Tokyo Camera Style
May 26, 2009 7:49 AM Subscribe
Tokyo Camera Style "People who shoot film simply do because they choose to, and the Photo Culture of Tokyo is full of film camera users. When I meet them out on the streets I ask to photograph their camera, and usually post it here the same day"
As a newbie film photography enthusiast, I loved this, thank you. I liked how the blogger's normally laconic style gave way to excitement over this rare camera.
posted by misteraitch at 8:50 AM on May 26, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by misteraitch at 8:50 AM on May 26, 2009 [1 favorite]
Japan does seem to be a bit of a RangeFinder mecca. There are some well stocked camera shops in Tokyo.
posted by chunking express at 8:54 AM on May 26, 2009
posted by chunking express at 8:54 AM on May 26, 2009
I'm headed to Tokyo for the first time this fall. I'll have my Rollei with me.
posted by JBennett at 9:01 AM on May 26, 2009
posted by JBennett at 9:01 AM on May 26, 2009
I shoot film occasionally just to squeeze the last 8mm out of my 16-35mm lens. The crop sensor on my bargain DSLR normally steals this from me, and I decided that it made more sense to buy a film back for $40 and deal with the minor headaches of analog media than buy a full-frame digital back for ~$2000.
posted by mullingitover at 9:39 AM on May 26, 2009
posted by mullingitover at 9:39 AM on May 26, 2009
Hassle, continued cost and lack of instant gratification and all points against continuing to shoot film. But it`s so damn cool!
posted by thecjm at 10:14 AM on May 26, 2009
posted by thecjm at 10:14 AM on May 26, 2009
The lack of instant gratification is one of the best things about film. Discovering you have that perfect shot on a roll is a great feeling.
posted by chunking express at 10:23 AM on May 26, 2009
posted by chunking express at 10:23 AM on May 26, 2009
Epson RD-1S is digital. FAIL.
More seriously, the theme I noticed was that if you were going to shoot film, you were pretty serious about your camera investment (a lot of Leicas).
I shoot both. Each is fun in its own way.
posted by jdfan at 10:40 AM on May 26, 2009
More seriously, the theme I noticed was that if you were going to shoot film, you were pretty serious about your camera investment (a lot of Leicas).
I shoot both. Each is fun in its own way.
posted by jdfan at 10:40 AM on May 26, 2009
I would love to pick up an old used F3 or something (maybe medium format?,) but buying a back used over the internet seems pretty scary.
posted by blenderfish at 11:12 AM on May 26, 2009
posted by blenderfish at 11:12 AM on May 26, 2009
There are actually a few digital cameras if you look, M8s for example. I think the focus is more on interesting cameras that straight up film cameras.
posted by chunking express at 1:00 PM on May 26, 2009
posted by chunking express at 1:00 PM on May 26, 2009
Great find -- thanks for this. For various reasons, I haven't shot film in a very long time -- I'd been thinking recently about getting back into it again, so it's especially cool to see this blog/gallery. It's also nice to know that old cameras are still getting use out there.
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 2:54 PM on May 26, 2009
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 2:54 PM on May 26, 2009
Oooh. It's so Meta. I love it.
Are the pictures of film cameras taken WITH a film camera? I'm not clear on that.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 3:45 PM on May 26, 2009
Are the pictures of film cameras taken WITH a film camera? I'm not clear on that.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 3:45 PM on May 26, 2009
FAIL on that Sigma SD-1 too.
What I find most strange is so many film rangefinder cameras with the huge lens shades, which in many cases are probably obscuring as much as 40% of the scene as seen through the viewfinders.
...makes me wonder what percentage of those cameras are actually loaded with film and not used simply as jewelery.
posted by imjustsaying at 6:04 PM on May 26, 2009
What I find most strange is so many film rangefinder cameras with the huge lens shades, which in many cases are probably obscuring as much as 40% of the scene as seen through the viewfinders.
...makes me wonder what percentage of those cameras are actually loaded with film and not used simply as jewelery.
posted by imjustsaying at 6:04 PM on May 26, 2009
I noticed was that if you were going to shoot film, you were pretty serious about your camera investment (a lot of Leicas).
You might have the causality reversed there.
posted by StickyCarpet at 7:13 PM on May 26, 2009 [1 favorite]
You might have the causality reversed there.
posted by StickyCarpet at 7:13 PM on May 26, 2009 [1 favorite]
...makes me wonder what percentage of those cameras are actually loaded with film and not used simply as jewelery.
Quite a lot of them, actually. I see young Japanese men and women out with their cameras in Tokyo all the time, snapping away.
There's also been a toy camera fad for the past few years -- LOMOs, Holgas, that sort of thing. I haven't seen as many on the streets of late but they're in all the hip bookstores and zakkaya.
posted by armage at 7:35 PM on May 26, 2009
Quite a lot of them, actually. I see young Japanese men and women out with their cameras in Tokyo all the time, snapping away.
There's also been a toy camera fad for the past few years -- LOMOs, Holgas, that sort of thing. I haven't seen as many on the streets of late but they're in all the hip bookstores and zakkaya.
posted by armage at 7:35 PM on May 26, 2009
This is cool. I've also noticed an increase in film cameras around town. Even today I was at the hospital and one of the guys waiting behind me was a younger guy with a film SRL slung over his shoulder. It of course had a huge lens hood. I also got accosted on the train the other day by some old guy with a leica rangefinder who wanted to photograph my kid. He said he was shooting b&w, so there are some hard core folks around.
What always gets me though is no one uses a lens cap. I'm boarder line OCD when it comes to my lens caps and it drives me crazy to see cameras with good lenses open to the elements.
posted by mexican at 9:20 PM on May 26, 2009
What always gets me though is no one uses a lens cap. I'm boarder line OCD when it comes to my lens caps and it drives me crazy to see cameras with good lenses open to the elements.
posted by mexican at 9:20 PM on May 26, 2009
I shoot B&W still here in Toronto. And develop it in my bathroom. And I know a bunch of people that do this. So film isn't totally dead just yet. I know quite a few people who went digital to film as well. Film has its charm.
Also, modern lenses have fancy ass anti-scratch coatings that are going to protect them from "the elements". I'm pretty sure the wind won't hurt old lenses either, for that matter.
posted by chunking express at 6:35 AM on May 27, 2009
Also, modern lenses have fancy ass anti-scratch coatings that are going to protect them from "the elements". I'm pretty sure the wind won't hurt old lenses either, for that matter.
posted by chunking express at 6:35 AM on May 27, 2009
For those interested, I did an FPP on budget rangefinder cameras from a while back.
posted by chunking express at 6:37 AM on May 27, 2009
posted by chunking express at 6:37 AM on May 27, 2009
I am in love with film cameras and I am thankful you shared the link. And since I am on Tumblr, I am following them now.
posted by LittleMissItneg at 7:23 AM on May 27, 2009
posted by LittleMissItneg at 7:23 AM on May 27, 2009
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posted by splatta at 8:45 AM on May 26, 2009