I'm going back to film - well, not entirely.😅
As a teenager, I used to shoot on an Olympus Mju II
Now, I have found the Yashica Electro 35.
This series was one of the best-selling rangefinders in the 70s.
I will post some shots here whenever available.
#mastophoto #photographer #vintagecamera #Yashica #japancamera #filmphoto #filmphotography
Camera Geekery: Konica AiBORG
The Konica AiBORG is placed among the pantheon of all time ugliest cameras. Akin to bad Anakin's bucket, it is also infamous for being one of the worst cameras ever made for its fecal matter-esque ergonomics. I've always been wary of such subjective conclusions and besides I think it looks cool. After perusing the instructions manual, the Konica AiBORG actually is jam-packed with interesting features. Is this another example of biting more then one can chew and over-ambition? Or do we have amongst us here a sleeper hit?
Konica AiBORG Background History
Konica gained their reputation from the 1950's onwards with their excellently regarded rangefinder cameras and then their venerable line of Hexar lenses like the UC-Hexanon 35mm f2. The Konica C35 AF was the world’s first AF camera when it was released in 1977 and featured a design that has been emulated by many other manufacturers over the years.
However, they never could really crack the high-end market with intense competition from neighboring big dogs Nikon, Canon, Minolta, etc. and was resigned to focusing mainly on entry level point and shoots in the 1980's. The Konica AiBORG from 1991 is most likely the company’s last effort to make a high-end camera with advanced features and cutting edge camera technology. "AiBORG" is a portmanteau of Artificial Intelligence and cyBORG, probably a 90's attempt to sound as futuristic and high-tech as possible.
Konica AiBORG Tech Specs
Film Type: 135 (35mm)
Lens: 35 – 105mm f/3.5-8.5 coated Konica Zoom Lens 13-elements
Focus: CPU Controlled Autofocus 0.8m to Infinity
Shutter: Electronic Leaf
Speeds: 6.4 – 1/500 seconds
Exposure Meter: Yes
Battery: 2CR5 Lithium Battery
Flash Mount: None – Built in Flash
Dimensions: 14.5 x 8.5 x 9 cm
Weight: 570g
Manual: <http://www.cameramanuals.org/konica/konica_aiborg.pdf>
Konica AiBORG Features and Ergonomics
The Konica AiBORG earned its poor ergonomics review in large part to the grip. Many gripe that the shutter release button is too low for their index fingers. Indeed, there is only 5cm from the joystick on the thumb to the index finger on the shutter release. It is a little awkward to hold and control with one hand, given the weight distribution of the body and is not exactly feather light at over 500 grams.
The lens zoom whirrs and sounds like what you would expect from 90's tech motors. Not exactly quiet or cool, but comfortable in a nostalgic kind of way.
Joystick
The joystick on the back of the camera is a novel design idea and controls the zoom as well as the focus point indicator. When looking through the viewfinder, you see a focus scale from 0.8 – 10 m at the bottom with a flower icon above the 0.8 number and a mountain icon to the right of the 10 number.
The focus point can be adjust to 5 different positions and is adjusted by toggling the joystick left and right in the direction you want to move it. A nice idea in theory and it does work but IRL feels plasticky, fiddly and cheap. The finder itself is tiny and has that warped soft edges look that is trippy like a Holga though not as bad. But it is parallax corrected!
Top LCD
The top LCD display is a crazy array of information smashed into a 35 x 20mm window. The bottom left shows the battery status, above that is the flash setting. Towards the top is a funky looking window where you can toggle through the myriad functions such as portrait mode, night mode, and the quirky action sequence mode. More on these later. Under that to the right you will find the drive mode and self timer. I like how the frame counter window is in the shape of the camera and also has the film roll icon to indicate the roll has been correctly loaded; a little cheesy and unnecessary but I like it. Yes, it is quite busy but with all the information it conveys, perhaps it is the better option than multiple displays.
Back Buttons
All the myriad functions possible in the top LCD are controlled by these crazy buttons on the back to the side of the viewfinder. It really is as cumbersome and daunting as it looks to scroll through the menus with these, especially by modern standards. The buttons are tiny and the recess they are placed in are tiny as well and are quite difficult to reliably press even with my smallish fingers.
Lens Cover
Nothing much to say about it other than it's a semi-transparent automatic sliding lens cover that looks kinda cool.
Date Imprinting
There are various formats you can choose from to imprint date and time onto your frames however according to Konica, the world will cease to exist on December 31st, 2019 as that is the latest date you can set.
Konica AiBORG Sample Images
The following images were shot on Kodak Gold 200 and self-developed with Cinestill CS41 in a Ars-Imago Lab Box. They were then scanned on Plustek Opticfilm 8200i.
Special Functions
I will not show examples of every function of the AiBORG but will highlight some below.
Flash
I don't know the guide number of the flash but the cute AF illustration from the manual indicates a range of 6m. A bit of embellishing there but nevertheless still handy.
Macro
The macro mode label is an example of false advertising as the lens can only get to 0.8m. I don't know how they can come off as calling that macro.
Night Mode
Night mode forces the camera into a long exposure mode to compensate for low light. Interestingly, this mode can optionally be used with the flash as well. The leaf shutter is a bonus for being able to hand held most scenes.
Portrait Mode
This is the mode that most embodies the A.I. of the AiBORG as as it automatically uses the camera’s zoom to detect a person and changes the focal length of the lens to "properly" frame the person’s head and shoulders for a portrait. It is kind of unsettling in use as it basically forces the composition on you but yeah, works for standard, by-the-rules framing. Not recommended if you want to get more creative.
