Although I have a range of photographic gear for different tasks, the majority of what I shoot is handled by two cameras, both of which fit into a single bag that goes with me every day. It can be tempting to throw everything you own in the car just in case you need it, but the reality is that what I can fit into this little bag will take care of 90% of the subject matter that I photograph.
Gear
25
Jan 12
M3 Back From Repair!
I got my M3 back from Youxin Ye this morning. It was in for a shutter capping issue and he adjusted shutter speeds, shutter brake settings and curtain travel. Really great service too; only a week, including shipping time! Running a test roll through it soon.
**Edit** – ran a test film through the M3 this afternoon (01.27.12) and all signs of the shutter capping are gone. Even density right across the entire frame with no sign of the underexposed strip that was there before. Well chuffed!
23
Jan 12
Bringing The Rollei 35 Meter Back To Life
Months ago, I posted about the new-to-me Rollei 35 that I’d got bundled with a bunch of other cameras I bought. I said that I was going to shoot with it and post the results. Well, that didn’t go exactly to plan, as I injured my back shortly after and was confined to the house for the next two months.
The diminuative Rollei 35, now with a working meter!
20
Jan 12
1954 Rolleiflex Automat MX (Model K4A)
This is my second Automat (the first being a 1956 MX-EVS) and, apart from a few minor knocks and scrapes, it’s in very nice condition. I bought it from a retiring photographer who purchased it new in 1954. He had quite a successful career as a photographer, and used the Rolleiflex extensively for portraits, some of which were of quite famous people. He showed me some negatives of Eleanor Roosevelt, among others, that he shot with this camera.
20
Jan 12
Leica M3 Shutter Problem
I’ve been shooting a lot with my 1957 Leica M3 lately, but I’ve recently started noticing an underexposed area at the very edge of my negatives. After some research, this is most likely due to an issue called ‘shutter capping’, which is where the tension of the horizontal cloth shutter needs adjusting.
So, although I hate to be without it, I shipped it off yesterday to Youxin Ye, a renowned Leica repairman, in Canton, Massachusetts. I’ve used him before and have been very pleased with the work. Hopefully I’ll get it back soon!
5
Jan 12
1954 Rolleiflex Price List
When I bought my Rolleiflex MX, it came with the original box and, inside, I found a 1954 dated price list from Burleigh Brooks Co, Ltd. of New York, listing Rolleiflex and Rolleicord cameras and accessories. I just scanned it to a PDF and thought I’d share it. You can download it from the following link:
23
Aug 11
Nikon FM
The seventies saw a major fundamental change in camera design, heralded by the launch of the Olympus OM1 in 1972. Prior to this groundbreaking model, the majority of 35m SLRs were big and heavy, with lenses and accessories to match. In contrast, the OM1 was tiny, and within a few years all the other manufacturers were also designing their own compact SLR. Nikon’s answer to this trend was the FM.
Nikon FM with Nikkor 50mm F/1.8 AI lens
15
Aug 11
Hasselblad Proxar Close Up Filter
Hasselblad Proxar Close Up Filter
I found a Proxar diopter tucked in a side pocket of a bag I got when I bought a used Hasseblad and thought I’d try it out on this Swiffer victim. Proxars are glass filters which you mount to the front of a lens to allow it to focus closer than with the lens alone. This is the 2m Proxar which I believe was designed to be used with a 250mm lens but here I tried it on the 80mm Planar.
14
Aug 11
Nikon F2 Photomic
Nikon F2 Photomic
Launched by Nikon in 1971, the F2 replaced the original F model as the premier professional 35mm SLR camera of it’s time. Boasting many improvements over it’s popular predecessor, it was clear that Nikon had taken to heart the feedback on the F from the pros and had produced a tool that many people believe is the finest mechanical SLR ever built.
It was the mid-seventies when I started to become seriously interested in photography and the F2 was at the peak of it’s popularity. I had started to harbour a dream of becoming a press photographer by then, and would read any photography magazine I could get my hands on, and watch the news every night to catch a glimpse of the pros at work. In doing so, one thing became clear: if one wanted to be a professional photographer at that time, you simply had to use a Nikon F2!
10
Aug 11
Hasselblad 500C/M
Hasselblad 500C/M
Hand-built in Sweden, the Hasselblad 500 series of cameras is one of the most popular medium format systems of all time. The brainchild of Victor Hasselblad, the original 500C model, launched in 1957, was also one of the first true system cameras, embodying a modular design that allows components to be mixed and matched with ease to create the perfect camera for any specific assignment.