Experiments with my Olympus Pen F (& other old technologies)

Moving Day!

2011-04-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of moving to a new blog space that will be shared with my very talented (and very handsome) fiancée Jeffrey. The new blog site will essentially follow the same format as this, but will be more inclusive of all our cameras (not just my Olympus) and will allow us to both share our photos and thoughts from our photo adventures.

You can find us at www.melroyplace.blogspot.com

There is no place like home...

2011-03-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

There is no place like home... except Grandma's (& Pa's) ~ Author Unknown

Growing up, I spent a lot of time at both of my grandparents' homes. We all lived in a small town in the Rocky Mountains, so no one was ever more than 5 minutes away. I cherish the memories that I have with them and the time that I spent at their houses - family dinners, exploring, playing with my cousins, eating grandma's cooking, and generally just being spoiled.
Last week when I went back to visit my grandparents, I felt so lucky to still be able to visit the house where my mom (and in a lot of respects - I) grew up. Although I could have probably used an entire roll of film (or two) just taking pictures of things around the house, I was impeded by 2 things: firstly a lack of bright enough light with no flash, and secondly only my one long lens that is really difficult to use in close ups. Also because of the expired film I was using, I had to do some major touch-ups with photofiltre. Some of the images still have what appears to be light leaks (though I usually don't get light leaks on my Pentax) that could not be fixed with any photo software that I have.
All photos taken with my Pentax K1000 (the camera that was originally my grandfathers but that he imparted on me. He was happy to see it again and we had some good photog discussions). Now without further ado..

Memories of Gramma & Pa's...

Gramma's canning - Peaches, pears, apricots, cherries (Peaches were my favourite)

Gramma's ceramic shop where she would teach lessons. These are the remnants of this lost (?) art.

Pa's tool room where he used to make the best wooden toys and puzzles; including doll beds for each of his granddaughters and a toy castle for his grandson.

And... random mystery objects that always seemed so fascinating when I was a kid.

"Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting" ~ Author Unknown

West Coast Winter

2011-03-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

Just to be fair... here are a few pictures from the surprise snowfall we got here in Vancouver at the end of February. It lasted about a day or so.
I have been thinking about it, and I think that one of the reasons that I am so unexcited about winter this year is because I have such an exciting spring/summer coming up! I just want the winter to be done because then I will be that much closer to all the wonderful things that still await me this year :)
All photos taken in Vancouver with my Pentax K1000

Wicked Winter

2011-03-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

Though I have been a little pessimistic about the snow this year - in the Kootneys and here in Vancouver, I usually am quite happy when the white stuff falls because we see it so rarely here. (See here & here). This year is just one of those years when I am done with winter sooner than usual. I don't know why.
So, to be fair, here are a few more pictures from my trip into the Rockies this week that would have been a whole lot less interesting if it weren't for the snow. All photos taken with my Pentax K1000

West Coast Wimp

2011-03-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

I am a self-proclaimed, adapted, West Coast Wimp. When I first moved to the coast I would "wow" my friends with tales of 6 foot-high snow banks, downhill skiing in -35 degree celsius weather, walking to school (uphill both ways, of course) while my eyelashes frosted together and a frozen snot mustache grew on my upper lip.
Well now - how the mighty have fallen! I went back to my Rocky Mountain hometown for a visit last weekend and I am appalled that there is still several feet of snow on the ground in some places, and that it was actually snowing on the first day of spring!
"Why the heck is it still winter here??"
Of course, my friends and family who live there simply laughed at me and replied "You have been away too long... this IS spring!"
*Le sigh* and a grand realization - I am officially a West Coast Wimp.
You guys be the judge... is this not ludicrous for mid-March?
All photos taken with my Pentax K1000

As a comparison, here is a photo I took yesterday (just 1 day after my trip to the Kootneys) with my Digital Canon EOS Rebel XS here on the mild West Coast.
Je t'adore Vancouver.

WAW #4 - Detail

2011-03-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

This week's Weekly Assignment Wednesday was to take a photo of "detail". It is probably a good thing that I was away for a good chunk of this week and didn't have the digital camera with me because up-close, detailed photos are my favourite kind to take... I would have ended up with 100's to choose from!
I think my fondness for close-ups is partially due to the fact that when I got into photography, I was using my Olympus PenF film camera which only has a 38mm lens on it (no zoom). I got used to getting in really close to capture interesting photos - it is really tough to get an interesting distant shot on it. Of course once I started using my Pentax K1000 which has a 45-125mm zoom lens on it, I had to completely reevaluate how I took photos. As a side note, I played a little with Jeffrey's Pentax lens yesterday which is a 28-80mm lens with a macro zoom function. I really liked it and I think between our 2 Pentax lenses, we have a wide range of possibilities.
The digital Canon Rebel XS has a 18-55mm zoom lens on it, and of course, being digital, it also has all sorts of gadgets and settings to help get a good close-up shot. I am finding that since I learned how to use the manual zoom on this camera, I like it a whole lot more!

Next week's assignment: Self Portrait (hmmm... shouldn't be too hard. Just need to find a way to make it interesting/unique).

Gramma & "Pa"

2011-03-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a visit to the town where I grew up. I went to visit my grandparents and a dear friend who lives there... but I was also met with cold and snow! I know snow in March isn't surprising to most of Canada, but as an adapted West Coast Wimp, I was less than impressed by the white stuff. On the bright side though, it gave me a great excuse to stay inside and lounge around visiting.
Growing up, I think I spent half of my time at my grandparents' house... my mom always says that they helped to raise my brother and I. I have very fond memories of their house and of spending time with them.While there, I managed to take about 1 and 1/2 rolls of film on my Pentax K1000 (which was actually my Grandfather's camera before he gave it to me... along with every other camera or video camera he had in his house - in his attempt to get rid of some "junk"). I have yet to get them developed, but will soon... in the meantime, here are pictures that I took of them a few summers ago when I first got my Olympus.
I love my Gramma & Pa so much, and I am so fortunate to have been so close to all of my grandparents.
Though it is over 10 years since my other grandparents passed, I still miss my Grandma & Bubba every day.