Action Sequence Mode
The most interesting function is the Action Sequence Mode and toggling this will allow you to shoot 6 exposures in quick succession on the same frame. A twist on multi-exposure mode, the camera takes a metering of the scene and shoots each image at 1/6th the exposure value of the image so that laid over each other, the image is not overexposed. A very niche situation where it can be applicable but I find it a fun function to experiment with. Using a tripod is definitely recommended.
Final Thoughts
I like the Konica AiBORG, I think I like it the way people like pugs; ugly and dysfunctional but somehow endearing. It was bred to do too much but I respect that ambition to swing for the fences similar to the concept behind the Rolleiflex SL66. The stories of terrible ergonomics and perplexing menu logic are true for the most part. Even my smallish hands find the AiBORG not that comfortable to handle with one hand. It really needs two hands to operate reliably. Today's attention span and impatience is a bigger picture problem but 7 clicks through a menu to get to exposure compensation of +1.5 for a backlit scene is kind of ridiculous.
With all the gripes aside, Konica have always produced nice lenses and the 35 – 105mm f/3.5-8.5 lens in the AiBORG is no exception and has a decent range and is no slouch in IQ. When speed is not of the essence, it can be a capable carry-around-all-day all-rounder. Would I recommend one though as a go-to daily compact zoom? As my Aussie wife would say, "yeaa naaah." But if you appreciate ambitious designs and want an infamous and fun toy in your collection, then the force is strong in this one.
MN
The post Camera Geekery: Konica AiBORG appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.
#camerageekery #reviews #aiborg #camerageek #classiccamera #cooljapanesecameras #japanclassiccamerablog #japancamera #japancamerahunter #konica #tokyoclassiccamera
Camera Geekery: Nick Ut’s Leica M6
Camera Geekery: Nick Ut's Leica M6
A little while ago a good friend of JCH told me that he has a very special camera that he would like me to find a new home for. Now this isn't my first rodeo with an important camera, but when I heard who the owner of the camera is my ears immediately pricked up. That's right, this is award winning photographer Nick Ut's Leica M6.
Nick Ut
In case you are not familiar with with work of Nick Ut then first of all, where have you been? Nick is probably most well known for his work during the Vietnam war, in particular the Napalm Girl image, an image that changed the world and how we viewed war, in a time when war reporting was still in its early stages. This image and others from this era changed the world and the press forever.
Nick won both the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography and the 1973 World Press Photo of the Year for his image of a 9 year old Phan Thị Kim Phúc running after being burned with Napalm. In fact Nick presented a print of this image to the Pope himself just this month.
Nick Ut's has lived a fascinating life and you could fill pages telling his story. Instead you can read all about him and his contributions to photography here and here. And now Nick has retired and want's to take a bit of a step back, so it has become time for him to sell some of his cameras.
Nick Ut's Leica M6
Of course, this isn't the camera that Nick shot his most famous of images on (his famed Leica M2). That camera now resides in the London Science Museum on permanent display. As well it should, of course.
This is the camera Nick had been using up until very recently as his main shooter. Most recently in fact at the March 5th rally in support of Ukraine in Westwood, California.
What is so special about this camera? Well it is a piece of history attached to one of the worlds most well known photographers. Which he has been using up until very recently. It is well used and has definitely seen its fair share of rolls. The meter doesn't work either. But the camera does function.
But there is something very interesting and rather special inside the camera. It contains a 36 exposure unprocessed roll of Tri-X that Nick photographed the March 5 demonstration, of Ukrainians in Los Angeles protesting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Nick decided to leave the roll in the camera for the next owner to develop (or not) at their own discretion. It also comes with a signed and notarized certificate from Nick to prove the camera is indeed genuine. The camera remains unopened and waiting for the next owner to make the important decision about developing the film inside.
You can see the camera here. It is for sale and we really hope it goes to a home that really appreciates something of this provenance.
The funny thing is, Nick also sent his Hasselblad Xpan at the same time and asked for that to be sold, but he didn't attach as much importance to that camera and didn't make a certificate for it. Though it is his camera and it is also looking for a new home.
Historic camera
Do you have a lead on an important camera? We would love to hear about it. Or do you have a camera that has a really special story? We would love to hear about that too. Hit us up through this link and share with us what you have.
JCH
The post Camera Geekery: Nick Ut's Leica M6 appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.
#camerageekery #camerageek #classiccamera #historiccamera #historicalcamera #japancamera #japancamerahunter #nickut #nickutleica #nickutleicacamera #nickutsleicam6 #rangefinder
IN YOUR BAG: 1727 – Jens Astrup
IN YOUR BAG: 1727 - Jens Astrup
We have not had a new bag for a while, but Jens Astrup steps up to the plate with an absolute backbreaker of a bag. Check it out.
Introduction
I’m a Copenhagen based Danish photographer. My cameras are my tools. I’ve grew up with film photography and learned my trade from shooting a humongous amount of films for a local daily newspaper. I was lucky that somebody paid my film supply back then.
The world turned digital and the first years with cameras like the 2.7 megapixel Nikon 1D made you appear a lousy photographer - again.
Today Canon digital cameras are my bread-and-butter-maker. The digital cameras are great - for work. They are fast and efficient, but do they spark any joy? No!
The Bag
When I want to enjoy photography (and burn money) I take this ThinkTank bag with my Fujis out for a spin. I was late to the medium format, but now I take revenge for lost times.
Shooting with these cameras is good for your mental health and it makes me happy.
I love this bag with content and I think it will be the first thing I would rescue in case of a fire - after some harddrives and negatives
The Fuji cameras in these formats have a huge resolution without being crazy sharp. To get the full potential of this resolution, it is a good idea to use a monopod (Not in the picture).
I know it does not help my reach, but generally I do not post my analogue pictures on the web. It does simply not give meaning to post a 1500 pixel picture when the original is a 1.5 meter C-print from a 6 by 9 negative.
