Shooting the Leica 60mm Macro-Elmarit-R f/2.8

I've become a fan of macro (or Micro in the case of Nikon) lenses. When you can really snuggle up close to your subject, it opens up a whole new way of seeing the world. With all of the advantages of macro lenses, there are some disadvantages. Some are quite large and heavy.  And some are pretty slow, like my f/4 50mm Macro-Takumar. That's why I was pretty excited when my good friend and Leica guru Ken Hansen told me about a Leica 60mm Macro-Elmarit R f/2.8 lens he had for sale. I am pretty familiar with most of the lenses available for the R series Leica bodies, but I had never heard of this one. As a Leica dealer for over 40 years, Ken knows what he's talking about, so when he told me that the Macro-Elmarit was a superb performer, both for macro photography and as a general walk around lens, I was sold!

Leica R5 with Leica 60mm Macro-Elmarit-R f/2.8

Leica's R body SLR cameras are not as well known as their M rangefinders. And while photographers have varying opinions on the cameras, almost everyone agrees that the Leica R lenses are every bit as good as their M counterparts, both optically and in build quality. When the lens arrived, it had that familiar Leica heft, silky smooth focus, perfect aperture actuation and an appearance of something that was crafted with pride and care. Being a photographer and not a collector, the real proof would be in the shooting. So I mounted the Macro Elmarit on my Leica R5 body and boarded the Smart Train at the Sonoma County Airport for a Sunday afternoon ride down into Marin County's San Rafael.

Arriving Downtown Santa Rosa station

The station in San Rafael through the train window

It was a partly cloudy day. I was using Kodak's Portra 400. I set the Leica to 200 ISO and used the aperture priority metering mode. A nice walk through downtown. Care to come along?

Back home, I experimented a bit with the macro capabilities of this lens. I am going to try a tripod and some better lighting to get in closer and use a higher shutter speed next time. However, this lens has possibilities for sure.

And of course, the end of roll selfie.

I enjoyed using this lens a lot. Like all Leica lenses, it is a joy to handle and use. It is pretty close in size and weight to the 50mm Summicron-R lens I own. At f/2.8, it's plenty fast. It is very sharp at infinity and if I want to get serious about macro photography with it, I need to tripod mount the camera and get serious about my lighting. I own two Leica R bodies, this R5, which offers various manual shooting modes plus programmed auto-exposure and a manual mechanical body, the R6. This Macro-Elmarit will find a permanent home on one of them.

For Sentimental Reasons Only

I saw this old Kodak darkroom timer for sale on eBay a few weeks back for $10 and clicked the BUY IT NOW button, purely because this thing brings back pleasant memories for me.

I've loved photography all of my life. It's been the one constant through good times and bad. I've occasionally wandered away but not far from it. I've had my own darkroom twice, the first one in the basement of my parent's home when I was a teenager and the second (my dream darkroom) in my home in Phoenix. I always enjoyed darkroom work, especially printing. There's something quite pleasant about spending an afternoon tucked away under the glow of a red safelight with some favorite music in the background. These days, I process my own black and white film in the kitchen, but I'd sure love to have a full darkroom again someday.

Kodak not only made film and photographic paper, they also manufactured processing chemicals and all sorts of supplies for home darkroom enthusiasts. They sold this mechanical, wind up timer for years. I've had several and sold them along the way as life dictated. 

I've always liked the classic looks of this timer. Crisp industrial design that still looks sharp today. I use my iPhone to time my film development. I think I'll put this on my desk at work. It makes me feel good...for sentimental reasons.

The Driving Experience

I've worked as a marketing person in the retail automotive industry for nearly three decades, so while I'm not over-the-top passionate about cars, I'm pretty familiar with most of the brands sold in America. Over the years, my jobs have allowed me to drive most every make and model. On one of my jobs, I had the perk of having a demonstrator, a new car that I got to drive for 5,000 or so miles before turning it in for another. That was very nice!

With all those miles and the experience of different cars under my belt, I've discovered what I like and have settled into owning just one brand: BMW. I am not wealthy. I drive used. Cars that I search carefully for and then maintain properly. My current BMW is the newest car I've ever owned -- a 2014 Certified Pre-Owned 328i that cost me less than a comparable Accord or Camry. I enjoy driving my 3-Series. It makes even the most mundane commute pleasurable. Everything about the car is right for me. The way it handles. The layout of the cockpit. Visibility. Familiarity with controls. Fit, finish and feel. 

I think that's why a lot of us shoot old mechanical film cameras. At least, that's why I do. There are certainly more modern devices to take pictures with, but it's the experience of driving these old machines that a DSLR, mirrorless or even smart phone camera can't duplicate.

I wish I could say that I've found one camera that satisfies me as much as my 328i does, but the truth is that there are several from the film area that are stand outs. I've recently received a number of emailed comments to this blog asking my opinion on various film cameras, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on those cameras that for me, offer the ultimate driving experience.

Mechanical Nikons

Nikon F2 Photomic

It's hard to beat the Nikon F2, the last hand assembled Nikon. The F2 is a big, heavy, all mechanical, brass and glass machine that is pure picture-taking wonderfulness. You'll see different versions of the F2, but only the finders change. The body remained the same throughout the production run...because Nikon got it so perfect. Depending upon your driving style, you can select from one meter-less or four different metered finders for the F2. Find a decent F2 and then send it off to Sover Wong, the F2 guru, for a CLA and you have a camera for life...and then some! Runner up to the F2 for me is the Nikon FE2. I've regretted my decision to sell my FE2 some years ago. Good news is that I just bought another and sent it in this week for CLA.

Minolta

Minolta XD (Japan) XD-11 and XD-7 in the US

Minolta gets a bad wrap online, but they were one of the most forward thinking camera manufacturers during the film era. Most people like the X-700, but my two favorites are the XD and the XE-7. Both of these cameras came out during the period in which Minolta and Leica were dating, so you'll find Minolta engineering and Leica manufacturing and vice versa. The XE-7 has the nicest film advance of any camera I have ever tried and the XD (XD-11 and XD-7 in the US) is super small and packs every metering mode you could want. Minolta glass is pretty nice too...and very affordable!

