Out with the old.

Convergence.

Rusty Shutters is turning out to be a bit cathartic. And productive. Pulling out all the old film cameras and doing a little technical research is a good thing, it turns out. I’m finding new info, learning about history, and checking out some really useful videos on YouTube.

My Hasselblad 500C/M is a good example.

I was about to load up my ’84 Hassy with a roll of expired (2009) Pan F Plus. I have a roll of the same film in one of my Holgas and it made sense to develop two rolls at once, now that I have the Paterson Multi-Reel 3 Tank.

I took the A12 back off, then pulled the slide out just to have a look see. Never hurts to check how everything is functioning. Part of the light trap had gotten to the point where it was so thin it broke away and was resting on the pressure plate.

Not good. Must be replaced. No light leaks, please.

Just a little bit of Web research turns up a number of videos demonstrating how the replacement is done, and some even had dimensions and materials needed for DIY types to do their thing.

I took the easy way out. I ordered a replacement trap seal from Dick Werner. He’s blackbird711 on eBay, but I found a web link for Dick’s kit that worked just as well.

Dick promptly sent an email with details about my purchase and delivery. It arrived via USPS in just a few days.

I tackled the replacement this morning. It only took a few minutes. All my research paid off, giving me absolute confidence going in. The entire process was a total success.

Now, time to load up that roll of film.

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For future reference.

Texas Escapes Online Magazine.

I learned of this resource through a video I recently watched about Kat Swansey’s Texas adventures called “Landscapes & Abandoned Structures Photography.”

http://texasescapes.com/

Pretty cool.

One summer morning.

South Congress photo stroll.

I ventured down to Austin last Saturday morning. Precision Camera hosted a photo stroll on South Congress from 9-11 a.m.

Well attended, I’d say there were 20 or more people sporting their favorite camera.

The weather was nice, though a bit warm, even for that time of morning. It’s Texas, y’all!

We walked south from Jo’s Coffee the first hour, then crossed the street at E. Milton Street and headed north, taking advantage of the shade on that side of the avenue for the second hour.

Ending at Jo’s again, this stroll was a bit different from others in that we didn’t gather for lunch and look through each other’s shots once the walk was over. Or maybe that did happen and I didn’t hear about it. No biggy.

I had a blast, met a bunch of good folk, and got a few decent shots.

Jody

Light grid

Revival

Gate

Cosmic dog

Continental

Burro

Greybeard

A+S L+A

Hats

Josh

Four fuzzy leaves

truth

Air bubbles

Ten over ten

Rusty shutters #8.

Olympus E-PL3.

October 2011.

This camera holds a lot of awesome memories.

The E-PL3 was a gift. Or rather a reward, I suppose.

When I worked at Santa Clara University I was chosen as what amounts to the 2011 “Employee of the Year” for our division. I didn’t see it coming and being chosen totally blew me away. Something I’ll always remember and cherish.

There was also a cash bonus that came along with the award. Nice.

Torri and me planned a trip to Italy, happening later that same year, and I wanted to bring along a new digital camera.

The bonus from the award paid for the E-PL3. It got plenty of use on the trip.

I chose the E-PL3 over the Olympus PEN E-P3 because of the sleek, more modern appearance – they’re essentially the same camera.

I added the Franiac grip and the versatile VF-2 viewfinder, but one of my favorite features is the flip-up rear display. So handy.

The Olympus 17mm ƒ/2.8 gets the most use, but I have a healthy collection of M43 lenses and have used the Lensbaby Composer Pro/Sweet 35 combo and the 25mm ƒ/1.4 Pentax CCTV lens on this camera.

The Olympus menu system isn’t my fave, but I manage to get around without too much trouble.

This is definitely one of my fave shooters that still gets a lot of use.

Resolution: 12.3 megapixels
Max image size – 4032 x 3024
Display: 3in LCD @ 153,000 pixels
ISO: 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800
Shutter Speeds: 60 sec – 1/4000 sec
Metering: Multi-segment, center-weighted, spot
Dimensions WHD: 4.3in x 2.5in x 1.5in
Weight: 9.35 oz
Power: Lithium-ion rechargeable battery
Memory card: SD/SDHC/SDXC

 

Guitar

Knockout

Tine

Number one rose

Venus form

Going small.

