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irvine.short

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Posts posted by irvine.short

    Minolta Hi-Matic 11

    in Classic Manual Film Cameras

    Posted

    <p>Hi All,</p>

    <p>I was tidying up and found one of these in a box I had forgotten about. Last time I tried it the shutter would not fire so I forgot about it.</p>

    <p>Somehow 6 months in a box had cured the shutter so I fitted a little alkaline cell with the help of a ball of tinfoil and some cardboard and to my delight it came alive and apparently works perfectly.</p>

    <p>If I move the thingummy on the lens to "battery check" the needle moves to the right place.</p>

    <p>This is a fairly specific place, it is not a range of "OK-ness"</p>

    <p>Which makes me wonder - does this meter use a bridge circuit like the Yashica Electro 35, making it immune to input voltage changes?</p>

    <p>Also, the viewfinder is quite yellow and hazy. There seems to be a lot of gunk on the inside of the front window.</p>

    <p>Any hints and tips for opening this up and cleaning it? What should I avoid touching?</p>

    <p>And what is the right tool to unscrew the collar around the rewind handle spindle, and the top of the wind crank?<br>

    What else would need to come loose to get the top off?</p>

    <p>Cheers,</p>

    <p>--Irvine</p>

     

    Groovy camera straps

    in Classic Manual Film Cameras

    Posted

    <p>In this case the ends of the straps are the same nylon webbing as any other branded camera strap.</p>

    <p>They even include suitably punched pieces of leather so the camera buckle does not even touch the body.</p>

    <p>I would go so far as to say that more thought went in to these ones than the standard Pentax and Nikon straps.</p>

    <p>No affiliation to the unmentionable web site - just a happy camper. From online reviews they seem a bit haphazard sometimes but my straps turned up in South Africa on time and in good order.</p>

    <p> </p>

    Groovy camera straps

    in Classic Manual Film Cameras

    Posted

    <p>About a year ago I was looking for decent camera straps that also had a bit of a pattern on them.</p>

    <p>There was nothing doing except a few people making them at home.</p>

    <p>Last week I ordered a couple from Dino direct, throwing caution to the winds as they do not have the best reviews online.</p>

    <p>They arrived a week later and I am very pleased. Have a poke around their web site - they have many different patterns to choose from. Unfortunately one of the ones I chose had gold threads in it - I did not want something quite _that_ groovy - but I'm getting used it. They did not show up on the web site pix.</p>

    <p>--Irvine</p>

     

    passing CMC interest/gear to our children

    in Classic Manual Film Cameras

    Posted

    <p>Thoughts:</p>

    <p>My kids, 2 girls aged 10 and 12, love making photograms. I get given lots of old, fogged paper that is just right. Quick tip: cheap Barbie-style fairy sticker are just translucent enough to make very good fairy photograms which are being made into cards for the next school market day.</p>

    <p>Only problem is that as fast as we make them they get snapped up by friends and family.</p>

    <p>As for digital cameras, try giving a responsible child under supervision a DSLR set to full "auto" and see what comes out.</p>

    <p>Their complete lack of preconceptions about what a picture should look like is quite eye openeing.</p>

    <p> </p>

    Roll film getting fogged

    in Black & White Practice

    Posted

    <p>Hi,</p>

    <p>I have a constant niggling problem with roll film getting fogged.</p>

    <p>Usually along one edge.</p>

    <p>The old advice was to "load film in subdued light" or at least in the shade of your own body.</p>

    <p>I never had problems with Ilford and Kodak films, or Fuji for that matter.</p>

    <p>These days I mostly use Rollei - Retro 400s and now RPX100.</p>

    <p>I loaded a roll of RPX100 on the beach, in my own shadow, and the entire roll is fogged with angular patterns that are stronger at the beginning - i.e. the end with frame 1.</p>

    <p>However the RPX100 that I unloaded in the same light was fine.</p>

    <p>Is is possible that the film is not coming wrapped tighly enough from the factory?</p>

    <p>Do I need to resort to loading film in a changing bag?</p>

    <p>Cheers,</p>

    <p>--Irvine</p>

    <p> </p>

    Which small manual Nikon?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>Wayne, thanks for the tip, but I went for the FG. </p>

    <p>It surely isn't an F3 - the difference is remarkable! It's hard to believe they were made by the same company in fact. But it mounts my Nikon lenses and works well enough.</p>

     

    Which small manual Nikon?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>Indraneeel: I like to use B&W film for some things as I like to print in my darkroom. I like snapshot film cameras like the Lomo because I "just do." :-)<br>

    As for a digital P&S I have a Canon Ixus 70 / SD1000 which is a marvel of engineering but the sensor is not as good as my old A300 - too noisy. And I like to use different cameras on different days - that's just me.</p>

    <p>Starvy: Nice try. :-) There are enough stray cameras in my house without going down the Olympus rabbithole as well.</p>

    <p>Cheers and thanks again All,</p>

    <p>--Irvine</p>

     

    Which small manual Nikon?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>Just as an idea of shipping from KEH to Cape Town:<br>

    $75 to $150 for FedEx or UPS (required if order totals over $1000)<br />(fast, 7 to 10 business days, automatic tracking via email)<br /><br />$54 to $85 for Express Mail<br />(slower 2 to 3 weeks, tracking available one week after shipping)<br /><br />$45 to $54 for Priority Mail (orders totaling under $500 only)<br />(very slow, 3 to 5 weeks, tracking available one week after shipping)</p>

    <p>Thoughts so far:<br>

    The EM will not do it for me<br>

    The FG is very reasonable and nearby. Maybe I will get that and keep the F3 :-)</p>

    <p> </p>

    Which small manual Nikon?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>OK, this is my thinking:</p>

