2021

Back in October, I wrote that I was taking a break from my blog and, for the most part, from photography for awhile. I also wrote that I was auditing my film camera collection and selling off the cameras I do not use often enough.

I’ve been successful at reducing the size of my collection and I feel really good that every camera I have sold has gone to a new and loving home. That makes me happy.

As I was going through my cameras, I discovered that several had partially shot rolls of film in them. Just like taking a well loved car out for one last spin before you sell it, I did the same with my cameras…one last goodbye. It will be interesting to see what is on the beginning of these rolls.

Over these past months, I have also come to some conclusions about which cameras I really love, will keep and shoot moving forward. I have to say, the cameras left standing surprised me. More to share on that soon. Right now, gotta send some film off to the lab!

Time Travel: November 2017

From just a normal, quiet late November day. Long before this thing we’re in.

11/28/2017. Nikon F4, Kodak Portra 400.

Taking a break for a while...

This year has exhausted me. Totally and absolutely. There’s scant little left in the tank.

In addition to what I know we are all dealing with…a global pandemic that seems to be getting worse rather than better, a country divided like I have never seen in my life, a black hole where leadership used to be…I am personally overwhelmed with navigating the tricky waters of retail marketing in…well, whatever the “new normal” is going to be.

And for weeks now, I have not had the energy or the inspiration to pick up a camera. And even less to write about them. I wish it wasn’t so, but it is.

I am selling off a large number of of my film cameras. All of them have been loved and well cared for and most have been serviced just like new. If you page back through the posts on this blog and see something you might want, send me a message. These cameras are like my family and I would love them all to go to good homes.

Once all this settles. I will be back with something hopefully that you will enjoy.

ColorPlus in the OM-1n

I keep a supply of Kodak’s ColorPlus film on hand most all of the time. It is inexpensive, widely available, delivers dependable results and with an ISO rating of 200, it’s versatile.

ColorPlus, like Pro Image 100, is another one of those mystery Kodak films. Even though the box says ColorPlus 200, the film canisters say Kodacolor 200. I think Kodak originally intended this film to be sold in markets outside the US, but I am not sure. When I first started buying it a few years ago, it was difficult to source. Now, it is available from many online sellers. My most recent supply came from B&H Photo at $4.99 per roll.

Here are some shots from around the block near my home. I used my Olympus OM-1n and 50/1.4 OM-Labor Zuiko lens.

One of my neighbors masked-up the horse statue in their front yard!

I don’t take selfies because I like to see myself. I use them to remember which camera I used when I shot a roll of film. I do recall this one was shot at 1/30 of a second.

No matter what this film really is, I like it. And at around five bucks a roll, it’s a value too.

Oh well...

I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to get out and shoot and on one of the rare days when I had the time, I should’ve done a better job controlling my variables.

First, my newest film camera is over 20 years old and all of the rest of them are much, much older. So in-the-field failure or a wonky meter is always a possibility. As for film stock, most of what I have in the fridge is fresh and has been properly stored.

So I am not sure what prompted me to grab one of the rolls from my stash of Agfa APX 100 (new emulsion) that got misplaced during my move last year and sat in a box out in the garage for many months. Or why I decided, for the first time in forever, to mount a yellow-Y2 filter to the 50/1.4 Nikkor lens on my F3HP and head out on a blistering, hot early July day…but I did.

The meter in my F3 has never failed me, but maybe it’s time for a calibration. And using a yellow filter on incredible bright sunny day probably wasn’t the best move. Maybe improper storage has partially spoiled my Agfa film. Or maybe processing or scanning was off?

Whatever the reason or reasons, my images from this roll were inconsistent and mostly unsatisfying. In some shots, the highlights were blow out. And I am not sure where all the grain came from. My past images shot with APX 100, albeit the older emulsion, were nearly grain free and silky smooth. I just don’t know.

It was good to get out, camera in hand and mask at the ready. So there’s always that.

Downtown Napa is mix of old and new buildings

The hot day and Covid = nearly empty streets

Shadows on a sweet ride

The little market in Yountville

Napa city building

An old Packard

One of the alleys the tourists don’t see

A palm under the July sun

I might cover this sign up during the pandemic

They are in their social bubble

This alley downtown is usually full of people

I made a number of shots of this building. I liked the shadows.

