Відео

Oh yes, the Pentax LX is a beauty. I also made a video about it: Pentax LX - the all-time Pentax flagship reviewed! ua-cam.com/video/KD5SPksr9BQ/v-deo.html

So the OM-2n reading is 2 stops too low? Mmh it could be that the calibration is off, it could happen when someone took the top cover off and did some mistake when putting the camera back together (yes I did experience this same fault once on one of my OM-1‘s and it was corrected by re-assembling the camera correctly) … or, of course, also the meter cell itself could be faulty. Hard to judge from a distance.

@@tomscameras Since it would cost more to have a camera repair-person open it up than what I paid for the camera, my solution is to not use any filmstock with ASA greater than 400. That way I can do the two stop shift without going beyond the end of the dial. I have other Olympus cameras (OM-10FC and OM-2SP), that have light meters that work correctly, which I can use with faster film. This illustrates the risk with the purchase of used equipment.

@@tomscameras This issue is with an OM-1N, not the OM-2N.

You’re definitely right. I didn’t have the opportunity so far, sadly. Voigtländer also offers the 40/2.8 with LTM mount. However that’s maybe not the most perfect focal length for an LTM user as you‘ll need an external viewfinder for this lens for basically every LTM camera … that’s also true for the 28mm but then you rather accept that when using a wide-angle lens than when it’s more or less a standard lens … anyhow, these two Voigtländer lenses are fantastic offerings for LTM!

Thanks! I hope you have a lot of fun with it!

Yes it’s a new incarnation of the same idea. A bit more heavy but with fantastic optics! Thanks for your comment!

Yes. So it’s a bit faster vs. sharper … I still like both lenses but there’s no denying that the TT Artisan is the better buy overall for most!

There should be a hard stop every time that the film is advanced by one frame. However the mechanism does not work if there is no film at all in the camera. The mechanism also doesn’t stop after one full frame anymore if you’re past 12 exposures. Provided that the exposure counter works … does it work on your camera?

The Nikons often don’t feel as refined or „designed with care“ in specific details but in the end, using them for many years, they’re just utterly reliable and kind of grow on you. I don’t dislike all Minolta bodies, there are some great ones out there like the XD-7 and the mighty XM! And of course the SRT series but that was sadly stopped very early.

That sounds bad. But it is definitely not the norm that a lens is faulty like that. Did you contact the vendor or TT Artisan? Did you get a refund?

I am also not an expert in exact dating of Argus C3 cameras. Overall they didn’t change a lot in all those years. The original flashes all use flash bulbs so either you manage to source some of those for a truly vintage flash experience… I have also seen folks who have modified their Argus to work with a modern flash, but that involves some modifications also to the camera itself as the timing of modern electronic flashes and vintage bulbs is different. (Which is why many cameras back in the day had two settings for flash use, but the Argus C3 doesn’t.) Thanks for your comment and I hope you have a lot of fun with your Argus!

Thanks for your comment! Actually it seems to me that stiff focus is mainly an issue with Swries E lenses today, whereas all the outer vintage Nikkors rather suffer from too loose focus … in the case of the latter, it’s how the lubricants deteriorate that Nikon used at the time. In the case of Series E lenses and the too stiff focus, it also could be because of the simpler and less hard-wearing materials that the lenses itself were made of. Most lenses that are 40+ years old will profit from a CLA. That’s understandable! Having said that I sometimes come across „ancient“ lenses that never had a CLA and yet their focus still is buttery smooth. Especially Pentax Takumar lenses of the 1960s are sometimes like that. It’s just amazing! I don’t think they deliberately used „better“ lubricants back then … maybe it’s just luck that they went for some material that is so utterly long-lasting!

Kamerastore is well known yes. I personally don’t have any experience with them. I admit that I don’t have a lot of experience with camera dealers because there are three nice stores right here in Cologne in Germany that offer vintage cameras. They don’t do the level of documentation and are not as big as Kamerastore but then they still are reputable dealers. These three are cameradealer.de , foto-leistenschneider.de and foto-lambertin.de … not sure where you are located btw. Maybe there’s a good vintage camera dealer more locally as well?

