Double X in Mendocino
I had a pleasant weekend up the California coast in Mendocino a few weeks ago wandering about with my Nikkormat FT3 loaded with Eastman 5222 Double X film.
Mods
I’ve been on a bit of a Nikkormat kick recently and picked up a very nice, nearly new in appearance FTn body for cheap. The FTn, like many of the vintage cameras I have used over the years, has a micro prism focusing screen that is not interchangeable by the photographer. My aging eyes prefer a split image screen so I’ve managed to have several of my old cameras modified from micro prism to split image. Eric Hendrickson modified my Pentax Spotmatic SP and K2 bodies during a CLA which greatly improved the user experience for me.
I am currently running a test roll of Kodak Tri-X through the Nikkormat. I’ll post a full review once I’ve finished and developed the roll, but I will say that this is quite an enjoyable camera to use. I think these Nikkormats are often overlooked for sexier cameras and that’s a shame. Although it’s a heavy camera, there’s really nothing not to love about a Nikkormat.
To make this camera a true keeper, I do want to invest in some modifications. First, the FTn uses banned 1.35v 625 Mercury batteries. For my test roll, I’m using a 1.5v 625 alkaline cell. Many FTn users say there’s really no difference with forgiving print film, but I’ll want to have this camera’s meter modified to use the 1.5v battery nonetheless.
In addition to the battery mod, I would really love to have a split image focusing screen installed. This is definitely a job for a skilled tech, so I’ve reached out to Jim Holman at ICT to do a CLA, the battery mod and the focus screen swap. In order to do that, I needed to find a donor camera with a split image screen.
There are always quite a few Nikkormat FTn bodies for sale on eBay, but it’s difficult to find one that has a split image screen. The screens from the later FT2 and FT3, which are split image, will work in the FTn but those bodies are more expensive…more than I wanted to invest just to harvest the focus screen. I discovered during my “research” that the later FTn bodies with a plastic tip film advance and self-timer levers from the F2, often came with the split image screen, also called the “K” screen. Since most of the listings did not mention what type of screen was installed and none of them had pictures that included a clear shot of the screen, I had to contact the buyers and ask.
After several weeks of browsing, I came across a “parts only” FTn that came with its original box and sticker on the rewind lever that identified this camera as having the Nikon K screen. I offered the seller $20 for the camera and the offer was accepted.
Nikkormat FTn box with K screen identifier
Faded but still readable K screen label on the film advance lever
I really prefer the plastic tip advance lever over the plain metal one, so I am going to ask Jim to swap those out as well. When I make these requests, Jim always says “I’ll see what I can do” and then delivers results that exceed my expectations.
I am excited to see the results from my test roll. My FTn looks hardly used so it will be interesting to see how the camera will perform pre-CLA. After that, she gets packed up and, along with the donor camera, it’s mod time at ICT.
One Photograph: Dial O for Operator
I heard a story on NPR driving to work the other day that AT&T has asked state regulators at the California Public Utilities Commission to phase out its obligation to provide landline telephone service. They estimate less than 7% of California households in its service area use traditional copper-based landline phones. 7% doesn’t sound like much but in a state as big as ours, that’s a lot of people. AT&T’s proposal has generated over 2,600 public comments online ahead of hearing before a judge on the matter.
I personally have not had landline service since 2010 but there have been instances since then when, during big storms and wildfires, the electricity and internet were out as well as some cell towers. During one of the big fires, lots of folks I know found it difficult to connect a call. It sure would’ve been nice to pick up the receiver and hear a dial tone.
My parents still have an old black rotary dial wall phone in their basement. It was installed by New York Telephone in 1966 and for 58 years it has always worked no matter what.
I made this photograph of my old Western Electric rotary dial desk phone seven years after I gave up my landline. I used my Nikon F2AS, 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor and Kodak TMax 400 film.
Can you even get an Operator by dialing “O” anymore?
Provenance
Over the years, I have built up a sizable network of photographic friends. My network consists of fellow bloggers, professional and amateur photographers, camera repair technicians, suppliers of accessories, current and former camera shop owners and people who buy and sell cameras online. I say “friends” because truly, these are all wonderful people who are enthusiastic about keeping analog photography alive. I feel very fortunate to call them my friends.
