Category Archives: Camera Equipment

{Praktica MTL 5}

April 29, 2015 1:29 pm ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

My first SLR was a Ricoh Singlex TLS, which wasn’t a proper name brand, but it took a very common lens mount called m42. I have had various m42-mount cameras over the years, but since I have been using Nikon film cameras the last several years, my m42 cameras and lenses have fallen into disuse. I had a mind to change that here of late, so I started looking at m42 cameras again. There are so many brands with that lens mount, you’re actually spoiled for choice if you decide to buy one! I have a Praktica that I like but which needs a new focusing screen (I kind of tried cleaning the one it had and things went very wrong…) Rather than investing in a new screen for my existing Praktica, I happened upon a different model for a steal! I seriously got this camera body for $7.50. Isn’t that crazy! I didn’t need to buy a lens with the camera because I already have numerous ones.

Photo of the Praktica MTL 5, taken with an Olympus Stylus Epic

The Praktica MTL 5 is pretty basic. It will run without batteries, but it does have a built-in meter that needs a mercury battery that is no longer legal in most places. I initially tried to adapt a smaller battery (of the proper voltage) to fit in the camera, but the meter needle was jumpy (meaning I didn’t know if its readings would be accurate.) I eventually bought a battery called a WeinCell that is actually meant as a replacement for the outlawed mercury one that the MTL 5 needs. Unfortunately, the meter needle was still pretty jumpy.  Compared to meters in cameras that I knew gave accurate readings, the Praktica seemed to be about a stop too fast (meaning it would underexpose the photos if I shot film at the “box speed.”) I decided to just go ahead and shoot a test roll to see how well the meter was working anyway. Because I was worried the photos would be underexposed, I shot most of the roll at 50 instead of the film’s actual ISO of 100 to compensate for the meter’s inaccurate readings.

One of my frequent camera test subjects lately ^^^

My sister’s kitchen decor

My sister’s dining room table

The rope: another frequent test subject

David recommended I read Jaws *eep!*

Scanning prints for blogs which I have since published (Olympus Stylus Epic, Fuji Mini 90)

^^^my sister’s life philosophy

Cookies and cream cake I made at work

Afternoon spent alternating between crocheting and reading, whilst drinking tea

First signs of spring

 Super charged

Wyatt!

“This is what a strawberry tastes like!” after having subpar strawberries for so long, I had forgotten what they should really taste like.
(taken with a my shortest macro extension tube attached to the lens.)

 

Praktica MTL 5 • Fujinon 55mm/1.8 lens • Lomography Color Negative 100 film

Conclusion:

Well, the thing that makes photos good or bad is usually the lens. The lens I used for these Praktica test photos is one of my favorites, and it certainly proved itself worthy of being held in high regard by me! The MTL 5 though?  I can tell that a lot of the photos were a little overexposed, so I probably should have stuck with shooting the film’s actual ISO. And, yes, the exposures were pretty good, but the meter needle still didn’t give me a very confident feeling that it was giving me accurate readouts. I mostly had to use my intuition/experience to decide whether or not I trusted what the meter was telling me at any given time. Because I didn’t feel comfortable with the meter, I actually ordered another m42 before I got this film back. Perhaps I shouldn’t have jumped the gun, since these photos were not wildly under or over exposed. However, if I’m out shooting with a camera, I don’t want to feel iffy about the exposures the meter is indicating, and buying a second camera made sense to me (especially at such low prices!) I won’t be tossing the MTL 5 by the wayside though, I’m sure. I liked using it a lot!

Posted in: camera equipment, film photography, personal, shop talk ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,

{Instax Mini 90} Upgrade U

April 2, 2015 8:00 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

You know I procured an Instax Mini 50s last year, right? I wanted to test the waters of Instax Mini before investing in the ultimate Mini camera: the Mini 90. While I did enjoy the results I got from the 50s, I found some of the features (or lack thereof) to be limiting. Therefore, I decided it was time to give myself an UPGRADE. Enter: The Fuji Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic (which is quite a mouthful of a name for a small camera!)

Can you blame me? Phwoar!

About the Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic: 

  • Film type: Fuji Instax Mini (800 ASA)
  • Shutter speed range: auto range of 1.8s – 1/400s, maximum of 10s exposure in bulb mode
  • Two shutter release buttons (one on top for shooting landscape orientation and one on front for portrait orientation)
  • Focusing: 3 user-selectable settings: .3m-.6m macro mode, .6m -3m normal mode, 3m-∞ landcape mode
  • Exposure system: automatic, with the ability to choose to Lighten or Darken each exposure (+2/3 or -2/3, or +1 on extra Lighten)
  • Power supply: rechargeable proprietary battery (I believe the only Instax to employ a proprietary battery)
  • Flash: auto (with brightness control available,) forced flash (flash on,) flash off, red eye reduction mode
  • Modes and exposure settings achieved through buttons on the back of the camera or in conjunction with a mode dial wheel around the lens.
  • Double exposure mode
  • “Kids mode” (faster shutter speed to capture a moving object such as a child or pet)
  • “Party mode” (slow-sync flash)

mode buttons and LCD screen which shows battery power, mode selected, and the number of shots taken

The main draw to the Mini 90 for me, and for most people I know who have that camera, is the fact that you can switch off the camera’s flash. All the other Mini cameras only offer auto flash. I personally found this to be irritating, because there were times when using the Mini 50s that I KNEW the flash wasn’t needed but the camera chose to use it anyway.

