Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Uncle Jonesy's Cameras Podcast #75: No Freeform Jazz

The Shutter Brothers are in improvisation mode for this impromptu yet informative show with a full range of film photography related topics. But don't worry. There will be no freeform jazz. No chaos. No 35 minute drum solo. Nope, we're swinging and singing melodies that all you film photographers can sing along to. Our first number features a little  "showing and telling" from Wayne, who begins with a discussion of his Canon Canonet QL17 G3, an excellent little compact 35mm rangfinder camera (often called "The Poor Man's Leica"). Whether it deserves such a comparison is a discussion for another day. But when Wayne recently printed some negatives he shot while visiting family living in Norway earlier this year, he was amazed at the quality of the indoor flash shots. It seems that wheen this very capable camera is paired with partner flash, the Canon Canolite D, it produces some of the best flash photography the Bros. have ever seen. But how is this possible? How does this flash perform differently from other auto flashes of the same era (like Kevin's favorite, the Vivitar 252)? Wayne explains how in the how.

Wayne's Canon Canonet QL17 G3. Lots of people know about it's quality, but when paired with the 
Canolite D flash . . . 

 . . . it cam make really nice flash photos with no blown out highlights.


Meanwhile, Kevin reveals what camera he bought after declaring his Wisner 4x5 would be the last camera he would ever buy? Would you believe it was a DSLR? Would you be surprised to learn that it was a DSLR that makes use of Minolta Maxxum (A mount) lenses? Of course not. You probably already know what camera it is, but here is a photo to give you a clue.

Kevin's first DSLR. It says Sony on the front, but it underneath, it's a Minolta

As usual, our listeners contribute some excellent questions and comments on topics ranging from how a camera's depth of field preview feature works to ideas for macro photography on the cheap.

Along the way we mention the YouTube work of John Finch and his Pictorial Planet channel. I have learned a great deal from John's videos, especially the ones about darkroom photography., so you should check them out. In the one I refer to in this show, he demonstrates how to easily make hypo clearing agent with water and baking soda. You can see it here.

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Until next time, Happy Photography!