Can I Eat Him, Mom? Can I?

 

 

Rollei 35, 40mm f3.5 Tessar Lens

Kodak TMax 400 Film

 

I have a thing for Rollei cameras. My latest is the tiny little Rollei 35, a guess-focus camera with a jewel of a Tessar lens (collapsible). It has a meter, but no provisions for focusing. Seems I guessed the distance pretty well in this shot.

 

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I've Got Half a Mind to....

I was at the weekend Georgetown flea market a week or so ago with my friend Charlie. We were visiting with an acquaintance there, who always brings a nice selection of old cameras, when I spotted one of interest - a Canon Demi EE17 half-frame camera. Here's what the camera looks like.

Image Source: http://www.canon.com/c-museum/en/product/film64.html

 

What's a half-frame camera, you ask? Well, it shoots normal 35mm film, but in 24x18mm frames, allowing you to get 72 exposures from a normally 36 exposure roll. This fact also makes the frame orientation to shift from the normal landscape arrangement to portrait, when the camera is held normally.

 

Needless to say, the Demi went home with me. I have not even tried to put a battery in it, happy to use an external light meter and set shutter speed and f-stop manually. The lens is a Canon 30mm f1.7 (fast!) model. Focus is accomplished through a manual distance scale on the outside of the camera, or selecting one of three distances (portrait, group of people, or mountain). At 30mm depth of field is pretty big, so that works.

 

Here are some shots from my first test roll through the camera, an expired roll of Agfa APX400 from my friend Dennis, exposed at 200 speed, and developed in straight D76 for 7.5 minutes. I scanned all of them in pairs, as they appear here. I'm definitely planning to shoot a lot of diptychs (picture pairs) with this little jewel.

 

 

Many people think that 35mm (full frame) is small, and pushes the limits of negative size to give decent image quality. I agree, to an extent, but as long as I'm not trying to make big prints, the half-frame works fine. The Canon optics seem to be quite sharp, and the little camera is a blast to shoot.

 

And, getting 72 exposures on one roll is pretty cool, too.

 

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Those Northern California Clouds

 

All photographed with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100.

 

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16:9 Format - Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

 

Landscape in 16:9, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

iso 400, f5.6, 1/100 sec.

 

I've just uploaded a set of images from my recent trip to the Desolation Wilderness in Northern California to my flickr page. (Click Here) to view them all (or if you want to see this image larger). Every single one of the images in this set was captured with the LX100. What a wonderfully compact and capable camera this is, perfect for a long hiking trip like the one I was on (3 days, two nights camping).

 

I love the native 16:9 format in the LX100, though I did crop a larger image to get it in this case.

 

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Desolation - Lumix LX100

Desolation, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

 

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Cottonwoods Blooming on the Potomac River

On my most recent kayaking trip on the Potomac River, I shot this image of a cottonwood tree, blooming and losing its blossoms to the river surface.

Cottonwoods on the Potomac, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

iso 160, f3.3, 1/160 sec.

 

As you can see, I made this image with the compact, waterproof Lumix DMC-TS5 camera. It's a great companion on kayaking trips, as it's really well-protected against water, dirt, sand, and shock. I think it makes very nice pictures for a compact point and shoot.

 

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Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, with Lumix DMC-LX100

Here's another shot showing the capability of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 for travel.

 

Kiyomizu-dera, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

iso 200, f5.6, 1/640 sec.

 

Now this is a situation where most cameras would do just fine - bright sunny day, outdoors, wonderful subject. But, the detail, sharpness, and color representation of the LX100 really come through here in my opinion. None of my (much) heavier, more complicated cameras would have done significantly better with this scene.

 

I'm quite pleased with the LX100 as a travel camera.

 

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Japanese Street Scene - Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

 

Intersection, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

iso 200, f8, 1/1000 sec.

 

I used my Lumix LX100 a lot on my trip to Japan. It is a great little street camera, and is quite capable of good results at high iso settings, though this image was shot at iso 200. I really enjoyed carrying the LX100, which is very compact and light, and exploring what I could do with it. I have not reached its limits yet.

