Tag Archives: Kodak

September 27, 2018

Olympus XA (1979)

Back in August, my wife and I took our two teenage sons to New York for eight days. I knew this was going to be a great trip to get some photos, so I took 3 cameras; one digital, and two film. The digital was a Canon 6D with 24-105mm f/4 lens. The two film cameras were my Leica M3 with 7Artisans f/1.1 lens, and a borrowed Olympus XA. I always tell myself I want to travel light and end up taking too much gear. The camera that received the most use on this trip was the Olympus XA. Why the Olympus XA? I needed something that was wider than 50mm, and small enough to fit in my pocket.

The Olympus XA is a compact camera that was sold from 1979 to 1985 and has some not-so-compact features. It’s a rangefinder focus camera, aperture priority, with a 35mm Zuiko f/2.8 lens, and shutter speeds from 1 – 1/500th sec. The design of the XA is simple, you slide open the camera, uncovering the lens and activating the CdS exposure meter. The rangefinder focus is located below the lens, and the aperture is controlled by a vertical sliding switch on the front right-side of the camera.

Compact 35mm cameras are commanding higher prices on eBay, and the XA is no exception. The unique compact design and sharp lens are two features that set this compact apart. The electronic A11 flash can be detached from the camera, making the camera a nice 7.9 ounces. And how did they get such a sharp f/2.8 lens in such a small design? According to Modern Photography Magazine in 1979, “high-refractive-index glasses had to be used to control aberrations across the picture field, and optical elements had to be manufactured and aligned to very close tolerances.” Olympus was able to accomplish this with, “the XA’s “reversed retrofocus” [is] a 6-element, 5-group optic measuring about 31mm from front element to film plane. Focusing is internal, via moving third group. Achieving this extremely flat design necessitated high index crown rear element, special flint second element. Result is a super-compact, rigid camera body with rangefinder focusing.” Voodoo magic and pixie dust? No, just some super engineering and meticulous optics.

The size doesn’t predict the quality of images this camera can deliver. As you can see by the gallery below, the Olympus XA was used a lot on my trip. Unfortunately, the photos taken from the top of the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center were subject to a few days of poor air quality in Manhattan. The only complaint I have about the XA is the sensitive shutter. The feather-touch shutter doesn’t take much pressure to fire, and it can take some getting used to. This is hard to explain, but this is the first film camera I’ve used where I knew immediately whether I got the shot I wanted. The images in the gallery were shot on both Kodak TMax 100 and Kodak Tri-X 400.

Camera: Olympus XA (1979)
Film: Kodak TMax 100 / Kodak Tri-X 400
Process: RepliColor SLC
Scanned: Epson V600 Photo

American Museum of Natural History - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Manhattan & Queens (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Floral Park - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Katz's Deli - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

Abandoned Ellis Island Hospital - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Downtown - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

Carmine's Italian Restaurant - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Nathan's at Coney Island Cyclone - Brooklyn, NY (Olymmpus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

Liberty Island - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

911 Memorial - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

Citi Field - Mets Baseball - Queens, NY - 4 Images Stitched (Cropped) (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Uptown - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

St. Patrick's Cathedral - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art - New York (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Katz's Deli - New York (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

Long Island Rail Road - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

Rescue No. 1 - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

Ellis Island Immigrant Building - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

911 Museum & The Oculus - New York (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Downtown - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Jamaica Station - Jamaica, NY (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

Manhattan & Queens, NY (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

The Oculus - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Coney Island Cyclone - Brooklyn, NY (Olymmpus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

Citi Field - Mets Baseball - Queens, NY - 4 Images Stitched (Uncropped) (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Atlantic Terminal - Brooklyn, NY (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

911 Museum & The Oculus - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Citi Field - Mets Baseball - Queens, NY (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Liberty Island - New York (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

Manhattan & New Jersey - (Olympus XA - Kodak TMax 100)

One World Trade Center - NY (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Downtown - Manhattan (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Grimaldi's Pizza - Brooklyn, NY (Olympus XA - Kodak Tri-X 400)

Leica M3 (1959) – Part 1

By Shaun Nelson

Over the past few years of buying and shooting vintage cameras, there’s one camera I never thought I’d actually own, and that’s a Leica. Why? A Leica always seemed like a “bucket list camera.” Nice to look at, but too expensive to own. Of course, I had to ask myself, do they live up to the hype? Or do photographers tell themselves they are outstanding cameras to justify spending the money?

