Until next time, Luis
Thursday, August 06, 2015
Broken Polaroid cable release wire? Play it again Sam,but you are missing a note.....
My awesome Polaroid Land 340 finally after years suffered the old age malaise of the broken release cable that happens when you close the camera. It does not to all but if they see some frequent use they will at some point snap the cable in two when you close them. I searched the Web for a solution and all I found was that you either modify the release to use a modern release or just buy another one to cannibalise for parts or throw it away. Well I was not happy about that at all and I like keeping my cameras in their original design. So a light bulb went on in my head and I recalled piano wire which is highly tensile and very strong. So, I bought my self some Size 7 (0.018") from Hugh Craig Harpsichords(or here) on EBay and it worked like a charm. I had to break off the release button as it was molded around the original cable,but kept the top which I glued back to a small cogwheel that I then epoxied to the famous red button. To prevent further accidents I cut an empty clean ink tube from a rollerball pen and slid it over the area that is affected by the closing mechanism. And voilá, Land 340 back in action on its beautiful vintage charm.
Until next time, Luis
Until next time, Luis
Monday, August 03, 2015
Pentax SLOMO Test
Today I had to run some errands and bored in the public transport I decided to play with my Pentax MX-1 newly discovered Slow Motion video capability and ability to apply filters onto video (in this case Black and White with a Blue filter). So here's some random video captures in slomo on the street. Shot from the hip, of course, street photography style. Added my own track to it as the silent movie era is long gone. Although the camera only captures slomo in VGA mode (640x480) and only 15s at a time, it's still pretty awesome in terms of image quality (which I hope won't be lost on upload here).
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Shadow play
Greetings friends, readers and casual passers-by,
I have finally had some time to shoot for myself today as I am free of responsibilities for most of this week. I took my new Pentax MX-1 and my old Samsung GX20 that has been in the locker for ages, out for some street work, since the sun was out. The light was hard as such I engaged in some shadow play. When the sun is out, life re-emerges and today the streets were bustling. I have been out for 7h which was great, I haven't done so in years with all the other stuff in my life. Anyway, enough about that, here are today's.
Until next time,
Luis
I have finally had some time to shoot for myself today as I am free of responsibilities for most of this week. I took my new Pentax MX-1 and my old Samsung GX20 that has been in the locker for ages, out for some street work, since the sun was out. The light was hard as such I engaged in some shadow play. When the sun is out, life re-emerges and today the streets were bustling. I have been out for 7h which was great, I haven't done so in years with all the other stuff in my life. Anyway, enough about that, here are today's.
Until next time,
Luis
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.
In short, the Viewfinder is alive and well and I hope you have enjoyed the photos and I hope to see you back soon!
Until next time,
Luis
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Film is dead long live film?
I have been reading more and more often posts from some photographers, some established, on how they have dropped the traditional darkroom in favour of digital, how the quality has surpassed that of film and how they would never go back to traditional capture.
Indeed, digital photography has developed in massive leaps and bounds, since the beginning of this century. When compared to the development of Traditional Photography (I hate the use of the word "analogue" you may have noticed), which took centuries to reach its plateau of sorts, digital has indeed developed at such a rate that now manufacturers have to find other ways to attract photographers to their products, a lot of them in my view, just plain gimmicks, that are marketed in such a way that make the public think that they are necessities for producing any sort of half decent work. On this note, I will state from the onset that this is largely a personal opinion based posting.
But to cut a long story short, I use both mediums. In fact, I actually even like a hybrid process where you shoot and scan your film, it's quite flexible and if your scanner is good, you can print at any size you want. I like both mediums and although each have their place, I prefer working with film. Yes, it is a longer process, you get no instant feedback whatsoever on what you have done, you have to keep your film safe and go through a chemical process that can be arduous to get to your end result or application from. But ( and this is an area that makes me take some statements from those photographers who proclaim that film is dead and how digital is so much more superior to it, particularly from those who are supposedly established, with a large pinch of salt), if you really do know what you are doing, you don't need the instant feedback and your processing of your film becomes in fact, quite an enjoyable experience. Having said this I make no claims of knowing all there is about photography or of always knowing what I am doing. Part of the learning curve is experimentation.
You see, with film there was (and still is) a big learning curve, in which you could not compress what you had to learn to use it, down to for example, how to expose for different types of film, different darkroom processes and how to print a chemical print, process which on its own has a multitude of processes. For this reason, shooting film gives you a solid technical framework that is not lost when you start shooting digital. While you do not waste resources with a digital workflow, you do waste time without a good technical grounding ; and film photography gives you the best technical grounds to start with. It is also a natural way to work with light, this is why when you look at a film photograph, it has a depth that is still barely achieved by digital. And for good reason. While digital produces great all-round results, it lacks in two key areas that make a photograph be perceived as "real", one is in its depth, an atmospheric quality that is still a bit lacking on digital and the other is colour. Don't believe me? Then ask yourself why manufacturers are including film simulation modes in their digital cameras nowadays for example. On this note, when I hear photographers talk about how film is dead for them, my salt pitcher comes out, as the vast majority tends to invariably compare digital to the film format that they are comfortable or familiar with. And there is quite a lot to compare when you add to the equation formats like medium and large format to digital, which usually go unmentioned in discussions on the matter. Personally, I am still to hear a photographer that works with large format film, make such generic statements about the death of film. In the same way that sensor size usually translate to technically better images (and I underline here technical, because photos can be great photos from any sensor format), the same goes for film. Large Format still offers a resolution unmatched by digital and Medium Format still goes a long way too, particularly when using slower emulsions. I have not used Large Format, but I have seen negatives, slides and prints made from it, that I have not found any match in digital so far. Of course, it's a arduous process and applications where one can use Large or Medium Format are perhaps more limited, but the point here are end results and the quality of those results.
Personally the question of the demise of film, is perhaps more related to economies of scale. The market for film is now a rather small one, but if companies could sustain business with film, I am sure that advances in technology could further elevate and develop film to new heights. Kodak has done this with their new Ektar film, which is an extremely sharp and fine grained film with punchy colour available in 35mm and Medium Format which results can be easily mistaken for digital in sharpness, but it exhibits a depth and colour that is not matched by digital. Ultimately, what this all means is that what constitutes a great photo, goes beyond resolution and pixel peeping. But as photographic technologies evolve, we cannot forget nothing replaces good practice and discipline, and the best practice and discipline comes from over 150 years of the art of traditional photography, so it does not hurt the digital photographer to shoot a roll or two a month to keep fresh and snappy. To forget the masters and arts of the past is to already forget those of the future.
Until next time,
Luis
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
The fine relationship between Zone Focus and your passed out friends...