    <p>I usually travel for work and sometimes add on an extra day to explore wherever I am.</p>

    <p>In the past I had carried 3 cameras:<br>

    DSLR with 18-55 kit lens (used to be Pentax) for Digital.<br>

    My over-quirky Lomo LC-A for colour film.<br>

    My Yashica Electro 35 for B&W film.</p>

    <p>Occasional companions: Zorki IIC and Rolleicord.</p>

    <p>My DSLR is now a D7000 - the fact that it shoots at ISO1600 better than my Pentax shot at ISO400 has me over the moon. It is also a real treat to use with, for example, my Nikon 100mm f/2.8 as well.</p>

    <p>My Lomo, as much as I love what it does, is a flimsy thing and if it breaks again my repair guy will disown me. He gave me an Olympus XA2 for free rather than face having to work on the Lomo again. So there's that for the cheapo colour film snapshot effect. The Lomo gets babied now, rather than chucked in my laptop bag.</p>

    <p>The Yashica Electro 35 was stolen. I have belatedly come to realise why SLRs proved to be more popular than rangefinders so as much as I loved the Yashica it's going to be replaced by a manual SLR, but at first guess the F3 is too bulky even compared to the Yashica which was enormous.<br>

    Apart from the 100mm F2.8 I also have the 50mm F1.8 manual Nikon lens.</p>

    <p>So all I really need is a small manual Nikon body, and possibly the 35mm F2.8 AI as well to carry around.<br>

    I just had a look at how much Nikon 35TI's cost. It took a while to clean up the coffee sprayed across the desk.</p>

    <p> </p>

    Which small manual Nikon?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>Hmm - I see myself carrying the D7000 and 35mm f1.8G lens most of the time.</p>

    <p>Possibly a film SLR as well, hence this query, just for a change.</p>

    <p>For pocketable I have an Olumpus XA, and maybe my Zorki. The Industar 50 is surprisingly good and somehow I have gotten used to the unwieldly handling.</p>

    <p>Final consideration is I want the D7000 to be the only expensive piece of kit to worry about. I'll be in hostels and what have you. It's insured, but it cost me dearly and the 35mm lens is my only AF lens currently.</p>

    <p>I dunno - I do need to keep stuff to a minimum.</p>

    Which small manual Nikon?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>OK, before I do anything rash I will jam the F3 in my laptop-bag for a few days and actually use the thing as a travel camera. Then I will go and see if the FG is really that much smaller.</p>

    <p>You guys have been great with all your suggestions! </p>

    <p> </p>

    Which small manual Nikon?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>Hmm - I found an FG for $90 in a local shop, with a 90 day warranty.<br>

    I was really fond of my Yashica GSN - the lens was ridiculously good, but it was stolen and would not tell me what shutter speed it was selecting.<br>

    The FG seems like the one for me....</p>

    <p> </p>

    Which small manual Nikon?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>Thanks All,</p>

    <p>The other part of the puzzle is that I am in South Africa and shipping between here and the US is likely to be at least $60.00 or so. I'm waiting on KEH to get back to me with a quote.</p>

    <p>It's also looking like swapping the F3 is not such a brilliant idea.</p>

    <p>Cheers,</p>

    <p>--Irvine</p>

     

    Which small manual Nikon?

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>Hi All,</p>

    <p>I am fortunate to have an F3 in good nick. The accompanying MD4 is dead, sadly.</p>

    <p>I also have a D7000.</p>

    <p>Now, I do not feel I really need the F3 and MD4 - it's a lovely camera but I would really like something smaller for travelling.</p>

    <p>There are no FE's for sale in my neck of the woods.</p>

    <p>There is an EM however, and someone is willing to swap the EM and a lens for for my F3. </p>

    <p>I know the EM ain't half the camera that the F3 is in functionality but it sure is smaller and lighter.</p>

    <p>What other options are there?</p>

    <p>--Irvine</p>

     

    Olympus XA

    in Classic Manual Film Cameras

    Posted

    <p>I also have an XA that consistently overexposes by two stops according to the needle.<br>

    I put a 100ASA roll through it at 400ASA, I did not realize the needle and the shutter were on separate circuits.</p>

    <p>My repair guy is not interested in opening it up - a few years ago he was driven nearly demented by the last one I brought him. That one was so worn out the film had worn grooves in it.</p>

    <p>As a consolation prize he did give me an XA2 with flash in apparently perfect condition.</p>

    <p> </p>

    Nikon F3 new acquisition

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>Thanks chaps, I will take a closer look at the MD-4.</p>

    <p>When you say "a slot in the battery holder" do you mean a slot in the slide-out plastic battery holder?</p>

    <p>Cheers,</p>

    <p>--Irvine</p>

     

    Nikon F3 new acquisition

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>Ah, OK, I did not realise it is a metal cover.</p>

    <p>Apparently you can have a light leak without that or the motor drive attached.</p>

    <p>I will compare the light meter against another camera and head out. :-)</p>

    Nikon F3 new acquisition

    in Nikon

    Posted

    <p>3 weeks ago there were no Nikons in my house.</p>

    <p>Since then an F3 and a D7000 came to live with me.</p>

    <p>I have a query on the F3. It is a bit dusty and grubby and is slightly brassed but seems to work fine.</p>

    <p>It came with the dedicated flash and an MD4 motor drive.</p>

    <p>I imagine I will not use the motor drive that much but I'll see how it goes. I am missing the rubber lid to seal the hole where the motor drive goes so I will jury rig something for now.</p>

    <p>My query is "If the F3 seems to work fine shall I just clean it up externally and use it or might it actually need a service?"</p>

    <p>Cheers,</p>

    <p>--Irvine</p>

     

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