Covid Photography with Kodak Pro Image 100

I’ve never been quite sure what Kodak’s Pro Image 100 film really is. Some say it’s just repackaged Gold 100 for sale outside the US. Other people say it’s some special emulsion designed to survive hot and humid conditions. I really don’t know, but I do know that I like it. And whenever and wherever I have it loaded into one of my cameras, it has made me happy and satisfied.

Pro Image 100 Pro Pak

I’m still using up a stock of this film I bought from a supplier in Mexico a few years ago. Here are some random snaps made near where I live with my dependable Nikon FM2n and a 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor…just a dream of a lens!

Thanks to Ryan, Bridgette and Hudson at Boutique Film Lab for my processing and scans. You guys rock!

This yellow Corvette is parked a few doors down from me.

The Napa hills…

This old Lincoln sedan with suicide doors is two streets over from me. I think the intent is restoration, but I am not sure.

I try and walk a few miles each night. Halfway along my route is a steep hill ending in a cul-de-sac near the top. It’s my cardio.

I am still trying to find my balance in the midst of this evolving national health debacle. Photography has always and forever centered me, even in the worst of my days. I am leaning hard on it now. Wandering around. Not far from my home. Camera in hand. Trying to find some peace of mind.

A Fortunate Window Shot

When I moved to California in 2010 and accepted a marketing position with a company in the North Bay, I figured that it would be my last job. I liked my employer, enjoyed working with the people in my department and absolutely adored and felt extremely grateful to be living in Bodega Bay on the Sonoma Coast.

The universe had different plans for me and late in 2018, I was offered an amazing opportunity with a company headquartered in the East Bay. Since a 75 mile one-way commute was out of the question, I knew I had to leave the coast and began the search for a new place to live.

For a few weeks, I flirted with the idea of living in San Francisco and taking BART across the Bay. One weekend, I set up some appointments to see apartments near the Embarcadero and took my Nikon F3HP with me. One of the apartments was near the Bay Bridge and offered up a pretty nice view. Photographs taken through glass don’t always turn out and working within the constraints of a window frame can limit composition, but the planets aligned on this one. And the Nikon’s meter nailed exposure on Agfa’s APX 100 film.

After looking at six places, all of which would put major stress on my wallet, I decided that I am more suited for visiting San Francisco rather than living there.

My Nikon Compact SLR Trilogy is Complete

A good experience with a camera will often lead me down the path of trying other cameras in the same family. My wonderful Leica R4s MOD-P was the catalyst to try the R5, R6, R7 and even took me back to the roots of the R series Leica SLRs; the Leicaflex SL2.

I loved my little Olympus OM-2n so much that it started an itch to try the original OM, the OM-1. I wasn’t disappointed. Both of these jewel-like SLRs are competent, fun-to-use cameras that mount an amazing arsenal of Zuiko lenses.

I’ve had two Nikon FM2n cameras. The first one was purchased brand new at Tempe Camera in the mid 1990s. I sold it during my divorce to pay some bill that was past due. I can’t remember what bill it was that required the sale of my Nikon, but the pleasant memories of shooting that manual-everything SLR were fresh enough for me to go looking for another one twenty years later. Bellamy Hunt (aka Japan Camera Hunter) sourced my second FM2n, a minty black body that I’ve used consistently ever since.

The FM2n was one of a series of very popular Nikon bodies that were in production between 1977 and 2001. Those cameras (FM, FM2, FM2n, FE, FE2, FA and FM3a) were aimed at the advanced amateur market. Nikon’s pro bodies during this time were the F2, F3, F4 and F5. During the F2/F3 era, many pros carried the FM or FE as a back up to their pro body cameras.

I love shooting my FM2n and it’s never let me down, but deep down inside I am an aperture-priority guy. When all is said and done, I really like a little bit of automation in my photography and aperture-priority cameras just hit the sweet spot for me. Needless to say, the FM2n got me searching for the FE2 which is essentially the same camera with aperture-priority automation. One of the things I just love about the FE2 is its wonderfully simple analog metering display along the left side of the viewfinder which shows the camera’s selected shutter speed if your are in automatic mode or a match needle read out if you are in manual mode. I have always thought that if the Nikon F3 had the FE2’s metering display, it would be the perfect SLR.