Recently, one of them—a trusted seller, offered up a very nice, boxed Nikon F2 Photomic A. I’ve really been trying to thin down my collection of cameras so I spent a good weekend mulling over whether or not to purchase this Nikon. My friend and fellow blogger, Jim Grey recently did a podcast about buying old cameras on eBay. You can listen to it here. Jim offers up some solid tips on buying old cameras online. I will offer one more—the crazy inner voice, the gut feeling that tells you that this is a good camera and that it should be yours.
Besides my inner voice, two other factors influenced my decision. First, the camera was really in lovely condition with a working and accurate meter and second, it came with its original numbers-matching box and paperwork. I’ve never had a vintage camera with its packaging this complete and original. Even the serial number on the Photomic finder is matching to the serial number on the box which is rare because many F2s had them changed out over the years as the finders evolved. It’s cool to have a camera and finder that left the factory together. The serial number on this F2 dates the body to the latter half of 1979, just a year before Nikon stopped building the F2.
I am always fascinated with the provenance of old cameras I buy and for the most part their history and their previous owners are mostly a mystery to me. But the romantic in me always wonders. I tend to buy cameras that are nice condition, so I can only assume that the ones I have purchased either saw very light use or were well cared for…or both.
When this F2 arrived, it was as the seller described. Only very faint signs of use, a very clean and clear finder, a good, strong shutter with speeds that sound pretty reasonable and a meter that matches the readings from my hand-held Sekonic. I opened up the back and the film chamber looked as clean as the outside of the camera—almost like new. And there was a surprise inside. A sales sticker from Shutan Camera Company in Chicago.
Shutan Camera Company was a legendary camera store that closed in 2008 after 90 years in business. I can only assume that 45 years ago, my F2 was on the shelf at Shutan. While the retail store is no longer around Shutan still offers some photographic services and their website includes catalogs and commercials from days gone by. I found their 1979 catalog with prices on the F2 with a 50mm f/1.8 Nikkor-E lens…$599.95. Adjusted for inflation, that would be about $2,700 today.
Image courtesy of Shutan.com
Image courtesy of Shutan.com
It was great paging through the old Shutan Camera Company catalogs and watching some of their television commercials featuring many of the vintage film cameras I have owned over the years. As a photographer, I always appreciate it when someone asks permission to use one of my images, so before using their catalog images on this post, I called the number on the website and left a message asking for their ok.
I was delighted to receive a call back from Bob Shutan whose father owned the camera store. Bob told me that it was part of the store’s marketing to put the little sticker inside the camera so that every time you popped a new roll of film in your camera, you thought of Shutan Camera. We had a nice chat about old cameras, film photography and my blog. He also sent me a very nice note after looking at some of my past posts.
I will never know who bought this Nikon at Shutan Camera forty some years ago or how it made its way from Chicago to the San Francisco Bay Area, but the good feeling I got in my gut when I decided to buy it that day was confirmed when I opened the back and saw that little sticker and made a new friend.
A Chicago Tribune photographer snaps a photo to accompany an article being written about the store on West Wacker Drive. Courtesy of Shutan.com
The End of AM Radio
This is mostly a blog about film photography and old cameras, but I occasionally write about radio because that’s where I started my career. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, I worked as a disc jockey at a number of radio stations in Upstate New York and later, in Phoenix, Arizona.
My very first paying radio job was at a small, daytime only 5000 watt AM station in Owego, New York. The station also simulcast its programming on FM. Owego was a small town, less than 20,000 people, on the banks of the Susquehanna River. We were what was called back then a full service radio station playing adult contemporary music, news, public affairs, even live high school sports. There were a half dozen disc jockeys, a two person news department, copywriter/traffic director, a full time engineer and several salespeople. That’s a pretty decent size staff for a small town radio station and I am not sure how it penciled out, but we all got paid each week and the two local owners lived a pretty decent life. A lot of people in town listened to and depended on the station to get their news and information. I remember doing a live remote at a feed store and enough people showed up to clean me out of station t-shirts and free movie tickets.
