Flashback Friday: The Nikon EM

“The Nikon EM” 2015. Nikon’s smallest, lightest, and cheapest 35mm SLR from 1979 seen here with the 50mm f/1.8 Series E lens, which is a great match for the camera.

The Nikon EM is a 35mm SLR introduced by Nikon Corporation in 1979. It was at the time, considered the smallest SLR Nikon had ever produced, and also the cheapest.

The camera was supposedly meant to be marketed to beginners and women in particular, but it wasn’t a hit for either targets. Apparently, many women avoided it with the belief that Nikon’s position of selling them an “easy to use” camera was sexist and insulted their intelligence. You got to remember, this was the late 70’s early 80’s! 🙂

In addition, it alienated some hard core Nikon users who felt the lower quality build of the EM was a sign of bad things to come, especially for a company known for their tough and heavy duty professional cameras.

The Nikon EM is basically an entry-level camera. It relies on two S76/A76 or one 1/3N battery. The camera features aperture priority only camera with no full manual mode. However, it does have something lacking on many Pro cameras and that is an emergency 1/90 mechanical shutter which can be called upon in case of battery failure.

With the EM, Nikon also introduced a set of lenses that matches the EM’s position for price and lowered quality. These lenses were called the “E Series” lenses. While lower priced than Nikon’s AI or AIS equivalent lenses, these E series lenses have developed cult following for their price to performance ratio.

I have used the Series E 50mm f/1.8 and the 75-150mm f/3.5 zoom and they are both excellent lenses, optically anyway.

While there is nothing particularly special about the EM, I believe that time has helped the EM to achieve a “cute” status when people think of it. I mean, even for me, when I thought of what to profile tonight, the Nikon EM came to mind and I said…oh yeah, that cute little Nikon from the 80s 🙂

IN THE HAND

Despite the negatives, when you actually use the EM, it feels nice in the hand. Small, light yet adequately solid. This is a Nikon that you wouldn’t mind carrying around all day.

And while Aperture Priority may seem limiting, it is in fact the mode that seems to be preferred by most photographers. The fact that it has no manual override, well that I don’t like.

If the camera is too small for you, you can “bulk it up” by using the MD-14 motor drive which not only makes the camera grippier, but also has the added benefit of being about to do about 3.2 frames per second.

MY CONNECTION WITH THE EM

Cameras, like music, are objects that have the very good ability to bring you back to another time in your life.

I remember in 1981, as a kid, my Mom’s brother came from overseas with a couple of friends. They went downtown and came back with a camera, the Nikon EM. I believe it was one of my first encounters with a Nikon camera. My very first Nikon experience actually was being in Rockefeller Center in NYC and seeing this huge Nikon telephoto/telescope which was a 2000mm f/11 Cassegrain telescope. Same as the one being sold in this eBay auction.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251761280659?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

BOTTOM LINE

The Nikon name evokes powerfully passionate emotions from photographers and even those who don’t know cameras, they know the Nikon name. It was, is, and probably will always be one of the greatest names in photography.

And while the Nikon EM is not the best representative of a classic manual Nikon SLR, it is a Nikon nonetheless, an interesting one, and perfectly usable in capable hands.

“David & Goliath” 2015. The Nikon EM on the left shown for size with brute of the Nikon family, the F4s. Sorry for the poor quality photo. I didn’t feel like dragging out the studio lights tonight 🙂

Prices on the EM go anywhere from $10-40 and don’t pay any more than that.

The Nikon EM itself may never be a Camera Legend, but it is an interesting tidbit, and time capsule into Nikon’s direction going into the 1980’s.

Some Film Images Part II

I had so much fun going down memory lane last night, I decided to do it again, one more night. This time the focus is on people and portraits. Back to reviewing cameras soon, I promise 🙂

Again, captioned with these images are equipment that I have profiled or am planning to profile. Most of the gear I no longer have, except for the negatives and memories I have of them.

And again, while I love reviewing equipment, I love the equipment even more if it helps me take a decent pic!

Also as mentioned in the last article, a lot of these photos were posted for photo sharing sites long before I started blogging on WordPress. As such, some were resized much smaller than I’d like, but it would take me forever to locate the originals and work on them again. I thank you kindly for taking a look.

“Separate Your Colors” 2011. Contax T3, Fuji Reala. Manila, Philippines.