You can find some of my other work here:
<http://instagram.com/jens_astrup>
I do not care too much about gear in the sense, that It is not what is interesting. Gear is tools for a job. I cry a little inside whenever I se great cameras on the shelfs at collectors.
What is interesting is what you can do with the gear, not someone sitting on it. Great cameras obligate, they are made for shooting great pictures. Go out and have fun shooting. Even cheap cameras can be great cameras. You can do great work with point and shoot cameras, if that is the look you wan’t to express.
For me, it is important that your gear does not get between you and your talent and these Fuji cameras are so simple to use that you forget them.
I carry a flashmeter in the bag as well. This one is perfect for mixing strobes with ambient light, but often I don’t use the light meter at all. Experience tells me the exposure, or because I do light-paint with studio strobes and there is no way to know, what the result will be anyway.
The strobe in this bag is a Metz 30 BCT 4. It is great because it sits just above the lens witch result in a shadowless point’n’shoot look, but in the high resolution these cameras provides.
The Gear
This bag is a ThinkTank Retrospective 30 and I had it for ten years now. Amazingly it holds all four cameras:
Fujifilm GSW690 III - 65mm
Fujifilm GW690 III - 90mm
Fujifilm GA645W i - 45mm
Fujifilm GA645 - 60mm
Minolta Flash Meter IV
Metz 30 BCT 4
Some filters for B&W
Cable release
Jens Astrup
Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag onJapancamerahunter.com
**Send me a high resolution image of the bag. Optimum size is 1500px across. Please ensure there is a bag in the shot, unless you don’t use one. The more you can write about yourself the better, make it appealing and tell us a story. Snapshots of your gear with a camera phone and no words will not be featured.
Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here. Not all make the cut, so make sure yours is funny/interesting/quirky. And please make sure the shot is of good quality, you are a photographer after all. **
Cheers
JCH
The post IN YOUR BAG: 1727 - Jens Astrup appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.
#inyourbag #bellamycamera #camerageek #cameraporn #camerabag #classiccamera #cooljapanesecameras #gearporn #insidethebag #japanclassiccamera #japancamera #japancamerahunter #jensastrup #limitedcamerabag
IN YOUR BAG: 1727 – Jens Astrup
IN YOUR BAG: 1727 - Jens Astrup
We have not had a new bag for a while, but Jens Astrup steps up to the plate with an absolute backbreaker of a bag. Check it out.
Introduction
I’m a Copenhagen based Danish photographer. My cameras are my tools. I’ve grew up with film photography and learned my trade from shooting a humongous amount of films for a local daily newspaper. I was lucky that somebody paid my film supply back then.
The world turned digital and the first years with cameras like the 2.7 megapixel Nikon 1D made you appear a lousy photographer - again.
Today Canon digital cameras are my bread-and-butter-maker. The digital cameras are great - for work. They are fast and efficient, but do they spark any joy? No!
The Bag
When I want to enjoy photography (and burn money) I take this ThinkTank bag with my Fujis out for a spin. I was late to the medium format, but now I take revenge for lost times.
Shooting with these cameras is good for your mental health and it makes me happy.
I love this bag with content and I think it will be the first thing I would rescue in case of a fire - after some harddrives and negatives
The Fuji cameras in these formats have a huge resolution without being crazy sharp. To get the full potential of this resolution, it is a good idea to use a monopod (Not in the picture).
I know it does not help my reach, but generally I do not post my analogue pictures on the web. It does simply not give meaning to post a 1500 pixel picture when the original is a 1.5 meter C-print from a 6 by 9 negative.
You can find some of my other work here:
<http://instagram.com/jens_astrup>
I do not care too much about gear in the sense, that It is not what is interesting. Gear is tools for a job. I cry a little inside whenever I se great cameras on the shelfs at collectors.
What is interesting is what you can do with the gear, not someone sitting on it. Great cameras obligate, they are made for shooting great pictures. Go out and have fun shooting. Even cheap cameras can be great cameras. You can do great work with point and shoot cameras, if that is the look you wan’t to express.
For me, it is important that your gear does not get between you and your talent and these Fuji cameras are so simple to use that you forget them.
I carry a flashmeter in the bag as well. This one is perfect for mixing strobes with ambient light, but often I don’t use the light meter at all. Experience tells me the exposure, or because I do light-paint with studio strobes and there is no way to know, what the result will be anyway.
The strobe in this bag is a Metz 30 BCT 4. It is great because it sits just above the lens witch result in a shadowless point’n’shoot look, but in the high resolution these cameras provides.
The Gear
This bag is a ThinkTank Retrospective 30 and I had it for ten years now. Amazingly it holds all four cameras:
Fujifilm GSW690 III - 65mm
Fujifilm GW690 III - 90mm
Fujifilm GA645W i - 45mm
Fujifilm GA645 - 60mm
Minolta Flash Meter IV
Metz 30 BCT 4
Some filters for B&W
Cable release
Jens Astrup
Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag onJapancamerahunter.com
**Send me a high resolution image of the bag. Optimum size is 1500px across. Please ensure there is a bag in the shot, unless you don’t use one. The more you can write about yourself the better, make it appealing and tell us a story. Snapshots of your gear with a camera phone and no words will not be featured.
Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here. Not all make the cut, so make sure yours is funny/interesting/quirky. And please make sure the shot is of good quality, you are a photographer after all. **
Cheers
JCH
The post IN YOUR BAG: 1727 - Jens Astrup appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.
