Cosinon Auto F=1.4 f=55

I didn't want to let a whole month pass without a post, so here is the Cosinon Auto 1.4.  I was surprised to find this on a Argus STL 1000 that I was given a while back.  I expected the Cosinon f/1.8 that usually came with that model. I wasn't able to find much firm info on this lens.  Some say it was made by Tomioka and it was also sold under such brands as Revuenon and Rikenon.  It probably dates back to the early 1970's.  It is mostly of metal construction and is more solid and heavier than most modern lenses.  The optical design is 7 elements in 6 groups. 

For a test I used the lens wide open on a Canon digital SLR.  I am pleased with the sharpness, colors, and bokeh.  I'd say that if you run across one of these at a reasonable price that it would be worth picking up.  I saw one that recently sold on Ebay for $23.95 and another for $43.  So it's likely this lens could be a bargain for an f/1.4.

Some more images wide open.

Lastly, one at f/11.

Falcon Miniature

I saw this camera at the Wabash Depot Antique Mall Saturday for $6.  Most of the time when I see these fairly common cameras in antique shops they are in bad shape and priced much too high.  The Falcon Miniature however was clean, the shutter fired, and 6 dollars is pretty much what it is worth.  So I couldn't pass it up.

The Falcon Miniature came with a box which lists all it's features on the side.  It is a short list.

The body of the camera is made of Bakelite and reminds me of the body of the Argus A.  I imagine that was intentional since the Argus A was very popular in 1939 when the Falcon Miniature was made by the Utility Manufacturing Company of New York NY.   Utility was bought by Spartus Corp. in 1941 and Spartus continued to make the Falcon Miniature in Chicago. The one I have here was made in Chicago even though the face plate says New York. 

I found a blog that has some photos taken by this camera. The photos don't look too bad.  I imagine some young photographers cut their teeth on an inexpensive Falcon Miniature.  The wide exposure latitude of b&w film made it possible to get acceptable results with such a simple camera.  Some may not know that it wasn't until color slide film came along that photographers became more concerned about accurate exposure.  With films like Kodachrome you had to be spot on with exposure. If you look through old camera ads there is a parallel in the rise of Kodachrome and the rise of exposure meters.

Anyway talk of more sophisticated equipment seems out of place when looking at the Falcon Miniature.  It is probably one of the simplest cameras ever made.  To me the vintage look of the camera is the main appeal.  Maybe one day I will take some pictures with it, however I am in no hurry.

One recent claim to fame for the Falcon Miniature is that it is said to be the inspiration for the Sprocket Rocket  from Lomography.com. Some people have found it possible to run 35mm film through the Falcon Miniature getting the film sprockets that some desire. 

Yashica FX-2

Thought this camera might be a good place to restart this blog.  I was at the Covered Bridge Festival in Parke County Indiana last week and bought this Yashica FX-2 for $9.  I happily would have paid that much just for the Yashica ML 50 1:1.7 lens.  Last fall I bought a Yashica FX-3 Super from the same dealer.  I liked the camera, however it came with a rather large lens, and for a while I looked for a standard lens to replace it.  By the time I saw this camera and lens I had forgotten about that search.  So I was glad to see the lens I wanted along with another Yashica camera to add to my collection.

The Yashica FX-2 was first made in 1976.  It is the second in a line of cameras that came about as the result of a partnership between Yashica and Zeiss.   As a result the FX-2 uses the Y/C bayonet mount.  This means that it can use both many excellent Yashica lenses along with the highly regarded Contax Y/C lenses. The Yashica ML 50mm 1:1.7 is highly regarded by some and seen as ordinary by others.  So far I have no actual experience with the lens, however based on previous experience with Yashica lenses I would expect it to be pretty good.  I have heard that the mixed experience that many have with some of these economy lenses of good design may have to do with quality control.  Having a lens checked out thoroughly is expensive so probably more clunkers get out the door in the economy lines then with the more thoroughly checked upscale lines.

As far as the FX-2 goes it is a typical of the all-mechanical cameras of its time.  The shutter speeds go from 1 to 1/1000 along with B.  There is a button for a depth of field preview.  Other than for the meter no battery is needed.  Unfortunately, the battery that is needed is one of the no longer made mercury batteries.  So when I use this camera it will likely be with a hand-held meter.  Still the first use this purchase will get will be when I put the lens on the FX-3 Super.  That camera uses modern batteries, and when I used it last I remember that the meter worked very well. 

I does seem like my purchases and use of film cameras has fallen off in the past few months.  I think that may be partly as a result of having reached the point where I have more cameras than I can find a place or use for.  At least right now all my camera drawers are full and many cameras are taking up space in places that I'd rather use for other things.  So that definitely has put a slow-down on my desire to add to the pile.  The FX-2 was too much of a good deal to pass up.  And with my liking for all things Yashica it will probably still be around when I thin the herd.

Three Cloud Versions

Have not been posting for a while.  I suppose that correlates with the waning interest that I usually have for photography in late Summer.  At least I have noticed for the last several years my photographic output declines a lot in August and early September.  Probably things will pick up now that Fall is starting to show itself here.

Usually I talk about film cameras here, however I do have a liking for various methods of changing photos. The photo above is from a digital raw file.  It is a pretty straight forward version of a cloud from last summer.  I think all I did to it was use curves to improve the contrast and added a little sharpening.

