My Altissa Altix V

<p>Thank you so much guys for your generous help in getting my Altix V to work. I wanted to share some camera porn and my first roll of color, processed at a local supermarket lab.</p>

<p>The story of this camera is that I bought it probably 7 years ago. My best guess, based on model numbers, is that it is slightly older than I am (probably 1957'ish). In the time I owned it, it never worked. But after seeing so many great posts by all of you, I thought I would try to exercise the shutter. It did not work, except when the self timer was activated. Even then, it needed a push. After a couple of dozen triggers, it fired. I cycled through all the shutter speeds, and they all sounded pretty accurate.</p>

<p>So I loaded it with bulk loaded B&W film and headed for Sunriver, a resort here in Central Oregon. After firing a dozen shots, I realized the bottom plate was coming off. Maybe it was clumsiness from wearing gloves in the snowing weather. So I headed to a market that sold a little film. My only choice was Kodak Gold 200. It is terribly grainy, and not very sharp. So yesterday I shot the roll, took it into the supermarket lab, and got it back. It looked like they dropped it on the floor or something, because there was dust and furballs all over it. So I cleaned it, then scanned it in my trusty CanoScan FS2720U scanner. Here is what I came up with. First, the camera porn.</p><div></div>

<p>This one comes with an interchangeable 50mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar. There is no red mark, indicating special coating.</p><div></div>

<p>In the former image, you can see dust spots if you look about it. Too bad the lab is so careless. I've written them about this before, but they don't seem to care about film. It's obviously a PITA to them.</p><div></div>

<p>One thing interesting about the camera is how smooth the shutter release is. I found I could shoot it at very low exposures. All focus and exposure calculations were calculated (I.e., I winged it).</p><div></div>

<p>Am I boring you yet?<g> The lens is quite sharp, but I think it isn't quite so much at infinity, oddly enough. It could be it needs adjustment, but I did find it sharp closer up.</p><div></div>

<p>Another anomaly I noticed, because I was shooting in snow, is there is light falloff on the edges of the frame, at infinity. This tells me the lens doesn't quite cover 35mm.</p><div></div>

<p>I was trying to see how the bokeh of the lens looked with the previous image, by throwing the background OOF, but the film is too crappy to tell. I can't wait to run some Ektar through the Altix, but I shoot so much medium and large format that I didn't have any.</p><div></div>

<p>The viewfinder is nowhere near accurate close up. In fact, it is really just a tunnel. I'm not sure it is even accurate at infinity. In the pic of Calvin in my Land Rover, the entire vehicle was centered in the frame, and it was about 30 feet away.</p><div></div>

<p>Another thing I like is that it worked in some very cold weather yesterday. The batteries in my Hasselblad EL/M were MIA, and my Nikon D200 and D700 were mis-firing in the cold. The Altix was good to go the entire time. (I meant to say--above--that I can shoot it at very low shutter speeds).</p><div></div>

<p>Maybe this is my last one. All in all, I think the Altix V is now one of my prized cameras. I have another Altix in a storage box somewhere. I know it has a switch or something on the left side (looking at the body), so I don't know what model it is. It also has a longer lens (maybe a 90mm or 100mm). Thanks for looking all, and for your help in getting this camera to shoot film in probably 50 years.</p><div></div>

<p>Okay, one last one. I'm actually looking forward to shooting with it in decent weather. While snow is neat, the fog, blizzard, and fog from my breath, don't make for the sharpest images.</p><div></div>

<p>Beautiful camera Michael! And fine shots as well. Thanks for sharing!</p>

<p>The colours are rather nice so I think it is definitely worth your while shooting some decent film and having it processed somewhere that cares about film.</p>

<p>What a great story and pictures from an old, but great camera.<br>

Michael, I can not find anything wrong with your pictures; love them one and all.<br>

Merry Christmas to you and Calvin.</p>

<p>All these are from one roll? That's an amazing ratio of keepers. Very nice photographs.<br>

And by the way, nice camera. Is this an interchangeable lens camera?</p>

<p>Great pictures <strong>Michael</strong>, and despite the poor film and processing, I'd have trouble finding fault. The good old reliable Tessar certainly delivers the goods, and I like the muted winter colours. Beautiful light in "Snowy Grass", and the composition in "Abandoned House" and "Horses in the Snow" is very pleasing. Super "product shot" too! A very capable little camera and a fine post; many thanks.</p>

<p>Wonderful stuff.</p>

<p>Very nice.</p>

<p>Congratulations on the shots and getting the camera to work again.</p>

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<p>Michael: for film that is grainy you sure know how to get very good results from it and the Camera<br>

your fotos are great love the abandon house and the horse's in the both are done well, not that others are not done well also:<br>

Happy Holidays:</p>

<p>You are all so kind. I respect you all so much, and you provide me with tremendous inspiration. This is my favorite forum, but I normally feel I don't have much to offer. Instead, I am just the beneficiary of your great posts. Now I understand the thrill of bringing back to life these marvelous old time machines.</p>

<p>Great photos --- they really inspire one to go out for a walk in the snow with a classic camera!</p>

Great Shots.. I too think you are much too critical!. Any post-war Zeiss lens is coated in some fashion. The finder criticism seems warranted. I always understimate the importance...until the subject isn't in the frame. I loved the abandoned house and the tractors/windmill. Great inspiration to go out and shoot when it's cold. My Contax IIa refused to fire after about 20 minutes, but my "electronic" Minolta kept on firing..in sub zero weather. I shot an Exakta in -12 Celcius with no problem. The Contax IIa probably needs professional attention.

<p>Believe me Michael, YOU DO have a lot to offer this forum, so please keep on posting.<br>

I like all of the pictures you posted, but my favorite is of your assistant, Calvin, who was waiting so patiently for you to return to the car, or was wanting to get out in the snow and play?<br>

Thank you for your wonderful pictures.</p>

<p>Request more snow shots! Please, don't wait for the clear weather. There is some romance in the snow shots and the way you capture the ambience. sp.</p>

<p>Nice, thanks for sharing! Particularly interested in abandoned house, looks almost like a toy/miniature/diorama. 'Dusk on Sunriver, View 2' is a standout for me too.</p>