Top Notch Gear for Sale

Regretfully, I need to sell a couple of my nicer classic cameras. Both of these cameras have had recent service and both are in near mint condition. While these prices may seem high, you are getting a camera that has been serviced, tested and will be packed with care. My asking price is right around what I have invested in each.

Canon F-1n w/ 50mm f/1.4 Canon FD

This is cosmetically one of the nicest SLRs I have ever owned. No marks other than a some scratches on the baseplate. I had Garry Airapetov do a CLA last year and have only shot one roll of film in it since then with every frame perfectly exposed. I use a silver oxide 386 battery in this camera with a MR-9 adapter (not included). The 50mm Canon lens is equally as nice, clean, clear, no haze or fungus. It has a Canon OEM protective skylight filter on it. I needed a +0.5 diopter on the viewfinder for my eyesight and I searched high and low for one. I paid $50 for it. I am going to leave it on the camera in case you need it. If not, sell it. They are rare. $399 plus USPS Priority shipping.

Pentax Spotmatic SP Black Body-Modified w/ 50mm f/1.4

I wrote about this camera a few posts back and all of the work I had done on it. Black body Spotmatics are rare. Ones this nice are even rarer. Hardly any marks on this body. I had Eric Hendrickson CLA this for me and while he was at it, he installed a split-image focus screen from a Pentax K1000 SE making this Spottie simply a joy to use. None of the earlier Spotmatics had split image focusing, so this modified body is one-of-a-kind. Meter is spot on. Shutter is strong. The legendary 50mm f/1.4 Super Takumar is equally as nice, silky smooth focus, no haze, no fungus, no scratches. I’ll include the OEM lens hood as well. I will shed a tear or two when I box this one up. $325 plus USPS Priority shipping.

If you have purchased cameras from me here or on my eBay store, you know the quality of my gear.

Sekonic L-158 Auto Lumi: Another Neat Little Light Meter

Even though almost all of my film cameras have built-in light meters, I am still a sucker for acquiring and testing hand-held meters. Most of them are relatively inexpensive. I paid $15 for this 1960s vintage Sekonic L-158 Auto Lumi and honestly, it’s a nice meter!

The Sekonic L-158 Auto Lumi

The L-158 is a simple reflected type meter using a selenium cell which also powers the meter. No battery needed. It’s small, lightweight and super easy to use:

1. Set your ASA

2. Point the meter at your subject

3. Turn the dial until the red and green pointers line up

4. See your various combinations of shutter speed and f/stop

Selenium cells do degrade with age but if the meter was stored in the dark for most of its life, many of these old meters are still accurate. This one agrees with the light meter app on my iPhone. I think it spent most of the last six decades sleeping in its carrying case.

Because it’s small and very light, I could easily carry it in my pocket or on a lanyard around my neck. I was inspired to try this meter after several Vietnam-era Nikon F photographers mentioned it as their meter of choice. Obviously, small meters that are not battery dependent would have been the order of the day for war photographers.

The Desert, Kodacolor 100 and a Feeling of Doom

Prior to Christmas, when airfare and hotel accommodation were more reasonable, my wife and I decided to spend a few days in Arizona. We booked an extended weekend at our favorite resort in the Tucson foothills. I was looking forward to four days of doing nothing but lounging by the pool, sleeping in and some hiking. It would also be a good time to try out Kodak’s new Kodacolor 100 film in the bright southern Arizona sun. I packed my Nikon FE and 50mm f/1.8 AIS pancake lens—a light and compact travel kit.

A week prior to our departure, I had booked an appointment with my eye doctor as I had noticed a small dark spot in the peripheral vision of my right eye. About five years ago, I had a small tear in the retina of that eye and had outpatient laser surgery to repair it. I had one more small tear a few years after that and had that repaired by laser as well. I can remember my doctor at that time (a retina specialist) telling me that she might just be buying me time—that at some point, I may have to have more invasive surgery to stabilize my retina. The exam on December 16th revealed nothing out of the ordinary and the doctor told me my retina looked fine and to enjoy my vacation in Tucson.

It used to be easy to get from Northern California to Arizona. Lots of cheap, non-stop flights from the Bay Area to either Phoenix or Tucson. These days, in order to get decent airfare and reasonably convenient departure times, a connection is necessary. For us, it would be through Los Angeles taking up a crazy amount of travel time to go 750 miles. Other than that, travel was smooth, the weather in Tucson was amazing and the resort was everything we remembered. A day or so into our vacation, the dark spot in my eye grew a little larger and took on a different color. I emailed my doctor and he said not to worry as my exam showed a healthy eye. Even with his reassurance, I began to worry.

I decided to try out the Kodacolor 100 on a hike into Sabino Canyon. The weather was perfect and it was nice to get out and experience the Sonoran Desert—a landscape like no other. Here are some shots from that hike.