“The NWA” 1990. Minolta X-700, miscellaneous brand 80-200mm. No this is not Dr. Dre and the “West Coast” NWA. This is “Nature Boy” Ric Flair and the original NWA 🙂

“The Young & The Restless” 1988. Minolta X-700, 50mm f/1.7 MD lens. Los Angeles, California. I was at the Farmer’s Market in L.A. and checking out magazines at a newsstand when I spotted two (then) very popular soap opera stars, Tracey E. Bregman and Doug Davidson, who were also checking out magazines. They must have been on a break from their show which was being filmed at CBS Studios nearby. I asked them for a photo and they graciously obliged. I was most impressed that they had no movie star “issues” and smiled for a geeky teenager with a camera 🙂

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“The Gentle Giant” 2011. Nikon F4s, 28mm f/2.8 AIS Nikkor, Kodak Portra 160. I ran into NYC icon Louis Mendes, a photographer well known for his old school Speed Graphic camera and sharp retro outfits. Lou takes unique Polaroid portraits and has made a living and a legend out of it. I’ve bumped into Mr. Mendes a few times over the years and he has always been a willing a gracious subject for my cameras. Thanks Lou!

“Bangkok Bride II” 2005. Olympus Stylus Epic, 35mm f/2.8, Kodak High Definition 400 film. Bangkok, Thailand.

“Native New Yorker” 2015. Leica M4P, 50mm f/2 Summicron-M, Kodak T-Max 400 developed in D76. NYC is a melting pot of cultures. No matter where you come from, you can quickly transform into a New Yorker!

Some Film Images Part I

No dear friends and readers, I have not run out of Camera Legends to profile for you. However, from time to time, I’d like to put up some images I’ve taken over the years, if only to remind myself that I still love photography and also so that readers of this site can see that I actually DO use the gear profiled 🙂

Like many of you out there, I really love cameras and lenses. But just as importantly, I love the equipment more if it helps me take a decent picture.

The photos below are a random sampling of the gear and the photos I’ve taken with them. Some of the cameras used to take these shots have been profiled. Some are previews of possible future postings.

They are not masterworks or anything. Many are from my attempts to learn or test equipment. Most were taken for just the pure joy of photography.

I thank you for taking a look. And not to worry, I have more great gear to profile and review for you coming soon 🙂

Note: Most of these images were posted elsewhere on the web years ago, long before I knew anything about WordPress. As such, some were resized to dimensions much smaller than I’d like to show you, but as I cannot find the originals at this time, this is what I can post. Sorry about that.

“Mom in DC” 1984. Kodak Disc Camera. This image represents one of my earliest attempts at photography, at least the ones I could find. Shot with the long defunct and defiled Kodak Disc Camera, a camera that was bashed by critics and consumers alike. However, I have to say, I really loved that camera and this image brings back a lot of memories.

“Ghetto Blaster” 1985. Minolta X-700, 50mm f/1.7 MD lens. My brother and father with our Cutlass Supreme which we called the “Ghetto-Blaster” with its missing hubcap 🙂 Thirty one years in time, but I’ll be darned if that golden light on the print doesn’t still look as golden as the day I took this shot.

“Bangkok Bride” 2005. Olympus Stylus Epic, 35mm f/2.8, Kodak High Definition 400 film. Shot in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Holy Petal” 1995. Contax G1, 28mm f/2.8 Zeiss Biogon, Fujichrome Velvia. Taken at a temple in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Portrait Of An Addict” 1997. Olympus OM-1, Zuiko 50mm f/1.8, Kodak Tri-X. An attempt to self document one man’s horrible addiction to cigarettes. This photo was accepted to Flickr’s “Film Is Not Dead It Just Smells Funny” group, which is quite a selective bunch so I was honored by their acceptance of this pic.

“Mannequin Fantasy” 2006. Ricoh GR1, Fujicolor Press 800.

“Lots Of Love” 2008. Leica R8, 90mm f/2 Summicron-R, Ilford XP2. I was honored that this image was profiled on Leica’s LFI “Analogue Masters” Gallery a few years ago.

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“Rainy Day Blues” 2009. Leica CL, Canon 50mm f/1.2 LTM, Kodak Tri-X 400 developed in HC-110. I was sloppy and something went wrong with the development and I got the blues after seeing the ‘damaged’ roll . But since photography is such a subjective, sometimes emotional thing, I developed a liking for the look of some of the ‘ruined’ images.

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“Masked Shooter” 2008. Contax RX, Carl Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 lens. The man with the clandestine figure, the Masked Shooter, has probably shot nearly a thousand cameras 🙂

Flashback Friday: The Olympus M-1 Film Camera

The Olympus M-1 35mm slr. Basically an OM-1 with a few external and internal differences. The most obvious give away is the “M-1” logo on the top plate of the camera. Otherwise, the M-1 and OM-1 are cosmetically and functionally the same.

The Olympus M-1 is a 35mm SLR introduced by Olympus in 1972. It is the original OM-1.

The M-1 was originally a part of the Olympus “M System” as they called it. They were all set to go, even having a full set of lenses made to support the M-1. Only one thing they forgot…Leica already had an “M System” out!

From all accounts, Olympus changed the designation of the M-1 to the “OM-1” because Leica protested the use of the “M” and “M System” as it conflicted with their M series rangefinders and their lenses.

