mission— to mess up this roll.

That being said, I did enjoy seeking out and photographing the color red. It was a fun day of photography!

I tried a few shots indoors under available light.

And the required selfie taken in the reflection of a shop window on Main Street.

There is a part of me that really wants to shoot more Ektachrome until I am nailing exposure and getting consistently satisfying results. More likely though, I will just fall back on all of that wonderful Portra 400, Pro Image 100 and ColorPlus C-41 film in my refrigerator.

Exercise Your Cameras Often

The affordability of film cameras in the digital age has allowed many of us to enjoy the adventures of gear acquisition syndrome (GAS). I stopped keeping track of exactly how many cameras I own as the number changes each month. As soon as I sell or give away a few, one or more find their way back into my life.

One of the things I have tried to do regularly, on the recommendation of several trusted cameras techs, is to exercise my cameras. Even if I don’t have time to go out and shoot a camera with film in it, I will take it out and run it through all of the available shutter speeds. Most of the cameras I own are mechanical and machines need regular use to stay healthy. Without use, parts don’t get lubricated properly and those lubricants can dry out and gum up the works.

This is true for lenses too.

It’s certainly more fun to take a camera out and shoot up some film, but if you can’t—make sure you exercise your camera regularly so it’s ready for action when inspiration strikes.

With a little help from our friends

In 2009, when I began my return to film photography, I spent a lot of time online looking for information about film and equipment. I wanted technical information for sure, but more than that, I was craving personal accounts from real people. The pickings were mighty slim.

Today, there are so many good websites, personal blogs and online resources available for anyone who wants to know more about the process and equipment.

It’s fascinating really. All of these websites and blogs have created a place for a digital community that has nurtured film photography into a healthy place again.

Here’s a nice piece done by NBC Left Field. I found it interesting. I hope you do too.

The Best Job I Ever Had

I went to work as a disc jockey at a radio station when I was 19 years old. I was very lucky. I got a job in radio when I still should have been learning about it.

It was a small radio station in a tiny little town in Upstate New York. WEBO was a 5000 watt AM daytime only station which also simulcast on 101.7 FM. When the AM station signed off at sunset, the FM continued on into the evening.

I happened to apply at just the moment that the evening announcer had resigned. I interviewed and got the job. Seven in the evening until the station signed off at one in the morning, five nights a week with an occasional Saturday afternoon shift. I was ecstatic! I couldn’t wait to get to work each evening. I loved spinning records, trying to talk the intros up until just the moment that the vocals kicked in. We carried network news live from the Mutual Broadcasting System and I got to be an expert at back timing a song to leave just enough time for a station ID before the top and bottom of the hour newscasts.

As was the case with local radio stations of that era, we had a news department with a two person staff—a very serious news director and a reporter. They were constantly out covering city council meetings and ribbon cuttings. The station even broadcast the town’s high school football games live.

The station owner and one salesperson did all of the advertising sales. Ten second live spots sold for one dollar. We called it “a dollar a holler.”

We did live remotes from the local feed store and the annual downtown Strawberry Festival. We even did a live broadcast from a raft floating down the Susquehanna River during the annual Great Owego to Nichols Raft Race.

I think I only made a couple of hundred dollars a week, if that. But I would’ve done it for free.

Six months into my tenure there, the owner of the station decided to split the AM and FM signals. WEBO-AM would continue on as an adult contemporary, news and information station. The FM would get the call letters WWWT and because disco music was so huge at the time, the new station—called 3WT—would go all disco. Yes…Donna Summer, Chic, KC & The Sunshine Band…you get it. I wasn't a huge fan of the music, but it was exciting to be part of one of Upstate New York’s first all disco stations.

Local newspaper and television covered the launch of the new station and the arrival of disco radio to the market. Even though disco was peaking everywhere else in the world, our little FM station caught on big time. The request lines rang night and day. Our signal barely reached out of town, but students at the State University of New York at Binghamton would hang wires outside the dorm windows to pick us up. When the Binghamton Arbitron ratings came out a few months after we launched, 3WT was huge hit.