The spot in my eye seemed to be less noticeable as the vacation progressed. Or maybe I was just pushing the thought out of my brain so I didn’t worry my wife. Occasionally though, I was overcome by an intense feeling of doom that was unlike anything I had ever experienced. We returned home from Tucson a few days before Christmas. By the weekend after, the spot had grown larger and that feeling of doom enveloped me. I emailed my doctor but got no response over the holiday weekend. Finally, on Sunday, December 28th, I called the emergency line and my doctor agreed to see me at his office. My feeling of doom was confirmed—my retina had begun to detach. I was scheduled for an emergency vitrectomy the next morning in San Francisco.

I’ll spare you the details of the procedure, but it was no fun. The surgery was successful and I am recovering. After the retina was repaired, a gas bubble was inserted into my eye to hold everything in place while it heals. The gas bubble shrinks and in another four weeks, I should be better than new. I say better than new because while the surgeon was fixing my retina, he took care of another problem I have had with the eye. I was fortunate that, over a holiday weekend, one of the best retina surgeons in San Francisco happened to be on call. He saved my sight.

Looking back now, I should have listened to my body and acted quicker. That feeling of doom, my body’s fight or flight mechanism, was real. Even though my doctor was telling me not to worry, deep down inside, I knew better. Lesson learned; don’t be afraid to advocate for your own health care. Had I not insisted that my doctor come into the office on a holiday weekend and see me, my retina might have fully detached.

As for the film. I like it. Some people are saying that Kodacolor 100 is repackaged Kodak ProImage 100 and Kodacolor 200 is Kodak Gold 200. I don’t know for sure but the results I got from the 100 speed film were satisfying. It’s also not terribly expensive and widely available—so it’s a win-win. Oh…and it has been awhile since I have used my Nikon FE. What a joy that camera is to use, feeling of doom aside.

A Tale of Regret & Renewal: The Pentax Spotmatic

I’ve been spending some time lately organizing and cleaning up my archive of analog photographs. In the process, I realized that many of the ones I consider technically pretty good as well as personally satisfying, were made with two camera kits; a Leica M6TTL and 35mm f/2 Summicron and a Pentax Spotmatic and 50mm f/1.4 Super Takumar. Here are two examples, both shot on Kodak film.

Fort Point, CA—Leica M6TTL, 35 Summicron, Kodak T Max 400

Pierce Point Ranch. Pt. Reyes National Seashore, CA — Pentax Spotmatic, 50/1.4 Super-Tak, Kodak T Max 100

I sold my Leica several years ago and the cost of acquiring another one today as well as the Summicron lens is financially out of the question. My Leica days are over unless I win the lottery. I sold my Spotmatic some time back as well. The one I had was a black body version that I had CLA’d and modified with a split image focus screen. A reader of this blog wrote and made me an offer that I could not refuse, so away went the Spottie. After receiving the Spotmatic, the buyer wrote me a nice note and said he thought I might regret selling the modified Pentax. He was right…I did and have missed having a camera body that takes M42 lenses, especially since I still have several nice Takumar primes.

To satisfy my Pentax screw mount yearning, I briefly considered buying a Voightlander Bessaflex TM, a M42 mount SLR made by Cosina from 2003 to 2007. Most of the ones I saw online were for sale in Japan and priced more than I wanted to spend or there were import duties that had to be paid. The other option was to begin looking for another Spotmatic. My favorite of all of the Spotmatics is the SP which does not have a built in hotshoe. I also wanted a black body, like the one I had sold. I casually browsed eBay for several weeks and saw lots of chrome bodies and the occasional black body. Nothing caught my eye. Then, one morning, I saw a black Spotmatic for sale on Facebook marketplace. It looked very nice, the listing said that the camera had been recently serviced by Eric Hendrickson and best of all, the owner was local! We messaged back and forth and made a deal.

When the camera arrived, it was better than advertised. All of the previous owners had taken good care of it and I know that Eric Hendrickson is the master of Spotmatic technicians, so it was functioning as designed. The only problem was that the camera had, as most Spotmatics do, a plain micro prism focusing screen. With my aging eyes, I really need split image focusing. This is where it gets interesting.

If you want split image focusing in a Spotmatic, you either have to find that rare Spotmatic F that came from the factory with a special order split image screen or have the camera modified. Spotmatic focusing screens are not changeable by the owner. It requires taking the camera apart and must be done by someone who knows what they are doing. Eric Hendrickson did my last modification. I wrote him to see if he had a split image screen in his shop and could he modify my latest Spotmatic and give it a once over. He wrote back that he’d be happy to check the camera out but he had no focusing screens in stock. Darn!

Undeterred, I asked Eric if I could source a split image screen somewhere. He replied that I needed to find a Spotmatic F, a Pentax ES or a K1000 SE that had a split image screen to use as a donor camera. Easier said than done. It’s almost impossible to find a SPF or ES with the split screen. And only certain K1000s had them installed. Eric also told me I had to look for a K1000 with the serial number on the top plate, so that helped me narrow down my search. And the most difficult part is that very few eBay sellers take a picture through the viewfinder of the camera so you can see what kind of screen is installed. But…I love a challenge. So I looked. And I looked. And I sent messages asking sellers about the their focusing screens.

