Analogue Photography in Hong Kong III - Matthew Dallow

When and why did you start taking analogue photos? 

I actually learnt photography on a film camera but my camera bag was stolen when I was travelling and by the time I had enough money to buy a new camera I reasoned that a digital camera would suit me better as the World appeared to be going down that road.
After a few years using my digital SLR I felt my photography and plateaued, kind of hit a wall. Basically my enthusiasm had dipped and wanted to try something new. 
I looked back through my old photographs from my travels and loved what I saw. I realised that my photography had maybe even regressed since I started using a digital camera and put simply I just prefer the look of film. I decided one day that I wanted to use film again. I wanted to push myself photographically.
I decided I wanted a fully manual camera as I'd never used one before so I settled on a Nikon FM2. Probably my most used 35mm camera. 


How many cameras do you have and which one is your favorite? 


I think I own around forty cameras. I've been acquiring them for roughly the last 2 to 3 years. They include SLRs, a TLR, a couple of rangefinders a few toy cameras and a bunch of compacts. They all work, all get used and none of them has cost as much as my digital SLR did.
My favourite 35mm is probably my Nikon FM2. It's simple, manual, mechanical and reliable. 
I've recently bought a Mamiya RB67 which I'm really enjoying. Although quite big and heavy it's extremely versatile as it has interchangeable and revolving backs. Very handy. I have to give a nod to my Mamiya C220 as well, a medium format SLR which I love.


 Where do you buy gear or film in HK and where do you develop your film? 


I shop around for my gear and film. I've found 1 or 2 places in Tsim Sha Tsui for gear and I get my film developed at Dotwell Photographic ,also in TST, until I can afford a flat big enough to do my own!

For film I mostly use Chung Pui Photo in Stanley Street in Central. I've found their prices to be the best in Hong Kong for most film. I use a few others for various things including Dotwell, Mirama Photo Supplies, also in Stanley Street and Wing Shing Photo Supplies in Mong Kong. I get my Fuji pack film from Polab in Wan Chai.

matthewdallow.co.uk/

Yuck 'n Yum

My photograph is in the latest spring edition of Yuck 'n Yum zine!
Check it out here

Berlin II

I bought two cameras in Berlin, two Olympus XAs with flash. Nice little cameras!

Berlin I

Trip to Po Toi

Taken with a Canon Prima 5 and Agfa Vista

Analogue Photography in Hong Kong II - Shima Eleven

Check out the stunning analogue portraits by Shima Eleven. Some of them taken with an unusual Ebony 45SU . I especially like his series Folks and their Camera

 

When and why did you start taking analogue photos?

I finished my first Degree in Journalism but I never been a Photo reporter before. Because a long time ago I started taking analogue portraits

How many cameras do you have and which one is your favorite?

Hahahaha... It's hard to tell you the exact numbers, because I never count. I use a half frame camera, Lomo, 135, Medium Format , Large Format and Polaroid too. I use Ebony 45SU (4x5 Large Format) and Philips & son 8x10 Explorer (8x10 Large Format) for recently.

Where do you buy gear or film in HK and where do you develop your film?
I like B&W Photography and develop it by myself. Most of my gear is from second hand shop in Hong Kong, eBay and some Camera Collectors.

Here are some of his photos on flickr

Ebony 45SU

R.H. Phillips & Sons 8x10

Pentax 67II

Revue 400SE Review

The 400SE is a cool little rangefinder  camera from the 70s that was made by Foto Quelle a popular German Photo retailer. It's a great camera to carry around daily with it's fast and sharp lens, though it's a little on the heavy side for its size

Battery:
The camera needs a 1.3V mercury battery to operate the light meter. These are now illegal worldwide, so I used a 1.5V battery. Some sites say the higher voltage makes the light meter mess up, but I haven't had any problems with it so far. Other sites aso recommend Zinc Air batteries for hearing aid, these ave exactly the right voltage,
The light meter is attached to the top of the lens, so when you put the lens cap back on it saves battery.

Focusing:
This camera focuses from 0.9 meter until infinity.
Focusing is  easy, it uses a so-called "coincident image focusing device".  In the viewfinder a small spot which is slightly yellowish needs to be aligned with the whole image. This part will be in focus then.
Just turn the lens focusing ring until the two images in the viewfinder line up perfectly. Here is a great explanation of this. Sometimes with these cameras the viewfinder can be a bit foggy which makes focussing difficult in low light situations. There are tutorial online on how to clean the viewfinder using Ethanol oder Isopropanol, but I'm not experienced enough to attempt that.
Also it's quite difficult to focus moving objects. It might be even better to just use the distance indication on the lens.
The lens REVUENON 40mm F1.7 is really sharp and the results if focused correctly are great.
If your subject is closer than 1.5meter you need to make sure the subject is within the paralax lines of the viewfinder.

Exposure:
The light meter is a cds light meter. It has an exposure lock if you press the shutter half
With this camera you pick the shutter speed and it will chose the aperture accordingly. The manual gives the following guidelines

Sunny  = 1/500sec
Cloudy = 1/125sec
Indoors = 1/30sec

For shots with 1/30sec and under you are supposed to use a tripod and a cable release to avoid blurry results.
The needle in the viewfinder will show you any under or over-exposure. Is the needle in the middle yellow part exposure is correct.

You can use a filter without adjusting the exposure.

Problems:
-The lens cap is super flimsy wobbly piece of rubber and doesn't lock in any way to it's very easy to loose it.
-The original bag is also some cheap fake leather that just kind of falls apart after a few uses.
-The foam on the film door disintegrates and becomes somewhat sticky. Mine even sticks to the film canister. It might also effect focusing if it has completely disappeared.
-Viewfinder on mine is a bit foggy and dark
-Battery might be a problem but hasn't been for me so far


Here are some photos taken with the Revue 400 SE
 and here are some more

Great little camera :)

EHO Box Camera

This is an EHO Box Camera, a simple box camera from 1931.

Here are some photos: