The Canals Of Lowell

Near Tsongas Arena, Nikon FE2, 50mm f/1.4 Ai, Ilford FP4 Plus

The canal system in historic Lowell, MA is managed by the National Park Service, and is part of the Lowell National Historical Park. Its origins go back to about 1821 or so, when the canal system was technically part of East Chelmsford. Clearly the city of Lowell made a beautiful little purchase.

Spectacular photographic subjects, and contrast.

Water moves through the canals at breathtaking speed and power.

This wedding party along the canal, en route to the banks of the canal, was too fun to resist. They were apparently running behind, as a photographer was already set and ready to go. Lucky the FE2 was choosing some fast shutter speeds while in Aperture Priority-

Wedding Party

The remainder of the roll was shot using the 80-200mm Zoom Nikkor. But the 50 proved a great choice for these frames. Results from the zoom to come.

NOTE: Regretfully, I did not make it to this year’s Lowell Folk Festival, which is usually photography heaven. I hope to capture some of the spirit and flavor of this beautiful city, in this entry, and the ones to come.

UMass Lowell

I grew up near Lowell, MA. I love the city’s history, culture, and architecture. One place I have never really visited, aside from a brief visit while attending another college, was The University of Lowell, which is now known as UMass Lowell. It, like the city, is a wonderful mix of old and new. I shot this roll of Ilford FP4 Plus midday with the Nikon FE2, 50mm f/1.4 Ai, and a Hoya yellow filter, semi-stand developed in Rodinal. Here is some of the old-

Allen House

The entrance certainly has been remodeled, but the charm has been maintained-

Entrance

This statue of French composer Claude Debussy stands in front of one of the libraries. What his relation was to the city, or the university, I have not a clue. Mathematical structuring, maybe?

Debussy

On to the new-

The Commonwealth spares little expense when it comes to college and university libraries. O’Leary Library seen here. Debussy stands guard over this one.

Believe it or not, Saturday summer construction was taking place on the other side of campus.

Construction was taking place on this Saturday, just beyond this science courtyard.

This abandoned cap was too good to resist photographing. It hangs at the entrance to the above courtyard.

Is this your hat?

Maybe not as charming of a classic New England campus as, say, Fitchburg State, UMass Lowell does have some of it’s engineering pedigree still visible. What college engineering student isn’t speeding through on a bicycle?

Parked right next to the tree was this vintage Huffy 3-Speed.

A nice campus. But as fun as it was to photograph, not the same as photographing your alma mater. Of course, I am a bit biased here. Colleges and universities have some great visuals, for sure.

On The Road To Gardner

I recently took a road trip through Hubbardston, en route to a flea market, which, as it turns out, is only open on Sunday mornings. My plan was to drive through Hubbardston, hit the flea market, grab something to eat, and then shoot a couple of rolls in Gardner, the furniture capital of the U.S. As the flea market would have to wait another day, I decided to look for something, anything, on the way to Gardner, that was worthy of burning a few frames. I hit the mother lode.

Vintage rubber- old BF Goodrich tires, with lots of meat still on them.

These old, destroyed trucks, were parked in front of an old, seemingly abandoned shack. As the F2 was loaded up with a fresh roll of FP4 Plus, and mounted with the fast 50 and Hoya yellow filter, the timing and serendipity could not be any better. I almost left the house intending to shoot Portra 160 and 400.Beautiful emulsions, but the results just would not have turned out the same.

Industrial decay at its very best.

How these beautiful machines could be sitting here, seemingly untouched for decades, boggles the mind.

This is thick, thick glass.

Looking closer through the cracked glass, what is left of a once beautiful interior starts to become visible.

Imagine what it must have been like to be behind this steering wheel.

I was a bit hesitant coming into such scenery to photograph, as the F2 meter is, well, decades old, It proved itself more than capable, and handled the high contrast infinitely better than expected.

Despite being stripped of its vinyl and wood, paneling and seats, the interior truly was a breathtaking site.

These two vehicles almost seemed like they were posing, begging to be photographed. Somehow, color C41 or E6 film would not have worked nearly as well. The scene was readily made for B&W film. Maybe Portra would have been nice to capture the reddish hues of the rust. But FP4 really brings the tonality of the scene to life.