Finally, I found a K1000 SE on eBay with the serial number on the top plate…

Pentax K1000 SE donor camera

I messaged the seller and asked if I could get a picture taken through the viewfinder so I could see what kind of focus screen it had and….happy day!

K1000 SE split image screen

When the donor camera arrived, I repackaged it and sent it to Eric. He did his magic with the focus screen and went through the camera to make sure make sure everything was ship shape. The process of finding a donor camera took two months. Eric had my camera back to me in less than a week.

Pentax Spotmatic SP with 50mm f/1.4 Super Takumar

I also added one more item to the camera to make focusing even easer. In my parts junk box, I remembered I had a +1.00 diopter for Spotmatic. It fits over the viewfinder eyepiece.

Pentax Spotmatic +1.00 Diopter

I hope to get out over the Christmas holiday and take my Spotmatic for a test drive.

And just for the record, I intend to be buried with this camera and my Nikon F2A. Happy Holidays!

Eric Hendrickson is the master of repairing all things Pentax. You can find him here.

Photography Magazines

Growing up as the kid of working class family in the 1970s, I had little extra money to spend on my photography hobby. I shot with a borrowed camera, used film frugally and developed it myself in my basement darkroom. The things I did splurge on were photography magazines. Each month, I’d stop at the corner drug store and pick up the latest edition of Popular Photography and Modern Photography. They were a buck a piece in those days.

In those pages, I found inspiration and education. They were also my “wish books” for cameras and lenses I could never afford but lusted over nonetheless. Modern Photography lasted 52 years until it combined with Popular in 1989. Popular was in print for 80 years until 2017 when it folded due to declining ad revenues. I have to admit that I miss reading a magazine. There was always something exciting about seeing a new issue on the shelf, taking it home and flipping slowly through the pages.

I bring this up because just this morning, I see that Outdoor Photographer, a magazine I occasionally picked up in the 80s and 90s, has begun publishing a print edition again. It only comes out quarterly, but the publisher promises a higher quality, image-focused product. I am tempted to subscribe out of nostalgia and maybe to help me cut down on screen time. Just not sure about a magazine that costs more than $13 an issue. Even with inflation, that’s a lot.

One Photograph: When Even a Bad Shot Can Be Satisfying

I have been a lover of fall my entire life. Growing up in Upstate New York, those crisp, clear, sunny October and early November days were glorious. Lawn mowing gave way to raking leaves and the frosty mornings and shorter days turned the trees into an infinite palette of yellows, oranges and reds. We had to seize every one of those days because we knew the long, cold, dark winter was right ahead.

Fall on the west coast is a bit more subtle. It comes on slower and lasts longer. And while the lawns turn brown back east, the rainy season here in Northern California turns the grasses deep green which contrast oddly with the changing leaves.

Almost ten years ago today, I was out on a photo walk along a trail that bordered some Sonoma County vineyards. I was carrying my Nikon FM2n and a 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor lens. My camera was loaded with Kodak Portra 160. The trail was separated from the vineyards by a fence. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was shining through the grape leaves. My composition was not good. I could’ve gotten closer to the leaves or kneeled to get a better angle. But I was late for the trail head and I just snapped and moved on.

Despite the technical snafus, I do like the way the sun illuminated the leaves contrasted by the green on the ground from the November rains we had that year. Even a badly composed photograph can be personally satisfying.

A bit later, I found a bigger hole in the fence to shoot through.

A “behind the scenes” shot of the author/photographer.

Minolta IV F Light Meter

I admit—I am a bit obsessed with vintage light meters. I think I have a dozen or so. Several old Westons, three or four Gossens and a couple of Sekonics. On top of the old ones, I have several light meters that are currently in production. I don’t use them all that often because most of my cameras have built-in meters. I have them because I like them and most of the vintage meters aren’t all the expensive to collect.

Minolta IV F with reflective and spot meter attachments

My recent addition to the light meter collection is a 1990s era Minolta IV F. I found this one in a local camera shop, complete with its original box, paperwork and accessories. I was aware of the IV F because, back when these meters were new, I had several pro photographer friends who shot weddings and did product photography and this Minolta was their meter of choice. They are still highly regarded today. Since I had just picked up a Nikon F2 with a meter-less prism, I mentally justified the $100 asking price for the Minolta and took it home with me.

The IV F without the accessories measures incident light—you hold the meter near your subject and point it towards the camera. The photo above shows the meter set up to read incident light with the white spherical diffuser in place. If you remove that and replace it with the black plastic disc to the right, you can take reflected meter readings—the kind the TTL meter in your camera gives you. Install the five degree spot finder and the IV F becomes a spot meter. There is also a spot viewfinder for a ten degree field of view. You can also measure flash light with or without a synch cord.