Olympus

Olympus OM-2n

All of the Olympus OM single digit cameras are nice (OM-1, OM-2, OM-3, OM-4). Double digit Olympus bodies were designed to be more affordable and thus, build quality is not as good. My favorite is the OM-2n with just the right amount of automation. Driving the OM-2n is pure joy! This camera is super small with jewel-like quality. The OM-3 is a collector camera and prices are sky high. My OM-4 was a battery hog. I liked my OM-2n right from the start and loved it after I had it CLA'd back to factory specs!

Pentax

Pentax Spotmatic SP

Oh my! So many choices. Any of the Spotmatics are superb! And those early Takumar lenses are just spectacular! I am using exclamation points early and often in this paragraph because I just can't say enough about these cameras. I especially love the SP without the dedicated flash shoe and the SPF with open aperture metering. In the K bodies, I just adore my K2. It comes in second behind the Minolta XE-7 in the silky smooth film advance category. And the sound of that Copal shutter will make you weak in the knees. All of the M body Pentax cameras I have tried are awesome! Love my ME, ME Super and MX. For an ultimate Pentax driving experience, try the LX!

Canon

The Original Canon F-1

Never thought I'd like shooting a Canon, but the original F-1 and the new F-1 turned my head around. Both of these cameras are lots of fun to drive. The original F-1 has a sublimely satisfying shutter sound and the new F-1's gun metal finish is beautiful! Canon's FD lenses are very affordable and are great performers. Runner up to these pro bodies is the Canon A-1.

Also worth mentioning, mostly because of the Zeiss lenses made for it, is the Contax RX. I've tried several Contax cameras and the RX is my favorite C/Y mount driver. In the Nikon electronic bodies, the F4 is amazing and the F100 is the nearest you can get to a digital experience in an analog camera. In instant photography, there's nothing quite like the Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera. Today, there are several technicians restoring these cameras to original specs. It's a blast to see your picture pop right out of the front of these amazing cameras!

After careful shopping and with proper service, there's nothing quite like driving an analog camera. These are my top picks. I'd love to know yours.

Acros

Fujifilm recently announced the discontinuation of their Neopan Acros 100 black and white film. This is sad. While I haven't shot as much Acros as I have Kodak's black and white films, I've always been very pleased with the pictures I've made when I've used it.

Acros is still available for a decent price from a number of online retailers. I will probably buy a brick or two and stash it in the freezer before the prices get insane.

Here are a few shots on Acros using my Olympus OM-2n camera with 50mm Zuiko f/1.4 lens. These pictures were taken on a walk near Jack London State Park in Sonoma County, CA.

Lake & Water Tank, Sonoma Co. CA

Water Tank & Shadow, Sonoma Co. CA

Tree, Sonoma Co. CA

Film Rewind: Nikon FE2

The process of reducing the number of cameras in my collection has stirred some memories for me of cameras that I sold and later regretted. One such camera is the Nikon FE2.

The FE2 was the first camera body I purchased after returning to film photography in 2010. I caught a severe case of G.A.S. after buying the FE2 and never really gave the camera a fair shake. I sold it to help finance a Sover Wong service on a Nikon F2 I think.

I've since come to appreciate simple aperture-priority SLRs like the FE2. The FE2, and the FE that preceded it, had a simple analog match needle exposure display in the viewfinder, which I love. As I recall, my FE2 was just the right size and weight, especially with a 50/1.8 Nikkor out front.

Even as I reduce the number of cameras I own, I might deviate from my mission just a hair and go on a hunt for another nice FE2. With nearly a decade of hardware experience under my belt, the FE2 might feel just right now.

Have you parted ways with a camera you wished you had kept? I'd love to hear.

The chrome body FE2 I sold. What WAS I thinking?

Nikon FE2 top controls. Sweet and simple!

Photographic Minimalism

I'm sorry I haven't posted more here. I've been putting in more hours at the office and that's disrupted my photographic and blog content output. It's slowly getting better and I should be back to more regular posting soon, but I did want to tell you what I've been up to. Besides working that is.

As I approach the end of my fifth decade, I've become obsessed with de-cluttering my life. Some call it minimalism. Whatever it's called, I've realized that I simply have too much stuff and all that stuff means more decisions. More stress. I looked in my closet recently and realized that I never wear 70% of what is in there. So, one Sunday afternoon, I pulled out the abandoned clothing, packed it up and carted it all to Goodwill. My closet looks better, someone will get some use out of the perfectly good stuff I donated and the Goodwill receipt will come in handy at tax time. I'm also looking seriously at how to simplify my wardrobe choices moving forward. I'm not ready yet to do the Steve Jobs uniform, but I'm looking to more thoughtful minimalist choices.

Since I've been spending so much time at the office, one day I took a fresh look at my work space and realized how much clutter I had around me. I purged the bulletin board that hangs over my desk of all but the essential items (amazing how much stuff hanging there wasn't remotely relevant) and organized the stacks of papers on my desk into tidy little job folders that get filed away when the tasks have been completed. 

I realized that during the day, I'd write notes on various scraps of paper, on Post-It notes, a legal pad or whatever was at hand. Trying to find a phone number or some reminder I had written to myself in all these different places was not only a bad use of time, but it was creating unnecessary stress. So I've started disciplining myself to work out of one Moleskine journal, listing my tasks there for the day, checking off the tasks as I complete them and doing all my note taking on its pages. I carry my Moleskine to all of my meetings and it goes into my briefcase each evening. It's amazing how much more organized I am with this simple daily journaling.

My goal of simplifying everything is extending to my photography hobby as well. As hard as it was to part with, I've sold all of my Leica gear. Most of it had appreciated considerably over the years, so off it went with the profits now resting safely in the bank. I also sold off my medium format gear, which I hardly used, as well as numerous cameras that spent too much time snuggled in their camera bags. I'm not a collector, I'm a photographer and these cameras need to be used, not hoarded.

As I write this, I think my goal here is to whittle down my gear to only those cameras that I find real joy in using. And I'm discovering that those cameras are, for the most part, simple, small, minimalist machines. It has certainly been fun to shoot all of these different cameras over the years, but now I think it's time to concentrate on and really get to know just a few and write about the keepers.

