Andy Collins

<p>Great feedback, everyone. Thanks! So far I like the way the camera handles, and I've loaded film, so we'll see what I can do with it. <strong>Rod</strong>, I'm glad to hear you had a good experience with this lens. <strong>David</strong>, thanks for the info; the K2 is rather deluxe in comparison to the others. <strong>Pierre</strong>, I'd love to know the story behind that picture! <strong>Jerry</strong>, I'm still learning which buttons and tabs do what on the camera.</p>

<p>Oops...I actually shot that with my G16!</p>

<p>I picked up a K2 body on eBay for a mere $25 and bought a simple SMC Pentax-M 28-50mm zoom to mount on it to give it a little road test. The camera is in great shape, aside from a little missing paint on the sides, and seems to work perfectly. Have any of you ever used one of these and if so, what do you think of the camera? I know the ISO ring can be a source of irritation from what I've read and have experienced a little so far, but otherwise it seems like a nice, solid camera. I've had a few KX models before but the K2 seems a bit more full-featured. I would love to hear thoughts on this camera.</p><div></div>

<p>Approaching storm...</p><div></div>

<p>Canon UK announced the EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens for the EOS-M. It'll be available in July. I think I saw my M quiver with excitement!</p>

<p>Farmall, #2...</p><div></div>

<p>Farmall...</p><div></div>

<p>Iris</p><div></div>

<p><strong>Louis</strong>--thank you! You are making that A7 <em>sing</em> for sure. Great work, as always! <strong>David Smith</strong>-beautiful, touching series! <strong>Ian</strong>-your work is always stunning.<br> Great shots from <em><strong>everyone</strong></em> this week!</p>

<p>Iris #2...</p><div></div>

<p>More Irises...</p><div></div>

<p><strong><em>Outstanding photos everyone!</em></strong></p>

<p>Irises, #2</p><div></div>

<p>Iris</p><div></div>

<p><em>"In the woods"</em></p><div></div>

<p><em>"Farmall Sunrise"...</em></p><div></div>

<p>A few shots from the country this week...</p> <p><em>"Dandelions"</em></p><div></div>

<p>I prefer 35mm if I had to limit myself to one prime lens. 35mm f/2 or faster.</p>

<p>What is a "Memar" anyway? This is the Ansco Super Memar, the US version of the Agfa Super Silette, and this is the model with the Solagon f/2, 6-element lens and the Synchro-Compur shutter which allows a maximum shutter speed of 1/500s. This is a lens that is known for its sharpness and my particular example held true to form and upheld the great reputation. Now, an explanation of the pictures...there are times when we load a roll of film into a camera with the intention to shoot it and get it developed right away, and then there are times when we load a roll of film and become distracted and take the better part of a year to finish the roll. That was the case with this camera. I started last spring (hence the tulips) and finished the roll a couple of weeks ago, which explains the snow. The camera itself is a joy to use. It has that wonderful solid German engineering feel to it, where every part of the operation feels precise. I think the camera's design is that of a classic 1950's (somewhat understated) design and even though it's a nice, compact design, it is a quite capable camera with a full range of shutter speeds and that phenomenal lens. Agfa Silettes are really nice cameras to use because they just feel like they're well-built, and this one has even more heft because of the f/2 lens and the Synchro-Compur shutter. Here are a few shots that I took over the course of the year; unfortunately they're all scenics. Next time I'll try to mix it up a little bit and add more variety to the pictures, but for now, I hope you enjoy some of these.</p><div></div>

I honestly didn't intend to keep acquiring Fujicas (although I'd love to find a Compact Deluxe), but I saw this one and thought that it would be a worthwhile investment to see if the lens on it was as good as those on the 35-SE and 35-EE. This one's in excellent condition, complete with a working meter and very smooth shutter. It's a nice little camera with an automatic mode or full manual operation, albeit with a very limited number of shutter speeds-4 of them to be exact, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, and 1/250 plus B. It doesn't have quite the same feeling of solid quality as the Olympus 35RC, but it's close and looks a little more elegant with its timeless selenium meter. It isn't a rangefinder but a zone focus camera. I'm pleased with the lens's performance, but I still think that the lens on the 35-SE is superior to it, and to many others I've used, to be quite honest. If anyone has used one, I'd love to hear your opinions about it. In the meantime, here are a few shots I took with mine.<div></div>