As was the case with Leica and Olympus, I just had to try the Nikon FE. The FE, produced from 1978 to 1983, is the predecessor to the FE2. It offers shutter speeds to 1/1000th of a second (the FE2 goes to 1/4000th). The FE came out around the time that Nikon introduced automatic indexing lenses, so it features a flip down aperture coupling pin allowing the use of non-AI lenses with stop down metering.

I bought my serviced FE from Holman Camera. Jim Holman recently serviced my FE2 and did a fine job, earning my repeat business.

The FE completes my personal compact Nikon SLR trilogy…FM2n/FE/FE2. Looking forward to getting out soon to shoot a test roll.

Footnote: I’ve been shooting a lot less during the pandemic but have just sent off a roll of Agfa APX 100, a roll of Kodak Pro Image 100 and a roll of ColorPlus to Boutique Film Lab. It feels good to get some work flow going again!

Repairing Your Nikon Film Camera

I like to write about good experiences I have with people who help keep our classic film cameras alive. Without good techs, it would be difficult to keep these decades old machines operating reliably.

Earlier this year, I was out shooting with my Nikon FE2 when, mid-roll, the mirror stuck in the up position. I was in aperture priority mode and have had this similar issue happen with other SLRs. When it does, moving the shutter speed dial to one of the manual speeds typically unsticks the mirror. I tried it and…nothing. Mirror stuck. I tried new batteries. Still stuck.

My FE2 was in the queue for a CLA anyway so this was a good nudge to move the Nikon to the front of the line. Occasionally, as is the case with some fully electronic vintage cameras, it makes more sense just to buy another one rather than paying for repair. I decided to check FE2 prices on eBay to get a feel for current prices on this model and was surprised to see them selling for $125 to $250 or more depending upon condition. Cosmetically, mine is at the upper range, so I felt good about investing in a repair. It’s also nice to see that the FE2 is holding its value.

While looking at FE2s for sale, I came across Jim Holman’s eBay store. Jim sells serviced Nikon, Canon, Minolta and Pentax cameras and lenses in his store and also offers repair services. Jim has been a repair technician for over 35 years and for the last 20 years he has specialized in lens and film camera repair. He is also an authorized technician for Nikon, Canon and Sigma. With his solid credentials and excellent eBay customer feedback, I decided to give him a try.

Jim’s process is pretty simple. Just click the $20 “buy it now” evaluation fee. Jim then messages you back and asks what camera you have and what the issues are and gives an estimated repair cost. He then sends you his address to ship the camera to. I packed up my FE2 and included a note with my contact information.

Within a day of receiving my FE2, Jim called to discuss the issues and what he needed to do to my camera. We had a delightful conversation about vintage SLRs and our mutual admiration of the Nikon FE2, FE, FM2 and F3 bodies. Jim clearly loves working on these old machines and helping analog photographers keep their gear operating smoothly.

Jim is located here in California, so this whole process took just a bit over a week. My camera came back clean, shiny and operating smoothly. It’s reassuring to know that the meter is now calibrated and the camera is back to factory specs. Oh…and I know this is really geeky, but I just love the way a camera smells after it has been CLAd. I think it’s the glue used on the new seals or cleaning fluid or a combination of both.

I had a really great repair experience with Holman Camera and highly recommend him. He also has a nice selection of cameras for sale. My F3 is due for CLA in the very near future and I’ll be sending it to Jim.

Venturing Out

You can probably tell, from my lack of posts here, that Covid has really tamped down my picture taking. Many of the places I enjoy visiting with my camera have been closed or have had limited access. And when those places do open up, like the beach, crowds swarm in. While I am healthy with no underlying medical conditions, I am 60. And I’m being careful.

Cabin fever got the best of me this past weekend. I had a roll of Agfa APX 100 in the fridge calling my name, so I loaded up the Nikon F3, fitted a yellow filter to my 50/1.4 Nikkor, masked up and headed to downtown Napa for some Sunday picture making.

While I have driven the downtown streets off and on since the first shelter-in-place order in mid-March, I had not actually parked the car, got out and walked around. Early this year, I would think nothing of wandering the sidewalks with my camera, browsing the stores, even stopping for an iced coffee at Starbucks. Now, I felt a swell of anxiety as I swung my car into a shady spot, grabbed my Nikon and mask and headed out.

