Nameisis Film Paradise

Camera of Week 39 – Leica C11

Nameisis — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:49:08 +0000

According to reviews Leica C11 was one of best pocket zooms for APS system, although APS itself is crap. It’s also only Leica APS camera, as thank god they didn’t made more but stuck to 35mm cameras.

C11 sports 23-70mm 1:4.8-1:9.5 zoom lens, which as you can see is very slow at tele end. Lens coverage is about what would 35-105 lens cover on 35mm camera. AF uses active infra-red system for focusing, exposure metering is center-weighted. ISO rating can be chosen from 25 to 3200. Available shutter speeds are from 1 second to 1/600th of second. Camera also has inbuilt flash, weights 210 grams and takes CR2 battery.

Rating from photographyreview.com:

“Strengths: Good looks.

Weaknesses: Poor pics.”

Price: About 20-30 euros in German eBay. Bidding starts from 10 euros. Or $200 at ebay.com

Leica C11 from http://alpsdo.cocolog-nifty.com/

Leica C11 from http://alpsdo.cocolog-nifty.com

Info from: http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Leica_C11

Filed under: Camera Tagged: APS, APS film, Believeinfilm, C11, camera, Film, German, Leica, Lomo

Runner up in Bunny Yeager’s Darkroom X Lomography: Pin-up Competition

Nameisis — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 17:16:21 +0000

Last week I was selected as runner-up for Bunny Yeger’s Darkroom X Lomography Pin-up competition. This is the first time i actually won anything in photo competition, so now i am “Award-winning photographer”

Model of course is my beautiful and lovely wife Dace, pictures taken with Nikon F5 and 50mm f/1.8D lens.

Here is my runner-up entry :

Dace

And here are rest of my entries – http://www.lomography.com/homes/nameisis/albums/1946098-pinup-2013-april

Filed under: Black&White, Fuji, negative film Tagged: 135 film, 35mm, Art, Believeinfilm, Betty Boop, Betty page, Bunny Yeager, Film Photography, FilmWins, Fuji, high art, Kodak, Lomo, Lomography, Photography, Pin Up, Superia, Tmax, Tmax 3200

Camera of week 38 – Promaster 2500PK Super

Nameisis — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 05:38:07 +0000

This week’s camera is Promaster 2500PK Super. In case you didn’t know (like me) Promaster is american photographic accessory distributor. 2500PK is a manual focus 35 mm camera that uses famous Pentax K mount. Usually sold with either 50 mm f/1.7 or 28-80 mm lens. Available shutter speeds are from 1 second to 1/2000th of second with Bulb mode. Flash sync at 1/125th of second. Usual level self-timer of that age, delay of 10 seconds. Camera uses center-weighted metering, which is done with silicone photodiode (TTL). One can choose ISO speeds from 25 to 3200. Viewfinder has 92% coverage, magnification 0.91x. Apart from some low-end models this one features depth of field preview button. Camera is manual focus and has two aid for focusing – Split image and microprism, film winding and rewind is manual. Meter is powered by two 1.5 V SR44 batteries.

More info here - http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Promaster_2500PK_Super and http://promaster.com/products.asp?product=5364

Price:

Is very low you can get great bundle with camera, film and other accessories for 20 dollars here - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Promaster-2500PK-Super-Camera-More-Great-Deal-Look-/271189412562?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item3f24260ad2

Or two cameras with 50mm lenses + 2 more lenses for 60$ - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Promaster-2500PK-Super-Film-Cameras-lenses-/111055146722?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item19db670ee2

Drew Barrymore with Promaster 2500PK Super – http://www.coolspotters.com

Promaster 2500PK Super from http://www.servicephoto.com

Filed under: Camera Tagged: 135 film, 35mm camera, 35mm film, 50mm lens, Barrymore, Believeinfilm, Black white, camera, Drew Barrymore, Film, FilmWins, promaster, promaster 2500PK, Slide film

Camera of week 37 – Bronica GS-1

Nameisis — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:57:35 +0000

Sorry for being absent for some time. But now, I am back and will try to keep writing about new articles

So this week we have Bronica GS-1. GS-1 was largest SLR produced by Bronica as it’s their only 6×7 camera. Introduced in 1983 and faced death sentence at 2002.