When I got into street photography, I was always reliant on automatic focussing or manual focussing and I was constantly frustrated as I could not capture those fleeting moments that classic photographers were able to capture. I thought there must be something wrong with my eye/finger coordination or neuro connections. My subjects had to be pretty static or very slow and I was generally not that satisfied with my results. Then I heard about Zone Focus. It transformed my street photography. This magical method seemed to do the trick, but I still had trouble in getting the results because I usually misinterpreted the distances. So, I devised this method which I recently divulged in a post on a social networking site to a friend who expressed difficulty using the method, which spurred this post. It was posted as follows:
" Think of a good friend that you have in mind very well, their height. You must know how tall they are. Now imagine that day when for some reason they have gone nuts or knocked out drunk and lied on the floor. You stood there at their feet looking at their face. Now, on the street with your camera, re-imagine that moment. My friend was 1.5m which is 5 feet. That's my close working distance with a 35 to 50mm lens. 2 or 3x my friend on the floor is 4.5m or 15 feet. It fits loads in with a 35mm lens. I set my camera, closing the aperture to at least f8 (of course after loading a film of 400 or above to give me fast shutter speeds) and at f8 I should have a free focus area between "my friends unconscious face" and another 2 or 3 times my friend's unconscious body distance with a relatively wider lens. With a really wide lens that can be from 1m to infinity. So everything is in focus regardless. |That's how I started and it has worked for me ever since.So, knocked out friends can be of use see? :D"
So, I thought I would share with you and I hope it got you in good spirits and humour as it did me, still laughing recalling how I developed my way of doing it and hope it can be of help to you, dear readers! :)
Keep an eye out for the up coming Fujica Auto-M and Fujica 35EE review to be posted soon.
Until next time, Luis
" Think of a good friend that you have in mind very well, their height. You must know how tall they are. Now imagine that day when for some reason they have gone nuts or knocked out drunk and lied on the floor. You stood there at their feet looking at their face. Now, on the street with your camera, re-imagine that moment. My friend was 1.5m which is 5 feet. That's my close working distance with a 35 to 50mm lens. 2 or 3x my friend on the floor is 4.5m or 15 feet. It fits loads in with a 35mm lens. I set my camera, closing the aperture to at least f8 (of course after loading a film of 400 or above to give me fast shutter speeds) and at f8 I should have a free focus area between "my friends unconscious face" and another 2 or 3 times my friend's unconscious body distance with a relatively wider lens. With a really wide lens that can be from 1m to infinity. So everything is in focus regardless. |That's how I started and it has worked for me ever since.So, knocked out friends can be of use see? :D"
So, I thought I would share with you and I hope it got you in good spirits and humour as it did me, still laughing recalling how I developed my way of doing it and hope it can be of help to you, dear readers! :)
Keep an eye out for the up coming Fujica Auto-M and Fujica 35EE review to be posted soon.
Until next time, Luis
Friday, April 05, 2013
This blog is now back and live!
Hello again dear friends and readers,
I know it's been a a good while since I have updated this blog (3 years in fact, time runs fast!), but I have not been still. I have another two blogs mainly dedicated to posting some photographic work, since writing was taking a big chunk of my time. I have also started teaching. Don't get me wrong, I love writing, particularly about photography and cameras, but nowadays more than ever time is short, time is money and without any sort of capitalisation, it is hard to keep it up. But I miss it. It not only helps me analyse, review and digest what's happening in photography right at this moment, how it affects me and my art as well as how it may affect you and your art. It also seems to help other fellow photographers and buddying photographers. Even though I have not updated these pages for nearly 3 years, I have received some very positive feedback and messages from fellow photographers regarding this blog and at over 20000 views (with almost 100 views so far for today!), I have decided to bring this blog back for my reviews and add a voluntary contribution button, details of which I will soon post. It helps me and it helps you get the content as well as information that you may be looking for.
There is a bit of work to be done on the previous image links for the older posts, as they were connected to a flickr account that had to be taken down, but with time the images will come back, particularly for the reviews.
PS: Keep an eye out for my next review on two very interesting classic rangefinders. For the other two blogs, I will update the sidebar on this blog with the links.
- Twin Lust -
Luis Rubim 2010
Hope to see you soon,
Luis
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
More gems from the past - The Minolta 800si & 700si - a brief review
Introduction
As a film enthusiast, the recent news that Fujifilm is ceasing to produce its medium format version of its Neopan 400 black and white film came to me as a bit of a shock. There are an increasing number of photographers' long loved films disappearing from the market as technology advances and digital photography exponentially improves and provides results which are surpassing film in certain areas. Yet many photographers won't let go of their traditional roots and find in fact that in many aspects and applications, film still provides the better or more suitable results. But in honesty, if I look back at my own work, the vast majority is now digital based. But I won't pass an opportunity ever to put one of my favourite films into a nicely crafted camera and go out and hunt for images.
As we all know, the upside for those who still appreciate film and its virtues (and its flaws) is that nicely crafted film cameras have tumbled down in price (with a few small exceptions). For those who still want a film based system, the price of a digital camera, despite its own price falls, still pays for a film camera, lenses and even for a film scanner and/or film developing equipment.
Personally, film keeps me in touch with proper technique, requires from me that I concentrate more while out taking photos and I still appreciate more the results I get out of film, it still possesses a certain quality that it still attracts me that bit more.
Owning a Alpha mount system myself, I am a proud owner of a pretty much in excellent condition Minolta 7D and Minolta Dynax 5 film camera, with a Sony A700 now taking the roster place of the 7D, which is a great camera in its own right. But my affinity with film took me to a search for a film camera that could match my 7D or A700 in build and performance (don't get me wrong, the Dynax 5 in some aspects matches the 7D in performance, but it's size is a bit of a problem for my mediumish largish hands). I was looking for a film Dynax 7, but these cameras were most of the times either over my budget in the secondhand market or they would be whisked away almost as soon as they appeared. So I started looking for alternatives and came across the Minolta Dynax 800si and 700si by accident one day, while out taking pictures. I spotted a well built camera with a Minolta badge on its tall prism on the hands of a photographer that did not look like any Minolta known to me, so I approached the man and asked a few questions. I held it for a while and was very impressed.He also had a 700si with him. I went to the internet, looked for information on both cameras and decided to make a few bids on Ebay.
I only wanted one....honest!
I, in all honesty, just wanted one camera (although some people will snigger at this statement) and I wanted one with a grip. I was informed by a forum user that the 700si grip is the same as the grip for the 800si. Still, I looked for an 800si with grip and it was a difficult find. I kept on finding more often the 700si with the VC-700 vertical grip. I spotted one in nice condition that seemed to be ignored by most bidders and I put a bid and won. My intention was to take the grip for the eventuality of buying an 800si and sell the 700si. Well, the 700si is still with me, albeit sans grip. Which leads us to first impressions.