WAW #3 - Storyboard

2011-03-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

The third Weekly Assignment Wednesday was to create a story board that tells a story (with a beginning, middle and end) in 3 frames. I cheated and used 4... I just needed that one extra frame. Thank you to my wonderful friend Mandy for indulging me and allowing me to capture my true "Sunday Coffee" story.
Photos taken with my Canon EOS Rebel XS, story board created using photofiltre software.

Next week's assignment - Detail

H2O-Oh-oh-oh

2011-03-12T10:39:00.000-08:00

Life has been pretty crazy lately... mostly work-crazy more than personal-crazy, but it still leaves me feeling exhausted and frazzled at times. The other week when I was home sick, I was thinking about the healing power of water. I am not sure why, but water just seems to nourish the soul. Whether it is taking a hot bath, or floating in a calm lake, or listening to the babble of a stream... the presence of water seems calming to me. This may be one of the reasons why I have so many pictures of water (also because it tends to be so visually interesting).
These are a few photos from our photo adventure way back in January (I haven't been able to actually finish another roll since then!). They are taken with my Pentax K1000.

Jeffrey actually made a comment this day "You really like taking pictures of fountains, don't you?"
I know... I am so predictable.

WAW #2 - 10 minutes from home

2011-03-10T18:25:00.000-08:00

Our Weekly Assignment this week was to walk, bike or drive 10 minutes from our home and take a photo (or two)... not 9 minutes, not 11 minutes, but 10 minutes.
I live in a gorgeous neighborhood and therefore the majority of the pictures that I take are within 10 minutes of my house. Jeffrey & I are always out on photo adventures snapping shots in our 'hood. So, last Sunday, when we decided to ride our bikes over to the east side to meet up with some friends for brunch, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to complete our assignment. On bikes we would be further from home than by foot, so we would be out of our comfort zone, and it would make things a bit more challenging.
Well, if it was a challenge we wanted... it was a challenge we got!! When the alarm on my phone went, we were on possibly the ugliest corner in all of Vancouver. And no, it wasn't Main & Hastings... there are tons of interesting things to take photos of there! This corner was nothing but boring, ugly condos and construction on the outside of VCC... not even any interesting urban decay, or nature, or graffiti... just blahs-ville!
So, this is what I ended up with...

All photos for Weekly Assignment Wednesdays are taken with my EOS digital Canon Rebel XS (to help me become a better photographer and be versatile in my medium)

What the...?

2011-03-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

Every time I see this, I wonder what the story is. It also reminds me of the scene in the movie Big Fish (which I love). Apparently I am not the only to wonder, and even all-knowing Wiki has no one clear answer. I think I'll choose to believe in the less sinister and more whimsical theories.

Taken with my Pentax K1000 - January 2011

Man vs Nature

2011-03-05T18:54:00.000-08:00

Why do I love film cameras? Other than the 11 reasons listed here in this post? Because I get shots like these. And I have no justifiable reason as to why these photos turned out the way they did (with that eerie shadow and almost saturated colour look) because I did nothing different than any other photo that I have taken. The only rational explanation is quite simply... film is cool.

I stopped to photograph this wall because I love how it didn't stop the tree from growing the way that it wanted to... the tree simply found a way around the barrier. This wall is the exterior of the Dr. Sun Sat Yen Chinese Garden, and it is almost as if the garden is saying "Screw you people! You can't fence me in!"
All photos taken with my Pentax K1000

Weekly Assignment Wednesdays - Still Life

2011-03-02T19:10:00.002-08:00

My colleague and good friend Michelle recently received a new d-SLR as a gift. In order to learn more and become a better photographer, she has taken on the challenge of a new photography assignment every Wednesday. She has invited a few of us along for the ride - invitations to the flickr group are still open if any of you are interested.
So every Wednesday (or as I finish my assignment) I will post my best attempts at getting better at digital photography. (Though it should be noted that I miss my film already)

Weekly assignment #1 - Still life
Much harder than it seems and motivation in and of itself to invest in a swivel flash that gives a more flattering and natural light. I am not 100% happy with all of these as I think the lighting is a bit cold... I have heard that a swivel flash can help to fix this. Though I think I am also just so used to film with it's natural warm glow.
Next week's assignment "10 minutes from home"!
All photos taken with my digital Canon Rebel XS.

Vancouver Public Library

2011-02-28T22:04:00.001-08:00

I don't know anyone who has ever visited the Vancouver Public Library and not left in awe. The architecture is unique and impressive, yet not overly "in your face". When you stand in the atrium you can't help but look up and around. The design draws you in and makes you feel so small and yet so safe at the same time. I can't walk through there with a camera in my hand and not take at least one picture.
If you you haven't been... go, it is worth the trip.
All photos taken with my Pentax K1000, but on various photo adventures.

11 Reasons to shoot film

2011-02-25T08:09:00.000-08:00

I recently came across this article on the website I Still Shoot Film (which by the way, has some incredible examples of why film is still awesome). I thought I would re-post it here since I think it completely summarizes my love for film. Thank you "I Still Shoot Film" for posting this.
P.S. #4 and #6 are my favourites

11 REASONS TO SHOOT FILM

1. Film is cool. Seriously. The scientific process of capturing an image on film, developing and then printing it on paper is one of the most awesome thing you can ever see. It’s like magic.

