An old Exakta gifted to me – looks like it’s been gathering dust for quite a while but Exakta made some fine cameras and have something of a cult following- seems to function well but willing to bet it has light leak issues so I’ll take it apart, clean it up, make whatever repairs are necessary and give it a go.
This one is definitely out of service – light leaks and a cranky film advance.
Been a faithful companion across too many mountain ranges and through forests to count.
Keep threatening to repair but so far that hasn’t amounted to much more than an idle threat.
Been a good camera and continues to function well.
Usually keep a Canon FD 28mm f2.8 on it.
Had some fun with this camera even though it’s somewhat cumbersome to lug around outdoors but never entertained the idea of selling or trading it ……, that is until recently.
Been salivating over the Sony a7r111 for some time with price even for a used one being the deal breaker – as luck would have it a friend has been salivating over the below and offered to trade a used a7r111 for it.
Got some extras that go with my camera, a part of the deal includes teaching him how to use what will become his new acquisition – I explained he would be getting the short end of the deal but he wants what he wants.
Nikon F with the Phototomic viewfinder was another cutting edge development for Nikon with the intention being to wed the exposure meter to an eye level viewfinder and employ a cadmium sensor in 1962.
That led to an additional development in 1965 with the Phototomic morphing into an adaptation of TTL, or through the lens metering.
Needless to say the series enjoyed a large following and with Nikon’s reputation for quality control, craftsmanship, and longevity endured for a number of years.
Today it remains a film enthusiasts and collectors favorite.
The overall weight would give nightmares to the lighter is better crowd but it was a different era and plastic hadn’t seemingly conquered the photographic world yet.
A sort of bling associated with this camera was the availability of an optional waist level viewfinder – which if you think about it had the ability to lend a measure of image stabilization depending on settings and conditions.
This camera came with a variety of “kit” lenses depending on the production year when kit lenses were actually of high quality without the need or desire to immediately upgrade.
The one in the above photo has a Nikkor S Auto f50mm f1.4 – that’s a 50 at a fast f1.4, a combination you won’t find in modern kit lenses.
The 50 f1.4 was available on the series in about 1960 I believe so it’s possible this particular camera is of that vintage with the Phototomic being added later by the original owner (?).
Nikon has stumbled at times as all camera and lens manufacturers have, but lenses such as this are still sought after to couple with an adapter and use on a digital body.
As with the Nikon featured in the previous Iconic Cameras blog this was a high dollar, high end camera, and deservedly so.
I was asked by a couple of friends which SLR film cameras I considered to be among the all time greats, and though I am not an historian or claim to be an expert the choices were fairly easy for me – I’ll begin with Nikon as one of them is a Nikon shooter.
Nikon has a history of being a player in the SLR world and now in my opinion having entered the mirrorless world somewhat lagging behind in that department.
There are a number of cameras viewed as iconic and while I understand there are those who may argue the point I believe the apex of Nikons’ cameras was reached with the release of the f5, an iconic hard-nosed no nonsense film camera that pretty much ruled during it’s day and may have been somewhat avant grade by incorporating a degree of titanium in it’s construction and technological advances.
A camera designed for everyday use by pros under a variety of conditions from photo journalists in combat zones to the challenges of hardcore landscape under difficult conditions in diverse settings.
Like the Timex watch advertisements of yesteryear it would take a licking and keep on ticking.
My particular bone to pick with Nikon are the notable instances where they quit supplying repair parts to camera shops forcing the camera owner to send them to Nikon – a profit strategy pure and simple that fails to reciprocate loyalty.
Top of the line and big bucks during it’s reign but can be had now for considerably less as film becomes something of a niche market.
The weight due to it’s tank like construction undoubtedly led to the f6 which was smaller and lighter, a move by Nikon to ride the coat tails of the f5 and offer something for everyone but also a camera that couldn’t hold a candle to the f5.
Film will never rule as it once did but for those who enjoy the know what you’re about or suffer poor photos and wasted film of film photography can’t go wrong if they adopt an orphaned f5.
I don’t believe this is a “collectors” camera to sit on a shelf, rather a camera to load and put through it’s paces – my personal approach is if I own something and don’t use it either sell, barter, or pass it on to someone who will.
