Chris Bennett
Well-Known Member
I thought I would start a new thread for myself here on RPF, with the aim of recording all manner of photographic nonsense.
I live in N-West England - the top left corner.
Notes From The Top Left Corner
- Thread starter Chris Bennett
- Start date
I thought I would start a new thread for myself here on RPF, with the aim of recording all manner of photographic nonsense.
I live in N-West England - the top left corner.
Chris Bennett
Well-Known Member
I've been racking my brains, trying to remember what my first camera was. I have a feeling it was a Halina something or other, but having spent a while using Go Ogle, I haven't been able to find anything that resembles my memory of it. A Paulette would be the closest thing I found, but they were from the mid-sixties and mine was bought in the seventies.
It was a present for my ninth birthday. We were living in Central Africa at the time and the nearest town with a camera shop was a few hours drive away up a lonely road through the bush - which was a major event in itself. I distinctly remember my father giving the owner of the shop the brief and then being given the choice of two models.
Having photos developed involved the same trip to the city to drop it off and another one sometime later to pick the pictures up so I had to keep my ears open for news of anyone in our community going and then persuade them to do me a favour. This made life extremely difficult for a budding young snapper.
I think I only took one photo that I ever really liked with that device!
It was a present for my ninth birthday. We were living in Central Africa at the time and the nearest town with a camera shop was a few hours drive away up a lonely road through the bush - which was a major event in itself. I distinctly remember my father giving the owner of the shop the brief and then being given the choice of two models.
Having photos developed involved the same trip to the city to drop it off and another one sometime later to pick the pictures up so I had to keep my ears open for news of anyone in our community going and then persuade them to do me a favour. This made life extremely difficult for a budding young snapper.
I think I only took one photo that I ever really liked with that device!
Chris Bennett
Well-Known Member
My father was a keen photographer and most of my childhood memories are reinforced by the images he made with his camera. Family slideshows were a common way to spend evenings in an expat household where there was no TV in either our house or any of the neighbours'.
All of those photos were made with this camera and lens.
It's a Praktica VF with a Meyer Domiplan lens.
It was a present from my mother, bought for him just one week before I was born. Although I hadn't arrived yet, we were about to move to Pakistan for a four year residency and he wanted an SLR to take with him. My Mum is a doctor and she used her British Medical Association membership to secure a discount on the deal. Total to pay: £42 9 shillings and 1 penny
I still have the camera, complete with the receipt!
All of those photos were made with this camera and lens.
It's a Praktica VF with a Meyer Domiplan lens.
It was a present from my mother, bought for him just one week before I was born. Although I hadn't arrived yet, we were about to move to Pakistan for a four year residency and he wanted an SLR to take with him. My Mum is a doctor and she used her British Medical Association membership to secure a discount on the deal. Total to pay: £42 9 shillings and 1 penny
I still have the camera, complete with the receipt!
Chris Bennett
Well-Known Member
Stop Press!
After a lot more Gurgling, I've worked out which camera it was that I received for that birthday present as a kid.
Not a Halina anything at all, it was an Agfa - an Optima II.
It was the icons on the lens settings that gave it away.
After a lot more Gurgling, I've worked out which camera it was that I received for that birthday present as a kid.
Not a Halina anything at all, it was an Agfa - an Optima II.
It was the icons on the lens settings that gave it away.
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Pete Askew
Admin
Thanks, Chris. I'm enjoying this! 
Chris Bennett
Well-Known Member
Great!
It's fun for me. I've just re-lived that trip to the camera shop on Cairo Road in Lusaka, back in 1974.
It's fun for me. I've just re-lived that trip to the camera shop on Cairo Road in Lusaka, back in 1974.