About a year ago, my friend Scott Smith purchased this M3 from our mutual friend, Maurice Greeson, who is a Leica collector and expert on all things Leica. Scott decided that after purchasing an M6, he wasn’t using this M3 as much as he used to. It was a hard decision for Scott to sell me the M3 because it’s in beautiful condition, and Maurice had taken excellent care of it. In a small way, I had to convince Scott to sell it to me. However, with all Leica camera owners, I consider myself the “current possessor” of this camera. The build quality will outlive me or any of its future owners. And as a side note, I’ve promised both Scott and Maurice visitation privileges as long as I have the camera.

Leica M3 (1959)

Production of the M3 began in 1954 and was the transition point for Leitz to move from screw-mount lenses to the updated Leica M Mount. The M Mount was able to give new M-series cameras a single viewfinder/rangefinder window. The M3 features a coupled rangefinder with an incredibly bright viewfinder, and a focal plane shutter with speeds from 1 to 1/1000th second. Early models of the M3 had a two-throw film advance, meaning you had to move the film advance lever twice to move the film to the next frame. And those early models also had German-based shutter speeds of 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, etc. This M3 is a single-throw model and came with a Leicameter MR.

Several version of Leicameter’s were made starting in 1951. The MR was manufactured from 1965-1967 and has CdS cell behind a small lens. The meter mounts to the flash shoe on the camera and is coupled with the shutter dial. A meter reading is taken by pressing the needle release button for 2 seconds, then using the channel scale, you know where to set the correct lens aperture.

When I initially purchased the M3, I didn’t have a lens. Maurice loaned me his 5cm f/2.0 Summicron-M (1956). This lens is the second version of the Summicron 5cm and is a rigid lens, meaning it doesn’t collapse like the original. The updated lens increased the distance between the front lens elements. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo of this lens on the camera. All the photos below were shot with the 5cm f/2.0 Summicron-M lens, making this part one of a two-part post. In the next post, I’ll share some images taken with the M3 and the new 7 Artisan’s 50mm f/1.1 lens.

Overall, I’m very happy to have an M3. A few friends have joked with me about becoming a Leica snob, or professing the “Leica lifestyle.” It’s been an ongoing joke with me and Mike Williams. I don’t see myself becoming obsessed with Leica gear. I may have champagne taste, but I’m always on a PBR budget. I’ve never used a rangefinder that has such a big, bright, viewfinder. That’s probably my favorite thing about Leica cameras. And the camera is so quiet to operate, you almost don’t hear the shutter click. And again, I could go on-and-on about the build quality of this camera because it is incredible.

Camera: Leica M3 (1959)
Lens: 50mm 5cm Summicron-M f/2/0 (Rigid/2nd version) (1956)
Film: Kodak Tri-X 400
Process: Kodak D-76 (1+1) 9:45 @ 20c
Scanned: Epson V600 Photo

4 Comments | tags: 135 Film (35mm), 35mm, 35mm Film, Analog, Black & White, Black & White Film, Black and White, Black and White Film, BW, Kodak, Leica, Leica M-3, Leicameter, Rangefinder | posted in 135 Film (35mm), Leica

June 27, 2018

The Negative Positives Double-Exposure Film Exchange

By Shaun Nelson

After being a guest on The Negative Positives Film Photography Podcast with Mike and Andre, I offered to help with a double-exposure film exchange. The idea behind a double-exposure film exchange is that one photographer shoots a roll of film, rewinds the film, and then sends it to someone else, who then shoots on the same roll. Listeners of the podcast signed up via a Google form and filled out their preferences to shoot black & white, color, etc. The resulting shots can be anything from artistic to crazy.