#inyourbag #bellamycamera #camerageek #cameraporn #camerabag #classiccamera #cooljapanesecameras #gearporn #insidethebag #japanclassiccamera #japancamera #japancamerahunter #jensastrup #limitedcamerabag
The JCH Youtube Channel: The Contax 645
The JCH Youtube Channel: The Contax 645
The Contax 645 is referred to as a 'legendary' camera, but is it really? What makes it so? Well, we got the opportunity to play with one and find out if it really deserves the legendary status. Check it out.
We don't have sponsors on our videos, so we need all the support we can get to keep on making content. Please support us by grabbing some JCH apparel in the link below.
https://japancamerahunter.creator-spring.com/?
You can follow the channel here: www.youtube.com/user/japancamerahunter
These are a work in progress and we hope to improve them as we learn how to get them right. We have more cameras in the pipeline and are always open to (reasonable) suggestions. Your feedback is valuable. Please make sure you watch, like and subscribe. The more views we get the more we can put into making quality content for the community. You can see more videos here.
Cheers
JCH
The post The JCH Youtube Channel: The Contax 645 appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.
#camerageekery #reviews #video #youtubevideos #camerageek #cameraporn #classiccamera #contax #contax645 #contax645video #contaxcamera #cooljapanesecameras #japancamerahunteryoutube #japancamera #japancamerahunter #jchyoutube #jchyoutubechannel
Camera Geekery: Fujifilm GA645Zi
Camera Geekery: Fujifilm GA645Zi
Ah the 1990's; the decade known for pogs, Pokemon, and premium point and shoot film cameras such as the Fujifilm GA645Zi. The Fujifilm GA645Zi "Professional" was the final and most sophisticated model from Fuji’s GA medium format line and introduced a few tricks up its sleeve other than that zoom lens. It also boasted an adjustable viewfinder diopter, a lens cap warning signal, a more ergonomic placement of the shutter button, a revamped top plate, and a quieter (relatively) focusing motor. It's been hailed the ultimate point and shoot in some circles, which raises an eyebrow from yours truly. Outside of a Holga or Diana, it and its cousins are the lightest medium format cameras on Earth. Now that we've had our slippery fingers on one for a weekend, let's dive into the hype.
Background History
The Fuji GA645 series is an entire family of fixed-lens autofocus cameras that's an extension of the previous GS folding-lens manual-focus cameras. It takes #not120mm roll film and the "6 x 4.5" negative is actually about 56mm by 41mm, making it small by medium format standards but still two-and-a-half times the surface area of a 35mm negative. That's definitely enough to show a quality improvement over 135 film, and makes the negatives easier to scan and more forgiving to deal with. Used properly, the 645 format gives just as much usable image as a cropped 6×6 frame, with the advantage of having a few extra exposures per roll.
Fujifilm released the GA645Zi in 1998 in champagne and the more uncommon black version like this example was released one year later. The Fujifilm GA645Zi is the final iteration of the GA series starting with the original GA645 in 1995 and incorporates a zoom lens. The lens is a ten element in ten group design with a 1.6x zoom range of 55-90mm, F/4.5-6.9, equivalent in 135 format to approximately 34-56mm. However, there is a caveat, you only get four zoom steps or positions to choose from; 55mm, 65mm, 75mm and 90mm.
Fujifilm GA645Zi Tech Specs
Fujifilm GA645Zi Features and Ergonomics
Viewfinder
A quirky thing you will notice once you take a look through the viewfinder is the vertical orientation. This clearly plays into the strength of the camera as a portrait machine. The viewfinder itself is nice; bright, not too contrasty and parallax corrected. Vital camera settings are clearly visible on the sides when the shutter release is half-pressed, with number and font sizes just right. My only gripe is that if exposure compensation is used, only the icon appears under the shutter speed on the left side. To see how many increments you've set you'll have to stray your eyes away from the finder and check with the back LCD.
Main Control Dial
The main control dial is operated by pressing down the lock button and rotating, to select ISO , OFF , P , A , AS , and M. The mode dial is meant to embody simplicity but there is a bit of complexity to deal with. The mode dial has "A" and "AS" positions to choose from. Both are aperture-priority, and the difference only matters when using the flash. The "AS" will use the metered exposure and add the flash for fill, which is how most cameras work in aperture priority modes, while the "A" mode will force the camera to a 1/45 shutter speed. Being a leaf-shutter camera, the flash will sync all the way up to the camera's 1/400 maximum, making the little pop-up useful for catchlights and fill.
Zoom Lever
Love it or hate it, zooming is controlled by a thumb lever on the back of the camera. Design-wise, I like its size and location and it complements the grooved lines on the thumb rest nicely. I do understand people's concern with the awkwardness, but in practice I find it not to be any real issue. As mentioned before, there's only four zoom settings so precise movement is not very necessary.
Shutter Release Button
The shutter release button is often cited as a star feature of the GA645Zi and once you wrap your hands around the camera grip you will see why. It is 60mm from the back of the camera and perfectly raised 70mm from the base, which is roughly at 3/4ths the height of the camera. Combined with the 50 degree slant, it can't really feel better in the hand. Well as good as plastic can feel.
Built-in Viewfinder Diopter
Another cool feature is the built-in diopter, a very much welcomed feature for us four eyes. There are no clear markings to indicate the degrees, but if you are far-sighted, turn the dial clockwise or if you are near-sighted, turn it counterclockwise. The diopter has an adjustable range of -3 to +1D.
Semi-Automatic Film Advance
A feature aimed to simplify the loading process is the automatic film winder. One turn of the thumb dial advances the film spool in quarter-turn increments. While the feature itself works fine, I wish there was a smooth continuous spin rather than increments. More on that later.
Pop-up Flash
I pop-up flash is always handy to have and is a must for a point and shoot in my book. You never know when you'll need a fill flash to counteract some rough backlight. The flash has to be manually popped up, it won’t do it automatically even in P mode. The guide number is 12 at ISO 100.