Spot metering viewfinder

The electronics in light meters of this era are not all that sophisticated so unless it’s been abused, most of them still work just fine. I am about half way through a roll of Kodak Tri-X in my F2, trying the meter in both incident and reflected modes, comparing the readings to my iPhone app and a Sekonic L-308 Flashmate and all agree for the most part. Like many photographers, I spend most of my time taking reflected meter readings—using the TTL meter in the camera and then setting it accordingly or letting the camera make exposure decisions for me, so I am still learning the nuances of taking incident readings—but it’s fun! Photo results from this first roll coming soon.

While I like fiddling with all of the light meters in my collection, the Minolta IV F is the first one I have really bonded with in actual use. It’s lightweight, feels good in your hand, it’s easy to change settings and the display is nice and big so I don’t have to put my reading glasses on to see it. The meter takes one easy-to-find AA battery. I also like the Minolta because it reminds me of a couple of photographer friends who have long since passed. I can see why they loved this meter.

I see these meters on eBay for $75-$125 without the reflective and spot meter attachments, so my $100 purchase with everything was a good buy. If you are looking for a solid handheld meter, I recommend the Minolta IV F.

The Junk Box

I’ve written many times here about my favorite camera store of the past—Lewis Camera Exchange in Tempe, Arizona. For a decade, from 1990 to 2000, it was my go-to destination for everything photographic. One of the things Lewis had, as did most brick and mortar camera stores, was a box or several boxes of “junk.” Typically located right under the front counter, the camera store junk box contained lens caps, filters, cable releases, straps, split rings and other goodies. There were many times I would wander into Lewis looking for this or that and the owner would say…”let me look in the junk box.” One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

Over the years, I have assembled my own version of the junk box—actually several small plastic parts boxes full of odds and ends. Some of the parts are from camera systems I no longer own, but I hang onto them anyway because in addition to G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome) there’s also something called the “boomerang effect.” The boomerang effect is when you sell a camera only to find out some time later that you really miss it and you buy another. And I can’t tell you the number of times that the new camera I bought doesn’t have something the old one did—like a flash PC synch cover, an eyepiece diopter or an eyecup. Just recently, I bought a nice Nikon F2 with the DE-1 eye level finder. The F2 had an A-type focusing screen. I prefer the K-type screen and started scrolling eBay looking for one and was shocked to see how expensive they have gotten. On a lark, I decided to look through my junk boxes and lo and behold there was an old K screen I had forgotten I had. Score!

One of my junk boxes

They aren’t making any new parts, so if you are going to use and enjoy vintage cameras, it’s wise to create your own version of the camera store junk box. You just never know what you might need someday.

One Photograph: Rosie in the Fall

Fall came late last year in Northern California. The leaves took forever to change and they were still falling in December when I took this shot of Rosie in our neighborhood park.

I like this photograph. It was late in the day so the shadows were running long. The mood was quiet and relaxing. I just let Rosie wander about, doing what dogs do and I clicked off a few shots with my Nikon F100 and Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5 - 5.6 ED IF AF-S VR zoom on CineStll 400D.

This year, the leaves are just beginning to change, so it looks like fall might take the same path. And that’s just fine. I have a stash of the new Kodacolor 100 and some 200 too, so I imagine Rosie and I will do some more late afternoon exploring.

Why I'm Still Buying Cameras

I bought another old film camera last week—a Nikon F2. A chrome one with an unmetered DE-1 prism finder. It was not a sensible thing to do. I have plenty of film cameras right now and none of them get enough use. The new camera doesn’t do anything special that the other cameras I own can’t do. In fact, it does less because this one doesn’t have a built-in light meter. Even more silly—I already own a chrome Nikon F2 with a DP-11 metered finder.

I told myself when I decided to pull the trigger on this camera that, ever since I sold my unmetered Nikon F, I really missed the minimalistic shooting experience that the F offered. That’s what I told myself. I also told myself that with this camera and the others that I owned, I finally now have all of the photographic tools I need and now I just need to go out and take pictures and become a better photographer. Yeah—I told myself that too.

As hobbies go, acquiring old film cameras and taking pictures with them really isn’t all that expensive. I have a pilot’s license and I used to own a small plane. That was an expensive hobby. Many years ago, I learned to ride a horse and after I got good enough, bought a horse, a saddle, boarded that horse and paid vet bills. That was expensive. As hobbies go, I tell myself, photography isn’t that expensive.

I am a frugal, practical person and each time I buy another old camera, I find the need to roll these things around in my head, justifying — to myself —the extravagance of yet another Nikon.

So why, after all these years of photography, am I still buying more cameras? I suppose it’s the hunt, the discovery, the anticipation before delivery and the unboxing. Holding my breath to see if the actual item is as good as the picture that the seller posted. Whether I am buying from eBay or from one of my trusted online retailers, I get a feeling in my gut about a camera and 99% of the time, my gut is right. But there’s still that moment, as I unwind the last bit of bubble wrap, when I wonder if I am going to be exhilarated or disappointed. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of holding a new-to-me camera in my hands for the first time, feeling satisfied with my purchase.