As a film enthusiast, the recent news that Fujifilm is ceasing to produce its medium format version of its Neopan 400 black and white film came to me as a bit of a shock. There are an increasing number of photographers' long loved films disappearing from the market as technology advances and digital photography exponentially improves and provides results which are surpassing film in certain areas. Yet many photographers won't let go of their traditional roots and find in fact that in many aspects and applications, film still provides the better or more suitable results. But in honesty, if I look back at my own work, the vast majority is now digital based. But I won't pass an opportunity ever to put one of my favourite films into a nicely crafted camera and go out and hunt for images.
As we all know, the upside for those who still appreciate film and its virtues (and its flaws) is that nicely crafted film cameras have tumbled down in price (with a few small exceptions). For those who still want a film based system, the price of a digital camera, despite its own price falls, still pays for a film camera, lenses and even for a film scanner and/or film developing equipment.
Personally, film keeps me in touch with proper technique, requires from me that I concentrate more while out taking photos and I still appreciate more the results I get out of film, it still possesses a certain quality that it still attracts me that bit more.
Owning a Alpha mount system myself, I am a proud owner of a pretty much in excellent condition Minolta 7D and Minolta Dynax 5 film camera, with a Sony A700 now taking the roster place of the 7D, which is a great camera in its own right. But my affinity with film took me to a search for a film camera that could match my 7D or A700 in build and performance (don't get me wrong, the Dynax 5 in some aspects matches the 7D in performance, but it's size is a bit of a problem for my mediumish largish hands). I was looking for a film Dynax 7, but these cameras were most of the times either over my budget in the secondhand market or they would be whisked away almost as soon as they appeared. So I started looking for alternatives and came across the Minolta Dynax 800si and 700si by accident one day, while out taking pictures. I spotted a well built camera with a Minolta badge on its tall prism on the hands of a photographer that did not look like any Minolta known to me, so I approached the man and asked a few questions. I held it for a while and was very impressed.He also had a 700si with him. I went to the internet, looked for information on both cameras and decided to make a few bids on Ebay.
I only wanted one....honest!
I, in all honesty, just wanted one camera (although some people will snigger at this statement) and I wanted one with a grip. I was informed by a forum user that the 700si grip is the same as the grip for the 800si. Still, I looked for an 800si with grip and it was a difficult find. I kept on finding more often the 700si with the VC-700 vertical grip. I spotted one in nice condition that seemed to be ignored by most bidders and I put a bid and won. My intention was to take the grip for the eventuality of buying an 800si and sell the 700si. Well, the 700si is still with me, albeit sans grip. Which leads us to first impressions.
The 800si with grip
The 700si with grip
First Impressions
The Body
The 800si had already made an impression on me when I handled one in that casual meet, it is a solidly built camera with a nice rubberized hand grip finish versus the 700si's smooth plastic grip.
In fact, if the 800si is standing out for you from the onset, that is not because of any bias it is simply because it is an upgrade to the 700si as such it is expected to excel in many areas over its predecessor, but it is also the way the upgrades were implemented. The cameras in many respects are the same.
Both cameras feature on the grip the grip sensor (from the days before grip sensor components fell fowl of EU regulations) and the eye start AF, both of which can be deactivated from a switch in the lower back of the camera. To the front, the 800si also sports a synch socket versus none for the 700si, which gives the 800si a more professional look and feel. This feature is added to the 700si when the grip is mounted (PC socket in VC-700 grip), for 800si users this gives you an extra PC socket. Then there's that massive prism on the 800si, which we will get to in the features section. The 800si is also apparently weather sealed, giving further professional credence.
From the top, on both cameras the LCD top panel is very informative and the whole top plate and controls are near identical. The small differences are that the 700si sports a mode button to the left hand side above the user memories button and the 800si has two separate buttons, one for mode which allows you to shift between the usual M/P/A/S modes and the other for Program Modes. Choosing a Program Mode and then choosing M can also give the user an program shift mode.
The back of both cameras is also nearly identical except for the metering/AEL button which on the 700si pressing it gives the user spot metering/slow synch and on the 800si AEL/slow synch. For the rest it is identical with an AF button just under the metering button, film window to the left hand side and to the bottom, film rewind button and next to this the Eye-Start on/off switch.
From the front, the cameras are once again near identical, except that the 800si's flash button also allows you to adjust flash output while on the 700si the user has to press this button plus the exposure compensation button simultaneously. There is an AF illuminator in both cameras next to the grip (I wonder why the 7D did not feature this!).The AF/MF toggle switch located to the lower left of the camera next to the lens mount.
The 700si features the Minolta card expansion slot in a door to the right side of the camera to add more features to the camera, but to the experienced photographer, the camera features more than enough features and controls to warrant the use of an expansion card. This is a feature that many felt was a step in the wrong direction from Minolta, but still in my view it doesn't detract from the excellent tool that this camera is. On this door in both cameras, once opened, there are also a more controls for a number of different functions such as flash modes (wireless flash including), single-continuous shot and AF,ISO adjust, card eject (700si), film data memory (800si). To the right side and bottom there is also a remote port on both cameras.
Overall, top marks for both cameras in terms of build, with the 800si ahead.
The Body
The 800si had already made an impression on me when I handled one in that casual meet, it is a solidly built camera with a nice rubberized hand grip finish versus the 700si's smooth plastic grip.
In fact, if the 800si is standing out for you from the onset, that is not because of any bias it is simply because it is an upgrade to the 700si as such it is expected to excel in many areas over its predecessor, but it is also the way the upgrades were implemented. The cameras in many respects are the same.
Both cameras feature on the grip the grip sensor (from the days before grip sensor components fell fowl of EU regulations) and the eye start AF, both of which can be deactivated from a switch in the lower back of the camera. To the front, the 800si also sports a synch socket versus none for the 700si, which gives the 800si a more professional look and feel. This feature is added to the 700si when the grip is mounted (PC socket in VC-700 grip), for 800si users this gives you an extra PC socket. Then there's that massive prism on the 800si, which we will get to in the features section. The 800si is also apparently weather sealed, giving further professional credence.
From the top, on both cameras the LCD top panel is very informative and the whole top plate and controls are near identical. The small differences are that the 700si sports a mode button to the left hand side above the user memories button and the 800si has two separate buttons, one for mode which allows you to shift between the usual M/P/A/S modes and the other for Program Modes. Choosing a Program Mode and then choosing M can also give the user an program shift mode.
The back of both cameras is also nearly identical except for the metering/AEL button which on the 700si pressing it gives the user spot metering/slow synch and on the 800si AEL/slow synch. For the rest it is identical with an AF button just under the metering button, film window to the left hand side and to the bottom, film rewind button and next to this the Eye-Start on/off switch.
