Cronbi Camera Style

Jan 7

Konica M-Hexanon 28mm f/2.8, Konica M-Hexanon 50mm f/2.0, Konica M-Hexanon 90mm f/2.8.

A proud trio showing stoic comradeship as they line up to hear the news they’re soon to be out the door. Typically, these days, the wide angle is the most sought after, the normal considered a useful addition to any arsenal, and the tele is like a lanky unwanted spinster sister.

Nov 19

Konica Koniflex II with Hexanon 85mm f3.5 lens.

Yes - 85mm, an unusual focal length for a 6x6. This is a fine TLR in lens terms, but maybe suffers a little in usability compared to more modern TLRs thanks to that around-the-lens shutter speed selector. This is on its way to a new home, as The Big Clearout beings (101 cameras, lenses and accessories for sale).

Nov 12

“

I believe that art is made to explore the world and the culture, to explore the chosen medium, to explore one’s self. It is made to communicate, in the medium’s language, a perception, an observation, an understanding, an emotional or mental state. It is made to answer, or try to answer, questions. It is made for fun. In short, it is made in response to personal needs and demands.

A student might see a great work of art and say to himself, “This is a great work of art. I want to make a great work of art, too.” And so, the student sets out to try to do so. And if he has some talent, he might produce something that looks just as though it were a work of art - almost convincing. If one didn’t know any better one might actually mistake it for a work of art. The only problem is that the great work of art that the student so admired was not a product of these same motives. It was the by-product of the artist’s personal quest.

”

The best thing you’ll read all week: Stephen Shore, Letter to a Young Artist

(via Daniel Augschoell )

Oct 24

34 rolls of 120 and 35mm. These went off to Peak Imaging last week, and have now returned to be added to the ~100+ rolls that need to be organised/scanned. Sigh. A very weak homage to: http://tokyocamerastyle.com/post/32802585818

Oct 10

Fujifilm GSW690II in crazy gold finish.

Oh, the negs this thing creates. A 65mm f5.6 lens feeding 8-on-120 is a wideangle delight, sucking up detail for fun. 17” prints from this combo are quite impressive. It just had a tad too much ‘clunk’ and a bucketload too much ‘bling’ for me, so off it goes.

Sep 5

Konica T3 Silver & Konica T3 Black.

The age-old camera war - silver Vs black. Grrr, fight. The winner here? Silver. Because the silver Konica has a split-prism focus screen, the black only a micro prism. Focus-tastic (needed for the 57mm f1.2 beast).

Aug 20

Nikon F+ Nikkor-S 50mm f/1.4.

The brass is the star. Few cameras age with such marked, scared grace as a black-paint Nikon F. It just shouts: ask me what I’ve seen.

Jul 8

Leica M2 + Summicon collapsible 50mm f2.

Mmmmm…silver. Selling this les. Boooo.

Leica M6 + Summilux pre-asph 35mm f1.4.

Good god what a combo. An all-you-ever-might-need combo. A why-the-hell-am-I-selling-that-lens combo. A combo that just sits there and knows it is awesome.

Leica CL + MS-Optical Perar Super Triplet 35mm f3.5.

And that Deathray Gun on top is a Petri light meter. ~~Selling this lens. Booo.~~ Having this lens serviced.

Jun 29

Yashica! FX-3! 2000! With a 35mm! f2.8! ML!

The exclamation marks can’t disguise the sturdy plastic simplicity of this camera. Manual shutter up to 1/2000th. Simple three-LED over/under/about right meter read out. And capable of mounting many great Zeiss lenses (today, though, it sports the ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not A Distagon’ Yashica 35mm).

May 13

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.

May 12

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.

May 9

tokyo-camera-style:

Sukiya Camera, Ginza

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

May 7

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.

Cronbi Camera Style

The life and times in cameras of Harrison Cronbi.