amateriat
We're all light!
I've had this matter recur throughout my photographic life: There have almost always been two main, "go-to" cameras in the various systems I've owned, usually identical. This was great, but when I started shooting the same film in both bodies, I had a hankering for a third camera so I could, for instance, shoot color if my main shootin' iron was loaded with b/w, and so on. When I was still shooting mainly with SLRs, buying a third SLR body was out of the question: even in my youthful masochism of toting two heavy pro SLRs (one usually motorized), and five or so fast prime optics, the idea of a third F-1, F3, OM-Somethingorother, or 9xi seemed beyond the pale. The crazed PJ in Apocalypse Now was not a role model for me.
So. at first, I went back to the future and looked into small, fixed-lens RFs. Nice enough, but within time I found them not small enough. Then, I tried the then-new Minox EL. These were fun, except (1) I wasn't thrilled with scale-focusing, since I was at the time diametrically opposed to loading any camera in my possession with anything faster than ASA/ISO 100 (always color, and almost always slide film), and (2) the things were fragile: as Dog is my witness, I once killed an EL by dropping it three feet onto a carpeted floor. Stone-cold dead.
Then came the Olympus XA. Coupled rangefinder, yay! Membrane-switch shutter release, yay! Fast(er) 35mm lens with decent IQ, yay! But, it died a similar ignoble death as the Minox. WTF!?
Then, for five years, there was the Konica Hexar autofocus. Sheer heaven: great, wicked-fast lens, solid build, great AF/AE system, silent as St. John the Divine on a snowy Saturday night (okay, maybe after Christmas). But, ultimately, it was just a bit too big, and got used less and less because of my buying...
The Ricoh GR-1. I was a tad leery by now about truly pocketable 35s, even the so-clled "posh" models (perhaps especially, given their equally "posh" price tags). But I took a chance with the Ricoh and was happily surprised with what it could do and how well it did it. ALl the way to the day when, while setting up a shot on the upper West Side, dropped it from five feet to the sidewalk..and it's been on the DL ever since.
And, I've missed having a good, pocketable camera. A lot.
Day before yesterday, the Contax Tvs I bought from FrankS arrived. I was giddy when I opened the box, in spite of the fact that I turned my nose up at this very same camera when it was first released. Of course, I turned my nose up at almost every high-end pocket p/s being made, partly because I'd concocted a bizarre size/cost equation in my muddled brain at the time, and couldn't fathom paying more than, say, $300 or so for such a tiny thing. And, that zoom...like so many zooms I steered clear of at the time, it was slow, and probably distorted like Hedes. How am I supposed to shoot K64 and EPR with something like that?
Things change. Like film emulsions. Like my general attitude toward big, burly SLRs. (This happned as I was approaching 40...coincidence?) When I found myself abandoning SLRs for M-type RFs, my attitude toward tiny, posh p/s cameras changed as well.
So, I bought the Contax. Put a roll of Reala in it right away. Here's what happened:
Bonnie's Tortillas
I was jazzed by a few things. First, the image quality: yes, with a maximum aperture of f/3.5 (at 28mm), this thing isn't a speed demon in challenging light, but faster film has gotten a lot better, and I like the idea of having a pocketable camera with a quality zoom attached. The big deal for me with zooms has always been distortion, not absolute speed. This was my main concern with the Contax. Yes, it vignettes noticably wide-open at 28mm. So did the Ricoh, but distortion was well-controlled, so I dealt with it. Same with the Contax, but now I had the benefit of a zoom lens.
New York Methodist Hospital, old wing.
The real surprise for me was how quiet the thing was: way quieter than the Ricoh was, and only a tad noisier than my old Hexar AF was in non-Stealth mode. It began to dawn on me: I might not need a third, non-motorized M camera so much after all, at least not immediately. If I knew then what I know now. But, back then, fast film wasn't quite good as it is now. You could say the Tvs was a tad ahead of its time (not always a good thing from the company's point of view). Since I don't have a 35mm optic in my Hex AF system, the Contax might fill that gap quite well.
Obligatory Self-Portrait # 22 (Edit: apologies for the sloppy crop at left)
I think I love this camera.
Tomorrow, I'm off to Florida to photographically document my Nephew's graduation from Florida State. Just as I did for his High School graduation four years before, I'm bringing my full Hexar RF kit, as well as the Contax. Ten rolls of black-and-white film (Kodak BW400CN), four rolls of Kodak Portra (two rolls 400NC, two rolls 800), one roll of Kodachrome, two rolls of Ektar 100, and maybe one defrosted roll of Konica Impresa 50. I'm gonna party like it's 1999, in m,ore ways than one.
