Yay for Canonets!

[Stephanie Brim]

My first rangefinder happens to be a camera that I had actually had my eye on when I first started thinking about the fact that I may end up liking rangefinder photography better than regular 35mm point and shoot or SLR-type cameras. I bought a Canonet 28 newer model on Ebay for a whopping 35 bucks, newly CLA'd and adjusted. Beautiful camera. Takes great pictures. I'm very impressed.

Now all I have to do is find something to take photos of.

Any tips for using this camera? I've decided to run some slide film through it to make sure that the meter is working completely right, but it seems to be working just fine from the look of the black and white I ran through it recently. I'm most interested to see if it would work in some of my more Lomo-esque photographical pursuits.

Any tips on favorite films? Where can I get a polarizer filter, or any other filters for that matter? It uses the 1.35v battery, doesn't it?

I'm really excited to take this camera for a real spin.

 

[Roman]

If by 'lomo-esque' you mean 'popping colors', you might want to try Agfa Ultra 100 negative film!

Roman

 

[rover]

Hi Steph, what is the filter size for the Canonet 28? I built a full set of filters, 48mm, for my QL17 on ebay.

For a battery I use a Wein cell. You can find them at a Ritz Camera or Radio Shack. Others use a 1.5v battery, but I am not getting involved with the current debate going on over that. It doesn't matter too much I guess if you are shooting print film.

 

[Stu :)]

Second vote for Agfa's Ultra 100. Rate it at ISO 64 and don't tell the lab.

For filters, I bought a step-up ring for the 48mm thread QL17 and a step-down ring for the 55mm thread QL17 and use the common as muck 52mm filters. Althought the last time I used a polarizer was back in 2002. Plus I wouldn't dare use a polarizer with Agfa Ultra 100. The bright colours from the prints may make the local lab staff go blind.

Stu 🙂

 

[peter_n]

Stephanie I also bought a complete set of 48mm filters (and pretty good quality ones) for about $11 on eBay. I only use B&W film and I think there are several filters left over that are color related. If the lens on your cam takes 48mm PM me if you are interested and I can send you a list of what I have and mail them to you if you want them. 🙂

 

[dmr]

If by 'lomo-esque' you mean 'popping colors', you might want to try Agfa Ultra 100 negative film!

I keep hearing the term Lomo Photography and even Lomography, but I don't really know what that means. I keep thinking of a former Soviet Union Instamatic type camera, but I'm sure that's not what this is about. Anybody have a concise definition?

 

[dmr]

Here's the international site.

http://www.lomography.com/

Hmmmm ... interesting ... and it *IS* about the Lomo Camera, sortakinda ...

Let's see here ... Rules:

1. Take your camera everywhere. Uh-huh

2. Use it anytime. Okay...

4. Try the shot from the hip. Huh? Uh, I wanna see what I'm taking. I'll even sit down in the street, but I wanna compose in the viewfinder ...

5. Approach the object as close as possible. Uh, I guess skylines and waterfronts are out then. 🙂

6. Don't think. Uh, I have a hard time with that one. Not thinking that is. 🙂

10. Don't worry about any rules. Ok, forget the last 9 then. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Oh well, I guess I asked. 🙂

 

[Stephanie Brim]

Heh. I like to think of Lomography as photography with the stick removed from its collective anus. No rules, no reasons. Just fun. While I do plan a lot of projects in the next few weeks, I also plan to just take a lot of my slide film out and shoot it. Street shooting is fun and oftentimes shows you just how good at photography you are. 🙂

 

[yankeedoll]

Hi Steph,
I've had the pleasure of handling a Canonet 28. It's a great little camera! It felt good in my hands, easy to handle & focus. Had a good, sharp lens. It took good color shots with various film. Didn't try B&W.
Good luck & have fun with it!

 

[Stephanie Brim]

Trying out the slide film is going to be the real test of the camera. I'm excited to see what the little guy can do.

 

[dmr]

Heh. I like to think of Lomography as photography with the stick removed from its collective anus.

Uh, I guess that's one way to put it. 🙂

I rreally don't think of photography as a rigid or anal-retentive avocation. Those who took up photography, at least those in my generation 🙂 tended to be free-thinking fun-loving people who often times challenged the rules.

No rules, no reasons. Just fun.