Another reason I keep buying old cameras is that I just love these old machines, built during a time when taking a photograph was a slower, thoughtful, more tactile experience. Using a machine built 50 years ago to make an image in 2025 is just plain exciting to me.

Lastly, the analog photography hobby is somewhat self-sustaining. Outside of the cameras I have given away to good friends or sold to them at or below cost, I have always been able to make a little money or at least break even when it’s time to part with one of my old cameras. The sale of one camera funds the purchase of another.

So that’s why I’m still buying cameras. Or as the Paul Simon song goes…”Still Crazy After All These Years.”

Getting to know the Nikon ED AF Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 D

In my 50 years of film photography, I have never owned or even used a “big telephoto” lens. The closest thing was probably a Nikon AF Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6D I bought when I had my Nikon N90s in the 1990s. Lately, I have been enjoying making some pictures of our Golden Retrievers at play and especially when we take them to a nearby dog training facility that has a pool where they can swim. In those instances, I wanted a lens that would allow me to really get in close and capture the action.

As I looked at various options and read reviews, my research eventually took me to a legacy Nikon lens; the 80-200 ED AF-D f/2.8 constant aperture beast. The 80-200/2.8 was Nikon's absolute top-of-the-line professional telephoto zoom at its introduction in 1997. This lens is made of metal, it’s heavy, quiet, super-fast focusing and optically amazing. Mounted on my Nikon F5, this kit is formidable and weapon-like.

80-200 Nikkor on my Nikon F5

I’m used to walking around with 50mm standard prime lens on my F5 or at the most, my 85mm f/1.8. This lens took some getting used to. There’s a tripod collar on the lens and if I didn’t have to be moving around a lot near the pool, it would have been easier to work off of a tripod. But I needed to be mobile and get a workout, so I put my most comfortable Peak Design camera strap on the F5, loaded up some Kodak Tri-X and gave my new lens a test drive.

You can tell that this is a professional lens. Fit and finish is extraordinary and despite its weight and size, it balances perfectly in your hand on a camera like the F5. I really thought that shooting in bright sunlight into water, this lens would hunt and peck for focus, but it was fast, quiet and sure.

With a camera like the Nikon F5, it is easy to burn through 36 exposures. The only color film I had in my camera bag that day was some Kodak Portra 800, so I spooled that up and continued shooting.

I didn’t do any post processing of any of these images. They are all straight out of the camera. Not perfect by any means as I am still learning my way around this lens set up. But I had fun. And so did the pups.

Nikkormat FTn Test Drive

Back in June, I wrote about an exceptionally well preserved, 47-year old Nikkormat FTn I bought off of eBay. I really do need to write the seller and get more information on this camera because honestly, it appears someone purchased it in the late 70s, brought it home, put it on a shelf and never used it. There are no signs of use, no scuffs, no nicks or bright spots. Inside and out, this camera is pristine. If I didn’t love taking pictures so much, I would leave this camera in its box as a collectable and preserve it. But I am a shooter, not a collector. So after spending some time marveling at the cosmetic condition of this old Nikon, I decided to take it for a brief test drive around the homestead with a 24-exposure roll of Kodak Tri-X and a Nikkor-H Auto 50mm f/2 non-AI lens just to see if everything on this camera works.

First, I shot my desktop…

My Canon F-1

My other Nikkromat FTn and a FM2n in the foreground

Then, some unremarkable shots around the house and yard…

Sunlight hitting a picture on the wall in our hall

That night’s Napa Cab

When I snapped this picture of Jazz asleep in the hall, I thought it would be a great test of this camera’s meter…

Summer blooms

Shadows on the house

This side gate is a frequent subject for test shots

Looking for light on the back patio

The dogs are always happy to pose for one of Dad’s old cameras

I carried my Sekonic L-208 meter around with me as I put the Nikkormat through its paces just to compare the readings the camera’s meter was giving me with what the modern Sekonic served up. In almost every instance, both meters agreed.

The shutter sounds amazing on this camera. The film advance is smooth, the lens-mount shutter speed control feels nice and even the ASA/ISO setting tab is easy to adjust. Many of the late model FTns like this one came with Nikon’s split image K screen making focusing a snap. And there isn’t a spec of dust in the viewfinder.

The old Nikon F, F2 and these Nikkormats were made during a time when cameras were built with high quality materials, attention to detail and designed for long, trouble-free performance. I have really become a fan of the Nikkormat FTn. It’s a joy to shoot and I appreciate the clean design of the pentaprism without the hot shoe. It’s a good looking and good shooting camera.

Nikon’s lubricants have held up well in this camera and the seals are in decent shape, but after spending nearly five decades sitting idle, this FTn deserves some spa time. It will go into the service queue this fall.

PS: One of my readers named Michael asked a question in the comments about the battery I use in this camera. When I attempted to respond to him, his question and my answer were deleted for some reason. I use a 386 battery inside a MR-9 battery adapter to power the Nikkormat FTn.