The M-1 is basically an OM-1, which is among the finest and most iconic systems camera ever made. A modern masterpiece from the brilliant mind of the late great Yoshihisa Maitani, the genius camera designer of Olympus.

There are some differences between the M-1 and OM-1. Main thing you need to know is that the M-1 says “M-1” on the top plate and it cannot accept a motor drive.

There is a wonderful page that tells you everything you need to know about the M-1 if you google “Olympus M-1 film camera.”

As a camera, it has an all manual 1s-1/1000s plus bulb shutter and originally took a PX-13 mercury battery, which has long been outdated/outlawed. The battery is only needed for the meter and yes, the camera can operate without a battery. You can use a replacement battery and my recommendation would be the Wein MRB625 Zinc battery which at 1.35v is closest to the original mercury cells.

RARITY, PRICE AND COLLECTABILTY

This one is not as easy as it looks. While the M-1 is certainly not as common as the OM-1, I don’t think I would call it rare either. “Rarer” would be a better word I guess.

They don’t seem to come up for sale often, but you do see them at fairly regular intervals on eBay, usually by sellers who stress that it’s “RARE.” I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but you know what I mean 🙂

I got mine for $40. It is not in perfect condition, eyepiece and focus screen looks to need replacing, viewfinder needs cleaning, but the shutter works though I haven’t tested it for accuracy. It’s going to be a fixer-upper for me which should be fun.

I have seen people asking up to $500 for this camera, usually on eBay, but they ain’t getting $500! 🙂

Most camera lovers will know or search and find out that the M-1 is basically an OM-1, a camera you can get anywhere from $10-150 dollars depending on condition and how much you want to spend.

A more consistent and fair price for this camera I think is around $150-250 in excellent condition and preferably with a lens thrown in.

“Zuikoholic” 2009. With the black Olympus OM-1 and 40mm f/2 Zuiko lens. As far as I know, the M-1’s were only made in chrome.

Of course, for a collector with money, and if you are a true Zuikoholic you probably wouldn’t mind paying extra just to have that “M-1” in the house 🙂

BOTTOM LINE

The Olympus OM-1 is one of my favorite manual SLR’s of all time. The beautiful styling, mechanical shutter and all manual exposure makes it a pleasure to use just for the pure joy of photography.

When I gave up on my Minolta X-700 from 1985 and after trying Canon and Nikon in the 90s, I settled on a couple of OM-1’s and it carried me through the rest of the decade giving me thousands of precious memories on film. And as the 90s came to an end and digital was dawning, my first digital camera was an Olympus C-3000.

The M-1 being the “rarer” version of the OM-1 makes it just a little more special.

These cameras live on in their OM-D incarnations although I think all the OM-D’s lack the true heft and feel of the classic film OM cameras. As imagers, I think the OM-D’s are great!

“Generations” 2015. The Olympus M-1 film camera on the left and the OM-D EM-5 on the right. Yes, I know that OM-D needs a little dusting off 🙂

In closing, there is no doubt that the Olympus M-1 (and OM-1) is a true Camera Legend that inspired a whole generation of photographers and continues to influence photographers and camera designers, even today.

The Rise Of The “Cheap” Brand Lenses

There was once a time, not so long ago, when brands like Samyang, Rokinon, Bower, Quantaray, Promaster, etc, etc, were laughed at by more “serious” enthusiasts and pros.

Well today, some of them may still be laughed at, but not many are laughing at the lenses being released by Samyang, and also sold under the brand names of Rokinon, Bower, or Vivitar. I’m sure the “Big Boys” of camera lens makers are not laughing at these lenses 🙂

In the past few years, Korean lens maker Samyang has been producing some amazing lenses from ultra-wides to fast telephotos that rival or exceed equivalent lenses from Canon, Nikon, or Sony.

And these lenses are also sold under a variety of other formerly “no name” or “cheap” brands such as Rokinon, Bower, and Vivitar.

Many of these lenses use exotic glass, aspherical elements, and special coatings that were once only seen on lenses from Canon or Nikon. And the best thing? Their prices are significantly lower than the Big Boys. For example, if you look around, the original 35mm f/1.4 Samyang can be found for a little over $300, whereas the Canon equivalent is over $1000.

“Not Funny” 2015. Sony A7R, Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC. Baby Zay, quite serious and not finding me amusing any more, just like the “Cheap Lenses” from Samyang, Bower, Vivitar, and Rokinon are offering serious performance for the money and no longer something to be laughed at 🙂

But there is a hitch. Well, maybe a few. First of all, these lenses are not built nearly as well as the Canon, Nikon, or Sony equivalents. Not to say the build quality of the Samyang/Rokinon lenses are bad. They’re quite good actually, but I’m not sure how durable they will be. Secondly, as of this time, the lenses being offered are manual focus only. That’s not a problem for me and many others, but surely some would prefer autofocus. And lastly, there have been reports of sample variation and quality control issues.