A few Sundays ago, I grabbed one of those simple little machines and headed out for a walk on Goat Rock Beach in Jenner, California. Here are few shots made with my Pentax ME Super and the slowest of the Pentax standard prime 50s, the f/2. The gray, overcast day was not kind to my Kodak Ektar 100 film.

Life is a circle: The Nikon F100

Nearly nine years into my rediscovery of film photography, I can safely say that I've learned a few things. I'm pretty sure that I am becoming a more competent photographer technically. My choices of subject matter and composition skills are getting better. I think I'm developing my own personal style. And I've experimented with a wide enough variety of hardware to know what I like and what I don't.  Experience and more self-awareness has prompted me to re-think a few cameras I dismissed over the years.

Early on, maybe 2010 or so, I picked up a Nikon F100 camera for cheap on eBay. I don't even recall what prompted me to buy it. Besides putting some batteries into it, fitting a lens and dry firing it, I can't find any evidence that I ever ran a roll of film through it. I do remember, around the same general time, my interest shifting to 1970s vintage mechanical SLRs and selling the F100 for a bit of a profit, investing the proceeds into one of my first Nikon F2 bodies. 

Sentiment was certainly a big part of my initial attraction to the F2. It was the camera I lusted over as a teenager, staring at it through the glass display case at Tuthill's Camera in Binghamton, New York and in the pages of Modern Photography. When I finally got my own F2 nearly four decades later, it started me on an enjoyable journey of trying many of the legendary cameras of the film era, which today are so very affordable.

From time to time though, I've thought about that F100. Most recently, a travel piece in Casual Photophile, featuring some great shots done with the author's F100, gave me the nudge I needed to acquire again and finally shoot the Nikon F100. Life is indeed a circle.

Nikon F100 with my 50mm f/1.4 AF-D Nikkor

Of all of the film cameras I've looked for online, my F100 hunt didn't take long. Arriving late in 1999 at the dawn of the digital era, Nikon sold lots of F100s and my theory is that photographers didn't fire off many shots in them before trading their F100 in for a DSLR. Today, for just a few hundred dollars, you can find a pretty minty F100 on eBay and for a little more, one like mine that was still in its original box. I have a few prime Nikkor AF-D lenses for my F4 that are right at home on the F100, so it didn't take me long to take the Nikon for a test drive.

Nikon's pro F5 had been out for about three years when the F100 arrived on store shelves. Billed as a less expensive but still plenty capable pro-sumer camera, the F100 packs most every feature found on the F5 in a smaller, lighter package. That's the first thing I noticed when unboxing my F100--the camera feels great in the hand! Small-ish, light and with a nicely recessed hand grip. With my 50/1.4 AF-D lens mounted, the F100 is superbly balanced.

If you are a film photography enthusiast, the F100 offers up most everything and anything you could want:

• Manual, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and programmed auto-exposure modes
• Choice of 3D Matrix, center-weighted or spot metering
• Shutter speeds to 1/8000th of a second
• Auto film loading and built in motor drive (up to 5 fps)
• User-custom settings
• Accepts most every Nikkor lens ever made 

The F100 is powered by four AA batteries. This is nice. You can find AA batteries most everywhere. Ever since the F4 I think, Nikon cameras have offered an auto film loading system that is pretty much fool-proof. Open the back, insert the cartridge, pull the leader across to the red line, close the back, push the shutter release button once and the film winds on and advances to the first frame. If you are new to film photography, this very feature might be a good reason to buy an F100 era Nikon film camera. It's hard to mess up film loading when the camera does most all of the work.

I loaded some Kodak Portra 400 film into the F100. The camera automatically reads the DX code from the film canister. You can override this feature if you want, but for my first time, I let the camera do its thing...shoot at the box speed and set the camera for full programmed auto exposure. Off to the nearby Bodega Head hiking trail head where a small crowd had gathered to do some whale watching.

And fellow photographers with their big zooms at the ready.

Texting someone? Or uploading a great smart phone shot to Instagram?

These were the last of the spring wildflower blooms on the north coast. I've been on this same trail since and they're gone for another year.

You can see a fellow hiker up in the very top left of this shot. It shows the scale of the place. I am very fortunate to live so close to an awe-inspiring hiking spot.

With the F100 set to do all of the heavy lifting, I was free to click away and enjoy the hike.

The F100 performed without fault. Matrix metering nailed every shot, even under mid-day bright sunshine. The camera's big viewfinder (with built in diopter correction) is extraordinary with exposure information clearly readable even in the brightest light. I hiked three miles that day and the camera was comfortable over my shoulder on the Think Tank gripper strap. 

I've only played around a little with a Nikon F6 in a camera store, so I can't competently compare the F100 to Nikon's last pro film body, but I will go out on a limb here and say that I think the F100 might be the best ever Nikon film camera. The F100 is a powerful machine, certainly the culmination of everything Nikon learned during the analog era. Best of all, they offered all this picture taking technology in an AFFORDABLE package. That, in my opinion, is what makes the F100 the best ever Nikon film SLR.

As a final footnote, even if I had shot dozens of rolls in my first F100, I don't think I would have come to this same conclusion then. Shooting my way through the Nikon F2, F3, F4 as well various Pentax, Olympus, Canon, Contax and Minolta film cameras, I think, has made me keenly aware of what an achievement the F100 was for Nikon. It is a truly great camera!

A Social Star!

I've been on Flickr for years. I use it to showcase photographs I've taken that I'm pleased with and proud enough to share socially. I also upload digital photos I have taken of my various old film cameras. These photos get "liked" by lots of people because photographers love gear photos. Especially old classic film cameras. 

Flickr has a feature called "Explore" where, I assume, moderators select the best photos from all across Flickr and curate them there. I've had a few of my analog photos featured there and it's always gratifying. We like to be liked.

This past week, I had one of my digital gear shots featured on Explore and I find it amusing. I just got back my chrome Pentax Spotmatic SP from a CLA with Eric Hendrickson. For fun, I placed it on the white cutting board on my kitchen counter and took an iPhone photo of it. I uploaded it to Flickr before retiring and the next morning, my email box was full of Flickr emails. Over 4,700 viewers and 60 faves! 

Seems there are a lot of people out there who love the Spotmatic as much as I do!

