This is the pool that they used for the movie Hot Rod with Andy Samberg. Of course the fense is back up and a slide has been added and what looks like a dead possums head is at the bottom but it’s the same pool.
This image is actually a bit of a fiction. It’s two cell phone images combined, one exposure for the background and one for the reflection. Shot with the Nokia N95.
I like creating series of images and these developed out of just being up and out when the sun came up and having my cell phone with me.
I like art, I like making it and I looking at it and I like the way having other peoples original art makes me feel. Yesterday I bought a print from an artist who is having a show at local gallery the Fort Gallery. The artist Fiona Moes has a series of canvas’s on display but it was when I ducked into the back of the gallery that I saw the prints and knew that I had to buy one. It’s a funny thing because the idea she explored with collecting, is a theme I’m also examining with my series of paintings of cameras. Now I just need to figure out where it will go.
I was barely able to take pictures under these conditions even though I had a 3stop neutral density filter. I processed them in Lightroom and accentuated the ethereal quality of the bright infrared coming off all the foliage.
A fun worldwide community event where people with Pentax cameras are invited to share images from their part of the world on a particular date. Here is my image from this years event on June 18,2011 http://www.pentaxforums.com/gallery/world-pentax-day-june-2011/
Samples – Here are some sample images shot with the two cameras as well as with the Pentax K-7. With the K-7 I used the FA 28-70 f4 lens at the 28mm focal length which equates to about 42mm in terms of 35mm film. I could have used the SMC A 28mm but I wanted to have other focal lengths available when I wasn’t taking test shots.
So what did I find. Well they are very close in output, so much so that more difference occurs during scanning and editing than from the actual image capture. However the Yashica did seem to get the exposure better in more cases resulting in cleaner negatives with less grain after processing. This could simply be down to the specific cameras and batteries I have though as the cameras are now undeniably old. So which one would I pick? Well I do really like the ability to shoot manually with the Canon and I do like the flexibility of the shutter on the Yashica, so I have to give them both a place on the shelf. I will definitely be trying some better film in the Yashica and it’s rarity makes it a conversation piece. I have to say that even though I used cheap Kodak 200 I was pleased with the look of the images. It takes some work to get the digital files to have a similar look because not all the differences between colours are equal. I didn’t in this case make any changes to the digital files just for the comparisons.
Operation and handling
While these cameras where state of the art in their day, compared to a modern digital camera they are extremely simple devices. The Canon uses a electro mechanical system to set the aperture. It is a simple galvanometer needle that’s position is trapped when the shutter is pressed, this is then translated into an aperture through a linkage. I found that the metering is very susceptible to underexposure due to back lighting. With the Yashica you set the aperture and the camera sets the timing of the shutter, where one of the variables in the circuit is how much light is falling on the silicon sensor. Beyond that they really are a lens and a system of moving the film forward. A small but noticeable difference is in the film advance lever. The Canon requires a longer throw of the lever while the Yashica advance is just a small flick of the thumb. I much prefer the Yashica in this respect. On the other hand the focus control on the Canon is superior, it includes a knob off to the left that makes focus adjustments effortless. The Yashica’s focus however is adjusted with rubber patches around the lens barrel near to the camera body and I find that I almost have to reach around the camera to change it making it difficult to focus and shoot without a slight hand position change. Update: A change in how I hold the camera, with my left hand underneath, has made them about equal for focusing.
Both camera’s are rangefinders with focus patches but they appear very different in operation. The Canon is more subtle with it’s square focus patch not impinging on the scene through the viewfinder. The Yashica has a very contrasty diamond shaped patch that I find too intrusive but slightly easier to confirm focus with. The Canon viewfinder is much brighter than the Yashica’s but they both have frame lines that adjust for parallax error. They also have the exact same magnification, I verified this by holding them to my eyes at the same time, An interesting effect of doing this is that you can see in 3D despite looking through them, a not interesting effect is that this can make you feel queasy.
So all that remains is to get my negatives back and do a comparison. I do have a sense that the Canon metering was off in some circumstances as it seemed to be selecting too small an aperture for the conditions. This isn’t normally a large problem though as under other conditions I would use this camera in full manual mode, which is not an option for the Yashica.
The Fraser Valley 2011 Biennale opening recieption is tonight. I’m excited to see all the different art that will be there and also honoured to have one of my paintings in the show.
The Great Hall
June 16 – October 9, 2011
32388 Veterans Way
Abbotsford, BC