Still, on the whole, people seem to rave about these lenses. If you get a good copy, you will be pleased. My copy of the Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 is excellent and really surprised the heck out of me when I got it. I was a skeptic at first, but not any more.

“Superfly” 2013. Sony Alpha A99, Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC. Please double click to see best quality.

This is truly the “age of the people” where nearly everyone can have access to great equipment, not just pros or the “elite” 🙂

Two new Rokinon lenses have been released for those using mirrorless systems, including an incredibly fast and wide 21mm f/1.4 and a super fast 50mm f/1.2. The prices for both are $499 which is really quite a feat. I’m sure their optical performance will be amazing and I hope some of you report back if you get one of these lenses before I do.

Thanks to Samyang and all the “cheap” brands. Power to the people 🙂

Flashback Friday: The Linhof 220

From 2009, with a Linhof 220 and Tri-X 400 film. This one definitely flew over the cuckoo’s nest! 🙂

Originally written in 2009…

Note: I done told anyone who would listen that my film cameras are far more interesting than my digital gear, and this camera might well be the ‘oddest’ in my collection. It is a Linhof 220, a medium format camera that shoots 6×7, and comes with a fixed 90mm f/3.5 Linhof-Technikar lens.

It’s ‘weird’ not only in its looks, but for a few reasons. For one thing, it’s set up for use mainly for vertical photos, hence it’s more of a portrait camera than it is a landscape camera. I believe it was meant to be a press camera. Of course, you can shoot horizontal if you’d like, but it’s quite cumbersome. It’s also ‘weird’ in the fact that the shutter is a trigger on the pistol grip.

It’s quite a rare bird, but I got her very cheaply (as in less than $100) because she’s got “issues” so to speak. The rangefinder is a bit touch and go, and the camera has a real problem with film spacing, both of which I am trying to repair in my spare time. The times when I can get a good shot out of it, I’m impressed with the sharpness and contrast from the lens, it’s tack sharp.

Update 2015:

Prices for these in good working condition are usually around $400-500 USD. I was able to fix the spacing problem, but the rangefinder is still touch and go. It’s not the most fun camera to use which is why you haven’t seen me post a lot with it, but in my film camera collection it is a standout.

Your best bet to find one of these is on eBay. However, you may also find them through private sellers on Amazon while searching for Medium Format cameras.

The Pentax Q Original

The Pentax Q. Not just a toy camera! 🙂

The Pentax Q is a 12.4 megapixel, interchangeable lens, mirrorless digital camera first introduced by Pentax in 2011. It was and still is currently the smallest interchangeable lens camera in the world.

Since its introduction nearly five years ago, Pentax has introduced several different versions of the Q. To be clear, I am only talking about the original Q as it is the only one I have any experience with.

The Q uses a 1/2.3″ sensor and has a crop factor of 5.6x which means for an example, a 50mm lens would become a 280mm telephoto. Shallow depth of field or bokeh is hard to come by on such a small sensor. On the other hand, it’s easier to get everything in sharp focus with a small sensor so you might lose one thing, but you gain another. Only you can decide if the Q fits your shooting style.

BUILD AND HANDLING

I must admit, when I first saw the Q I instantaneously fell in love with it! Such an adorable looking camera. But the more I read about it, the less I wanted it. People were trashing Pentax for having released an interchangeable lens camera with such a small sensor. “What’s the point?” was what a lot of people said.

So I kept it out of my mind for a while until some time in late 2012 when they were having some really good Christmas deals on the Q.

So I finally got my hands on one and right away I was impressed with the solid build quality! It felt more solid than I expected for such a small camera. The body is made of high grade magnesium alloy and it feels like it.

Ergonomically, it’s excellent. With the power button, mode dial, shutter release and control wheel on the top right. The play button is on the top left of the camera, which is not typical for a digital camera, but you get used to it after a while.

The menu and dedicated buttons for ISO, flash, drive, and white balance are on the back right near the LCD. There is no optical viewfinder, no electronic viewfinder and no add on for an EVF.

The flash has a dedicated switch on the top left of the camera and pops up like a jack in the box. You won’t be blocking the flash on this tiny camera 🙂

The thing that impressed me most about the Q’s build is that they were able to build a separate SD card slot on the camera’s right side! I prefer this over the usual SD card/battery chamber that you see in most digital cameras.

The only bad thing about such a small camera as far as handling is concerned is that it might be too small. The camera feels great, but I can definitely see dropping this thing. I would probably recommend a hand strap, even though I am not currently using one. I’m still waiting to drop it 🙂

Anyway, to me the supplied strap is a bit overkill for a camera this small. It’s really pocketable, which is what I do. I did have a hand strap on it for a while, but even that felt like it took away from the camera’s unique and tiny proportions.

