Looking For Some Wheels

03-11-18

Can’t believe it was May 2015 when my car was totalled this is the longest I’ve been without a car since I passed my driving test in 1973. Spent the last few days trawling the internet car sale sites, I don’t want to spend lots of money as the car will have to stand on the road, but it needs to be good enough to take me over to France next year to see my friends.

The main reasons for wanting another car is to get the cats easily to the vets for their annual vaccinations, and Fleur needs her teeth cleaning. Also I want to get out and about more with my cameras to different locations, having being spurred on by some old negatives I found from the Rolleiflex the other week.

Lathkill Dale – Derbyshire

Konica ir750 infrared film.

100 percent crop from the above.

Portmeirion – North Wales

Kodak Tri-X
Where they filmed The Prisoner TV series.

Barry Island – South Wales – Steam Engine Graveyard

Ilford Pan F
This is a really old one from the 1980’s. Fortunately most of the Steam Engines were rescued and can be seen running on the many preserved railways around the UK.

Well back to searching the internet for a car. Have a great weekend.

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3 Film Cameras #3

17-05-18

Canon EOS 500n, really like this combination of the Canon and my old Helios lens. Now I’m getting older my eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be, but the Canon gives me focus confirmation which really helps. I loaded the camera with Kodacolor 200 which had expired in 2001 and rather than getting it developed at the fast photo outlet in town I sent it off to the excellent FilmDev lab, what a difference.

These images were taken back in March.

Rustic Bench

Just Before Spring

Photo Buddy

Considering the long out of date film I was really pleased with the images.

3 Film Cameras #2

27-04-18

Konica Off Road/Workman/Site Supervisor

I bought this camera over 10 years ago, ran a roll of film through it and put back on the shelf, I wasn’t that impressed with the images, they looked flat and grainy to me. So I thought it deserved another chance to redeem itself. The camera has a fixed 40mm lens protected from the elements by a permanently attached glass filter, and a rubber covered waterproof/shockproof body. I loaded it with some fresh Fuji C200 and took it with me on one of my walks to the local arboretum and into town.

Fresh Pine

Vapour Trail

Old Eyes

Yuk

I have changed my opinion about the Konica, the results this time were really good. A lot of this has to do with the developing and scanning by FilmDev  their service is excellent and very quick, I opted for the smallest scans for these images. So if it’s raining (most likely) when I go out, I’ll take the Konica with me.

Ricoh Shotmaster Ultra Dual #3

I was just congratulating myself last week for going about four years without having a cold or flu, so foolish. Friday the throat started to feel sore, got a really annoying dry cough, and an aching head, so I have now got Man Flu. At least I’ve got a film to process if I’m going to have to stay indoors, and some old negs I’d like to scan. 

I wondered if the Ricoh Shotmaster would be any good for street photography, I’m never sure about autofocus cameras when shooting from the hip. There was a continental market in the town a few weeks ago, the weather was good so I thought I would give it a try.

Face In The Crowd

What You Doing

I was pleasantly surprised, I’m sure the bright light helped as the camera would have stopped down to give a good depth of field.

My Nurse Maid ! (Mimi)

Ricoh Shotmaster Ultra Dual #2

The Last Real Department Store Closes

35mm lens Setting

55mm lens Setting
This was the last real traditional department store in the city and has now sadly closed. I used to shop there for greetings cards and kitchen bits bobs, the staff were really friendly and helpful. The store was first opened in 1880, it was called Joseph Johnson & Co. (Some interesting History) This seems to be the story in a lot of countries around the world. I believe it’s going to become apartments, no surprise there.

Victoria Park Gateway

35mm lens Setting
On a brighter note the the gates and stonework to Victoria park (not far from where I live) have been restored and look really good. They have also completely rebuilt the car park, I was a bit dismayed at first because they cut down a lot of trees, but have replanted with more than there were before.   

Ricoh Shotmaster Ultra Dual #1

22-04-17

I couldn’t resist, it was on that auction site at a £1.00. starting bid, but the postage was £5.00. (a bit steep) No one else bid so it was mine. I have always liked Ricoh cameras and this was a model I hadn’t seen before. It has a dual lens (35mm & 55mm) rather than a zoom, the flash can be turned off by a flicking a slider, there’s an infinity button and the viewfinder cover acts as the on/off switch. The camera is quite small and easily fits in a coat pocket, and an added bonus is that it takes two standard AA batteries.

Loaded it up with £1.00 a roll Agfa Vista 200asa and took it out with me on my walks to town.

Natural Green (35mm)

The light was quite tricky for this shot, sun and shade. I have found Agfa Vista 200 has a slight magenta cast, but the Ricoh coped well with the lighting conditions.

Brightening Up The Park (35mm)

More tricky lighting.

Pegs & Finials (55mm)

Having recently bought a Nikon TW zoom 35-70 and then donated it to a charity shop because of the really slow autofocus I didn’t know what to expect from the Ricoh, I needn’t have worried, it has one of the quickest autofocus systems of all of my compact cameras.

The film was developed by a local high street photo store, and scanned in by me on my Nikon Coolscan as near to neutral as I could get, with some contrast and sharpening adjustments in Lightroom to get rid of the digital fug. 

 

Searching for software

While looking for some old software today I came across a CD labeled 02-02 Spurn Head, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spurn then it all came back to me. I remember I was getting a bit stir crazy and needed to get out on the road, Spurn Head Yorkshire seemed an interesting place so off I set on a very foggy Sunday morning, only 145 miles(233 km)

Within 5 miles of Spurn Head amazingly the fog cleared, and the sun came out. The photo’s were taken on my Olympus OM2n with 135mm and 24mm Zuiko lenses on Kodak Ektachrome 200asa, I really miss that film stock.

Canon T70 – Last Few

Used a B&W Red filter on these last few shots.

The red filter darkens the leaves and foilage

No 3, next to the boxing club

Y’s

The Red filter also darkens skies and lightens red brickwork

Straight Curve

Curve Theatre Leicester

Canon T70 #3

2 to try 1 to keep

I’ve had the Konica MT9 and Olympus AF1 Super for about 8 years, only put a film through the Konica (8 years ago) and it seemed to have a good lens. Looking forward to trying the Olympus as it is reputed to have a similar lens to the Olympus Mju. The Minox was given to me in the early 1980’s by my great aunt, It’s an original Riga made camera but needs a service, and film is quite difficult to get so I will keep it for display only.

French Lavender

This came out quite abstract looking, it must be the way the film records Green.

My favourite tree (yet again)

This was taken with the Tamron 28mm 2.5

Delicate Bridge

Canon 35mc – 200 asa Colour Film, Converted to Black & White

Taken in 2006 in Sauveterre de Bearn,  Aquitaine, France. I never get fed up visiting this lovely place.