2. Film produces a tangible result. In the modern world, technology has allowed us to do everything digitally… in fact I haven’t seen what my resume actually looks like on printed paper in over 5 years. With digital photographs, you never have one tangible original, from which you can make infinite copies…

3. Photographic paper prints have a longer archival life. Say what you want, but even my most expensive fancy-pants digital prints still get yellowing on the corners after several years… which is why many professional labs still use cibachrome printing even for digital.

4. Film cameras are badass. They are not the light-weight, silent wimpy cameras of today. You can use a quality film camera to take great photographs or defend your life if necessary.

5. Most Photoshop effects applied to digital photos are designed to mimic effects achieved through film. Why not just do it that way in the first place?

6. Using film means that when you take a photograph, a chemical reaction absorbs the moment on a light-sensitized surface. That is somehow more powerful than a computer chip’s interpretation of an image.

7. Learning how to shoot film helps you understand light and shadow, which can also improve your digital photos.

8. Limited exposures means you have to actually think about your shot. Need I say more?

9. Unless you have a $30,000 digital camera, shooting film will always give you a higher resolution if scanned correctly. A 35mm negative has the equivalent of approximately 25.1 megapixels, so imagine a 6x9 negative. We’re talking murals in crisp detail.

10. Black and white. Yes. Removing color from a digital photograph is not the same as shooting in black and white film and it never, ever will be. Ever. The art of black and white film alone is reason enough to keep manufacturing film forever.

11. The darkroom is zen. It has soothing red lights, relaxing running water and the soft click of your timer. Take a deep breath and smell the stop bath. Yum.

Me with my Olympus Pen F - Taken by my fiancée on his Pentax K1000

Pink Shirt Day

2011-02-23T19:26:00.000-08:00

Today is Pink Shirt Day... a day to support anti-bullying campaigns, to spread the word that we want a world free of hatred and discrimination. In honour of Pink Shirt day and my devout belief that we will see the disappearance of homophobia within our lifetime, here is my pink.

Love is louder

"Tag me on Facebook!"

2011-02-13T18:01:00.000-08:00

I am still super self conscious about taking photos of strangers. Sometimes I am brave enough if it is a large enough crowd of people, or if I can somehow shoot their reflection in something else so that they don't see me pointing my camera directly at them. I think once I get faster at focusing I may be more brave, cause then I can be all stealthy-like without them noticing. But, on this sunny Sunday afternoon, the way the late afternoon light was hitting this guy on the fire escape was just too much to pass up! Unfortunately I wasn't able to capture the warm glow of the light (note to self - learn more about light composition), but I still do like the imagery.
And of course this guy did notice both me an my fiancée taking photos of him, so he called down to us "Just be sure to tag me on Facebook!" Well cool, arty-looking guy... if I knew who you were and if I actually put these photos on Facebook, then I would definitely tag you. My apologies, but thank you for being so chill about us photographing you (though he does look like the type of guy that is pretty chill about anything).
All photos taken with my Pentax K1000.

Olympic Nostalgia

2011-02-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

It has been one year since the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, and the city is celebrating this weekend. And although I probably won't get out to partake in those festivities, I am happy that I got a chance to witness them a year ago. And although it was a time rapt with political agendas and opinions, I don't think anybody can argue that Vancouver has never before seen (or will ever see again) that kind of spirit, camaraderie, and celebration. It was a unique a time. Here are a few of the photos I snapped to capture the moment.
All photos taken with my Pentax K1000

A sea of red patriotism - Robson Square

Buskers and smiling kids galore

Lines of buses bringing people into the city

False Creek is a buzz with boats, pedestrians, cyclists

It's funny how I look back at these pictures and just see how they could have been better. I think I have come a long way in a year (I guess I'm kinda proud of that). :)

I heart Vancouver

2011-02-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

This is my city. At the end of January. And I love it!

All photos taken with my Pentax K1000

It ain't easy being green

2011-02-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, the sun came out at full force in Vancouver and it was glorious! I shot two rolls of film in one afternoon, I think just because I was so happy to see the light again. When I looked through the photos from those rolls I noticed a lot of green... like my eye was drawn to that particular colour on that day.
Vancouver, unlike some other places in Canada, doesn't lack for natural greens during the winter months. In fact, flowers have been in bloom here since January. But, at times, the grey skies can make it hard to appreciate that fact. Clearly my mind on this particular day was drawn to the colours of sunny spring days.

Architectural Era Mash-Up

2011-02-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

I am completely fascinated by the architectural eras mashed together on the Vancouver General Hospital property. The very distinctive styles of varying decades seem to just meld together to the point that it is hard to distinguish where an original building ends and a new addition begins. This is not because they have managed to string these buildings together seamlessly, but rather because they are so strangely jammed together that it is hard to picture how one could have conceptualized such a "renovation".
Unfortunately I don't know if I was really able to capture the disjointedness of these buildings very well here, but if you are ever in the neighborhood, just look around and try to pick out all the different decades (kind of like an architectural eye-spy... "I spy with my little eye some hideous 70's design structure").
All photos taken with my Olympus Pen F.

Gong Hei Fat Choi

2011-02-02T22:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Year of the Rabbit to you all! Vancouver was already decked out in it's Chinese New Years finest this past weekend and I just couldn't resist the colours! Not sure I'll make it down to the parade this year, but I am looking forward to some tasty treats care of some very generous students tomorrow in celebration.
All photos taken with my Pentax K1000 and expired Polaroid High Definition Plus ASA 200 film.

