Released 1978 I own several Canon FD-mount SLRs but I’ve fancied an A-1 for a while. I think it’s the alluring black paint, rather than the silver fixtures of most contemporary SLRs. I think these hard-edged SLRs are much prettier than the curved plastic bodies that appeared in the 1980s. The A-1 also has theContinue reading “Canon A-1”
Tag Archives: SLR
KMZ Zenit 12xp
Released 1983 Along with the Praktica Super TL 1000, this is my first foray into the world of M42 lenses. The Zenit 12xp is a fully manual camera with battery-powered metering. At a glance Lens M42 mount Film 135 Focus SLR with microprism Meter CdS with match needle
Canon T90
Released 1986 My Canon FD-mount cameras are probably my most-used film cameras. Quite often on outings I’ll take the AE-1 Program and the FTb and load each with a different type of film. Sometimes, the FTb’s crude metering isn’t quite up to the job in challenging situations so I wanted an FD body with slightlyContinue reading “Canon T90”
Canon T50
Released 1983 This is a pretty boring camera in terms of photography. You are supposed to use it in program exposure mode. If you do that, it doesn’t tell you what aperture and shutter speed it chose. You can force it to do aperture-priority, but you still don’t know what shutter speed it chose.All PostsContinue reading “Canon T50”
Canon EOS 300
Released 1999 I decided to buy this EOS 300 to make my lenses more versatile. As much as I love my AE-1, it can’t take the same lenses as the 450D. This EOS 300 isn’t a very interesting camera, but it can share lenses with the Canon DSLRs and the body only cost a fiver.Continue reading “Canon EOS 300”
Olympus OM101
Released 1988 This is yet another not-very-interesting SLR. The most noteworthy point is that it has “power focus”. This is manual focus, but adjusted using a thumbwheel and an electric motor, rather than by twisting the lens barrel. Unusually for an SLR, exposure is fully automatic unless you buy the additional “manual control unit” whichContinue reading “Olympus OM101”
Canon AE-1 Program
Released 1981 In September 2009, I was given this Canon AE-1 Program 35mm SLR with a 50mm prime lens. It’s actually the first film camera I have ever used, aside from disposable cameras in my childhood. I absolutely love the camera – it’s what started my interest in film photography. Now, I have a collectionContinue reading “Canon AE-1 Program”
Two months of DSLR ownership
Back in September 2009, I was given a 35mm SLR camera – a Canon AE-1 Program. I loved it, it was fantastic to use, and I wrote a blog post about the possibility of upgrading to a DSLR. In March 2010, temptation got the better of me and I bought a Canon EOS 450D. MyContinue reading “Two months of DSLR ownership”
Review – Tamron 70-300mm lens
Recently I bought a Canon EOS 450D from Jessops. They were running a bundle deal, and it came with a Canon 18-55mm lens and a Tamron 70-300mm lens. The long zoom was quite an important aspect to me, since I had upgraded from a Fuji S9600, with a huge range in focal lengths. I’ve nowContinue reading “Review – Tamron 70-300mm lens”
Pinhole photos
I recently built a pinhole lens for my 35mm SLR. I took some photos over Christmas and I just got the film back from the developers. The results are good, given that this “lens” is a piece of tin foil with a hole in it. The focus is pretty good, although not perfect. The biggerContinue reading “Pinhole photos”
Jonathan Gazeley 