@@tomscameras have now gone ahead with Kamerastore. Excellent service. Excellent condition Rolleiflex standard 4 with Zeiss Tessar. Works well and hardly used at all. Very exciting to switch back to analogue. Big step. No need to go for the overpriced later models with half a stop more 2.8 lens and a built in meter which may or may not work with a hard to replace battery. My alrernative was a Rolleicord Vb. But then this one came up.

Many thanks for your feedback! There’s a reason why most UA-cam videos use „smooth low-fi“ music. Sometimes I get bored by that and then I maybe over react a bit when selecting a less low-fi song once in a while. So your feedback is definitely appreciated!

Thanks for your comment. But what exactly didn’t you understand? Maybe I can try to explain it :)

@@tomscameras I don't understand why this is a "fast" lens and why the electronic shutter option would be better. Wouldn't a ND filter not be the better solution?

@@dakrisi3520 Yes, the ND filter also works! The electronic shutter option on the Fuji cameras has the advantage that you don’t need to handle with the ND filter, for example when the lighting changes suddenly ... the camera can just adjust the speed automatically all the time and you don’t need to care for anything and can concentrate on your subject.

@@tomscameras Isn't the electronic shutter the worse technical solution? Except for setting super short shutter speeds of course.

It is distinctive, yes!

Thanks a lot for your comment! I get what you mean :)

Yes, they're about the best optics of any sub $100 lens ... What do you not like about the aperture ring?

@@tomscameras it is too thin and hard to grep.

This is the official page from 7Artisans with all product information: 7artisans.store/products/50mm-f1-8-af-lens I don’t think there have been any firmware updates yet as the lens is still very new and the firmware should be up-to-date still? Have you run into any issues that are related to software / firmware?

This is a fully manual lens. You will need an adapter: M42 to Fuji X mount. Then it works without any issue.

No. Manual lenses and AF lenses are completely different in every detail. Optics, mechanics, everything. That means if they want to make an AF lens they have to start from zero again. The closest in terms of specification is the Sony AF 50/1.8. it’s really basic and cheap and it’s AF is very slow, but it is nice nonetheless. Here’s my review: ua-cam.com/video/tMqCmWZjB1Q/v-deo.htmlsi=AZXRu_b0BS0t1TSG The 7Artisans 50/1.8 also has the same specs on paper … but it is a totally different beast. It’s huge, but AF is fast and the optics are fantastic. It’s in a totally different league than the tiny TT Artisan lens! For what the 7Artisans AF lens offers, it’s a real bargain! My review is here: ua-cam.com/video/6pIxYhSFw7E/v-deo.htmlsi=zOBTlzbnUzXZxhac

You’re welcome. Glad you enjoyed the video!

Yes the FG will work perfectly well with all these classic Nikkor lenses, and it's small and compact ... I hope you'll have a lot of fun with it!

All my photos are shot in RAW and edited. but "editing" means: White balance, saturation & hue, contrast. All these are settings that you HAVE to decide on anyway. Either it's done in-camera ... and then every manufacturer does it differently anyway ... or you do it in the RAW converter. What I do NOT "edit" is things like: vignetting, distortion, chromatic aberrations. If I correct for any of these in any of my photos, I put in a note / some text in the video so you know it. This way, you can always see the original optical quality of the lens, especially with these manual lenses!

@@tomscameras for me it looked a bit like HDR-tonemapping > Lighten up darks at most

You are absolutely right: Maybe I should have talked about these characteristics more clearly. But then, there’s also my Olympus OM-1 video. Maybe I should have positioned this OM-2 video more as a sequel to that first video: ua-cam.com/video/jvQtmhFMHWM/v-deo.htmlsi=ctrFZI1IaX1KKQNS

Yes. It works well. My advice is that you should check that infinity setting first because then you know that all the other distance markings are correct as well. And best use it at f/5.6 or f/8. Then depth of field will cover slight focus errors!

