Jonathan

Another attempt at panoramas

A few weeks ago I wrote about converting an old 116 format folding camera to accept 120 film, and using it to take (almost) 6×12 format panoramas. My modification with card strips moved the film plane too far back and caused focus problems. And then the glue came unstuck and the film gate came loose.Continue reading “Another attempt at panoramas”

Displaying my camera collection

I display my collection of cameras in a glass cabinet, laid out roughly by type. Some time ago I added small signs with the camera’s make, model and date. Originally these were on small tent-fold cards, printed on the computer. After a while, this annoyed me because the cards were too easy to disturb whenContinue reading “Displaying my camera collection”

Daisy

Last week I visited some friends to take some photos of their new baby. I was distracted by their friendly cat, Daisy. She’s extremely friendly and wanted attention, so of course I took a picture! Canon AT-1 with Canon 100mm f/4 macro, Ilford HP5+, flash bounced off ceiling

CD/DVD duplication on Linux with TurboJet

I was looking for easy methods of burning several CD or DVD images across several drives simultaneously on Linux, since burning 20+ CDs on one burner is pretty tedious. It’s possible to use some bash magic to loop cdrecord in parallel but I wanted a GUI app as an alternative to using Nero or AlcoholContinue reading “CD/DVD duplication on Linux with TurboJet”

Film photography in a few graphs

I collect film photography equipment and I also use it to take photographs and make prints. I’m also a massive nerd so there’s a database to help me record every aspect of the kit I own and the pictures made with it. I thought I’d try and produce a blog post with some facts, figures andContinue reading “Film photography in a few graphs”

Converting a 116 camera to use 120 film

I’ve fancied a 6×12 camera for a while, but they are expensive. Right now I don’t have the spare cash to buy either a dedicated 6×12 camera or a 6×12 back for my Horseman 45HD, so I shelved the project for “the future”. … Until I saw a 1925 Zeiss Ikon Icarette 500/15 for aboutContinue reading “Converting a 116 camera to use 120 film”

Zeiss Ikon Icarette 500/15

Released 1925 I’ve long fancied a 6×12 good-quality panoramic camera. The best option seems to be a 6×12 roll film back for a large format camera (such as my Horseman 45HD) but these are very expensive. Even more expensive are most of the dedicated 6×12 cameras from the likes of Fuji, Horseman and Linhof. I managedContinue reading “Zeiss Ikon Icarette 500/15”

Olympus OM-1

Released 1973 While my favourite 35mm camera series is the Canon FD range, it is undeniable that the Olympus OM-1 is also an iconic model. This camera was given to me by a friend. It takes a mercury battery which is now impossible to obtain, but fortunately the battery is only used for metering. WithoutContinue reading “Olympus OM-1”

Caen Hill

A few years ago, I visited Caen Hill locks near Devizes for the first time. The steep flight of locks is one of the iconic sights of Wiltshire, so when I heard that my friend Matt’s parents were bringing their narrowboat down the flight, I volunteered as a deck hand. I’ve never operated a lock beforeContinue reading “Caen Hill”

Severn Valley Railway

It seems an age ago now (June) that a group of us visited the Severn Valley Railway for Fraser’s stag do. It basically consisted of a group of overgrown man-boys drinking beer (responsibly) and riding trains all day. We did some sightseeing at some of the stations and the following day we took a walkContinue reading “Severn Valley Railway”