PERFORMANCE AND IMAGE QUALITY

The camera offers very good AF performance, quite snappy, fast if not super fast, but accurate, even in dim light using the center spot.

Even though I’m not a fan of novelty, there are some cool effects you can use to accentuate your pics including toy camera, miniature, fish-eye and quite a few more. There’s even a mode that tries to create some bokeh for you because it’s not easy to get bokeh with this camera. I have tried it and it is cool, but it doesn’t work all the time and it doesn’t substitute “real” bokeh from a fast lens and a larger sensor. Still, it’s pretty cool that they thought of this and put this effect in the camera.

“Madam Z” 2013. Pentax Q, 8.5mm f/1.9 Standard Prime. An example of the in-camera bokeh effect. As you can see, it’s not quite natural, but it looks quite nice in its own way, and it’s a good option to have on such a small sensor camera.

The Pentax Q takes very good to excellent images, especially in daylight. It is very good for what it is. Don’t take that as a back handed complement. In fact, I think it speaks very highly about the Q. For a camera with such a small sensor, it provides nice looking images. It matches or exceeds what I see from most phone cameras, but there are some phone cameras today that might do better in image quality.

“HoneyTone” 2015. Pentax Q, 8.5mm f/1.9 Standard Prime. ISO 3200. Straight out of camera and only resized. The Q retained nice tone and detail, despite the noise present. Only you can decide whether this level of noise is objectionable to you.

It will not and cannot reproduce what you can do with a fast lens and larger sensor, but it was not designed to do that.

WHAT’S THE POINT?

So if you have an interchangeable lens system with a sensor so small that it matches or just exceeds most phone cameras, you may be asking as I mentioned earlier…what’s the point?

To be honest with you, I’m still asking myself that today! On one hand you can change lenses, but even with the fastest lens they offer, the 8.5mm f/1.9 which is equivalent to a 47mm lens, and the DOF is increased substantially due to the 5.6x crop factor, so while I can’t figure the math off the top of my head, what I can say is that you’re not getting the same shallow DOF as you would with a 47mm f/1.9 on a full frame sensor, not even close.

But you can always use the good old trick of getting in real close to your subject and coax some bokeh out that way.

I think the Pentax Q is better suited to street, environmental, and static subjects where shallow DOF is not entirely necessary, where as portraits with that “creamy bokeh” look is better suited to larger sensor cameras.

While there might not seem to be much point to it as an image maker, I think the real point of the Pentax Q is what it is…a truly small, well built, and pocketable camera that you can take anywhere and get the shots. They may not be the best technical shots, but because the Q is so small, you can always take it with you and you could get shots that you might have missed by not taking your larger systems.

Not like you couldn’t do that with your cell phone these days, but none are built like the Q, none feels like the Q and none have the charm of the Pentax Q.

Prices for these are trending from $100-250, depending on body/lens configuration. Remember, I am only talking about the original Q. More than its picture taking abilities, I think this camera belongs in any collector or gadgeteer’s collection.

BOTTOM LINE

I think that just by virtue of how unique it is, the build quality, and the overall very good image quality, the Pentax Q will become a Camera Legend. In fact, I personally think it’s one of those rare cameras that could be considered an instant Camera Legend the moment it came out.

I love the Pentax Q, I really do. In fact, I loved it so much I gave it to my kids 🙂

The Pentax Q is certainly not a toy camera, but…it could be! One thing for sure, it’s a lot of fun 🙂

The Canon AT-1: The Greatest Camera I Never Knew

In a hazy cloud of memories, I still clearly remember the first SLR I ever touched, the Canon AT-1.

This is IT. This is the camera that sparked an obsession with cameras that continues to this day. But first, let me introduce you to the camera…

The Canon AT-1 is a 35mm SLR released by Canon in 1977. It is part of the long defunct, but still highly popular Canon FD system.

The AT-1 uses the Canon FD mount and is a no frills, manual exposure only camera. It does however need a 4LR44 battery to operate, which is probably one reason it seems unpopular or overlooked by the “all manual” club of camera lovers.

The AT-1 is probably at the very low end of the classic Canon FD camera lineup, if not the lowest.

However, I have noticed a slight increase in curiosity and desirability for this camera in recent years. It could be due to the low prices these cameras command or the fact that it’s a good learning tool for the novice photographer or any number of things, but this is what I see.

I do have to admit, I am not fond of manual cameras that need batteries and the AT-1 does not just need batteries for the meter. It needs a battery to work at all 🙂

All that said, I love this camera! This is the camera that changed my life, although not necessarily for the better.

This post is not strictly about the Canon AT-1. It is not an official review of a camera a lot of people don’t know, or don’t really want to know about. It’s the story of how this humble “Plain Jane” camera played a key role in sparking the gear obsession that you see today.

