Skeletons From The Closet - February Results - Super Ricohflex in Dramatic Light

As you may have seen, I've been exploring strong directional light here and there. I took the February SFTC camera, the Super Ricohflex, to DC for a day of wandering around the Smithsonian museums in DC. I found some wonderful light inside the lobby of the Smithsonian castle. I just sat and waited until people walked into that light. Here are some of the results.

Into the Light #1, by Reed A. George

Super Ricohflex Twin Lens Reflex, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

The design of the Ricohflex TLR allowed me to sit in the same position, looking down into my camera, rather than pointing it at face level at my subjects. At one point, someone came up behind me and asked if I was "filming." I assumed he meant videotaping, and replied that no, I wasn't. I suppose in fact that I was filming.

 

Into the Light #2, by Reed A. George

Super Ricohflex Twin Lens Reflex, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

I love the profile of the guy's face peaking out from the darkness at right.

 

Into the Light #3, by Reed A. George

Super Ricohflex Twin Lens Reflex, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

The Super Ricohflex has a relatively dim finder, as the viewing lens is f3.5. I had to prefocus, then just wait for someone to walk into the light.

 

Here's one from the entrance of the Natural History Museum. The dark interior contrasted nicely with the backlight coming from the bright daylight outside.

 

"That's One Big Elephant," by Reed A. George

Super Ricohflex Twin Lens Reflex, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

I'll finish the post up with a couple of other shots from DC.

 

Street View, DC, by Reed A. George

Super Ricohflex Twin Lens Reflex, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

I recently wrote about artist Ai Weiwei's exhibit at the Hirshhorn in DC. While I shot mostly with my M9 (see my recent Whole Lotta Leica post), I did make this shot with the Ricohflex:

 

Ai Weiwei's Zodiac, by Reed A. George

Super Ricohflex Twin Lens Reflex, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

I have one more roll of film from the Super Ricohflex to finish up and get processed. I've already moved onto shooting March's SFTC camera, the Zeiss Ikonta folder, but need to finish up the roll in the Ricohflex.

 

So, you'll be seeing a few more from the Ricohflex in the weeks to come.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Skeletons From The Closet - March's Camera - The Zeiss Ikonta 521/16 With "Eagle Eye" Tessar

 

Zeiss Ikonta 521/16 With Tessar 75mm f3.5 Lens, by Reed A. George

 

My original plan for March's Skeletons From The Closet (SFTC) pick was a 35mm folding camera. Since I'm taking probably my most exciting trip of the year (to Japan) in March this year, instead of April when I normally go, I decided that I really wanted to carry a medium format camera this month. So, I decided to take my Zeiss 521/16.

 

This is a beautiful old camera, produced between 1948 and 1953. It uses 120 film, and produces 6x6 (2 2 1/4" square) images.

 

You may have seen my post back on November 19 of last year, sharing some found film images from this camera. It was used to shoot a presidential speech by John F. Kennedy in the early 1960s.

 

(Click Here) to see that post of old images from this camera.

 

I also wrote a tongue-in-cheek nod to Edgar Allan Poe's Telltale Heart about this camera. You can read that on JPG Magazine's site if you (Click Here).

 

I want to shoot some color images with this camera while I'm in Japan, so I've already purchased a five roll box of Portra 400. With a maximum shutter speed of 1/200 sec., that may be a little fast if the weather is nice. I'll also take along a roll or two of Fuji Reala that is waiting in my refrigerator.

 

Oh, and don't worry, that 35mm folder will be out in a later month as the SFTC pick.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Skeletons From The Closet - Final Results Post From January's Camera - Pentax K1000 in New York City

I took the K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7, and SMC Pentax 135mm f2.5 lenses with me on a weekend trip to New York City. One of the nice things about living near Washington, DC is that I can grab a very inexpensive bus ride up to the city, even on a normal two day weekend. This time, I went up to meet my long-time friend Michael Williams and his family who were visiting from Australia.

 

I've already written about the photo tour I joined on that trip, hosted by NYC Photo Safaris. (Click Here) to read about that in my Whole Lotta Leica post. My choice of equipment (Leica M9 with a 1937 5.0cm f3.5 lens, the K1000, and only two prime lenses) did not match well with the class. That said, I still had some fun. Here are a couple of shots that I got using the Pentax during the tour:

 

Repeated Forms, by Reed A. George

Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 135mm f2.5

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

Singers in Central Park, by Reed A. George

Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

While in the city, I got a lot of walking in, as usual. I love just exploring the city. There's so much to see.