We only had about eight months of hoopla before disco began its decline. Disco 3WT evolved into Musicradio 3WT, and our format switched to Top 40 music. I moved from the evening shift to mid-days, on the air from ten in the morning until 2 in the afternoon. We had a great staff…a kooky morning man, chain smoking afternoon jock and eclectic evening guy. Radio was live and local and fun. We all loved working there so much that even when we weren’t working, we’d all just hang out at the station.

I left that little town to try and seek radio fame and fortune in Phoenix, Arizona. I did work a few radio jobs in that big market before the reality of the industry’s lack of job security and low pay forced me to reevaluate my career. I went into advertising and marketing. It’s still how I make my money.

I think I’ve worked a dozen or so different jobs in my life, but those first short years at that little radio station were the sweetest. It was the best job I ever had. What about you? What was the best job you ever had?

Kodak ColorPlus in the Canon A-1

My Canon A-1 came up in shooting rotation a few weeks ago and when I grabbed it from my camera bag I discovered it was already loaded with some Kodak ColorPlus 200 film. The roll was almost entirely shot up and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember what I had taken pictures of. I finished up the roll with a couple of mirror self-portraits and sent it off to Boutique Film Lab for processing and scanning.

I don’t know what ColorPlus really is, but I like it and it’s pretty cheap. The box says ColorPlus but the film cartridge says Kodacolor 200. It doesn’t knock your socks off like Ektar 100 or glow like Portra 400 shot at 200 ISO, but ColorPlus has a somewhat subdued color palette that is pleasing to my eye.

When the scans came back from the lab, I remembered that I had taken my A-1 out last September to Yountville, CA. Up behind the Veterans Home of California, I found a cemetery. I spent some time reading the markers and taking a few photographs.

The Beringer Brothers Winery was close by. I spent some time wandering the grounds, taking photos and…yes, sampling some wine too!

I keep the A-1 in full program mode when I use it. It makes for a carefree day of shooting and I am always impressed by how well this camera handles pretty much everything I throw at it.

I guess I finished up the roll in October some time. This is the forest fire road near where I live.

And an interesting tree I found along the way.

And one of the aforementioned mirror self portraits.

The Canon A-1 is always a fun camera to take along when you just want to point and shoot. Of course, you can shift it out of automatic if you care to. Load it up with Kodak ColorPlus at three or four bucks a roll and you’re in for fun, affordable photography!

Random 2020 Thoughts...

I spent a very quiet New Years Eve reflecting on all sorts of things. My job, my life, lost love, my health, photography. On New Years Day, I took a 6 mile hike up into the hills above Napa and shot up a roll of Ilford HP5 in my Olympus OM-1n. It was a good start to the year.

So here are some things I’ve been thinking…

—I’m going to whittle down my collection of film cameras. I know I have said that before and have not done it. In fact, every time I have said it, I have gone in the opposite direction. But over the past few months, I’ve not bought any new cameras and sold off or given away a half dozen. I am going to manage the herd down to a respectable amount of cameras that I can regularly exercise. If you are looking for a particular camera or lens, give me a shout., I might have it.

—I am going to work hard on my black and white skills this year. Try and become competent in composition and exposure. That might mean settling on fewer film stocks. Maybe.

—I am going to get out and walk more during the week and not just be a weekend hiking warrior. I really feel better after a nice, brisk walk and as the days get longer, there’s really no excuse.

—I am going to get into the rental darkroom downtown and print the images I am happy with this year. Real black and white fiber-based prints. Spend some time under the glow of a safelight.

—Every day, or at least most every day, I am going to stop and appreciate one thing…how great that first cup of coffee tastes in the morning, how nice a flowing creek sounds when you’re hiking next to it, an old song that brings back a pleasant memory, how good it feels to get the car washed, a freshly pressed pair of pants, getting a roll of film back from the lab and being delighted with one or even more of your images, coming out of the Robin Williams Tunnel and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge wrapped in fog. Just one thing, every day.

—I am going to haul out the Hasselblad more often. When I make the effort to shoot this camera, I always have a grand time!