Camera was designed to be as small and light as possible. Plastics are used everywhere they can, so result it that this camera is much lighter and smaller than Mamiya RB67/RZ67 and also lighter than some of smaller format SLR cameras. Body alone weights just over 600 grams. Similar to most of MF (Medium Format not Manual Focus) SLR’s GS-1 also features modular design. It means that apart from usual 35mm SLR’s where you can only change lenses and finder glass, this camera also allows changing prisms and backs. Interchangeable backs are very useful feature as they allows to take various films each in its own back, so you can change back with film in mid roll. Also it allows usage of different film formats and types. Like 220 back instead of 120 back. Lastly but not least camera sync’s at all available shutter speeds (up to 1/500 sec.).

There are numerous lens available for this camera ranging from 50mm ultra wide (uses rare 95mm size filter ring) to 500mm telephoto lens ( full list is – 50, 65, 80, 100, 110, 150, 200, 250, 500 mm lenses). On top of it there are two teleconverters (1.4x and 2x). Like most of MF lenses these aren’t particularly close focusing (except 110mm Macro lens) so one will need extension rings for macro work. Standard lens for this camera is 100mm f/3.5, together with 80mm lens it’s also fastest from whole bunch.

There are various backs available for GS-1 – 6×7, 6×6 6×4,5 and Polaroid, thank god 35mm back was not made for this beast. Smaller size backs are waste in my opinion, if one wants to shoot smaller format it easier just to get camera for needed format. GS-1 also has dedicated speedlight flash G-1 and speed grip, these two make GS-1 only 6×7 camera that has TTL flash metering. Camera uses one silver 6V silver oxide battery ( PX28 also called 4SR44 or 4G13).

Price: About 400$ for kit (includes body, 100mm lens, 120 film back and prism), less if you buy one that has been battered. And more if you “lucky” enough to live in Europe.

Info from here: http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Bronica_GS-1

Bronica GS-1 from http://www.chemicalcameras.files.wordpress.com

Bronica GS-1 with Prism Finder from http://www.chemicalcameras.files.wordpress.com

Bronica GS-1 with Speed Grip from http://chemicalcameras.files.wordpress.com

Filed under: Camera, Film Tagged: 120 film, 6x7, Believeinfilm, Bronica, camera, Film, Film Photography, FilmWins, Fuji, Ilford, Kodak, manual, manual focusing, medium format

Me at Believeinfilm.com

Nameisis — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:48:47 +0000

Here is small interview with me at believeinfilm.com here take a look - http://believeinfilm.com/article/quick-interview-kaspars-segli%C5%86%C5%A1-gr%C4%ABnblats

Filed under: Photo lab, Photography, Various Tagged: Believeinfilm, Film, Film Photography, FilmWins, Photography

Camera of week 36 – Polaroid CU-5

Nameisis — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 19:37:46 +0000

CU-5 is a professional fixed focus studio camera designed for macro and close-up work. Built in lens is Tominon 127mm f/4.7, which can be stopped down to f/45. Some models also came with 75mm f/4.5 lens. Available shutter speeds range from 1/125th of second to 1 second + bulb and timed settings. Other notable features are built-in cable release and PC socket for flash sync. Interestingly it has ring flash around lens, which is very useful for macro photography. CU-5 has removable type 100 film back with built-in darkslide. Extension tubes could be added between lens unit and removable film back.

Control for aperture and shutter speeds are hidden under top cover which first must opened to gain access to controls and cable release. There are also 3 settings on top of camera for various Polaroid films. Also available was dental model for close up photos of teeth.

More info: http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Polaroid_CU-5

Price: As with most Polaroid cameras these can be had cheap, 20 or so dollars, more in you live in Europe. Of course there are always people who will try to sell this for several hundred, but don’t look at them.

