A piratical pair!

[Brian Moore]

Probably pondering pillage and plunder! Backstage between rehearsals at California State University in Long Beach.

I took this image with my little Olympus XA and Legacy Pro 400 film. I developed the film at home using Rodinal.

 

[Hamish Gill]

There's so much to look at in that picture Brian! There is a really nice quality to it!
You like that little XA don't you! Fancy doing a review for us? This thing is definitely going up my list of cameras to buy!

Anyway, really like the shot, I'd normally find my self frustrated by the odd angle, but it doesnt bother me at all here! The people looking around really make you look around the shot... Your sort of drawn to them then they send your eye around the photo!
I can't fault it at all Brian, really interesting shot for me this one!

 

[Brian Moore]

Very good of you Hamish. Thanks for the comments.

Yes I love my XA. When it eventually breaks I'm definately getting another. However, I might opt for the XA2 or 3 for the zone focusing. (I find the XA's rangefinder quite frustrating to focus so I'll often just set the aperture to f5.6 and the focus at 8ft and fire.) As to a write up, thank you for asking. I had actually mentioned to Mike Raso that I'd do one for FPP, but I've only got so far as note taking for the article. Sorry about that Hamish.

I found that backstage area at Cal State Long Beach to be interesting and I took a few shots with the XA and the Canon F1. All are available-light images. I used a bench or, in one instance, a table saw fence, for tripods. The color ones are from the F1.

 

[Pete Askew]

Very, very nice set there Brian. As you say, an interesting place to take pictures. I enjoy the motion blur in the F1 series especially.

 

[Brian Moore]

Thanks a lot, Pete. I'm partial to the one with the kids running. They had just got changed from one costume to another in a dressing room round the corner and they were galloping toward stage right to make their call time. Thanks again.

 

[Hamish Gill]

That's alright, just give us a link when its done!
It is interesting what you say about the RF, We have spoken about it before I think... It's the RF aspect I was most interested in the XA, as I'm pretty certain I wasn't as keen on the way the xa2 focuses ... ?
I'll send you my xa2 in the post if you like, I don't use it much... Or at least haven't for a long time! Give it a bash, if you don't like it any more than the XA chuck it back my way, else your welcome to it! I seem to remember prefering my minox gt anyway!
Pm me you address and I'll get it over to you once I finish the roll of film in it!

 

[Brian Moore]

Very kind of you, Hamish.

Well there is no doubt the XA is capable of crisp images and it is favored by some due to the fact that it has the fastest lens of all the XA family. Have you developed any photos from the XA2? (I've read some posts where people prefer it for the zone focusing, and go on to remark that the difference in the lens quality between the XA and XA2/3 is negligible, or not noticeable.)

Tell you what,...shoot the rest of your XA2 roll, get it processed and see what you think. After that, if you're still not keen on it, we'll work something out. OK? Thanks again Hamish.

 

[Paul Lange]

Very interesting the way you can just see the quality to the image that the film has given. It just seems like the perfect treatment so suit the photos.

 

[Hamish Gill]

I have Brian, at one stage I used my minox and it quite a lot, although my memory o the results is patchy!
Sounds like a good idea though!
It's on my coffee table now to remind me to finish the roll....

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Brian - in the original shot, the parrot has flown off with the treasure map, and they're now busy looking for him shouting "Polly want a cracker?"

Well in my head any way....

 

[Brian Moore]

I see. Well,...thank you Chris.

 

[Pete Askew]

They didn't sell cider as well at this orchard by any chance Chris did they?!!

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Unfortunately not Pete - 'Hard Cider' as they call it over here, is available - but most of the cider on sale is just pressed apple juice