—I am thinking of putting together one of those photo books you can build on Flickr or elsewhere. I’ll decide on a theme and get the thing done in time to send it to friends for Christmas. Hopefully they will still be my friends after they get the book.

—I am going to eat more vegetables.

—I am going to spend less time on social media. Facebook and Instagram just gobbled up time last year and more than once I finished up an evening of Facebook feeling sad, frustrated, angry or lonely. I have photography books I haven’t read—a better use of my time.

—I am going to be kinder, gentler, more patient and thoughtful this year.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays and best wishes for an amazing 2020!

Ten Years of Shadow Self-Portraits

After ten years of wandering around Northern California with one film camera or another, I’ve shot lots of shadow self portraits. It’s a goofy thing to do, I know. But I still do it.

To be or not to be...social on social media.

Besides this blog, I have a Flickr account. I’m also on Instagram and Facebook.

My blog gives me a lot of satisfaction. It’s a place to ramble on about my old cameras and lenses and it gives me someplace to hang up the photographs I take. Despite an irregular schedule of posting new content, I have quite a few followers and site traffic increases year after year. The posted comments and emails I get are almost entirely positive and fun to read. I am grateful for the connections I have made here.

It’s much the same over at Flickr. I post the images I make that I am most proud of and that I think other people might like. I also put up tons of pictures of my gear—those tend to be the most popular and many have made it to Explore. Flickr comments are generally positive…people saying nice things about my work or my cameras or asking questions. I’ve made some nice online friends on Flickr.

My Instagram is a mix of my analog photography, some gear photos and occasionally some personal images. Instagram socialization seems to be limited to “likes” or short, mostly positive comments.

I joined Facebook years ago mostly to monitor the paid social campaigns I was working on for my clients and to manage Facebook’s paid ad programs. For years, I hardly posted anything personal to the site. Gradually, I joined some photography groups and as I did, my time on Facebook increased. I’ve had a lot of pleasant digital interactions on the platform, but I also notice it is a place where people can be very inconsiderate. It even seems to be okay to be cruel, unkind and thoughtless.

In one of the groups, a new member posted a photo of her just acquired Pentax ME and she commented about how excited she was to get her first “real camera.” What followed was a tirade of not so friendly comments…

“Real camera? Why do you think the ME is real camera? Simple, basic.”

(photo of Nikon F3) “This is a REAL camera!”

(photo of Canon AE-1 Program) “Real camera!”

“When you a ready for a real camera, I have some suggestions”

The member did not respond to any of the comments or post anything further. There were some positive comments and likes as well, but the negative ones probably made the budding film photographer feel bad and that is certainly not what this community should be doing to a new member.

I do think social media platforms are great places to share, meet and learn, but I also think that the relative obscurity of the technology allows people to be less sensitive to another human being’s feelings than they would if they were looking that person in the eye.

We seem to be living in a time when it’s ok to say whatever is on your mind without regard to how it might affect someone hearing or reading it. I certainly respect everyone’s freedom of expression. I just hope, in our little film photography corner of the social media world, we can all be kind, considerate, thoughtful and helpful. I know I am going to try harder.

Leicaflex SL2

Most everyone associates Leica with their famous M rangefinder cameras. And those Leica rangefinders are gorgeous cameras! But in the late 1950s, a revolution was beginning in 35mm cameras…from rangefinders to the SLR or single lens reflex. A number of different manufacturers began building 35mm SLR cameras but it was NIkon’s F camera that turned the world upside down when it was introduced in April of 1959. The F was an immediate success, with professional photographers putting aside their rangefinders and large format press cameras for the new Nikon system camera.

The folks at Leica took notice and began developing their own SLR camera. The first, the Leicaflex Standard, was introduced in 1963. The standard was a well made, professional caliber camera but was nearly outdated by the time it hit the market. The Standard offered on board metering, but not through the lens. Metering was done through a little eyeball on the front of the prism finder. Soon after, Pentax would introduce their Spotmatic with through the lens stop down metering and Nikon would offer a TTL Photomic metering head for their F. The photographic world was quickly embracing through the lens metering and Leica needed to catch up.