Rear LCD Display
I always appreciate little details like a film reminder slot. The film back is wrapped in leatherette and has a film reminder memo holder for film box tops. Yes, SP400 is better at 200.
A nifty gimmick touted by the GA645Zi is the data imprint feature but if you are expecting the information to be on the image a la 35mm point and shoots like the Ricoh GRs, you'll be disappointed. Exposure and date time information can only be imprinted on the film outside the photo area.
Film Spool Release
A staple of Fuji cameras that I always love is the push out pegs for film spool loading. It's elegant and works like a charm making film loading quick and secure.
Fujifilm GA645Zi Size and Weight
The following is a comparison between the Fuji GA645Zi with a couple other portable medium format legends on hand, the Plaubel Makina and Fuji GF670. Neither of which has a zoom lens or flash.
Fujifilm GA645Zi weight: 920g (w/batteries)
Plaubel Makina 67 weight: 1.27kg (w/batteries)
Fujifilm GA645Zi weight: 920g (w/batteries)
Fujifilm GF670 weight: 1.02kg (w/batteries)
The Fujifilm GA645Zi side by side with the Leica R8. It's even lighter than an R8 which is 1.2kg
Fujifilm GA645Zi Issues
LCD ribbon
A common issue with the GA645Zi is this ribbon imbedded in the backdoor hinge. It is in quite the vulnerable position so be sure to slowly and carefully open the back door and don't let it swing out and stretch too much. As the result of this poor design, the rear LCD is liable to failure. Unfortunately this is a common occurrence as few examples of a perfectly working LCD still exist. The sample I reviewed has a finicky one, normally OK but fades when the temperature drops. Kind of annoying not be able to see how many shots you have left.
Film Alignment
Back to the incremental film advance. The quarter-turn increments can make it difficult to get the "Start line" aligned correctly. This is important because the GA645Zi is rather picky with this to be able to load the film correctly. I had it about this much off and the camera was unable to load properly so you're gonna have to take the spool off, roll it back a bit and start over.
In another roll I shot, the start line was again off a bit but it was able to load. However upon finishing and opening the back, the dreaded "fat roll" made its presence. So the tech meant to make your life easier can actually make it more of a pain if you are not careful. Thus I reckon a continuous rolling or smaller increments would have prevented these issues.
Fujifilm GA645Zi Sample Images
The following examples were shot on Fujifilm Pro 400H and JCH Streetpan 400. Self-developed with Cinestill CS41 and Df96, respectively.
Conclusion
I find it interesting that you can only set the year up to 2025. Therefore, does that mean that in 3 years all Fuji GA645s will discreetly implode like a Mission Impossible message? The loud whirrs of the motors and 90's sounding clunky focusing doesn't inspire confidence.
The real feature of the camera is its portability and versatility in focal lengths. The flat profile of the vertically-carried GA645 means that it's less bulky than an SLR when it's slung on a shoulder strap, and the plastic body is sturdy enough to handle minor scrapes and bumps. The absence of a mirror means that there’s no mirror vibration. So your slowest hand-holdable shutter speed could be down to 1/15th or even 1/8th of a second.
*Multiple sources list the GA645Zi having a max shutter speed of 1/700th but I only see a max of 1/400th in my sample. I hope other users can help clarify this. If it is indeed just 1/400th, you will be frustrated as I was with using it for street photography. That in addition to the less than reliable AF, it is not an ideal setup for action on the streets.
Final Thoughts
The target audience for the Fujifilm GA 645Zi remains the same in 2022 as it did in 1998. It is for those who want to travel light, not think too much and have deep pockets. If you got the dough, this camera is a great way to make the transition to medium format with and greatly eases the intimidation factor. The Fujifilm GA645Zi can be a fantastic travel and on-the-go, always-on camera.
However, expect to lose some frames with the 90's era AF tech. It struggles especially with close focusing around 1m. The lens itself though is versatile and nice, displaying thin lines with nice contrast, however the lack in speed can be limiting in low light and the shallow depth of field of that "medium format look". I wouldn't confuse it with an exhibition making tool. It is what it is; a light, simple, pretty damn pricey way for the average enthusiast to capture most travel situations on a format larger than 35mm.
MN
The post Camera Geekery: Fujifilm GA645Zi appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.
#camerageekery #120 #bellamycamera #camerageek #filmcamerareview #fujifilm #ga645zi #japanclassiccamera #japanclassiccamerablog #japancamera #japancamerahunter #mediumformat #professional
IN YOUR BAG: 1726 – DOUWE KROOSHOF
IN YOUR BAG: 1726 - DOUWE KROOSHOF
Introducing:
My name is Douwe Krooshof and I’m a Dutch amateur photographer living in Amsterdam. I’ve been shooting film for over 18 years and I exclusively shoot black and white pictures. I’m technically inclined and I try to master all parts of analogue photography. Developing and printing is part of that and over the past two years I dipped my toes into camera building and even making a UV-enlarger for cyanotypes.
I’m always trying to get better technically as well as creatively, and I’m always on the lookout for new projects to feed my curiosity. Analogue photography is wonderful medium to me because it’s hard to do well. I also feel that analogue photographers often have a unique style because there are so many choices to make in the process of making an image. Someday I hope I’ll have a recognisable style myself and until I get there I’m enjoying the ride.
What’s in my bag?
You looked at the picture thinking: “I don’t recognise that camera”. That’s right, it’s a homemade 35mm panorama camera that I made myself. I could blame the pandemic for this project but in all honestly I can’t help building things regardless. The body is a gutted Minolta XE and the lens is from a Fujica GS645w. The middle is a 3d print that I designed myself. This took quite a while to get right, but I love the result: a compact scale focus panorama camera with a sharp 45mm lens and the same negative size as the Xpan. It takes great pictures too!