It isn’t about who has the most stuff but who gets the most use out of what they have that defines possessions and ownership to me with obvious exceptions.
The f5 with it’s “menu”, options, and capabilities was thought of as complex and requiring a learning curve – maybe it was during those times but the same cannot be said now as similar complaints are leveled at the menus of dslr and mirrorless cameras.
No doubt at some point in the future modern cameras will become voice activated allowing the shooter to issue verbal commands related to aperture, ISO, and the like – personally I hope not as such will in effect make the shooter an appendage of the camera rather than the reverse, and there’s enough of that already.
There will always be “purists” who frown upon anything other than film with a subset of those who want every thing to be manual – some may consider that a form of romanticism and maybe it is, but there is an undeniable honesty about film that has earned it’s place.
The next step in my opinion should be the development of environmentally friendly chemicals used in developing negatives – that undoubtedly will be linked to profit margins and demand and as such may or may not occur.
Not an eight by ten format but at four by five big enough.
For some of the older larger format cameras digital backs are made but they aren’t cheap and that’s a shame as a lot of these older cameras take stunning photos – this one has a Nikor 150mm f5.6 lens on it.
A good sturdy tripod comes into play with one of these.
THE SIGMA 60mm f2.8 DN – still sharp as a knife.
My first mirrorless camera was a used Sony Nex 7, took me a little bit to get used to the diminutive size, but from the start I was sold on the 7 for a number of reasons.
One being the camera’s twenty four megapixel sensor and what it was capable of.
Over time there’s been several different lenses mounted on the 7 and I was never disappointed if I held up my end of the deal.
Time passed and I fell into a used Sony A 6300, a gem of a little camera, same twenty four megapixel capability with some tweaks to the sensor.
The 6300 is a fine camera , a little bigger, a little heavier than the 7 with new features like phase detection , 4k video capability, and others.
There were some initial complaints related to the 6300 about overheating when doing video but Sony released a firmware update to address that issue – and while I don’t do a lot of video I’ve experienced no problems.
It may just be me but I’m inclined to believe that with the same lens, in this case a Sigma 60mm f2.8 DN, which may be the deal of the century cost and IQ wise, the 7 seems to have something of a love affair going on with the Sigma that the 6300 doesn’t.
Mounted on a tripod with the identical settings, same Sigma lens, subject, and lighting the 7 renders a better photo.
I haven’t any complaints about the IQ the 6300 produces with any lens, exceptional seems an apt description, but as I say the 7 just seems to embrace this lens for some reason.
I can’t offer an explanation as it’s something of a mystery to me, but I’m not complaining as both cameras have a place in the backpack and routinely used.
I have no hesitation to switch back and forth between the two when out and about – the Sigma 60mm on the 7 and a Zeiss 32mm f.18 touit on the 6300 plus a couple of other vintage lenses for different situations.
I’m a fan of film photography but slacked off of that due to concerns about the chemicals involved – recently I read an article on fstoppers I believe it was about using beer to develop film.
Sounds kinda bizarre and I haven’t tried it but willing to give it a go – I don’t drink and therefore know nothing about beer “quality”, I assume though any beer would work and be less expensive and more environmentally friendly in the bargain.
For those who have a taste for both beer and film this could be like opening a box of Cracker Jacks and finding a hundred dollar bill.
In telling a friend about this he jokingly said “perfect, a good cover story to tell my wife”, and then asked to borrow my film camera.
Truthfully though he’s not much of a drinker, just has a good sense of humor.
I’m not looking to start a riot in saying so but for me at least mirrorless has become what it’s all about as more and more companies are embracing the technology.
Doesn’t mean I’ll give up film if the beer formula actually works only that I believe as I’ve said previously that mirrorless will become to the traditional dslr what the same traditional dslr was to film.
Sony apparently is on the verge of releasing a new mirrorless model named the A9, and though I’m not one to go with pre release reviews or the immediate reviews upon release it sounds amazing.
Amazing, along with a price tag of $4,500 – which translates for me and others no doubt of having to sell a kidney – in the interim as I ponder that decision (not) I’m a happy camper with the 6300, the 7, and my old Pentax Spotmatic.
Life is good whether you have the “newest” and the “greatest” or not.
Rezinate's Blog 