stephen_morris3

I see this come up a lot on this forum. Is there something WRONG with commenting on an old post? Since many of us are still (or have just started, or are just thinking about) using the equipment discussed here. Since I'm a vintage photo gear trader, I'm very happy there are still posts from ages ago that are very helpful. I gleaned information and opinions here years before I joined.

Canon FDn 100mm/2.8 on Sony A7. Mariatorget, Southside Stockholm

Blast from tha past! My daughter brought 1000s of my old slides back from a visit with my siblings in the US. Among them were GAF 500 slides from a Chicago concert in Atlanta in 1974. I had totally forgotten about them. Fujichrome and Sakurachrome slides from 1976 are all faded to reds now whereas the same film from ca 1980 is still OK. Agfachrome used in 1984 is also faded in a strange way. Kodak's information about their slide film seems to have not been hype. I found one Kodachrome slide from circa 1962, and it seems it was taken yesterday. There are also Ektachrome slides from 1966-1984 and they seem brand-new. Here's one of the late Terry Kath--original guitarist/vocalist/songwriter for the rock group Chicago. Taken with either a Nikon F or Nikkormat EL, with Nikkor 50mm/1.4 lens.

This was taken with an H Coral 4.5cm/1.9 lens extracted from an Aires Viscount, on Sony A7 full-frame mirrorless digital camera, at f:1.9. I find that it renders--has "3D pop"K--similar to Summicron. I find it to be one of the sharpest lenses I've ever tested.

I'm wondering how a bare aluminium lens barrel ended up on my Canon FDn 50mm/1.4. I've done my own wide-open sharpness tests, comparing it to Asahi Super-Takumar 50mm/1.4 8-element, Minolta MD Rokkor 50mm/1.4 and Yashica ML 50mm/1.4--the 50mm/1.4 lenses I currently have. As can perhaps be expected, it's very hard to see differences. The FDn and ML were almost the same and performed slightly better than the other two. In a comparison of over 20 normal-focal-length lenses at f:2, the Summicron-R 50mm/2 was slightly sharper than the others but Canon FDn 50mm/1.8 and 1.4 are nearly indistinguishable from the Summicron in other testing. I keep trying different vintage lenses but my decision to make FD my main lens system continues to look like a sound one. I documented a Motown tribute concert Saturday night with a Soligor (oops!) 28mm/2 FD-mount, FD 85mm/1.8 SSC and FD 200mm/2.8 SSC, a Microsoft Lumia 950 XL & Nokia Lumia 1020 smartphone, an H2 Zoom digital audio recorder and a Sony A7 digital camera.

I just bought a Chinon CE-4 and a CE-4s--partly based on this thread saying they're M42 cameras. They ARE NOT M42 cameras! They use Pentax K lenses.

My favorite manual-focus 35mm SLR. Solid, precision-smooth, full-info VF, silicon cell metering, very ergonomic, exposure lock and access to the best performance/price lenses available (Canon FD).

Giving Minolta a real try with Fuji Superia 200 negative color film. This is the final version of their long line of match-needle SLRs. Solid, smooth and complete information in the viewfinder along with access to some of the highest-performing lenses ever made. Shown here with a heavy Hoya 25-42mm/3.5 (made by Tokina?) zoom lens that is surprisingly good.

I can't remember exactly. I did a search and tried different suggestions. It may have been when I pushed something related to the motor drive in a hole on the bottom plate. Or when I removed and cleaned parts of the lens-mounting area. Or when I jiggled the double-exposure lever. I just remember the mirror suddenly returning to position. I then shot a roll of film without problem and got good results. I sold the camera and never heard from the buyer. Wish I could find the magic touch to fix at least one of my FEs. I really like the black one I have. (Strange text formatting.)