Film Rewind

It's been nearly three years since I jumped ship at WordPress and moved my little blog over to Squarespace. I've sacrificed some traffic in the process, but I like this platform and the Squarespace people are wonderful to work with.

When I moved the blog, I didn't really save any of the content, preferring instead to start fresh. However, while looking through nearly ten years of analog photography for my "Lightbox Wednesday" project, the images reminded me of the old WordPress blog posts I had written about them. Thinking back, I learned something new about photography or myself from those pictures. While I can't recreate the posts, I can remember what they taught me. So, every once in a while, I'll do a little film rewind here and share some of those photographs and thoughts.

The following images were shot with my Leica M6TTL. I only owned the M6 for a few months back in 2014, trading it and my M2 for a Leica M9 digital body. I regret getting rid of the M6 and realize now why so many Leica photographers love this camera--it's a simple camera with a truly great TTL meter.

I took these shots in November, 2014 during a Sunday afternoon hike along the Pacific Ocean at Sonoma Coast State Park. The day started off quite nice, sunny and mild. By the time I got to the parking area, loaded my film and headed off on my hike, a very dense, wet fog enveloped the ocean bluffs. There was so much moisture, I kept the Leica under my windbreaker while I walked, only slipping it out to take a shot here and there. Occasionally, the sun would break through the fog and give me the opportunity to squeeze off a frame or two, but as the afternoon wore on, I grew sullen over the disintegrating day and disappointing photographic opportunities.

When I got my scans back from the lab later that week, I was pleasantly surprised at the images on my screen. The Portra 400 captured the mood of the day perfectly. A bit gloomy but with nice soft pastels. The Leica's meter got the exposures just right and this was the day I fell in love with the 35 f/2 Summicron, a lens I still have.

The last photo is my favorite, a shot I took of a young woman who was one of the few souls I encountered on my hike that day. We acknowledged each other as we passed on the trail and a bit later, something made me stop and look back after her. When I turned, I was surprised to see her on a bluff overlooking the ocean. I remember feeling guilty raising the camera to my eye to take this shot, interrupting her solitude even from this distance. I also felt uneasy and a bit concerned. After I shot this, I stayed in this place for awhile, only moving on when I saw her turn and head safely back inland toward the trail.

The lesson I learned this day was that even if the weather or the light isn't right...press on. Like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates...you never know what you're going to get.

P.S.

After I posted my review of the Minolta X-700, I realized that I had neglected to add the final frame I shot that day as I headed back up from the beach towards home. As I walked through the parking lot, I spied an old friend from my past; a Buick Reatta.

Blast from my past: The Buick Reatta Coupe

For a decade beginning in 1989, I managed the in-house advertising department for an automobile dealer group in the the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.  One of the perks of the job was I got to drive a demonstrator or "demo" vehicle as we called them. Over the 10 years I worked for this company, I got to drive lots of different new cars. We had multiple franchises including Chrysler, Jeep, Subaru, Hyundai, Isuzu, Hummer, GMC, Pontiac and Buick. The demo policy was that you could select any vehicle you wanted, but as the odometer crept near 5,000 miles, the car had to be sold before you could get a new one. If it hit 5,500 miles, you had to park it until it did sell. I was always careful to choose vehicles I knew would easily sell before the 5,000 mile mark, selecting popular color and option packages and even offering a $100 "spiff" to the salesperson who sold my demo. V-8 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limiteds and Isuzu Troopers were always my favorites.

Shortly after I arrived at this company, Buick sent us our first Reattas. The Reatta was intended as Buick's "statement" vehicle. It was a low volume two seater built mostly by hand in the Reatta Craft Centre in Lansing, Michigan. The car came in either a hardtop or convertible and the most popular color was red with tan leather interior. 

Buick really tried to make the Reatta special. I remember that each one came with a leather book inscribed with the signatures of every GM employee who had worked on that car. Fit and finish was excellent, which was unusual in a time when GM's quality control on other models was suspect.

Other than hand assembly and more attention to quality, there was nothing special about the Reatta. Power came from Buick's 3800 V-6 engine which was also being dropped into most of their vehicles including Century, Regal, Riviera and even the big Park Avenue.

As soon as the first Reattas rolled off the transports in Scottsdale, the owner of our company selected a red convertible as a demo and drove it for a few weeks before deciding that it was a no go fitting his two Golden Retrievers and himself in the little two seater. His office was across the hall from mine and one day he walked in and asked if I wanted to take over his demo. Of course I did!

I remember the Reatta as being a tame, pleasant and very comfortable car to drive...pretty much like a Riviera that had been left in the dryer too long. The 3800 engine had more than enough power for the little car. Visibility was good, seats were comfortable and it was fun dropping the top after work and piloting the car through Echo Canyon on the way home each night.

 The Reatta only lasted a few years and was considered a failure at Buick. The assembly process pushed convertible prices well over $30,000 and that was a lot of money for a car in the early 90s, especially one this impractical. Production ceased while we still had new Reattas on the sales floor.

The old Buick I snapped with my X-700 has been well taken care of. I hadn't thought about the Reatta in years. It was a nice memory.

The Minolta X-700

I openly admit to a certain degree of camera snobbery. When I got back into analog photography in serious fashion nine years ago, I had, for the first time in my life, some fun money to invest in the hobby. This bit of cash happily coincided with the sudden affordability of some once very expensive film cameras. With that, I worked my way through some legendary equipment: Leica M, Hasselblad V-Series, Nikon F2, F4 and F5, Pentax LX, Nikon rangefinders, medium format Mamiyas and C/Y mount Contax.

I don't regret spending money or time on any of these and learning to shoot each camera has expanded my knowledge not only of the hardware but of the photographic process as well. It's all good. 

The funny thing is, with a few exceptions, the cameras I've had the most fun with are those that are either terribly simple machines or those that were designed more for the mass market rather than the professional one. Like the Pentax ME. A simple, small, basically point and shoot SLR that, despite its made for the masses auto everything design, never fails to deliver big fun and great photographs.

Owing to my aforementioned camera snobbery, I have also purposely avoided two of the most popular and best selling 35mm cameras of all time: The Canon AE-1 Program and the Minolta X-700, but after discovering how wonderful the Minolta XD and XE-7 are, I thought I should put aside any preconceived notions and give the X-700 a try.

The X-700 debuted in 1981 as Minolta's response to Canon's hot AE-1. Auto exposure cameras were still magical things in those days and the ever expanding market of advanced amateur photographers provided plenty of incentive for camera companies to pour money into design and development of bodies that offered fully automatic exposure or varying levels of manual exposure at a flick of a button. The X-700 offered "MPS" for Minolta Program System which was a sophisticated metering system that allowed the camera to meter the scene and select the correct combination of aperture and step-less shutter speed to yield a perfect exposure. Photographers loved it! Minolta sold tons of X-700s and it was named "1981 European Camera of The Year."

To keep the cost of the X-700 affordable, Minolta replaced metal body and mechanical parts with plastic and went with a silk shutter over the metal ones used in the previous XD and XE bodies. As a metal camera guy -- nothing like shooting a Pentax Spotmatic or Nikon F2 -- I couldn't imagine enjoying the shooting experience of a camera like the X-700. I will say, humbly...I was wrong.

Acquiring & Shooting The X-700

Since Minolta made oodles of these, they are readily available on eBay and Craigslist. I found mine on eBay for under a hundred bucks complete with strap, 50mm f/1.7 MD lens and shipping.

If you prefer manual, aperture or shutter-priority shooting, there are plenty of 35mm SLR cameras that are better choices than the X-700, but for carefree, let the camera do the thinking, get out and have fun, jump up and down analog photographic joy, it's a hard camera to beat.

Simple on the outside. Sophisticated on the inside.

Getting ready to shoot is simple. Load up your favorite film, set your ASA, make sure your MD lens is set to the smallest aperture (marked in green), set the shutter speed dial to P, turn the thing on and go do it. It's obvious that Minolta used lots of plastic in the X-700, apparent in its light weight, but it still feels substantial and well balanced with a lens mounted. There are nice handgrips on the front and back of the camera which add to the excellent ergonomics. Film advance has a satisfying feel and the shutter sounds nice and sure. Spilt image focusing is clear and precise and a bright viewfinder with analog information displayed along the right side is very nice to use. 

I selected my favorite color film, Kodak Portra 400 for my X-700 test drive. I shoot this film at ASA 200 to add some saturation to the color. I took the X-700 for a Sunday stroll down to the beach.

With sincere apologies to the legions of X-700 lovers who I've certainly offended this past decade, I must say that I was looking down my nose at this camera for far too long and for no good reason.  The X-700 is a very likable, even lovable camera. It does everything it was designed to do brilliantly. Lots of cameras of this era used LEDs in the viewfinder to display exposure information and most are difficult to see in bright sunlight. Minolta either used brighter LEDs or placed them in the viewfinder area in just the right way to make them always visible.

Yes, the X-700 is made mostly of plastic, but once you start shooting this well designed camera, you appreciate its fine ergonomics and light weight more than the materials it's made out of. Well done Minolta! And the X-700 accepts a very nice selection of affordable Minolta lenses and even a motor drive with vertical shutter release (something not even available on pro cameras of the day)!

The Minolta X-700 allowed me to fully enjoy a nice beach stroll while taking on all of the heavy photographic lifting. It would make a great vacation camera!

A New Film

March and April have been crazy months at work for me, but I did get a bit of shooting in--some street photography with my Leica M in San Francisco (photos soon) and an afternoon indoors on a rainy Sunday trying some Kodak Tmax 3200 film.

This is my first time ever trying this super fast black and white film from Kodak. I decided to use my Minolta XE-7 as it was already sporting a macro Rokkor lens. Not sure I made the best decision. My XE-7 is in the queue for a CLA as its meter can be erratic. Sometimes, I get perfect exposures and every once in a while, wildly underexposed as was the case with my first roll of 3200. A few shots were salvageable and provided me with enough encouragement to try this film again in a trusted camera.

Close up of my beloved black Spotmatic SP

Analog meets digial

Knife set

XE-7 Me!

A Roll of Kodak Pro Image 100

Over the holidays and into the start of the New Year, I began stocking the fridge with some film I hadn't yet tried - Bergger Pancro 400, Kodak ColorPlus, Ferrania P30, Kodak Pro Image 100, Kodak Foto Pro and some of the new Polaroid color and black and white instant film for the SX-70. I even found another brick from the last batches of Plus-X with an expiration date of this summer -score! My good intention was to do lots of fine photography in 2018. It hasn't quite worked out that way so far.

For the second time in eight years, the wheels had came off of the finely-tuned machine that was my department at work, which has meant more hours at the office and even more working remotely when I'm not there. I haven't been shooting much at all. Sixty some days into the year, I took stock of my situation and realized that I had loaded film into five different cameras and hardly pressed the shutter release on any of them. My five little friends stared at me each time I went into the spare bedroom in my house that serves as my photographic man cave. "Pick us up, take us for a walk, please!" Five cameras, nearly 160 unexposed frames of film inside. I know myself well enough to realize that this thing could well get out of hand and photography could turn into just another chore that I would put off and off to the point that it was no longer fun. A reset was in order. I grabbed the first camera in the row, my lovely Minolta XD. It was loaded with Kodak Pro Image 100 film and I was already a dozen clicks in, even though I couldn't even remember what was on those 12 frames.

It turned out, after the film came back from the lab this past week, that I had started this roll on a Sunday afternoon, weeks before the chaos at work began to consume me, strolling through the streets of Guerneville, CA near the Russian River. I remembered that I had spent the afternoon looking for color and found some outside the Five-n-Dime.

And the sign above the drugstore. I need to come back and shoot this at night.

l don't really know what Pro Image 100 film is or why Kodak re-brands their film with different names around the world. I mean, if it's Gold 100 film, why not call it Gold 100 film everywhere? Whatever this stuff is, I really like the way it renders color and it pairs nicely with the Minolta Rokkor prime 50mm lens.

On the way back to the coast and more for a bathroom break than anything else, I stopped in a little speck of a town called Duncan Mills. 

The days were still short when I made these photographs and the hills around the Russian River swallow up the light quickly as the sun makes its end of day dive towards the Pacific. I got off a few more shots and think both my 41 year old Minolta and this odd Kodak film did a good job with the fading light.

