Zen Camera

John Bragg

John Bragg

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Over the weekend I shot some black and white portraits of a friend's grandson. I used my go to film dev combination of Ilford HP5+ in Ilfosol 3 rated at ei200 and it was to be an available light shoot in a Devon country cottage. I was in a quandry as to which was to be my camera and lens du jour. I ended up going for my Nikon FM2n and a 50mm f1.4 ais in the end, as it is not intimidating and it literally becomes part of me when I am in the moment. I found myself going all "Jane Bown" technique wise and looked for the best window light I could find. The mythical 1/60th @ f2.8 was easily doable.... I was lucky that the lad engaged with me and I found myself looking straight into his 4 year old eyes. I got to thinking as I hung the film up to dry today that the camera choice made a huge difference to me in particular. No bells whistles or other distracting noises and just a soft thuck sound from the shutter. No chance of a battery dying at the wrong moment and it really did disappear in my hands and become part of me as the very best tools do. What is your most Zen film camera ?
 
Although I like using rangefinders, for me the most zen camera is the Nikon F and Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 pre-AI. When you raise it up in the vertical position to your right eye, with the shutter button on the lower side, the image plane rests basically between your eyes, perfectly centered. A close second for me is the Leica M3, with any 50mm lens it is super zen.

There are two things very not-zen about the FM to me: the built-in meter, and the viewfinder which doesn't show the full image. Of course, you do you...this is just how I feel. The Nikon F and F2 with eyelevel finders have no distractions and full frame coverage in the finder.

50694277076_3facc2c879_c.jpg

Nikon F + Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 pre-AI, Kodak 400TX
 
For me it's my Pentax SL. It's a Spotmatic without the distraction of a meter.

keytarjunkie—Lovely shot. Your post is not helping my GAS for a plain prism F2.
 
Pentax Spotmatic with a Super Takumar 50mm f1.4. I was given it new in 1969 and I always feel good using it. Critical focus is easy. I also have a Sears (Mamiya) 85mm f2.8, that is good for portraits. But still mostly the 50mm. AAlfano uses a hand meter which I also do: combination of incident and reflective. How do you guys meter for John's style window portraits.

An aside: if I am feeling strong I might use my Pentax 6x7 (105mm) or if I am feeling like I'm in the 1950s I use my Rolleiflex.

Rolleiflex T:

2006 Rolleiflex (645 mask) Tmax400 by John Carter, on Flickr
 
charjohncarter said:
Pentax Spotmatic with a Super Takumar 50mm f1.4. I was given it new in 1969 and I always feel good using it. Critical focus is easy. I also have a Sears (Mamiya) 85mm f2.8, that is good for portraits. But still mostly the 50mm. AAlfano uses a hand meter which I also do: combination of incident and reflective. How do you guys meter for John's style window portraits.

An aside: if I am feeling strong I might use my Pentax 6x7 (105mm) or if I am feeling like I'm in the 1950s I use my Rolleiflex.

Rolleiflex T:
2006 Rolleiflex (645 mask) Tmax400 by John Carter, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Hi John. I like to make an educated guess at the exposure and confirm it with the camera meter sometimes using the back of my hand.

Here is a recent example with my daughter as a model.


Daydreams by E.J. Bragg, on Flickr
 
I've shot about 50 cameras since the beginning of 2020. My favorite and certainly Zen camera has to be my fixed-lens Leica I.
 
The K1000 and the 50/2 immediately leaps to mind since it is the one I have used the most for family portraits over time. It literally disappears from my mind when I am using it.

However I have been using the MA a lot in the past couple of years. I am partial to the MS Optical Sonnetar 50/1.1 as I really love how it renders in people situations, but there are several others that I can turn to as well.

But when I am doing portraits for others (not really that common) I use a TLR, usually my Zeiss Ikoflex. This is less about "Zen" and more because the bigger negative gives me a little more flexibility when I am printing. It also helps that 12 exposures are almost perfect for me when I am trying different compositions.
 
Not for every situation, of course, but I would vote for my Nikon S2 with the CV Nokton 50/1.5. Pure, elegant functionality. The lens focuses with a real knurled ring instead of the focusing wheel, so everything just falls into place right where it should be with no distractions. And the Nokton itself is pure functionality as well; no focus shift, no weird bokeh, tack sharp, and a great performer across the board.
 
What is Zen? I've read a few books on the subject, but I don't really know. I don't know that any camera gives me a nothing-special feeling like I might get if I were sitting and staring at a blank wall.

Lately I've been carrying a Canon Rebel G equipped with current 40/2.8 lens: Does that qualify? From an operational point of view, it's amazingly simple, practically loads and unloads itself, it's shutter and film transport have a hushed quality, and when I peer through it's finder, all I really notice is the image itself, surrounded by blackness, though if I care to concentrate, I can see that it has an informational display. But in "P" mode, I feel free to disregard it.
 
I think my Nikon FM2T with the 50 1.4 or the 28 2,8 (depending on the mood!) is my zen camera. Iso, aperture, shutter speed and focus, this is all.
I confess I use the M10 in the same way...
 
Realistically, it's probably my Pentax MX with SMC-M 50mm f/1.4. It took me about thirty years to "realize" I really didn't need anything more.
The Nikon F2AS is either in a tie with the MX or a very close second.
Lately, I'm drawn to the simplicity of the Nikonos III with a 35mm lens though. Just shutter speed, aperture, and a decent eye for estimating distance. Vince Lupo's Ermanox thread has really inspired me to get out with the scale focus camera lately.

Phil Forrest
 
JeffS7444 said:
…

Lately I've been carrying a Canon Rebel G equipped with current 40/2.8 lens: Does that qualify? From an operational point of view, it's amazingly simple,…
Click to expand...

Yes, i think it definitely qualifies. It’s a fun camera to use. Although by its design and by my preferences I should dislike this camera, it is amazingly easy to use, well thought out in its features, and again - fun. I have three of the things. With a 50/1.8 EF II “nifty fifty” the camera almost blows away in the wind. And that lens is actually quite good.

My “Zen” camera - the one which I feel is an extension of myself - is my first camera - a Pentax SP500 that I used exclusively for 15 years. After then buying all sorts of cameras in search of the Most Exciting Viewfinder, I finally realized my best photos come from the simplest cameras with the simplest viewfinders.
 
Just for the fun of it...

Here is the 'classic' definition of Zen - from that sublime website starting with the letter 'W', the one we seem to always turn to for the ideal definition of just about everything.

"Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School, and later developed into various sub-schools and branches. From China, Chán spread south to Vietnam and became Vietnamese Thiền, northeast to Korea to become Seon Buddhism, and east to Japan, becoming Japanese Zen."

Which cameras did those old Mahayanans use? Therein lies the answer to this latest online conundrum.

My guess - a Nikkormat sans batteries. Sunny 16 is super Zen!!
 
Zen would be a Konica T3 with a 50/1.7 or a TC with the 40/1.8. I have only been shooting digital for the last year or so - no Zen there - hmm... got to go back to basics...
 
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