Between the Avenues, Brooklyn, NY
Results later next week.
- Barrett
So. at first, I went back to the future and looked into small, fixed-lens RFs. Nice enough, but within time I found them not small enough. Then, I tried the then-new Minox EL. These were fun, except (1) I wasn't thrilled with scale-focusing, since I was at the time diametrically opposed to loading any camera in my possession with anything faster than ASA/ISO 100 (always color, and almost always slide film), and (2) the things were fragile: as Dog is my witness, I once killed an EL by dropping it three feet onto a carpeted floor. Stone-cold dead.
Then came the Olympus XA. Coupled rangefinder, yay! Membrane-switch shutter release, yay! Fast(er) 35mm lens with decent IQ, yay! But, it died a similar ignoble death as the Minox. WTF!?
Then, for five years, there was the Konica Hexar autofocus. Sheer heaven: great, wicked-fast lens, solid build, great AF/AE system, silent as St. John the Divine on a snowy Saturday night (okay, maybe after Christmas). But, ultimately, it was just a bit too big, and got used less and less because of my buying...
The Ricoh GR-1. I was a tad leery by now about truly pocketable 35s, even the so-clled "posh" models (perhaps especially, given their equally "posh" price tags). But I took a chance with the Ricoh and was happily surprised with what it could do and how well it did it. ALl the way to the day when, while setting up a shot on the upper West Side, dropped it from five feet to the sidewalk..and it's been on the DL ever since.
And, I've missed having a good, pocketable camera. A lot.
Day before yesterday, the Contax Tvs I bought from FrankS arrived. I was giddy when I opened the box, in spite of the fact that I turned my nose up at this very same camera when it was first released. Of course, I turned my nose up at almost every high-end pocket p/s being made, partly because I'd concocted a bizarre size/cost equation in my muddled brain at the time, and couldn't fathom paying more than, say, $300 or so for such a tiny thing. And, that zoom...like so many zooms I steered clear of at the time, it was slow, and probably distorted like Hedes. How am I supposed to shoot K64 and EPR with something like that?
Things change. Like film emulsions. Like my general attitude toward big, burly SLRs. (This happned as I was approaching 40...coincidence?) When I found myself abandoning SLRs for M-type RFs, my attitude toward tiny, posh p/s cameras changed as well.
So, I bought the Contax. Put a roll of Reala in it right away. Here's what happened:
Bonnie's Tortillas
I was jazzed by a few things. First, the image quality: yes, with a maximum aperture of f/3.5 (at 28mm), this thing isn't a speed demon in challenging light, but faster film has gotten a lot better, and I like the idea of having a pocketable camera with a quality zoom attached. The big deal for me with zooms has always been distortion, not absolute speed. This was my main concern with the Contax. Yes, it vignettes noticably wide-open at 28mm. So did the Ricoh, but distortion was well-controlled, so I dealt with it. Same with the Contax, but now I had the benefit of a zoom lens.
New York Methodist Hospital, old wing.
The real surprise for me was how quiet the thing was: way quieter than the Ricoh was, and only a tad noisier than my old Hexar AF was in non-Stealth mode. It began to dawn on me: I might not need a third, non-motorized M camera so much after all, at least not immediately. If I knew then what I know now. But, back then, fast film wasn't quite good as it is now. You could say the Tvs was a tad ahead of its time (not always a good thing from the company's point of view). Since I don't have a 35mm optic in my Hex AF system, the Contax might fill that gap quite well.
Obligatory Self-Portrait # 22 (Edit: apologies for the sloppy crop at left)
I think I love this camera.
Tomorrow, I'm off to Florida to photographically document my Nephew's graduation from Florida State. Just as I did for his High School graduation four years before, I'm bringing my full Hexar RF kit, as well as the Contax. Ten rolls of black-and-white film (Kodak BW400CN), four rolls of Kodak Portra (two rolls 400NC, two rolls 800), one roll of Kodachrome, two rolls of Ektar 100, and maybe one defrosted roll of Konica Impresa 50. I'm gonna party like it's 1999, in m,ore ways than one.
Between the Avenues, Brooklyn, NY
Results later next week.
- Barrett
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amateriat
We're all light!
Also: for once the weather is working somewhat in my favor for travel: sucks in NY for for the weekend (and much of the week, so far), but largely okay in FL.
- Barrett
- Barrett
back alley
IMAGES
glad you like the new toy, enjoy the trip!
steamer
Well-known
The story of your third camera reminds me of the drummer from Spinal Tap
M4streetshooter
Tourist Thru Life
Love the Flag image........
I'm just sayin'.....
I'm just sayin'.....