The Gossen Luna Pro F

I love old handheld light meters. I rarely use them in my workflow, as most of my film cameras have built-in meters, but I love them just the same and will grab one when I shoot my meter-less Nikon F. I have a small collection; a couple of Westons, three Sekonics, a Minolta, a Gossen Pilot and now this Luna Pro F.

Gossen has been making light meters since the 1930s. My Luna Pro F is from the early 1980s. Most of the light meters available new today feature digital readouts. I’ve always been partial to the good old analog dial readouts. Problem is, some of the old analog light meters can be science projects to use and hard to read. I like simple…and that’s what attracted me to this meter. The Luna Pro F is powered by a 9-volt battery—the same kind you’ll find in a battery-powered smoke detector. Some of the earlier Gossen meters were powered by 1.35v Mercury batteries. The meter can take reflected, incident or flash readings.

The Luna Pro F is unique as it’s a null or zero-point measurement instrument. I have found it to be one of the easiest to use and most intuitive exposure meters I have ever tried. Here is how it works:

Decide which kind of reading you are taking. In this case, I am taking a reflected reading. To do this, move the spherical diffuser to the side. If I were taking an incident reading, the diffuser would be in the center.

Point the meter at your subject and press the power button.

The needle will move left or right.

Now turn the dial until the needle points to zero.

Then, simply look at the dial and select your choice of shutter speed and aperture.

If you want to under expose or over expose, move the dial so the needle points one under or one over or whatever you would like. There is also a scale for cameras that use the exposure value (EV) system as well as one for motion picture film. A button below the power switch allows you to take a reading off of your flash.

Yes, I know…a smartphone light meter app can do the same thing and faster…but it’s not as much fun. If you are looking for a good analog meter that’s easy to use and presents exposure information clearly, I highly recommend the Gossen Luna Pro F. Now I have to go put some film in the Nikon F.

Gear Regret Syndrome

Everyone knows what G.A.S. is—Gear Acquisition Syndrome. In photography, it’s the intense desire for a new camera or lens. The opposite end of G.A.S. is G.R.S.—Gear Regret Syndrome. It’s the deep regret we feel sometime after we have parted ways with a piece of camera gear that we shouldn’t have sold.

I generally sell something either because I need to “thin the heard” or because I am funding the purchase of a new piece of gear. Sometimes, I just need a little extra cash. While I always feel a little wispy when I am packaging up a camera I have just sold, the feeling typically fades very quickly and I have little or no lingering regret. There have been some exceptions:

• I sold my Omega ProLab 4x5 enlarger 25 years ago during my divorce. It went to a friend for pennies on the dollar. That enlarger was pristine and had a turret lens mount with EL Nikkor lenses for 35mm and 120 film. In reality, I could never have dragged that monstrosity through the mess of my divorce but I sure do miss that lovely big machine.

• I sold my Leica M6 and 35mm Summicron lens because someone offered me quite a bit more than I paid for the kit. I made what I think are some of my best photographs with that Leica. Prices on that same camera and lens are through the roof now. I should never have sold my M6.

• A friend sold me a minty black Pentax Spotmatic SP. I had Eric Hendrickson modify the camera with a split image focus screen. To round out the package, I splurged on an 8-element 50mm f/1.4 Super Takumar. That lens could sing! A reader of this blog wanted that Pentax and lens badly and I sold the camera and lens to him. My black Spottie is in a good home, but I miss it.

• Some years ago, I had Bellamy Hunt, the Japan Camera Hunter, source me a black body Nikon FM2n camera. I really enjoyed using that camera and like the M6, made some good photographs with it. I sold it before a move in 2019 and have regretted it since. The FM2n is a solid, dependable camera and I’ve always kept an eye out for another…

One day, a few weeks ago, I stumbled across this very lightly used black FM2n in one of my local camera shops. I do quite a bit of business there and the shop owner gave me a nice discount to “take it home today!” It needed new seals so I sent it out for a CLA. The camera is on its way back to me now. It will be nice to shoot the FM2n again. Do you have a camera or lens you regret parting ways with?

Nikon FM2n with 28/2.8 Nikkor

More Fun with Rollei RPX 400

RPX 400 is a high speed black and white film distributed by Maco (Hans O. Mahn GmbH & Co. KG, Maco Photo Products), a Germany-based supplier of photographic films and chemicals, licensing the Rollei brand name. The company says that Rollei RPX 400 is a new film that is based off of the original Agfa APX emulsion. Some research revealed that this film is most likely made by Ilford. Maybe. Maybe not. Whatever the truth, I loved the old Agfa APX film and both the 100 and 400 speed versions of RPX have delivered nice results for me.

I used my last roll of RPX 400 for a work project and then finished off the remaining frames just playing around. I shot this film in my Nikon F2A with three different lenses: 28/2.8, 50/1.4 and 105/2.5.

This is Jazz, our Golden Retriever poking her head up from a nap…

Sidewalk dining in St. Helena, CA…

Some shadows on my fence…

The roses have been especially nice in California this year…

Rosie reluctantly poses for a portrait…

Pushing the Nikon’s meter to its limits….