I try to travel light and set myself a goal when I go out to shoot, so the Thule bag is just the right size. It stops me from carrying too much gear so I can walk around for longer. The bag opens from the rear and the front flap is cosmetic, this is both practical and safer.
Apart from the camera I carry two lightmeters, the pentax digital spotmeter for zone system work (it’s so intuitive!) and the sekonic flashmate for general over-the-shoulder measurements for street photography. Needless to say, the camera is manual exposure only.
I carry a small aluminium Benro tripod for landscapes, but only when I feel it’s going to be worth it. It’s 1.5Kg and it does slow me down but when I want to use a tripod, I’m not going to settle for something flimsy.
My film goes into a little Hama film safe, because it’s a practical way of carrying 4 rolls and panorama cameras are hungry beasts. I shoot bulk-rolled Kodak Double X and Rollei Retro 80s, the latter is great for printing cyanotypes with my UV enlarger. There is one roll of Acros II in the picture – sometimes you have to treat yourself to something special.
I keep notes when I’m forced to shoot film at something other than my usual recipes. That’s 40 asa for Rollei Retro 80s (Rodinal 1:100 45min semi-stand at 20C) and 200 asa for Kodak Double X (HC-110 dilution E 12min at 20C). My reliable Lamy Safari fountain pen and a nice Clairefontaine notebook help me keep track of things. Yes, camera snobbery spills over to other domains!
The full list:
• Thule Covert DSLR Satchel
• DouwePan, the illegitimate love child of a Minolta XE and a Fujica GS645w.
• Pentax Digital Spotmeter with zone system scale
• Sekonic Flashmate L-308S
• Benro A1690T tripod
• Hama fim-safe X film case
• Bulk rolled Rollei Retro 80s and Kodak Double X canisters
• Clairefontaine notebook
• Lamy Safari fountain pen
• Waterproof jacket, face mask, wallet, keys, phone
Paris - Rue Dejean
Amsterdam - Rokin
I share my photos on:
• Instagram : <https://www.instagram.com/analog_by_douwe/>
• Flickr : <https://www.flickr.com/photos/96630454@N06/>
• Homemade Camera Podcast , episode on cyanotype enlarger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI1nWHuX3N0&ab_channel=TheHomemadeCameraPodcast
• Emulsive , article on enlarging cyanotypes: <https://emulsive.org/articles/darkroom/darkroom-printing/elevating-the-humble-cyanotypewith-a-uv-enlarger-by-douwe-krooshof>
Thank you for all the inspiration that JapanCameraHunter has given me, I hope I could give some back!
Take care,
Douwe Krooshof
Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag onJapancamerahunter.com
**Send me a high resolution image of the bag. Optimum size is 1500px across. Please ensure there is a bag in the shot, unless you don’t use one. The more you can write about yourself the better, make it appealing and tell us a story. Snapshots of your gear with a camera phone and no words will not be featured.
Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here. Not all make the cut, so make sure yours is funny/interesting/quirky. And please make sure the shot is of good quality, you are a photographer after all. **
Cheers
JCH
The post IN YOUR BAG: 1726 - DOUWE KROOSHOF appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.
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RICHARD SANDLER: NEW YORK STREET PHOTOGRAPHER
RICHARD SANDLER: NEW YORK STREET PHOTOGRAPHER
Interview by Jesse Hayes
Richard Sandler is an award-winning photographer/filmmaker, who shot the streets of New York City from 1977 until the early 2000s. A native New Yorker, Richard was born in Queens in 1946. At the age of ten, he was riding the subway into the city to take in the excitement of Times Square. In 1977, he decided to leave a career as a chef and then acupuncturist before jumping headfirst into photography. With no formal training, Richard soaked up any information he could find; books, advice from roommates, a photo history class, and a photo workshop with Garry Winogrand. After a short stint in Boston, he moved back to New York to shoot some of the sincerest photographs of that era.
BEGINNING
Jesse: What drew you to photography in the beginning?
Richard: I was exposed to photography at a very young age, 4 or 5. My uncle, an amateur photographer, had a darkroom in his Bayonne, New Jersey basement. I don’t remember if I saw a picture coming up in the developing tray or not, but I was instantly intrigued. I believe that was the seed that sprouted in 1977, when I was 31. I was bit hard by the photo bug and began shooting passionately and obsessively.
SUBWAY
Jesse: A good deal of your work was shot on the New York City subway. Were you commuting and shooting or was there a conscious effort to use the subway as a backdrop?
Richard: Sometimes I would go down there and look for pictures. I was on the subway all the time, so it was part of my life. Life in New York City means being on the subway, and that is the great humanist beauty of living in New York. All those faces, each unique, and many unguarded. Each subway car is a cast of different characters. You don’t know whether it’s day or night; you can only guess by how people are dressed or the amount of people there are. It feels like a collective consciousness. A continuous parallel underground reality.
I grew up on the subway and started riding it around age ten by myself or with friends. At first to Chinatown to buy illegal firecrackers and then to Times Square. I would get on the train, not tell my parents, and in 20 minutes be in Times Square. No supervision, going to first run movie theaters, sideshows, and penny arcades. It was a dream world. The subway was already part of my soul by the time I became a photographer. So, I would instinctively look for pictures there. The subway is a tough place to shoot. It separates the men from the boys because there’s nowhere to run.
PHOTOJOURNALISM
Jesse: Did your photojournalism jobs influence your personal photography?