Public Art Perspective

2011-01-31T21:53:00.000-08:00

I spent the day at the Burnaby Art Gallery with my grade 6 class, and was inspired by hearing my students talk about meaning in art. As well, they worked on collaborative art using mixed media (including photography!) in small groups which was a wonderful process to observe.
Over the holidays I spent several afternoons wandering around the seawall in the sunshine and came across several pieces of interesting Public Art. I love to photograph public art. It feels like my own little art collaboration in a way. The artist creates interesting pieces, and I get to then come along and look at them from different angles, perspectives, and framing to create something new.
All of these photos were taken with my Olympus Pen F

I have no idea why this near-life size tank model sits in an empty lot next to the Olympic Village, but it's juxtaposition next to the beautiful water and downtown view has a clear message.

These chairs are by a French Canadian artist (I believe). I took a photo of this chair because I love the inscription - "Faire semblant de toujours" or "Make believe to always"... and the cyclical nature of it means that it can be read around and around (you know, like the song that never ends!)

Unfortunately since it was the last frame in the roll, the far edge was cut off (hence the odd shape).

This giant bird can be found smack dab in the middle of the new Olympic Village. It is so strange to see something that is normally so small and cute, looking so massive and scary. I like the angle on the first picture, but the perspective of the second with the car and real bird flying in the sky.

P.S. Another beautiful day this weekend means that I have 2 new rolls of film waiting to be developed and will be posted soon.
P.P.S. My apologizes to anyone who now has "The Song that Never Ends" stuck in their head.

Sun Hat

2011-01-30T10:01:00.000-08:00

The combination of the sun reappearing in the sky today (after what seems like a long, gloomy week of rain) and a post on a Photography blog that I read about hats in photos, made me think of this picture that I really like, but I don't know if I ever posted. Taken with my Pentax K1000.
So on this sunny Sunday, a glimpse of summer just for you.

Frost

2011-01-29T12:39:00.000-08:00

A good frost that lasts throughout the day is a rare sight during the Vancouver winters, and although I hate having to scrape it from my car windshield in the morning, I love the way it looks in the sunshine. I get nostalgic thinking about cold, crisp, winter days growing up in the Rocky Mountains.
Frost on the seawall adds a whole new element of interest! Especially when the temperature from one side of an object to another is enough to melt the frost or not; creating a natural line that is visually quite interesting. I also like the natural blue hue the combination of frost and water gave to the shoreline rocks.
All photos taken with my Olympus Pen F, using expired Polaroid ISO 200 film. No digital altering.

A little help from my friends...

2011-01-23T21:56:00.000-08:00

... friends meaning my digital photo enhancing programs. I know, I know! First a digital camera and now photoshop?! (Well photofiltre actually, it's free and it's all I really need). What is this blog coming to?
Well the truth of the matter is, as I learn more about photography, the more my photos have become precious to me. When they don't work out, I have a hard time just letting them go... especially when they are so close to being good. This is where photofiltre comes in. Every once in awhile, some shots just need a little help... a simple "enhance colour" here or "increase contrast" there. Nothing major, just a touch-up. My friend Mandy once reckoned it to being "my digital darkroom". And since (for the time being anyway) I have to leave my developing up to the sometimes-not-so-professionals at the local Drugstore, this gives me back a little bit of control over my creations. And to me, they are just that... my mini pieces of art. I always wished I was better at painting or drawing, well, this has become that outlet for me, and I need that extra creative license sometimes.
These pictures were taken with my Canonet 28, using expired Fuji 200ISO film. I have been experimenting taking indoor shots with the Canonet because it has an attachable flash that syncs properly with the shutter. My lack of luck with being able to properly focus my Canonet gave these shots a sort of eerie feeling, and the expired film left the colour extremely washed out. But with a simple convert to greyscale with photofiltre -voila! Eerie, yet interesting photos - who probably never would have seen the light of the internet had it not been for photo software. Maybe some consider it cheating, I don't care... I consider it another tool in my art belt (and I am determined to stop feeling guilty or like a fraud for it!).
I am most certainly not saying that these are great shots... I just really like them for some reason.

Shiver me timbers!

2011-01-22T16:40:00.002-08:00

Can't you just feel the cold in these winter park shots? My family and I spent a lot of times lounging indoors over the holidays and decided one day to get the kids and the dogs out to the park for some fresh air and exercise. Well, by the time we all got bundled up, the various strollers, leashes and what-not figured out, the sun had gone away and small flurries had started to blow. But, since we had already put so much effort into getting ready, we persevered.
We did have a good time and laughed about it all when we came home frozen to the bones and covered in snow, but I also got a chance to take some shots in a not-so-favourable lighting... dim and grey. I often shy away from taking photos in this lighting as I find they sometimes come out looking flat. But as with the other challenges I have faced in this photo-adventure, I think I am finally figuring things out!
These shots were taken with my Pentax K1000 and with my Canonet. I was pleasantly surprised to find that several of the shots turned out really great! I am still partial to the Pentax shots over the Canonet, but I figured I would post both anyways. Enjoy :)

Pentax Shots

Canonet Shots

(I got pretty frustrated out in the cold trying to focus the Canonet - it's not an easy feat, so there are only a few of these)

P.S. I am trying out a new photo size on this post. What do you think? Better size or too big? It's so hard for me to tell on my tiny laptop.

Facing my fears...

2011-01-18T21:27:00.000-08:00

Ok, so maybe not a fear so much as an aversion. Low-light photos are a challenge; nighttime shots seem down right impossible to me. But how will I ever learn if I don't try right? This blog is all about experiments, exploration, and experiential learning... so even though it resulted in well over half the shots not turning out, the few shots that did work made it totally worth it! And it gives me just the slightest bit of hope that this is another obstacle that I will eventually overcome. Christmas lights are also a great motivator cause they are so pretty!

