Photographic equipment & interests

[Thingy]

I am a multi-format photographer, using large format (5x4) when I am able to carry it and medium format & 35mm format on a more routine basis.

My photographic interests are, at present: macrophotography, landscape and to a lesser extent, architectural photography. The latter is limited to abroad as in the UK at present, anti-terrorism legislation is being misused by the police to prevent photographers photographing interesting buildings, on the grounds that anyone with a large format camera on a tripod MUST be a terrorist! The new Conservative government has closed one loophole they used to stop photographers, only for the police to start using a different clause of the same legislation!

My current film equipment is as follows:

135: Olympus OM1, OM2s/p; Nikon F4
645: Mamiya 645 Pro TL
6x7: Mamiya 7 rangefinder [only got camera on order, at present]
5x4: Ebony 45SU

 

[Ralph Javins]

Good morning;

I may also qualify as a multi-format photographer. The film formats in use here are; 16mm, APS cartridges, 35mm, 120 roll film, and 5 by 4 (that is 4 by 5 for us on this side of the Atlantic). It will take a while to list the camera systems found here. Perhaps you will get the idea if I simply admit that I have an uncontrolled addiction to camera equipment.

I do use film also. There is a roll of Kodak Ektar 100 in the recently received Minolta XE-7 that is almost done, and there is some ADOX 120 roll film to go into the Hasselbladskji to see how they work with that film, and I might try a roll in the Koni-Omega Rapid-M also. (Yes, I am looking at other films besides EKCo, in spite of being a very long time user of EKCo products, and their recent promise that they are going to keep making film. Un, huh. Then I notice that now I can't find XTOL developer any more, and I wonder about their sincerity.) One nice thing is that FreeStyle is carrying a developer similar to XTOL, so I may be OK after all. They even have something like Microdol-X, but FX-135 Panatomic-X is long gone.

What do I photograph? Gatherings, people, some landscapes and regional settings. I need to work on technique for photographing the cats. At this time of the year, the annual flower blossoming is starting with the crocus and snowdrops coming out of the ground, so the close-up gear does get a workout during the time of the year when the flowers are out. This is a good thing, because the woman in my life really enjoys growing them.

One thing that is becoming important is finding the diopter correction lenses for my various cameras. Having developed an excessive accumulation of years, I find that some assistance in that realm is helpful.

Enjoy; Ralph, Latte Land, Washington