So... is it a Pen F or Pen FT?

Doug said:
Nice shot indeed, Karl! Smooth gradations and just a bit of texture from the grain. I like FP4 in the Pen F @250 in Diafine, partly for the grain structure.
Click to expand...

I had least couple people look at the photo above and then say something like "grain is an understatement" as if its got like too much ( I dunno guess in the digital age, any grain is too much grain and the girls gota look like plastic ).
 
kb244 said:
I had least couple people look at the photo above and then say something like "grain is an understatement" as if its got like too much ( I dunno guess in the digital age, any grain is too much grain and the girls gota look like plastic ).
Click to expand...


Karl:
The posted photo is a fine one.
Why did you choose to take it with a half-frame camera?
Was there a specific reason for doing so or did you simply want to excercise the Pen FT?

Raid
 
Nice, Raid! Yes, I think nowadays one reason to choose the half-frame is to bring in noticeable grain as a picture element. High acutance and sharp grain would be preferable to a solvent developer and mushy grain with less sharpness.
 
raid said:
Karl:
The posted photo is a fine one.
Why did you choose to take it with a half-frame camera?
Was there a specific reason for doing so or did you simply want to excercise the Pen FT?

Raid
Click to expand...

A number of reasons.
1) I wanted the benefits of an SLR but the compact and sleak design of a rangefinder due to my habit of ALWAYS carrying a camera with me.
2) I wanted to have the "option" of being a shutter bug if I so wished.
3) I wanted the ability to 'emphasis' the grain pattery on some of my favorite emulsions.
4) Interchangibility on such a small camera sounded fun, along with flash sync up to 1/500th of a second.
5) Bragging rights.

Also...
It really helps when you scan on a proper scanner as opposed to my flatbed. These are some of the results from the Nikon Super Coolscan 8000 ED, with autofocusing point set on the eyes. The scans earlier were off my Canon 8400F flatbed scanner.

GA-2.jpg


GA-3.jpg


GA-4.jpg


Nice thing is the grain structure is still visible just much more clarity to it.
 
kb244 said:
Also...
It really helps when you scan on a proper scanner as opposed to my flatbed. These are some of the results from the Nikon Super Coolscan 8000 ED, with autofocusing point set on the eyes. The scans earlier were off my Canon 8400F flatbed scanner.
Click to expand...


How did you autofocus with the Olympus Pen? Or do you mean that you can set the scanner's focus point? That sounds like a great feature for a scanner.

Either way, excellent photos.
 
ZeissFan said:
How did you autofocus with the Olympus Pen? Or do you mean that you can set the scanner's focus point? That sounds like a great feature for a scanner.

Either way, excellent photos.
Click to expand...
Sorry for the confusion, it was a feature of the Nikon scanner that we somehow missed in all the time the store had the scanner. The idea is that even in the holder there is still 'some' film curvature of the 35mm strip (where as the scanner has a very good 120 holder where it grabs one side and you pull it tight to straight and lock it into place) we discovered the ever so obvious 'focus' icon on the control panel and we ran some test first scanning like we always do letting the scanner do it's own autofocus, then by taking the focus point and clicking the area we wanted it to focus and it did it's own auto focus then we scaned again, the difference was most definitly noticible, as you could actually see the grain structure quite crisp and clear at 100% when scanned at 4000 dpi as opposed to being ever so mildly soft. It really helps when you know where you want the scanner to focus, we knew it had autofocus just didn't know about the specific ability to tell it where to zero in on.

If the Oly Pen had an autofocus lens, no doubt would it be ever-so-horrible as Canon's autofocus zoom lens they made for the Canon FD mount that was slower than doom and looked equally as ugly.
 
ZeissFan said:
Fun to look at, but not too fun for your bank account. Most of his eBay stuff is WAY WAY WAY overpriced. It's far beyond dissuading resellers.
Click to expand...

I noticed that he has the same things on his own site at cheaper prices, but an automatic 10$ shipping on his own site as opposed to 2$ to 5$ on an ebay winning. For example there was a 135$ M42 adapter on his ebay, so I sent him a best offer of 100$, then countered with 125$, then I noticed the exact same one on his website (despite saying EX++ condition theres a small rust spot on the back as shown in the picture) for 120$ but wanted 10$ for shipping which would be 130$ total. I guess even if I went with the counter offer on the ebay auction I'd still be paying the same just saving 5$ from 135$. Either way was the lowest I've seen the adpter for thus far, he says he'll ship it out monday and shall see from there. Lucky I had a large format lens sitting around that I wasn't using to get in the money to pay for the adapter.

Right now I'm in the process of making a Canon FD adapter cutting up a Bowen slide duplicator adapter and attatching a FD body mount unscrewed from a pulverized AE-1.
 
kb244 said:
I had least couple people look at the photo above and then say something like "grain is an understatement" as if its got like too much ( I dunno guess in the digital age, any grain is too much grain and the girls gota look like plastic ).
Click to expand...

The grain is lovely on the pictures. I find people nowadays simply do not have the patience to enjoy good photos. They are "conditioned" to instant stuff by the digital technology... Ok, nice picture, Next!

Pen-FT is a real camera, it's beautiful and takes beautiful pictures. It's designed to be used, my only hesitation to use it more is because it's hard/expensive to fix if something got broken.

But your pictures inspired me. Good lighting also. Thanks for sharing, Karl!
 
shadowfox said:
The grain is lovely on the pictures. I find people nowadays simply do not have the patience to enjoy good photos. They are "conditioned" to instant stuff by the digital technology... Ok, nice picture, Next!

Pen-FT is a real camera, it's beautiful and takes beautiful pictures. It's designed to be used, my only hesitation to use it more is because it's hard/expensive to fix if something got broken.

But your pictures inspired me. Good lighting also. Thanks for sharing, Karl!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the compliment. I intend to use this camera as much as I can, it may even replace my Canon P as an in-pocket camera (though not as likely what will likely happen is the Pen will be in one vest pocket, the P in the other). Course right now it is my always-on-me camera as my Canon P is out for repairs (the rangefinder mirror fell off as a result the RF focus is no longer accurate it'll be a few weeks but will only cost me 80$ for that and a CLA of the camera).

The thing about the digital age and your comment about expensive repairs, I find that the Pen is less likely to go kaput even though it is much older since even if you knock it around a little theres a higher chance of survival than say a 400$ point and shoot digital that if you drop it, and the lens doesn't want to retract or come out (and I work in a camera store and we get the calls all the time be it canon, sony, nikon, etc) that right there is no less than 150$ repair job, and it probably wasn't even that hard a drop or bump.

While I have no intentions of droping or knocking around my Pen, I still find that most of my film gear that I purchased after my digital (I started out digitally) has been much more rugged and reliable than my digital stuff. If nothing else I can usually feel the camera for when there is a problem, the way it sounds, the way it moves, after a while you really get to know the feel of it, like a good older car, you don't get to feel when an "error 02" is gona pop up on you.
 
I just wish somebody would figure out a way to use LTM lenses
on the PEN FT. Registration distances are very close ...

Roland.
 
ferider said:
I just wish somebody would figure out a way to use LTM lenses
on the PEN FT. Registration distances are very close ...

Roland.
Click to expand...

Someone already posted a link I think a page back (or on the M42 thread), but what it basically does is removes the olympus mount and replaces it with an M39 screwmount, most of the site was in japanese but thats what it showed happening in the picture. The problem is though you wouldn't be able to use any of the lens with a protruding back (like my favorite J-12 or Voigtlander 21/4) but rather say longer lens where the back of the lens does not protrude any further than the mount thus risk hitting the mirror.

So yea you can do it but it means losing the olympus mount compatibility.
 
kb244 said:
Someone already posted a link I think a page back (or on the M42 thread), but what it basically does is removes the olympus mount and replaces it with an M39 screwmount, most of the site was in japanese but thats what it showed happening in the picture. The problem is though you wouldn't be able to use any of the lens with a protruding back (like my favorite J-12 or Voigtlander 21/4) but rather say longer lens where the back of the lens does not protrude any further than the mount thus risk hitting the mirror.

So yea you can do it but it means losing the olympus mount compatibility.
Click to expand...

Saw that once, sent them an email and didn't get a reply.
And loosing the Pen mount would be a pity ...
On the other hand, my Canon 50/1.2 should look pretty good on the FT 🙂
Or imagine an 85/2 ....

Very nice photos, BTW.

Roland.
 
Last edited:
Another idea..

Another idea..

Karl & Roland: you may want to reach out to these folks:(Lumière), who seemingly can (and do) adapt anything to anything. Perhaps they can put you in closer touch with MountMagic or S-World (with whom it seems they're associated), or they might have some other options for your quest(s). Tom A has mentioned that they speak fluent English (certainly not implying that MM or SW don't), so that might help to get you where you need to be? Heck, they have their own 'shop' omelette, so anything's possible!

A word of warning: some of the coolest, most drool-worthy camera-related stuff i've ever seen is contained in this site. Proceed at your own risk.

--c--
 
Well I got the M42 adapter (still in the process of making a FD adapter), and got my hands on a SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4 lens. But trying to find my damn M42 adaptall mount that I know I have cuz that way I can also add my Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro and Tamron 28mm f/2.5 lens to the screwmountable collection.
 
Cale,

My Japanese is weak; actually it is nonexistent. Do you speak it?


Raid
Cale Arthur said:
Karl & Roland: you may want to reach out to these folks:(Lumière), who seemingly can (and do) adapt anything to anything. Perhaps they can put you in closer touch with MountMagic or S-World (with whom it seems they're associated), or they might have some other options for your quest(s). Tom A has mentioned that they speak fluent English (certainly not implying that MM or SW don't), so that might help to get you where you need to be? Heck, they have their own 'shop' omelette, so anything's possible!

A word of warning: some of the coolest, most drool-worthy camera-related stuff i've ever seen is contained in this site. Proceed at your own risk.

--c--
Click to expand...
 
raid said:
Cale,

My Japanese is weak; actually it is nonexistent. Do you speak it?

Raid
Click to expand...

Sadly, i do not. And i certainly meant no offense by implying that the possibility existed that those whom were emailed didn't respond because of a lack of fluency in English. I hope that it wasn't taken that way, Raid.

--c--
 
Cale Arthur said:
Sadly, i do not. And i certainly meant no offense by implying that the possibility existed that those whom were emailed didn't respond because of a lack of fluency in English. I hope that it wasn't taken that way, Raid.

--c--
Click to expand...

Not at all, Cale. At least, I don't feel bad about anything being said here.

Raid
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom