14 January, 2016

The overhead power lines...

I like a lot to take pictures from overhead power lines, because I like in some way these high towers and the linearity of the cables. It makes more fun to photograph them when the sky is full of dark clouds. In the last weeks I took some pictures from the same overhead power lines with the Pentacon FB and the Schacht Edixa-Travenar-A 2.8/50mm and at the second time with the Porst Super Weitwinkel 2.8/28mm.
The pictures seems like black&white, but I used an ordinary DM Paradies 200 color film. As I said before the weather was very gray and cloudy.

10 January, 2016

buying film today...

Nowadays it is often difficult to get films for a good price. You can still buy films in photo stores and drugstores in Germany, but the prices are rising, while the selection is getting small. Therefore I often buy now film in the internet and mainly on Ebay. But of course, there the prices are rising, too. When I'm bored, I take often a look on Ebay and there I found sometimes point&shoot cameras of the 1990s, which are sold together with films, usually with expired films. Sometimes I had luck and won the auctions and got the stuff fpr little money. Two times I was the only bidder, because the main picture didn't show the camera with the films. This detail is very important, because if the main picture shows also the films, then more bidders are in the game and the price is rising.
At the first time I bought a Fujifilm DL-270 Zoom Super with an expired Schlecker AS 100 and three Foto-Quelle PremiColor 200. I paid very very little for it. The camera is still working.
picture from the ebay seller

Some weeks later I bought for a very low price a Canon Prima Super 28 with 5 ExtraFilm 200/36, 1 ExtraFilm 200/24, 2 Foto Knudsen 200/24+3, 1 Foto Schroder 200/24 and 1 Konica Centura 200/24. All films are expired, some since 2002. And one, maybe expired in 2007 or 2008, ExtraFilm 200/36 was still in the Canon and it is still working, too. An exposed Kodak APS film was also in the package, so what.
picture from the ebay seller

Here some pictures shot with the Canon and the ExtraFilm 200:
We and the Canon Prima Super 28

09 January, 2016

Light up your night...

Now some shots playing with some funny light sources...
We and the Olympus OM-10


08 January, 2016

the macro effect: the female face. part2.

After the digital version is coming now the analog version of macro pictures with the combination of the Zuiko Auto-S  1.8/50mm and the Hama Macro Lens +10. The camera I used was the Olympus OM-10 of my girlfriend, who is like in the digital version the model.
shot with the Hama Macro Lens +10
shot with the Hama Macro Lens +10
shot with the Hama Macro Lens +10
shot with the Hama Macro Lens +10

The 2€-Leica.

Of course, the 2€-Leica is the right one ;)
In October 2015 I found at the Kruschtlmarkt in Durlach a Leica Z2X for 2€, yes 2 Euros!!! With a film and an empty battery inside. At home I put a new battery in it and it works perfectly.
The film inside was a Kroma Colour 100 (Made in Japan) with 24 frames and the film counter indicated frame 10. Certainly this film is expired for some time. I searched a little bit and found that Kroma is "producing quality Personalised Photo Products that are made in New Zealand" (source). It can be concluded that the film is made in Japan and then was labeled by Kroma and sold in New Zealand. And of course the previous owner used the Leica on a trip down under and bought at least on of the local films.
After I shot the Kroma I put an expired Agfa Vista 100 (expired since 12/2002) in the Leica. The third film I've used in the Z2X was a Fuji made DM Paradies 200.
6 films in 3 cameras in 6 days
shot from the previous owner
shot from the previous owner
shot with the Kroma Colour 100
shot with the Agfa Vista 100
shot with the DM Paradies 200
shot with the DM Paradies 200

04 January, 2016

DIY Pinhole Camera

It's some years ago I made for the last time something with pinhole cameras. First I built the Dacora Obscura, which was the ultimative letdown. Just one picture was okay. Then I built some "pinhole lenses", which were really good, but the results weren't what I expected.
After these experiences I lost the pleasure to make more with pinholes.

But some days ago I found at Ebay a Zeiss Ikon Contina Ia (type 526/24) without lens and shutter, it was just the camera body and the old leather bag.
picture from the ebay seller
picture from the ebay seller

Because of this the camera was very cheap and instantly when I saw it I had the idea to make a pinhole camera out of it. Therefore I bought it. 
The Contina arrived today and I attached an old 48mm Rollei lens cap to the camera. The lens cap perfectly matched. After this I measured the focal length, which is 45mm and used the pinhole size calculator to determine the diameter of the hole. Then I made with a needle a tiny hole in the middle of the lens cap.

Focal length: 45mm
Diameter: 0.283mm
fStop: 159
Image circle: 86,4mm 





I hope I can soon show photos taken with this new DIY pinhole camera.

03 January, 2016

the macro effect: the female face. part1.

In The return of the macro effect. part 3. I showed some macro pictures of flowers which I shot with the Hama Macro Lens +10.
At this time I've used the macro lens in combination with the Zuiko Auto-S  1.8/50mm of the Olympus OM-10 at the EOS Rebel XSi. I've also shot some pictures with the OM-10, which will come in some days.

In The return of the macro effect. part 2. I used the Soligor C/D 4.5-5.6/70-210mm Macro MC lens with a macro reverse adapter at the Digital EOS. This combination isn't very good as a macro lens, but as a portrait lens, therefore I've used it now: