Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex 1b TLR

Yes, I'm posting the final entry a month late. Shooting with a twin lens reflex camera is more involved than carrying around a compact rangefinder. For instance, you can't easily pick up a TLR and snap a picture out of your car window. The waist level viewfinder kind of requires you to hang the camera around your neck and look down to compose your shot.

But here it is--the Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex 1b.




I really like this camera. It's well made and quirky but still easy to use. Luckily for me, I have the owner's manual so I'm able to get myself out of jam when I forget how to do things like load the film and set the film counter.

One of the quirky features is the left-handed focus adjustment. But it's smooth and easy to dial in your focus. I find myself flipping up the magnifier to fine tune my focus just because I don't always trust my eyes looking down at waist level. The shutter release lever is a barrel-shaped metal piece that flips out to the side before you're able to swing into action. You have to cock the shutter before snapping the picture. This camera has a film advance knob/counter on the right hand side of the camera. After you load the film and wind it to 1, you're supposed to only go by the camera's film counter. On this roll of film, it didn't properly advance a frame so I had double exposure on a couple of my shots.

The other thing of note on my copy of this camera is that the shutter is sticky at slower speeds. I've never tried to remedy this. I typically don't shoot at slower speeds but I did snap a few low light pictures this time around. One time, the sluggish shutter actually improved my exposure and produced a nice shot of the water tower lit up with Christmas lights--with a nice motion blur on a car passing by down below.

Overall, this is a very nice camera by Zeiss Ikon. Aside from the sluggish shutter, this camera is very capable of producing quality results.

Film: Kodak T-Max 100 (with the backing paper bleed-thru issue)
Developer: R5 Monobath Developer (really old--I've been using this batch since last November)
Scanner: Epson V550

Yashica Electro 35 CC

The Yashica Electro 35CC. I received this camera in a batch along with the Vivitar 35ES. The shipper included a few canisters of expired film. I decided to use the PathMark 100ISO film for the month of October. I had previously tested this camera out with some black and white film and felt pretty comfortable that it was functioning properly. I had to pop the top off when I first got it to sort out a few things but it seems functional.

This is an aperture priority rangefinder camera. It's very compact and easy to use. The metering happens when you depress the shutter release plunger halfway. It will let you know if you are under or over exposed and you can adjust accordingly. The "clunk" noise as you wind the film is a bit odd. And, actually, I added a felt pad to the plunger so it's more of a thud now.

The 35mm/1.8 lens is capable of handling all sorts of lighting situations. Even when using the 100 speed film in low light it wasn't an issue. Now that I think about it, I may have exposed it at 200 ISO. I'll have to double check that later.

I'm a big fan of aperture priority since the Olympus XA is also aperture priority. I would reach for the Olympus XA over this camera but it's a cool, compact camera.


Film: expired PathMark 100 ISO
Developer: Unicolor C-41 Powder Kit
Scanner: Epson V550


Notes: I left the red filter on (forgetting that I was using color film) so that explains the red photo. I did adjust the color bands on a couple of the photos but left others as they were scanned because I liked the tonal qualities.







Next month's camera: Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex 1b

Vivitar 35ES Compact Rangefinder

September's camera was a return to a compact rangefinder. I readily admit that I'm a big fan of compact rangefinders and I have several of them. I've used a few of them for this blog--the Chinon 35EE II, the Olympus XA, and the Ricoh 500G. The Vivitar 35ES is a good-looking camera that fits right in with the rest of the bunch and was easy to use.

This camera has a 40mm/1.7 lens and bright viewfinder patch. The all black finish is appealing and it has just enough heft to feel solid in your hand. The meter is located within the lens housing but I didn't use any filters this month. Just know that you wouldn't have to compensate when using filters if you use this camera.

I decided to go back to shooting black and white film this month. I still have some bulk Kodak Tri-X from the late 70's that keeps impressing me.










Next month's camera: Yashica 35CC Rangefinder

Sears TLS Single Lens Reflex Camera

When I got this Sears TLS, it had a black Dymo label over the Sears logo that read "Ricoh". I guess the originally owner was embarrassed to carry around a Sears branded camera. Sears camera line was a series of rebranded cameras made by all of the top-of-the-line makers. This one is a rebranded Ricoh Singlex TLS.

I decided to stick with one M42 screw mount lens for this month. I used the Sears len pictured above. It's a 55mm lens that stops down to 1.4. The ASA dial is located on the front face of the camera. It's set by lifting the face and rotating it to the correct setting. The same dial is used to set the shutter speed. The TTL light meter switch is located next to the lens and you push it up to turn it on. Unlike the GAF L-17 I used a few months ago, the meter does not shut off after each use. So I ended up killing the battery pretty quickly since I left it on by accident. I'm a slow and deliberate picture taker so, for me, the auto shutoff of the GAF suits by style more than this design.

As I go through this project, I have started to figure out my true preferences when it comes to cameras. I think SLR cameras are fine but they're not my favorite to lug around. The picture quality and control over focus and aperture are top-notch but I'm less inclined to tote one of these SLR's around.

Another thing I've learned about myself--every time I shoot color film, I wish that I had shot black and white. Then when I shoot black and white I think that I better shoot some color film so I'm not just shooting black and white. It's a conundrum!

Personal preferences aside, the Sears TLS camera is a fine camera that produces excellent results.

Film: Fujicolor 200 (barely expired)
Developer: Unicolor C41 Kit
Scanner: Epson V550













Next month's camera: Vivitar 35ES Rangefinder

Ricoh 500G

The Ricoh 500G is an excellent compact rangefinder. I would put it in the same class as the Olympus XA in terms of being able to produce consistently great quality images with the sharp Rikenon lens (40mm/f2.8). The camera is capable of shooting 25-800 ISO film with shutters speeds of 8/15/30/60/125/250/500 plus Bulb.

Inside the viewfinder, the rangefinder patch is about adequate and the aperture scale is situated vertically on the right side in the viewer. You can run this camera manually or in auto mode. In auto mode, the camera operates as a shutter priority camera. I've found that the camera does a great job of determining correct exposure (even with a modern battery) so I ran it in auto mode for most of my pictures this month. The light meter eye is located in the lens ring so you can use filters without having to compensate for them.

I found this camera on eBay and got it for $20. It was local so I didn't have to pay for shipping.

As I go through this blog project, I've been taking mental notes on which ones I can't wait to focus on when I get back to using any camera I choose. The Ricoh 500G will definitely be one I reach for when I want a compact camera that's capable of capturing impressive images.

Film: fresh Kodak Tri-X 400
Developer: R5 Monobath Developer
Scanner: Epson V550




















Next month's camera: Sears TLS