Richard: Because of my early street photography, I was able to get photojournalism assignments from two cool weekly papers in Boston and Cambridge, The Real Paper and The Boston Phoenix. From shooting on the street, I quickly understood that every picture tells a story and is in a sense “photojournalistic.” I loved assignments that visually illustrated the particulars of a written story. I enjoyed making my living while invariably shooting pictures for myself. It was a great opportunity.
The papers would send me to locations to make photo essays, like the Three Mile Island nuclear meltdown in Middletown, PA, in ‘79. Or the Democratic National Convention in New York City in ‘80 and San Francisco in ‘84. I think of my street work as photojournalism or personal journalism perhaps. I am always looking for “the story” in the picture, or on the street. The story that takes the pulse of the time in which I live.
Jesse: Why did you move back to New York City in 1980 and how did that affect your photography?
Richard: On account of the photo essays I shot in Boston, I got an agreement with The New York Times newspaper to shoot freelance for them. So, I moved to back New York City in 1980. It took some months to get regular work from the paper, so I took a job as a foot messenger. I didn’t make a whole lot of money, but it was a way to be on the streets and subways every day. I delivered packages and documents all over town, increasing my exposure to random happenings and new places to shoot. My work significantly improved when I moved back to New York City. I was finally back home in my element.
WINOGRAND
Jesse: Tell me about the three-day photography workshop with Garry Winogrand that you took the summer of 1977.
Richard: Six months into starting photography in Boston, I took this wonderful weekend workshop with Garry Winogrand. At the end of those three days, I felt like I basically understood everything I needed to know about shooting on the street. That happened just by observing him. I really vibed with Winogrand as a teacher because he was intelligent and articulate. We shot in downtown Boston for three days, developed and printed each night after class. I brought my prints into class and put them up on the wall. Amazingly, he really liked one of my photographs (photo above) which was a kick; it’s on page 155 in my book, The Eyes of the City.
In critiques, Winogrand would only acknowledge a photograph that he liked by wrapping it with his index finger. He was saying, “This has the energy,” and I somehow understood that concept. What is the energy? My sense was that the “energy” came more from the formal elements of the frame more than the subject matter. The best pictures are a dialog between the form and the content, wherein each threatens to overwhelm the other.
Two students got kicked out of the class because they hounded him for more feedback about what makes a photo work or not work. He wouldn’t do that. Garry would look at the work and mostly say nothing. When the two students asked him why he wouldn’t say much about the pictures he said, “Good photographs happen by a kind of magic,” and he did not want to offend the “muse” that creates this magic by talking about it too much.
CAMERAS
Jesse: What was your first serious film camera?
Richard: In my first two months of shooting, I used a Minolta SRT 101, a single lens reflex camera. Then, I was gifted a Leica IIIf, red dial. A year and a half later, I bought my Leica M2.
Jesse: When you were shooting in New York, did you carry two cameras?
Richard: I always had two cameras with me. When I started to get work more consistently from The New York Times, I needed all my equipment with me. Which is to say a 90mm, 50mm, 35mm, 28mm lens, a light meter, and a Vivitar 285 flash. I had enough lenses with me, so that if I got a job, I was ready. I had a beeper for The New York Times photo desk. They might send me to Jamaica, Queens, to photograph John Gotti, who was on trial that day for beating the crap out of somebody that took his parking space at his favorite restaurant. Gigs like that. But to your question, I did use two bodies on the street, one (Leica M2) with a 35mm f/2 Leica Summicron and the other (Leica M4-P) with a 28mm f/2.8 Leica Elmarit.
Jesse: What’s the story with your black Leica M2?
Richard: I was on a job for Barron’s magazine, the weekly financial magazine published by The Wall Street Journal. I thought I put the M2 perfectly on my tripod. Somehow though it came unscrewed and fell to marble tiled floor… ouch! So, I took it to Leica New Jersey, and they said they could fix it. Originally a chrome M2, they let me know it needed a top and bottom plate. The technician came out of the workshop into the lobby and asked, “Would you like the top and bottom plate replaced with a chrome or black part?” I said, “Definitely black!” He re-engraved the serial number, which was originally on my chrome camera, onto the new enamel black top plate. If you look up the serial number, it is listed as a chrome body. But it’s a hybrid now, and a moderately unique camera. It’s the camera that I took most of my best photos with. I purchased my Leica M2 in ‘79 and it's still going great. My Leica M4-P I wore out but got nearly 40 years of use out of it.
FLASH
Jesse: I’m a big fan of your work using flash. It has inspired me to mount one to my Leica. What inspired you to start using flash?
Richard: My street photography mentors* in Boston, taught me how to use the flash with longer shutter speeds nearly from day one. New England winters are dark and that poses a “depth of field challenge.” Zone focusing becomes increasingly difficult at larger apertures, even with a wide-angle lens.
For instance, on a dark day where Tri-X at 400 ASA would yield a reading of 125th at f/2.8, I would instead shoot at a fifteenth of a second at f/8 and use the flash on a low power setting. Such an exposure setting would create a picture where the foreground was a bit brighter than the background, and the 1/15th shutter would make a blurred image that was superimposed upon the sharp one due to the flash going off.
What is happening essentially is two pictures; one tack sharp, and one blurry, that are bound together in one frame. Life and vision are like that, it’s both sharp and blurry. I shot that way for many years and felt it suited my style. Thank you, Russell Windman* and Clark Quin*!
WIDE-ANGLE
Jesse: I often think of the Robert Capa quote, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.” I appreciate how close you get to your subjects using wide-angle lenses, perfectly illustrated in this photo (above).
