Cronbi Camera Style

Equivalent lens arsenals, Leica M vs m4/3.

Just a fun photo of equivalent prime lenses.

In the red corner (bottom row), from left to right: Konica Hexanon 90/2.8, Konica Hexanon 50/2, Leica Summicron 40/2, Zeiss Biogon-C 35/2.8, Konica Hexanon 28/2.8.

In the blue corner (top): Olympus 45/1.8, Leica 25/1.4, Panasonic 20/1.7, Olympus 17/2.8, Panasonic 14/2.5.

Titanium-black-titanium-black stack of: Konica Hexar AF Titantium, Leica Minilux, Contax TVS, Ricoh GR1s.

Don’t try this at home, kids! Seventeen cameras were destroyed in the making of this photograph. These are all great street shooters, but with the amount of 35mm film I’m shooting dropping into the single digits per month, I feel these will all soon be looking for a new owner.

tokyo-camera-style:

Sukiya Camera, Ginza

Ah ha! This is where I bought my Nikon F100 back in 2008! Great little store.

Olympus EP-2 + Panaonic 20mm f/1.7 & Nikon D5100 + AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8.

The reason I’m selling my D5100: it’s the bulk, stupid. Or more accurately, the depth, from lens mount to back of screen. The Oly plus lens is shorter than the Nikon body alone. Oh…and the viewfinder is too small and dim. I wonder if the DSLR has had its day in these mid-level cameras. Flappy mirrors and pentaprisms seem so…passé.

Leica M4 + Konica Hexanon-UC 35mm f2 (limited edition, one of 1000 word-wide).

This is a guest post, sort of. That gorgeous M4 isn’t mine. The Hexanon used to be mine, about three hours ago. But then I sold it to the M4 owner. That’s two 35s sold in two days. Painful. Why sell such a wonderful lens? Well…it’s probably the best all-round 35 I owned, but it wasn’t the fastest, the sharpest, the smallest, or the most characterful. If I was a ‘one lens man’, it would have stayed. But history suggests I am not.

2 - The Strip Tease. Looks like a trio of viewfinders, how wonderful.

1 - All Wrapped Up. What can be in these wee little pouches?

Polaroid SX-70, top view, collapsed

This is just about the most miraculous camera ever devised, in my opinion - a true design classic.  I could open and close it for hours to marvel at the hinging (just as I used to with my Psion Series 3, come to think of it). An SLR that folds that flat? Amazing. And add in the magic of instant photography. I’ve no idea how old my example is, but as you can see, it’s seen some action. Still works flawlessly with some ImpossibleProject film (I only but the ‘Poor Packs’ or ‘Old Generation’ cheap stuff, their full price film is far too expensive still).

Leica MP + Konica Hexanon-UC 35mm f2 + Luigi Leicatime strap

The best Leica ever? Probably. Trying to sell it? Unfortunately. This is on the way out to pay for a honeymoon (but not before I bought an M6 to replace it, naturally). The black paint finish is matched perfectly by the little Konica 35 and original hood. And that braided Italian leather strap is maybe my favourite for any camera.

Voigtlander Bessa-T + Heliar 50mm f3.5 (101-year anniversary set)

A simple camera, with a high magnifcation rangefinder, and attached one of the best performing 50mm lenses ever produced. To quote The Magnetic Fields: if there’s a better reason to jump for joy, who cares?

Konica IIIM with Hexanon 50mm f1.8

This is a new acquisition. I’m a big fan of Hexanon lenses, and this ugly but intriguing rangefinder also has a 1:1 viewfinder (i.e. it is natural to shoot with both eyes open) with superb adjusting framelines. Film wind is via a double stroke of the vertically mounted arm next to the lens. Looking forward to shooting with this.

Leica M8.U + Konica Hexanon 90mm f2.8, Fujifilm X100.

Tried this out as a double act this week, the Leica on a short black strap, the Fuji on a long white one (both Artisan and Artist - love ‘em). The 35/135mm equivalent focal lengths worked well together (scene-setting wide-angle/detail-hungry telephoto), and both cameras beg to be brought to the eye. Hey, if it worked for Eve Arnold (see below), it can’t be a bad idea. The Leica was tricked out with the Thumbs-Up, hand grip, and 1.25x eyepiece magnifier.

photographerswiththeircameras:

Eve Arnold
(1912-2012)

Leica M8u + Voigtlander 35mm f1.2 Nokton & Kontur viewfinder.

A festive showing from the most multifarious of my cameras. I cannot settle on my favourite lens/grip/viewfinder combo, but there is no denying the selling points of an f1.2 normal on such a package.