R
ruben
Guest
I fidled with the idea I am done. Done about gear talk at least, and here comes my RC giving me a hard shock for good, I didn't imagine it could be so great.
First Great Surprise: Size
It all started several weeks ago, when I arrived to the happy conclusion that I must have a camera permanently with me, every day. Hence size matters most. Some days of my week I carry a pair of Kievs, which replaced lately my pair of Canonets. But most days of the week I travel to work by bycicle, with no walking contact at the streets, this being the reason for leaving the Kievs at home. Therefore I wanted a small and light camera.
So I went to my camera closet and took my old RC barely used. I happened to find a fitting case with a zip and put the whole thing into my belt pouch, where I stock my money, etc. But it still dragged a lot of space there. So I went to stitch a two parts leather case, prooving helpfull for space saving.
Then, as it couldn't be otherwise, the day came when I found myself at the streets without my Kievs, but with my RC. I blended at early morning with a group of people at a bus stop, and started shooting with the RC. Something of great importance happened that day. While taking pics I strongly perceived the small size of the camera allows me to get much closer to people than when using the Canonets, which by themselves are still much smaller than Kievs and others.
Never before I thought about it, although it is quite obvious. An almost miniature camera is a strategic asset for the street shooter. No one desires to be photographed by a stranger, but with such small a toy, he cannot be dangerous.
Adding a nice hood and a nice black wrist
I happened to have a 43.5 threadable HOYA hood, which i went to discover give more scoring points to the conspicuity issue. When you have a threaded metal hood it means a strongly attached one, you can walk-seat-stand holding the camera by its nose. Holding the RC by its nose means concealing half of the camera with your hand.
Of course at the very moment of focusing and firing you will have to hold the camera with two hands, unless for a more or less still subject you focus, and then lower the camera to a single hand with a finger ready to fire at the decisive moment.
So the threadable metal hood, whose size is like the whole nose compound, which was supposed to add undesirable size, has became an asset of conspicuity ! ! !
Tip
For further conspicuity, black tape most of the chrome parts or your RC with thin black self adhesive tapette. Not black electrician tape. Tapette.
Second Surprise: Hearing batteries proove very accurate
I am talking about the "big size" 1.4 volts, zinc air. I assume they don't last long but are fairly dirty cheap. I have read somewhere that they require air contact, already provided by the hole of the RC battery cup.
But due to some rust I notice in the unused ones I own, I have taken them out of the package which in my case have no provision for allowing them to breath.
Overcoming the shortcomings of the RC: The Yellow Patch
Out there are being sold "Lee Filters", which are highly transparent and non aberrationing. The one you are looking for is the 3ND, which will darken a bit your viewfinder, but you will see the yellow patch so good and contrasty that there will be no other viewfinder you will envy.
The cut from the 3ND is to be installed between the outer glass of the viewfinder and the diagonal yellowish glass, parallel to the outer glass and as much closer to it as possible. A light bit of glue will be enough.
Of course that an RC with a dim yellow patch, which is not only dim but small from factory, is a totally different camera. But with a contrasty viewing and focusing you will exploit to the maximum the big focuing knob and its very small travel, making focusing a very fast or slow operation, according to what you have and do about.
Overcoming the shortcomings of the RC: F 2.8
This and the dim viewfinder were my reason for leaving the RC in the closet for so long.
As for the f/2.8 we need to be phylosophical a bit. If I am going to shoot a friend, or a posing subject, at close range with a very very accurate camera, then an f/1.4 or f/1.7 will produce a nice effect. If I can shoot him or her at 2 meters or more, then I will feel more comfortable and assured for the results.
But if I am shooting people on the move, at strange and complicated situations putting me in dis-advantage, I will not want to use the f/1.4 and prefer the 2.8 with a neopan 1600. With neopan 1600 and f/2.8 you are touching the limits of low light necessary to focus with your eyes.
Now, don't get me wrong. Had I the chance to have an RC with an f/1.7 or f/2,
I would choose the widest possible apperture and happily pay the extra cost.
More features, more options. But I am trying to say that according to my short practice, when I felt the f/2.8 as an obstacle it was more of a prejudice than a real obstacle.
Conclusion
In this too long post, I have not spoken of other features and advantages of the RC, already described in other threads. But certainly I have put an emphasys on its size and its meaning for us.
For me it is very clear: in the arena of the fixed lens cameras, the RC as I adapted and use, is the best for the streets. Take into account that each of us is different and has different shooting temperament.
And, of course I am not saying that the best for street shooting is a fixed lens camera, but this is another story.