Polaroid CU-5 by Nicholas Middleton

Filed under: Camera Tagged: Believeinfilm, camera, Film, FilmWins, Impossible project, Polaroid, polaroid type 100, Vintage

Camera of week 35 – Yashica Future 127

Nameisis — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 20:46:26 +0000

Yashica Future 127 was a Yashica 4x4cm prototype camera made in 1959. It was first Japanese camera with auto-exposure, called “Electric-eye” during that time. After Americans made Bell & Howell Electric Eye 127, Revere Eye-Matic EE 127 and Kodak Brownie Starmatic, Japanese didn’t want to fall back and started to develop their own auto-exposure cameras. During next year two cameras with auto-exposure were shown to public Yashica Future 127 and Olympus Eye 44. These prototype cameras didn’t enter production because 4×4 format fad ended, but experience gained with these cameras where transferred to 35mm film auto-exposure models like Flash-O-Set and Yashica 35EE, released to public in 1961 and 1962 respectively. Camera was intended for use in either vertical or horizontal position as it doesn’t matter with square format, although it was quite small it weighted 900 grams or about 2 pounds. Film travels vertically like on TLR cameras and film advance knob in on right side. Film advance is controlled via regular red window. As with most old cameras, this one also doesn’t have any means for showing what exposed area will be, like parallax lines or brighter part of viewfinder. Camera also features usual X sync terminal for flash, UV filter fitted in front of lens and self-timer. Lens itself is 3-element Yashinon 60mm f/3.5 and uses Copal MKV also know as Copal-SV shutter. Available shutter speeds range from 1/500th when ASA/ISO is 200 to 1/30th of second when ASA is set to 12 + Bulb mode. Aperture is controlled automatically by camera meter.

Focusing is done via front black ring, good part is that it only moves front element of lens. Minimal focusing distance for this camera was intended 1 meter, similar to other viewfinder cameras distance to subject must be determined by eye. Flash sync control button and shutter cocking lever were put between focusing ring and camera body.

Info from: http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Yashica_Future_127

Yashica Future 127 from Shashin Kōgyō May and June 1959

Yashica Future 127 without front plate from Shashin Kōgyō May and June 1959

Filed under: Camera Tagged: 127, 127 film, 127 type, Believeinfilm, camera, Film, Film Camera, Film Photography, FilmWins, Japan, Magazine, negative film, Photography, Prototype, Yashica

2012 in review

Nameisis — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:57:20 +0000

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 11,000 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 18 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Camera of Week 34 – Canon TX

Nameisis — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 22:33:20 +0000

Canon TX is amateur level 35mm film SLR which uses famous FD lens mount (Canon lens mount before EOS – EF mount). TX was made in 1975, next year it was “upgraded” to 1976 TLb which was same camera but without flash hot shoe.

Canon TX is striped down version of Canon FTb, TX was made as export camera to America. Some changes from FTb are: use of center-weighted metering instead of TTL averaging meter in FTb, lower minimum shutter speed 1/500th instead of 1/1000 of second and some other things.

TX uses CdS photocell for exposure metering, on good side it provides TTL metering with needle. What looks like self timer lever is actually stop-down lever and interestingly this camera doesn’t provide self timer option. Other usual features are there B mode, hot shoe and PC terminals for flash sync.

Price: Still no bids for body + 50mm f/1.8 lens at $9.99. As stated before this is export camera for US market, so look only in ebay.com or american thrift stores.

Info from: http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Canon_TX

Canon TX from http://1.bp.blogspot.com/

Filed under: Camera, Film Tagged: 135 film, 35mm, 35mm film, B/W 35mm film, Believeinfilm, camera, Canon, Film, film photogaphy, FilmWins, Fuji, Fujifilm, Kodak, negative film, Photo, Photography, Photos, Prints

Camera of week 33 – Indra Lux

Nameisis — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:41:10 +0000

Indra Lux is plastic camera made which was made at 1949 in Germany. Indra uses type 127 film and has fixed-focus 60mm/f7.7 lens. It has large tinted viewfinder which tries to simulate look what you will get from B/W films. Interesting feature is two legs at bottom which not only allows camera to sit straight but one of them is also tripod socket and second one serves as spare film holder. Indra Lux also featured quite interesting one year warranty against breakage and that is probably why Indra company went down shortly after this camera was released as it was quite breakable. Basically this is toy camera by today’s standards.

Info from – http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Indra_Lux

Price: There are currently no models available on eBay, but collectiblend.com lists this for over $200. Although people have bought this as cheap as 25 euro from thrift stores.

Indra Lux from – http://static.skynetblogs.be

Filed under: Camera Tagged: 127 film, B/W, Black and white, camera, Film, Film Photography, Negative, negative film, Photography