All photos taken with my Pentax K1000

Christmas lights Close-Up

Noah's Arc across the pond

Candy Cane Tree

Sliding Penguins - aka Fun with Shutter Speeds!

The last shot was taken with the lowest shutter speed possible so that I could capture each of the penguins and the water all in one shot even though they only lit up one at a time. Without a tripod, I am amazed that this even worked out! Super cool!

Baby it's cold outside...

2011-01-16T14:47:00.000-08:00

One of the challenges I face is taking pictures in low light; especially indoors. I always struggle with getting the right shutter speed and holding the camera steady enough (cause I don't often pull out the tripod). I have had varied success in the past (here and here), but still shy away from indoor shots. But over the holidays while we were spending a lot of long lazy days inside, I just couldn't help my shutter-finger from snapping a few shots.
Here are a few taken with my Pentax K1000 (who has been neglected in the last few posts). She is my workhorse, old dependable... she never seems to fail. Even with random mystery film, I got some relatively clear, decent shots. I think the warm cozy glow of the Christmas lights help (for the record, there wasn't a lack of lights around my Mother's Christmas Wonderland... she goes ALL out!)

Still to come: shooting Christmas lights, at night, outside! (I know... Shut the front door right?!)

Oooh that satisfying click

2011-01-13T22:05:00.000-08:00

Since I have been contemplating moving my blog space, I have been holding off on posting, thinking that I would be changing soon and so I might as well just wait until the new blog is set up. Well, I recently got back the roll from my Olympus that I have been trying to finish off since the break, and I am so excited about some of them that I can't wait to post.
When I got back from visiting my family over the winter break, I came back to a Vancouver filled with bright, sunny days and clear, crisp weather. It was time to get back outside and start snapping photos. In a previous post, I shared a few photos taken during those lazy sunny days that were taken with my Canonet 28 and some expired Polaroid brand film.
Well, I have developed the habit of having a few rolls of film on-the-go at the same time in different cameras, and sometimes even venture out armed with more than one of my beloved babies (a heavy habit to carry around for the afternoon, but amazing for learning about my different cameras!). These photos were also taken with expired Polaroid brand film, on the same sunny day, but with my Olympus Pen F instead. The differences in taking photos and in the final results are interesting. My Olympus is so much easier to focus and to adjust and it has such a satisfying click when I take a shot. In this respect, the Canonet pales in comparison to the Olympus. And though the Canonet is unpredictable, from time to time it does turn out a few gems (simply because they are so unique).
Now I usually try not to use photo software, the fact that I am at times using unpredictable films, that I get my photos scanned directly to cd at the local drug store (which takes away any expert colour adjusting in the development process), and that I am still learning, means that from time to time I do like to do a simple "revive colour" with photofiltre. It's like my digital darkroom that gives me a little more control over the creative process. I refrained myself from using any photo software on these (other than cropping them out from their half-frame companions) because I wanted a true comparison between the Olympus and Canonet shots. My own personal library will feature mostly the colour revived versions to compensate for the expired film.
- it's funny how the thing I loved so much about the expired film on my Canonet is the thing that I feel takes away from the photos on my Olympus.

Also still accepting suggestions for blog space names... cause anything I can possibly think of is already taken - including (just for the fun of it) betterthanakickinthepants.blogspot.com seriously!

Should I stay or should I go now?

2011-01-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

I am considering changing the name of this blog (though it would require me to relocate and leave behind all my previous posts). I feel like I have out-grown this space because it was originally created for me to explore and learn about shooting with my Olympus Pen F. However, since that time I have fallen in love with photography in general and have acquired several cameras (film and digital alike)... so I feel that myolympuspenf.blogspot is limiting, and maybe slightly confusing to new comers.

Taken with my old point & shoot digital
so that I could get in all my cameras!

Advice? Should I stay here? Should I consider a new more broad space? What should I call it? Any suggestions?

Throwing caution to the proverbial wind...

2011-01-04T22:06:00.000-08:00

So I was about to give up on my Canonet 28 because of it's lack of manual controls, difficulty in focusing, limited lens, and general unpredictability, until... I got back this roll of film that changed my mind. The ironic thing is that actually by today's photography standards not a single shot in the roll would be considered a "good photograph". But thanks to two of my favourite, inspiring film photography blogs - Dream Camera and Black Eyed Angel, as well as my new found addiction to flickr (with such amazing groups as Grainy, Blurry, Yet Good), I have come to appreciate and love the glitches that come with shooting film; not in spite of the "faults", but rather because of them. This roll from my Canonet 28 is case in point.
Sometime ago, my mother unloaded a whole bag full of film from the fridge at her work because it was simply not going to get used up. It was a mish-mash of film that I am sure had been sitting there for at least 10 years. A few of them were in boxes with expiry dates (averaging around 2007), but others were just rolls in their canisters with no expiration dates to be found. Well, I figured... one of the reasons I love shooting film is because of the element of surprise, expired film is like walking on the wild side, throwing caution to the wind, dancing with the devil! ... ok, maybe I have gone too far there, none the less, I figured... why the hell not.
These are a few of my favourites from that fateful roll. I think the expired film gives them such an "old" feeling. Like I had found a box of long lost photos in the attic that didn't quite make the cut to be put in the family photo albums.

And I am actually kinda proud of my little Canonet 28, she did alright in the end. More from this roll and the holidays to come soon enough...