Downton Napa in mid-April during the shelter-in-place

Downtown was moderately busy for a July 4th weekend. Most of the shops were open, but limiting the number of visitors inside. Restaurants were doing a brisk outdoor dining business and while the tables were spaced six feet apart at center, patrons were certainly closer to each other than the recommended distance.

I spent most of the afternoon doing what I call the “Covid dance,” adjusting my position relative to people coming towards me on the sidewalk. I never went inside any shops, but I would say mask usage, even in groups of people on the sidewalk, was about 50%. Older folks seemed more inclined to be masked-up.

I had a moment of mini-panic when I got to an intersection and debated about touching the “push to walk” button. How many people had touched this? Should I just turn around and head back? I pushed it with the little finger on my left hand (I am right-handed) and committed to remembering the finger I used so I could sanitize properly when I returned to my car.

I stopped short on the sidewalk when I noticed a group of lively, unmasked people exiting a tasting room. Normally, I wouldn’t think twice about cutting through a group like this. Instead, I detoured down an alley.

I finally decided to hit some quiet side streets and look for some subjects in a safer environment. I made about ten exposures all day.

Perhaps I am being overly cautious. I am sure I will get more comfortable in time. I do need to finish this roll.

Return On Investment

It all began innocently enough with one camera..a Nikon FE2. After relocating to California in late 2009, I picked up an inexpensive Nikon digital point and shoot camera to document my new surroundings. I had been away from serious photography for some time and that little digital camera reignited my interest in getting out and taking pictures.

Around the same time, I stumbled across a number of different photo blogs and saw that film photography was still alive among a small but dedicated group of hobbyists. Best of all, analog gear was cheap!

I had pretty much always been a Nikon guy, owning both a Nikon N90s and FM2 that I purchased new in the mid 1990s, so Nikon again became my focus as I researched used film cameras in 2010. I settled on the FE2, a small and well built aperture-priority SLR from the early 1980s.

Nikon FE2

I think I lucked out finding that FE2 because I really had no idea what I was doing at the point. The one I settled on looked brand new and when it arrived, everything worked. It was a constant companion for the next sixth months or so until the Nikon F2 bug bit me. I decided to sell the FE2 to fund the F2, so I put it on eBay for exactly what I paid for it. To my surprise, several buyers bid it up about $60 more than I paid for it!

I’ve gotten pretty good over the years at sniffing out good cameras on eBay and other online sources. Based on the seller’s photos, rating and even the words used in the description, my gut tells me go or no go. I think I have only purchased two bad pieces of equipment in all these years and on both of those occasions I chose not to listen to my intuition and got stung.

Unless it’s a camera I just cannot live without, I set a limit on what I will pay and stop there. I also expect that any camera I buy will need at least a basic CLA, so I factor that into what I am willing to invest.

I always buy a camera thinking that I will own it forever. Truth is, some cameras I just don’t bond with. Others, I love so much that I end up buying several copies just so I have a back up. And I never end up needing the back up. So, eventually, most of the gear I buy ends up back on eBay. And I am happy to say that in most every case, I have recouped my investment and in many instances, made money. Sometimes, so much it really surprised me! There are a few cameras that I’ve overpaid for because I just wanted one. And I have given a few very nice cameras away to good friends. But all in all, this hobby is self-sustaining. If I had the time, it might even be a little business.

Recently, I had a good long talk with myself and decided to go into serious downsizing mode. Get the collection down to a dozen or so cameras that give me the most joy and turn the rest into cash. I also had a lot of parts and accessories that I’ve collected over the years. One by one, little by little, it’s all going to new homes.

We may be at a sweet spot right now because my return on investment has been very good. I don’t think anyone is going to get rich buying and selling old cameras, but if you choose wisely, are willing to have gear serviced and take good care during use, you most likely won’t loose money. You might even make a few bucks. And that’s a pretty cool!

Find Joy Wherever and Whenever You Can

The notice came around two o’clock in the afternoon yesterday…we all had to be out of the building before five in anticipation of a curfew. The previous night, there had been rioting, looting and vandalism in many of the communities near where I work. Out of an abundance of caution, our company decided to get everyone out early and home safely.

