More from Uttoxeter

<p>A while ago I posted some shots done with a Rollei at Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, UK, and mentioned that I'd done some black&white 35mm at the same time. Well I've now got them back from being re-scanned but there is still dust and hairs on the scans, which I don't really have time to clean up, so here goes:</p><div></div>

<p>Oh, I didn't mention the camera. It's a borderline classic, Japanese, very small - about the size of an XA, with manual scale focus and manual lever wind, but automatic exposure. I'll reveal it at the end of the posts.</p><div></div>

<p>There are some strange street names in Uttoxeter.</p><div></div>

<p>Sorry that should be Mews not Row.<br>

The railway runs alongside a road called Old Knotty Way. The North Staffordshire Railway was nicknamed "The Knotty" because of the knot on its coat of arms.</p><div></div>

<p>The nearby racecourse was the reason for the visit, where my wife went to a quilting show whilst I took the pictures.</p><div></div>

<p>The notices at the racecourse.</p><div></div>

<p>Last one, in the parade ring at the racecourse (with permission...).</p><div></div>

<p>One more, this was at Melton Market a few days later. I think one of these guys could do with a pint.<br /> Any ideas about the camera? It begins with "C". Not Canon!</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>I see this is the more "modern" part of Uttoxeter.</p>

<p>Your dirty scans look cleaner than most people's, nice eye for form.</p>

<p>I'd better come clean about the camera, before I go to bed.</p><div></div>

<p>Probably inspired by the XA, this one has a retracting lens and barn doors which open when you operate the wind on lever, and close again when you park the lever. It's very well built like other Chinon gear I've owned, with a solid, reassuring feel. Excellent for street photography where the lack of a rangefinder is not too much of a problem, zone focusing being the way to go. The rangefinder on the XA is a bit of a fiddle.<br>

I bought it for a few pounds in its presentation case from the Disabled Photographers Society stand at the Focus on Imaging show at Birmingham NEC in February. Sadly the flashgun seems to have flashed its last.<br>

Thanks for looking.</p>

<p>Fantastic shots from that little camera.Very crisp lens. It's great seeing street scenes from other countries shot by locals. They go so much deeper than snapshots we see in magazines.</p>

<p>Nice photos! The one from the street cafe reminds me how long I haven't been to England. Must be about 15 years. In those times there hadn't been street cafes.<br>

The Chinon looks more like a Minox 35, apart from the flash, which is certainly inspired by Olympus.</p>

<p>Really Nice pictures! My B&W, which I do myself are terribly dirty.. I have no good explanation other than it's terribly dusty here! Yours in contrast seem nice and clean and that Chinon lens is nice and sharp! I really like the local flavor..going to "the track" while the wife quilts... hope the winnings cover the thread costs!! Really liked the Fire engine and I was intrigued by the bush sculpture!</p>

 

<p>Chuck sadly the racecourse was closed, this was where they held the quilting show - an increasingly popular hobby here as in the US. Also I'm not by nature a gambling man. Also it enabled me to get into the parade ring to shoot the horse shaped bush (topiary).<br>

The Bellami is a lot like the Minox but more practical in that it takes standard batteries, it also feels more solid - the lens may not be in the same class but it's not too bad. I normally apply a little unsharp mask to the scans after resizing them to 700px wide for photo.net, this at least makes them look as sharp as the actual photographs. Thanks to all for the comments.</p>