Photos I've Taken - Pentax IQZoom

Another Goodwill find, a Pentax IQZoom.  A fun little point & shoot camera.  Just load, aim & shoot.  Here are a few photos I took with a roll of Kodak BW400CN.  Really like this film.  The camera has a good range.  Top photo taken in broad daylight, the second in a tunnel & the 3rd just outside of my studio.  Not bad.

Photos I've Taken - Yashica MAT-124G

A photo of my backyard during a foggy morning using a mint Yashica MAT-124G that I purchased this summer at Roberts Camera's used section.  This is a classic designed TLR.  Very Vivian Maier-like camera.  This photo was taken using Ilford XP2 400 Super B&W film.

The camera takes some getting used to if you've never shot a TLR.  However, I've shot about 5 rolls through it and really digging it.

What I'm Shooting - Yashica & Minolta

I had a trip to Cincinnati the other day so I brought a few cameras for some street work.  2 of these were not stealthy, but except for one person I didn't get a second look.  I was shooting with my Yashica Electro 35 GSN rangefinder, a Yashica MAT-124 TLR & a Minolta Maxxum 700si, a mister SLR.  Not a single toy camera here.

Split Personality? - Nope It's The Split-Cam

Time to discuss another toy camera.  This time it's the Accoutrements "Split-Cam" with Image Fusion Technology.  That's right "image fusion technology" - impressed yet? This has all the requirements to be a toy camera.  It's plastic, it's low tech, & it produces unique or light leaky photos.  And, it's made in China.  The company that sells them is Accoutrements who has the tag line "Outfitters of Popular Culture"...OK, if you say so.  I bought this beauty new in package on eBay.

The unique feature of the Split-Cam is that you have black plastic sliders that slide in front of the lens & the viewfinder.  Each slider is 1/2 the size of the lens & viewfinder that cuts the image in 1/2 horizontally.  Simply slide one slider closed and the other open both on the viewfinder & the lens.  Next you take a photo.  Push the little switch on the back of the camera to re-cock the shutter (you don't advance the film yet).  You then switch the sliders, recompose the photo and shoot again.

If you do it correctly you get a "fused" photo, one on top and one on bottom with a fuzzy line in the middle.  In theory it's a good idea, but on my camera, it didn't work so well.  The sliders didn't stay shut or open completely every time, or sometimes I forgot to change the slider.  My first roll was just a test, so not surprising.  The biggest issue with my camera is the line between the top and bottom half is not crisp.

But hey, repeat to yourself Steve, "It's a toy camera".  No one that sees the bumblebee colors would think anything other than that.  Even the instructions say's "taking pictures with the Split-Cam is about trial & error.  Forget everything you've been taught about "good" photography.  This is fun photography.  This is art photography".

Specs are fairly limited.  The lens is a fixed f/8 aperture with a fixed shutter speed of 1/100.  There is no hot or cold shoe.  The instructions say you can use any 35mm film but then says it works best with 200 ASA film outdoors / bright sunlight.  More instructions "he Split-Cam is not equipped with flash. Outdoor use is recommended".  Also, it's not really a run & gun camera so using it indoors at a party probably isn't going to work.

As you can see, the camera doesn't have much detail.  The front has the slider switches next to the viewfinder & the lens.  The top has the film rewind knob, the shutter release & the counter.  The back the viewfinder, the shutter re-cock switch and the film advance knob.  That's it.  Load it with a roll of 35mm film and go out an play.  

Here are a couple of photos using a roll of expired Mitsubishi MX-III 400 ASA color film that I took while out on a long bike ride and a street shoot downtown.

Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis

Used car lot in central Indiana

OK, Maybe A Bit Obsessed

I like film cameras.  I like to research them, read about them, look at the photography they create, study the history, shoot with them, and also buy them.  Understand I shoot digital for my professional and studio work, so film is just a side genre.

So here's the deal, Friday and today Steph and I did a bit of traveling.  While out we stopped at a couple of thrift stores.  And guess what, I bought some film cameras.  Not just a couple, I bought 13.  Yikes!  I'll post a picture soon.

Pictures I've Taken - Yashica Electro 35 GSN

Over a year ago I purchased a Yashica Electo 35 GSN on eBay.  Not sure how much I paid for it, but I recall it was a good deal.   It's a fun rangefinder, but it tends to be a bit light leaky.  But only occasionally.  Here is a photo I took a few weeks ago with a roll of Ilford XP2 Super 400.  The fun thing about this roll is that I added a yellow filter that I purchased on eBay for $4.  I wanted to punch up the B&W images.  I took about 1/2 the photos with the yellow filter on and the other half without. It was a fun test.

The image is along Washington Street in Indianapolis's west side around 6pm.  Sun west of me, but hidden in the clouds so I had a soft box effect.  More photos and a blog post about the camera to follow.

Stuff I've Purchased - Ilford Film

Mmmm, tasty.  Purchased some yummy film yesterday both for my Yashica Mat-124G & one of my higher end 35mm cameras.  I normally shoot Ilford XP2 400 in my medium format cameras, but this time I'm going to try a roll of Ilford HP5.  Nice.  I also purchased a 35mm roll of Delta 3200 ASA.  This is the highest ASA film I've EVER purchased.  I'm looking forward to try this out with an lower light street photography shoot.  Not sure which camera I'll use it in yet.  I'll let you know.