Konica II B

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 1/17/25

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Konica II B

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 1/16/25

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Konica II B

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 1/15/25

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Konica II B

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 1/14/25

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Konica II B, The Street Scene

Analog Diary: Film photography favorites, the street scene with a Konica II B (1955), a highly regarded, all-mechanical 35mm rangefinder film camera.

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While I might have moved away from film photography (so it seems) and turned my attention back to visual storytelling with vintage and legacy lenses, and my interest in the 'CCD Resurgence,' I do relish the quaint moments and memorable instances I have with the media, especially the fore and the after of the genre.

While the fore is all about planning and preparing for the shoot, the after is about anticipating the images coming back from the lab.

In the digital era, while you still need to plan and prepare the groundwork for the shoot, images are instantly ready for viewing and publishing straight out of the camera (SOOC) if you wish it to be so, or post-processed with tweaks or other creatives to add to the image done on the desktop.

When it comes to using film for film, or analog photography, enthusiasts have the choice of either using fresh film stock, which is generally more reliable and consistent, or going for the unexpected by using expired film, or film that has surpassed its manufacturer's expiration date.

The date, typically indicated on the packaging, is crucial because it marks the period during which the film's chemical components are expected to perform optimally.

Once this date is exceeded, the film, while still usable, will start to degrade, and its characteristics will change significantly with variations in the film's sensitivity, contrast, and color fidelity. This is further accentuated by the individualistic difference between each roll of film used, its age, and how the film was stored.

When using expired film, images will tend to be underexposed. To compensate for the loss of sensitivity, the general rule of thumb is to overexpose the film by one stop for every decade the film has expired.

The images for this visual were shot with a Konica II B on a roll of expired Fujifilm Superia X-tra 400, a versatile color negative film known for its high speed and excellent image quality. The film stock, a popular choice among both amateur and professional photographers, was discontinued as of April 5, 2024. Post-processing includes exposure tweaks and cropping the images to the 4:5 (for the masthead) and 5:4 image aspect ratios.

Konica II B

The Konica II B, an exquisitely ornate photographic jewelry, is a 35mm rangefinder film camera released by Konica in 1951. The model is part of a series of well-built fixed-lens and leaf-shuttered 35mm rangefinder cameras that started with the Konica (later known as the Konica I or Konica Standard) in 1950 and ended with the Konica IIIM in 1959. The Konica II B, a follow-up to the Konica II, is said to be a lower-priced version of the predecessor and comes fitted with a Konirapid-S shutter and a Konishiroku Hexar 50mm 1:3.5 (from May 1955) or f/2.8 (from June 1955).

Olympus OM-2S, Zuiko OM 21mm f/3.5

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 12/27/24

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Olympus OM-2S, Zuiko OM 21mm f/3.5

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 12/26/24

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Olympus OM-2S, Zuiko OM 21mm f/3.5

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 12/24/24

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Olympus OM-2S, Zuiko OM 21mm f/3.5, A Re-Edit

Analog Diary: Film photography favorites, a re-edit of a previous street shoot with an Olympus OM-2S, mounted with an Olympus OM Zuiko 21mm f/3.5 lens.

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Film photography, or analog photography, the pivot of our image-capture system for over a century, uses the traditional method of capturing images using light-sensitive film.

The technology and demand for the services went into a deep dive not too long ago, and film photography suffered a significant decline in popularity. This was with the advent of digital cameras, whose image capture method does away with the need to buy film and the cost of developing the film.

Lately, however, the genre is experiencing a revival, a resurgence in the interest of film photography, especially among younger photo enthusiasts seeking a more tactile and authentic photographic experience, fueled by nostalgia, group interest, and the unique aesthetic that film photography offers.

The revival has also fostered community hubs with huge followings on social media platforms and image-sharing sites. These online cultures encourage interaction among enthusiasts, with emerging sub-sets that group and link interested enthusiasts together with club meets, street walks, community auctions, and the like.

The resurgence can also be seen as a reaction against the fast-paced digital world. Many young people seek ways to slow down and engage more mindfully with their creative processes. Film requires patience and deliberation, with the slower process of shooting, lab processing, and waiting for prints to develop, a contrast to the instant gratification of digital photography.