Renewed love

2011-01-03T17:03:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays I had a wonderful time playing with my new d-SLR and managed to take well over 500 photos (though I was pretty good at weeding them down as I went, I still have at least 300 left on my computer). And it served the exact purpose that I wanted it to, instant photos that I could share with my family immediately. Everyone went home from the holidays with a usb or laptop full of my photos - since I seemed to be taking so many, everyone else felt less obliged to capture them with their own (which is fine by me). And I really did get some good shots of my family and all the excitement with them (without ever having to reload or scrutinize too much over the shot since I could simply erase any I didn't like and try again).
But I also managed to take 2 1/2 rolls of film (which isn't bad considering how much time I spent with my digital and how much time we spent just lounging about inside and doing nothing particularly photo-worthy). One roll was with my trusty Pentax K1000 and the other with my still experimental Canonet 28. The other half roll is still waiting to be finished in my Olympus Pen F.
The beautiful thing was that as soon as I finished those rolls and got them developed I couldn't wait to see them! And when I did, I spent so much time just looking through them again and again deciding how to post and organize them for my blog... I just couldn't wait to share them! And there my friends... was my renewed love with film. That is why I love those cameras and why I will never abandon them. My digital is wonderful and it serves a very practical purpose (which is also great!)... but my film cameras are completely impracticable and fantastic because of that! The pictures are special, carefully calculated... there is so much more invested in each shot and yet the results are always a surprise!
So for now, since I still can't decide how to organize my next post... I will give you my absolute favourite shot of the whole trip (film & digital alike)... taken with my Pentax K1000 and expired Polaroid 200 film.

My mom & baby niece - Pentax K1000

Love.

My new d-SLR

2010-12-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

Wait! What?? Did she say d-SLR, as in digital SLR?! *Gasp!* But I thought she was a film lover! This blog is supposed to be about Old Technologies! Has she gone to the dark side forever?

No, no, no.. fret not my film loving friends, I still adore my film cameras and plan to continue my love affair with them. But I have always wanted a good digital camera for all that practical stuff, like family dinners, Christmas morning with my little nieces, birthday parties with my friends. The kind of stuff that I don't want to miss out on because I am too busy fussing with shutter speed and aperture settings. When I want to capture a moment in a picture, but I don't want to let the moment slip by without enjoying it in the present. This is what I love about a digital. My new digital is a Canon Rebel XS that has a ton of choices in terms of settings in that it can be fully manual or fully automatic so it is extremely versatile for whatever I need. For just an anytime quick shot or a more complex artistic shot. (Thanks Mom & Dad for the birthday present!)

An added bonus to my new digital camera is the increased learning curve about general photography stuff (like depth of field, aperture, etc.) because I have instant feedback and can compare pictures with different settings immediately. As a beginner photographer, this has been wonderful for learning quickly.

So I will mostly stick to film photos being posted here, but may include some digitals if I get any really great shots. I find in general, very little is gained from exclusivity... so why not apply this rule to my blog as well?

Looks like I am going to need a bigger bag for all my cameras this holiday!!

My first experimental shots from the Vancouver Christmas Market this past weekend.

Take me Home, Country Roads...

2010-12-18T15:23:00.001-08:00

Every time I go back to Alberta to visit Jeffrey's family, I can't help but sing that song. They live in a rural prairie area where golden tones rule and the sky seems to go on forever. When we first started dating, we always had the debate: Mountains vs. Prairies (me being from the Rockies, him being from the Flatlands). I could never understand how flat could be beautiful... that is until I visited his hometown. There was a point when we were riding our bikes out of town into the farmlands and I was literally stopped dead in my tracks by the vastness of the sky! I never understood just how small the sky could make you feel and how awe inspiring that openness could be.
Now don't get me wrong, I will still choose mountains over prairies any day of the week, but I certainly have a new found appreciation for the beauty of those prairie skies. These photos were taken on a hike over the Thanksgiving long weekend. Although there aren't any sky shots, they certainly captured those lovely yellow tones. All photos taken with my Olympus Pen F.

Happy Birthday to a wonderful man!

2010-12-15T14:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my best friend, my future husband, and my favourite photo subject...

I love you!

P.S. Why are you so darn photogenic?!

Ol' Jack Frost

2010-12-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

The snow has long since been washed away by the typical winter rains here in Vancouver, and with it, my Christmas spirit. That one weekend of fresh snow really put me in the Christmas mood, but somewhere between all of my different "to do lists", the mood has faded. But luckily the pictures remain!! (And the to do lists have at least gotten shorter).
These shots were from later in the day on that first snowfall, when the sun came out and began to melt away my winter wonderland. All shots taken with my Olympus Pen F.

P.S. I got a very exciting birthday present yesterday, which I will share more about soon :)

Whimsical Winter

2010-11-29T21:10:00.000-08:00

A few weekends ago, I happen to wake up very early on Saturday morning to see that overnight, the first snowfall had covered the city. Now, in Vancouver we don't often get snow this early in the year, and if we do, it doesn't stick around for long. The untouched fresh snow got me all giddy like a kid on Christmas morning... so of course, instead of crawling quietly back into my cozy bed and enjoying a much needed and deserved "gros matin" (sleep-in), I sprang into bed, waking up poor snoozing Jeffrey, chattering all the while about the snow and how I just had the impulse to grab my camera and go for a walk in it before the world woke up and disturbed it. To my surprise, Jeffrey simply laughed and responded "Actually I saw the snow a few hours ago and thought about waking you up to do exactly that" (This is why I love this man!!).
So that is what we did. Threw on some warm clothes, snapped up our cameras (me with my Olympus Pen F and him with his Pentax K1000) and set off to wander this winter wonderland in the darkness of the early morning. It felt so whimsical and magical to be out enjoying the quiet, snow covered streets, while everyone else was warm in their beds.