In 1968, Leica answered the call of critics with the introduction of the Leicaflex SL. SL stood for selective light, a through the lens system that was nearly spot metering . Second only to the Leica R4, the SL was Leica’s most popular SLR camera, selling 75,000 units before the SL2 was introduced in 1974. My first Leica SLR several years ago was the SL and I didn't warm to it then. Mostly because of the lack of a split image focus screen. My original SL also had a meter that sometimes worked but mostly didn’t. That early experience with the SL dulled my desire to try the SL2 or even one of the later R series cameras.

It wasn’t until some years later, after having some good experiences with Leica R cameras, that I read a very positive review on James Tocchio’s website that peaked my interest in trying the SL2. Wanting one to buy, I discovered, was far easier than finding one to buy.

Even the newest Leicaflex SL2 is over 40 years old and they weren’t made in the quantities of say, the Nikon F…so there were far fewer decent examples for sale. I finally found one that was very nice cosmetically, that the seller indicated had a meter that was still responding to light and a clean looking battery chamber, so I pulled the trigger.

I was pleased when the camera arrived. It was in great shape and the shutter sounded strong. Although not the correct voltage (the SL2 takes a now banned 1.35v mercury battery) I popped a 1.5v 625A battery into the chamber and the meter came alive. The only real disappointment was when I looked through the big and beautiful SL2 viewfinder…it had all sorts of brown spots inside! Fungus? Some other sort of crud?

My SL2 just before sending it to DAG Camera Repair. Out front, that’s the German-made E67 version of the 35-70 Vario-Elmar.

I had plans to send this camera off immediately for service with Don Goldberg at DAG Camera Repair, so I emailed Don and asked about the brown spots. He responded that the brown spots weren’t some creepy crawling fungus or even dirt. The spots I was seeing were from a de-silvering of the prism which is somewhat common in old reflex cameras. Luckily, Don had replacement prisms in stock and told me that would take care of the problem.

About a month later, my SL2 was back from Don’s shop with a full CLA, conversion to 1.5v battery and a bright and crystal clear viewfinder with no brown spots! While waiting for my camera to come back, I ordered a custom leather half case from Luigi Crescenzi. Luigi makes awesome cases and sumptuous straps.

SL2 with Luigi half case

I have only met a few film SLRs that I disliked, many I liked, some I liked a lot and just a few that I love. I LOVE the SL2! It might be the smoothest, sweetest sounding, most confidence-inspiring camera I have ever shot…period! There’s a story around the internet that Leica over built this camera and lost money on every copy sold. Their rationale was that people would buy lenses and that’s how they’d make money. I am not sure if this is true or just an urban legend, but I will tell you that the SL2 is over built. Every single part. The fit and finish on my SL2 is extraordinary. Every knob, lever and dial moves with perfection and authority. It’s a camera you want to shoot with and fiddle with when you’re not.

Everything you need. Nothing you don’t.

The SL2 is a mechanical, manual everything camera. The battery powers only the light meter, the shutter is totally independent of the battery throughout the range of speeds. The viewfinder is huge with analog meters for shutter speed and aperture settings along the bottom and a match needle for the meter on the right side. Adjust settings until the two needles overlay each other and you have perfect exposure. A little button lights up the viewfinder displays in dim light.

You load film in all Leica SLRs the opposite way you do most 35mm cameras. Slide the end of the film under the gray slots on the take up spool, pull the film cartridge across the film plane and drop the cartridge into the left side. Wind one shot onto the take up reel and close the back. Seemed strange at first, but it’s easy and always works flawlessly.

The SL2 is a heavy camera. It feels best with a big lens out front. My 35-70 Vario Elmar balanced nicely on the SL2. I also have a 50 Summicron and 28/2.8 Elmarit. Shooting the SL2 is pure joy. Unlike the SL, this camera has a split image focus screen and the viewfinder makes you feel as if are looking at an IMAX movie screen. With shutter speed and aperture displayed along the bottom and the meter reading along the side, you can literally make adjustments and shoot without taking the camera from your eye.