Bed loaded with fenders and panels.

Hard to believe wiring of this thick gauge even existed back then.

Reminiscent of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, before Caracticus Potts did his magical restoration.

The grill metal almost looked like prison bars up close…

Decades of New England weather will do this. But these trucks will likely be out here, and continue to age beautifully, for decades to come.

If I was not so hesitant to keep a camera, film, and a lens in the trunk, I’d keep a camera with me wherever I went. Just for moments like this. You never know what you can find along the road.

Wide Reflections

A popular photographic trend, similar in tone to the “Camera of the month”, or “365” projects, has been “one camera, one lens”. As my widest Nikkor lens for 35mm full frame is a 28mm, and I do not shoot with it that often, I decided to get it onto the F3 and walk around Clinton, MA for a day. I do a lot of urban landscape, so thought that this lens might make for an interesting tool. It certainly did. The lighting was contrasty, and there were a lot of fair weather clouds. I scored a batch of beautiful cold stored Kodak Plus X online. Yes, it has the characteristic Kodak film curl, making scanning a challenge. But the grain and tone of this film is so gorgeous. Well, it is still a favorite, even though it’s gone forever. Also put on a yellow filter.

For Sale

Window displays, and reflections, can be a lot of fun to photograph, and can give the light meter a lot to do. The heavily center weighted F3 metering system was more than up to it.

Notice how the buildings on the other side of the street got metered so nicely in the reflection.

I have never fully bought into these types of self governed photographic assignments. They can be somewhat rigid, or restrictive, in nature. But, I did find that it improved how I see with wide angle. And it shattered my misconception of a wide angle lens solely as a “get everything in” sweeping landscape lens. It is capable of doing so much more.

Love how even the reflected bright blue sky of the day got properly metered and exposed.

This might be my favorite shot from the roll.

I am posting these to my Flickr feed, along with some great urban landscape of an old building where a consignment occupies part of the space. But these reflections shots, in wide angle? Can’t get enough of them. And yes, Kodak Plus X is not coming back. But so happy I have plenty more in cold storage. It’s great stuff.

80-200 Zoom Nikkor- The Lens That Changed How Photographers Looked At Zooms

80-200 on the FM

I have never been a huge fan of zooms. The convenience of a bunch of focal lengths usually comes at a price, most notably, aperture speed. There are a lot of other compromises as well. Size, convenience of use, moving parts, more elements, and sometimes, inferior glass. These were some of the issues Nikon photographers wrestled well into the 60’s. in 1969, Nikon introduced the first version of their 80-200 f/4.5 Zoom Nikkor. It single handedly changed the 35mm world , and perception of zoom lenses, maybe forever.

This lens was scooped up at this Spring’s Photographica for a whopping $15.00. It has the original user’s name engraved on it, and like virtually all “push pull” Nikkor zooms of this vintage, it suffers from all out, full blown, lens creep. The same grip you use to zoom in and out is also used to focus, and there is an internal piece of felt that almost always broke down. If held upside down, the lens barrel will slide right down to 80mm, with virtually no resistance at all. I rectified that with a couple of pieces of gaffers tape. And, sorry Richard, I painted out your name. A little bit of cleaning of the front and rear element, and a yellow Hoya filter, and ready to fly. This version is the “C” version, indicating additional coatings of the glass. And, it was originally pre-Ai, but factory Ai converted, as evident by the second smaller aperture scale to accommodate ADR (Aperture Direct Readout), and the Ai coupling. Richard broke off the rabbit ears, so no metering on the F or F2. But F3, FE2, FM, and yes, D300? Meters and indexes perfectly.

Mounts, indexes, and meters on the D300.

The lens is insanely sharp, almost too much so. The maximum aperture of f/4.5 really turned out not at all to be as bad as I thought it would be. Even at f/4.5, it is crisp and punchy. And, 400 speed film almost seems made for it. It is built like a tank externally. All metal, decades before plastic invaded the consumer Nikon zooms, and photographers had to pay a hefty premium for successors, such as the 70-200 f/2.8 VR. This was certainly the lens that kicked the more professional zooms off, and back in the day, this was the one photographers lusted for. Easy to see why. A few samples from last month, in historic Concord, MA, with the F3. Semi-stand developed in Rodinal-

Minuteman Statue, Concord, MA The lens aperture was stopped down to a fairly small aperture here.

