The User's Review: Review on My Posts in 2011

           In early 2011, an idea popped up in my mind was to leave an image of my two little boys on a hard copy of negative film. I began to look for a used film camera and found that this kind of camera is much cheaper than I expected.

      
In 2011, I saw that the film cameras were fading out of our life. They had recorded our life before the digital time. On the other hand, I should record and tell about them for the future generations. Many of the old cameras carry and show the smart ideas of our previous generations. Therefore, I began to buy and trade film cameras. Most of them were 35mm film cameras and were at a couple of US dollars. Since late January to the end of 2011, I had prepared 101 review posts. To my surprise, my posts had got more than ten thousands of pageviews on www.blogger.com by the end of the year. The statistics of my posts in 2011 are shown below:

In 2011, Walmart and Sam’s Club dropped their service of film development (they still print picture from   digital media), leaving it more expensive in other stores or online. The cost of development and printing of one roll of 35mm film is about USD 10 later 2011.

After 2011, the film may be not easy to find and will be more costly. However, some of the devices used on film cameras can be given a new life with digital cameras. At least, many of film camera lenses/zooms are compatible with digital cameras. Will we keep the filming tech and use it in the future after 2011?  

Minolta Battery Grip VC-7 for Maxxum 7 Film SLR Camera

The User's Review: Ricoh XR-10M 35mm Film Manul-Focus And Auto-Control Camera

I think the unique thing about this body is the three strap eyelets, with one at the bottom. The camera can be held on the strap either horizontally or vertically, or may use a hand strap.

Unlike XR-10 that is a traditional design of SLR body, Ricoh XR-10m is much more electrically-automatic, although the ‘M’ in the model name might mean ‘multi exposure’. XR-10M also has auto bracketing exposure, auto film transportation and a top LCD display. In other words, except the manual focus using a K-mount lens, XR-10M is an auto body.

Under the RICOH sign on the front head, it's a window with light that is on sometime. This window is for the internal LCD display under the viewfinder. The light is on in dark situation for user to read the internal display. The body takes 4 AA batteries, good.

Pentax P2N 35mm SLR Film Camera

Pentax PZ-10 35mm AF SLR Camera

Pentax SF 10 35mm AF SLR Camera

Minolta SRT 101 35mm SLR Camera

The User's Review: The Effect of Multiple Tele-Converters

I happen to have five of 2x tele-converters fit Konica AR mount in hands these days. Lined them up in front of a Konica camera, guess what in its viewfinder?

The converters should make the focusing range 10 times longer (5 x 2x; 50mm to 500mm). However, the focusing distances match the distance marks on the lens. The downside is that it's very dark in the viewfinder. I had to point to a bright light to see the image in the viewfinder.

That's the effect. Practically, it's not much useful.

The User's Review: LEC - Cherry Multi-Power Lens for Pentax K

Have  you heard of a LEC in photography? I know you will say no because LEC is a new word I created. A LEC is a multiple-function device of Lens, Extension tube and Converter.

At the mid-night of 12/18/2011, I found the LEC with a Ricoh body sold on ebay. The saller, Kevin J., described it as 'an unusual item that I have never seen before'.  Bought it and received today right after the Christmas of 2011. It's a four-piece device in a black container, made by Cherry in Japan. Guess that it was made during 1970s -1980s (?) since it is made of metal and no single piece of plastic. The four pieces are: a body tube, 2 lens cores (35mm lens and 2x converter) and a front cover.

To work as a lens, assemble the 35mm lens core and front cover onto the tube from both end. Cherry calls it as a wide angle f = 35mm, 1:5.6. Remember that there is no focusing and only one f-stop of 5.6.

To work as a extension tube, simply use the tube only without any others. It should be an 'auto' extension because the aperture blades are kept open except when shooting.

To work as a lens converter, take off the front cover and put in the 2x lens core.

It's a interesting device, my LEC. And later, I found that this kit was also made for different lens mounts and rebranded for Kitstar and Itorex.

The User's Review: Pentax ME Super (1977) and Pentax ME Super SE (197?))

Check the differences between the two models in the following images. The answer is below them.

The SE sign and the diagonal split-image device in the focusing screen on the SE model..