My first roll in the SL2 was some Fuji Acros. I shot out on Mare Island at the site of an old Navy ship and submarine building facility and around Yountville, CA.

First, Mare Island…

And in Yountville…

This Vespa scooter is on permanent display outside a little shop. It’s one of my favorite subjects.

There are better cameras for street photography, but the SL2 isn’t bad!

Inside a tasting room with available light through the window.

I’ve shot this market many times. It’s a great subject. Hardest part is waiting for a moment to get a shot with no cars on the street in front.

I’m glad that I didn’t dismiss Leicaflex cameras after my first experience with the SL. The SL2 is a delight and provided me with an enjoyable weekend of shooting! I have never been a zoom fan but I was surprised at how well the 35-70 Vario-Elmar performed too and am anxious to use it more.

If you’re a fan of simple mechanical cameras and don’t mind investing some time in the hunt and a few dollars on purchase and service cost, the SL2 is a great choice. And those Leica R lenses are very very nice.

PS: Just about the time I had sent this SL2 off to DAG, my buddies at Tamarkin Camera called me and asked “Hey, weren’t you looking for a Leicaflex SL2? We just got a minty one in.”

What can I say? Merry Christmas to me. :-)

Weston Master V

I love vintage light meters. Over the years, I have picked up a few old Gossen and Kodalux meters, but I think the Weston meters are my favorite.

The Weston Company was founded in 1888 by Edward Weston (not the famous photographer) and began designing and building electrical measuring devices. The earliest Weston light meters date back to 1932. The Weston Master series was made from 1939 to the early 1980s. My Weston Master V dates from around 1972. I also have an earlier Master III and IV. All of these meters use selenium photovoltaic cells—no battery required. And all of my old Westons still work and are pretty darn accurate when compared to my modern Sekonic meter or the on board meter in my Nikon F100. I found one of my Westons in an antique shop for $20 and paid about the same for the others on eBay.

When old photo gear survives years of use and still works, I enjoy pampering these devices a bit. Most of the cameras in my collection have been or are scheduled for service. I sent my handheld Pentax Spotmeter V to Richard Ritter for calibration some years ago and it came back like new. This Weston meter, from the looks of the sticker on the back of the case, was calibrated in 1996 by Quality Light Metric Company in Hollywood, CA.

A quick Google check shows that Quality Light Metric is still in business, still in Hollywood and still repairing and recalibrating light meters for still photographers and cinematographers. George Milton is the owner and even the phone number is still the same, albeit with a 323 area code rather than 213.

Since my old Weston was in George’s shop 23 years ago, it’ll be fun to send her back in for a check up. I’ll report back with the before and after numbers.

20 Best Film SLRs for 2020

I get more email comments on my blog posts about recommended cameras than anything else I write about here. Seems there are a lot of people searching the internet these days for suggestions about the best film cameras to buy and try. After ten years of success and failure, here are my top 20 single lens reflex film cameras for 2020:

Canon A-1

Multiple shooting modes available in this lightweight and affordable SLR. Plenty of Canon FD lenses available.

Tip: The Canon squeak is common with the A-1 and AE-1 models. It’s annoying but doesn’t affect operation. A CLA solves the issue.

Canon F-1 New

The final evolution of the F-1 series features a cool matte black finish, aperture-priority auto exposure and a sweet sounding shutter!

Contax RX

I have tried several Contax SLRs from this era and like the RX the best. Big viewfinder, electronic focus assist and wow…those Carl Zeiss lenses!

Tip: Shop carefully. Contax cameras are complicated electronic devices and the technology hasn't aged well.I bought my body from B&H Photo which offers returns if not satisfied.

Hasselblad 500cm

Beautiful medium format SLR that is completely modular allowing you to build a camera to fit your personal style.

Tip: The 500c is less expensive but doesn’t offer the option of changing out the focus screen. I upgraded to an Acute-Matte screen in my 500cm. It’s much brighter.

Leicaflex SL2

The cost of building this SLR nearly put Leica out of business. One of the nicest vintage cameras I have ever used.