The response to the exchange was fantastic, being that it was the first time. Forty-two photographers from around the world signed up, shooting a total of twenty-one rolls of film. Some listeners were so enthusiastic to shoot and share that they signed up twice.

My partner for the Negative Positives Double-Exposure Film Exchange was Dan Cottle from Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Dan provided a roll of Ilford HP5+ black & white film, and shot the roll around his city, including Cadbury World where they produce some of the world’s best chocolate. Dan was even kind enough to send a Cadbury Egg to me with the exposed roll of film, which my wife promptly enjoyed.

After receiving the roll of film from Dan, I set out and exposed it a second time around my part of the world in Utah. Many of my shots included the Utah State Railroad Museum and the Hill Aerospace Museum. While Dan and I planned to line up our shots in the camera, it didn’t quite work out as planned. And from others in The Negative Positives Film Photography Podcast Facebook Group, their intentions were the same.

This film roll exchange was a great way to become acquainted with another film photographer. It was also a good exercise at some abstract previsualization. We didn’t set any rules and had no grand expectations. However, our resulting images are interesting, mysterious, and creative.

Photographer #1
Dan Cottle
Birmingham, UK
Camera: Nikon FE

Photographer #2
Shaun Nelson
South Ogden, UT USA
Camera: Nikon F2

Film: Ilford HP5+ 400
Process: Kodak D-76 (1+1) @ 20° 13:00 Min
Scanned: Epson Perfection V600 Photo

The Negative Positives Double-Exposure Film Exchange

5 Comments | tags: 135 Film (35mm), 35mm, 35mm Film, Analog, Black & White, Black & White Film, Black and White, Black and White Film, BW, Ilford, Ilford HP5+, Kodak, Nikon, Podcast, The Negative Positives Film Photography Podcast | posted in 135 Film (35mm), Black & White, Double Exposure, Ilford HP5+, Nikon, Podcast

May 30, 2018

Nikon F2 Photomic (1971 – 1980)

By Shaun Nelson

This post has been in the works for a long time. Why? My friend Mike Williams gave this camera to me almost 6 months ago, Christmas 2017. Mike knew I’d been very happy with the Nikon F and Nikomat FTn. And to this day, Mike says this is his best find at Goodwill. I think he’s right because the F2 Photomic still commands a high price online, especially one in this shape.

The F2 was introduced by Nikon in 1971, and is the successor to the Nikon F. It was discontinued in 1980 when the F3 was released. The original F and F2 cameras look nearly identical with the only difference being the meter mounted atop the camera body. The F2 features shutter speeds of 10s to 1/2000th sec, where the original F was 1 sec – 1/1000th sec. The ISO can be set from 6 to 6400. One item I came to appreciate on F2 Photomic is the meter. It’s activated by the shutter advance. When the advance arm is in its resting position, the meter is active. When pressed in towards the body, the meter turns off. On the F with FTn, you must press a button on the side of the meter to activate it, and then remember to push another button down to turn it off. What does this mean? The F2 Photomic isn’t going to eat batteries because you forgot to turn the meter off. Improvements were also made to the flash sync over the F. The F2 has a flash sync of 1/80th sec, where the original F has a sync of 1/60th sec. Another commonality between the F and the F2 is the weight. The F2 Photomic with lens weighs over 2 lbs!

According to Ken Rockwell, the F2 was “king of newspaper and magazine photography in the 1970’s.” And the development for the camera was driven by NASA for the Apollo and SkyLab missions. I found this comment from Ken Rockwell somewhat humorous: The Nikon F2 is so good that many photographers — including myself — preferred to pay more for used Nikon F2s in the early 1980s after they were discontinued than to pay less for a brand-new Nikon F3 with which Nikon replaced it. The Nikon F3 was electronic, and was not trusted to meet professional demands under all conditions.

The Nikon F2 is simply a great camera. One of the last mechanical shutter camera bodies made before electronic shutters appeared in the 1980’s. The F2 is a solid camera. If you didn’t know any better, you could pound nails with the body. Within a dozen shots taken with this camera, I decided that a telephoto lens would be a nice addition, so I purchased a Nikkor 35 – 200mm, f/3.5 – 4.5.