Beautiful tree in historic Concord graveyard downtown, wide open aperture.

The sharpness and speed of Ilford HP5 is a real nice match for this lens. Old North Bridge.

Get one of these lenses, get one that is cheap. Like all older lenses, check for fungus, element separation, scratches, rubbing and cleaning marks, and general condition. But I don’t think I’d pay more than $20-30 for one. And have a blast with it. Not all zooms are bad.

Nikon FM- No Static At All…

Buying anything from your favorite auction site can be an adventure, or, torture. Cameras certainly are no exception. Some of the tag lines sellers use when posting vintage film bodies  usually include some of the following-

“Minty fresh!”

“I don’t have access to film, so I cannot test it.”

“I know nothing about cameras.”

“Shutter fires, but I don’t know if it works.”

“It was my grandfather’s. I never saw him use it, but I’m sure it works. No Returns Accepted”

Common sense should prevail here- when you see these taglines, either run, or do not hesitate to challenge the seller. You can, and should, email the seller through eBay, and ask questions. This is what I did recently when I bought my beautiful Nikon FM. You should be able to summarize pretty quickly if the seller is trying to make a fast buck, or genuinely knows nothing about cameras. Bargaining time.

You paid HOW much for that beautiful Nikon FM?

For the body? $35.99, including shipping. The seller said that the light meter apparently was not working. I guided him how to test it. He did not listen. “It doesn’t work!” More bargaining. When the camera arrived, there was one battery in the chamber, and it was in the wrong way. Two fresh silver oxide batteries, and the light meter booted right up. Yes, as noted everywhere, the camera itself does not require batteries to fire the shutter. Regardless, it is very nice to have a functioning coupled light meter.

I asked about the light seals. He had no idea what they ever were. Before the camera was even shipped, I ordered a new light seal kit from John Hawley at http://www.nikonusedcameras.com I have done business with John before, he is a true gentleman, and his prices are very reasonable for his services and light seal kits. Easy. Yes, it is a messy job, but well worth doing. Sure enough, the original seals were gooey and gummy. This was a no-brainer.

I tricked the camera out with one of my extra MD-12 motor drives, an extra Nikon strap, a new flash cable cover, and the great screw-in eyepiece with the rubber gasket, that makes using the camera with eyeglasses or sunglasses a breeze. These bits and pieces total are probably valued more than what was paid for the body.

What lenses WON’T this camera take?

The FM was introduced at the tail end of the Nikkormat FT-3 run, the camera I previously blogged about. It takes pre-Ai, Ai, and Ai-S lenses. Pre-Ai lenses are used by first moving the little meter coupling tab inward. Also a fully mechanical body, the FM is a significantly smaller form factor, one that would enjoy popularity in many different variations, for decades. It is indeed all metal, but much lighter and more compact. Like its older brother, the FT-3, it is a tank. And, like it’s older ancestor, the Nikon F2, it allows the choice of intermittent shutter speeds. In other words, a speed between 1/500th, and 1/1000th, can be used if the light meter thinks that is the speed necessary for proper exposure.

I did some research on the FM, and how to buy one, before scooping this one up. One of the innovative features of the camera was an internal mirror dampening system. In typical Nikon spin, they claimed this was why the camera did not offer mirror lock-up. In reality, I am sure it was to either keep cost, or size, down. Whatever it is, it works. This shot was taken in Worcester’s Cromptive Collective, a curated boutique with lots of cool old things, hand held at 1/15th of a second!

1/15th of a sec exposure, Nikkor 35mm Ai, Crompton Collective, Worcester.

Otherwise, and maybe it was due to 400 speed film outdoors, or, to semi-stand developing with Rodinal, but the light meter seems to me to shoot a bit “hot”. I have done rudimentary tests since, with my F2, D300, and Luna Pro F, that seem to indicate that it is indeed accurate.

The white door is a bit “hot”.

This might be even more evident here, the outside portal at the entrance to the collective-

Slightly hot- I seem to recall photographing this same scene with the F3, or the Hasselblad, a few years ago, with not as hot an exposure. Maybe the lighting conditions were different, but the sun did eventually come out here, at about 11AM.