My dad (mhrip) who was really responsible for getting me into photography in the first place, had this whole set of "rules" such as:

1. Always front light your subject, face the sun or use flash.

2. Everything had to be still, sharp, and in focus. (Bokeh was a four-letter word.) 🙂

3. Every photo was better with a person in it. Pose your subject.

4. Make your photos pleasing for others. Always tell a story.

5. Yada yada Yeah yeah, sure sure ...

You know the drill. 🙂 Those are the rules I intentionally broke. 🙂

Street shooting is fun and oftentimes shows you just how good at photography you are. 🙂

Yes, and practice random acts of photography. 🙂

 

[einolu]

I always like posting this essay about "LOMO" photography:

http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/lomography/index.htm

good read, and I like the guys site anyway.

 

[mstevenson]

Awesome! I just bought a Canonet less than two months ago. I've put a couple of different kinds of film through it, mostly with good results. My favorite at the moment is Ilford HP5 Plus, though Tri-X also looked great.

I actually had the same idea that you did about metering, so I have a roll of Sensia in the camera right now. I noticed that when I was using a 1.5v battery the meter seemed to be off by a bit in bright light, so I bought a Wein 1.35v battery. I guess I won't really know the accuracy of the meter until I get my slides back (if I ever get the time to finish shooting the roll ).

You can mail order or get caps, filters, and hoods from ebay.. but I decided to just buy a 48 -> 49mm step-up ring to make things easier on myself. Now I can find filters and hoods in the bargain bin at the local shop.

What to shoot? If I knew I would tell you 🙂 I have the same dilemna myself. I find that people are always good, but a little nature, urban landscape, etc is always nice. I have shots from my Canonet in a couple of places:

http://www.majikal.org/photo/20050404/
http://majikal.org/photo/crop0030-300dpi.jpg
http://majikal.org/photo/bunny.jpg

(Kind of random, I know. I'm still organizing)

and of course..

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/1298

I hope you like the camera, I love mine 🙂

Michael

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I got PO'd at the lab I usually take my film to because they decided to put my black and white on regular photo paper. At least I think that's what they did. The prints that I got, only one set thank the gods, have bright blue highlights. Bright blue. Very visible. I'm taking them back. It's horrible. I'm also never letting a lab develop black and white for me ever again. I'll do it myself next time. If I screw up, at least it's me and it'll be a hell of a lot cheaper.

 

[mstevenson]

D'Oh! Sorry to hear that. I usually scan my B&W and upload the keepers to the lab. The print on color paper (Fuji Crystal Archive) but I don't get color casts. The only time I get color casts from them is when I let them process C41 B&W start to finish. My XP2 Super usually comes out sepia and the Kodak Chromogenic usually has a green cast.

Michael

 

[Stephanie Brim]

The funniest thing is that it's two different rolls of film. One is Delta 400 and the other is HP5.

 

[DougK]

Congratulations on the Canonet, should be a fun camera for you! As far as what to shoot, shoot what you see 🙂. If you want vibrant color, I've had good results with Kodak Elite Chrome in my cameras; well-saturated colors without appearing overblown, although you really have to watch it with skin tones. Definitely a bummer with the B&W film, I've had that happen to me once or twice. Please post a few samples when you have some, I'd love to see the results.

On a side note, I'm not sure how I feel about "lomography." I'm not dissing the underlying concepts, there are some very good points hidden in the hype. However, I question the cultish atmosphere that has grown/developed/been constructed around the whole thing. One thing is for sure, it does sell cameras and film.... 🙂

 

[gabrielelopez]

I always like posting this essay about "LOMO" photography:

http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/lomography/index.htm

good read, and I like the guys site anyway.

What a great site was that!!! Thank you..

About the Canonet, is a funny little camera, that can give you a lot of satisfaction without expensive choices or big names!

Bye!

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I don't really buy into using just any camera to take photographs. I look for the best if I can find it. I'm a big believer in cameras that are actually constructed of metal and have little to no plastic parts on them at all. I do not like 'toy cameras' like the actual Lomo or the Holga. I just like the main idea of lomography: no rules, no reason, no limits. It's a good philosophy to live by as far as photography goes. Putting too many rules on what you will and won't take photos of limits how creative you can be.

 

[einolu]

If you want a small and well built camera then check out the fed 1/ zorki 1 with the collapsible industar lenses, they are great (and cheap)! Personally, I find having fixed lenses very annoying.