I finished up this roll of film a few weeks ago on the beach. It's a few ticks short of a five mile roundtrip walk from my house on a bluff above the beach out to the inlet of Bodega Bay. Deep into professional chaos, a good long walk with a camera helps me clear my head, so I grabbed the little Minolta and set out to wind off the rest of the shots. It was nearly a negative tide, opening up vast stretches of sand for people and pets.

And an easy wade in for some fishing...

As I neared the half-way point of my walk, I noticed the wall of fog quickly moving in over the ocean. You can see it clearly here behind the five gulls.

As I headed back towards home, the fog had pretty much swallowed up the beach.

This was unusually heavy fog for late winter. I'm used to this kind of soup in July and August when, on the Sonoma Coast, we start and end each day in the stuff, but this was odd and it came in fast. The fog pushed in and down on me just at the point in the "clear my head" walk that I was thinking that maybe I just might not be able to get the machine running smoothly again this time.

Like a pouting child, I kicked up some sand with the toe of my Keens and then headed up the dirt path towards home. As I climbed up and away from the shore the sun broke through the fog - a fogdog - then it cleared completely. I finished up the last shot on the roll with the warm sun on my back and it felt good.

The K2, 50/1.7, Kodak ProImage 100...and a much needed Sunday of photography.

Oh my! 2018 has been slippery as silk for me. I just can't get a good grip on things. I started the year with the dreaded flu/cold/bug thing. Then my laptop was stolen. There's been tumult at the office. And just like that, it's already March.

Whenever life gets noisy and my head fills with too many things, I head out to the Point Reyes National Seashore. If I ever have to leave California, it's the place I'd miss the most. Beautiful. Historic. Quiet. Point Reyes is where desolate meets remote.

So on the first Sunday of March, I had two options. Crack open the new MacBook and try and get a head start on the work week--the professionally healthy thing to do. Or, toss some snacks, camera and film in the car and go wander around Point Reyes--the mentally healthy thing to do. My survival instincts kicked in and soon the car was pointed down the Pacific Coast Highway.

California 1 - The Pacific Coast Highway at Point Reyes Station

The Parks Department is beginning the good and long process of handing the Seashore back to the Earth. Since the mid 1800s, the grassy plateaus have been home to tenant dairy farmers who have made good money sending milk down to San Francisco and crafting some of the world's finest cheeses. But herds of cows and the machinery of farming has taken its toll on the land and beginning last year, as the leases on the farms expire, they're being closed down. Eventually, all of the cows will be gone and the buildings torn down. The rains will come, whipped up by a strong blow from the Pacific and the grass will grow tall and strong again on Point Reyes. Some day, not in my lifetime for sure, the forest line might creep back to the rocky cliffs. In a generation or two, this will be a far different place than it is today. A better place I think.

During the winter months, to alleviate the crush of traffic out to the lighthouse (whale watching) and Chimney Rock (to see the elephant seals) the Park Service runs shuttle buses out of Drake's Beach. It makes the experience a little more touristy than I'd like, but once the buses deposit you at your destination, you're free to wander and the rewards are plenty. 

I selected my Pentax K2 for this day of photography because it's just been recently CLA'd and also offers up aperture-priority auto exposure for carefree shooting - exactly the medicine I needed. Mounted out front was my least expensive Pentax lens, the 50mm f/1.7 SMC-M--small, light and perfect to carry around all day. I found an aftermarket Leica-style vented hood to use on this 50 and it works well. Film was Kodak's ProImage 100, purchased from a friend who brings it in from Mexico. I'm still learning my way around this film and don't really know what it is, but it has a nice, warm color palette. Here's the lighthouse, down 300 steps from where I was standing. Unlike many east coast lighthouses, this one was built low to be below the fog line.

Land's End: The Pt Reyes lighthouse

There were a lot of people at the lighthouse that day hoping to see a whale breach. I had a hard time getting shots without people in them and soon headed for the bus to Chimney Rock.

The historic lifeboat station at Chimney Rock is one of my favorite places. While the crowds all flock to the elephant seal overlook, I make my way over to the lifeboat house. On my way there, I was rewarded by seeing two seals napping on the beach.

The lifeboat station on Point Reyes opened pre-Coast Guard and was operational from 1927 to about 1969, when new rescue technologies made the station obsolete. The Park Service preserved the place and maintains it today.

Boat launch dock and ramp at the Pt Reyes Lifeboat Station

I've photographed the exterior of the building countless times, but I was excited that on this day, it was open to visitors. I was concerned that my 100 speed film might not be up to the task, but even if I couldn't get any images, it would be fun to go in and look around. The interior was pretty dark, but the sun streaming in through the windows made for some interesting shots. The downstairs area smelled like the inside of an old service station.

Upstairs, sleeping and bathing quarters for the crew. The station was manned 24/7 all year long.

Through one of the upstairs windows, I snapped more elephant seals napping on the beach below.

On my way back to the shuttle stop, I noticed the two seals I photographed earlier still hadn't moved.

I didn't make any award winning photographs this Sunday, but it was nice...damn nice to be out taking pictures in the fresh air and sunshine again. Good to get some exercise and clear my head a bit. The work week that followed this day wasn't any easier than the weeks that preceded it. Indeed, it was the hardest one yet. But this day softened the re-entry.

The Pentax K2 is becoming one of my favorite SLRs, especially after the Eric Hendrickson CLA. That inexpensive little Pentax 50 stuns me with performance per dollar. As for Kodak ProImage 100 film...I kinda like it. It makes sunlit shots really warm and glowing. There's a blue cast to the shadows that I could finesse away if I wanted to post process some and if there was a shot on this roll I really loved, I probably would.

Instagram

I've had an Instagram account forever, but I've never done anything with it. This week, we've launched some additional social media projects at work and Instagram was part of the mix, so I decided to blow the dust off of my own account.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet. I've uploaded some favorite images while learning my way around the app. Perhaps it'll become something?

You can find me at https://www.instagram.com/fogdogphoto0713/

Time

As you may be able to tell from the lack of content here, I've not had much time for my hobby of photography so far in 2018. The year started off with the theft of my laptop. Replace. Rebuild. 