I bought an FE with a hung-up mirror for almost nothing along with other stuff this past summer. After searching the net I tried a couple of tricks and--presto--it worked. Here is one of the first flower photos I've ever taken, with Micro-Nikkor 55mm/3.5. I then sold it for a low price but with a decent profit. Since that spoiled me, I rolled the dice on two more FEs. Both work perfectly manually but the needle doesn't work. No info from the meter. That means the camera works fine in auto (can set the lens to 5.6 on a sunny day and trust the unknown shutter speeds; they will be fine) but I can't see which shutter speed the FE sets. That means no help from the meter for manual. I can--however--still use the handy exposure lock--blindly. I've tried every trick I can find to get the needle moving again but nada. Is there any market for such partially defective but totally usable cameras? Shame for them to sit in the spare parts bin. One chrome, one black and they looks great.

Canon FDn 500mm/8 on Sony A7. Useful for seeing if my friends have arrived at the local metro station.

And another Canon FDn 500mm/8 test shot from my window. Sony A7, ISO 100, 1/200, tripod.

Test of Canon FDn 500mm/8

This thread inspired me to do some testing with my Canon FDn 500mm/8.

Just curious, what is strange about a new member commenting on an old post?

My friend takes a phone break from our jam. First portrait with the Aires Coral 45/1.9 on Sony A7. ISO 2500, f:2.8, 1/160 second. Cropped and magnified. No other processing. Exactly the way the camera read the lens.

Ericsson Globe in Stockholm. Taken this morning from my window Aires H Coral 45mm/1.9 from Aires Viscount rangefinder camera, rigged onto my Sony A7. Cropped and magnified. ISO 50, f:6.3, 1/320 second, no other processing. I think I'm happy with the IQ.

How does one delete a post?

It's shot with the test rig. On Sony A7, ISO 640, f:1.9, 1/160 sec.

This thread has really inspired me--especially the great images. I just completed phase one of a new lens-mounting project. I rigged an Aires H Coral 45mm/1.9 lens from an Aires Viscount onto a body cap for my Sony A7. This was to determine the exact distance needed from the back of the lens to the mount and to test shoot. I'm a rookie at this, but I'll be looking for a more solid way to mount this lens. Test shots next.

This is my latest Canon A-1. I have been recapitulating my photographic journey from childhood to 1979 when I switched from SLRs to pocket film cameras, then to compact digital and then to smartphones with great cameras (Lumia). My fifth cameras was a new Canon AE-1 bought in Japan in 1976 through a friend with contacts at Canon's factory. No tours were allowed then because their A project was so cutting edge. A lot more factory automation, not much to look at anyway. I replaced it with the A-1 in 1978. Now that these wonderful instruments can be had for pizza $$, how can I resist trying ALL the great cameras from those great days? For general use, I prefer the shutter priority automation of the AE-1 and A-1. For ISO 100 and for daylight, I can set the shutter to 1/125 and I'll have a much wider auto exposure range without having to change any settings. Just focus and shoot. I found that I didn't use the Program mode very much on the A-1; it would too often select a shutter speed too slow for hand-holding. I usually just stuck to shutter-preferred. I really appreciated the bright, clear and complete LED viewfinder display. Also like the flash automation though not TTL. I think I've finally settled on the Canon EF simply because it does everything I want but in a body/chassis much akin to the F-1 (I know, the shutter and much else is totally different). It's heavier, all-metal and precision butter-smooth and works fine without batteries. Probably a lot of nostalgia for things more "handcrafted" involved. Still split sometimes between the A-1 and EF. Didn't care for the New F-1, although it is probably the most durable SLR ever made. Which brings me to my last point: I can imagine that a lot of pros in the 1970s went from the durable, proud-to-be-abused, system cameras like Nikon Fs and Canon F-1s to the prosumer cameras like the A-1 and Nikon FE/FE2 because they appreciated (like me) reliable and accurate auto exposure and exposure lock capabilities. Both Nikon and Canon put exposure automation into their "true" pro cameras by the 2nd or 3rd generation. So, exposure automation does not an amateur camera make. This A-1 sure feels good in my hands...

Ericsson Globe in Stockholm. Canon FD 200mm/2.8 SSC at f:3.5 and 1/160 at ISO 4000 on Sony A7 from my window.

This thread helped me decide to bid on an Aires Viscount. I won the bid at around $5, fixed a loose front lens unit and put film in it. This is one of the test photos.