Eventually our fingers got cold and our bellies began to grumble, so we stopped into a cozy retro 24-hour diner in our neighborhood to warm up and grab some grub (and to snap a few pictures of course).

By the time we left the diner, the sun was coming up and the rest of the world was waking up. Our little secret rendez-vous in the wee hours of the morning had come to an end, and it was our little secret. :)

Sorry about the quality of the interior and early morning shots, I am still figuring out shutter speeds in low lighting.

Look Up!

2010-11-22T21:14:00.000-08:00

Amongst my other photographic tendencies (such as berries, reflections and cars), I am also drawn to towers and steeples. I am not sure if it stems from my romantic image of the princess high above in the turret or from growing up in the mountains surrounded by majestic peaks. Or maybe I have taken advice to "keep your chin up" a little too far. Regardless, I find a strange contentment in looking up at those towers.
Do you ever have those things in your life that you just love to look at for no explicable reason?

Birthday Girl!

2010-11-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

This weekend is my baby niece's first birthday! Sadly, we don't live close enough for me to see them as often as I would like. Being far from family, and missing watching my nieces grow up are honestly the only things that ever make me want to leave Vancouver. I always hope that, despite the distance, I can be as close to them as I have been with my aunts.

So, Happy First Birthday Bear!!

I love you (and those adorable little cheeks of yours)!!

Christmas 2009 - Olympus Pen F

Summer 2010 - Olympus Pen F

Perfect Perfection

2010-11-14T08:10:00.000-08:00

In my life, I have always been drawn to things that stand out, that are different, that "add character". I remember when I was a kid, there was a girl in my dance classes who had a very unique nose. While everyone else was making fun of it, I remember (even then), admiring it. I loved how different it was, how it looked like no one else's nose. It's the same with the type of men that I am attracted to... most would say that I have no clear "type" because I have dated (what seems like) everything under the rainbow; but actually, "my type" is men who have some character to their face... some "imperfection" that makes them unique. I especially hate those Gap ads about getting "Everyone in Cords" or "Everyone in Khaki"... I always think: "Why on earth would I spend that much money to look like everyone else??"

But there is a chink in my armour, an Achilles heel, a soft spot... it is my affinity for teeny, tiny, perfectly round berries! Especially if there is a bunch of them all clustered together, looking exactly like one another, no one standing out from the others. I just can't resist snapping a picture of those little spheres of perfect perfection.
Here, just a few of my favourite berry shots (just a few, trust me, there are more!)

Olympus Pen-f Shots

Pentax K1000 shots

This last shot is one of my absolute favourite photos

Lest we forget...

2010-11-11T07:38:00.000-08:00

On this day of Remembrance we take a moment to honour all those who put their own lives in danger to save the lives of others. Those who left their families behind so that others could be with theirs. We say thank you to everyone who fought for freedom around the world. Regardless of your political or moral views surrounding war or the military, we all need to take a moment to appreciate the selflessness of so many people that have lived through and seen things that most cannot even imagine.
In honour of this Remembrance Day, a few photos of my brave and loving grandfather who landed in Holland on D-Day. I only wish that I also had a photo of my other grandfather who landed in France on D-Day, but who is sadly not with us anymore. On this day I cherish the memories that I have of both of them.

My Pa

Pa with his great granddaughter

Spirit Day

2010-10-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

In honour of Spirit Day today, and in the hopes that the irrational hatred and violence will stop, here is my purple...

Getting back to what matters...

2010-10-14T21:00:00.001-07:00

I am facing some tough stuff right now at work that is taking time and energy away from what is really important and meaningful to me... teaching children. So when I am feeling like bureaucratic top-down decisions are taking away from my passion for my work, I need to take a moment to get back to what really matters... me and my students.
These photos were taken during a field trip last year that had no other purpose than to let us play and be together as a community. It was a spectacular day of laughter, learning, and discovery.
This group of photos also reminds me how this whole photography thing can be about more than just learning to take good pictures, but also helping to stay grounded in reflection on myself and the world around me.

** This first photo was actually taken by a student who saw me playing around with my big old Pentax and started asking me questions (it looks so different than the mini digitals they are used to), so I gave him a quick lesson and this is what came out. Not bad at all actually :)

All photos taken with my Pentax K1000

It's a small world after all...

2010-10-05T21:50:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love miniature things? They're cute, they can fit in your pocket, and they make for such great photo subjects!

Dinosaurs in Portland! ~ Pentax K1000

Ghandi's mini-house ~ Pentax K1000

Public Art House ~ Olympus Pen F

Christmas Village ~ Olympus Pen F

The Secret Garden

2010-10-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

This summer, I had the privilege of visiting the most amazing garden. A garden where flowers grow wild, and tower over you creating arches and secret passages. A garden where a crystal chandelier hangs inside an old wooden shed. A garden where gargoyles and Buddhas hide nestled among the bushes. A garden where cozy couches and over sized cushions create dens of conversation. A garden where it seems that, at any moment, a fairy tale may unfold before your eyes. A garden simply known as "Sue's Garden".

All photos taken with my Olympus Pen F

Beep Beep Ya!

2010-10-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

Although I am not a car buff or even in the slightest way versed on the subject, I do love the look of vintage cars and trucks. And apparently from looking through my pictures, I also have an affinity for their headlights and tires.

All photos taken with my Olympus Pen F (except that last one, which was taken with my Pentax K100 and also features a car and a reflection! I really need to start thinking outside the box!)

The new addition to the family...