Then, the departure of a key colleague at work which has required me to refocus some energy and extra hours there.

It's all left me depleted of energy and with less leisure time. I need to make some time for photography. How do you make time for your photography when life has handed you a full plate?

And the news is...

A super fast TMax film! 

A Big Announcement...

Kodak is expected to make a big announcement tomorrow, Friday 2/23. All signs point to a new film stock? Or reviving a legacy one? Or...?

Exciting!

iPhone Camera Degradation

I hope you will indulge me as I go off on a bit of a rant.

I bought my iPhone 5s in the fall of 2013 for $199. I got it to replace an older iPhone that I placed on the roof of my car while talking to an associate in the parking lot at work and, like an idiot, drove off without remembering that I had left it up there. That old iPhone clung to the roof of my car with all its might until I swung onto the freeway on ramp. That's when I heard the clunk as the Apple phone bounced once onto the trunk lid then spilled its guts across the highway.

If it weren't for the iPhone's excellent camera and the ease of which I can shoot a picture with it and have that image seamlessly and immediately available on my MacBook, I wouldn't have one. I rarely use it as a phone. Since new, I have just over 5 hours of total talk time on it. Looking at my monthly bill, I average about 22 text messages a month. Most of them were unnecessary and any situation addressed in them would have self-resolved.

Co-worker:  "The meeting is starting, Where are you?"

Me:  "Coming down the hall. Be there in 10 seconds."

I have the most minimal data plan my carrier allows and my monthly usage hovers a fraction over 0%. I think that is the amount needed for the phone to keep its heart beating since I have cellular data turned off everywhere I can. I have just one app installed for my bank and only use that when I have access to a trusted wi-fi connection and then only a few times a year.

I treated myself to a late model used car last month to replace the 13 year old one I had been driving. The new car has navigation and Sirius XM, so I don't need the iPhone to tell me where I'm going or provide music during my commute. When I'm home, I prefer quiet or listening to a great old vinyl record on my Technics turntable, McIntosh amp and Klipsch Heresy speakers (all three of which are nearing 50 years old and working just fine).

Most of what I use my smartphone for is taking pictures of old cameras for this blog and for the various analog photography Facebook groups I'm a member of. I love the way I can take a photo and immediately crop it and drop it into a blog post I'm writing or drag it into a Facebook post. But over the nearly five years I have owned this phone, I've noticed the quality of the images it produces are slowly getting milky. There's also a very apparent loss of sharpness. Here is an unprocessed photo from the first week I got the iPhone 5s.

Here's another from about 8 months later with just a bit of vignetting added post process.

And here are two recent images taken with my 5s.

All of these photos were taken in the same physical location, on my kitchen counter near a big window facing east. I place the cameras on a large white cutting board. There's a big fluorescent light overhead that mixes with natural light coming in through the window. Not a totally controlled environment, but consistent enough to prove that something is going downhill with the iPhone's camera.

When I was at the Apple Store a few weeks back laying down some serious cash to replace a stolen MacBook, I asked about my phone. The very helpful young woman who patiently assisted me with my laptop smiled when she saw my generations ago 5s, suggesting that it might be time for an upgrade. A nearby Genius looked at my camera's lens and noticed it had a bit of crazing on it. He said this happens with constant use and carrying it around in pants pockets or scraping it across a table in a restaurant. I told him that I hardly use my phone, rarely carry it, that it has never been in my pocket or even on a restaurant table. I told him that for most of its life, my phone has slept in the comfort of a felt pocket in my laptop bag. He shrugged his shoulders.

It appears my little Apple camera is dying and I must do something about it. If the whole phone were failing it would be easier to justify the expense of a new one, but for the few minutes I talk on it or for the small number of text messages I engage in, everything else on it works just fine. And other than the camera lens, it looks brand new.

The cheapest iPhone, the SE, is like three and half bills. Move up to any of the current models and you're paying a lot more. Even that would be ok if these things lasted. Used to be if you bought something and took good care of it, the thing would serve you well for a long time. Not so with today's devices. They are truly disposable.

It may sound like it, but I'm really not a luddite. You should see the technology I am harnessed to at work. I'm not cheap either. I have no problem spending serious cash on a Leica Summicron because I know it will last me a lifetime and if I decide to sell it down the road, I'll get my money back and usually more.

I wish Apple made just a simple digital camera I could tether to my iCloud account, but they don't.

I might look and see if there are some digital point and shoots with wi-fi capability, even though that adds several steps to my workflow.

Or maybe I should consider how many images I have gotten out of my $199 investment, hustle my butt down to the Apple Store and just pony up.

End rant. :-)

My Favorite Camera

"What's your favorite camera?"

I've been asked that question a number of times, mostly by my non-photo hobby friends who think my analog photography passion is quaint and are somewhat amused by my desire to use old film cameras when it's far easier and more convenient to take pictures with a smartphone. No matter if they're just making conversation or are truly interested, it is a question I find difficult to answer. I will try here.

Nikon F2

The Nikon F2 is a favorite because it has real sentimental value to me. It's the 70 era SLR that I dreamed of owning as a teenager and it's the first SLR that I bought when I started getting serious about film photography again in 2010. But as I've started to hike more and carry a camera with me all of the time, the F2 is a bit big and heavy. And, after my cataract surgery and a return to better eyesight, I am having difficulty with the F2's standard diopter setting. This can be easily remedied with a screw on diopter lens, I just have to get serious about finding the right one for my new eyes.

Contax RX

I bought my RX because it was the most affordable way to try Carl Zeiss lenses. I didn't expect that I would like shooting it as much as I do. The RX is a 1990s era technical marvel and I worry that if its electronics start to fail, it might be too expensive to fix. That'll mean either picking up another body or finding another platform for my Zeiss Planar lens.

Olympus OM-2n

I'll put my OM-2n cameras aside for nearly a year and sometimes even think about selling them. Then, I will read a review or user report online and it'll get me excited about shooting mine again. Every time I use the OM-2n it's a hoot and I'm glad I've kept them.