The world is just upside down right now. It makes me anxious, sometimes angry and feeling helpless.

One of the things I have done since everything started to unravel in mid-March, is to try and find one thing each day that brings me joy. One evening, I sat quietly in my backyard watching daylight fade and listening as some noisy crows chattered back and forth to each other.

On another evening, on the way back from the mailbox, I stopped and sat on my front steps for a moment and admired the daylilies….beautiful and oblivious to the wackiness of the world around them.

A few times a week, I’ll put one of my albums on and listen to some music. On this night, it was Aja by Steely Dan. Definitely something cathartic about watching the record spin on the turntable and listening to music from my high school days.

Finding a bit of joy each day in something. It’s how I’m coping. How about you?

Always Something New To Learn

One of the things I love about photography is that there is always something new to learn.

I’ve been spending more time getting to know my Hasselblad 500cm with its exceptional Carl Zeiss 80mm f/2.8 Planar lens. This lens is an outstanding performer, however its close focus distance is just a bit over 8 feet, which limits how much close up backyard garden photography you can do with it.

Some “shelter in place” shots I just got back from Boutique Film Lab on Kodak Ektar 100 have encouraged me to try and do some macro photography with the Hasselblad, so I started researching my options.

Hasselblad 500cm, 80mm f/2.8 Zeiss Planar, Kodak Ektar 100 film

Hasselblad 500cm, 80mm f/2.8 Zeiss Planar, Kodak Ektar 100 film

One option would be for me to buy a set of Hasselblad extension tubes that fit between the camera body and the lens. These would allow me to get closer to my roses and other subjects. The tubes are plastic and don’t weigh all that much, but do add extra bulk to the set up. My goal is to try and keep my Hassey as small and light as possible.

There is also a bellows attachment that accomplishes much the same thing, but again adds weight and bulk.

As I was pondering my options, I came across a post in the Hasselblad 500 Facebook group I belong to about some Zeiss close up filters for Hasselblad called Proxar. These close up filters bayonet onto the front of the lens and, depending on the diopter value you choose, allow you to get closer to your subject. Until that moment, I did not realize there were close up filters for the Hasselblad lenses.

As is the case with most social media, member comments were all over the board on how these things perform, but my close up filters for the Pentax 35mm cameras I own work just fine. And in the world of Hasselblad stuff, these filters are pretty cheap, so I pulled the trigger on one.

Photo courtesy of eBay

I am thinking of setting up a sweep table in my little home office/studio and trying some still life close ups of various subjects on black and white film. I have a pro-pack of Kodak Tmax 400. I think that will do nicely. eBay says my Proxar will arrive June 1st. Hasselblad macro adventures await!

Trying to find center

My world changed on March 18th, when San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a shelter-in-place for the City. Even though I work across the Bay in Concord, everyone in our office knew the rest of Northern California would follow San Francisco’s lead. We all stood in stunned silence in the common area outside our offices contemplating what this would mean. Our company owns and operates four large retail automotive dealerships and two collision centers. Over 600 employees.

It wasn’t long before the entire Bay Area shut down. Everyone had to stay home. Most everything closed. Only essential workers were allowed to head to work. Because I work in internal and external communications for our company, I was deemed essential. I continued my daily commute on nearly empty California freeways, helping our company navigate shuttering the dealerships and furloughing employees.

I was very busy those first few weeks getting Covid-19 messaging up on our websites, shutting down outbound email campaigns and other marketing, getting signage up on our stores and strategizing with the executive team on next steps. Our service departments were allowed to remain open with limited hours and staffs and ever evolving facility and sanitization protocols. We scrambled to set up new virtual ways to interact with our service customers. Each day, I was immersed in news about the pandemic. Between official government updates, I found myself checking the news online many times each day and watching it every night on television.

Once the White House press briefings started happening on a regular basis, I expected to get some comfort. I was hoping that there would be some clear messaging there. Some leadership. It soon became clear that would not be the case. I stopped watching them. They made me feel anxious, confused and often angry.

