BA Phot

Equipment

Back - - - Subjects - Techniques- Bargains

Any notes I might find on equipment may be stored here or on a separate page, or sometimes mentioned in passing in the blog. This is mostly a set of notes and links for my own convenience, but presented conversationally.

Birthday 2021 - Film


Head

text


Head

text


Film

[23Apr22] I used film for the first time in years today. At Eltham Palace for LPE Asg.3, I took an Olympus mju II that I bought new when they came out in the late 1990s. It has a film in it started goodness knows how many years ago.
The other film cameras I have are a Nikkormat FT2 (that seems in need of a battery) and a Boots mini twin AF. They are all loaded with old film and I have a box of miscellaneous films that are 10 or 20 years old.

I have been toying with the idea of getting a film camera for a while. In October 2019 I wrote a memo, don't buy a Hasselblad and I stick with that, but I am on a variety of mailing lists that keep tempting me. And there are some very interesting late-issue cameras to be had.

Olympus - In the old days `I had an OM1 and an OM2. I loaned the OM1 to an astronomer colleague, Graham something, and never saw it again. The OM2 was taken in a burglary 35+ years ago. I wouldn't mind another. The 1 and 2 sell for 1 or 200 pounds.

Pentax - I recently learned of the MZ-S (review by Paul McIvor here) which is a rather ugly camera with astonishing specifications that read like a DSLR, including auto bracketing and the exposure details recorded on the film margins. Another review by Peter Bargh (2002) states, "The MZ-S has, without doubt, superb handling and a fantastic exposure system, but some of the features, such as a 2.5fps drive and noisier focusing are better on alternative makes. The less expensive Minolta Dynax 7 is very worthy alternative or if you can afford to spend a little more look at the Nikon F100 or Canon EOS 3". The MZ-S sells for around £250.

Minolta - Dynax 7. I have never used a Minolta. James Tocchio (2017) is very complimentary. They sell for £200+.

Nikon - F100, reviewed by Jeb Inge in 2019. £300 upwards, including some very silly prices.

Canon - EOS 3, reviewed in 2013 by the controversial (but I find his site very useful) Ken Rockwell The Eos 3 includes Eye Controlled Focus and sells for £3-400.

I could be tempted by a Fuji GA645 (see Jen Golay, 2020), but not at £800-£1,000 and the I might regret the limitation of a fixed (35mm equivalent) lens.

logo
Pentax P30
img: Alan D

If I were buying a camera tomorrow I would look for a Pentax P30N or P30T (Alan D, 2016), a camera I used happily for years and sold to Ffordes (along with my Pentax 67 set) to go digital.
In fact, I just picked one up on ebay for £26 on ebay with 2 lenses, untested, as seen, from a charity shop. We'll see.


Alan D (2016) BAD PENNY DONE GOOD ? – PENTAX P30 SERIES REVIEW [online]. austerityphoto.co.uk. Available from https://austerityphoto.co.uk/bad-penny-done-good-pentax-p30-series-review/ [Accessed 24 April 2022].

Bargh, P. (2002) Pentax MZ-S Film SLR Review [online]. ephotozine.com. Available from https://www.ephotozine.com/article/pentax-mz-s-film-slr-review-4183 [Accessed 24 April 2022].

Golay, G. (2020) A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE FUJI GA645 FILM CAMERA BY JEN GOLAY [online]. shootitwithfilm.com. Available from https://shootitwithfilm.com/fuji-ga645-camera-review/ [Accessed 24 April 2022].

Inge, J. (2019) Nikon F100 Review – The Ultimate 35mm Film SLR Value [online]. casualphotophile.com. Available from https://casualphotophile.com/2019/02/11/nikon-f100-review/ [Accessed 24 April 2022].

McIvor, P. (2020) Camera review: The unlovely (but very good) Pentax MZ-S [online]. emulsive.org. Available from https://emulsive.org/featured/camera-review-the-unlovely-but-very-good-pentax-mz-s [Accessed 24 April 2022].

Rockwell, K. (2013) Canon EOS 3 [online]. kenrockwell.com. Available from https://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/film-bodies/eos-3.htm [Accessed 24 April 2022].

Tocchio, J. (2017) title [online]. casualphotophile.com. Available from https://casualphotophile.com/2017/11/22/minolta-a7-review-maxxum-7-dynax-7/ [Accessed 24 April 2022].


D300
Nikon D300

Nikon D300

[01Jan19] I bought a lovely example from mpb for not much in November 2017 following an AmPhot recommendation which happened to coincide with my birthday. I added a grip, flash and lenses from ebay over time. It is large and heavy and 12MP resolution but beautiful. I have a couple of books, by Busch and by Young: the Busch is a well structured and informative work, the Young is less helpful as a work of reference. The most useful set of information I have found is (as is often the case) from Ken Rockwell.

I came within a whisker, prompted by AmPhot again, to getting a D600 for Christmas 2018 (here's Ken Rockwell). I still might, but will get a Fuji X-T2 first.



Nikon D600
image from MPB

Nikon D600

Manual

[3Nov19] I bought a Nikon D600 this week, £500 from MPB with a shutter count under 3,000. It should arrive tomorrow, 4th Nov.

The lenses I have had for years with my Nikkormat FT2 should work with it and some of those I bought for the D300, though not all as it has a smaller sensor. The newly acquired Pentax P67 200mm (bought with a Fuji GFX in mind) will work with it because I found a P67 - Nikon converter for £25 on Ffordes.

Additional lenses to seek will be decided in due course. Ken Rockwell is very good on Nikon kit, cheapskate lenses.

[5Nov19] On lenses, I already have a 50mm f.1.8 AF and a 70-210 AF zoom bought for the D300. I have bought a £30 28-80 mm AF standard zoom on eBay and those will suffice for now, while I look for a Nikon 28-200mm AF-D or the later 'G' (highly recommended by David Busch and reviewed here Ken Rockwell). I might aspire to a Nikkor 28-300 superzoom if I use the Nikon as much as the Fuji, though that might eat into the GFX fund.

Head

text


Page created 01-Jan-2018 | Page updated 21-Sep-2023