 

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Today's Image From Japan - Lumix DMC-LX100

Matcha Tea, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

iso 400, f1.7, 1/60 sec.

 

We wrapped up our last day in Kyoto with some very nice Japanese tea and sweets.

 

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Today's Image From Japan - Someone Has to Keep This Place Up!

Shrine Painter, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

iso 200, f5.6, 1/1000 sec.

 

I always like to photograph people at work. This gentleman was painting the shrine; you can see his handiwork right there. He was completely surrounded by tourists, but that didn't affect his concentration on his job.

 

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Image of the Day From Japan

 

Spring Kimono, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

iso 200, f2.8, 1/250 sec.

 

Well, faithful readers, I truly appreciate your dedication to reading my blog. My dedication to writing every day is certainly being tested by jet lag on this trip!

 

I really worked hard to get this shot, as the three girls in kimono were actually taking a selfie with a smart phone. As soon as the phone dropped from sight, I released the shutter. Unfortunately, the woman in the background "photo-bombed" me by walking into the scene. Oh well, the camera captures reality.

 

Our timing was perfect for the cherry blossoms in Japan, as you can see here.

 

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Image of the Day From Japan

 

Kiyomizu-Dera, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

iso 200, f8, 1/400 sec.

 

Yes, it is a little postcard-like, but I loved the view.

 

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Lumix DMC-LX100 Portrait

I will be posting my single favorite shot from each day I'm in Japan. For my first day, here's a portrait of my daughter at lunch with me.

 

Christine, Jet-Lagged, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100, Zoom at 45mm Equivalent

iso 1600, f2.7, 1/640 sec.

 

I knowthat this image shows nothing of Japan; it could have been taken anywhere. I'll be sure to share some that say more about Japan in the coming days.

 

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Ruslan Pelykh and the Leica D-Lux 6

Made with the Lumix DMC-LX7, Sister to Leica D-Lux 6

 

As you may know, I recently purchased a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100, which is the approximate equivalent to the new Leica DLux (Type 109). It was a tough decision to buy the LX100, as the previous camera in the LX series, the LX7, is so darned good. The LX100 has the LX7 beat hands-down in image quality; the Micro 4/3 sensor stuffed into the LX100 assured that. But, the LX7 has some features (built-in ND filter, manual focus memory, real depth of field preview) that the LX100 lacks. All that said, I'm very happy with my purchase of the LX100.

 

I was just reading about Ukrainian photographer Ruslan Pelykh, and how he's used the Leica DLux-6 (equivalent to the Lumix LX7) to make both films and still photographs that are most impressive. Pelykh now lives in NYC, and is "obsessed" with the hazy weather that sometimes comes to the City. While Pelykh focuses a lot of effort on his movies, I find his still work to be very good. He tends to plan his shoots roughly, but then let the unexpected factors take control. He likes to add some chance to his plans. Pelykh likes to use the DLux-6 in low light situations, usually at iso 200, which necessitates very long exposures.

 

(Click Here) to read the article on the Leica blog, and see Pelykh's movies and still shots with the DLux-6. I bet he's really going to love the DLux (Type 109) when he gets his hands on one.

 

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Winter Bamboo

I was one of the few who made it into the office today. We had several inches of snow, and it's still coming down. I shot this from the warmth of inside, looking into the atrium.

Winter Bamboo, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

iso 200, f2.8, 1/125 sec.

 

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High Contrast, Asian Style - Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 Sample Image

 

Asian Restaurant, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

iso 400, f2.8, 1/1000 sec.

 

I'm loving my new LX100. Lots more to come.

 

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Crows in Snow

We're having the most intense snowfall of the winter today. Forecasted at 1" yesterday, 1"-3" today, it's already well over six inches here and still coming down heavy. It even brought a murder of crows to my feeder.

Crows in Snow, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

iso 200, f8, 1/60 sec.

