Some Half-Frame Shots - Canon Demi EE17

Well, apparently I have still not gotten over my obsession with shooting lots of different cameras and formats. My last two posts have been from the large film end, 6x9 medium format in the Fuji GW690. Before that, I posted some shots from the smallest film format camera that I currently own , a half-frame Canon that I picked up by chance. (Click Here) to see my previous post on that camera. Here are some color shots from the Demi.

 

It's fun making diptychs (picture pairs) with half-frame cameras. Here's an example.

 

And now, I've bought a second half-frame camera, which I'll write about later. And that's not all, but enough for now.

 

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Doggie Diptych - Whole Lotta Leica - Summicron 35mm f2 v.3

I sometimes like to shoot a series of images. Usually a triptych (three images) works best, but sometimes just two images (a diptych) can suffice.

 

While attending an event in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, I witnessed this little girl approaching a dog from his blind side. She tentatively reached out to pet him when he turned and spooked her pretty good:

Doggie Diptych, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summicron 35mm f2 v.3

iso 320, f9.5, 1/180 sec.

 

The Summicron 35 excels for this kind of shooting. I was close enough to see what was going on, but far enough away to capture both the little girl interacting with the dog, and his owner watching from the right of the frame. This is why the 35mm focal length is so popular for street photography. The Summicron is one of the best 35mm lenses made, even the older version 3 like mine.

 

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Skeletons From The Closet Results For June - Konica Auto S1.6 35mm Rangefinder

I've had a blast shooting my Konica Auto S1.6 this month. So much so, I'm convinced that this camera could be my one and only Japanese fixed-lens rangefinder.

 

(Click Here) to read about the camera.

 

Let me show you why I'm so impressed with this camera.

 

The Kid, by Reed A. George

Konica Auto S1.6, 45mm f1.6 Lens

 

The 45mm f1.6 lens on the Auto S1.6 is awesome. Sharp as a tack, it also has excellent color representation. As I've said in the past, when looking at modern fixed lens large chip cameras like the Fuji X100S, I prefer a lens closer to 50mm than 35mm if I'm going to buy a fixed lens camera. The 45mm focal length on the Konica is just about perfect for me.

 

Shenandoah Sunset, Color, by Reed A. George

Konica Auto S1.6, 45mm f1.6 Lens

 

 

Shenandoah Sunset, Monochrome, by Reed A. George

Konica Auto S1.6, 45mm f1.6 Lens

 

This camera is a little bigger than most Japanese rangefinders of its day, but not too large by any means. It's solid, quiet, fast. A minor complaint is that while the shutter is extremely quiet, the film advance is ratcheted, so it clicks rather loudly as you wind on to the next frame.

 

Stageside, by Reed A. George

Konica Auto S1.6, 45mm f1.6 Lens

 

Bubbles, Diptych, by Reed A. George

Konica Auto S1.6, 45mm f1.6 Lens

 

Friends, by Reed A. George

Konica Auto S1.6, 45mm f1.6 Lens

 

Mind Boggler, by Reed A. George

Konica Auto S1.6, 45mm f1.6 Lens

 

Can you figure out the image above? Shot inside a restaurant bar, it's a mirrored ceiling.

 

Modern Youth, Diptych, by Reed A. George

Konica Auto S1.6, 45mm f1.6 Lens

Rangefinder focusing on the S1.6 is easy and accurate. This is really one capable little camera.

 

I read online that the f1.6 lens was soft compared to the f2 lens on the later Auto S2. I simply can't believe that to be the case. Even wide open, I find the f1.6 lens to be astonishingly sharp. And I'm comparing to world-class glass from Leica, Zeiss, and others.

 

As I mentioned in my original post on this camera, I did send it off to Greg Weber for service a couple of years back, tested it, and put it away in the closet. I am happy to report that the Skeletons From The Closet effort motivated me to get it back out and shoot it. This is one little camera that won't sit idle again for a while. I'm not likely to consolidate my camera collection anytime soon, but if I did, as I said above, the Konica S1.6 could be the best and sole representative of an entire class of cameras that I love.

 

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Diptych - Barcelona

 

Barcelona Couple, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Holga 25mm f8 Plastic Lens

iso 400, f8, 1/100 sec

 
You may have already seen my previous post of shots taken with the Holga plastic lens for Micro 4/3 cameras. The two above give me fond memories of walking "La Rambla," a major pedestrian thoroughfare in Barcelona. I shot these two shots seconds apart, as I walked past this couple at the subway station.
 
I pay attention to the pace of my shooting. Sometimes, I really enjoy taking a lot of time, setting up a shot, attempting perfection. I find that style of shooting relaxing and rewarding. On the opposite end, another of my favorite styles is street shooting, where I typically set the camera up with manual range focusing (no autofocus), preset exposure (sometimes I'll use Aperture priority, but use Manual more often than not), and use the camera to capture extremely brief little moments. This is a real challenge, and there's no time for fiddling with the camera. The result is just that - captured moments. Imperfect, spontaneous. Sometimes the imperfections add to the image, sometimes not.
 
In the case above, the imperfections are clear - thanks to using a $20 plastic lens with fixed f-stop and only very rough focus control. Personally, I love the result. It is very close to the level of detail in my memories of that morning, walking down La Rambla.
 
Thanks again to Andrea Costa for pointing me towards this great creative tool (the Holga lens).
 
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