I’ve always been a bit of a germaphobe and frequent hand washer anyway and I was not at all comfortable with any of this. I stopped going out for lunch during the week, packing my own and bringing it in. I have not done take out from restaurants either since that day Mayor Breed made her announcement. I had a good supply of face masks, left over from the North Bay wildfires a few years ago. And I bought some isopropyl alcohol and a few plastic spray bottles. I wear plastic gloves when I pump gas into my car and throw them away at the station when I am done.

Everyone at the office has been good about social distancing and wearing masks in the common areas. Those who can work from home have been doing so. My first few trips to the grocery store were pretty incident free. Trader Joe’s and the little market near where I live figured it out pretty quickly and Californians are pretty good about watching out for one another. We’re all in this together I thought.

I lost most all interest in taking photographs in March and early April. I finally decided to shoot up some film in my yard, taking snaps of my flowers and various other things around the house. Rather than inspire me, the backyard photography made me feel claustrophobic and isolated. I really longed for the days when I could wander the beach or a crowded downtown with my camera.

Weekdays are easier for me than weekends. My weekday routine is up early and into the office. It’s one Zoom meeting after another. I get home and eat some dinner. I’ve stopped watching regular television, retreating into the world of You Tube instead…photography videos mostly and, interestingly enough…music from the 1970s, clips from old television shows…relics of simpler times.

On weekends, I always head into Friday hoping to find my center. I try and get out and walk some, doing the Covid-19 dance when I approach a neighbor, eye-smiling through our masks. I also try and sleep in a bit, but find that my Saturday and Sunday morning sleep-ins are littered with terrible nightmares that I have to shake myself awake to escape from.

I headed downtown once with my Hasselblad thinking I would get some shots of Napa under lockdown. Even though we were not supposed to drive anywhere to walk, I figured no one would care. By the time I parked, guilt overcame me and I never even turned the car off. Went back home and shot the film up in my backyard.

Flowers over the fence. Hasselblad 500cm, 80 Zeiss Planar, Kodak Ektar 100

The last few times I stopped at Trader Joe’s, not everyone in line was wearing a mask. Those who refused to wear one were denied entry into the store and in one case, it got ugly. We all had our fingers on our iPhones ready to call 911, but the rebel backed down before it became necessary to call in reinforcements.

They are relaxing restrictions more and more here in California. This weekend, some restaurants opened up for dine in. I went out for a drive yesterday to check out the sidewalk seating. Some of the places looked compliant. Others looked very crowded and I’d say only about 40% of the people I saw anywhere were wearing masks.

I hope this thing continues to tamp down and that a vaccine is available sooner rather than later. Right now though, I just feel we are all part of a big experiment to see what happens. I am going to continue to be overly cautious. That is my choice.

I have found comfort in some things. I have gone through all of my photo gear and organized everything. I have exercised all of my cameras to keep them in good order. I listed half a dozen or so that I don’t shoot often enough online and sold them all, putting some decent funds into my Paypal account. I had one of my Hasselblad film backs repaired. Got a nifty lens hood for my OM Zuiko 50mm lens. Learned how to use my Sekonic L-398a Studio Deluxe light meter to its fullest. And made some good progress on my little home darkroom I am setting up.

When my world is centered, I sleep well, rarely have a bad dream and can’t wait to grab a camera and head outdoors. It’s all off center right now. And that’s damn unnerving.

Monochrome Garden

I tried my first roll of Ilford FP4 Plus, wandering around my garden with my Nikon FM2n and 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor lens. There were big, puffy clouds the day I shot these and the sun came and went. I started using my tripod, but lost my patience with it after a bit and continued on hand held.

A Walk Around My Garden

This post is dedicated to the memory of Ken Hansen

Sheltering in place has meant photography close to home. On a recent Sunday, I took my Leica R4s MOD-P, Leica 60mm f/2.8 Macro-Elmarit-R lens and some Kodak Ektar 100 for a walk around my garden. Oblivious to the pandemic, the bloom has been spectacular this year. And other than maybe some Velvia, Ektar 100 was the perfect choice.

Whenever I use this lens, I think about my dear friend and legendary Leica dealer Ken Hansen who passed away this time last year. Ken was always amused at my fasciation with Leica SLRs over the M rangefinders and suggested with a great deal of enthusiasm that I add the Macro-Elmarit to my R kit. Of course, Ken was right. This 60 is one of my favorite lenses and one of the last pieces of gear he sold me.

