Andrew in Austin

<p>Rick, once again outstanding composition and forethought regarding the images. </p>

<p>The Beacon deuce and a quarter is an unknown to me. The camera seems to perform admirably well with the scenic shots, all of which are very well composed.</p>

<p>With medium format folders, (most of mine are 6x9) - I recommend waiting to the last minute to wind the film to insure film flatness. If not, you may find that your images are sharper in the corners than they are in the center.</p> <p>In other words, first open the camera, then wind the film to the next frame number just before each exposure.</p> <p>***********************************<br> In regards to the Cooke-triplets - by 1953 they had been around for a good 50 years. With the addition of hard anti-reflective coatings, many were quite good when stopped down to f/8 or f/11. The Novar 105/3.5 for the Zeiss Ikon 523/2 and 524/2 cameras is one such lens. </p>

<p>With regards to the "Mess-Foinix" - the camera looks to follow the function of an Agfa Isolette III - but with build and finish of Zeiss-Ikon. I'd say the mighty "Fionar" renders a soft image through out the frame.</p>

<p>A while back - during the latter part of the previous century in fact - there was a lot of pissin and moanin about resolution in lines per mm. In my medium format experience, I haven't found a resolution of 80 lines per mm to be an absolute necessity or always desirable.</p> <p>At the time, the 3 element triplets found in many low-end TLR and folding cameras from 1950'ies were looked down upon.</p> <p>I said it then and I'll say it now, even if my <em>"combined lens/film resolution"</em> is only 10 to 20 lines per mm from one of my hand-held 6x6 or 6x9 MF folders - I'm able to live with it. In fact, I prefer the lower resolution for people photos, especially when that blonde hair starts turning gray.</p> <p>Clarification: I rarely use a tripod. Also, due to the nature of my "guerrilla darkroom" set-up, I rarely go above an 8x10 enlargement and mostly print 5x7, even with my 6x9 negs.</p> <p> </p>

<blockquote> <p><a href="/photodb/user?user_id=915536">Quote - Charles Stobbs</a> <a href="/member-status-icons"><img title="Subscriber" src="/v3graphics/member-status-icons/sub10plus.gif" alt="" /></a>, Jan 24, 2015; 09:34 a.m.</p> </blockquote> <blockquote> <p>"That Nikon lens sale is/was mouth watering."</p> </blockquote> <p>That definitely was the moment to scoop up some Nikkor LTM lenses that are still excellent to very good performers.</p>

<p>The 35SP is a nice camera - but I have found the shutter ring to be a bit knotchy. It's not a smooth click, click, click. </p> <p>Now with regards to setting the shutter speed to 1/500th of a second from 1/250th - try one without the shutter being tensioned. Set back to 1/250th of second and then wind the film lever all the way. Now try to move the shutter ring to 1/500th. It's way stiff, isn't it?</p> <p>When I had mine, I tried not to use the 1/500th speed when the shutter was cocked and ready for an exposure.</p> <p>The 35SP was one of the last Olympus rangefinders to use a lens mounted shutter assembly. The cameras that followed, the 35RC and 35RD have their gear train mechanisms mounted in the camera body. </p>

<p>I was of minus 4 years of age when this was published, but that Contax S sure has the look of the future.</p> <p>With regards to 35mm, my first camera was 6x6 TLR. So, upon transitioning to 35mm with Tri-X, my first reaction was to how much graininess there was to the skies on an 8x10 enlargement. I can only guess what the old-timer with a 5x7 or 8x10 field camera must of thought about the new miniature format.</p>

<p>It's amazing what a couple of mirrors can do to shorten the length of this lens. A true telephoto.</p>

<p>Edit to the above - At least you don't have worry about a dead battery on the Olympus Auto Eye. It's still a manual camera when need be.</p>

<p>One thing I can say about Olympus is that they usually didn't skimp on the quality of their optics - which seems to be the case with their version of the Tessar on the Auto Eye.</p> <p>The "trap needle" AE usually works well - but with the selenium meter, it may necessary to point the camera downward a bit when there is lot in the background to lock the exposure with a half press of the shutter button and then bring the camera back up to compose the shot. I say this because my selenium meters tend to read at wider angle than a CdS cell.</p> <p>Lovely images. I hope its a good day down under for some "shrimp and chook on the barbie".</p>

<p>Yann - I enjoyed the documentary style images portraying the passing of an era in Taiwan. <br> It reminds me of the soon to be ending days of my driving my old air-cooled VW Bus. Proper replacement parts are getting scarce and I'm not nearly as able to do all the maintenance as I used to be. I caught a fellow photographing the Bus in a downtown parking spot last weekend and told him to title one of the images as "The Last of the Mohicans"</p>

<p>John, you absolutely correct the Indoor/Cloudy/Sunny symbols are an necessary add-on.<br /> <br /> The Yashica Electro 35 series had them - but the symbols were on top of the lens barrel - where the photographer could easily see them. The sunny day icon lined up with f/11. Considering the slow speed color film we once used, that would be doable with the range of shutter speeds that were available.<br /> <br /> The first generation Canonet was introduced in 1961 when more often than not color film had an ISO speed of less than 100. - AE was still a new feature in 1961. - A novice would probably have used Indoor/Cloudy/Sunny icons on the bottom of the lens barrel.</p>