The other reason I wanted the Mini 90 was its built-in macro setting. With such small photos, I often wish to fill the frame more thoroughly than was allowed by my 50s and its minimum focus distance.

I am going to admit right here and now that these features I was so keen on having in an Instax camera also have brought with them a learning curve. I wrote which settings I used on the back of each photo after it was taken so I could chart my successes and my failures. The thing I didn’t know about this camera’s macro feature is that it stops the lens’s aperture down to f/22. YIKES. My first attempts at using macro + no flash + bulb didn’t go too well.

Left to right, failed macro exposures: 1) flash off, auto exposure, Lighten, macro 2) flash off, macro, bulb, 2 seconds 3) flash off, macro, bulb, 6 seconds 4) flash off, macro, bulb, 10 seconds

flash off, auto exposure, macro, Lighten

no flash, auto exposure, Darken

flash off, macro, bulb, 6 seconds
My Tower Bridge platter – aka “the most beautiful thing I own.” Thanks Clark 🙂

flash off, auto exposure, Darken
Sonja moved during the exposure, so her eyes are blurry. But I like how vibrant and glowing her eyes are in this photo! Guest appearances made by my purse and scarf in the background.

flash off, auto exposure, Lighten

flash off, auto exposure, Darken
Oh, Wyatt

Pack two shot with the Mini 90 went MUCH better than the first pack did (plus it was my fave: rainbow frames!)

Flash off, auto exposure, macro, Lighten
Jar of conversation hearts

Left: flash off, macro, bulb, 6-7 seconds. Right: flash off, macro, bulb, 10 seconds
🙁 Trying to photograph my new candy apple red stand mixer. Bad luck with macro again.

flash off, macro, bulb, 2-3 seconds
Mini vegan pear pie ♥

flash off, auto exposure, macro, Lighten
Pie and conversation hearts

flash off, auto exposure, Lighten
Luv bots ♥

flash off, auto exposure (macro mode on shot #3 of the bikes)
Rainbow bikes and rainbow frames!

flash off, macro, bulb exposure, 10 seconds
Finally success photographing my new KitchenAid stand mixer! I had to draw the curtains back to try to get more light to the mixer.

Conclusion?

I have no doubt that the Instax Mini 90 and I are going to be good friends. I just have to learn how to make the best of the very features which were the reason I upgraded to this camera in the first place. Now that we are exiting the winter of our discontent and heading for spring, I hope to make better use of the Mini 90. Watch this space. I expect it to be filled with more Mini 90 photos soon!

Posted in: camera equipment, camera review, film photography, Fuji Instax ⋅ Tagged: , , ,

My Favorite Faves: Olympus Stylus Epic

March 25, 2015 7:35 am ⋅ 3 Comments ⋅

The Olympus Stylus Epic. It’s an old friend of mine. Blogging about it has been a long time coming.

You can see that it’s an “old friend” of mine by how worn out it is. This is actually my SECOND Stylus Epic. The previous one was just as scuffed up as this one though.

First things first, here is some information about the Olympus Stylus Epic (aka Olympus Mju-II elsewhere in the world):

  • Compact, “clamshell” design
  • Weather-resistant design (not water-submersible, but safe for use in rain, snow, beach, etc.)
  • 35mm lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 (!!!)
  • Spot metering available
  • Flash modes: auto, fill flash, off (!!!), red eye reduction, night mode, red eye reduction night mode
  • Focusing as close as 1.1ft/.35m
  • Shutter speed range of 1/1000s-4s (that’s more than some SLRs give you!)

I’ve been having a difficult time writing this post. In fact, I first drafted this blog in January 2014, but I got no further than writing the title. This is the first time I’ve set “pen to paper” (keyboard to text box?) in order to complete this post. The reason I’ve been having a hard time getting this post together is that I have looked at the photos which would be included in it, and I’ve thought, “These are just the same old pictures that I’ve seen a million times.” I think that I’ve gotten to the bottom of that way of thinking though: They seem like “the same old pictures that I’ve seen a million times” because they are some true classics when it comes to memories I’ve captured on film.

Stretch Arm Strong in Augusta, Georgia. 2001.

Stretch Arm Strong. Augusta, Georgia. 2001.

This is actually the same photo as the one above it, but I printed it on black and white paper in the darkroom for the photo class I was taking at the time.

For some reason, my friends started jumping into each others’ arms one night. 2001.

Kayla, watching a band in the basement of of The Map Room. 2001.

A band playing in The Map Room basement. 2001.

Upstairs at The Map Room. 2001.

Downtown Memphis. 2001.

Underoath in Birminham, Alabama – January 2002

My niece was about to cry…2002.

Cody and Mel. 2002.

Never Cry Wolf at the Map Room. 2002.

twothirtyeight. 2002.

