Wallace Koopmans Artlog

This camera seems to be identical to the Fuji ‘Cardman’ 3500 with the key difference that the control panel is permanently screwed to the back. Otherwise the controls and the lens are the same. While the round Monochrome LCD and all those buttons look impressive it really has the same basic controls as most cameras of the time including the Canon Elph or the Pentax Efina T. It does have a wider angle zoom at 21mm than most though and that is particularly nice with the 16×9 aspect ratio. The camera seems to have a propensity to use flash all the time so I did need to turn it off each time I fired up the camera. Another oddity is that when it focuses it changes the framing in the viewfinder considerably. This has the effect that after carefully composing a shot it completely changes in the viewfinder at the time you capture it, I’m not sure what is actually captured the before or the after.

I like to take advantage of opportunities to photograph when presented with them.  I had reason to be in North Vancouver recently and having wanted to get some pictures of the bulk and coal terminal there I packed appropriately  (I brought a tripod and my Pentax K-3).  I also took pictures here with some Cinestill film but I haven’t finished the roll yet so there may be so overlap in pictures when that is developed.   I like the complexity of industrial scenes and the fact that they are nocturnal makes it all the more interesting as if things are lit not for the benefit of those there but to add drama and simplify the scene.  My original idea was to bring back some imagery as source material for painting but at this point I just like these as photographs.

I lost this camera Fuji Cardia Everyday about a year ago or more precisely I misplaced it really well.  It was returned to me by a co-worker who found it in another co-workers vehicle where it had likely been since that terrible day (It was terrible because I it had exposures remaining).  But by now I had completely forgotten what was on the roll so there was bound to be extra surprise beyond the usual when I got the processed film back.  And there nestled mid way in the roll were two images of Copps shoe store just after it had closed and was being turned into a wedding store.

Sadly since the time of those pictures that entire building and more has burned to the ground.

Now all photographs work as a time capsule capturing a moment that is never repeated but having these come to me after being lost really brought that concept home.

E   X   T   R   A      W   I   D   E

Eww what terrible distorion you have.  Ewww what a slow lens you have.  Ewwwwwww why would you use this camera?  My answer ’24mm’

More can be seen and read here The Ewwwwwww

Introduction

The HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED WR gives a 5.5 times telephoto zoom range.  Most of the lenses, for what ever camera I have had, have been shorter focal lengths but I wanted to have an economical telephoto  for my DSLR and this seemed like it could be a good option.  It contains 12 elements in 8 groups two of which are ED (Extra Low Dispersion) glass which is primarily used to control chromatic aberrations.  So with this in mind I made an effort to see how well the lens performed for me in regard to limiting chromatic aberration and fringing as well as general feel and performance.

I should point out now that this is not a technical review where I provide how many lines per millimeter of resolving power this lens has and the like. Nor is this a comparison against other lenses including the previous version of it, this is more what can this lens do and what can it not.

Continue reading

I received a Polaroid 430 Land camera as a kind gift and was surprised to find it still contained a few unexposed film frames.  My Expectations of any of it still working were very low so I was surprised when I could discern an image with the first exposure.  The next one didn’t work out as well as the chemicals werent distributed by the rollers.  What you see here is the final frame, the colour has completely changed with age, but any picture is better than no picture I always say (right now for the first time).

Here is a digital image I’ve edited (as best as I could) to look like a Polacolor.  Yah I didn’t think so either.

It’s only becoming clear now in the year 2013 that Nikon had a plan to turn people against APS-c, in order to sell digital “full frame” cameras, all the way back in 1998 why else would they have created this photographic abomination. I tend to be forgiving of many cameras some with operational quirks and some with questionable design but on the scale of aesthetics this rates a 7  (the scale I just made up goes to 100). It does take pictures and has many controls so for that reason I like it.

If I haven’t said it before I will say it now, the Olympus Stylus Epic is the best small 35mm camera that is readily available.  They can be found in all kinds of different places because Olympus sold them by the millions.  It’s the perfect carry anywhere camera because of its size and that you can turn it on without looking at it or fumbling for a button, just slide the clamshell open and you are good to go.  It also has a great little 35mm f2.8 lens.  You don’t have to take my word for it, A quick browse through a Flickr Stylus Epic group will show the versatility of this little pocket wonder.  A search of my blog turns up many more examples from this camera Stylus Epic

Mamiya is best known for their medium format cameras but they also produced 35mm rangefinders and SLR’s although they stopped manufacturing those nearly 40 years ago. I wrote briefly about this camera a couple of years ago Mamiya Ruby Rangefinder and thought that it would be a good time to pull it off the shelf and give it another go. It’s an enjoyable camera to use because of its great build. The lens is made from a very simple three element design but has little distortion or vingetting even in the extreme corners.

Some ideas are better in theory than in practice. For instance despite the seeming awesomeness of mounting a lens and shutter on a camera that already has a shutter it proved to be less awesome than anticipated. The problem is if I use the camera’s shutter then I have to set the other shutter to bulb and keep it open and if I want to use the lenses shutter then I need to put the camera on bulb and trip the shutter on the lens. It’s all too much trouble and the fact that to get the focus right I would need to do some fine tuning of the lens to sensor distance I’ve decided to quit while I’m only slightly behind.