The Viewfinder: January 2015

Sunday, January 18, 2015

The vintage film Pentax Zoom 280p and Pentax MX-1: What do they have in common? Remote Codes!

Yes, I very recently acquired a Pentax MX-1. Yes, it does not have a viewfinder. And yes, it has a small sensor. Yet it's image quality from the first impressions I have from it, is beyond its apparent small package and this was the selling point for me along with sturdiness and handling. This camera seems to be a great travel and street shooter. I will at some point put it through its paces and write a little review. But I digress a little. The reason why I have made this post was because when I came home with the camera, my vintage charity shop purchased Pentax Zoom 280p that has a remote, popped to mind. It's a great film compact, with a great 28-80 zoom lens, Bulb mode with or without flash and sturdy. In fact, a great classic film companion to the MX-1. It is in great shape and I bought it for a song (£4). Going straight to the point, it got me thinking about how often do manufacturers change remote codes. Pentax sells two types of remote for the MX-1, one waterproof and one not , the latter very basic. Both are priced at £24.99. So, I set out on a little experiment today and found that the remote works on both cameras with exactly the same functions! The remote of the Zoom 280p has a release button and a zoom button that works perfectly in the same way with the vintage Zoom 280p as well as the modern MX-1. So, save yourself some money if you already have a Zoom 280p and intend to use the MX-1 on a tripod. If you don't have a Zoom 280p, look for one, save yourself some money and get a great compact film camera with the all necessary remote for tripod work with the MX-1. Here's a short video I have made of the experiment:

Enjoy!

Until next time,

Luis

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Abstraction of time and being

Hello again, dear friends and readers.

It has been a long time since I have posted anything in the Viewfinder. Over the years the Viewfinder has been a place where I could pour my thoughts in what concerns my photography and in this sense it has been almost like a long time companion, by my side for many years, years in which I have grown as a photographer and in many other ways. While I have found it hard to find time to post and produce work, I have increasingly felt the need to continue to share my thoughts on the art that is photography and my personal experiences and work. As such, although seemingly absent, I was in fact present and always looked back to The Viewfinder with fondness, looking back at how far I have come as well as other things that branched out from it. Also and very importantly, the support, in form of blog views, particularly my equipment reviews which where of help to many and the occasional message of support and/or of appreciation for my musings and work. I have now decided to pick up where I left, although I now have a website which is also in need of attention as well as another blog (also in need of attention). In this time of apparent absence, my life has changed, I have also become a teacher as such, time is in very high demand. Nevertheless, from the first time you pick up a camera with real intent in your life, you are hooked and you will be a photographer for life, no matter what path or paths life takes you. You will always come back to it, if not at least because photography becomes a reflection of you and your path in life.

But enough about that now, I found some time to shoot a little, with a Kiev 4 and some Fujifilm C200. So, here's my most recent work, some experimental "street abstracts", a mixture of what I love the most, street photography, with an exploration of the technique of long exposures, to express the abstraction of time and being and the fleeting nature of being in the moment, in a place, in a state of mind, or as a mere observer.