Richard: The guy on the right in this photo is just so bizarre. It's a 21 mm lens in his face with flash. The thing about a 21 mm lens is that when an object is close, it distorts and looks larger. Everything away from the lens as you go deeper into the space looks smaller. It's just experimentation. I didn't know how to use a 21 mm lens when I got it in ’83 or ’84. The first photo we talked about with the woman behind the pole was also with a 21 mm lens (see below). Let's go back to it for a second. I just want to show you one thing. You see the door on the left. It's going off to the left. It's falling away, right? That is the effect of the 21mm lens.
VIDEO
Jesse: What inspired you to include video so prominently in your daily shooting practice?
Richard: I started photography in 1977, I shot Kodak Tri-X on the street essentially every day. First in Boston, and then exclusively in New York City from 1980 until 1992. I always had a camera with me. By 1992, I felt really good about the street pictures I made in those 15 years of shooting, and I wanted to parlay that confidence in a new direction. As luck would have it, my East Village block mate and buddy, Steven Hirsch, (Instagram @stevenhirsch and @yoogeidears), who is a great street photographer, was already into making street video. He taught me the basics.
I was as spellbound by video, as I was by street photography. I continued shooting photos every day, but now video first, with still photography on the back burner. I made six New York City street documentaries on video. I want to mention three of them that are a trilogy: “The Gods of Times Square,” (1999), “Brave New York,” (2004), and “SWAY,” (2006).
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
Jesse: What is your approach to street photography?
Richard: Street photography is difficult and rewarding. Creating strong photographs of people in motion is a dance requiring athleticism, and a quick first step. I approach street photography intuitively, being experimental and taking chances, dancing on the edge of failure.
I’ve been going back through my photography and posting things on Instagram from my contact sheets, that I have never seen or rejected for one reason or another. That rejection seems absurd to me now. Who was that guy that rejected that photo on the contact sheet? Sometimes intuition precedes the intellect. You as the photographer can intuitively be advanced of your mind's ability to understand it. These photographs are finally and righteously coming to life.
Jesse: This is an excerpt of a two-hour interview I did with street photographer, Richard Sandler, in January of 2022. It was an honor to hear about his process as a street photographer, tales of New York City, and a chance to learn from a street photographer that exudes experience. A true master of his craft, who has created an incredible body of work. If you get a chance, pick up his bookThe Eyes of the City. You will not be disappointed.
Also, take a look at his personal website www.richardsandler.com and Instagram @ohstop1946
You can see Jesse's other articles here.
The post RICHARD SANDLER: NEW YORK STREET PHOTOGRAPHER appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.
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10 Years of JCH: 10 Favorite Cameraporn Shots
10 Years of JCH: 10 Favorite Cameraporn Shots
Anniversaries are always a good opportunity for reflection so for 10 years of JCH, why not travel back in time and pull together our 10 favorite cameraporn shots. Over the last 10 years there have been some really special cameras come through the doors of JCH and it is remarkable to see how we have developed (badum tish) over the years. So many in fact that putting together a list of our 10 favorite cameraporn shots has ended up being quite the challenge. But we persevered and found what we think are our favorites. So, in no particular order, here they are.
Leica Takahashi M4 MS Optical Collection
This camera was really special. It was painted in a special style by famed Japanese painter Takahashi, it is surrounded by a collection of MS Optical lenses, of which I only have a couple of now as I pared down my collection. This camera went to a very happy home. You can read more about the camera here.
A pair of 'Dream Lenses'
This pair of Canon 50mm 0.95 'dream' lenses were converted by Miyazaki san many years ago. The black Leica is my MP-6 and the greenish one is the JCH 'Patina' M4, a custom piece that you can read more about here.
The Hasselblad 503CX CF ‘Golden Blue’ 50th Anniversary Camera
This camera came as a set of 3 very special blue and gold cameras. And the requirement was that the set not be broken up, so we sold them together, but not before we got some very tasty pictures of this incredible camera. You can see the full set here.
The Mamiya 645 Color Edition Stormtrooper
This camera was part of a set of special color edition Mamiya cameras that were released by Mamiya. We managed to get most of the collection, but not all. You can see more images of the others here.
The Sean Flynn Leica M2
Probably one of the most special cameras I ever found. This one had a lot of meaning for me and I was really disappointed to find that the camera was sold on auction, against the wishes of the family. You can read more about this camera here.
The Mamiya 645 Color Edition Mellow Yellow
This one another of the cameras in the Mamiya color edition series. All of these cameras were made by Mamiya, they were not custom cameras and were available individually, with 9 cameras to collect. You can see more images of the others here.
The Canon QL17 Pyramid
When we made this image we had a bunch of QL17's. I had been collecting them for a while and it got the point that things were getting out of hand. I had way too many to be keeping them all. So I had them all CLA'd and sold them off. But before they went we simply had to get this image, it would be rude not to.
The Nikkor 13mm f/5.6 Ai-s Fisheye
This was a real score for me. Back when I was just starting JCH I was able to find this, the holy grail of Nikon lenses for many. The incredible 13mm f/5.6 Ai-s Nikkor. You can read more about this lens here.
My Rangefinder Collection
This image is from a long time ago. Back when I was just starting JCH, and all of these cameras were actually mine. When I was still searching fro the camera that I eventually ended up with, I cycled through a lot of RF cameras. Once day I had them all out of the dest and thought to myself that I really needed to get a shot of them. And here it is. I only have one of these cameras now, can you guess which one?
The Fujinon 5cm 1.2 S mount
This one was very interesting. I found an S mount Fujinon 5cm 1.2! Which was never released for sale. Almost all of them were LTM, but this one was an S mount. It turned out to be a prototype made by Fujinon of which only 8-12 lenses are known to exist. Seriously cool.
So those are our favorite 10 Cameraporn shots from the last 10 years. You can see more images over on Instagram or Flickr.
Which one is your favourite?
JCH
The post 10 Years of JCH: 10 Favorite Cameraporn Shots appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.
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