Thanks so much. I tried today with Peaking set at high and at F8. Everything in viewfinder is highlighted in bright red (peak color) so far so good!!!!

I love both these lenses. The compact size and design of the 50/2 are sometimes very welcome :)

Yes that fast 300 Rubinar is definitely a very cool mirror lens!

Yes, these foam light seals are used in so many old cameras and after all those years they need to be replaced. Hope you are having a lot of fun and good results with your Spotmatic SP II !

Yes, I know, it’s on my list. Also the Pergear 25/1.7 is an interesting lens that I didn’t have a chance to review yet.

I feel you! :)

The best budget super-fast lens in terms of optics IMO is the 7Artisans 35mm f/0.95! Its optics are better than all the other f/0.95 lenses that I have tried out so far. So if the 35mm focal length on APS-C is okay for you, that is the one to go for!

@@tomscameras I was especially looking for 35mm, I will get the 7Artisans one, thanks!

I love some other classic cameras just as much, they all have their specific advantages! But yesss ... the OM-2 / OM-2n is absolutely fantastic!

I've got two first-generation OM Zuiko 50/1.4 (silver nose) and a few 50/1.8 ... the f/1.8 is overall better = sharper at open apertures, yes! Once you stop down to like f/4, you won't see any real world difference anymore. They say that the very last generation 50/1.4 are optically improved, but I never tried that out so far ...

Now that you say it: there are lens adapters for Sony and maybe also other mounts available e.g. on eBay!

The double-digit OM's are a bit lower-grade in terms of design and finish, but they're definitely built to similar standards internally. So I can't say anything bad about them! However today I see the OM-10/20/40 often offered at pretty high prices ... but the market for vintage SLR cameras is very volatile. Always pays out to spend some time to find a bargain!

Zone focus is a bit tricky if you don't have any experience. And also pay attention to those "depth-of-field" markings. They are all wayyyyyy to "generous", they indicate that you get a huge depth of focus which in reality just isn't there. Generally speaking, if you shoot at f/8, you really have to use the markings for f/2.8 on the depth-of-field scale!! The reason for all this is that those scales were made at a time when people normally made tiny 3x4 inch prints instead of looking at their photos on a huge screen as we do today! I made a video about manual focusing some time ago: ua-cam.com/video/43UlxsU3Eno/v-deo.html

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Yes, there is no such thing as a "bad" brand: Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Minolta, Pentax, Chinon ... even vintage Cosina or Praktica ... they all do their job really well!

Canon are undoubtedly well made but they just don't feel as good in the hand!

@@simonlyons5681 I guess that depends on the size and shape of your hands. I wouldn't have continued with them if I didn't find them comfortable to use.

I totally agree on both the handling and the looks!

Oh yes, there's some Zuiko lenses that are awesome ... but to be honest there's also some really great Nikkor lenses :)

Truth to be told is that I wanted to show how easy it is to adjust these lenses. But as you saw, it wasn't. 🤣 The tiny screws are really not the problem there BTW as you're not supposed to fully unscrew them! They won't end up in the grass!

Danke für Deinen Kommentar! Irgendwie ist die Contessa so ein Modell was sehr unter dem Radar fliegt ... obwohl die Kamera wirklich gut ist und genau das kann was man heute gern von einer analogen Kamera erwartet! Hast Du die analoge oder die digitale OM-1? Weil die analoge OM-1 ist ja auch sehr aufgeräumt ... daher mag ich die besonders!