Camera: Nikon F2 Photomic (1971 – 1980)
Film: Kodak Tri-X 400
Process: Kodak D-76 (1+1) 6:30 @ 27° C
Scanned: Epson V600 Photo

Nikon F2 Photomic (1971) - Kodak Tri-X 400 - Welcome to Ogden - Ogden, Utah

Nikon F2 Photomic (1971) - Kodak Tri-X 400 - Industrial Works Crane - Ogden Rail Center - Union Station - Ogden, Utah

Nikon F2 Photomic (1971) - Kodak Tri-X 400 - Rail Crane - Ogden Rail Center - Union Station - Ogden, Utah

Nikon F2 Photomic (1971) - Kodak Tri-X 400 - 57 - Ogden Rail Center - Union Station - Ogden, Utah

Nikon F2 Photomic (1971) - Kodak Tri-X 400 - Elle - South Ogden, Utah

Nikon F2 Photomic (1971) - Kodak Tri-X 400 - Allison Special - Salt Lake City, Utah

Nikon F2 Photomic (1971) - Kodak Tri-X 400 - Axel 4 - 223 Restoration Shop - Ogden, Utah

Nikon F2 Photomic (1971) - Kodak Tri-X 400 - Zoey - South Ogden, Utah

Nikon F2 Photomic (1971) - Kodak Tri-X 400 - Axel 2 - 223 Restoration Shop - Ogden, Utah

Nikon F2 Photomic (1971) - Kodak Tri-X 400 - Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve – Layton, Utah

6 Comments | tags: 135 Film (35mm), 35mm, 35mm Film, Analog, Black & White, Black & White Film, Black and White, Black and White Film, Kodak, Nikon, Nikon F2, SLR, Vintage Cameras | posted in Nikon, Vintage Camera Review

February 21, 2018

Konica Autoreflex TC

By Shaun Nelson

The Konica Autoreflex TC was manufactured and sold from 1976 to 1982. The body was lighter and smaller than previous Konica designs because the camera frame is metal, everything else is plastic. Looking at photos of the camera, you would never know that so much of this camera is plastic. It is however, very sturdy and well built. The Autoreflex features a metal focal plane shutter, shutter speeds of 1/8th – 1/1000th sec & bulb, an ISO range from 25 – 1600, split-image focusing on a microprism ring, and a CdS TTL light meter.

I found this camera in a local pawn shop for $10 and couldn’t pass it up. Why? Instead of the normal 50mm lens seen on most cameras of this age, it has a Hexanon AR 40mm f/1.8 pancake lens. This lens was typically sold with the Konica FS-1 and was eventually packaged with the TC. The lens is f/1.8 to 22 with auto exposure. With the light weight molded plastic body, and smaller lens design, the TC is a great camera for travel. The pancake lens has also achieved some recent popularity as an affordable sharp lens for Sony digital cameras with an adapter for photos and video.

I can see two problems in my images from this camera. One, this was one of my very first rolls in 2017 where I started to process all my own BW film in Kodak D-76. The negatives are spotty and have some residue on them. Second, the camera originally took two PX675 1.3v mercury batteries. I suspect using different batteries in the camera caused some meter discrepancies due to voltage differences.

Camera: Konica Autoreflex TC (1976 – 1982)
Film: FPP EDU 400
Process: Kodak D-76 (Stock) 7:30 @ 20c
Scanner: Epson Perfection V600 Photo

Rocky Mountain Supply - Rexburg, ID. Konica Autoreflex TC (1976 - 1982).

Conoco - Rexburg, ID. Konica Autoreflex TC (1976 - 1982).

Maurice - Ogden, UT. Konica Autoreflex TC (1976 - 1982).

Syd - Rexburg, ID. Konica Autoreflex TC (1976 - 1982).

Guitar Effects - Idaho Falls, ID. Konica Autoreflex TC (1976 - 1982).