There were little stations like that in lots of towns in those days and big powerhouse stations too, like WABC in New York City, WLS in Chicago, KFI in Los Angeles and others. The AM band was alive with music in all formats, talented announcers, jingles and tons and tons of commercials.
For some reason, this morning on the way to work, I did something I haven’t done in years. I switched the car radio over to AM and tuned across the dial, wondering what I’d find. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Like most big cities, San Francisco has a news/talk station-KCBS. KNBR is all sports. Legendary KGO switched its format to sports/gambling a while back. I listened awhile to those big three and noticed a proliferation of ads for firms that provide relief to people who are behind on their taxes, treatment for erectile dysfunction and companies that buy houses in most any condition. None of the advertisers sounded local. As I scanned from 540 up to 1700, there was a mishmash of fading and staticky signals; mostly talk, a couple of religious stations, two Spanish language stations and one in Chinese. The bright spot on the dial was 1530 KFBK, a station out of Sacramento. They had a live and local morning show, traffic, weather, news and commercials for car dealers and local businesses. The station had a clean, clear signal and all of the content was well produced. In a major market, in morning drive, only one station compelled me to listen for more than a minute or two. Only one sounded live, local, fresh, engaging.
I get it. AM radio is a 100-year old technology. FM is better. Satellite even better with no commercials. Some of my co-workers listen to podcasts on their way into work. Audacy, the third largest radio company in the US just filed for bankruptcy. Auto manufacturers are talking about not even putting an AM radio in cars anymore. And I’m not sure how many commercials for ED drugs and tax relief it takes to keep paying the electric bills for a 50,000 watt AM transmitter. I don’t think AM is dead, but it’s certainly dying. And that makes me misty.
Growing up in the 1960s and 70s, all I ever wanted to do was work on the radio and I feel very lucky, I guess, to have been part of radio when it was live and vibrant and healthy. I follow a few Facebook groups where grumpy old radio dogs like myself reminisce and someone posted this picture of a disc jockey, headphones on, playing records, probably at nine o’clock at night and probably on AM.
Late night DJ. I would love to credit the person who took this picture or owns the rights. Please pardon my use here.
One Photograph: Channeling Vivian Maier
Ever since Vivian Maier’s amazing body of work was discovered in 2007, I’ve been a fan. I especially enjoy her whimsical selfies.
I began doing selfies as a way of identifying which camera I was using. I save the last few frames of each roll and shoot a mirror selfie. On occasion while out on a photo walk, I have come across a window where I can snap a good reflection of myself or a mirror in a shop. This is one of my favorites. I happened down an alley that had facing mirrors and took a selfie with my Pentax Spotmatic SP with a 55mm f/1.8 Takumar on expired Agfa APX 100 film.
Mirror Selfie, Yountville, CA, 2019
A Camera I Really Wish I Could Use
A friend who knows I love old cameras gave me this Polaroid Big Swinger 3000. I have the box and the original manual. Unfortunately, I have no film for it. Polaroid discontinued peel apart 100-series pack film a long time ago. There are alternatives from Fuji that have also been discontinued, but are insanely expensive. There was another Swinger model that used Polaroid 20-series roll film, which was the first Polaroid film to develop outside of the camera. You can’t get that film anymore either.
Growing up, several of my relatives had Swinger cameras. They were pretty popular then and the $19.95 price tag was somewhat affordable. I remember that the black and white photos that camera out of the Swinger looked pretty darn good. It would be fun to shoot mine, even once, although I would imagine that I would be disappointed in the results. It seems no one has been completely able to duplicate Polaroid’s instant film stock like the original.
The television commercials for the Swinger starred a young Ali MacGraw. Barry Manilow sang the tune. Here is the commercial. Be careful, the tune and the words can get stuck in your brain.
30 Film Cameras You Should Try Before You Die
Ok, the headline is a bit dramatic, I admit.
