A sucker for all things camera

And in another episode of "More proof that George is a SUCKER for all things camera", see exhibit 327: A vintage camera themed stationery holder. I don't actually need this, but that didn't stop me from spending 15 bucks on it (in USD too, so close to a million CDN at our current exchange rate). What do you think? Cool? Stupid? or maybe, 'where do I get me one of those?'...


In case you're a camera enslaved sheep like me, you can get your very own here.

Beer and Cameras? Okay, TAKE MY MONEY, DAMMIT!

Beer? Check. Camera? Check. Okay, TAKE MY MONEY, DAMMIT! This beer practically has my name written all over it. New Belgium Brewing has combined two of my vices into a 6-pack of irresistible temptation. They had me at the camera on the label, but then they went and brewed a delicious unfiltered wheat beer to go inside the bottles. New Belgium - 1. My Wallet - 0.







The camera featured on this label is a Kodak Instamatic 104, from the early 60's. I don't own one, but I feel like I need to now. Damn you, New Belgium Brewing!!!

Confessions of a Camera-holic

I've officially lost my mind. I bought my 30th camera this week (25th film one at that). This is my new (to me) Asahi Pentax 6x7 medium format SLR, with 105mm f/2.4 and 165mm f/2.8 lenses). It's a beauty - I'm going to borrow a description from that Chinese newspaper/ The Onion's declaration of Kim Jong Un as Sexiest Man Alive - and say that this beast is 'Devastatingly Handsome.' You don't get a true sense of scale from looking at these photos but it's a tank, weighing in at over 5.5lbs (and a bit heavier when mounted with the 165mm f/2.8 lens). When the shutter is fired, the mirror slap sound is like cocking a shotgun on steroids. Oh the glorious photo adventures we will go on.

Calgary Film Photography meetup and photowalk

We've returned from our short trip to France (photos to come soon, I just haven't had time). I'd write more but I have to work today (blegh...)

Anyways, I just got my film back from the lab from a Calgary Film meet up and photowalk I went on a few weeks ago. Thought I'd post some of the results. All shot on a Kiev 88CM on Kodak Ektar 100. A couple recurring themes with the Kiev and Ektar - 1) The Arsat lens on the Kiev is brutal at handling flare and I should really make a mental note to always use the rubber lens hood; 2) Ektar produces oddly reddish skin tones (I've seen this on a few rolls now, has anyone else noticed this?)

Camera-holic

Some people collect stamps.  Some people spend their time blogging about suffering the rest of eternity in a lake of fire (that's the moron Wildrose Party candidate, in case you've been an ostrich the past few weeks).  And then some people just can't keep their hands off of cameras and related gear.  To call me a camera nut might be a bit of an understatement.

I had a few minutes of free time, so decided to host a camera family reunion of sorts. Neither of my DSLR's are in this shot, so the total count shown is 25 cameras, only 1 of which is digital (can you pick it out?).  Hint, it's NOT the white camera body with black grip  - that's an iPhone case.

And now I'm off to shoot bikini models in an old abandoned building...  minus the bikini models.  

The Elusive White Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 Lens

A few years back, Nikon decided that Canon had it all figured out - White was the new Black. And so they put out this beautiful limited edition white Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. So naturally, I lost my mind and had to snap it up when I finally saw one for sale.









Except... mine's just a thermos.



Fooled ya! :)

Get Nerdy/ Get Dirty

Okay cameraphiles, time to get dirty - it's time for some CAMERA PORN! For non-camera enthusiasts, it's about to get really nerdy.

I got my latest camera this week, a Rolleiflex 2.8E TLR equipped with the legendary Carl Zeiss Planar lens. And while I've now got hundreds of rolls of film yearning to be exposed by this rugged twin lensed brute, it's far too fracking cold to heading outside for a photo walk. So instead, I present you with an alphabet soup of camera on camera on camera action... a TTV orgy, if you will. Told you it was going to get dirty/ nerdy.

First: TTV of a TLR, shot through the WLF of an SLR with a dSLR. Say WHAT?! In layman's terms, this threesome is a through-the-viewfinder shot of my Rolleiflex twin lens reflex camera taken through the waist-level-viewfinder of my Kiev 88CM single lens reflex camera, with my Nikon D300 digital single lens reflex camera. And for you Big Gaping Aperture festishists (Marc and Dean!), all three cameras involved in this 3 way are f/2.8 lenses (2 are 80mm, 1 is 17-55mm).