From the front, the cameras are once again near identical, except that the 800si's flash button also allows you to adjust flash output while on the 700si the user has to press this button plus the exposure compensation button simultaneously. There is an AF illuminator in both cameras next to the grip (I wonder why the 7D did not feature this!).The AF/MF toggle switch located to the lower left of the camera next to the lens mount.
The 700si features the Minolta card expansion slot in a door to the right side of the camera to add more features to the camera, but to the experienced photographer, the camera features more than enough features and controls to warrant the use of an expansion card. This is a feature that many felt was a step in the wrong direction from Minolta, but still in my view it doesn't detract from the excellent tool that this camera is. On this door in both cameras, once opened, there are also a more controls for a number of different functions such as flash modes (wireless flash including), single-continuous shot and AF,ISO adjust, card eject (700si), film data memory (800si). To the right side and bottom there is also a remote port on both cameras.
Overall, top marks for both cameras in terms of build, with the 800si ahead.
"...looking back it's so bizarre...it runs in the family..." Level42
Rugged good looks and build quality run in the family. Taken with the Sony A700, missing the Dynax 5 and the 5000i only came to me for a bit of TLC.
Features and use
Yes, the tall prism of the 800si. It is apparently, even to this day, the most powerful built in flash of any 35mm camera ever with a GN of 14-20 (m) covering 24-80mm. As you first put batteries in the camera or when switching on the camera after a period of time, you will hear it charging with a sound akin to a sensor shake and a little vibration, clearly making a statement about its power (alongside two paralel smooth bumps on top of it akin to the hood of a muscle car). It means business and makes a statement about it on power up. The 700si's flash on the other hand is what you would expect from a 35mm SLR of semi-pro grade with a GN of 12m covering 24mm.
The AF system is very prompt, if not perhaps helped by the Eye-Start feature, but even with this feature off, I felt that the 800si is very responsive and edges over the 700si in this respect. For street work, I found that the area AF can work very well including with subjects coming towards the camera, but still perhaps for those busier scenes, keep to zone focussing or hyperfocal focussing. In use, I found the mirror of both cameras to be decisively on the louder side, giving both reassurance that you got a frame and catching the attention of your subject, not helped by the fact that the DOF preview sounds as loud if not louder. The 700si has more of a “clack” quality to it, perhaps because it's body is a little less robust than the 800si and the weather sealing of the 800si perhaps providing a bit more sound insulation. A few times I wondered if I took a shot without pressing the shutter button. Both cameras can transport film at 3 frames per second and a maximum shutter speed of 1/8000. Both also synchronize the flash at 1/200. The viewfinder is bright and a pleasure to view through on both cameras with a very informative display on the bottom. The only downside in my opinion is that the AF points are not illuminated, but of an LCD type, which in the dark can be an issue. And since we are on the subject of illumination, the top panel of the 800si illuminates as light levels fall.
When used with the grip changing between both is virtually seamless, the 700si with the grip still weighs a little less, but the contoured shape of the back of both is the same and handling remains almost unchanged. The 800si once again edges because it feels more solid and the rubberized grip on the camera makes it feel a little safer in hand. But if you are weight conscious, the 700si in use is your horse. Of course, this is all subjective.
The features behind the little door on the right, are there if you need them and despite many arguing the need to have concealed features behind a door, I found that I rarely needed to use them and when I do, I only need to set them once, close the door and forget about it. It also keeps the camera body tidy and less distracting. I haven't gone through all the concealed control features on both cameras, but they seem feature rich, if you are a dedicated film shooter, you will feel as if you don't need another camera (unless of course you are like me and needs all and any of them ;) , or being the more reasonable kind and wanting two different types of film set to go).
The metering led me to slight frustration at times....not because it was bad, but because it did echo the word on the internet that it is uncannily accurate on both cameras. In part, by fault of mine, as I am sometimes lazy to just press that little button and take a spot or center weighted metering and leave the camera to it's own very accurate devices. Most of the times I do not have the time either and sometimes think of post processing (yes, digital will finally get to you!). If accurate exposures is what your work is 100% about, then both cameras will, I am tempted to say, never disappoint you (but nothing is perfect).
The grip, which has been mentioned so often along this review, is the VC-700 which features shutter and aperture controls,spot/slow synch button,AF button, shutter release button, PC Synch Socket,tripod socket and finally grip on/off. It can take 'AA' or 2CR5 batteries albeit Minolta does not recommend Lithium 'AA' types. It is a nice grip,solid, but I feel that it could be more solid and I feel the same of the material improved grip of the 7D. Sony addressed this in their current range of Alpha mount cameras and the grips are as solid and feature rich as the cameras.
In Conclusion...
The continuous price drops of digital have driven the prices of such great film cameras to ever lowering depths and now is the time to grab yourself some great and legendary photographic equipment. For the film enthusiast, it's heaven out there as the choices are immense. But in retrospect, film equipment was a tad cheaper a while ago and as people realised that their film lenses will work almost flawlessly with their digital equipment, some film equipment has also increased in price. As such, many cameras, including the ones in this review will be hard to find with decent lenses. Most are sold without or with cheaper lenses. Nevertheless, good professional film equipment can be had on a small budget. Both cameras in this review together came to £130 in near pristine condition. For an existing owner of a lens system this is a treat.
As for recommendations for what camera to go for in this review, it's a bit unfair to say the 800si, as it is after all an upgrade to the 700si. As tools, you will get the same results from either, it is simply that one is an improved tool, as such I would personally award a 'highly recommended' to both as in many respects, the choice will be subjective, but I do have to point out that the AF in the 800si seems faster even though it is apparently the same system as well as the very powerful built in flash can make all the difference when you can't travel with much more than just a camera and lens.
The only hope for now is that companies that produce film keep improving available film emulsions
and keep film 'out phasing' to a minimum.
Yes, the tall prism of the 800si. It is apparently, even to this day, the most powerful built in flash of any 35mm camera ever with a GN of 14-20 (m) covering 24-80mm. As you first put batteries in the camera or when switching on the camera after a period of time, you will hear it charging with a sound akin to a sensor shake and a little vibration, clearly making a statement about its power (alongside two paralel smooth bumps on top of it akin to the hood of a muscle car). It means business and makes a statement about it on power up. The 700si's flash on the other hand is what you would expect from a 35mm SLR of semi-pro grade with a GN of 12m covering 24mm.