Cheers,
Ruben
PS
images soon.
First Great Surprise: Size
It all started several weeks ago, when I arrived to the happy conclusion that I must have a camera permanently with me, every day. Hence size matters most. Some days of my week I carry a pair of Kievs, which replaced lately my pair of Canonets. But most days of the week I travel to work by bycicle, with no walking contact at the streets, this being the reason for leaving the Kievs at home. Therefore I wanted a small and light camera.
So I went to my camera closet and took my old RC barely used. I happened to find a fitting case with a zip and put the whole thing into my belt pouch, where I stock my money, etc. But it still dragged a lot of space there. So I went to stitch a two parts leather case, prooving helpfull for space saving.
Then, as it couldn't be otherwise, the day came when I found myself at the streets without my Kievs, but with my RC. I blended at early morning with a group of people at a bus stop, and started shooting with the RC. Something of great importance happened that day. While taking pics I strongly perceived the small size of the camera allows me to get much closer to people than when using the Canonets, which by themselves are still much smaller than Kievs and others.
Never before I thought about it, although it is quite obvious. An almost miniature camera is a strategic asset for the street shooter. No one desires to be photographed by a stranger, but with such small a toy, he cannot be dangerous.
Adding a nice hood and a nice black wrist
I happened to have a 43.5 threadable HOYA hood, which i went to discover give more scoring points to the conspicuity issue. When you have a threaded metal hood it means a strongly attached one, you can walk-seat-stand holding the camera by its nose. Holding the RC by its nose means concealing half of the camera with your hand.
Of course at the very moment of focusing and firing you will have to hold the camera with two hands, unless for a more or less still subject you focus, and then lower the camera to a single hand with a finger ready to fire at the decisive moment.
So the threadable metal hood, whose size is like the whole nose compound, which was supposed to add undesirable size, has became an asset of conspicuity ! ! !
Tip
For further conspicuity, black tape most of the chrome parts or your RC with thin black self adhesive tapette. Not black electrician tape. Tapette.
Second Surprise: Hearing batteries proove very accurate
I am talking about the "big size" 1.4 volts, zinc air. I assume they don't last long but are fairly dirty cheap. I have read somewhere that they require air contact, already provided by the hole of the RC battery cup.
But due to some rust I notice in the unused ones I own, I have taken them out of the package which in my case have no provision for allowing them to breath.
Overcoming the shortcomings of the RC: The Yellow Patch
Out there are being sold "Lee Filters", which are highly transparent and non aberrationing. The one you are looking for is the 3ND, which will darken a bit your viewfinder, but you will see the yellow patch so good and contrasty that there will be no other viewfinder you will envy.
The cut from the 3ND is to be installed between the outer glass of the viewfinder and the diagonal yellowish glass, parallel to the outer glass and as much closer to it as possible. A light bit of glue will be enough.
Of course that an RC with a dim yellow patch, which is not only dim but small from factory, is a totally different camera. But with a contrasty viewing and focusing you will exploit to the maximum the big focuing knob and its very small travel, making focusing a very fast or slow operation, according to what you have and do about.
Overcoming the shortcomings of the RC: F 2.8
This and the dim viewfinder were my reason for leaving the RC in the closet for so long.
As for the f/2.8 we need to be phylosophical a bit. If I am going to shoot a friend, or a posing subject, at close range with a very very accurate camera, then an f/1.4 or f/1.7 will produce a nice effect. If I can shoot him or her at 2 meters or more, then I will feel more comfortable and assured for the results.
But if I am shooting people on the move, at strange and complicated situations putting me in dis-advantage, I will not want to use the f/1.4 and prefer the 2.8 with a neopan 1600. With neopan 1600 and f/2.8 you are touching the limits of low light necessary to focus with your eyes.
Now, don't get me wrong. Had I the chance to have an RC with an f/1.7 or f/2,
I would choose the widest possible apperture and happily pay the extra cost.
More features, more options. But I am trying to say that according to my short practice, when I felt the f/2.8 as an obstacle it was more of a prejudice than a real obstacle.
Conclusion
In this too long post, I have not spoken of other features and advantages of the RC, already described in other threads. But certainly I have put an emphasys on its size and its meaning for us.
For me it is very clear: in the arena of the fixed lens cameras, the RC as I adapted and use, is the best for the streets. Take into account that each of us is different and has different shooting temperament.
And, of course I am not saying that the best for street shooting is a fixed lens camera, but this is another story.
Cheers,
Ruben
PS
images soon.
