david_tellet

<p>Aside from the math, I find the 38 f1.8 to be a remarkable lens and I like the results better than some of my full frame cameras. Very sharp and with good contrast and somehow I haven't seen the severe grain that I was expecting. Really great camera though the prices have stayed high on these. </p>

<p>The Darkroom (<a href="http://www.thedarkroom.com">www.thedarkroom.com</a>) is my go-to lab. Reasonable price, fast service, and they really seem to care and support film photography. I haven't gotten prints from them yet so I can't comment on that. They are also the lab for Ilford in the US.<br> Blue Moon Camera and Machine (<a href="http://www.bluemooncamera.com">www.bluemooncamera.com</a>) does good work and I think they may still do wet prints.<br> Old School Photo Lab (<a href="http://www.oldschoolphotolab.com">www.oldschoolphotolab.com</a>) also does a good job though I haven't used them in a few years. </p>

<p>Shame. I have had one Mirai freeze up on me, but the more common issue for me was the mirror sticking. The zoom is normally really slow, but it still should move off of 35mm. Ben, if you can't get it working, contact me and I can send you a working one.</p>

<p>If you have access to an old TV or CRT monitor, here is a quick way to check the shutter speed:<br> http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-135.html<br> At least it would give you an idea if the speeds are far off.</p>

<p>What is missing with Pentax "accessories"? Have you considered keeping your Pentax glass and getting a K2S or K3? I haven't seen them first hand yet, but they seem to be a lot of cameras for the money. You would also be more familiar with the user interface and menu system than switching to N or C.</p>

<p>There is another article about the IS-3 in Popular Photography, March 1993 - Herbert Keppler's SLR column. Also in Google Books.</p>

<p>The magazine is Popular Photography, July 1993. Available online in Google books. A very thorough test of the IS-3 with an interesting sidebar on testing the lens on their bench testing equipment. Olympus provided a body-less lens and special electronics to handle it. It seems that Olympus felt they had to make the lens better than a comparable SLR lens in order to compete with the SLRs. And yes, the accessory lenses were very good, though I haven't experimented with them much to confirm that. <br> I'm not sure how long the old electronics will last in these cameras, but they are fun to shoot while they last. Cheap enough to have a few spares around.</p>

<p>Love these posts JDM. The Mirai is my favorite but I prefer the lens on the Olympus IS-3. And the Samurai is a great half-frame with a lens that is far better than it needed to be. All fun cameras that can produce great pictures and can be picked up for a song. </p>

<p>The SRTs are really nice, dependable cameras that produce great results. I agree about the match needle display - I really don't know why (except for complexity) cameras moved away from this intuitive display. </p> <p>Also agree on the Arista. I use the bulk roll too, but haven't quite figured out the optimum way to process in my usual HC-110. Medium format in HC-110 is great - sharp and contrasty.</p> <p>Every time you post moves me closer to trying out the Pyrocat. Thanks. I think.</p>

<p>If in the US:</p> <p>Film: Film Photography Project; Freestyle; B&H, Adorama</p> <p>Processing: The Darkroom; Blue Moon Photo; Old School Photo Lab (and the other previously mentioned).</p> <p>Plenty of choices for processing and printing. Some of these will still do silver prints. Nothing to prevent you from using those cameras again except some cost. </p> <p>Eventually if you find yourself wanting to do some processing and scanning, all the equipment and chemistry is readily available for B&W and color. If you don't mind digital prints, those are easy and cheap to order online.</p> <p>Enjoy the cameras!</p>

<p>I have a number of TLRs and they all seem to have different strengths and weaknesses and personalities. Sometimes it is hard to find the right fit. The C220/330 always produce great images to my eye, but I don't really enjoy shooting with them that much. As long as you figure in the parallax, they also are great for close-up shots (not sure if any of the others mentioned can do this). I think if you are going to do general stuff and then maybe some portraiture, the Mamiya is a good choice because of the lens options.<br> An Ikoflex is another well built camera that I enjoy using a lot, but I'm not crazy about the lens - could be I just have a bum one. I think the build quality is very high for these cameras and the cost is usually low.<br> Another option from left field is a Flexaret. I have two and have had some film transport issues (slight overlapping), but the lenses are super sharp. There are a couple of reputable dealers on the Bay who sell these at around $100.<br> Lots of options for you, even without considering other formats, but you have some good advice in this thread. Good luck with your search.</p>

<p>Absolutely agree with Sandy on this. My main reason I shoot more film than digital is that I can now afford the better film cameras which come with those feelings of operating a fine machine which I prefer to operating a fine computer (dslr). It means I prefer to shoot with my OM-2 or Olympus Pen FT (half-frame) even if the resulting picture isn't necessarily "better" than other cameras. Ultimately I think one needs to use the tool that gives them the most pleasure and not be too wrapped up in specifications or even practicality.</p>

<p>If you don't mind some electronics and automation, I'd suggest a Pentax 645N SLR. Large bright viewfinder, a lot of the conveniences of a 35mm SLR (P A S M, autofocus), metering choices, auto bracketing, focus confirmation, and really good ergonomics. As long as you stick with the manual focus lenses they are quite affordable and produce good results.</p>

<p>I haven't explored Canons yet (though the EOS 1V is certainly inviting) so I can't compare it against others that might be "the finest ...", but it would be a fun shoot-out with my Minolta Alpha (Maxxum) 9. Yes, Les, it does have a 1/12000 shutter, plus weather sealed, dials instead of buttons, 100% bright VF, eye-start, and a pop-up flash that also will control other flash units wirelessly. The 9 or the later Maxxum 7 were certainly the best (modern) cameras that Minolta made (IMHO).</p>