Tip: Shop carefully…the prisms in these tend to de-silver with age but are easily repairable. DAG Camera Repair is the go to shop for Leicaflex.

Leica R4s

After fighting electronic gremlins in the R3, Leica got it right with the R4. The last version of the R4, the R4s MOD-P is the most dependable and nicest to shoot.

Leica R6

This is the SLR version of the M6 rangefinder. All mechanical, simple and accurate TTL metering and one of the most affordable ways to try Leica lenses.

Tip: The R6.2 is the same camera but with a top shutter speed of 1/2000th.

Minolta XD

I have tried lots of Minolta SLRs and I like the XD best. Also called the XD-7 and XD-11, this camera is a result of a Minolta/Leica collaboration.

Nikon F2

A wonderful mechanical professional level SLR! The interchangeable prisms on the F2 make it a F2 Photomic, F2S, F2SB, F2A or F2AS. The AS is the final version with the most accurate meter. It’s also the most expensive.

Tip: Every F2 I have bought needed new seals and mirror bumper foams. Most will benefit from a complete CLA. Sover Wong is the go to guy for that.

Nikon FM2n

All mechanical with built-in center weighted metering, the FM2 was the dependable back-up camera to whatever pro body working photographers were shooting at the time. You can’t go wrong buying one of these great Nikons and oh…those fabulous NIkkors!

Nikon FE2

The FE2 was the first film camera I bought when I got back into photography in late 2009. This camera is the electronic version of the FM2 with aperture priority auto exposure and one of the best viewfinder displays of any classic SLR!

Nikon F3HP

It took three tries before I finally warmed up to the Nikon F3. Some cameras are better appreciated with experience. I’m at peace with my F3 now…it is a joy to shoot!

Nikon F4

I know there are a lot of haters out there, but I just love my big, heavy Nikon F4. This was an expensive and revolutionary camera when it came out. Whenever I shoot my F4 someone will come up and say “Wow, what kind of camera is that?”

Nikon F100

The newest camera I own and one of film photography’s best values! These cameras are amazing and they sell for cheap! I remember when the F100 came out, there was a waiting list to buy one.

Tip: Nikon used a kind of rubber on the outside of this camera that gets sticky over time. I find that handling the camera often takes care of that issue. Not sure why, but it works!

Olympus OM-1 and OM-1n

Gorgeous, jewel-like little cameras with amazing lenses! These cameras used now banned mercury batteries but can be adjusted to use modern photo cells. Love this camera!

Tip: John Titterington sells serviced OM-1 cameras on eBay. I have purchased all my Olympus cameras from John.

Pentax Spotmatic

The Spotmatics are well made cameras that use amazing Pentax Takumar lenses. You’ll have to learn stop down metering to use a Spotmatic, but that’s easy. Buy a Spotmatic F and you’ll get open aperture metering.

Tip: You can find a nice Spotmatic for around $30. Then, immediately send it to Eric Hendrickson for CLA and battery upgrade. You’ll have around $100 total invested and own a great picture taking machine!

Pentax LX

Pentax’s professional grade SLR. The LX is a system camera with interchangeable prisms and loads of accessories. Perfect size, super accurate metering and a wide range of SMC lenses.

Tip: The LX is expensive to buy and own. A CLA on this camera is $200-$300, but when you shoot it, you don’t mind :-)

Pentax MX

Manual, mechanical and mighty small. The Pentax MX was the professional grade camera in the M line up.

Pentax ME

Wonderful and affordable platform for Pentax SMC lenses. Offers aperture-priority auto exposure only.

Pentax K2

Before the LX came out, the K2 was the flagship Pentax camera. Aperture-priority or manual exposure and a sexy sounding shutter!

Tip: Many K2 cameras came with plain matte focusing screens. I sent mine to Eric Hendrickson for upgrade to split image focusing.

Runners up: Pentax 645n, Nikon F, Olympus OM-2n, Minolta XE-7, Pentax ME Super, Nikon N90s, Pentax K1000, Nikon F5.