Blad Bonding and Other Pandemic Notes

Random notes from deep inside the California SIP…

Over these past few weeks, I’ve found myself bonding with my Hasselblad 500cm . Flowers are blooming everywhere, including many different varieties of roses. I had some rolls of Ektar 100 in the fridge, which is a perfect match for the Hasselblad’s top shutter speed of 1/500th of a second, bright sunny days and lots of color. I’m sure the neighbors find me a curiosity, prowling the flower beds with the giant camera and hand held light meter. The more I use the Hasselblad, the more everything become intuitive. It wasn’t that way at first. I had to keep reminding myself to remove the dark slide before trying to take the next shot. And I am getting used to the flip flop image in the viewfinder.

I did have the older of my two A12 film backs fail on me. After loading a roll of film, you wind the film on to the first exposure. The wind crank on the magazine is supposed to stop automatically at the first frame. Mine didn’t and a little research indicated that it needs to visit the shop for repair. David Odess is the go to repair tech for Hasselblad, so I’ll be sending my film back off to him for service. Hassey film backs are expensive, so it is worth the cost of repair.

Hasselblad 500cm with 80mm Zeiss Planar

Since the 500cm does not have a built-in light meter, shooting it has given me the opportunity to get comfortable with my Sekonic L-398A. I bought this light meter a few years ago and really have not had the chance to play with it. The L-398A is a great, classic analog meter that is still available new from Sekonic!

The Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe—an amorphous photosensor provides the power—no batteries!

I shot a roll of 35mm Ektar 100 in my Leica R4s around my garden and up and down the streets close to home. I used my 60mm f/2.8 Macro-Elmarit…a lens I just love. Spring flowers are a natural for macro photography.

Leica R4s MOD-P and the delightful 60mm f/2.8 Macro-Elmarit

I also went looking for interesting subjects in and outside the house with my Nikon FM2n, 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor and some Ilford FP4. This is my first roll of Ilford’s 125 speed film and I am anxious to see the results. I bought this from B&H Photo.

Image courtesy of B&H Photo

Packaged up all my exposed film and sent it off to Boutique Film Lab this morning for processing and scanning. Will share all here soon.

I am really getting antsy to get out and do some photography in the world. In the meantime, I am putting the SIP to good use getting more familiar with my hardware and software.

For the time being...

For nearly a decade, I lived just steps from the beach in Bodega Bay, CA. There wasn't a day that went by that I wasn’t grateful for being able to live on that little sliver of land between Highway 1 and the Pacific Ocean.

Looking back however, I did take it for granted that I be able to stroll the beach anytime I desired. During California’s strict SIP, coastal parks and beach parking are closed.

Even though I live about an hour from the coast now in Napa, until Covid-19, I always knew I could drive over and walk the beach if I wanted to. Can’t now. It will be nice when it’s once again safe to do so.

Low tide near Bodega Bay, CA, Contax RX, Zeiss Planar, Kodak Plus-X film

Shelter-In-Place Photography

The sun came out late yesterday and I seized the opportunity to get out into my backyard and take some photos of my roses and other flowers that are beginning to bloom.

I decided to use some Ektar 100 in my Leica R4s camera and mounted my 60mm f/2.8 Macro-Elmarit lens. I have written about this lens in previous posts. I really love it! It’s a great walking around normal lens and performs exceptionally well for macro work.

I also dug out my tripod to firm up the whole process.

Plan is to finish the roll today and send it off to Boutique Film Lab on Monday. Happy Easter!

Leica R4s MOD-P with Leica R 60mm f/2.8 Macro-Elmarit. My tripod is a Manfrotto Be Free

For the time being...

The weather looks promising this weekend, so I am considering camera, lens and film combinations for a little backyard photography adventure during our shelter in place.

With some additional time on my hands, I’ve also been looking back in the photo archives and sharing some of my favorite shots. This was taken at the corner of Geary and Powell in San Francisco’s Union Square in July 2016. That’s the Westin St. Francis Hotel across the street where I had a small but very nice room for the weekend. I did a lot of walking, took oodles of photos and fell off of my diet.

Union Square, SF, Leica M9-P, 35 Summicron

I miss going into the City. It will be nice when it’s safe to do so again.