The AF system is very prompt, if not perhaps helped by the Eye-Start feature, but even with this feature off, I felt that the 800si is very responsive and edges over the 700si in this respect. For street work, I found that the area AF can work very well including with subjects coming towards the camera, but still perhaps for those busier scenes, keep to zone focussing or hyperfocal focussing. In use, I found the mirror of both cameras to be decisively on the louder side, giving both reassurance that you got a frame and catching the attention of your subject, not helped by the fact that the DOF preview sounds as loud if not louder. The 700si has more of a “clack” quality to it, perhaps because it's body is a little less robust than the 800si and the weather sealing of the 800si perhaps providing a bit more sound insulation. A few times I wondered if I took a shot without pressing the shutter button. Both cameras can transport film at 3 frames per second and a maximum shutter speed of 1/8000. Both also synchronize the flash at 1/200. The viewfinder is bright and a pleasure to view through on both cameras with a very informative display on the bottom. The only downside in my opinion is that the AF points are not illuminated, but of an LCD type, which in the dark can be an issue. And since we are on the subject of illumination, the top panel of the 800si illuminates as light levels fall.
When used with the grip changing between both is virtually seamless, the 700si with the grip still weighs a little less, but the contoured shape of the back of both is the same and handling remains almost unchanged. The 800si once again edges because it feels more solid and the rubberized grip on the camera makes it feel a little safer in hand. But if you are weight conscious, the 700si in use is your horse. Of course, this is all subjective.
The features behind the little door on the right, are there if you need them and despite many arguing the need to have concealed features behind a door, I found that I rarely needed to use them and when I do, I only need to set them once, close the door and forget about it. It also keeps the camera body tidy and less distracting. I haven't gone through all the concealed control features on both cameras, but they seem feature rich, if you are a dedicated film shooter, you will feel as if you don't need another camera (unless of course you are like me and needs all and any of them ;) , or being the more reasonable kind and wanting two different types of film set to go).
The metering led me to slight frustration at times....not because it was bad, but because it did echo the word on the internet that it is uncannily accurate on both cameras. In part, by fault of mine, as I am sometimes lazy to just press that little button and take a spot or center weighted metering and leave the camera to it's own very accurate devices. Most of the times I do not have the time either and sometimes think of post processing (yes, digital will finally get to you!). If accurate exposures is what your work is 100% about, then both cameras will, I am tempted to say, never disappoint you (but nothing is perfect).
The grip, which has been mentioned so often along this review, is the VC-700 which features shutter and aperture controls,spot/slow synch button,AF button, shutter release button, PC Synch Socket,tripod socket and finally grip on/off. It can take 'AA' or 2CR5 batteries albeit Minolta does not recommend Lithium 'AA' types. It is a nice grip,solid, but I feel that it could be more solid and I feel the same of the material improved grip of the 7D. Sony addressed this in their current range of Alpha mount cameras and the grips are as solid and feature rich as the cameras.
In Conclusion...
The continuous price drops of digital have driven the prices of such great film cameras to ever lowering depths and now is the time to grab yourself some great and legendary photographic equipment. For the film enthusiast, it's heaven out there as the choices are immense. But in retrospect, film equipment was a tad cheaper a while ago and as people realised that their film lenses will work almost flawlessly with their digital equipment, some film equipment has also increased in price. As such, many cameras, including the ones in this review will be hard to find with decent lenses. Most are sold without or with cheaper lenses. Nevertheless, good professional film equipment can be had on a small budget. Both cameras in this review together came to £130 in near pristine condition. For an existing owner of a lens system this is a treat.
As for recommendations for what camera to go for in this review, it's a bit unfair to say the 800si, as it is after all an upgrade to the 700si. As tools, you will get the same results from either, it is simply that one is an improved tool, as such I would personally award a 'highly recommended' to both as in many respects, the choice will be subjective, but I do have to point out that the AF in the 800si seems faster even though it is apparently the same system as well as the very powerful built in flash can make all the difference when you can't travel with much more than just a camera and lens.
The only hope for now is that companies that produce film keep improving available film emulsions
and keep film 'out phasing' to a minimum.
Some Test Samples
Until next time,
Luis
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Smoking..!....
smoking_lady_in_red_v, originally uploaded by Luis Rubim.
Hello again friends and passers by,
Just a quick update, a reminder that my official website is well underway and nearly finished (and online for those who missed it it's www.luis-rubim-photography.co.uk ). I am in the process of scanning some stuff to go into the published works section as well as sorting my media published work. Nevertheless, all work and no play makes Luis a boring person, but for me 70% of my work is also play, so I took some time to go take some shots today and here's today's shot. Hope you enjoy!
Until next time,
Luis
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Camera Review: Fujica GER - A Classic Pocket Gem
1 - Introduction
Having recently become a fan of the rangefinder, I have embraced the challenges of working on a shorter focal length as a learning experience, particularly as a street photographer. So, as challenges are always something empirically good, I decided to step it up a notch and look for rangefinders with fixed lenses. I was looking for a Minolta Himatic 7 when I came across the Fujica Auto-M and Fujica 35EE. I became more interested in the Fujica models as they are unusual in design and operation, but also have a solid reputation for quality lenses and reliability. But these models disappear in a blink of an eye from the market place.
I also was intrigued by the half-frame camera. The thought of having 72 frames of film meant for me more images in a roll of film despite any disadvantages (particularly enlargement sizes).I then came across the Fujica GER which I bought out of impulse, only realising later that it wasn't a fully manual camera and also not half-frame, it is by and large an auto-exposure camera and full frame. But when I received the camera, I was in awe of the simplicity of the design and in particular, the size. I knew it was small but haven't really gauged well how small. I became even more intrigued with it,so a couple of days later, I bought myself some process paid slide film and started a test of the camera to see how good it was if it was working at all. As a side note, I believe that this review may be of use to those considering this camera since manuals are hard to find.
2 - Body and Design
Upon receipt of the package, I could not figure out what did I order that deserved such a small box until I opened it. The camera is minute and this is almost an understatement. I opened the palm of my hand and the camera fits entirely on the palm of my average sized hands. Yet, this little camera has a nice comfortable wind lever,a very readable frame counter on top,a flash hotshoe, reasonable size rewind knob and pc synch socket to the left side of the top plate. It is well laid out and it is a typical example of excellent Japanese design with a good compromise of size and usability. The top plate, also features a LED that lights up when you half press the shutter button. Without having a manual for this camera and never having found one either,I can only assume that it lights up to say that the shutter is powered as this is an aperture priority only camera with an electronic shutter. To each side of the top plate there are also strap lugs. The camera despite its size also feels solid and that includes the plastics in the body.
3 - Features
3a - The viewfinder
The Fujica GER has a surprisingly good size viewfinder for its tiny body, with frame lines and it also seems to be parallax corrected. The rangefider patch is a bit small compared to that of a full size rangefinder, but it is bright and very visible. In fact, comparing it to that of a Fed 4, which is a full size interchangeable lens rangefider, it is better. The viewfinder displays a sign for flash when the light levels drop by use of its colour compensation glass. To the right hand side of the eyepiece (which has no dioptre correction), there is also a small window featuring a small cylinder with red arrows painted on it, which tells the user if the film is winding.