A fun camera, a great form factor, at a bargain basement price. Speaking of bargain basement prices? I will be writing soon about a classic vintage Zoom Nikkor that feels as though I stole, based on the prices. There truly are deals out there- keep haggling! Once again, great times to be a photographer.

FT3- The Last Of The Nikkormats

I have always been curious about owning a Nikkormat. Always, since I can remember. To me, they represented a great “entry point” into the line of Nikkor lenses, and like the professional F-series, built like tanks, and all metal. One can only assume that “Nikkor”, and “Automatic” were the inspiration for the line, even though there is little to nothing that is automatic about them. In the dawn of SLR photography, “Automatic” meant an automatic diaphragm, and/or automatic mirror return. Otherwise, the camera is completely mechanical, manual exposure, manual focus, manual everything.

The earlier models (FT, FTN, etc) used mercury batteries for the light meter. Yes, of course there are workarounds and options, but I wanted something “easier”, without having to become another science project. The FT3 takes easily purchased silver oxide cells. And, the last of the line, the FT3 offer Automatic Indexing (Ai) coupling to the light meter. Very cool!

The first FT3 I received from KEH, a chrome model, had a few issues with it. The camera looked gorgeous. But, the back would not stay closed. And, the protective eyepiece, which keeps dust out of the prism optics, and makes photographing with glasses or sunglasses easier, was missing. Back to KEH it went for exchange. They replaced it with the less common black model.

FT-3, with accompanying everready case, and mounted with an Ai 50 f/4. No rabbit ears necessary! 

From what I have read, this body had a rather brief run, and while not “rare” by any means, is a lot less common than the beautiful FM which quickly replaced it. A few quirks. The highly accurate, and easy to use light meter, is “upside down”. When you think you are over exposing, you are under exposing. and vice versa. it takes getting used to. The frame counter is gorgeous, and encased in a glass window which magnifies it, and makes it very easy to read. My guess is that Nikon took some cues from companies such as Leica, and used smaller, lighter torque, and less expensive gears for the counter, and gave it this to add a touch of class, while keeping costs down. The camera is indeed a lot of fun. and may have one of the most accurate 35mm light meters I have used, behind maybe only the F3 and FE2.

Here are a few results, Kodak Tri-X, developed in Rodinal 1:35. I love the exposures this camera can produce. Getting the needle to center, at what the camera calculates or guesses to be an accurate exposure, uses the tried and true center-weighted system. It still works, quite nicely. Amazingly, the Nikkormat line was designed for advanced amateurs who could not spring for the large upfront premium to purchase an F, or F2, and as a “backup” body to those two cameras. It was considered a “less expensive” entry to use Nikkor glass. Trust me, there is nothing “cheap” to this camera.

Taken last November in Melrose, MA, across from Hunt’s Photo.

Ensign Thomas Lynde plaque, at the entrance to the park. 

Old Water Fountain

I recently had surgery on my right hand, so left handed typing and working the mouse is indeed a challenge. But really want to start blogging again, and sharing more of what I love to do. I will.

New Year, More Gear- 1st Roll with The Nikon N55

Now with the holidays out of the way, a New Year’s resolution is to publish more of what I have shot, and keep the blog more updated. Reading some of what is posted online, there are many excuses as to why a blog suddenly becomes dormant or orphaned. I have no excuses.

Nikon N55, Zoom Nikkor 28-105 Macro

I spent the fall shooting with, and loving, the Nikkormat FT3 that I purchased from KEH. The camera they originally shipped was the chrome model, which was missing the battery door for the light meter, as well as the clear viewfinder diopter. After receiving parts from KEH, the next issue was a film compartment door that stubbornly refused to stay closed. KEH then replaced the whole camera with the slightly rarer and more exotic black model. It is a stunning piece of true Nikon 1970’s technology, with an amazingly accurate meter.

Which brings me to this neat little N55 one of my managers at work gave me. It was an entry level SLR with a surprising group of features. Complete in the box with the factory strap, manuals, and kit 28-80 zoom, it really is a film version of the Nikon D40. With all of the limited Vari Program scenic modes, as well as the more useful Aperture Priority, Program, Shutter Priority, and Manual choices. I shot this roll in Aperture Priority. It features automatic DX coding and film rewind. Well, not quite a rewind, Upon loading film, like many Canon Rebels of the day, this camera, extracts all 24 or 36 frames right off the bat, and pulls them back into the cassette as you shoot. It sounds odd, but actually becomes kind of neat to use. Just remember, Frame 1 will actually be the last frame of the roll that you shot!