One of my favorite Napa Cabs…

A random shot of my desk…

I don’t have much more to say about these Rollei films than what I’ve said in previous blog posts. I like the tonal range, from crisp whites to inky blacks and everything in between. Grain is manageable in both 100 and 400 speed versions. If you enjoy shooting black and white, I’d recommend giving these films a whirl.

I do have to say how very pleased I am with this Nikon F2A I picked up last February. This 46-year old camera was still in its original box. I cannot see any signs that this camera was ever used. Amazingly, the light seals and mirror bumper are in very good shape, the viewfinder is crystal clear and all of the shutter speeds sound good to my ear. Icing in the cake is the TTL meter is giving me near perfect exposures. The fact that this camera works pretty much as new after all this time is a testament to the quality of what many consider to be the best mechanical Nikon camera ever. Even though my F2 is working well, I do intend to send it off to Sover Wong for a good once over later this year.

Finally…my end of roll mirror selfie.

One Photograph: When the Sea Turned Brown

During most of February, 2017 along the Northern California Coast, it rained. It rained for days and days. The rain came straight down. Some days it blew sideways and sometimes it felt like it was coming up from the ground with everything so soaked. Around the end of the month, it stopped and I had such cabin fever, I grabbed my Canon F1, wound on a roll of Kodak Portra 160 and headed up to Jenner where the Russian River empties into the Pacific Ocean. For the better part of the week prior, the river had overflowed its banks causing some minor flooding up in Guerneville and Monte Rio.

I parked the car at Goat Rock State Beach and climbed a dune to look at the river. It was high and I was shocked by how brown it was—the color of coffee with cream. As I headed over to the beach, I saw that the river was pouring all of that muddy water straight into the ocean. As far as I could look, the sea was the same color as the river.

The Pacific Ocean at Jenner CA, February 2017.

After so many days of rain, it felt damn good to be outside and even better to be there with a camera. It was my first roll of Kodak’s slower speed Portra and I was pleased with everything I shot that day, including an image that ranks up there as one my all time favorites.

I’ve never been all that comfortable with street photography. I am not good with taking photographs of strangers and I always seem to miss the decisive moments. Street photography on the beach is so much easier. People love to stand and look at the ocean and no one pays much attention to someone taking pictures.

There weren’t many people on the beach when I saw a woman begin to walk into my frame. I intended to catch her strolling along the sand, but then she stopped and looked out at the brown water, pausing long enough for me to focus and dial in an exposure.

Coastal Meditation, Jenner, CA, Canon F1, Canon FD 501/.14, Kodak Portra 160

I have said it many times here…I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to have lived on the Pacific Coast for so many years. I never took a day for granted, no matter what the weather dished up.

Thinning The Herd

This hobby ebbs and flows. Acquire gear, enjoy gear, sell gear. That being said, it is time for me to “thin the herd” and part with cameras that I don’t use enough or have duplicates of.

Here is a link to my eBay page with some nice cameras for sale.

One Photograph: Along The Kortum Trail

When I lived out at California’s Sonoma Coast for nine years, one of my favorite weekend hikes was the Kortum Trail which runs from just north of Bodega Bay to Jenner, at the mouth of the Russian River. It’s a mostly flat, but breathtakingly beautiful hike the hugs the coast for most of its length. I took hundreds of photographs on these hikes while inhaling the sea air and getting some good exercise. None of this would have been possible without the man the trail is named for: Bill Kortum.

Kortum, who passed away in 2014, was a veterinarian who led a lifelong battle to protect the Sonoma County coast from development. In the 1950s and 60s, his activism thwarted PG&E’s plan to build a nuclear power plant on the San Andreas Fault at Bodega Head. He led campaigns that resulted in the formation of the California Coastal Commission in 1972 and worked on legislation that extended to the public unprecedented rights to access the state’s over 1000 miles of shoreline and oversee future development. He was elected to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors in 1974 and continued his efforts both at the coast and inland to protect wild areas from urban sprawl. It was not an easy fight. Sonoma County was deeply Republican in those days and Kortum had to fight developers, builders and bankers.

If you drive north from San Francisco along the Pacific Coast Highway through Marin and Sonoma Counties and pull off to take in the view—maybe take a walk on the sand or dip your toes in the surf, you have Bill Kortum to thank for the right to do that.

The author along the Kortum Trail, 2018

The Real Reason to Buy a (Mostly) Mechanical Film Camera

On the various analog photography social media groups I follow, not a week goes by where someone doesn’t talk about how important it is to buy a fully mechanical film camera because you don’t want to be dependent on batteries. “What happens if you are out in the field and your battery dies?” Or the other one: “You should go fully mechanical without need for built-in, battery-dependent light meters because you can carry a hand held meter or use your iPhone.” That one always amuses me because most modern hand held meters use a battery and of course, the same holds true for smartphones.