I am wrapping up 2023 with a list of the top 30 cameras that I have experienced since I started this blog. What I liked best and least about each of them, their quirks and anything I learned that might be helpful. Try one. Try six. Try all 30 if you’re a nut like me.
CANON P: This is a well made rangefinder from the 1960s, before Canon started making SLRs. It’s one of the least expensive ways to try out LTM (Leica Thread Mount) or M39 lenses. Canon also made lenses for their rangefinders. I had a 50mm f/1.4 that made gorgeous pictures. The Canon P is a delight to shoot. The only pitfall is that the shutter curtains are made of thin metal and are prone to wrinkling.
The Canon P with 50mm f/1.4 Canon LTM lens
CANON NEW F-1: Canon’s professional grade SLR circa 1981. It competed with Nikon’s F3. This was the last version of the F-1 series after the original F-1 and F-1n. Very robust SLR with aperture-priority metering. Uses Canon’s FD mount lenses which are exceptional and reasonably priced. The finish on this camera is unique and very attractive.
Canon New F-1 with 50/1.4 Canon FD lens
CANON A-1: Another FD mount SLR, the Canon A-1 is the ultimate point and shoot. In program mode, just focus and shoot. The A-1’s metering system will take anything you can throw at it. It also has a variety of other shooting modes too. Only drawback to the A-1 is the annoying Canon shutter squeal which can be remedied with a professional CLA. Do it yourselfers have spoiled lots of A-1s trying to squirt oil into the camera’s body. Use a pro.
The Canon A-1 with breech-lock mount 50mm f/1.4 Canon FD lens
CONTAX RX: The Contax RX is a very interesting camera, released just as the world was beginning to embrace autofocus. While it is not an autofocus camera, it has “autofocus assist”—a little display in the viewfinder that tells you when you’ve nailed your focus. It really works! The RX has every shooting mode you could want, has a very cool shutter sound and uses the amazing Carl Zeiss C/Y mount lenses. I took some beautiful pictures with mine. The RX has loads of electronics inside. I am not sure how well those electronics will age, but when this camera is working, it’s a joy to shoot!
Contax RX with 50mm f/1.7 Zeiss Planar
HASSELBLAD 500C/M: Two medium format cameras made my list, both SLRs. The first is the Hasselblad 500C/M. Shooting a Hasselblad is truly an immersive experience. From loading film to composing an image, tripping that amazing shutter and winding on the next frame…nothing is fast about a Hasselblad. But is it fun! And did I mention those Carl Zeiss lenses!
The Hassey with 80mm Zeiss Planar
LEICA M2: Of all the Leica rangefinders I tried, the M2 was my favorite. For pure minimalistic photographic joy, there’s nothing like an M2 with a 50mm or 35mm Summicron lens and some Tri-X film. The M6TTL would be a close second to the M2, but only because of a built-in light meter. My recommendation on buying Leica rangefinders is to only buy from reputable dealers and expect at some point to invest in a CLA.
Leica M2 with 50mm Rigid Summicron
LEICA R SERIES: Leica made SLRs too and my favorites are the R4, R5, R6 and R7. These cameras were the result of a partnership with Minolta and like other Minoltas that I will talk about in just a bit, some of the Leica R bodies suffer from various electronic gremlins. None of mine ever did. These Leica SLRs are one of the most affordable ways to experience the amazing quality of Leica lenses although prices have increased recently as cinematographers have discovered Leica glass. The R4, R5 and R7 have auto exposure modes. The R6 is completely manual. Leica SLRs have big, bright, beautiful viewfinders.
Leica R4s MOD-P with 60mm f/2.8 Macro-Elmarit
LEICAFLEX SL2: The 1973 vintage SL2 was the last of the Leicaflex cameras, predecessor to the R-Series. 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 the 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. You can find these cameras for sale in the $300-$500 range, but buyer beware. My SL2 required an extensive CLA and conversion to modern batteries. Don Goldberg at DAG did the work and when I got the camera back, it was a work of art. Expensive, but worth it.