 

Storefront DJ, by Reed A. George

Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

Hanging Out, by Reed A. George

Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

Of course, Chinatown was one of my target locations. I love photographing in Chinatown - whether it be in NYC, San Francisco, or even the small version here in Washington, DC. There are always interesting people to meet and photograph.

 

Far Eastern Bluegrass?, by Reed A. George

Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

Columbus Park Morning, by Reed A. George

Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

I love how you can see the silhouette of the people practicing Tai Chi in the background on the left. The signs with Chinese characters also help to give a sense of place to this image.

And finally, here is a shot of my friends from Australia: Michael, Adele, Maddie, and Matthew (left to right).

 

Aussies in the City, by Reed A. George

Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

I'm now well into February, and honestly missing my K1000, which is now back in the closet. I haven't had nearly as much time or weather to get out and shoot so far this month. I'll have to concentrate to have some results to show you for this month's Skeletons pick - the Super Ricohflex TLR. I'm sure I'll come up with something.

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Skeletons From The Closet - Pentax K1000 Results, In Color This Time

While using my Pentax K1000 during the month of January, I shot mostly black and white film. However, I did shoot a couple of rolls of color print film as well. Here are some of my color results.

 

Winter Berries, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 40-80mm f2.8-4 Lens

 

I had never tried this Pentax zoom lens before. It came with some other lenses I was more interested in. However, at f2.8-4, it's pretty fast. And, it has close focus capability. To me, 40-80mm is sort of a funny focal range, but it does seem to work pretty well. Mine is in excellent condition. I was impressed with the sharpness of the lens.

 

I took the camera and lens out for a walk during a break from work. We have a walking path that goes down to the river. The bridge is a common subject for me.

 

Bridge, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 40-80mm f2.8-4 Lens

 

On this particular winter day, the sky was clear and bright, making for some interesting reflections of the trees that tower over the river side.

 

Flowing Trees, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 40-80mm f2.8-4 Lens

Flowing Trees, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 40-80mm f2.8-4 Lens

 

The following images were shot during a Japanese New Year event in Washington, DC. Taking advantage of the fast SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7 and iso 400 film, I did a couple of rounds of the event. I found that people were happy to let me photograph them with the old film SLR. I felt like a kid again shooting with it.

 

Japanese Festival, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7 Lens

 

Japanese Festival, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7 Lens

 

The shot above is an example where I believe that out of focus foreground objects (like on the right side of this image) help to focus the viewer on the true area of interest.

 

Japanese Festival, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7 Lens

 

I love the warm design on the girl's kimono in the shot above.

 

Japanese Snacks, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7 Lens

 

Japanese Festival Games, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7 Lens

 

Japanese Festival, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7 Lens

 

Sometimes I wonder what all of my other gear really adds to my creative pursuit, when I can have so much fun with the first real camera I ever owned, and a couple of lenses. And, the Pentax has capabilities wider than I've explored here. There is a full set of lens options, from very wide to long telephoto. It's a very capable camera system. Of course, other cameras bring different strengths and weaknesses, but the Pentax K1000 is a favorite for a reason.

 

What a blast to get out and shoot mine after such a long time! Not bad for a 35 year old camera.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Skeletons From The Closet - Super Ricohflex Twin Lens Reflex - My Featured Camera for February

Well, January's over, so my Pentax K1000 will get some rest. You'll be seeing the results from that camera in multiple posts over the next couple of weeks. Simply search for "skeleton" at the top of my blog to find all of the posts from this series.

 

This month's featured camera is a relatively new addition to my collection - the Super Ricohflex Twin Lens Reflex (TLR), made around 1956.

 

February's Featured Camera, the Super Ricohflex

 

If you're not familiar with TLR cameras, they have two lenses, the top one is for framing and focusing while you look vertically downward onto a ground glass screen. The bottom lens is the taking lens, which forms the image on the film. This camera uses 120 film, and makes a 2 1/4" square (big!) negative. This is a fully manual camera - no batteries anywhere. On the Super Ricohflex, focus is achieved by rotating the taking lens.

