Elegance in design is a thing of the past when it comes to camera manufacturing. Today’s cameras exist in all-in-one devices or in shiny metal boxes about the size of a package of Marlboros.
Digital SLR’s all look pretty much the same. They are overpriced, feature laden and boring. Yes, my digital SLR fits the description. I use it mostly to take photos of my film cameras.
The “A” preceding the numbers indicates that this IIIA was made between April of 1953 and October 1953. That would make it about seventy years old
Contax rangefinders equal or exceed Leica rangefinders in all categories other that price. Everything about the IIIa exhibits quality and attention to detail. This approach is lost on today’s cameras. While they may take amazing photographs, they all look alike.
The shutter curtain makes a wonderful “flop” sound when it’s released. The light meter doesn’t function. This is common with ancient meters. This IIIa was manufactured in 1958. It works perfectly and looks nearly as good as it did all those years ago. Neither of those statements can be made about its current owner.
Photos above were done on Kodak Tri-X @ASA 400 in HC110(h)
Sonnar 50 lens
I recalled an article I read somewhere about Perceptol developer and Kodak T-Max film. Perceptol is a solvent developer and as such it should not be a good choice for perceived sharpness. Diluting Perceptol inhibits its solvency and allows “edge effects” to remain in the negative.
I found some unopened Perceptol and put a roll of T-Max 400 in the Contax pictured above.
I rated the T-Max at ASA 160 and shot the roll in bright sunlight. The Perceptol was diluted 1:3 and developed for fourteen minutes.
Special thanks to Tony Lockerbie for the deal on the Sonnar.
I recently attended a house party and there was a young man there taking pictures of the person of honor. When he took a picture, his digital SLR made the sound that motorized film winders make in film cameras, only louder. Later he explained that he’d taken over three hundred pictures and still had room for over a thousand more ! I was going to suggest he take pictures of his lower-digestive system but I didn’t.
Digital camera have seriously impacted the quality of photographs in a negative way. Much like McDonald’s has impacted the hamburger.
More isn’t better, in fact it’s worse. Nobody has time nor the inclination to look at three hundred photographs of anything.
Anyway, I’m old and I’ll be out of the way soon. People want what they want.
When asked about what he thought about “today’s music” Pete Townsend said his opinion was unimportant. He said he was old and it was time for him to get the fuck out of the way.
I hear ya’ Pete.
Kodak Gold 200
CONTAX IIIA WITH KIEV JUPITER 8
I’ve used more than one Jupiter 8. Some of them are quite good. Others are awful. I once had one with an insect inside it. I think it came from the factory that way. Bad day in Kiev.
Technical data unknown. Concord, Ma