Leicaflex SL2 with 35-70 Vario-Elmar zoom
MAMIYA 645PRO: Only two medium format cameras made the list and this is one of them. The 645Pro is a system camera, very modular. This camera handles like a 35mm SLR, has oodles of lenses and accessories and is easy to use. With finder and power grip, it's a big and heavy beast. Strip it down to the basic waist level finder and crank-style film advance and it's very portable.
Mamiya 645Pro with power grip and AE finder
PENTAX MX: This is a very small, simple, manual everything SLR that takes Pentax K-mount lenses. The MX was the professional model in a line-up that included the ME and the ME Super consumer models. The size and weight of this camera makes it an ideal companion for hiking or photo walks.
Pentax MX with 50mm SMC Pentax-Z f/1.4 lens
PENTAX ME: The Pentax ME is my 35mm point and shoot. Aperture-priority auto-exposure is the only mode available on the ME. Some might see that as a limitation, I see it as liberation. Mount your favorite Pentax K-mount lens on the front, drop in some film, go shoot!
Pentax ME with 85mm f/1.8 SMC Pentax-M lens
PENTAX LX: I’ve had four of these. Two worked flawlessly, two gave me all sorts of fits. Needless to say, I still think everyone should try this amazing camera from Pentax that was in production from 1980 to 2001. The LX was a professional grade system camera. It was weather-sealed, had very accurate off-the-film-plane metering and feels just great in the hand. Do some research on the LX and you will read about its “sticky mirror syndrome” as well as issues with its aging electronics. Pentax guru Erick Hendrickson used to service the LX. He doesn't anymore. I am not sure anyone does. Pity as the LX is about as good as it gets.
The author with his LX on Portra 400 film
PENTAX K2: The K2 was the top of the line in a post Spotmatic series of cameras that included the K1000, KM and KX. The K2 offered aperture-priority auto exposure and was considered a pro-level body. It was only in production for a few years prior to the introduction of the LX. The only thing bad I have to say about this camera is that the ASA setting is done via a ring around the lens mount. Over time, these get very difficult to turn. A tech can remedy this during CLA.
The Pentax K2
PENTAX SPOTMATIC: The Pentax Spotmatic was the first 35mm SLR with through-the-lens (TTL) metering. I also think it is one of the nicest looking cameras ever made. In 1960s advertisements, Pentax invited photographers to “Just Hold a Pentax.” Indeed, a Spotmatic feels just great in your hand. I have to admit that I was put off by the things I read about the Spotmatic for quite a while. First, the battery needed to power the camera’s meter was no longer available and second, the camera required stop down metering. When I finally decided to try one, the body I bought off of eBay arrived with tons of corrosion. Eventually, I came across a nice Spotmatic. I discovered the battery issue is a non-issue. And after a few shots using stop down metering, it became second nature. Later Spotmatic F models eliminated the need for stop down metering with SMC Takumar lenses. While cameras in my collection have come and gone, there’s always been a Spotmatic around.
Pentax Spotmatic with 55mm f/1.8 SMC Takumar
NIKON F: Nikon turned the photographic world upside down in 1959 when they introduced the F body and the Nikon F mount lens, which is still used on Nikon DSLRs. The F is a legendary camera and I only came to appreciate it this year when I acquired several with the non-metered prisms. Like the Leica M2, I find this version of the Nikon F pure, minimalistic photographic joy.
NIKON F2AS: The F2 was the follow up to the Nikon F. Introduced in 1971, it would stay in production until 1980. All of that time, the camera body stayed the same. Nikon introduced several new prism heads with auto-indexing and more sensitive meters. The last version was the Nikon F2AS. Some people call the F2 Nikon’s best mechanical SLR. Some say it is perhaps the best mechanical SLR period.
Nikon F2AS with 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor
NIKON F3: The F3 was Nikon’s third professional camera and the first with an electronic shutter that required a battery. Hard to imagine today because everything runs on batteries, but professional photographers at that time were very hesitant to buy into a camera body that required batteries. It turned out that the F3 was just as dependable as the F and F2 and would stay in production the longest of any of Nikon’s professional cameras. The F3 is a great camera and has the nicest film advance, I think, of any 35mm SLR.
