The Photography of Neil Kesterson http://neilkesterson.posterous.com Photos, comments, information, and anything to do with photography posterous.com Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:44:12 -0800 Screen window bokeh http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/screen-window-bokeh http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/screen-window-bokeh Oliver looking out the screen window, which created an interesting checkerboard pattern in the bokeh (out-of-focus areas). I was trying a recently purchased Zeiss-Ikon Contaflex Super, made in 1959. It's one of the cross-over cameras that employed a leaf shutter in the lens like older folders, used SLR viewfinder technology. The most famous of these types is the Voigtländer Bessamatic. The positives were manufacturers could use existing parts and knowledge with the shutters, while providing WYSIWYG viewfinders that Japanese camera makers were dominating the market with. Pentax, Nikon, and others were creating the next generation of camera, and the Germans were a little too stubborn to change in time. The main negatives about the leaf shutter were that lens interchangeability was difficult, and the mirror stayed down and blacked out the viewfinder until you cocked the shutter. The jury's still out on the lens in this camera. There's too much flare, even with a shade. The edges seem a bit soft, even in towards the center. I think my developer was off in this batch, so I'm going to give the camera another whirl with color this summer. I still don't think it will match the "Oh my God" sharpness and contrast of my Voigtländer Bessamatic, though.

Oliver_screen_window-2012-0219

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Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:25:34 -0800 Canon FT http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/canon-ft http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/canon-ft Pulled out the old Canon FT (1966). The FT was the last in the line for FL (breach lock) lenses for Canon before moving to FD lenses. The FT series was, in effect, the last of the consumer mechanical SLRs before Canon introduced the revolutionary AE-1 electronic camera. The FD lenses will work on the FT, but you must take the lens out of "auto" and manually push the meter lever to meter in "stop-down" mode. This is welcome for me, as the viewfinder will darken if a small aperture is set and you can see what's in or out of focus. The downside is actually seeing the match-needle if it's in dim light.. This "depth-of'-field" check is on many cameras. The FTb camera that followed, along with the FD lenses, eliminated the necessity to "stop-down" meter.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/445394/Photo_6.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5egXCsWUVypj Neil Kesterson neilkesterson Neil Kesterson