Posts Tagged ‘review’
Mamiya C330F Review – Part 3
Part Three – Final thoughts on a TLR and Medium Format in a digital age
Anybody who knows anything about my photography knows that apart from a quick snap on my mobile phone, I only use film cameras. Despite holding down a job in IT working on the forefront of web technologies – I still don’t have any desire to go out and buy digital camera. But with all that considered, how does this weigh up in a digitally dominated photographic world, and even though I spent a mere £120 on this system so far (excluding film) – is it really such a good investment?
Mamiya C330F Review – Part 2
Part Two – Twin Lens Quirks and Revelations
Continued from Part 1 | Skip to Part 3
So what is the Mamiya C330 or the C series in general? They are Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) cameras which means as the name suggests they have two lenses. One of the lens is the one you view through and the second lower lens is the one that is the taking lens (i.e. with the shutter that exposes the film behind it.)
This leads to a few interesting quirks. The first advantage of a TLR is that you can see virtually what you are taking a picture of as you take it. This has some distinct advantages for long exposures and portraiture where you want to be sure the person/people had their eyes open at the time of exposure. The second advantage is that compared to some medium format systems the Mamiya TLRs are cheaper than other interchangeable lens counterparts like the Bronica ETR, Mamiya 645, Pentax 645 (6×4.5 cameras) and the Bronica SQ and Mamiya 6/7 (6×6 cameras.)
Mamiya C330F Review – Part 1
Part One – To Medium Format and Beyond… for sixty quid…
Skip to Part Two | Skip to Part Three
To most people, film is 35mm. In fact for most people, it never enters their mind that there is anything beyond their digital compact, their 35mm camera or indeed something beyond, “one of those fancy SLR things.” Mention medium or large format to most people and they will go, huh?
In case you are one of those, think of a piece of film like a piece of paper. With 35mm, imagine sketching a landscape on that size of paper? It’d lack a lot of detail and the only way to pack more into that sketch would be to make the pencil ever sharper (my analogy to ISO/ASA speed.) If you enlarge that piece of paper from 1 by 1½-inch to say 2 ½ by 2 ½-inches you can make a more detailed sketch of the landscape because you have more room, even without using the sharpest of pencils. And the same happens again when you move from medium format to large formats like 5×7, 8×10 and so on.
I Leica A Lot (Part 3)
In Use
Prices
- Leica M2 – £300
- Leica MR Meter - £30
- Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm f/2.5 – £120
- Voigtlander LTM to M Mount adapter (35mm) – £40
- Camera and Meter from MXV, Uckfield – www.mxv.co.uk
- Voigtlander LTM-M Mount adapter, Robert White – www.robertwhite.co.uk
Most reviews of a Leica usually pour over the specifications, the actual piece of equipment itself. However, any camera is in effect a light tight box which controls the amount of light that comes in and goes on to expose the film or sensor behind it. A Leica is no different in this effect. If you put a 50mm lens on an automatic every bells and whistle SLR (e.g. a Canon EOS 3 or Nikon F6) and a 50mm lens on the Leica, put it in the field and shoot away, the majority of people will see little to no difference if the aperture and shutter speed; as well as the subject are the same. Like any camera, the Leica by itself does not take better pictures. Owning a Leica will not make you a better photographer by default of owning it. What it will do is avail opportunities that some cameras don’t open up, where the nature of a camera like a Leica is best suited.
OpenSUSE 11.0 — The Long and Short of it
I haven’t been using my blog much over the ast few months. I have generally been very busy with life in general. Not least of course with work which has been a great player in my life this year. Not in a negative overtaking way but apart from my photography and walking, it has been my main creative output. So, trying to get things back on an even base before I leave once again for a weeks (for Christmas and New Year) it’s about time I updated this blog on my exploits with OpenSUSE 11.0.
OpenSUSE 11.0 Desktop with Firefox 3 and LyX
Canon EOS 3 – Review Part 4
Following: More EOS 3 Results
Slowly getting this part of my review together but it’s the slowest part as I am shooting a range of subjects, with a range of negative and slide film.
The results from a roll of Ilford Delta 100 have been great. XP2 results have been pretty much on par with what I got from the EOS 5 — the bottom line is that when I got the 3 I was worried that because it was in such good order and condition that it had been sat aside because it was one with the 2/3rd stop underexposing issue. I won’t know for sure until I receive my first slide results back (should be sending a roll of Velvia (50) off next week to find out.)
Still loving the camera and as soon as I have enough experience with it and a range of results I will write this section i.e. the meat of the review.
One thing that does annoy me with the EOS 3 which was not an issue on the 5. Battery status. Technically the EOS 3’s battery meter is better as you flip the hidden panel and press the battery status and it gives you a much more detailed battery level. The EOS 5 had a pretty crappy small battery icon but it was always there on the top deck LCD panel. Battery status does not show on top deck LCD panel of the EOS 3 until the battery button is pressed. Now this becomes an issue for a new user who is so used to things when they go wrong, they go wrong in a devilishly bad way.
On Saturday I was enjoying the beautiful winter sunset on Amberley Mount (near there anyway) when with my slightly problematic Sigma 24mm lens I fired a frame, and nothing – the shot was taken, film did not wind on, lens still had its aperture blades stopped down… Blinking ‘bc’ at me. No matter what I did, swapping lenses, taking battery out etc. and again. I tried everything. The point is I thought I was the first person ever to have a 3rd party lens that could have damaged the camera.
Mad right? It is just my mindset that when things go wrong it’s serious. Most things are when they go wrong for me (on computers they are anyway!) The battery was so far from my mind that when I got home I suddenly had an epithany that I should try replacing the battery. Low and behold!
The downside is that you cannot check the battery level when the battery is actually flat.
From now on I’ll keep a closer eye on the battery level, but not having had the 3 long I don’t know how long a 2CR5 will last. Mind you I have hammered it a bit in the first month of ownership. Even so, minor issue about not having some kind of permanent battery status on the top deck LCD.
That said, the EOS 3 is vastly better than the EOS 5, the feel and heft of it is just bloody great. Sure it’s a pretty heavy camera but I did a good ten miles of walking last weekend and I didn’t find it tiresome. (There again, my 24mm and 50mm primes don’t weigh a great deal!)
Canon EOS 3 – Review Part III
Continuing from part II, I explore the various reasons why I have chosen to stay with film in an increasingly digital age.
Continuing my first impressions of the already impressive EOS 3 I want to explore these impressions a little more but most importantly answer that question of why analogue (film) in a ‘digital age’? Specifically I am referring to 35mm film when I say film given that there are many film formats. My arguments may be different for medium or even large format, but the EOS 3 is a 35mm SLR.
In terms of answering why film in a digital age I believe that the two aren’t mutually exclusive and that they can co-exist and work together. There is however I think a saddening trend that digital is there to replace analogue because digital is better by being digital in its own right. This is not the case, they are both good and both have their strengths. To my mind it’s really about how each of their strengths play into your needs and knowing when to use each Read the rest of this entry »