 

The standard Super uses a red-tinted window in the rear to let you know how far to wind the film - you see an exposure number on the film backing through the window. This works fine, unless you're shooting fast (high iso) film, which can lead to fogging of the film through the window. Mine has the optional auto-stop mechanism, which adds an exposure counter and controlled spacing of the images. This is a very nice addition to the camera. You can see it at the top left of the camera body above.

 

My Super Ricohflex has a Ricoh Anastigmat f3.5 80mm lens, which is a "normal" focal length for this size of negative. It has a three-bladed leaf shutter, with speeds ranging from 1/10 to 1/100 second, plus B. This is a limited range of shutter speeds, with 1/100 not being very fast. Not exactly a sports action camera. Mine also has a flash mounting shoe on the side, and a PC electrical connection for the flash.

 

I've only shot a single roll with this camera in the past. So, I know it works, but I'm not very familiar with it yet.

 

I've got a roll of Kodak Tmax 400 black and white film loaded and ready to go! Wish me luck with the Super Ricohflex!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Skeletons From The Closet - January Results Post #1 - Pentax K1000

I managed to get out a few different times with the my SFTC camera for January - the Pentax K1000. This is the first of a few posts to share the results with you.

 

My first outing was to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum. I'll start with a couple of shots made there.

Studying the Rockets, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7 Lens

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

The fast f1.7 lens did a nice job here in the Udvar-Hazy museum, where I find photography to be quite challenging. First, there is an incredible number of historic aircraft and spacecraft jammed into a single giant hangar. I mean everything from the Enola Gay (yes, the actual B-29 that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan) to a space shuttle. That makes it very difficult to shoot any particular aircraft without showing parts of neighboring ones, likely from different eras or locations. Second, the lighting is rough there. So, I decided to focus on people interacting with the museum. People are always a safe bet.

 

Gazing Up at the Space Shuttle's Thrusters, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7 Lens

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

For my next outing, I took the K1000 to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. I've posted a picture or two from there recently, as part of my Whole Lotta Leica series.

 

This is a stairway in the gallery:

 

National Portrait Gallery, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7 Lens

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

A main attraction for me at the gallery is the indoor courtyard. Naturally lit, it is also warm in winter. Warm enough that kids can play in the water, as long as their parents are willing to stay long enough for them to dry off before again braving the winter weather.

Playing in the Courtyard, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7 Lens

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

Playing in the Courtyard, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, Pentax 135mm f2.5 Lens

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

I switched lenses, using the Pentax 135mm f2.5 lens for a little more reach. I'm pretty impressed with this lens, which I picked up for a song. I got the 135, a Ricoh 50mm f2 (untested so far, but reportedly a great lens), and a Pentax 50mm f2 for $30. The 135 does not get any love on the forums. But, I'm quite pleased with the results I've gotten so far.

Playing in the Courtyard, by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, Pentax 135mm f2.5 Lens

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

Of course, manually focusing it fast enough to keep up with playing children is a challenge, as it is will all manual focus lenses.

 

Here is my favorite image from this series:

 

Be Careful, Sister! by Reed A. George

Asahi Pentax K1000, Pentax 135mm f2.5 Lens

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

I love how the little girl looks so worried about her sister, judging from her hand gesture. Not sharply focused, but I don't think that takes away from this image.

 

So, how was the experience of shooting the K1000 for a month? Well, you must remember that I grew up with this camera in my hands. So, it felt like going home. I was so comfortable using it, I think that affected how I used it. In the case of the kids at the Gallery, my K1000 got a conversation going with the parents. I sent them some of the pictures, which they assure me are going into their family album. That is rewarding to me.

 

The 50mm f1.7 was always my normal lens. Again, I felt very comfortable using it. The 135mm f2.5 is relatively new to me. It is a challenge to focus well, but when you do, you get nice sharp images.

 

Just carrying around a film SLR draws a lot of looks, and some comments. All positive, like "Hey, a K1000! I had one of those! Maybe I still have it, even."

 

The battery (required for metering but not for shooting in this manual camera) lasted the whole month with no issues. It will still be fine the next time I pick the camera up, too.

 

So, I had a great time with the K1000. In fact, I hesitate to put it down and move on to another camera. But, that's the plan - a different camera from my collection each month of this year. Tomorrow, you'll see the camera I've selected for February - quite a departure from the K1000...

 

I have a couple more posts of results from January to write up, so more to come!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com