Nikon F3HP
NIKON F4: The 1988 F4 introduced Nikon photographers to autofocus. It’s also one of Nikon’s most flexible camera bodies, accepting every Nikon lens made since 1959 with certain limitations. The F4 is a beast. It’s big and heavy but feels really amazing in hand. There are several different battery grips available for the F4. The photo below shows the F4 with the MB-20 grip, allowing for the smallest and lightest F4 configuration.
NIKON FM, FE, FE2, FM2: All of these are essentially the same camera. The FM is the first in this series of cameras first released in 1977. The FM and later FM2 were manual everything cameras. The FE and FE2 offer manual plus aperture-priority auto exposure. In 2001, Nikon released the FM3a which incorporated all of the best features of all of its predecessors.
The Nikon FM
MINOLTA XD: Of all of the Minolta cameras I have tried, I liked the XD best. The XD was called the XD-11 in the US, the XD-7 in Europe and just XD in Japan. The XD is a historically significant camera because it was the first SLR to offer both aperture-priority and shutter-priority auto-exposure modes. More important still, the XD had a built-in, simple but effective microprocessor. In shutter-priority mode, if the photographer selects a speed that the camera determines is outside proper exposure parameters, it will automatically select another one that will deliver a good exposure. This was the first ever "program" mode on a camera. The XD also offers a fully manual exposure mode. The XD was made in a joint venture with Leica and it just oozes quality. There was also a XD-s which offered built-in diopter correction. Some Minolta photographers report electronics issues with the XD line, the same gremlins that infect the Leica R cameras perhaps?
Minolta XD. Leica hiding inside.
Olympus OM-1 and OM-2: 35mm SLRs were big and heavy until Olympus changed the game in 1972 with the introduction of the OM-1. After that, Nikon and Pentax scrambled to downsize their SLRs to compete. In previous posts I have called these Olympus cameras “jewel-like” and they really are wonderful to shoot. The Zuiko lenses are pretty amazing too. The OM-1 uses mercury batteries so you will have to use a Wein cell or have it converted to take modern 1.5v batteries.
Olympus OM-1n with OM Labor 50mm f/1.4 Zuiko
There are a few cameras which are too new to me to make this list. I am currently shooting three different Nikkormat cameras; the FTN, FT2 and FT3. I am very impressed with all three. My Nikkormats will definitely make next year’s list.
Happy New Year from the Fogdog Blog!
Winter Storms on The Sonoma Coast
Gale Warning…Wind Advisory…High Surf Warning…Coastal Flood Advisory. All of these weather alerts are in the forecast this week here in Northern California as a series of winter storms roll through. For the ten years I lived in Bodega Bay, I got used to hunkering down and letting nature do her thing. After the storms had cleared, I loved grabbing a camera and heading down to the beach to see what had washed up. What shapes had been carved in the sand.
This series was shot on Eastman 5222 film with my Pentax Spotmatic and the 55mm f/1.8 Super Tak.
Toyota's New TV Commercial Stars the Pentax Spotmatic
I work in retail automotive, managing the marketing for a company that owns a number of luxury car dealerships, so I pay attention to car ads. Recently, Toyota debuted a very well done television commercial just in time for Christmas featuring the Pentax Spotmatic.
In the commercial, a woman has received a box from her grandmother containing a number of old photographs and the camera she took them with; the Spotmatic. As the commercial continues, the woman embarks on a journey to duplicate the same scenes her grandmother photographed, even developing her photographs in a bathroom darkroom.
You can see the commercial here.
Interestingly enough, just about the time I saw the Toyota commercial, I received a very nice copy of the same camera from a collector friend of mine. He wrote and told me that he had a nearly mint early SP and offered it at a very attractive price. The temptation was too much and I bought it. The camera is cosmetically nearly perfect, the shutter sounds good and strong and surprisingly, the meter is active and very accurate when I compare it to my handheld Sekonic Twin-Mate.
Over the course of my 14-year journey back into film photography, cameras come and go…but it seems there’s always a Spotmatic in my camera bag. Hmmm.
