Exposed to Photography: My Journey thru Cameras

Taking photos is one of my creative outlets (besides this blog site) during my spare time. I may not be good at it, but photography gives me inner bliss (and frustrations sometimes) especially when I hunt and shoot photos. How did I end up liking photography in the first place? Let's find out then!

Let's start!

The Film Age

My early childhood was a period where film use is the norm for photography. Those were the days when shots were limited to 36 per film, ISO was a fixed setting (based on the film's ISO), film development would take an hour and double exposure was likely to happen.

The Camera from China

The Shanghai Seagull TLR was the first camera introduced to me. It's a heavy, all-mechanical, fully manual camera. It uses a 120 film (medium format) which was still available at that time. 

Shanghai Seagull TLR

Year of Make: 60s-70s (I guess)

Film: 120 film

Lens: 75mm, F3.5-22

Functional: No

Focusing was quite a chore (it gives you neck pain on long periods of use) and controls are intimidating for starters. Despite its quirks, the Shanghai Seagull TLR still retains its vintage charm! It eventually broke as the 120 film was completely phased out by the early 90s (here in the Philippines)

The camera in its leather case and strap.

Without the leather case and strap (obviously).
The build quality is exceptionally good for a Chinese camera....

With the viewfinder open. 

Top side: viewfinder with built-in magnifier (inside)

Front side: shutter cocking lever, shutter speed lever, shutter button (Bottom Left);
flash synchronization (Top Right); aperture lever, timer lever (Bottom Right)

Left side: film wind knob and frame counter
This is a front-heavy camera, so I shot it lying down.

Right side: film holder (Top Left/Bottom Right);
focus knob with depth of field scale (Top Middle).

Bottom side: back cover lock dial

A new camera is in order...

The Japanese SLR

The early 90s paved the way for the next family camera, the Casio RF-2 SLR. The RF-2 is better in many aspects: lighter (bearable to carry around), easier to use and takes 35mm film (the standard consumer film).

Casio RF-2

Year of Make: 80s (probably)

Film: 35mm film, ISO 25-1600

Lens: Casio 35-70mm, F3.5-4.8

Flash: Vivitar Electronic Flash 2000

Functional: Camera only

Just like its predecessor, the Casio RF-2 is all mechanical but it features an electronic exposure meter—very useful for novice photogs. It has taken lots of family photos for more than one-and-a-half decades! It retired as the digital age took over the stage.

ISO (or ASA) dial, film rewind crank (Left); shutter speed
dial, shutter button, frame counter, film advance lever (Right)

Before we move from film to digital era, let me introduce you to RF-2's younger sibling.

The Hip Camera

To get superb shots on a fully manual camera, one must have a basic know-how about proper exposure (aperture, shutter speed and ISO). That was bad news for the rest of the family who never heard of such a term. We need a 'dumb-proof' camera then. This is where the Minolta F10 point-and-shoot camera came in!

Minolta F10

Year of Make: 90s

Film: 35mm, 100-400 ISO

Lens: 35mm

Functional: Yes 

The point-and-shoot (or compact film) was the hip, all-around camera of the mid to late 90s. I can still recall that cameras that imprint the date and time was considered cool! The Minolta (as our family called it) was the exact opposite of his brothers: it was dead cheap, the body is made of plastic (hence, the lightest of the three), works on batteries only and no complicated controls—simply set the ISO and you're good to go.

The Minolta F10 is an easy-to-use camera. Simply set
the correct film ISO (Left portion) and you're good to go!

On a layman's hand, the Minolta produced astounding crappy photos (most of the time), all thanks to its 'misleading' viewfinder. I guess you get what you pay for. On an able photographer however, it took memorable photos of our family trips. The RF-2 and F10 both took the role as the official family camera.

The Digital Age

College days saw the high demand for compact digital cameras. It was still quite expensive, but a digital camera offers all the convenience that film can't provide. The film never died. It became the photog enthusiast and purists' medium of choice.

My First Camera

Our last college field trip gave me the opportunity to play with a digital camera (I was still using Minolta at that time). It inspired me to buy my first camera as a graduation present—and start my own photography journey! It was a tough choice back then. My heart truly desired a film SLR camera but the changing times told me to go digital. I went to the latter: the Casio EX-Z60! 