Rexburg Police - Rexburg, ID. Konica Autoreflex TC (1976 - 1982).

Guitars - Idaho Falls, ID. Konica Autoreflex TC (1976 - 1982).

4 Comments | tags: 135 Film (35mm), 35mm, 35mm Film, Analog, Black & White, Black & White Film, Black and White, Black and White Film, BW, D-76, Film Photography Project, Kodak, Konica | posted in 135 Film (35mm), Black & White, Film Cameras, Konica

December 6, 2017

A First Time for Everything

By Shaun Nelson

I came to know Bailey when my wife and I took a trip last summer with a group to Europe. Bailey is a senior in high school and enjoys playing the piano, Harry Potter, boys, and photography. After returning from Europe, I emailed Bailey and asked if she wanted a film camera to try. She quickly replied with an enthusiastic, “Yes!” I gave Bailey the Olympus OM-1 MD that I took to Europe, provided a short tutorial, presented her with a manual, and a roll of Ilford HP5+ black and white film. A few weeks later, we met and shot the Kulture Krash Car Show in Clearfield, Utah. After the car show, I asked Bailey if she would be interested in developing her roll of film. Again, she gave me another enthusiastic, “Yes!” A few weeks passed, and she came over to the UTFP Worldwide Headquarters (my house). I showed her how to load a Patterson reel, and explained the chemistry we would be using. Since I needed my roll of film from the car show developed, I had Bailey develop mine at the same time. After the final rinse, she took her negatives off the reel to hang up, and her first response was, “Oh cool!” She experienced that feeling film photographers get when they see the final results of something physical they’ve created. Overall, she did fantastic and had a positive experience. Through a Q and A, I asked Bailey if she would share some of her thoughts.

What camera and film did you use?

My first ever film camera and the one I used on this shoot was the Olympus OM-1, with 400 ISO film.

While you were shooting, did anyone ask you about the camera?

This sweet little old man sparked up a conversation about my film camera, asking me what kind of camera it was and telling me about one of his old film cameras.

What did you take photos of?

All of the photos I took were of different cars at the car show in Clearfield, most of them focusing on the cars, but a few with people in them.

What did you like about taking photos with a film camera?

I loved being able to adjust the settings manually and seeing how it affected the photo; I know you can do this on DSLR cameras when put on the manual setting, but most of the time before shooting with my film camera, I just set my DSLR on automatic. Shooting with a film camera makes you adjust the settings and really get familiar with the mechanics of photography.

What did you dislike about taking photos with a film camera?

You really have to take your time with a film camera, making sure you get the exact shot you want, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. It makes you better at composing your photos, but there are also times when I like to take lots of photos of the same thing, from slightly different angles or different composures, and then just choose the one I liked later on the computer. Obviously, with a film camera, taking lots of photos of the same thing isn’t very practical as the film does cost a bit and you don’t want to have a roll of film all of the same thing.

What was the easiest part about using this camera?

The easiest part of using the Olympus OM-1 was probably the accessibility of all the settings. Anything I needed to adjust, I could do so with my left hand on the lens, twisting and turning as needed. Another thing that was very helpful was the light meter; I could see how I needed to adjust the settings in order to have optimal lighting.

What was the hardest part about using this camera?

The hardest part of using this camera was getting used to adjusting all the settings by hand and not just having it done for me automatically, but it was, as I said earlier a very rewarding experience to now know how to do that.

What did you learn by taking photos with a film camera?

I learned a lot about lighting, aperture, and how to adjust certain things to make my photos better.

What did you think of the development process?

The development process was actually a lot easier than I expected! I was able to load the film much quicker than I thought I would, and developing the photos themselves is really just a lot of pouring in chemicals and waiting. It was really cool to actually develop the photos, though, rather than just have them printed off. I loved doing it.

Did you think anything was particularly hard or easy about the development process?

The easiest part was definitely just pouring in the chemicals and dumping them out. Once I got the film loaded into the tank, it’s a super simple process from there on out.

What advice would you give other teens about shooting and developing film?