One Photograph: Merry Christmas
All through December, 2017, I was shooting up a roll of Kodak Portra 400 in my Pentax Spotmatic F with the 55mm f/1.8 SMC Takumar lens. After the roll was finished, I decided to try the in-store photo lab at the local camera shop for developing and scanning rather than one of the mail order labs I usually used. When I went to pick the processed roll up right after the New Year, the lab tech told me that that something wonky happened during processing. He apologized and gave me a free roll of Portra 400 in compensation.
The image above of my Christmas tree that year was one of the few that came out fine. It was one of the first frames I shot on that roll. As I got closer to the end of the roll, the processing error was more evident as you can see from the beach image below, shot on New Years Eve.
With all of the film I’ve had processed since getting back into film photography, only two rolls have been messed up at the lab. I think that’s a pretty good track record.
As my blog begins its ninth year, I want to say how much I appreciate all of you who read and comment. Merry Christmas and best wishes for a great 2024.
One Photograph: Analog on Analog
Since my days of working as a disc jockey on the radio in the 1970s and 80s, I have always had a turntable of one sort or another in my house. I like relaxing after dinner with a nice glass of wine and putting on an old classic rock album or some jazz. There’s something about plucking an LP from its sleeve, placing it on the platter and dropping the needle into the groove that warms my heart — just like using an old film camera does.
My audio equipment has changed many times over the years. I’ve had some decent receivers and amplifiers over the years and some real crap. Good speakers and bad. As life goes, I sold, gave away or threw away gear. My set up right now is a Yamaha amplifier that I am not at all impressed with. I bought it on the cheap five years ago and you really get what you pay for. My speakers are vintage Klipsch Heresy II which the Yamaha huffs and puffs trying to drive. I’ve been seriously thinking lately about buying a vintage Marantz receiver to compliment the Heresys. I remember listening to the old Marantz receivers back in the day…warm, rich and powerful. There are a number of people that recondition these old receivers. Maybe a 2235B…or even a 2270 to make my speakers happy.
I shot this picture using available light back in 2014, listening to albums and sipping wine. The camera was my Nikon F4 and Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF-D. The film was Cinestill 800T. The Pioneer turntable was damaged beyond repair during a move a few years later.
One Photograph: Embarcadero Pedi-Cab Ride
A stroll along San Francisco’s Embarcadero is one of my favorite things to do whenever I visit the City. I’ve walked the almost three miles from touristy Pier 39 to the Giants ballpark on several occasions. Good exercise and lots of photo opportunities.
In September, 2013, the America’s Cup came to San Francisco. I spent a nice afternoon in the City enjoying the festivities. By the late afternoon, all the walking and the crowds got the best of me and for the first time, I grabbed one of the many Pedi-Cabs that run up and down the waterfront.
I snapped this with my Nikon F2S as my driver peddled me back to the parking lot and my car. I was using Kodak Tri-X film that day.
Downsizing Update
It has been so rewarding to see some of my cherished film cameras find their way around the world into the hands of photographers who will use and enjoy them as much as I have. And I’ve made some new photography friends along the way, which has been nice.
The downsizing continues.
Pentax K2 with 50mm f/1.7 SMC Pentax-M: The K2 was the top of the line in the K series full size Pentax SLRs. Think KX, KM or K1000 with aperture-priority auto exposure. I love the analog meter read out in the viewfinder. This copy came from a dear friend in Los Angeles who used to work for Pentax. Overall in excellent ++ condition. Lens is in similar condition. I’ve included an after-market lens hood as well. $200 + shipping.
Nikon FE with 50mm f/1.8 AI-s Nikkor Pancake Lens: This FE is mint, from top to bottom. It received a complete and thorough clean-lube-adjust (CLA) from Jim Holman at ICT in San Diego in October, 2022. That service was $180 and I will include the documentation. This FE comes with one of Nikon’s sharpest standard prime lenses, the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 Pancake. This version which is different from other, cheaper more plastic versions. You can tell this lens from other 50/1.8 Nikkors by these features:
Serial number starts with a 2. Other more common and cheaper versions start with a 4.
Lens has only one row of rubber focus rings on the front of the lens. Other versions have 2 or 3.