Pentax Spotmatic

Ok, I'll admit it. I have a bit of a Spotmatic problem. I have, I think...like a dozen or so now and one by one, they're all going off to Eric Hendrickson for CLA. My addiction is fed by my Pentax pusher, a friend who used to work for the factory and, over the years, assembled a nice collection of hardly used Spotmatic and other film-era Pentax bodies. Somehow, he knows just the right cadence of when to send me an email with a photo or two of yet another wonderful old Pentax that needs a new home. So, as he wisely thins his own herd, my shelves fill. This simple Pentax SLR has been the most pleasant surprise of my film photography adventure. A joy to shoot. Simple. Dependable. And the M42 mount Takumar lenses for these bodies are superb! No one in their right mind needs so many of the same thing, so I will be selling off some of these. If you or someone you know wants a very, very nice fully serviced Spotmatic, drop me a line.

Canon F-1

I expected this Canon to come and go, but each time I use it, I like it a little more. The metering is really precise and I am quite blown away by the sharpness of these affordable Canon FD lenses. Like the Nikon F2, it is a bit heavy to carry all day in the field, but once you see the images this camera produces, it makes carrying it seem worthwhile. As I Nikon guy, I had always looked down on Canon. This camera changed my mind.

Pentax MX

I bought an MX early in 2017, took it on Carmel photo shoot and sold it a few months later for a nice profit on eBay. As I was going through images for my Lightbox Wednesday project, I went through those Carmel photographs and realized how nicely this simple little manual everything SLR with an inexpensive SMC 50mm f/1.7 lens performed. The MX is the first camera that I bought, sold, regretted my decision and then went and found another. Well, I found two. When I reached out to my Pentax friend he offered up both a chrome and black body. Of course, I couldn't resist.

Nikon FM2n

Here's a little secret I've never shared before. Whenever I take one of my serious photo adventures to Carmel or Yosemite or even back to New York to visit my family, no matter what other camera I bring, I always throw my Nikon FM2n in the bag as a back up. I guess I know in the back of my mind that this is just a really dependable, never let you down, simple, mechanical Nikon. I am reminded in writing this that after serving so faithfully as my trusted back up camera,  the FM2n really does deserve some time of its own in the Fogdog Blog spotlight.

Minolta XD

What a delight the Minolta XD has been! Small, light and feature-packed. An amazing viewfinder--in fact the only SLR that comes standard with the famous Acute-Matte focus screen that Hasselblad owners pay big bucks to upgrade to. When I had my Hasselblad, I paid more for just an Acute-Matte screen than I did for this XD, lens and a CLA. With this camera, you get three shooting modes; manual, shutter-priority and aperture-priority. The XD accepts an affordable accessory motor drive and an really outstanding selection of Minolta Rokkor lenses. I can't believe I waited so long to try a Minolta.

Nikon F4

My only autofocus 35mm camera, the F4 is big, heavy and beautiful! I've reduced the battery configuration down to the smallest available in the MB-20 power grip and still, this is a big camera. The F4 can accommodate most every Nikon lens ever made and is packed with features I'll never use. Because of its size and weight, I only use it a few times a year, but could never see myself selling it. Truly a revolutionary camera that I could've never afforded when it was new!

Pentax LX

I'm shooting my LX as I write this blog post. Some call this camera the culmination of everything Pentax learned after decades of building film SLRs. The LX is just the right size and weight to be the camera you carry with you everywhere. Big, bright viewfinder with a great analog display. Weather-sealed controls. Ability to use a wide array of affordable Pentax K-mount lenses. The only negatives are high repair costs and a very weird strap lug arrangement that causes your camera strap to twist up as you carry and use the camera. If your LX stays healthy and you don't mind untwisting the strap occasionally, this camera just might be one of the best film SLRs ever!

Pentax 645n

As a photographer who loves small and light cameras, finding a good fit for me in the medium format world has been difficult. I've tried Rolleicord, Mamiya 645 and Hasselblad. I'd about given up when I was offered a Pentax 645n at a good price. Of all of the medium format cameras I have tried, this one handles most like a 35mm SLR. Its built in grip makes holding the camera comfortable. Without the option of a removable film back, Pentax created a smaller and lighter package that just feels right to me. The viewfinder is big and bright. You get several shooting modes plus an auto-everything mode that turns this Pentax into a medium format point and shoot. And the 645n can use autofocus or manual focus lenses. I have an autofocus 80mm lens and focus is fast and precise. I need to use this camera more.

There are more cameras on this list. Like my lovely little Pentax ME, my nifty Canon P rangefinder, Pentax ES, the Canon A-1 that I'm still finding my way around, Minolta XE-7 with its sublime shutter sound, and my Pentax K2 that's off for a CLA. 

If you've read this far, you're probably asking..."So what IS your favorite camera?" Truth is that I've learned over the past eight years that it kind of changes depending upon a number of factors:

EXPERIENCE:  As I become a more competent photographer, certain cameras that seemed complicated now are intuitive. The Nikon F4's controls at one time looked like the space shuttle cockpit. Now, everything makes sense. Feeling comfortable with your equipment makes you want to use it more. A camera that seemed overly complicated can become a favorite once you know your way around it. When I first used stop down metering in my Spotmatics, it seemed like a real pain. After shooting a few rolls, it became second nature and even helped me fine tune my depth of field.

LOCATION:  A long day on the trail makes a small, light camera a must. Easy film loading is good too. While my Contax RX might be a favorite for a short stroll on the beach, the Pentax ME, MX, Olympus OM-2n or Minolta XD will feel better on a six mile hike.

LENSES:  Sometimes the camera body is secondary and it's the lens that shifts a camera into favorite position. If I have an itch to shoot 85mm, I only have two choices: Nikon mount for my 85mm f/1.4 or M42 mount for my 85 f/1.8 Super Takumar. Some lenses really sing when shooting black and white like my Canon LTM 50. That lens will only fit my Canon P or my Leica M-P with an adapter. And the only telephoto lens I have is for Pentax K-mount.

MY PEERS:  Once in a while, one of my favorite bloggers will write about a camera I also own and share some of their photos and it'll inspire me to get that camera out of the camera bag, check the batteries, load some film and go out and shoot. I've also been inspired after watching a user video on You Tube. If anything I write here ever inspires anyone to get out and use their camera, it's all been worth it.