I have said this before, but I have been taking pictures with various film cameras for just over 50 years and I have never had a camera battery die when I am out shooting. Never. Ever. In a mechanical camera, where the battery only powers the TTL meter, a typical battery will last years, even if you shoot a lot. Electronic cameras, like the Nikon F5 or a Contax RX, where the batteries not only power the meter but also provide juice for auto focus and film advance, are a different story. Those cameras chew through batteries more quickly. But for a Nikon F2 or FM, a Pentax Spotmatic, Olympus OM-1 or 2, Canon F-1 or similar—you’ll more likely change the battery because you want to than because you need to.

Olympus OM-1 - Simple, mechanical, elegant

The real reason to buy a mechanical film camera in 2025 is because, if needed, it’s easier to find a technician who can service them plus repair and parts costs are more reasonable. I love my Nikon F5. It is probably one of the finest, most capable film cameras I have ever used. But one day, it will stop doing something it is suppose to do and I really don’t know anyone who works on them anymore. And if someone did, they would probably tell me it was cheaper to go find another working F5 than repair mine. Same is true with the Pentax LX. I loved my LX. Actually, I have owned three. Two died and I sold the third. I hope it is still out there somewhere clicking away. I was able to get one of my LXs repaired and it cost a fortune because the tech had to buy a donor body to replace circuit boards. And that tech no longer works on the LX….only on mechanical Pentax cameras because of lack of parts and because it’s just too expensive.

Pentax Spotmatic- The first 35mm SLR with TTL metering

When I say “mechanical camera”, I guess I mean mostly mechanical. Mechanical cameras with built in light meters are bullet-proof. And the late 70s and early 80s cameras with electronically controlled shutters and simple auto-exposure systems (Nikon FE, FE2, F3, Canon AE-1, Pentax ME/ME Super, etc.) are well built and robust. These are the types of film cameras that are fairly inexpensive to buy and easier and less expensive to have serviced.

Pentax ME-Classic, basic 70s SLR with aperture priority AE

Once you start getting into cameras with built in motor drives, auto-focus and lots of other features (Nikon F4, F5, Canon EOS, Contax RX, Leica R8, Minolta Maxxum) you are into cameras that suck up batteries and can cost a lot to repair—if you can get them repaired.

Based on my ownership, use and service, here are my recommendations for good, dependable, mechanical and mostly mechanical film cameras:

• CANON: FTb, F1, F1n, New F1, A-1, AE-1, P

• CONTAX: S2, S2b

• HASSELBLAD: 500c/m

• LEICA: M6

• MINOLTA: SRT Series

• NIKON: F, F2, F3, FM, FM2, FE, FE2, SP

• NIKKORMAT: FTn, FT-2, FT-3

• OLYMPUS: OM-1, OM-1n, OM-2, OM-2n

• PENTAX: Spotmatic, KX, K2, KM, K1000, ME, ME Super

Again, this list is based only on cameras that I have personally experienced. You may have others to suggest and I welcome those in the comments or email.

Shipping Follies

It goes without saying that most of us who dabble in old camera gear probably receive our fair share of packages. Most of us shop for our gear on eBay or from an online seller like KEH, B&H or Used Photo Pro. Not too long ago, you would order something mail order and it arrived when it arrived. Today, we have tracking numbers and websites or push notifications that tell us where our package is every step of the way. This is very cool and also sometimes frustrating as I have watched packages languishing at a FedEx hub or taking the great circle route around the globe.

Not too long ago, my folks in small town in Upstate New York mailed me a letter, sent First Class, on Monday. It was in my mailbox in Northern California on Wednesday. This week, I am watching a USPS Priority package, mailed last week from a location 34.8 miles from my house, bounce around the San Francisco Bay Area for going on four business days plus the long weekend. It might arrive today. Or…it might not as the delivery status has not yet been updated.

I once ordered some film from a photo shop in San Francisco, 51.9 miles from my house. The package left San Francisco and then traveled all the way to Denver, Colorado before it worked its way back to me over the course of nine days.

I once had a UPS Overnight envelope, sent from a friend in Phoenix, that zipped in hours from the Phoenix hub to the Oakland hub and then disappeared from radar for two days. UPS customer service, which is not in the US, was no help. Finally, through a friend I knew who worked for UPS, I got a back-office phone number for the Oakland hub and spoke to a nice woman who eventually found my envelope. It had slipped off of a conveyor belt and was wedged there out of sight. She got it routed to me the next day, a Saturday, for free.

There doesn't really seem to be any rhyme or reason to the shipping madness. I use a camera repair guy near Chicago who ships my cameras back to me USPS Ground Advantage. They arrive back in California consistently in two days. Another tech sent me back a camera FedEx Priority Two Day that took five business days. Oddly enough, B&H uses some secret FedEx shipping that is very reasonable and arrives coast to coast overnight.

I just got a notification on my phone for my USPS Priority package that was shipped last week from a place I could drive to in 45 minutes. The notification says PACKAGE DELAYED. Ya think?