Pentax ES II + Fujifilm X-T3 + Weimar Light MeterThis post could be subtitled “how not to shoot with a film camera” or maybe “how to look like you don’t know what you’re doing”.
As I’m still trying to decide on which camera I’m going to retain as my main film camera and I don’t have any additional images to add yet, I thought I would write about my experience when testing the Pentax ES II recently.
Kodak Tri-X 400Following on from my previous post, a couple of weeks after acquiring an old Pentax ES II film camera the perfect opportunity arose to give it a test outing. I enjoy street photography, especially with a group I belong to on Meetup.com, and I stumbled upon another group that looked interesting.
Pentax ES IIIt’s been over 25 years since I last shot with a film camera but recently circumstances conspired to put this little beauty in my hands. I was actually looking for a small bag in a junk shop, but the one I found had this camera inside which I knew instantly I was going to buy purely to get the lens – an Asahi SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4.
Fallow Buck – ISO 1000; 50-140mm + 1.4x TC; f/4; 1/180 sec (click image to view larger size)
… AND another year!
I can’t believe a whole year went by since my last post, how did that happen?
Sadly, I missed a lot of the rut this year, and some of the best conditions, due to other commitments. But I did manage a few outings and some decent shots.
A Magical Autumn Morning – ISO 1000; 50-140mm + 1.4x TC; f/5.6; 1/80 sec (click image to view larger size)
The annual deer rut in Richmond Park this year was superb! Probably my most enjoyable ever.
Red Deer Stag – ISO 1000; 50-140mm + 1.4x TC; f/4; 1/280 sec (click image to view larger size)
It’s that time of year again when the male deer are looking magnificent ahead of the autumn rut (breeding season).
As usual, I’ve been out in Richmond Park a few times over the last couple of weeks, getting “in the zone” so to speak, with my photography. I always like to get in some practise before the main event, making sure my equipment is functioning and my technique is on the ball (steadiness, focusing, that sort of thing).
Surrey Bluebells – ISO 400; 50-140mm; f/2.8; 1/60 sec (click image to view larger size)
I was very lucky yesterday to have an enthusiastic young lady attend one of the photo walks I’ve recently been advertising on the Funzing website. This one was held in Richmond Park.
At this time of year, I quite often head out into the Surrey Hills in search of bluebell woods that I haven’t been to before. When I’m there, I try to find compositions that I think will work well when the bluebells are flowering.
This stag has recently lost one of his antlers, the other will also drop off soon. With red deer, this happens naturally around the end of winter and they take until July to regrow.
Snow is scarce in southern Britain. Checking through my archives, it’s been around eight years since I captured images in a decent snowfall. So I was excited when the “Beast from the East” (a Siberian weather system heading our way) was forecast to bring us unusually heavy snow.
