george_c.

<p>I'm a lucky boy. Look what I was gifted this weekend, all the film is out of date but it doesn't concern me in the slightest. The camera (Olympus OM-30 + Zuiko 50mm 1.8) is from another person entirely and I wasn't expecting it, the film I was told about but had no idea of quantity, some kind soul told me they had 'some old film' I could have. The black top canisters under the Delta 400 are more of the same, the grey top canisters on the left are Delta 100, those under that are various other B+W 100 speed emulsions. These will accompany me nicely on my move out to Vietnam in February, can't wait!</p>

<p>Andrew and Michael are right of course, it does not make economic sense for a company to allow users and third parties to control the development of their hardware: it stops them from charging for new cameras with new features every 12 months or so. Look at the shelf life of 35mm bodies compared to that of DSLRs and you quickly realise what a killing these companies are making. That's not to say that the market is easy though, there's never been more competition and the cost of development is certainly more than it's ever been...</p>

<p>Happy Holidays is it you Americans say?! 9AM here in London, A shot from my Olympus 35 RC rangefinder, exposure completely guessed, no meter. Desaturated Fuji print film. George</p><div></div>

<p>Horst Hamann does a convincing job of using the Xpan vertically, check out his Paris and New York verticals on www.horsthamann.com</p>

<p>2.</p><div></div>

<p>Seeing as this was about high ISO / low light shots, here are a couple more shots from the Hexar AF, from a truly fast film as opposed to HP5 or pushed Acros. Incidentally, these are scanned using an Epson V100 flatbed which is the cheapest one they do. I wet print in my makeshift darkroom (when it's dark enough outside!) when I want something to hold. Thanks for the kind words Jeremiah, everything in photography is secondary to light isn't it? If I have one printable shot from a roll I'm happy, there's little substitute for learning light with film I think.<br>

One of these I might have shared before, I forget...</p><div></div>

<p>Inspiring stuff Camus, I'm moving to Da Nang on the Vietnamese coast in February, currently trying to work out if I'm going to be able to take my dev tanks, chemicals and scanner. If not there's going to be a suitcase full of exposed film to bring back with me after a year!</p>

<p>A second:</p><div></div>

<p>I bought myself a Konica Hexar AF for not a great deal of money after considering proper rangefinders. (I have also an Olympus 35 RC but at f2.8 it's not fast enough for evenings and I wanted something wider). I too was not bothered about autofocus until I tried it, but the Hexar focuses in pitch darkness thanks to its active IR system, so there's never any searching. The lens is also far better than anything you'll be able to afford after buying a Bessa body, it' s a 35mm f2 favourably compared to Summicrons, and the shutter is the quietest you'll find on a 35mm camera.<br>

If you can live with a fixed 35mm lens, there's not a lot compares for the money. Oh you also get auto bracketing and a spot meter thrown in for your troubles, and if it interests you, flash photography is easier than with a manual RF.</p>

<p>I'm very much of the opinion that if you want decent high ISO black and whites, film is still the only way. When I caught myself trying to replicate that look with digital, I sold my DSLR and got the Hexar to compliment my MX.</p>

<p>A couple of examples to follow...</p><div></div>

<p>It's not really a matter of Adobe or software, because photographers / artists have always used what is available to them. Manipulation has always been an option but it certainly doesn't negate art or impact automatically. Have a look at this example, still powerful despite having been manipulated: </p>

<p>http://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2009/05/21/shellshocked-reindeermurmansk/</p>

<p>By windowlight</p><div></div>

<p>10 AM here in London, a bit of street from me taken a few weeks ago in Oxford.</p><div></div>

<p>It's unlikely to need parts replacing, it'll just need a CLA and probably mirror foam replaced to stop the mirror from sticking. Also, try swapping lenses from body to body to see if it's a body issue or a lens one. Michael Spencer aka 'Camerarepairer' is the most reasonably priced man around in the UK and has taken care of one of my MXs and done an outstanding job, his website isn't currently functioning but you should be able to get hold of him on <a title="camerarepairer@btopenworld.com" rel="nofollow" href="mailto:camerarepairer@btopenworld.com" target="_blank">camerarepairer@btopenworld.com</a> He's also happy to direct you to numerous referees and I'm sure a search through forums will throw up some kid words about his work. George</p>

<p>Ilford Delta pushed to somewhere approaching 12,800 ASA yields nice grain:</p><div></div>

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<p >I grew up with my father wielding a p30 and a 50mm f1.7 in my face; to this day, he still shoots this setup and has many box files filled with prints and negatives to show for his efforts. Something must have clicked.</p>

<p >When I turned 21 a couple of years ago, asking for one of his bodies and lenses seemed like a natural enough request, and my relationship with Pentax has since flourished into a prosperous one. I later bought an MX so that I could push and pull film and be without batteries. I have yet to look back: the finder is incomparable and the simplicity of the controls suits me beautifully. This camera is ten years older than I am, it is dented and brassed and it has yet to miss a beat.</p>

<p >I’ve since learnt that all I need besides myself is natural light, brass, fast glass and some silver. To this end, Pentax have proven themselves beyond compare.</p>

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<p>Out of pure curiousity Josh, why was it decided to be a contest of words and not one of photographs? Or words and photographs for that matter? George</p>

<p>Those lucky enough to live in London will no doubt be aware of the retrospective running at the Guardian headquarters on York Way until November 21st. I'll second the comments made on light being the key to her shots, and the attached image show that her contacts were often immaculate and that not a great deal of darkroom work was required...</p><div></div>

<p>If you can bear flickr, this young man has some excellent RF photography to share</p>

<p>http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorbochev/sets/72157601227668834/</p>

<p>,,,</p><div></div>

<p>...</p>

<p>My favourite this week has to be Jeremiah's portrait, and seeing as nobody identified my subject, his name is Peter Doherty, and he's famous for being in a band called The Libertines who had a number one album in 2004. He also dated Kate Moss for a while. George</p>

<p>Impromptu beer and photoshoot with the man in a pub garden, natural light as usual</p><div></div>

<p>Any fellow brits might recognise this fellow</p><div></div>

<p>From memory, it rewinds much more quietly in silent mode, and if you want it to wait and rewind later, turn the camera off before it starts rewinding and when you turn it back on it will continue...</p>

<p>George</p>

<p>A departure from my normal mode, taken at Notting Hill Carnival:</p><div></div>