My niece on my brother-in-law’s lap at The Apple Barn. Sevierville, Tennessee. 2002.

An abandoned heart. 2003.

An 80s party at our DIY venue, The Caravan. 2003.

Annie and Carrie at Valentine’s dinner. 2004.

Nathalie at Huey’s. 2004.

Jason’s birthday party. 2004 (not pictured: Jason)

Nathalie’s apartment, before the girls and I went to see a play. 2004.

Monica, after our shared birthday dinner at Pho Hoa Bihn. 2004.

My niece outside their new house the first night they moved in. 2004.

Valentine’s Day at a Mexican restaurant. 2005.

My niece drawing in church. Late 2005.

My belongings. 2006.

Meredith. Food Not Bombs. 2006.

JayBay at Food Not Bombs. 2006.

Food Not Bombs. 2006.

Kesley with a giant strawberry. Food Not Bombs. 2006.

My niece and mom being lovey dove. 2006.

My niece’s car. 2006.

My bag and buttons. 2006.

Nathalie and Elizabeth at Rally Point. 2006.

Java Cabana. 2006.

Java Cabana. 2006.

Kelsey at Java Cabana. 2006.

My niece, dancing outside the FedEx Forum. 2006.

My niece at a wishing fountain. 2006.

My niece at the Orpheum. 2006.

The Orpheum. 2006.

My first time on a train, after a sleepless overnight flight to London. 2006.

A book I bought off a £1 sale shelf at a small London bookshop. 2006.

The door to the hostel where I stayed. London. 2006.

Trafalgar Square. London. 2006.

My first time seeing Big Ben. 2006.

Selfridges. Birmingham, England. 2006.

Birmingham, England. 2006.

Birmingham, England. 2006.

Vintage shop. Birmingham, England. 2006.

Champs. 2008.

Lunch at Garibaldi’s. 2008.

My mom’s fabulous shoes. 2009.

Curtains. 2009.

A very silly picture of my niece on her back stoop. Never-before-seen. 2009. 

I’ve included a lot of snapshots taken at parties, dinners with friends, and random nights on the town. They’re not great artistic masterpieces or anything, but I did want to showcase what a great tool the Stylus Epic is for situations like that. It’s honestly got the most balanced built-in flash I’ve ever experienced on a point-and-shoot camera. I used to have the Stylus Epic with me at all times, which is one reason I have so many casual photos of time I spent with my niece when she was younger. It’s one of the cameras that saved my bacon when I went to England for the first time and my primary camera, an SLR, kept malfunctioning! I won’t tell you that it’s the perfect camera (I have yet to encounter that,) but the Olympus Stylus Epic has a lot to offer in a cute little package.

Side note: For a camera I love so much, I haven’t used it much in recent years. I think that’s because I began using the Olympus XA in the Epic’s place. Which is quite alright. They are both great cameras which have seen heavy rotation in my photographic life. I suffer from a problem called “so many cameras, so little time!” But I’ve now loaded my Stylus Epic with film and tossed it into my purse to see if I can recapture the magic *fingers crossed*

Posted in: camera equipment, favorite faves, film photography ⋅ Tagged: , , ,

Diana F+ Black Jack {Two Rolls In}

March 19, 2015 10:36 am ⋅ 2 Comments ⋅

Subtitled: “The Dog Ate My Homework”

If you’re just now joining us, my history with Lomography’s Diana cameras goes like this: I bought a Diana F+ a couple of years ago. I didn’t get along with it, so I sold it after a handful of rolls. I decided to buy a Diana+ the next year because I found one for a very small price. I thought I might want another F+ because I had light leak issues with my Diana+. I found a new-in-box F+ on ebay for about $60 less than it retailed and very happily bought it. I was excited to have the new camera, especially since it came with a flash (my two previous Dianas did not.) Excited, that is, until I got home from work the day the Diana F+ was delivered. My sister’s dog is a bit of a chewer. He got he box containing the new camera and went to town on it.

Bummer, right?

While the whole point of this new camera was the possibility that I wouldn’t have to tape the whole thing up to keep light out, I decided I would just tape up all the holes and give it a try anyway. Here’s how that went…

Roll #1 was expired Fuji Provia 400, cross-processed

Pinhole exposure

This is my newly-adopted cat, Sonja. My first time using the flash for this camera.  I don’t know what the bright orb in the photo is about. Freaky, huh?

This is actually an (intentional) double exposure. You can only faintly see the first exposure on this frame of film.

Another intentional double exposure

The remainder of the photos from this roll were taken in Holly Springs, Mississippi, where I’ve done some mini photo excursions lately.

Truck advertising for the auction of Graceland Too.

County courthouse on the town square at Holly Springs

Roll #2 was (fresh!) Kodak Tri-X

Photos taken in February during the ice and snow days, on and around the property where we live

 Conclusion?

Since I have written my conclusions about the Diana+/F+ in previous blog posts, there isn’t much to conclude here. Except that I will maybe admit that I think I am getting a little better at using the Diana, and I can even appreciate it for what it is (I know which camera to pick up if I want strong vignetting, now don’t I? 🙂 )

Posted in: camera equipment, film photography, shop talk ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,