Casio Exilim EX-Z60 

Year of Make: 2006

Sensor: 6MP 1/2.5 square inch CCD

Lens: 6.3-18.9mm (38-114mm in 35mm format), F3.1-5.9

Functional: No

Throughout its service as my personal/new family camera, it experienced fatal accidents twice. First, a six foot fall after its first year in my custody. I was lucky since the repair was minimal—and free! The second drop though ultimately killed it. My first camera lasted for more than six years. 

Here are some of the photos taken with Casio...

March 2007

April 2008

February 2010

August 2010

January 2012

A new camera? YES please!

Oly: The Rugged One

During the last days of my Casio (my first camera's name), I was already itching to purchase a digital SLR. I was ready to take my photography to the next level (I suppose). Money-wise, it doesn't tell the same story. Ah yes, the dilemma every newbie photog has to go through: the camera gear budget! I had no choice but to satisfy myself with a compact camera all over.

Olympus Tough TG-620

Year of Make: 2012

Sensor: 12MP 1/2.3 square inch CMOS

Lens: 5.0-25mm (28-140mm in 35mm format), F3.9-5.9

Functional: Yes

Enter my second camera, the Olympus TG-620. I decided to buy a rugged (or 'clumsy-proof') camera due to the mishap that happened to the first one. Specs are a wonder in technology: double the megapixel count, macro focusing to name a few, but much cheaper than the Casio. The Oly is my go-to camera for site visits and summer outings where its robust and waterproof feature is paramount.

Here are some of the photos taken with Oly...

October 2013

April 2014

April 2014

May 2014

May 2014

November 2015

The Cure for the Itch

Deep inside, I knew the itch was still there. My Oly made me realize again why I wanted a SLR from the start: higher resolution shots and most importantly, the ability to control exposure. Geez, I need to cure this itch, fast!

For months, I meticulously researched on how to extend my budget further, just enough to get me that elusive 'dream camera'. After some time, I secured a decent amount of cash! My only problem was which camera to choose. I narrowed it down to three cameras: Pentax K-50, Ricoh GRD V and Olympus EM-10.

Dream Camera Realized

I purchased neither of the three. Instead, I chose the retro inspired Fujifilm X-E1! The X-E1 is like an old rangefinder camera, physical dials and all but has the IQ and features of a digital camera.

Fujifilm X-E1

Year of Make: 2012

Sensor: 16MP APS-C (23.6mm x 15.6mm) CMOS

Lens 1: XF 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 R LM OIS (kit lens)

Lens 2: Voigtlander Color Skopar 25mm F4 M-mount + Fujifilm M-mount Adapter

Functional: Yes 

It has all the elements that I was looking for a camera (almost)! I love its retro looks, intuitive placement of dials and the array of film simulations. It's often paired with a manual lens so I can go back to the old camera days. The X-E1 is my companion for street photography and blogging!

Manual controls are within your reach such as aperture ring (kit lens), shutter speed
and exposure compensation dial (Left). ISO is taken care of by the 'Fn' button (Left). 

My second set-up: Fuji X-E1 with Voigtlander 25mm
F4 Color Skopar. Aperture and focus are manually set.

Top to Bottom: aperture ring, depth of field scale, focus ring.

These are some of the photos I've taken so far...

X-E1 + kit lens (June 2014)

X-E1 + kit lens (June 2014)

X-E1 + kit lens (June 2014)

X-E1 + kit lens (June 2014)

X-E1 + kit lens (June 2014)

X-E1 + kit lens (July 2014)

X-E1 + kit lens (July 2014)

X-E1 + 25mm F4 Voigtlander Color Skopar (July 2014)

X-E1 + 25mm F4 Voigtlander Color Skopar (September 2014)

X-E1 + 25mm F4 Voigtlander Color Skopar (September 2014)

X-E1 + 25mm F4 Voigtlander Color Skopar (February 2015)

There you go guys; this is my story so far! I have plans of trying film once again with the RF-2 and F10 but until then, I will stick with Oly and Fuji for now. With these two cameras, I happily continue my photography journey!

Please look forward for my next blog entry! Ikimashou!