The second versions comes from using Photomatix on the single raw file.  This works pretty well if the photo is taken using a low ISO.  At least with my camera an ISO higher than 800 will result in a lot of noise when processed by Photomatix.

The last image is the Photomatix one when ran through Silver Efex Pro 2. Of the black and white conversion tools that I have tried I like Silver Efex the best. Although I probably wouldn't have paid the full price for it.  I was lucky in that I bought another Nik plugin a while back and then later got the whole Nik bundle as a bonus. Still I do still prefer the results from real black and white film.

So while I have been doing a lot of my photography in film the past few years I am not immune to the charms of digital along with Photoshop and its plugins. 

Revival of Vinyl Records and the Survival of Film

I was listening to this podcast talking about the revival of vinyl record sales and I had the feeling that for some parts of the show they could have changed the word vinyl to film.  Especially when they were talking about a return to vinyl recordings being a reaction to the perfection and sterility of digital recordings.  Overall they made the point that some felt that vinyl records seemed like a more involved, and more human way to listen to music. It was interesting to me that Vinyl records have been increasing in sales since 2007.  They were up 30% last year.  Now it doesn't look like they will ever reach the level where they once were, however it does appear that vinyl has a stable niche.

I think film is in a similar place.  I would guess that many of you are like me in being tired of hearing people say that film is obsolete. Still like the vinyl crowd I think there is a segment of people who find something missing in digital images. I think the challenge for the film making industry will be to adjust to that smaller market.  Film like vinyl likely will never recapture the mass market.  Still I do believe that there is enough of a market for film to keep a film producer in business if they go out there and cultivate that market. While I know that many have problems with companies like Lomography, however I do believe that they are a good thing in that they are about the only people cultivating a market for film. And while it is likely that the Lomography thing may just be a fad for some, fads do have a way of helping to discover what may become a lasting preference. Hopefully, the message that film is not dead will start to be heard more.

 Taken with Fed 2 with Industar 61 on Legacy Pro 100.

Polariod Spectra System

Until I started seeking out cameras at garage sales, thrift shops etc. I had never heard of the Polaroid Spectra System.  I was aware of the 600, and SX70 cameras, but couldn't remember ever seeing a Spectra camera back in the old days. I still don't see that many of them, however when I do they are usually cheap.  So that got me into checking to see if there is still a way to take pictures with one.  What I found is that new film can be had from the Impossible Project .  Also there is still some expired Polaroid film out there, however it is usually expensive and getting way past its expiration date.

So after finding that the Spectra System camera can still be used I wondered if there is any demand for them.  What I found is that while some people are using the Spectra cameras they appear to be much less popular than the 600 and SX70 type cameras.  In a way that seems like a shame since the Spectra cameras seem like a better camera.  Especially better than the consumer type 600 cameras.  On the other hand the 600 cameras do seem to have more personality, whereas the Spectra cameras appear to be designed not to draw attention.

The reviews I read of the Spectra System cameras were all favorable.  The auto focus is said to be very accurate.  There is a reading telling you how far the focus is set.  The exposure system is also said to be very good.  One guy claims that he has never had an image be over or underexposed.  Considering how expensive film for these cameras is that is a good selling point. The lens and the build quality of these cameras is also supposed to be pretty good.  I can not from experience say anything about the lens, however I can say that these do seem to be a much more solid camera than most of the 600 types.

So if you are just into giving yourself the best odds of getting the image you are aiming for than the Spectra System is worth some thought.

Time Promotional Camera

It is possible the the Time Camera is both the most reviled and the most imitated camera in the history of photography. The Time camera was introduced in 1985 as part of a magazine sales promotion by Time magazine. At a time when many photographers were complaining about the increased use of plastic in cameras, Time decided to add metal in the form of lead weights to their otherwise plastic camera.  With this innovation the Time camera had the extra heft that many at the time felt was the hallmark of a well-made camera.

Apparently the Time promotion was a success and set off a wave of offering a free camera as a promotional item.  Most of these cameras were either a clone of the original Time camera with a different name, or were a minor variation on the Time camera theme.  Maybe there were a few people who thought that they were getting a high quality camera, however it appears that most people didn't value these cameras much.  Today this type of camera is a staple of the thrift shops and garage sales.  Many are found still in their original packaging.

Back when I was more into toy cameras than I am today I used many of the Time type cameras.  However I had never had used the father of the family until I recently bought one at our local Salvation Army Thrift Store.  The Time Camera offers the choice of four apertures, f/6,f/8,f/11 and f/16.  The shutter speed is 1/125. The pictures that this camera took are better than I expected.

Of course I took most of the photos on a sunny day while visiting some antique shops in Danville, IL.  Such conditions are likely to bring out the best in a camera with the capabilities of the Time Camera. Nonetheless I was pleased with the pictures it made which I can't say is true with every camera.

If you are anywhere near central Illinois, Danville is a worthwhile place to visit if you like antique and thrift shops.  The town also has a nice mix of old buildings to take photos of.

So now I have used a Time Camera and was not traumatized by the results. My biggest complaint about this camera is that it seems that what I saw in the viewfinder was only about half of what would end up in the photo.  Its maybe the most useless viewfinder that I have experienced.  Still if I had to I could probably make do with the Time Camera.