1. Learning about aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and all that in my photography class at first seemed confusing, but actually applying while taking my photos made a lot more sense. Don’t be afraid to play around with the settings and try new things out, it really helps you understand how everything works more.
2. Try loading film in the light before you do the actual thing in the dark (obviously with a roll of film you aren’t going to use). It helps.
3. Find someone in the field of film photography to help you out with everything. Ask them questions, have them show you how to do things, etc. Learning things for yourself online is good, but having someone in person to teach you is all the better.

You can see more of Bailey’s photography on her new website. With graduation and moving away to college, I hope Bailey continues to be creative whether it’s through her photography or music. Here are some of Bailey’s favorites from her first roll.

Camera: Olympus OM-1 MD (1974 – 1979)
Film: Ilford HP5 Plus 400
Process: Kodak D-76 (Stock) 7:30 @ 20c
Scanner: Epson Perfection V600 Photo

5 Comments | tags: 135 Film (35mm), 35mm, 35mm Film, Analog, Black & White, Black & White Film, Black and White, Black and White Film, Car Show, Clearfield, D-76, Ilford, Kodak, Olympus, OM-1, OM-1 MD, UT, Utah | posted in 135 Film (35mm), Olympus, Thoughts & Opinions

October 18, 2017

Nikon F (1959 – 1973) and FTn Viewfinder

By Shaun Nelson

Up to this point, I’ve only ever used one other Nikon film camera, the Nikon EM. After spending a few weeks talking with friends, I decided it was time to get a proper Nikon SLR. Something a little older. A classic Nikon. That’s when I learned that I really didn’t know a lot about Nikon SLR’s. My friend Maurice Greeson suggested I start with the Nikon F. Before I continue, I’m sure a seasoned Nikonian will correct me if I describe something inaccurately. Please do, no offense taken.

Maurice gave me a Nikon FTn viewfinder/exposure meter with a 50mm Nikkor-S f/1.4 lens. All I had to do was find a Nikon F body, which isn’t hard to do. What is slightly hard to do is find one on eBay in acceptable condition. As I was searching, I’d send Maurice an email and ask, “What about this one? Or, this one? This one?” What I didn’t understand is the F was originally sold with a standard prism viewfinder. The eye-level penta-prism can be interchanged with a waist-level viewfinder, as well as the FTn. The FTn is essentially a viewfinder with a built-in light meter. When changing the lens on the camera, the meter coupling pins must be indexed with the lens. To summarize, the FTn needs to know what aperture values are available on the lens you are mounting. This was something entirely new to me, but it makes sense.

The Nikon F was manufactured from March 1959 to October 1973. The F was known in the 1960’s as the camera used by photo journalists, capturing images from Vietnam, the US exploration of Mt. Everest, and the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs. There were eight types of viewfinder screens available, as well as interchangeable high capacity backs and motor drives. Originally priced at $186 USD (camera and 50mm f/2 lens), that’s about $498 today, the camera attracted both professional and amateur photographers.

According to the serial number on my Nikon F, it was produced between April – July 1970. This camera is a tank! According to kenrockwell.com, the camera and FTn viewfinder alone weigh 1.92 lbs. When you add the lens, it’s easily over 2 pounds. If I were a photojournalist in Vietnam and found myself in a dangerous situation, I think I would have used this camera as a weapon.

The FTn viewfinder and photographic screen both have 100% coverage, giving the photographer a bright viewing area. The camera has a split-image focal screen and a titanium foil focal-plane shutter. The FTn has an ASA range from 6 to 6400, shutter speeds are 1 sec – 1/1000th sec and bulb.

The Nikon F is a classic camera. This camera set the bar for SLR cameras and showed the world that Nikon, and Japanese camera manufactures, were capable of producing exceptional photographic equipment. Special thanks to Maurice Greeson for donating the FTn, lens, and book Nikon F Handbook of Photography (1971 Edition) by Joseph D. Cooper and Joseph C. Abbott.