3b - Flash usage
As mentioned before, the GER features both a hotshoe and a PC Synch socket. Exposures with flash are controlled by the aperture ring on the lens which we will get to on the following section.
3c - Lens
The lens is a Fujinon 38mm f2.8, a fast lens with a minimum focussing distance of 0.9m (90cm or 36in). It features an aperture ring which has flash guide numbers instead of aperture values, plus "A" for fully automatic. No shutter speed control on the lens as you would expect of many fixed lens rangefinders without a shutter speed control dial or knob on the top plate. This camera is aperture-priority only. It features a light meter on the front of the lens to the left side of the glass element (if facing the camera) and a film speed dial on the right that reads in ISO and DIN. ISO/DIN speeds go up to 800/30, controlled by a ring mounted around the glass element.
3d - On the bottom plate...
On the bottom plate, there is the battery compartment, which houses two PC640A batteries or compatible to the center, a rewind button to its right (if the camera is upside down and lens is facing you) and an off center tripod collar.
4 - Operation
Operation of this camera is very simplistic, focus the lens, wind the film and press the shutter release button.
5 - In actual use...
Loading film is a cinch and is virtually impossible to get it wrong, if that can be said.
The camera operates in an almost fully automatic way, the only control a user would have over the exposures is the flash guide numbers ring (the aperture ring) as such, if you plan anything more creative you need to brush up your guide numbers/subject distance mathematics to get an aperture value. The camera will set a shutter speed for you. Nevertheless, the camera still allows push and pull of film as you can set the film speed yourself. Despite all this, and even being a manual focus camera, there is a sense of ever readiness to the camera.
Focussing is smooth and quick. The only problem that I came across was that the rangefinder is out of horizontal alignment it seems, so I was looking for vertical lines or patterns all the time to help me focus, but this is perhaps something that may be corrected and does not seem to be inherent to the camera, but yet focussing was possible.
On half pressing the shutter, the user may notice that a small LED lights up inside the viewfinder as well as on the top plate (red LED). Without a manual, I can only assume that this simply is to notify the user that the batteries are OK and that the shutter is ready to be released. On fully pressing the shutter, a frame is produced in a whisper. It is very quiet in operation, which for the street photographer is a great bonus. The metering is very accurate, but I found that to have a sharp picture at all times (please note the expression " at all times") one needs to make sure that either there is good light or using a fast film. As it happens with digital cameras on Auto mode, you can get blurred photos if you come by a situation where the light drops, or dark shadows dominate the scene, but the fast and reasonably sharp wide open f2.8 lens can deal with a lot of these situations. There are of course limitations, since as mentioned above, films are limited up to ISO 800, which still gives plenty of scope even in night photography. For fast moving objects, a fast film or flash is recommended. Of course, one may come across light conditions that will allow the use of a medium speed film for this purpose, but for tack sharp images of fast moving objects even with good lighting, I would recommend sticking to ISO400 film or above.
As for flash usage, it is not a feature I have tested, but it will be done at some point.
In conclusion
The Fujica GER is a little pocket gem, with lots to like about it, in particular the fact that it's for the most part an ever ready camera. The camera does it all for you (except the focussing)and does it well. Of course, if you want a bit more creative control, you may be a bit frustrated, but for the fun factor, this camera gets 10/10.It is also one of those cameras for the enthusiasts' lazy days,where you just want something to point and shoot. It's compact body is very compact indeed, falls into a pocket and still leaves space for a couple of rolls of film,but yet the body feels well put together. The lens gives good results and seems acceptably sharp wide open, but in this first test it seems it may need a little contrast correcting in either the printing process or in Photoshop if you scan your film, comparing to other cameras' results. Obviously, if you are scanning, final results may also have to take into account your scanning equipment, but looking at transparencies through the loupe, they seem to hold very well. The only real downside considering this package, it is that the viewfinder has no dioptre correction,but one does wonder if it really needs it.
Again, here's a camera that can challenge the perceptions of the most demanding photographer, particularly that of the one who wants full control over the exposure process.
It is certainly a camera not to be dismissed for its minute size and automatic exposure control. Scracth the surface and it's a gem underneath.
Images
Some images available here . As I still go through the transparencies, few more may be added.
I hope you enjoyed reading this review as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Until next time,
Luis
Having recently become a fan of the rangefinder, I have embraced the challenges of working on a shorter focal length as a learning experience, particularly as a street photographer. So, as challenges are always something empirically good, I decided to step it up a notch and look for rangefinders with fixed lenses. I was looking for a Minolta Himatic 7 when I came across the Fujica Auto-M and Fujica 35EE. I became more interested in the Fujica models as they are unusual in design and operation, but also have a solid reputation for quality lenses and reliability. But these models disappear in a blink of an eye from the market place.
I also was intrigued by the half-frame camera. The thought of having 72 frames of film meant for me more images in a roll of film despite any disadvantages (particularly enlargement sizes).I then came across the Fujica GER which I bought out of impulse, only realising later that it wasn't a fully manual camera and also not half-frame, it is by and large an auto-exposure camera and full frame. But when I received the camera, I was in awe of the simplicity of the design and in particular, the size. I knew it was small but haven't really gauged well how small. I became even more intrigued with it,so a couple of days later, I bought myself some process paid slide film and started a test of the camera to see how good it was if it was working at all. As a side note, I believe that this review may be of use to those considering this camera since manuals are hard to find.
2 - Body and Design
Upon receipt of the package, I could not figure out what did I order that deserved such a small box until I opened it. The camera is minute and this is almost an understatement. I opened the palm of my hand and the camera fits entirely on the palm of my average sized hands. Yet, this little camera has a nice comfortable wind lever,a very readable frame counter on top,a flash hotshoe, reasonable size rewind knob and pc synch socket to the left side of the top plate. It is well laid out and it is a typical example of excellent Japanese design with a good compromise of size and usability. The top plate, also features a LED that lights up when you half press the shutter button. Without having a manual for this camera and never having found one either,I can only assume that it lights up to say that the shutter is powered as this is an aperture priority only camera with an electronic shutter. To each side of the top plate there are also strap lugs. The camera despite its size also feels solid and that includes the plastics in the body.
3 - Features
3a - The viewfinder
The Fujica GER has a surprisingly good size viewfinder for its tiny body, with frame lines and it also seems to be parallax corrected. The rangefider patch is a bit small compared to that of a full size rangefinder, but it is bright and very visible. In fact, comparing it to that of a Fed 4, which is a full size interchangeable lens rangefider, it is better. The viewfinder displays a sign for flash when the light levels drop by use of its colour compensation glass. To the right hand side of the eyepiece (which has no dioptre correction), there is also a small window featuring a small cylinder with red arrows painted on it, which tells the user if the film is winding.