A tale of two bags.

I’ve been using Courierware camera bags for quite a while – at least ten years.

Specifically the Incognito. I have two, a medium size for my TtV rig and a Mini for my daily carry. Both are great, durable bags that are still in excellent shape for as much use as they get.

The Mini is the perfect size for a mirrorless camera and an extra lens, or a couple of point-and-shoot cameras. These days I’m carrying the Panny GX8 with the Olympus 12-40ƒ/2.8 Pro attached and my trusty old Panny LX100. Plenty of pockets, inside and out, for a small notebook, biz cards, pens, pencils. Both were ordered with plastic clips, not velcro.

Plus, Eric at Courierware was able to sew up a 15″ handle for me, and I added a black fuzzy seatbelt cozy to the main strap. Very comfortable. Happy customer. The Mini gets a lot of use.

I’ve been on the lookout for something new. I wanted an even smaller bag to carry while traveling. A sling that’ll hold two or three point-and-shoot cameras, but not be totally obvious as a camera bag.

I found what I was looking for in the Peak Design Everyday Sling 5L.

The 5L checked off all the boxes: small, light-weight, flexible, adjustable, plenty of space for a small notebook, biz cards, pens, pencils, mobile phone. And at $99 US,  it’s really a decent price.

I like that the strap is not just adjustable, but padded. The 5L has a built in handle. There’s a nifty pair of velcro “FlexFold” dividers that make it easy to cordon off space for lenses or other accessories. Quite trick, this feature.

The bag, with the strap pulled in shorter rests in the small of my back, and it has what amounts to hinges at both ends of the strap, allowing the bag to fit snuggly at any length. Great idea.

Let the strap out longer, swing it around in front and you have easy and secure access to the contents. The flap opens outward from the body creating a ledge of sorts.

And it comes in black canvas. A must.

A test walk this weekend is in order.

There are bunches of reviews on YouTube, if you want to get an idea of what this nifty bag is all about.

Rusty shutters #7.

Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim.

An eBay purchase from around mid-2008, specifically to use on World Toy Camera Day, which was on October 18 that year. I loaded it with 35mm Kodak Elite Chrome 100 and had the film cross-processed at the local Ritz Camera store. Remember those?

I joined a photo stroll that day in San Francisco, walking around The Mission District on a bright, sunny day.

All plastic – including the lens – the VUWS is a simple point-and-shoot, but the camera’s tiny aperture requires a lot of light.

At 22mm, the pictures are super-wide angle with plenty of vignetting.

I was happy with the results.

Cool little camera. Still in my collection.

Film type: 35mm
Focal length: 22mm
Aperture: ƒ/11
Shutter speed: 1/125 sec
Focusing: Fixed focus

 

Orange bags

Veggies

Cinderella

Máscaras

Solar system

Research.

… and Discovery.

One of my favorite things about photography is learning new methods and techniques.

For example, my return to large format has uncovered a multitude of new tools and toys while combing the internet for info about the process of developing 4 x 5 negatives.

I don’t have a darkroom, so I’ll be using a dark bag to not only load and unload film holders, but to transfer the film from the holders to a nifty new device I came across online, called B’s Reel.

I’d been looking at the Stearman Press SP-445 Compact 4×5 Film Processing System to handle the task of development. And I’d pretty much settled on the SP-445 until I came across a YouTube video made by Dave Rollans titled Developing 4×5 at home with B’s Reel.

Good video. Convinced me to change gears and go with the extremely cool and useful B’s Reel.

The SP-445, because of its small in size, can only develop 4 sheets at a time. B’s can develop 6, using a standard Paterson 3-reel tank.

And with 6 Lisco film holders, this developing system will work just perfectly if I head out to shoot with two different types of film.

Check out Benoît Barbé’s website and goodies shop.