Camera: Nikon F (with FTn Viewfinder) (1959 – 1984)
Film: Kodak BW400CN
Process: RepliColor SLC
Scanner: Epson Perfection V600 Photo

10 Comments | tags: 35mm, 35mm Film, Black & White, Black & White Film, Black and White, Black and White Film, BW, BW400CN, Kodak, Nikkor, Nikon, Nikon F | posted in 135 Film (35mm), Nikon, SLR

September 13, 2017

Kodak Instamatic 300 & Camerhack 135 to 126 Adapter

By Shaun Nelson

The Kodak Instamatic is a camera that I recall from my childhood. My parents and grandparents had them before moving to Kodak 110 cameras in the 1970’s. Kodak’s 126 film was introduced in 1963 and was marketed as an easy-load film cartridge. The film itself is 35mm film, paper backed, with a single sprocket hole per frame to allow each 28 x 28mm shot to advance through the camera. It wasn’t until 1987 that Kodak discontinued the format.

Camerhack in Italy has designed and 3-D prints a 135 (35mm) to 126 film adapter kit. The cartridge allows you to load standard 35mm film into a reusable cartridge so it can be used in a classic Kodak Instamatic, or any other camera that used 126 film. Claudio from Camerhack includes a detailed instruction booklet that guides you through the process. And even better, he’s also created a YouTube video that walks you step-by-step through loading, shooting and re-spooling.

Here are my tips for using the Camerhack 135 to 126 FAK:

Plan to sacrifice a roll of 35mm film. This will help you practice loading the cartridge in the light. When you’re ready to load your favorite film in the adapter, you’ll be ready to do it in the dark.
With your sacrificed roll of film, practice advancing the film in the camera. Instamatic cameras have a needle inside that is tripped by a sprocket hole when the film is advanced. You’ll find that each camera does this a little different. For example, my Kodak Instamatic 300 and Kodak Hawkeye Instamatic advanced very differently. Which leads me to the most important tip.
Listen for the click. With my Kodak Instamatic 300, I had to press the shutter, take the shot, press the shutter button down (doesn’t actually open the shutter), advance the film until the shutter advance would CLICK. The key for me was holding the camera up to my ear and listening for that click to know that the film had advanced. The click is the key to success!
Following Claudio’s instructions, if you decided to roll the film (in the dark) back into a 35mm cartridge to have it processed at a lab, know that the sprocket holes will get a little chewed up by the camera. This is caused by the needle inside that I mentioned earlier. When you roll the film back into the cartridge, wind it slowly.
Only use a 24-exposure roll of 35mm film. Keep in mind that the original number of exposures on 126 film cartridges was 12 to 20. Using a 24-exposure roll should give you 16 to 20 images depending on the spacing between each shot. Using a smaller roll will also prevent the film from scratching when you load the film adapter.

Camera: Kodak Instamatic 300 (1963 – 1966)
Film: Ilford HP5 Plus 400
Process: D-76 (Stock) 7:30 @ 20c
Scanner: Epson Perfection V600 Photo

Kodak Instamatic 300 (1963 - 1966)

2 Comments | tags: 126 Film, 135 Film, 135 Film (35mm), 35mm Film, Camerahack, D-76, FAK, Film Adapter Kit, Ilford, Ilford HP5+, Instamatic, Kodak, Kodak Instamatic 300 | posted in 126 Film, 135 Film (35mm), Kodak

May 29, 2017

Olympus OM-1 MD (1974 – 1979)

By Shaun Nelson

Up until last fall I didn’t own a single Olympus camera. Not by choice. They just never seemed to come up on my camera radar as a need to have item. I found someone in the local online classifieds selling an Olympus OM-1 with 50mm lens for $100. The seller indicated she was searching for some other used gear, so I texted her with some items I was willing to trade. When we met and I inspected the OM-1, I found that the film rewind knob had been broken and a poor attempt to fix it was made. And worse, the shutter advance would move, but nothing moved inside the camera. I went ahead with the trade and took it to a local camera shop and learned that the repair was going to be more than the value of the camera. Kind of a disappointment, but with the attitude of nothing to lose, I decided to take it apart and see if there was anything obvious that I could identify as broken. I’m terrible with repairs. I barely know which end of a screwdriver I should be using. And my repairs generally involve a lot of cussing and frustration. This time I surprised myself and managed to get the film advance to work. I took the film rewind knob to my friend Maurice, who has far more patience and repair knowledge than I ever will. He had the knob back together with new parts in no time at all. After everything was working, I cleaned up the outside of the camera and replaced the light seals on the back.