Sharing what I have learned over the years, here are some of my tips on buying old film cameras.

1. Buy from an established retailer if you can. Places like KEH Camera, B&H, Adorama, Tamarkin Camera, Blue Moon, The Leica Store, etc. stand behind their cameras and offer returns.

2. If you buy from eBay, try and buy from a seller that has 100% good feedback. When I have followed that rule I’ve not been burned. The few times I have not followed that rule, I’ve ended up with issues.

3. Expect that any vintage camera you buy will need a service at some point. These cameras are decades old and their history is mostly unknown. Try and find the best example you can afford and set aside some funds for service. There are very good service techs out there that work on most every kind of camera. After a good service, most vintage cameras will outlive their owners.

4. Watch out for fungus. Many old film cameras were stored improperly and fungus can grow on internal foams, metal and glass surfaces. Fungus is white or light grey colored, is difficult and expensive to remove and can spread from camera to lens. Look carefully at the photos of any old camera you are going to buy for signs of fungus.

5. If you buy camera and lens separately, make sure you do your research on lens compatibility. Many camera manufacturers changed lens mounts over time and just because you buy a Canon lens for a Canon camera, it may not fit. Google is your friend here.

6. Same is true for batteries. Some older cameras take batteries that are no longer available. Good news is that most of these cameras can be adapted to use modern batteries. Again, do your research.

Happy camera shopping!

Expired Plus-X

Over the years, whenever I have had the opportunity and the funds, I have tried to buy up rolls of Kodak’s now discontinued Plus-X 125 black and white film because I like shooting it. A roll here, a roll there. Even a cold-stored brick or two from photo stores clearing out inventory. My oldest rolls expired in 2008 and I have a few from the final batches that expired in 2016.

I decided to shoot a roll from a brick with a 2008 expiry date and see what developed. This particular batch came from a photographer who could not guarantee the film was stored properly its entire life. I loaded my Canon F-1 and shot it at the box speed. Even with unknown storage conditions, I think this film has held up nicely…certainly a credit to the folks in Rochester.

To my eye, Plus-X has a creamy vintage look that I have been unable to duplicate with any currently available film. It gives me pleasing results and I will be sorry when the last of my stock is gone.

In Search of Fall Color with the Pentax K2

I had my Pentax K2 loaded up with Kodak Portra 400 color film early in October with big plans to capture the spectacular colors of fall in the Wine Country. There are some excellent hiking trails not far from where I live and wanted to head out after the first frost, get some fresh air, a bit of exercise and capture the changing leaves.

Mother Nature had other plans though. The early part of the month was warmer than usual, that frost never came. Then, around the third week, the humidity dropped into single digits, an ominous Diablo wind blew hard out of the Sierras and an aging PG&E transmission line sparked a wildfire that would scorch nearly 78,000 acres before firefighters heroically beat it down.

My Pentax K2, ready for fall colors that never came.

It was early November before the fire was completely under control and things began to return to normal. The overnight lows barely kissed the freezing mark by the time I got a free weekend to hike some trails up near Mt. St. Helena. The ground was covered with leaves…muted browns and grays. Some of the trees hadn't even turned yet. I decided to make the most of the day, searching for color wherever I could find it.

Manzanita trees are plentiful in Arizona. I was surprised to find a grove of them along this trail. I love their red trunks against the blue sky.

I came across this barn on the trail. I think there may have been an old homestead on this site.

As I write this, the fire season is officially over in California. The rains have begun with earnest and what little color remained on the trees has been washed to the ground. The rain will mean lots of new growth…new fuel for fires. I used to welcome October. Now, I sort of fear it.

I’ve started a serious effort to reduce my collection of old film cameras, selling or giving away duplicates or cameras I don’t use often. The Pentax K2 will stay. Since I have had it serviced and modified with a split image focus screen, it’s a camera I really enjoy using.