FIRST ENCOUNTER

My first encounter with the Canon AT-1 was in 1981. With the help of a family friend, my parents bought a Canon AT-1 so they could take nicer pictures than what they got with their Kodak 110 camera. The funny thing is, they really weren’t interested in photography, they just wanted nice photos.

The family friend had a nice Canon system built around the highly acclaimed and (at the time) hot Canon A-1. He was really a photo-bug and was always showing people his pictures and telling us of the competitions he entered, etc, etc. He was really a very good photographer.

But to this day, knowing what I’ve come to know about cameras, I still find it questionable why this man would select the AT-1 for his friends knowing full well these two people (my parents) could not figure out an aperture or shutter speed from a door knob. Anyway, there’s more to this, but that’s a story for another posting.

Back in 1981, if any of you remember, cameras before the digital age were considered luxury items. Not everybody had a camera, and certainly not everyone could afford them, especially the SLR’s which made you look “serious.”

Today, as you can see, everyone and their Mom has a camera. Everyone is a “pro” with their DSLRs and battery grips 🙂

But back in the early 80’s this was not the case.

If you look back to cameras from the 40’s up until the mid 90’s, before the dawn of digital, you can see that many people treated them like precious jewelry. That is why you find so many with engravings.

As a collector today, I personally hate engraved cameras. Unless it was from a famous person, the engravings devalue these cameras in my opinion and makes me feel like the ghost of the person who engraved it is there with me and that’s a spooky feeling 🙂

They may still be considered luxury items today, yes, but today’s digital cameras, from the lowest to the highest of the high end cameras are known to be “disposable” inherent to their digital DNA.

My parents apparently felt the camera was so precious, they had relatives look after it and it stayed in its case and in the closet most of the time.

When we took our summer vacation in 1981, I saw the camera and asked my Mom if I could play with it. She said to “be careful” but yes.

It was one of those feelings in life that you can’t describe, that money can’t buy. It was priceless. There I was turning the shutter speed ring, twisting the knob, focusing the lens and seeing things come in and out of focus in that beautiful and bright viewfinder. Wow.

FLASHBACK TO 1982

So on our return to New York in 1981, we were allowed to bring the camera back home with us and I was thrilled.

But once back home, still a young boy not a teenager, the camera stayed again in its case in a closet for almost another year.

Now, we’re in 1982 and I was more interested in the ColecoVision video game system we just bought in the summer of 1982.

It was a clear and sunny September day in 1982. My brother and I took a ride from our humble Bronx abode to our family friend’s house in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

We always looked forward to getting away from the inner city neighborhood in which we lived. Our friends had a nice house with a backyard, plenty of space to walk and run, and the complete feeling of safety, at least to us inner city kids.

Only folks who have lived in the inner city can relate to the feeling to “being trapped” in your apartment once the night arrives. No one dared to venture out. NYC had a reputation for being BAD in the late 70’s and into the 80’s and yes, New York earned it 🙂

Anyway, after a wonderful day in Jersey, we arrived at our apartment, I’m guessing around 9-10pm.

When my mom opened the door, she was surprised it wasn’t locked. She was sure she locked it, she always did. When she flipped on the light, (whoomp!) there it is…

The house looked empty. We looked on the coffee table, the ColecoVision, gone. We looked at the stand; the stereo tuner, turntable, cassette deck, all gone.

I looked in the closet for my precious AT-1…gone.

THE TRAUMA AND THE AFTERMATH

Yes, as you can tell, we were robbed. We all stood there in shock. The place felt empty, it felt “dirty.” We were violated. Our privacy had been broken, and our property, taken.

For my brother and I, it was a shocking arrival at the reality of the world which has an effect to this day.

We all know the effect that crime and vandalism can have on our feelings of security. And we all know how much more magnified this effect can have on children. This is what happened to me.

In some ways it made me better, wiser. I’m always looking over my shoulder. Even today.

THE LEGACY OF THE CANON AT-1

So how does that Canon AT-1 fit into this? Well, after the theft and for over thirty years now, I’ve been completely infatuated with cameras.

If I were to take a psycho-analytical look at this, I would say it’s like winning a million bucks, but never getting to use even one dollar. It’s like having a fabulous meal in front of you, but dropping the plate. It’s like tasting the fruit, but getting only one bite. You want more.

So as an adult, after I started working, I started picking up cameras here and there until it got entirely out of control. I tried to remedy this by selling a bunch of cameras on eBay, but then when got the itch, I’d start buying again.

In the recent years, I have tried to curb this “sickness” with modest success. I have pretty much cured myself of the “latest and greatest” syndrome, so I’m not spending a lot of money, but I still fall deeply for old, weird, and decrepit classic cameras 🙂

In all those years that I’ve been without the AT-1, I never had a desire to buy another one until recently. I got one in 2012 for $10 bucks. I have yet to use it.

