Clicks and Leaks

Mighty Voigtlander

imagepolice — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:39:52 +0000

Test shots from my newly acquired Voigtlander all the way from Aussie…

The magic continues..

imagepolice — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:30:53 +0000

Here are some shots from another batch of pictures, shot on my trusty Zenit. Enjoy!

A little magic from Moscow

imagepolice — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:55:43 +0000

It has been a long while since I last wrote in here, but that’s just because something major got in between me and my cameras. I have more time now, to snap and to share my endeavours of photography.

I have always been fascinated with Russian cameras, from the Leica copies to the flimsy range of Smenas. Few photographers take them seriously and many people I know regard these as toy cameras, I mean, why shoot a Fed when there are real Leicas out there trusted by professionals for years? Or, if cost difference is an issue, why not get a “proper” rangefinders from Yashica or Nikon? The reason for these questions is that more photographers would rather depend on more reliable and easily accessible makes of cameras. Being in Asia for one, Feds and Smenas do not come by easily. Few has heard of their existence, hence they are not familiar with these beauties (unless one is an avid fan of lomography, or experimental snapshots). Most antique Russian models found here, are either not working at all due to age, or have toy-like qualities, like leakages, inaccurate focus mechanisms etc. There are some photographers who thrive on these unpredictabilities, but more are just looking for reliability. Personally, I have yet to give most of the Russian models a try, though I have handled a number and sadly, most of these cameras in the shops are in less than favourable states; missing parts, sticky shutters, loss of light-tightness and worn out lens coating are not uncommon. Many have blamed the quality of materials used in Feds or Zorkis, not being able to withstand time like a real Leica or a Contax would, which I have to agree, but I have to say that, should any of these cameras be found in full working condition, you’ll discover that these cameras are infact made to produce beautiful images.

I added a Russian Zenit slr recently, and was impressed by the quality of images it produced. I shot my first roll without any filter, on a black and white film, at ISO 400 and was pleasantly surprised by the sharpness and contrast of the images. My fellow photography friends at work thought that the pictures were taken using a modern DSLR. Having 32 out of 36 shots turned out right and beautiful, I no longer doubt the reliability of my Zenit 122, a little magic from Moscow..

Lack of leaks

imagepolice — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:45:06 +0000

I just took the 2nd batch of photos from the lab this morning and found that the old MG-1 is no longer leaking light. ! I am still familiarising myself with the settings of the camera though. The photos came out sharp as a razor’s edge although I must add that my scanner is not doing them justice. The scanner has stains on the inner surface of the glass pane, I’m not really sure how to solve this problem except getting a new set. Anyway, here is a couple of photos from the 2nd roll, shot on Fuji Superia 200.

More Yashica

imagepolice — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:56:45 +0000

I headed downtown this afternoon to look for a couple of filters for outdoor shooting, and saw something else instead, a used Yashica CS-14 flash! Being a Yashica fan, I couldn’t resist the thoughts of it mounted on my camera (I was using a mismatched National), so i tested it out. Still works like a charm, and fits the MG-1 like a missing jigsaw piece, and it was only quoted at 25 bucks! Naturally, I grabbed it! CS-14 is a mini flash gun, normally used for fill-ins indoors, it has manual dial settings on the back and comes with test flash button. Say Yashica..!

Hello..!

imagepolice — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 19:59:32 +0000

Finally my new page is up.. The ultimate reason for the existence of this domain is to share my adventures and delights of dabbling in experimental photography, one of my endeavours besides painting. I only decided to explore further into this hobby when I got my first real camera, a Yashica MG-1 recently. It has been abit of an obsession since, especially after years of shooting digital.

As many would have guessed, I got my Yashica from a junk store which sells lots of vintage items besides a few different types of ancient cameras. I was looking for a good rangefinder, something less predictable than the familiar SLR yet a little more substantial than a point-and-shoot, and after testing and rummaging thru some of the more feeble models, I settled for a Yashica. It was in a fairly good condition when I took it out of the store except for maybe some “sleepy” parts, probably due to long periods of non-usage but nothing a few dry runs won’t fix. And of course being older than myself (circa 1975), it smells like a museum.

The first factor which I found pretty attractive was its weight. Being made almost entirely out of metal, it has a weight which spells substance, probably good for eliminating blur pictures due to hand shakes as well. The lens is a 2.8 Yashinon, and as far as the naked eye can see, it’s virtually spotless. The light meter and electronics are in full working condition, so are its other mechanics. It comes with original leather case and strap, making it quite a good catch. I didn’t have adequate materials to replace the melted foam seals before I loaded my first roll of film in (just to test the lens and jolt the camera out of its long slumber). When the photos came out, I was pleasantly surprised by the sharpness and contrast of the photos, albeit light-stained due to the lack of foam seals therefore, light-leaked. Looks like it’s still up to many more years of service to its proud new owner. I’ve posted a couple of images from my first roll on the Yashica, the grainy effect is caused by my dusty old scanner.

I have since replaced the foam seals which should get rid of the light leaks and my 2nd roll of film is under process. I’ll post it up as soon as they’re ready. Cheers~