Second: TTV of an SLR and TLR, through the WLF of an SLR with a dSLR. Layman's terms, as above, but it's now more of a menage-a-quatre, as I added in a Nikon FG SLR into the mix of sexy, sexy camera action. Again for the fetishists, that's now 3x f/2.8 lenses playing with an obscene f/1.2 50mm.



As promised in the preface, "I present you with an alphabet soup..."



In case you're wondering, I actually had taken the sexy alphabet soup photo a long time ago, and never figured out how I could make use of it until today.

The Future is Analog pt. 2

This is the first of the many adventures I hope to go on with the film Vania's uncle donated to us. And I couldn't be happier with the results - this set was shot with the Kiev 88CM on Fuji NLP 160 tungsten balanced film that expired in 1992. The cooler tones are due to the tungsten balance shot in natural light. I actually quite like the slightly cool colour temperature here, as that adds to the urban condo living look I was going for. Click to view large on black.

The Future is Analog

This post is really just for photo nerds and film diehards... Vania's uncle donated to us his stockpile of expired film this weekend (3 FULL milk crates). Total tally - 626 assorted rolls of 35mm, 110, 120, and 220 roll film, some APS canisters, and 3 bulk rolls (100ft) of slide film. If this wasn't all expired stuff, this would easily top the $2000 range. While some of it was pretty generic Fuji Superia and Kodak Gold type colour print film, there were also an interesting assortment of stuff I haven't encountered much of.

The interesting Kodak stuff:
Kodak Vericolor, Hi Speed Infrared, 'Recording Film', Pantomic X (ISO 32!!), Pro400MC, Tri-X Pan 400, Technical Pan, Plus X Pan 125, and Kodacolor VR 1000.

And the Fuji:
Pre-Velvia Fujichrome (50, 100, 400, and 1600), Fujicolor 1600 Super HG, Neopan SS, NPH 400

I was also quite fascinated by the large variety of different film canisters on display. Some of the old Ilford canisters had shiny brushed metal tops. Very cool. See for yourself.

Instant Gratification - the Instax Mini and Instax 210!

I've been really digging instant photos lately, shooting Polaroids (type 600, not that ridiculous Impossible Project stuff) and Instax Mini pack film willy nilly. And so after a bit of humming and hawing, I broke down and bought the Fuji Instax 210 Camera. I've lost track of exactly how many cameras I own, but I think this is number 26 or 27. I'm about 10 cameras over my hypocrisy limit for criticizing Anita's shoe collection.

A note to anyone actually considering buying this camera and film in Canada, The Camera Store in Calgary carries the camera for a hair under a hundred bucks, and then Black's is surprisingly the cheapest source of pack film at 25 bucks for a twin pack. That works out to about $1.25/ shot, which is only slightly more expensive than shooting medium format roll film and having it developed at a lab (process only, no prints). Having done that math, I now feel more at ease about shooting this widely available Instax 210 film with wanton disregard. Instant film is Carpe Diem-ing gratification... and the images have this visual aesthetic that digital cameras will never achieve, so you can take your 'that's obsolete technology' argument and shove it.

The initial results I've gotten so far are typical of integral film cameras - slightly soft, sort of muted colours, and just plain AWESOME. Top two shots are from the Instax 210 Wide, bottom two are from the Diana F+ with a Instax Mini back.

...from the Red Deer Lodge (night 2)

Uhhhm... boredom in Red Deer has caused me to buy another 2 cameras... But I did get smoking deals on them both - I got a folding Polaroid SX-70 (with really nice shape leatherette largely intact) for 15 bucks at a 2nd hand store, and then I eBay'd myself a Nikon FG (chrome body) for just under 30 bucks. Anita is going to be terribly unimpressed.

More random shots - these snails were seen crawling up trees in Warsaw, Poland, shortly after a rainstorm. Nikon D300, Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8.







-G

Hasselbladski

Today was a little bit like Christmas - my new Kiev88 CM kit arrived (cause what I really needed in life was yet another camera), and then my film order from B&H arrived. The Kiev88 is a Russian knock off of a Hasselblad (many times more expensive) medium format rig, which Marc would absolutely find amazing because 'it takes pictures from the top'. And then the box of film was a bit underwhelming and a relief at the same time. I had envisioned 100 rolls of medium format and 35mm film to occupy a much greater volume... but now I feel like I may just be able to cram everything into my carry on pack after all.