What doesn’t the N55 have? Depth of Field Preview (which I hardly ever use). Nor can it meter with N-AI, AI, or Ai-S manual focus lenses. Nor will it autofocus with AF-S or VR lenses. Have a lens like the 50mm f/1.8 D, the 28-105, or the 28-80, and you are good to go. I do believe that D-style Nikkors were in their heyday circa 2002, when the N55 was introduced. It is mostly plastic- so, be gentle. but it is undoubtedly a very sturdy polycarbonate that is used. The handgrip is a dream, and I have large hands.

As for the light meter, well, I love it. It is advanced matrix metering most of the time, switching to partial center weighted metering when using full manual exposure. It just nails exposure. Accurately and consistently. And makes shooting with a film SLR almost like shooting digitally. With its hard plastic modern-day construction and LCD panel display on the top, it even looks like a digital SLR, without the back panel.

I decided to use a different lens other than the 28-80 kit, and mount my beloved 28-105 Macro. A highly esteemed zoom known for its rounded aperture blades, sharpness, and beautiful out of focus areas (I no longer am going to call it bokeh), the lens seems to be a perfect companion for the N55. I shot this first roll with Ilford Delta 100 which I developed at home in Rodinal, using semi-stand development. Here are a few favorites-

Bible Billboard

Amazingly, the 28-105 has beautiful wide-angle performance, blowing away any of the DX digital zooms I have ever used. It’s OOFA (out of focus area), is also quite good, especially with the Macro switch on-

Cassette of a shot and developed roll of Tri-X.

The camera has a simple pop-up Speedlight that can be useful in a pinch. It syncs at 1/90th of a second. And came in real handy for the above shot, given the reduced aperture speed when using a zoom.

Traffic

The above shot of a bus sign and traffic light helps to show the beautiful exposure accuracy of the camera. No blown out highlights. Digitally, there likely would be little to no detail in the sky. Maybe using 100 speed film helped. But It really does well in high contrast scenes.

Window Buoys

The shadow detail was likely a benefit of semi-stand Rodinal development, but I’d like to think the light meter also helped.

Hopefully, winter will serve as a great opportunity to update the blog with the backlog of film I have shot over these last 6 months or so. No excuses!

Fitchburg Rides, 2014

In what promises to be the first of many years of this event, I recently attended Fitchburg Rides on June 21st. It featured a vintage bicycle exhibit at the Fitchburg Historical Society, which hosted a similar event last year. There was a bike swap, a display of BMX stunts, even a competition up Fitchburg’s steepest hill, near the old Fitchburg High. This was indeed a very packed day. I packed the Hasselblad, Nikon F3, and Nikon D300. Here are some Hasselblad shots taken with the 150mm, and Ilford Delta 100. Semi-stand developed in 1:100 Rodinal for one hour.

Fully restored Mini-Twinn Schwinn.

Another restored classic, the Schwinn Lime-Picker.

Schwinns were everywhere!

Other bikes really did have that vintage look.

Sharing stories.

Colon Cycles

Master Schwinn bicycle restorer, Pedro, is interviewed by Fitchburg Access TV.

I plan to post more about Pedro when I get up my 35mm negatives He truly is a craftsman.

Baklava

Some more shots from last month’s Grecian Festival. Yes, the Hasselblad is heavy, but well worth the workout. Lesson learned- next time, come with just the body, one lens, and magazines and film in cargo shorts pockets, or a vest, as opposed to a kittled out Hasselblad bag. The lighter the better when walking through large crowds.

Little Greek Tavern

 

Placing an order.

Greek and American flags, flying high.

100 speed film under the tents of the festival did indeed prove to be a challenge. with a little patience, and some good metering thanks to the Gossen Luna Pro F, I was able to pull it off. Really happy that the semi-stand development captured the light streaks bouncing off the tent ceiling as I remember it.  But I did also notice faint streaks from the stand development (lower left). I may try a longer presoak, and see if that serves as a remedy.