Getting started and joining in with the Analog April challenge today....... and what better way to start than with my new toy.
It is a vintage Russian Zenit 11 35mm film camera. It has a metal casing and is built like a Russian T-42 tank. It weighs a ton particularly with the all metal 80-200mm telephoto lens attached......... It has the loudest shutter noise I have ever heard, so I won't be using it for any candid shots as people will hear it from half a mile away. Everything is manual (focus, ISO, aperture and shutter speed) there are no batteries, everything is purely mechanical. So it doesn't get much more analog than that. I have to say I absolutely love it and can't wait to shoot my first roll of film with it. It all seems to be working beautifully and I hope to post a few shots taken with it as part of the Analog April challenge.
The camera plus a 44mm prime, 135mm prime and a 80-200mm telephoto cost me £25 from a charity shop and it is in brilliant condition. It seems to have been well looked after and the lenses are all clear, clean and fungus free, so it was quite a bargain I thought.
Also in the shot is my little furry friend Johnny. Last night he brought a mouse into the house and then proceeded to swallow it whole while it was still alive, poor thing. So I guess that makes him a pretty old school kind of cat and undeniably analog.
@monty147 I love the whole film thing. Most people seem to have gone from film to digital, but I started with digital cameras and have just recently discovered film. It is great fun and you learn so much more about photography using a camera like that. Not having an auto mode forces you to learn how to work in manual mode which benefits you when you go back to your DSLR. I would recommend giving it a try. :)
@colinbarber013 excellent. Do you still use the old Box Brownie. I've got an old 1922 Box brownie similar to that, which still takes some pretty good photos. :)
@andymatter I really must stop buying old cameras I've got thirteen 35mm cameras now. I must admit, I just love the look and the feel of this sort of stuff. Much more character than the new blobby rubdersed cameras they make these days. :)
@joeymc Yes, I was really pleased with it. It's amazing what you can pick up for next to nothing in the 35mm department these days.
As for Johnny......... Cats are such a paradox aren't they. It's hard to come to terms with the fact that the loving affectionate ball of fur, purring on your lap is one of natures most successful predators. The ultimate killing machine.
Oh wow! That brings back memories. My first ever encounter with photography was when I went from Russia to Germany on the high school trip and my dad gave me his Zenit film camera. And a light-metering "thingy". And explained briefly how to use them. :) It was 1992.
A bargain Billy...... Interesting to see the results of this lovely looking camera! You must still be able to buy film for it then....my grandson would like this, he is really into film cameras! Cats will be cats...at least he didn't bring the mouse in & then promptly let it go in the house!
Lovely !!! Never ever stop buying old cameras .. Looking forward to the results. Re the brownie - have you ever tried flipping the lens? You can get done wonderful results- like a lens baby but better
Brilliant composed shot. The Panzer tank of Cameras indeed. My dad used to use one in the seventies. Hope it gives you some excellent results. Look forward to viewing your exposures. As for the cat, can we borrow it. My daughter has recently had a new kitchen and they are plagued with them at the moment. Our Ragdoll Coco, would just sit and stare at them Lol:)
What a great shot!!! The camera and the lenses are incredible, and what a bargain you got!! As for the cat, now, that is the bargain of the century....great model, incredible hunter, a total looker, and he poses with your cameras, as if he knows it will make a great shot by him being in it! I appreciate the fact that they bring us presents, but watching him swallow a whole mouse live would not have been a fun experience! Looking forward to your analog shots! Oh, and FAV!!!
As for Johnny......... Cats are such a paradox aren't they. It's hard to come to terms with the fact that the loving affectionate ball of fur, purring on your lap is one of natures most successful predators. The ultimate killing machine.
Our Spike is a rubbish hunter thank goodness......