Not because I don’t want to. It feels fantastic, solid, great viewfinder, etc, etc. But at any time, I find myself using much more interesting cameras, and the AT-1 gets put in the back burner.

The Canon AT-1 is a member of the legendary Canon FD line of cameras, but it may never be a true Camera Legend as its famous and much more popular sibling, the Canon AE-1 is. However, the AT-1 had a more profound effect on me than any camera, past or present. Even if you take away the trauma of the theft, the feeling of holding my first SLR and looking through its glorious viewfinder still resonates strongly in my head today.

Still, until I am able to put a roll of film in it, you can say, without a doubt, the Canon AT-1 is the greatest camera I never knew 🙂

Thoughts On The Sony A7SII

The incredible new Sony A7SII.

Sony is on a roll, and I mean REALLY on a roll! In the middle of 2014, they released the A7s, a 12.2mp full-frame, interchangeable lens mirrorless camera. The camera currently sells for nearly $2500.

But wait, something sounds funny there. A 12.2mp camera in 2014 selling for $2500?

As crazy as that sounds, the A7s got rave reviews, mostly for its amazing high iso performance. But the camera could also output impressive 4K video to an external recorder.

The last 12mp full-frame camera I ever used was the Nikon D3 of 2007. And even then, I thought that camera was quite awesome at ISO 6400. The A7s is impressive up to ISO 102,400!

Now just over a year later, Sony just introduced the A7sII with the highlights being a high iso of 409,600 (!) and being able to record 4K video internally.

I’ve said many times here that I’m not a video guy (used to be in the laserdisc days!), but I have been impressed with what 4K video can do.

And I’ve always felt 12mp to be a sweet spot for full-frame ever since the original Canon EOS 5D of 2005.

I am also a big fan of low light, high iso work. I love to shoot the night. That said, we may be getting to the point where the cameras are too good! I know, I shouldn’t be complaining, and I’m not, but I’m perfectly fine with ISO 3200 and some grain 🙂

Anyway, this looks to be a really awesome camera, but I probably won’t be buying one. I’m sure it’s going to be a hot seller, the first batch will probably sell out. You can pre-order the A7SII HERE if you’d like to be one of the first to get your hands on one. Perhaps, you can give us a report back on how you like this camera?

To me, the technology has come so far, gotten so good that I am shooting more and more film 🙂

A Look Back At The Sony DSC-F707 and F717

The venerable Sony DSC-F707. A killer digital camera that was only limited by the technology of its time.

The DSC-F707 is a 5.24 megapixel camera released by Sony in 2001. The DSC-F717 is the upgraded version of the same camera released in 2002.

The bulk of this article is based on my experience with the F707, but indeed I have used the F717 and their similarities are close enough, not only in looks, but in form, function and image quality.

The camera had a 38-190mm f/2-f/2.4 (35mm equivalent) lens and a 2/3″ sensor. It was an immediate sensation due to its futuristic looks and radical design.

Whether you love them or hate them, you have to admit Sony is an innovative powerhouse in the camera world. The electronics giant is well known for their attempts to dominate every area they compete in, whether it’s television sets, the video gaming world or cameras. They are competitive, and that can only mean good things for us consumers.

This is a very old camera, digitally speaking, so I’m not going into a full review with this one. I will just touch upon some key areas of interest.

CAMERA AND LENS

The camera is well built with a magnesium alloy body and light thanks to good integration of plastic parts.

The camera is certainly “different” thanks to its radical and futuristic design. No doubt this eye-catching quality helped to make it a hit with camera buyers in 2001.

The Sony DSC-F707 and its upgraded, but nearly identical twin the Sony DSC-F717 were unique cameras with a radical and brilliant design, not to mention a Carl Zeiss lens.

The ergonomics are for the most part good, although as with most Sony cameras of that era, controls can be a little confusing at times. You may want to access the manual for certain features.

The camera has a 1.8″ LCD which will seem small if you’re used to today’s 3″ and larger screens, but it presents with good visibility and colors. The F707 also has an electronic viewfinder which you can access with the flick of a switch.

The body swivels 36 degrees down and 77 degrees up. A really cool feature for street work or tight situations.

The lens is a 38-190mm f/2-2.4 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar. It’s interesting to note that early on in their camera history, Sony sought acceptance and credibility in the camera world by making key moves such as licensing the Carl Zeiss name on many of the lenses on their cameras.

There are many Zeiss fanatics out there, and sometimes that name alone is enough to sell cameras.

The lens on the F707 is excellent and provides wonderful colors and sharpness, but keep in mind that this is a small sensor point and shoot camera with 5 megapixels. Almost any 5 megapixel point and shoot with a decent lens will provide sharp results. In 2001, we’d be nitpicking over these things. In 2015, we won’t 🙂

That’s not to cut down the Carl Zeiss lens. On the contrary, I am just saying that I feel the lens is limited to the technology it was mated to at the time. It’s a fantastic lens, but compared to similar cameras of its time, you may have a hard time making out the differences. That said, there are certain situations where you might coax that “Zeiss look” out of the camera, thanks to the great lens, but you won’t see it all the time.