Cameras As Therapy

I wouldn’t say my job is stressful. “Often frustrating” is a better way to describe it. I manage the marketing and communications department of a large company that owns and operates retail automotive dealerships and auto collision centers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Much of my time is spent overseeing the customer-facing digital infrastructure that we depend on. And almost on a daily basis, there are gremlins that get into the system and disrupt this function or that one. Many of them are easy to diagnose and resolve. Others leave my team, vendors and me scratching our heads.

After a day of high tech madness, I often find myself retreating deep into my world of old cameras, lenses and light meters for a bit of solace. Yesterday was one of those days. I spent much of the day on the phone with various vendor’s support teams, opening tickets, asking questions and not getting many answers. Pricing on our inventory of new vehicles was not showing correctly on our websites and no one knew how to fix it. Showing correct prices is a pretty big deal in retail, so the frustration level was running pretty high on my team. We finally put a band-aid on the problem and I headed home for the day.

On my front porch, I found a package from DAG Camera. It was my Leicaflex SL2 that had been in Don Goldberg’s capable hands for the past few weeks. I sent the SL2 in for a CLA as well as a new prism finder (the old one had begun to desilver), and recalibration of the TTL meter to work with modern batteries. Seeing the DAG label on the box immediately made me feel better. I changed into some comfortable clothes, poured myself a glass of wine and opened the box.

DAG refreshed Leicaflex SL2 with 50mm 3-Cam Summicron from Tamarkin Camera

Don has worked on several of my Leica SLRs. He is a master and his work on my Leicaflex was no exception. All of the controls now worked with buttery smoothness, the new prism made the viewfinder bright and clear and the metering system was now powered by an easy to find 625A battery. As I sat there running the Leica’s shutter through its range of speeds, hearing the sound of a 44 year old machine operating flawlessly without any dependance on battery power, I felt a calmness come over me.

Most of my photography takes place on the weekends, but I often find myself fiddling with one of my old cameras weeknights after dinner. There’s something about an old film camera that just settles me. Perhaps it’s a connection to my youth and simpler times. I’m not sure, but it is a satisfying part of the hobby for me.

I guess it’s the same reason I enjoy using my Hasselblad 500cm. Loading up a Hassey film back and going through the various steps involved in shooting a frame with one of these cameras is not something you can do quickly. The whole process slows you down, way down in a wonderfully analog calming way. I like it. It makes me feel good.

The Hasselblad 500cm…slow, simple and satisfying

There are so many advantages to all of the digital wonders that have made our life easier and more efficient in 2019, but it sure is nice to be able to escape the modern world when you want to and click the shutter on an old film camera, take a deep breath and relax a bit.

A Fall That Hasn't Been

As most of you might know, California has been under siege by wildfires this fall. The first responders have done an amazing job protecting life and property. The fires, power outages, air quality alerts…it’s been a time of stress and anxiety for all of us who live here.

Typically, I am out with my cameras and color film documenting the changing landscape as winter approaches, but there’s been little time for it this year. So, in the spirit of the season, I’ll share some of my favorite shots from falls gone by.

These first few were taken with my Mamiya 645Pro with a 110mm f/2.8 Mamiya-Sekor C lens and Kodak Portra 400 film.

And a few using my Nikon FM2n, 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor and again on Portra 400.

I love October. It’s my favorite month of the year. I hope we can soon get to a place here in the West where this time of year is a little less stressful, dangerous and life threatening.

Fuji Industrial in the Nikon FE2

A recent Sunday afternoon stroll with my Nikon FE2 reminded me why I love this camera so much. It’s light, compact and has just the best ever viewfinder display. While there’s something to be said for LED and LCD readouts in camera viewfinders, I really like the FE2’s analog needle display. Simple, clean, pure.

I am liking the results I am getting with Fujicolor 100 speed Industrial film too. I shot these with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens.

I wouldn’t mind having an old pickup truck. This one has just the right amount of patina.

This old Dodge Dart was parked on a side street. It didn’t appear as if it had been moved in a long time.

Many of the benches around town have little plaques that dedicate the bench “In Memory” of someone. This one just had a simple invitation.

I buy my Fuiicolor Industrial at The Shot On Film Store. I had my Nikon FE2 CLA’d at Blue Moon Camera & Machine.