Chris Bennett
Well-Known Member
I've been buying quite a few lenses of late and having accumulated quite a few for my Canon DSLR and Spotmatic, my acquisitive focus has shifted somewhat. The reason for that is I have recently bought a secondhand Sony NEX 5 for use when travelling light (as defined by the baggage policies of the likes of Easy Jet and Ryan Air). So, while I have a lot of lenses that work fine on the NEX, the adaptors make them significantly bigger. Cue the exploration of rangefinder lenses!
All of the above preamble serves to explain the reasons for the arrival this week, of an Industar 61 lens, bought for the crippling price of £9.50. I haven't actually tried it on the Sony yet, because there was something hanging out of the back of it that needed investigation first.
All of the above preamble serves to explain the reasons for the arrival this week, of an Industar 61 lens, bought for the crippling price of £9.50. I haven't actually tried it on the Sony yet, because there was something hanging out of the back of it that needed investigation first.
Chris Bennett
Well-Known Member
It's a FED 4 camera.
I was out yesterday when I received a message to go and collect it, which I did. There was an opportunity to strike while the iron was hot, so I snagged myself a roll of film from the camera shop down the road from the collection place and went for a wander.
Just 50 metres from the camera shop, there was a display by a local bird of prey rescue charity, which offered an opportunity to find out if the thing worked. I had already read a little about the FED 4, so after a few minutes familiarising myself with it and confirming that all the bits did what I thought they would do, I managed to load the film and fire off the roll.
First time with a rangefinder!
Here are couple of the better ones.
I was out yesterday when I received a message to go and collect it, which I did. There was an opportunity to strike while the iron was hot, so I snagged myself a roll of film from the camera shop down the road from the collection place and went for a wander.
Just 50 metres from the camera shop, there was a display by a local bird of prey rescue charity, which offered an opportunity to find out if the thing worked. I had already read a little about the FED 4, so after a few minutes familiarising myself with it and confirming that all the bits did what I thought they would do, I managed to load the film and fire off the roll.
First time with a rangefinder!
Here are couple of the better ones.
Chris Bennett
Well-Known Member
Well, notwithstanding the limitations inherent in the operator, the camera seems to work!
Rob MacKillop
Edinburgh Correspondent
Chris's Blog - great idea. Keep it up.
Chris Bennett
Well-Known Member
Something like that!
But I promise you two things:
But I promise you two things:
- it will contain some decidedly ropey photographs
- I will never post a photo of my cat riding on a vacuum cleaner or what I had for dinner!
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Chris Bennett
Well-Known Member
We went to a charity event today - a 5K run called the Garstang Colour Dash. Entrants wear a white t-shirt and run the course via a series of way stations. Standing by, there are groups of volunteers who pelt the runners with paint powder. It is literally a riot of colour.
I took my EOS 50D and a Canon 35mm f/2.0 and Sigma 70-300mm.
I...ahem...learnt a valuable lesson today: If you change your white balance for incandescent lighting the night before you intend to take photos outdoors, make sure you change it back before you take a couple of hundred or so shots!
I took my EOS 50D and a Canon 35mm f/2.0 and Sigma 70-300mm.
I...ahem...learnt a valuable lesson today: If you change your white balance for incandescent lighting the night before you intend to take photos outdoors, make sure you change it back before you take a couple of hundred or so shots!
Chris Bennett
Well-Known Member
Pete Askew
Admin
Well there's certainly nothing wrong there and that first shot especially is fabulous.
Pete Askew
Admin
Crack set Chris and I love that last shot. Gives an even better feel of the event than the multi-coloured runners even!
Chris Bennett
Well-Known Member
I think you're right, it does, doesn't it?
Pete Askew
Admin
I think less is certainly more and abstraction is a powerful 'tool'.
Chris Bennett
Well-Known Member
That's the reason I like the one with the hair bun.
Rob MacKillop
Edinburgh Correspondent
Human's can be a funny lot, as these excellent pictures document. I hope no camera or lens was harmed in the process?
Chris Bennett
Well-Known Member
There was a slight red haze over me and the clothes that I stood in for a while. The camera did receive a very light misting., hopefully all removed.
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