By itself, film photography is also facing challenges in cost and community access to film service points. The cost of film for film photography has risen tremendously over the last couple of years, while film manufacturers struggle to meet demand amid supply chain hiccups, global shortages of raw materials, and redundant manufacturing facilities.

On the other side of the coin, the hardware cost for vintage film cameras, legacy lenses, associated accessories, and whatnot is still easily available on auction listings and in brick-and-mortar stores with prices that are stable and non-fluctuating. New film cameras have also been announced, and a couple of them are already on the market.

Technique-wise, film cameras are generally less complex than digitals, with most SLR cameras having fully manual controls while compacts and autos are mainly point-and-shoots. For newbies, master the art of the 'exposure triangle,' understand that ISO and ASA are technically similar, and that there are only 24 or 36 shots (frames) available on each 35mm film roll.

Olympus OM-2S, Zuiko OM 21mm f/3.5

These images are re-edits from a street shoot with the Olympus OM-2S mounted with a Zuiko OM 21mm f/3.5, presented in the 5:4 format. The fully electronic OM-2S (1984-1988) was an updated version of the OM-2n with innards closer to the OM3 and OM3, which were already available when the 2S was launched. The ultra-wide Zuiko 21mm f/3.5 is lightweight and extremely compact, highly acknowledged for its optical quality.

Konica II B

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 2/9/24

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Konica II B

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 2/8/24

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Konica II B

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 2/7/24

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Konica II B

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 2/6/24

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Konica II B, A Belated Update

Analog Diary: Film photography favorites, image making with an all mechanical Konica II B (1955), and an expired roll of Fujifilm Superia X-tra 400.

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Took these images a while back, a real while back, almost a year ago, on a roll of expired Fujifilm Superia X-tra 400, which I did not have the chance to take to the lab for processing until only recently.

While these images from the expired film were marvelous, this first outing with the Konica II B was a real test of resilience, as I was still a complete novice with fully manual exposures.

The shoot, though enjoyable, was a real hit-or-miss session where I ended with more under- and over-exposed images and a couple of images that were out of focus.

The Konica II B, a model from a well-built series of fixed-lens, leaf-shuttered Konica 35mm rangefinder cameras built from 1950 to 1959, with its extremely acknowledged super bright viewfinder, was a joy to use. It's exquisite, an ornate body shape with a curvaceous body panel design that mimics the outline of the hands when the camera is held to the eye.

The camera's body weight is a hefty 681 grams without film, and it does not come with shoulder strap lugs either. Carrying it around is best in its own leather case, or in a makeshift condition, a container pouch of your own.

While I still do relish the moments I spent with a good or an excellent film camera, the ever-increasing cost of film for film photography, and the timeline of its associated services, is the lament that is pushing me more towards the alternative of a new genre to look into.

Konica II B

Digital cameras with CCD sensors that come with no recurring costs or development charges are readily available, with prices for the asking, and may, as some are saying, resurrect themselves as the new film.

Canon Autoboy 3, A Look Back

Analog Diary: Film photography favorites, image making on a walk by with a Canon Autoboy 3, an award-winning 1986 point-and-shoot 35mm film camera.

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A look back at one of the walkabouts I took in the city with the Canon Autoboy 3 (Canon Top Shot in Europe) before the COVID-19 pandemic constraints set in.

The camera, one of the more successful 35mm AF film cameras of the 1980s, had advanced features packed into a very ergonomic package, won many awards, including the Good Design Award from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan, and was selected as the European Camera of the Year (1986).

The camera has 4 elements in 4 groups Canon 38mm F2.8 lenses with spectra coating, a programmed electromagnetic shutter with a shutter/aperture range from 1/8 second at F2.8 to 1/500 second at F16, and a DX-coded sensor that will set film speed automatically to ISO 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, or 1600. Active autofocusing is by a triangulation system with a near-infrared beam. A tilting foot on the bottom of the camera allows the camera to be placed on a flat surface while shooting upwards at an angle.

Canon Autoboy 3

Though nice and enjoyable in every other way, the Canon Autoboy 3, however, does have a couple of quirks that might irk the user. First is the screwed-down battery compartment, which requires the use of a mini-screwdriver to replace the 2CR5 battery pack it uses. The other is the tiny rubber flash disable button located on the bottom of the camera that must be held down for use, a feat quite difficult to do quickly.

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