 

I used the "Toy Camera" filter built into the LX100 for this shot. I think it suits the scene quite well.

 

I am / was a huge fan of the DMC-LX7, which I still have. The LX100 is missing a few features that LX7 had, but so far, the image quality from the LX100 is impressing me. Having wifi connection to my iPad is also really handy for blogging.

 

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Some Love for the Leica CL

Symposium, by Reed A. George

Leica CL, Minolta Rokkor 40mm f2 Lens

Ilford HP5+ Film

 

I own several Leicas, including a digital rangefinder M9. I own two CLs, the little Leica that came from a fling, if not a marriage, between Minolta and Leica in the 1970s. The CL is not the top of Leica's offerings. It has some drawbacks, primarily the short rangefinder base length, which makes ultra-precise focusing difficult or some would say impossible. Yet, it has some real great features as well. Smaller than other Leica M models, with a built-in meter, the CL is a powerful little tool. And, the lenses designed for use with the CL - the Leica/Rokkor 40mm f2 and Leica Elmar C 90mm f4 are both just wonderful. The 40mm is one of the very best lenses I have ever used. Both lenses are compact like the CL body, and are great for travel. I've never gotten to try the Rokkor 28mm f2.8 that came with the CLE. The CL doesn't have 28mm framelines, so the 40 and 90 are the most often-used lenses.

 

The CL gets little love from the photographic crowd. That's okay. I love mine.

 

(Click Here) to take a look at a 1973 catalog for the CL on The Online Darkroom. Be sure to look at the comments as well. Again, no love for a great little camera.

 

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Trip to NYC - Traveling "Camera Light"

My family and I are heading out to NYC for the Thanksgiving weekend. Our plan is to head up on Black Friday, return on Sunday (remember the delay in my posts, usually about a week).

My NYC Kit

 

I've got several cameras that I've acquired recently, which I have not fully explored. One is my Leica IIIG, which I've only used for a single test roll. It will be my main camera for this trip. I'll pair it up with my 50mm f2 Summicron collapsible lens. Since the IIIG has framelines for both 50 and 90mm, I'll also bring along my wartime 90mm f4 Elmar. I plan to shoot all black and white with the IIIG.

 

For color, and for family snapshots, I'm bringing along my Lumix DMC-LX7.

 

All of it fits in this tiny Lowepro bag. It is very light and will be easy to carry.

 

My Packed Camera Bag

 

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The Contax T - a Neglected Performer

Several years ago, I bought a Contax T from a gentleman in Washington, DC. Mine is the first model, with a Carl Zeiss Sonnar 38 mm f2.8 lens, manual rangefinder, and aperture-priority exposure metering. There is no manual override of the exposure metering, with the exception of a button that provides for +1.5 stops overexposure, designed for shooting in backlit situations.

 

Image Source: http://my.reset.jp/~inu/ProductsDataBase/Products/CONTAX/CONTAX-T/CONTAX-T-01.jpg

 

The T is amazingly compact and shoots on 35mm film. It has a funny little flip-up lens cover which is a bit hard to get used to, and sticks out while you're shooting. The focus ring on the tiny Sonnar takes getting used to as well. Other than that, it's ergonomics are quite good, at least for my hands.

 

I have had the T in my car for years now, but used it very little. It's the perfect glovebox camera; my problem is that I usually have another camera with me and don't have a need to grab the T. I should get mine out and shoot it, which only requires me to bring it along.

 

So what got me thinking about this? I read a thread on Rangefinder Forum, where people shared both their challenges with the Contax T (light leaks around the film canister), as well as some wonderful example shots. Here's one posted by Rui Resende in the thread:

 

 

Image Source: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107638&page=3

 

(Click Here) to read about the Contax T on Rangefinder Forum.

 

I'm always considering new projects. I think I should somehow work the T into one of them. It's a bit of an oddity, not one that many people will still have or use. But, it's a unique little camera that's capable of wonderful results.

 

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