The AF is good, but not instantaneous. There is a noticeable lag when taking pictures. The Hologram AF assist works well for low light, but the camera only has an ISO range of 100-400 so it’s not like you’re going to be shooting in ISO 128,000 situations with this camera.

There is a TIFF mode, but it is slow and uses more memory. Unless you’re a real stickler for RAW, I wouldn’t bother with TIFF’s for a fourteen year old, 5mp camera. The jpegs may have some compression artifacts, but it’s not something you’d really notice or care about. You’re not using this camera for exhibitions 🙂

The camera’s biggest failing for anyone planning to use this camera today, in my opinion, is the use of Sony’s Memory Stick. The largest the camera can take is 128mb (that’s megabytes) which can be somewhat pricey for the amount of memory you get. It’s a rip-off, but basically you pay for it because it’s the price vs availability thing. I tried one of those 256mb “128mb X 2” cards, but it didn’t work on my camera.

This was supposedly remedied with Sony’s upgrade to this camera, the F717. I’ve heard that this camera can take up to 2gb Memory Sticks. However, in my limited experience with the F717, I tried a 1gb Sony branded Memory Stick, it didn’t work.

If you get an “error” message don’t give up on the camera right away, it’s probably the card. Try a lower capacity Memory Stick first.

IMAGE QUALITY

The Sony DSC-F707 is capable of excellent results, especially for daytime shots. Details are crisp, colors can be beautiful, although as with most digital cameras of its time, it has a tendency to bleed the reds. The resolution is about as good as you can expect for 5 megapixels. For best results, stick with low ISO settings.

“Stars” 2011. Sony DSC-F07. I stood above these flowers and shot in macro mode. Note the wonderful whites and yellows.

Bokeh is not easy to come by with a small sensor camera, but can be had with the F707, especially if used towards the telephoto end of the lens and the right situation.

“Summer Breeze” 2011. Sony DSC-F707, ISO 100. Autumn is right around the corner! A shot showing the sharpness, details, color, and bokeh possible with the Sony DSC-F707/F717.

The bokeh has a bit of that “nervous” look, which to me is actually quite typical of Zeiss, so feel good that you’re getting a real Zeiss lens!

Dynamic range is quite good for a small sensor point and shoot, but cannot match today’s cameras and highlights can be clipped easily if you’re not careful. Remember this is a nearly fifteen year old camera.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE DSC-F707 AND DSC-F717

If shopping for one of these, prices are trending at $30-70. I would probably go for the DSC-F717, which is the upgraded version of this camera. Prices for the F717 are trending at $50-130. Go for the F717 if prices are similar, if only for the peace of mind knowing you got the one with all the upgrades. If the price is really low, go for the F707, be done with it, and never wonder about how much better your shots would look with the F717. They look the same.

IQ wise I don’t see much difference, but the F717 offers improved Auto ISO, supposedly improved autofocus, improved shutter lag time, a hotshoe for dedicated flash vs the cold shoe on the F707, and the ability to take larger Memory Sticks. The F717 also offers a higher 1/2000 shutter speed vs the 1/1000 max on the F707, but the F717 only provides this in program mode.

There are probably more improvements that I can’t think of at the top of my head. But again, IQ wise I don’t think you will see a big difference.

These cameras DO NOT have Sony’s much vaunted “Steadyshot” image stabilization.

BOTTOM LINE

When I got this camera a few years back, I initially thought it would be fun to shoot with. However, that has not been the case. Perhaps it’s the slow lag times or the small screen, I don’t know, but it’s one of those cameras that looked cool, but I hated picking it up to shoot. I can’t complain though. For the low price I paid, I think I got more than my money’s worth for a “play around” camera.

The Sony DSC-F707 and its siblings are uniquely designed and very interesting cameras that represented the best digital camera technology had to offer in the early 2000s. Even today, they offer excellent image quality in context to what they are, that is, nearly fifteen year old digital cameras.

However, these models stand out in a world of ever increasing “prehistoric” digital cameras. They will no doubt add to the Camera Legend that Sony has become.

Camera Legend

The place where the cameras are the legends.

Author: Sam

Flashback Friday: The Nikon EM

Some Film Images Part II

Some Film Images Part I

Flashback Friday: The Olympus M-1 Film Camera

The Rise Of The “Cheap” Brand Lenses

Flashback Friday: The Linhof 220

The Pentax Q Original

The Canon AT-1: The Greatest Camera I Never Knew

Thoughts On The Sony A7SII

A Look Back At The Sony DSC-F707 and F717