The Olympus OM-1 was released in 1972 as part of the new OM system. Like the Pentax K-1000 and Canon AE-1, the OM-1 has a large following. It’s an all mechanical camera with a full aperture TTL CdS exposure meter that’s represented by a needle visible in the viewfinder. And this camera has a big, bright, beautiful viewfinder. The viewfinder on the OM-1 has made it one of my favorites. It’s a solid camera body, but also compact and lightweight (675g).

To me, the best feature on the OM-1 is where they placed the shutter speed and aperture settings, the lens! At first, this kind of threw me a curve-ball, but the more I use it, the more I like it. With the camera up to your eye, looking through the viewfinder, naturally your left hand is going to be on the lens for focus. Why not put both shutter speed and aperture settings on the lens? You see that you’re under or over exposed with the meter, so using your left hand that’s already on the lens barrel, you can quickly change your shutter speed or f-stop value. My OM-1 is currently paired with a fast 50mm f/1.6 Olympus Zukio lens.

I’m glad I added the OM-1 to the UTFP fleet of cameras. It really is a fantastic SLR. The viewfinder is better than any Nikon, Canon or Pentax camera I have that was made during the same period. The lens is sharp. Moving the aperture control and shutter speed to the barrel was a brilliant move by Olympus. I like having the switch to the meter on top of the body so I don’t forget to power it off. One thing I don’t like on the OM-1 is the film advance. It has a long swing to it, maybe more so than other SLR’s made in the 1970’s. And if the film advance on this body had issues, it’s likely going to happen again. However, if another one came up in the local classifieds for the right price, I wouldn’t hesitate to get it as a backup or parts body.

It’s probably a good point to note, though I refer to this camera as an OM-1, it’s really an OM-1 MD. Shortly after the OM-1 was manufactured in 1973, Olympus started to quickly add accessories and lenses for the OM System. One new accessory was a Motor Drive. The updated OM-1 MD had the necessary mounting holes in the bottom of the body where the OM-1 had none, this being the only key difference.

These images were shot on Kodak Ektachrome 100 (Expired 2007). This is some of my favorite slide film and I’m looking forward to shooting some more Ektachrome in the OM-1 when Kodak re-releases it later this year!

Restored Star Noodle Parlor Dragon - Ogden, Utah

7 Comments | tags: Ektachrome, Expired Film, Kodak, Olympus, OM, OM-1, OM-1 MD, Zukio | posted in Olympus

April 6, 2017

2016 Laundromat Project

By Shaun Nelson

In late 2015 I decided to do a small personal photographic project for the upcoming year. One subject, one camera, one roll of film. I selected the Pentax Spotmatic and a roll of Kodak Tri-X 400.

Pentax Spotmatic (1964 - 1973)

The subject was to photograph different laundromats in Northern Utah. The locations I selected were: Terrace Laundry in Washington Terrace, Wash Tub in North Ogden, 4th Street Laundromat in Salt Lake City and Hart’s in Roy. The purpose of a personal photographic project is to take you out of your element, try something different, and challenge yourself.

You get a lot of strange looks, questions and questionable looks when you show up at a laundromat with an old camera, not laundry. So, how was this experience? I follow photographers on Twitter that make entire books or zines out of this type of photography. To me, it just felt lazy. I discovered that this type of photography is not my style. If I were to do it again, I would photograph the people in the laundromat, not machines and signs. I learned something about myself, and used this roll to practice developing film at home. Process: D-76 (Stock) 6:45 Min @ 20° C, scanned with an Epson Perfection V600 Photo.