3b - Flash usage
As mentioned before, the GER features both a hotshoe and a PC Synch socket. Exposures with flash are controlled by the aperture ring on the lens which we will get to on the following section.
3c - Lens
The lens is a Fujinon 38mm f2.8, a fast lens with a minimum focussing distance of 0.9m (90cm or 36in). It features an aperture ring which has flash guide numbers instead of aperture values, plus "A" for fully automatic. No shutter speed control on the lens as you would expect of many fixed lens rangefinders without a shutter speed control dial or knob on the top plate. This camera is aperture-priority only. It features a light meter on the front of the lens to the left side of the glass element (if facing the camera) and a film speed dial on the right that reads in ISO and DIN. ISO/DIN speeds go up to 800/30, controlled by a ring mounted around the glass element.
3d - On the bottom plate...
On the bottom plate, there is the battery compartment, which houses two PC640A batteries or compatible to the center, a rewind button to its right (if the camera is upside down and lens is facing you) and an off center tripod collar.
4 - Operation
Operation of this camera is very simplistic, focus the lens, wind the film and press the shutter release button.
5 - In actual use...
Loading film is a cinch and is virtually impossible to get it wrong, if that can be said.
The camera operates in an almost fully automatic way, the only control a user would have over the exposures is the flash guide numbers ring (the aperture ring) as such, if you plan anything more creative you need to brush up your guide numbers/subject distance mathematics to get an aperture value. The camera will set a shutter speed for you. Nevertheless, the camera still allows push and pull of film as you can set the film speed yourself. Despite all this, and even being a manual focus camera, there is a sense of ever readiness to the camera.
Focussing is smooth and quick. The only problem that I came across was that the rangefinder is out of horizontal alignment it seems, so I was looking for vertical lines or patterns all the time to help me focus, but this is perhaps something that may be corrected and does not seem to be inherent to the camera, but yet focussing was possible.
On half pressing the shutter, the user may notice that a small LED lights up inside the viewfinder as well as on the top plate (red LED). Without a manual, I can only assume that this simply is to notify the user that the batteries are OK and that the shutter is ready to be released. On fully pressing the shutter, a frame is produced in a whisper. It is very quiet in operation, which for the street photographer is a great bonus. The metering is very accurate, but I found that to have a sharp picture at all times (please note the expression " at all times") one needs to make sure that either there is good light or using a fast film. As it happens with digital cameras on Auto mode, you can get blurred photos if you come by a situation where the light drops, or dark shadows dominate the scene, but the fast and reasonably sharp wide open f2.8 lens can deal with a lot of these situations. There are of course limitations, since as mentioned above, films are limited up to ISO 800, which still gives plenty of scope even in night photography. For fast moving objects, a fast film or flash is recommended. Of course, one may come across light conditions that will allow the use of a medium speed film for this purpose, but for tack sharp images of fast moving objects even with good lighting, I would recommend sticking to ISO400 film or above.
As for flash usage, it is not a feature I have tested, but it will be done at some point.
In conclusion
The Fujica GER is a little pocket gem, with lots to like about it, in particular the fact that it's for the most part an ever ready camera. The camera does it all for you (except the focussing)and does it well. Of course, if you want a bit more creative control, you may be a bit frustrated, but for the fun factor, this camera gets 10/10.It is also one of those cameras for the enthusiasts' lazy days,where you just want something to point and shoot. It's compact body is very compact indeed, falls into a pocket and still leaves space for a couple of rolls of film,but yet the body feels well put together. The lens gives good results and seems acceptably sharp wide open, but in this first test it seems it may need a little contrast correcting in either the printing process or in Photoshop if you scan your film, comparing to other cameras' results. Obviously, if you are scanning, final results may also have to take into account your scanning equipment, but looking at transparencies through the loupe, they seem to hold very well. The only real downside considering this package, it is that the viewfinder has no dioptre correction,but one does wonder if it really needs it.
Again, here's a camera that can challenge the perceptions of the most demanding photographer, particularly that of the one who wants full control over the exposure process.
It is certainly a camera not to be dismissed for its minute size and automatic exposure control. Scracth the surface and it's a gem underneath.
Images
Some images available here . As I still go through the transparencies, few more may be added.
I hope you enjoyed reading this review as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Until next time,
Luis
Monday, November 02, 2009
Film camera review - Zorki 4K vs Fed 4
The Zorki 4K
Introduction
The rangefinder was, for good while in my early photographic days a photographic tool that I thought I would never understand. Why on earth would anyone want to use something that does not let you view the image as it is through the lens? Over time, I was convinced that there was something about it, otherwise there wouldn't be so many photographers swearing by it, including some of my favourite ones. So, many years passed until last January/February I decided to buy one. I always thought the prices were prohibitive for both cameras and lenses, making it difficult for an amateur to build a considerable or solid kit. Also, considering a Russian alternative was out of the question, if I was to use a rangefinder I would want a Voigtlander or Leica; that is until I saw some photographers, some Leica photographers including, singing praises for the Russian copies of this reknown camera maker. So my curiosity grew. I searched Ebay and found a very affordable Zorki 4K with a Jupiter-8 lens and it started my foray into the rangefinder photography world. I was hooked. The compactness and silent operation (relatively silent in the case of the Zorki) and the apparent anonymity that the camera brings to picture taking got to me. That was, without of course getting used to some quirks which seem to be inherent to all Russian made cameras, ruining a couple of films in the process. I also acquired from Ebay a turret finder in case I ended up buying more lenses. Anyway, in a bid to get to the review a bit sooner, a couple of months later I decided to retire the camera but not for any particular faults, just because it ended up being autographed by the one and only David Bailey. As such, I ended up buying a Fed 4B which presented a few quirks of its own not too dissimilar from the Zorki.It came with an Industar-61 lens and seemed a bit stiff in operation, which I later resolved with careful application of some WD-40. In fact, having successfully done this, I decided to do this to all my classic cameras, which resulted in improved operation in all of them. I have to add that this may in fact be of greater benefit to Russian made cameras given that the majority of their quirks tend to be mechanical in kind.
The review
A. The Zorki 4K
The Zorki 4K is a Leica copy, just like its counterpart the Fed 4, made by KMZ factory in Krasnogorsk, Russia. It uses the M39 mount, just like the Leica. It does not have a built-in light meter nor strap lugs, so a case is a must, but I personally don't like to have the top cover of the case hanging down when I use it (you can't separate them either unless you cut them). So if you are to buy one of these, make sure that a case and a light meter are on the list. Also, the viewfinder will not give you a totally accurate view of the scene so a finder (or finders) is a must as it will also be parallax corrected. My Zorki 4K came with a Jupiter-8 lens, which had some fungus on the back element, but it does not seem to affect much the image quality, nevertheless I will be getting a clean optic.
