What camera(s) are you using this weekend?

Giving a couple of my favourites an exercise, the Minolta SR-T 202 fitted with the excellent Minolta MD 35-70mm f/3.5 lens. I've posted a few samples over on the current weekly thread.

 

Minolta SR-T 202

 

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Gorgeous shot, Rick. I'm guessing it's on a sheet of glass, over the table, and that's why it looks like it's floating? I find the reflection on the lower edge distracting but, overall, it's great gear porn. :)

davecaz said:

I find the reflection on the lower edge distracting

 

Me too. I toyed with the idea of removing it in PP but I was a little pushed for time. Yes, photographing objects on glass sheets always has its pros and cons.

davecaz said:

I find the reflection on the lower edge distracting

 

It started to nag me, so I sorted it.

 

Minolta SR-T 202

 

As I've said in past threads, that 35-70 is a good fit for the SRT series of cameras. Mine is currently "assigned" to my SRT 101, waiting for film later today.

The last new 35-70 I saw was at the family camera shop in the late 80's. We sold it with an X700, motor drive, and PX 280 flash. As I recall, it made an easy to handle outfit.

As I've said in past threads, that 35-70 is a good fit for the SRT series of cameras. Mine is currently "assigned" to my SRT 101, waiting for film later today.

The last new 35-70 I saw was at the family camera shop in the late 80's. We sold it with an X700, motor drive, and PX 280 flash. As I recall, it made an easy to handle outfit.

Do you have the Minolta lens hood for this lens, Mike? I found it to be rather small and ineffective, and I now use the slightly deeper lens hood as illustrated. Mind you, I can't remember where I stored the original lens hood, anyway; somewhere safe, never to be seen again...

Rick- I don't have the hood, but usually don't have too much of a problem with flare. If I need a hood I just use the one from my Minolta 35-135. My first 35-70 (that I had in the early 80's) had a metal hood that was threaded like a filter. It really didn't make that much difference as I recall.

Still haven't finished the roll in the Nicca 3-F

And I actually haven't got any weekend plans. :(

I will likely finish the Plus-X in my Minolta XE (currently with Tamron 35-80) and will then pick up SRT 101 with MD 35-70. If bright enough (cloudy bright to sunny) I plan to takes some photos with my old Seimar 400mm f 6.3 preset.

Might take the Fujica out for a spin, if I can manage to stay cool enough :cool:. Haven't decided on film yet.

 

 

Fujica ST 801

If the weather cooperates, I'll be testing 2 Nikon FA cameras using some Kentmere 100 film. Gotta check out the shutter speeds and light meters as well as the four program modes.

Who wants to take pictures when you have coffee & strudel !! Nice combo Rick. After a long hibernation, my Ercona II will see some daylight (UFX 100) along with it's cousin the Fed-2 / Jupiter (Kentmere 400). Guess it will just have to be fresh berries at todays Market to start. Aloha from the Mainland, Bill

I often take a cup of coffee to the darkroom for those morning developing sessions. Good luck to everyone who's battling the weather to have photo ops.

Finished up the roll of Plus-X in my Minolta XE with the 400mm f 6.3 preset attached. Of course, even a preset gives aperture priority automation with the XE. My preferred way to use a preset whether with match needle or aperture priority is turn the aperture ring to minimum and the open/close ring to wide open. I just turn the C/O ring until the needle matches or I get the desired shutter speed in AE. Works well enough that I never felt the need to buy a 400 with automatic diaphragm. I'll post a picture of the lens later.

Using 3 out of 4 cameras in the photo below. The Bolsey needs some more work before I put film in it, but HP5+ in the Rollei 35 and Olympus 35RC. The Olympus XA, in a departure from my usual film choices, is loaded with a roll of Rolleipan 25 (one of about five or so reloads I have left from a bulk roll I bought several years back). Not the same film as the current RPX 25. Haven't decided yet if I'll soup in HC110 dilution H or stand develop in Rodinal at 1:100.

Note this is an older photo so ISO dials are not set for the film loaded.

Using 3 out of 4 cameras in the photo below. The Bolsey needs some more work before I put film in it, but HP5+ in the Rollei 35 and Olympus 35RC. The Olympus XA, in a departure from my usual film choices, is loaded with a roll of Rolleipan 25 (one of about five or so reloads I have left from a bulk roll I bought several years back). Not the same film as the current RPX 25. Haven't decided yet if I'll soup in HC110 dilution H or stand develop in Rodinal at 1:100.

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Note this is an older photo so ISO dials are not set for the film loaded.

Not to sidetrack the thread too much, but I notice that three of the four are among the most lauded compact 35mm's, so I'm curious about the Bolsey. Is it the equal of the others, when it's working properly?

In it's day the Bolsey was one of the most compact non-folding 35's available. It has a 44mm f 3.2 lens made by Wolensak with a shutter of 1/10 to 1/200 second plus B and T. The "set-o-matic" system couples with focusing distance to automatically compute flash exposure as you focus. Not too shabby for 1953.

I found mine in a box of unclaimed repairs from the camera shop. It had been in non-climate controlled storage for about 15 years, After some Ronsonol cleaning I got the shutter to fire (a bit erratic at first). The film advance jams from time to time so I'm still working on it. Although the front of the camera is compact, it is pretty thick. Here's a top view.

In it's day the Bolsey was one of the most compact non-folding 35's available. It has a 44mm f 3.2 lens made by Wolensak with a shutter of 1/10 to 1/200 second plus B and T. The "set-o-matic" system couples with focusing distance to automatically compute flash exposure as you focus. Not too shabby for 1953.

I found mine in a box of unclaimed repairs from the camera shop. It had been in non-climate controlled storage for about 15 years, After some Ronsonol cleaning I got the shutter to fire (a bit erratic at first). The film advance jams from time to time so I'm still working on it. Although the front of the camera is compact, it is pretty thick. Here's a top view.

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Yeah, they're "chunky monkeys". I think I still have one, but it's never worked in the time I've had it, and I don't know much about the cameras. Most sources seem more interested in the company's founder than they are in the cameras.

More on the Bolsey: a few years ago Surplus Shed was selling the lens/shutter unit that went in the later Bolsey Jubilee. It had a Steinheil f 2.8, but the shutter still only went to a blistering 1/200. I bought one of the surplus units and it works, but the apertures and shutter speeds are not labeled. I do not believe it will fit my B22 so it's still in the package.

Back to the Rangefinders for a change. Nicca IIIf with Pancro 400.

I'm trying to exercise a few cameras that have sat untouched for some time, and I've loaded the last few frames from a roll of Arista EDU 100 Ultra into this oddly beautiful VEB Pentacon Pentina M.

 

Pentina M

 

 

 

Rollei 35 with HP5+ and Minolta SRT 101 with MD 35-70 with Plus-X. Also found my old Nikon Lite Touch (28mm f 3.5) and thought I'd run a roll through it.

A shot of the 400mm preset that I mentioned earlier in the thread.

For those not familiar with this lens, the preset 400 is long, but lightweight. I usually just stop it down to f 32 and use the open/close ring to continuously vary the aperture until I get what I want. If you want a bit more reach there is also a 500mm f 8 version .

Nice shot of the lens Mike. I crafted a rifle like stock for mine. . . I would not think of using that arrangement at the race with todays environment. Bill

"New" Fed-2 (green) came in todays post. . N-61 L/D lens, so will "test drive" the combo at tomorrows Farmers Market with some UFX400. Bill

No photography for me this weekend. I'm having minor knee surgery Saturday, and I'll be using crutches for several days.