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Showing posts from October, 2020

Svensk Express 3A - a Century Old 9x12 Format Camera

This is my brother's home photographed with an advanced old box. It looks like any old wooden box camera from too long ago to care about. But reader(s) of this blog know that the light shines brightly on the odd stuff here. This is a multi-photo device. You load it with up to eight glass plate/negative/paper holders which are then exposed in succession before you take them out (in the dark) to develop the photographs. [Someone on Instagram called it a 'falling plate camera' or a 'detective camera'. That's something I'd like to know more about.] On the front face of the camera is the hole for the lens (which is covered here). The wheel below is the shutter crank. The arm jutting out from it is the aperture control, which is placed in positions f/11, 14, 22 or 36. Above you see the shutter button, top, and the exposure selector, below. You select between M ~1/60 sec. shutter speed; O which equals Bulb mode - the shutter stays open as long as you press it; and

Fine 40 - a Middle-of-the Road Focal Length

  The 40 mm focal length isn't as common as 50 or 35 mm lenses. It is neither considered wide-angle as the latter, or 'standard' as the former. For me, the focal length is just wide enough, because depending on how you move when composing, it lends itself to a varied use. Minolta Hi-Matic C This is a favourite camera that I've mentioned before . It may be the most complete viewfinder camera that I've encountered, in the way that the design and features are honed to help the user to make the correctly exposed photograph.   Mamiya Family Below are some photographs made with the Mamiya Family camera's 40 mm lens. I love the swirl! The camera is a joy to use. If I didn't already own an SLR or two that I use more I would have kept it, for its small size and ease of use. There's a dragonfly! Pentax 40 mm Finally, here are some photos made with the 40 mm pancake lens mounted on my Chinon CA-4 SLR.   Don't hesitate to comment here or at my Instagram .

Polaroid Land 80A Highlander - Exposing on Paper and 120 Film Conversion

Never one to hesitate to try new camera mods, and having recently gotten smitten by the cheap large format alternatives and characteristic lenses that older Polaroid camera models offer, I have had the opportunity to try the Highlander. The Polaroid model 80A was the smaller alternative Polaroid instant camera sold in the early 1950s. It produced 6x9 cm peel-apart photos that developed inside the camera. The film was made up of one negative which was squeezed together with one layer of chemicals. Analog Resurgence recently posted an informative video of the history of the roll-film Polaroids. You expose for the EV value (see '11' inside the little square window). I bought mine for a bargain price via the Swedish major auction site. Well, a bargain for someone who knows what the camera can do. Most people just think it obsolete and useless. I had done my research, in part preparing for my other Polaroid mod with the pack-film cameras. My intention for this camera was to conver

Marathon in Stockholm - Using my Zorki Rangefinder

I spent a sweltering day in August of this year treading the pavements of Stockholm. I was participating in a Covid version of Stockholm Fotomarathon. The event was eight hours instead of 24 hrs, with 12 themes to interpret. My previous marathon attempts (Malmö and Stockholm) were digital. This time I figured - 'why not go analogue?', since that's how I photograph anyway. So I packed my Fed 2 as the competing camera - only 12 exposures were allowed on a roll of Ilford something 400 ASA. I very much enjoy using the Fed - it's very reliable and so light! to carry. Being only one redesign step from a Barnack Leica II, I could rely on it functioning throughout. As my second camera of choice - just to make photos for fun - I chose the Zorki (I). Now, that's a straight copy of said Leica camera. I have painted it with Hammerite to have it resemble Vivian Maier's camera from one of her famous reflections photos. The Zorki is great fun to use. It has separate rangefin