Loading your favourite film
I had some trouble loading film in the beggining, in fact I thought my camera was faulty initially, due to my inexperience with it. Without instructions, I was loading the film as I would normally load your usual SLR or modern compact, but the Zorki will soon tell you that you have done something wrong as it either will not cock the shutter or get stuck at some point in the film wind. It is vital when one loads the film, to rotate the knob around the release to the raised position to allow shooting (the other position is for rewinding)and to use three short strokes of the lever (not full strokes) upon loading. It will then operate as normal. You also need to make sure that the three dots on the top plate are aligned. The camera also features a manually resettable frame counter.
Features,Operation& Kit Lens
The shutter mechanism is typical of Russian cameras. The usual quirk of having to wind on the shutter before changing speeds as well as changing them clockwise except for the speeds of 30 and B. Also, one should never turn the shutter speed dial over the interval between 30 and 1 as that will damage the mechanism. The slower speeds are also harder to get to and are on a slightly raised position. After you release the shutter, the dial will land on what at first seems like a random position but usage will show that it is not random, but one wonders why it lands on such positions. Nevertheless, the Jupiter optic, gives great images and the camera is a pleasure to use. The focussing is smooth and the rangefinder patch is big and bright in comparisson to the Fed 4 (which we will be getting to in a bit). The shutter sound is a snappy, blade like sound which I personally found not to be as silent as I thought it would be, but in any case, quieter than an SLR. Overall, I found that the camera is quite inconspicuous, unless I put the turret finder on. Being a fan of street photography, it was a great bonus and in a first rangefinder experience I could see why these cameras have such an appeal among street photographers and seeing the results reinforced the positive experience. There is something quite different in rangefinder images and while it is hard to pinpoint what it is, I personally think that they seem to be more correct in terms of perspective and slightly sharper (I get good sharpness and contrast with a Jupiter lens with fungus in the back element, which says something about it apart from clean the lens or get a new one). The camera has also a PC synch socket for bulb or electronic flash, but I never used this feature, I might at some point, in homage to Bruce Gilden.
B.The Fed 4
The Fed 4 was bought as a replacement for the Zorki 4K as it acquired a certain value and I thought I should take great care with it. It is in many ways similar to the Zorki as such we will keep this section short and highlight the differences. It is an Ukrainian made camera and took it’s name from it’s creator’s initials (Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky). I ordered my Fed from Ebay once again, and it arrived with a brown leather case in very good condition. The all expected quirks were present, except that I found that the slower shutter speeds were even harder to get on to on this camera. The Fed has the advantage of having a fairly accurate built-in meter but it only allows for readings up to ISO400; over this setting you have to use a secondary meter or your own judgement, which is not too difficult since you can use the meter as guidance if you are fairly experienced. The Fed 4 is tall for a rangefinder and has a certain heft to it. It has a collar around the shutter release, which locks and unlocks it.
Loading your favourite film
The bonus that the Fed has over the Zorki in my experience is that to load the film you can take out the take up spool to load it, making it easier to properly load the film, avoiding looseness. The user can adjust the film easily simply by rolling or unrolling the film from the spool. Just make sure that before loading the camera is set to “C” on the collar ring around the shutter release.
Features,Operation& Kit Lens
The Industar-61 lens that came with it was clear but I found that the focussing ring sits too near to the body making it more difficult to focus than with the Jupiter-8. With my Fed 4, both lenses felt somewhat stiffer in focussing, which is something that I attribute to the focussing mechanism in the camera (and this even after applying WD-40). Nevertheless, the sharpness is very good as I came to expect from Russian lenses. There is information on the Internet in regards to the lanthanum component used in this lens (or some copies of it) being radioactive, but apparently its radiation is so low as to be harmless. This component is also said to give the lens its good colour, contrast and sharpness.
As I look through the viewfinder I also feel that the rangefinder patch is too small in comparison to the Zorki and so is the viewfinder, as such it is a camera that certainly benefits from an external finder for this reason.
In operation, the shutter speeds are set in similar fashion as with the Zorki, so cocking the shutter prior to changing speeds is imperative. Unlike the Zorki 4K, the Fed is much quieter and the shutter sounds more like a low muffled clunk. From a certain distance this is also barely noticeable. Nice, but the camera is not as inconspicuous as the Zorki, even more exacerbated if you put the said turret finder on top of it. The usual apparent “Wheel of Fortune” type landing positions of the dial after an exposure also apply.
To rewind the film, the camera uses a thumb wheel to the left side of the body which I find a bit inconvenient in comparison to the Zorki’s rewind knob. Even more so, if like myself, in first usage, do not load the film properly.
In conclusion
Zorki vs Fed
As with everything it comes down to subjectivity, but here is what I find as pro and cons of each:
Compactedness: Zorki wins
Features: Fed wins (built in light-meter)
Operation: Zorki wins (albeit noisier in operation)
Ruggedness: I would give this to the Fed, but the Zorki doesn’t trail by much
Kit lens: Albeit you can find Feds with Jupiter lenses, they are more common with Industars. I would say that in this case for actual final results performance they would be neck and neck but the Industar’s focussing ring sits too close to the body, making it more difficult to focus.
Viewfinder&finders I only brought this up for an issue reported by some, that I have not come across yet, but apparently the height of the Fed can lead to increased parallax error while using a turret finder. Personally I haven’t come across that, but perhaps I am not shooting close enough to subjects to see this. Nevertheless, it’s not a problem reported by that many and in fact it may be due to faulty or bad finders.
Finally...
In short, they are both fun to use cameras, which as always, if you can work around the quirks they produce great results. Even better if you have established brand M39 lenses which you can use on them. For me personally there was a bit of a learning curve when I started using a rangefinder because all I knew before this was to focus through the lens, but the challenges that rangefinder photography put before the SLR photographer are a very educational experience as well as a totally new and exciting one. It also makes one think if you really need to carry all that kit around in your camera bag; in fact, my Zorki with lens and turret finder, fit my jacket and vest pockets very easily. Not only that, in this digital age they can turn into great conversation pieces. More importantly for the budget minded enthusiast photographer, they only cost a fraction of the cost of the established brands and provide quality images. Thoroughly recommended as a system or as a learning tool for the future rangefinder photographer thinking of take the plunge to a more expensive and established brand model.
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With this concludes this review which was fun to write. I may add or edit some more as 95% of this came from the top of my head and even add some images. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did using the cameras and writing it.
Until next time,
Luis
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