Olympus E-PM2, M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5~5.6 EZ
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Tuesday, July 30, 2024
Photo of the Day
Olympus E-PM2, M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5~5.6 EZ
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Monday, July 29, 2024
The Half-Frame Format, 3:4 Image Aspect Ratio
Half Frames: As with the new Pentax 17 half-frame film camera, taking the challenge of the half-frame format on digital is just as creative.
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
The half-frame format, or the 3:4 image aspect ratio, gained popularity in the 1960s when it was used as the picture format for the compact and lightweight Olympus Pen camera series which were getting popular as casual and travel cameras. The format utilizes half the size of the standard 24x36 film frame format, making the image a vertically orientated 18x24mm frame size.
The format allows photographers to take twice the number of exposures on a single roll of negative film, allowing a 24-frame film roll to take up to 48 images, and a 36-frame film roll up to 72 images.
On film, the frame continues as a niche format, appealing to enthusiasts with projects like diptychs, the pairing of two images on one full-frame image, or other creatives. Recent reintroductions of half-frame 35mm camera models, such as the Kodak Ektar H35 and Pentax 17 (2024) have definitely shown a resurgence in interest in this format.
In the digital era, the frame aligns closely with the aspect ratio available in many modern digital cameras, and mobiles, where the format is almost the standard for sharing photos on social media platforms. The format allows photos to be fully displayed on mobile displays without cropping.
The strongest suit for the 3:4 image aspect is for portraiture, and subjects with strong vertical orientations, such as tall buildings in the urban scape, waterfalls, and vertical landscape features. The format is just as well adaptable for still-life, close-ups, or everyday general shots where image cropping is kept tight. The format is also favored for large art prints and vertical wildlife images.
For the casual user, the format, which is a square with an elongated height, might be intimidating initially as it does not conform to the width and height of the standard 3:2 image aspect. Image composition might have to be done with a mindset opposite to the one used for the horizontally orientated 3:2 image ratio, complete with a new meaning and adaptability of subject matter.
Olympus E-PM2, M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5~5.6 EZ
Emulated on the half-frame format here are images shot with an Olympus PEN E-PM2, a mirrorless digital with the smallest footprint when it was launched in 2012, mounted with an M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5~5.6 EZ lens. With the lens focal length set to 19mm (equivalent to 38mm on the full frame), image framing should be almost identical to the Pentax 17. Colors and image characteristics are, of course, from two different worlds.
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Friday, July 26, 2024
Photo of the Day
Minolta P's
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Thursday, July 25, 2024
Photo of the Day
Minolta P's
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Photo of the Day
Minolta P's
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Photo of the Day
Minolta P's
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Monday, July 22, 2024
Minolta P's, A 35mm Panorama Film Camera
Analog Diary: Film photography favorites, image making with the Minolta P's, a 35mm point-and-shoot panorama film camera with a 24mm wide-angle lens.
<< Click on images for enlarged Lightbox display >>
The Minolta P's (Freedom Vista or Riva Panorama, depending on your location) is a very petite, lightweight, compact 35mm autofocus point-and-shoot film camera with an auto flash and crop frame panorama feature. The cult classic, introduced by Minolta in 1991, comes with an almost ultra-wide 24mm lens that sets it apart from the rest of the crowd and fixed blinds that trim the top and bottom of the normal 3:2 image aspect ratio of the standard 35mm film frame to 2.7:1.
The camera is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, weighs 185 grams, and measures 116 x 62 x 34 mm.
Tech specs include the 5 elements in 5 groups 24mm 1:4.5 lens, infrared autofocus with a range from 0.9 meters to infinity, programmed autoexposure, a shutter speed range from 1/4 to 1/200 second when flash is deactivated, ISO 100 or ISO 400 DX-coded film rolls, and automatic film loading and rewind.
The camera is powered by a CR132A 3-volt Lithium battery, good for up to 25 rolls of 24-exposure film with 50% flash use.
 |
 |
Loading the film is fairly straightforward - open the film back, drop in the film canister, pull the film tab across to the red line across the film box, and close the back, and the camera will automatically wind the film forward to Frame 1. The camera will also rewind the film back into its canister at the end of the roll.
Using it is equally easy and fun. To start shooting, all you need to do is slide the lens cover open, frame the image, and half-press the shutter button for the green diode to light up before releasing the shutter fully. The camera flash will fire automatically to compensate for low-light conditions, and the shutter will remain locked while the flash charges.
Minolta P's
To capture images without flash, press and hold the press cancel button located to the left of the camera's top while taking the shot. Low battery is indicated when the flash takes more than 20 seconds to charge, the shutter will not release, or the film rewind stops before the operation is completed. A tripod socket is available on the bottom plane of the camera.