@@tomscameras Es ist die digitale OM-1 in die ich völlig schockverliebt bin- ich bin vor Jahren nach eben Vadders Contessa, einer Yashika und eine Minolta auf Digital umgestiegen - wobei ich die Entwicklung von Blende, Verschlusszeit und Fokus manuell einstellen ( die Contessa hat ja einen großartigen Belichtungs- und Entfernungsmesser - und bei der Yashika vom ersten Lehrgeld dachte ich dann WTF wofür brauche die eigentlich eine Batterie) - dann die Zeitautomatik eben der Yashika und erst dann kam die Minolta mit Vollautomatik - allerdings auch alles auf manuell umstellbar - nicht missen möchte. Was das Digitale betrifft da sticht für mich zum Analogen, dass ich nicht auf 36 Bilder pro Film festgelegt bin und in der digitalen Dunkelkammer selbst gut nachbearbeiten kann. Ich hatte mal ein SW Labor mit dem ich nie wirklich weit gekommen bin, aber bei Farbe war ich raus. Ansonsten: Irgendwann lad ich wieder einen Film in die Contessa - einen SW und ich weiss, dass das Baby nach 60 Jahren immer noch zuverlässig funktioniert - auch bei Stromausfall kurz vorm Weltuntergang - wenn meine OM-1 schon längst den Fisch gemacht hat -was ich mit aufgeräumt meine ist ganz puristisch: 3 Einstellräder am Objektiv - alles schön über analoge Skalen ablesbar - that's it. Wobei ich das nicht gegen mein High Tech Geraffel auspielen möchte, dass auf jeden Fall seine Vorzüge hat und ich heute erst Fotos schießen kann, die ich früher niemals hinbekommen hätte.

Thanks a lot for your comment! You shot an outdoor event with the TT Artisan 250mm mirror lens? Wow ... that's unusual! It's a really long focal length for an event!

​@@tomscameras At an outdoor event spread out over a large area I typically have two cameras. One with a long lens (generally a 70-300mm zoom rather than this mirror lens) and one with something shorter, around 50mm. APS-C. The mirror lens was great with it's shallow DOF and funky OOF to get some striking long distance shots of individual scenes in the crowd. I'll use it again like that for sure.

Hi Thomas, thanks for your comment. Maybe I was not very precise in my video. You are absolutely right: The "Super TL 1000" arrived in 1980. But what I intended to say is that the whole camera series (the Praktica L series) was launched in 1969 and there were very little changes throughout the whole production run. Basically the 1970 Praktica LTL was already exactly the same as the 1979 MTL 3, I think the only real change is that they went to an LED readout for the light meter at some point. The last one of this "middle-of-the-range" L series lineup was the MTL 5 B which was made from 1985 to 1989. But in the end, they all were the same thing since 1969 ... The Super TL 1000 was a bit of a cheaper version, hence no self timer. Similar to the Pentax K1000 compared to the Pentax KM.

Ja, dann viel Spaß! Und immer dran denken die Batterien wieder rauszunehmen, wenn sie länger im Schrank liegt ... gilt aber für alle alten Kameras!

Of course, we take some care when filming that you don't see - usually I want to show all the details of the camera when we produce the video, so that's why on that day the camera is not in a half case, for example. And then yes I am aware to take extra care to not scratch or drop it. Also when we place the camera on some surface for a product shot, there's often a tiny piece of tissue or something below. You won't see it in the shots. I really make sure nothing is scratched in any way. Last not least I carry every equipment in a camera bag at all times except when I take it out for a video scene. When I'm using a camera regularly for myself, I always use a half case and then very often also a camera bag. And yes the one thing I really personally hate is camera straps. Don't ask me why. They totally annoy me ...

The OM-3 Ti is a fantastic classic, but as you say ... sadly it's a rare collectors item so you won't really use it on a day-to-day base. However the OM-4 Ti is a very nice alternative :) One thing I'm not so sure about: The F3 is less weight than the Leica R6.2? I always thought the R6 is pretty compact (and nice looking) for a mechanical SLR camera. But I admit I never shot a Leica R6 myself and it is ages ago that I had one in my hands. The really huge one is the Leica R8 ...