1.5’/0.45 meter close distance focus
NIKKOR, not SERIES E, engraved on the front of the lens
I am also including a Nikon 52mm chrome protective filter and Nikon OEM hot shoe cover. I am into this kit for just over $500 including the body, Holman service and lens. As with all of my gear, I’d prefer it go to a loving home, so if you are interested, shoot me an offer.
Contax RX, 50/1.7 Zeiss Planar, Acros Original Emulsion
One Photograph: Two Dogs
I am contemplating a project, making 2024 a year of black and white photography. At least one roll per month. I would like to sharpen my skills, become a better photographer and document the year in pictures. At least that is my thinking right now.
I shot this picture almost exactly six years ago, sitting on a large piece of driftwood, watching the sun slip below the horizon in Bodega Bay.
A Sunday Walk
It’s been a spectacular fall here in Northern California. The leaves changed slowly and then all of a sudden, brilliant colors were all around like an explosion. The peak was about ten days ago, but I was so busy with work…and then there was Thanksgiving. Finally, late yesterday afternoon, I got out for a walk around the neighborhood with my Fujifilm X-T1 to document what’s left of the color.
Nikon FM2n, 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor, Kodak Portra 400 at 200 ISO
One Photograph: Love on the Beach
For all of the years that I lived in Bodega Bay, fall was my favorite time for long walks on the beach. While in lots of other places, the weather is getting cold and blustery, the Northern California coast is awash in warm sunshine. I got some of my favorite beach images from October through January. I shot this one in 2018 with my Canon F-1, 50mm f/1.4 chrome nose FD lens on Kodak Portra 400 exposed at 200 ISO.
I feel like the world needs a little more love right now.
Love on the Beach, Bodega Bay, CA October, 2018
Ilford HP5+
There were lots of variables in play as I tried out some Ilford HP5 Plus 400 speed black and white film. First, I am still getting used to my meter-less Nikon F camera and second, this is my first roll using a new-to-me Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 Non-AI lens.
Nikon F with 55mm f/3.5 Micro-Nikkor
With the F, I am alternating between using my Sekonic L-208 meter and Sunny 16. An article by Gregory Gross on his blog, about photography without a light meter, inspired me to try and use my eyes and my head more in determining exposure. I am enjoying the challenge.
I’ve not shot a lot of Ilford film. Most of my experience is with their FP4 125 speed film. Here’s our dog Jazz, shot Sunny 16 trying to get some treats out of her chew toy.
Our side yard gate:
One evening, a couple of glasses of cab by the fire pit. My Sekonic helped with this shot:
A glass vase on the kitchen table in late afternoon sun, best guess on the exposure.
The pentaprism of a Nikon F:
And the marquee on the theater downtown:
I’ve said for years that I want to really try and get to know one type of black and white film and use it until it becomes second nature. And learning to meter with my head is a good exercise to keep this old brain sharp.
What I really got excited about was this lens. Like the faster f/2.8 AI-s version I have, this lens is a real solid performer.
PASSED Sticker: Epilogue
A few posts back, I was debating over what to do with a gold PASSED sticker that was featured prominently on the front of the pentaprism of a lovely black Nikkormat FT2 I had just purchased and had serviced. If the sticker was anywhere else on the camera, I would have left it in place since it had already traveled with the camera for nearly 50 years. I asked my readers here and on several Facebook groups I belong to what they would do. Interestingly enough, it was about a 60/40 split with the larger percentage of people in favor of removal. But not by much.
I decided to remove the sticker. Amazingly enough, when I scuffed one corner of the sticker with my fingernail, the entire thing popped off, poof! It was surprising to me, very surprising in fact that the sticker left its nearly five decade resting place so easily. Perhaps because it knew this camera had finally found its forever home? Yeah, I’m a bit of an old camera romantic.
Some isopropyl alcohol on a microfiber cloth made fast work of the residual glue. The sticker left a faint oval on the finish of the pentaprism, which I expected. It may fade in time. It may not. I have some Rollei RPX in the camera now, a film a friend of this blog recommended I try.