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Saturday, July 20, 2024
Photo of the Day
At long last, my first success with a 'moon shot,' tonight,
Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 100-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 APO
(handheld, 300mm, cropped, ISO 100, f8, 1/160 second)
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Friday, July 19, 2024
Photo of the Day
Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 100-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 APO
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Thursday, July 18, 2024
Photo of the Day
Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 100-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 APO
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Photo of the Day
Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 100-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 APO
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Photo of the Day
Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 100-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 APO
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Monday, July 15, 2024
Minolta AF 100-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 APO
CCD Resurgence: Early images with a compact and lightweight Minolta AF 100-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 APO mounted on a 14.2MP CCD Sony DSLR-A350
<< Click on images for enlarged Lightbox display >>
First impression test of the Minolta AF 100-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 APO, with images captured on a Sony DSLR-A350, is a bargain A-mount tele-zoom introduced by Minolta in 2000. Seen as a fair price offer on the auction listings, the AF 100-300mm lens is a lightweight and compact 3X telephoto zoom lens with a circular aperture and two AD (Anomalous-Dispersion) glass elements to correct chromatic aberrations. The lens is compatible and shares the same Minolta AF/Sony Alpha lens mount system.
The lens, a 'perfect' fit on the Sony DSLR-A350, has a focus-hold button and focus-range limiter for reduced focusing time and improved operation. The front lens element does not rotate during autofocus.
The lens is very well built, small, and compact, with 11 elements in 10 groups, 9 curved aperture blades, a 1:4 magnification ratio (on full frame), a smooth black satin finish externally, a nibble of wobble with the zoom fully extended, metal mount, weighs 435 grams on my kitchen scale, and takes 55mm filters. Zoom and focus operate smoothly, manual focusing is a bit (plastic) 'dry'.
The images are impressive and inspiring, and they are mentioned as having 'Minolta Color' qualities, sharp even at their widest, and excellent form f8 on.
On the Sony A-350, the Minolta AF APO 100-300mm 1:4.5~5.6 is equivalent to a 150-450mm long tele zoom, more often the realm of sports and nature photographers. Too bad I am neither of both. What matters most is that the lens is a well-built lightweight, a potential favorite, and even when combined with the camera itself, is still a price breaker.
Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 100-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 APO
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Friday, July 12, 2024
Photo of the Day
Canon EOS 300D, Pentacon Auto MC 50mm 1:1.8
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Thursday, July 11, 2024
Photo of the Day
Canon EOS 300D, Pentacon Auto MC 50mm 1:1.8
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Photo of the Day
Canon EOS 300D, Pentacon Auto MC 50mm 1:1.8
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Photo of the Day
Canon EOS 300D, Pentacon Auto MC 50mm 1:1.8
<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>
Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel
Monday, July 8, 2024
Pentacon Auto MC 50mm 1:1.8, First Impression
Digital Moments: First impression images with a Pentacon Auto MC 50mm 1:1.8, delightful and pleasant colors, and characteristic bokeh.
<< Click on images for enlarged Lightbox display >>
The well-made 6 elements in 4 groups Pentacon Auto MC 50mm 1:1,8, said to be a direct descendant of the equally acknowledged Meyer-Optik Görlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8, is a compact full-frame lens with an unusually close focus distance of 33 centimeters. The lens has a slightly rounded 6-blade diaphragm, measures 60mm in diameter, and 38mm in length, weighs 194 grams, and takes 49mm filters.
This lens is also well known for its 'soap bubble' characteristics, with strong and sometimes harsh outlines, and seen as swirls on others. the lens has also enjoyed its moment as a 'cult classic', appreciated for the bokeh effect and its very delightful and pleasant colors as seen on both film and digital.
Though optically identical, but with no multi-coating of the older versions, the lens was seen with four iterations over its production run, with the oldest version having silver stripes on the aperture ring branded either “electric” or “auto”. This was followed by the second version which has no stripes on the aperture ring but has two silver rings at the front of the lens.
The third version has one silver ring at the front, and the focus ring of the third version has a spiked profile. The last version is all black. A late version with a PB mount is also available. The lens enjoys a Sharpness rating of 9, Aberrations at 8.3, Bokeh at 10.0, Handling at 8.7, and Value at 10 on PentaxForums.
These first impression images with the Pentacon Auto MC 50mm 1:1.8 are shot with the lens mounted on a Canon EOS 300D. Both camera and lens are vintages, of course, with the M42 mount Pentacon produced from 1971 to 1978 from the factory outside of Dresden, in Germany, while the Canon EOS 300D (EOS Digital Rebel in the US, EOS Kiss Digital in Japan, and also sold as the DS6041) was the first entry-level digital SLR camera introduced by Canon, Japan in 2003. The camera is fitted with a 6.3MP APS-C-sized CMOS sensor.
Canon EOS 300D, Pentacon Auto MC 50mm 1:1.8