2010-09-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

... my camera family that is. This summer on one of our usual garage sale ventures I came across a Canonet 28. I carried it around with me for a while, checking out the focus, etc. but decided not to get it when I realized that it used a viewfinder format instead of SLR, though I was intrigued by the light meter (which I don't have on either of my other cameras). The woman watched me walk around with it, then put it down and so she came over to talk to me about it. Well the long of the short of it is that I managed to get her down from $20 to $10 for the camera (case included!). And I figured $10 for a new toy that might teach me a bit more about film photography, and if nothing else will look great on my shelf, was a pretty good deal.
I didn't get to try it out until a few weeks later on vacation at our family cabin for a week. I only dared to take one roll of film before I got a chance to have it developed and check out if the camera even worked. Well it works, but with very unpredictable results.
The interesting (and also frustrating) thing about this camera is that it is primarily meant as an automatic camera, in which the light meter determines whether the light is too high or too low and will not take the picture if it is not happy. However, it seems that the light meter requires extremely bright light to register sufficient light (though this may be a result of an old battery, something that I will need to look into).
You can however take it off of automatic which will turn off the light meter control and allow you to adjust the aperture, but not the shutter speed! The shutter speed is always set at 1/30 sec, which means that I have to use the aperture setting to adjust for light. On my other cameras, in changing the shutter speed to account for light, it allows me to use the aperture to vary depth and focus in my pictures. This limitation of the Canonet 28 means that I have less control over my pictures.
One benefit of the Canonet 28 is that the leaf-shutter format allows for flash synchronization whic I do not have on either of my other cameras. Currently the flash I am using doesn't allow me to use the automatic setting, but I can use it on the manual setting which means that I now need to learn to adjust the aperture for a flash. I am not usually a fan of using a flash, but I think that I might have some fun exploring with it in indoor or night/dark settings (where I am normally very limited with my other cameras).
As with my other cameras, this one has it's pros and cons and although I don't think it will become a camera that I depend on on a regular basis, I do think it will be fun to play with and to learn from.
Variety is the spice of life after all.

Both pictures had exact same lighting, yet turned out quite different

Focusing is unpredictable. Sometimes it focuses on the foreground, other times the background

Both of these were taken on the manual setting with the same aperture. Notice the difference in focus.

Having a flash will open up a whole new world (and learning curve) for me!

I actually kind of like the "studio portrait" look the flash gives

You're so vain

2010-09-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

Actually, I'm not... I just can't resist snapping pictures of reflections. Not because I necessarily want to take my own picture, but just because I love the layers and contrast that it creates in a photo. It also means I get some shots of my beautiful cameras :) Here are some of my favourite reflection shots.

World Reflection - Pentax K100

Christmas Reflection - Olympus Pen F

Broken Rearview Mirror - Olympus Pen F

Wine Glass Reflection - Olympus Pen F

Mirror Couple - Olympus Pen F

Water, Wind & Sun (Pentax)

2010-09-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

The thing I love about my Pentax is the variety that it gives me because of the lens. I can really choose how I want to frame each shot. I also love the contrast between light and dark in these shots. It's interesting how different they turned out from the Olympus photos during the same windstorm... like each person, each camera has it's own personality and perspective.

Water, Wind & Sun (Olympus)

2010-09-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

What an amazing combination! When a windstorm blew up on a sunny day at our family cabin in the Okanogan, I just couldn't stop myself from continually running outside to try to catch some shots. The best ones are the ones of the lake when the wind was whipping through the water and the sun was sparkling off the surface. Because of the wind, the pictures have good movement, while the contrast of the light (which was both grey and sunny at the same time) really gives the pictures depth, detail and/or contrast.
I was super impressed with how some of these shots turned out. In order to keep each post from getting too long, I'm posting the Olympus & Pentax shots separately. First up - Olympus Pen F shots.

P.S. I got completely soaked after that last photo (remember my Olympus has no zoom... I was actually that close!)

Portraits

2010-09-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

On my last few rolls of film I have actually been kind of proud of myself because I didn't necessarily feel like my shots only turned out because of just sheer dumb luck. I actually felt like maybe I was getting the hang of this photography thing and figuring out how to produce some half decent pictures! I have so many that I want to share, but I thought I would start with some of my favourite portrait style shots.
They are especially heart wrenching to me because they are of some of my most loved family members. xo

All shots taken with my Olympus Pen F except the last one which was taken with my Pentax K1000

Karmic Coincidences

2010-09-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

I love that my Olympus Pen F half-frame format allows me to get double the number of photos on a regular roll. I really love when the two pictures in one frame coincidentally come out perfectly complimenting each other.

Park tunnel (almost) perfectly juxtaposed

Bird watching?

P.S. I have tons of new pics to sort through from the summer, including some from a new toy I picked up at a garage sale for $10!! I am absolutely tickled pink with how some of them came out! I'll try to share soon.

My other love...

2010-08-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

I have made a conscious effort over the last few years to pay specific attention to what really makes me happy. What do I love to do? What makes my heart sing? What do I identify with? What do I feel good doing?

One of the things that makes me smile with glee is riding my bike. As a kid I loved riding the forest trails in my small hometown. But riding took on a whole new meaning in the "big city". Almost all the forest bike trails seem to be made for extreme mountain cyclists (much too challenging for the leisurely rides I was looking for). Also, I hated riding my mountain bike around the city because it felt like I should be speeding down the main streets dressed in lycra (so not me!).

When I started dating Jeffrey, he bought me a vintage Eatons Glider (which were made by Raleigh for Eatons Canada in the 60's & 70's) from a friend who frequented police auctions. Jeffrey has a sweet old Raleigh Tracker (which looks a like a bmx, but is pre-bmx). We spent those first summer weekends of our "courtship" casually cruising around town to yard sales, sunny patios, and local parks (me in my summer dresses, Jeffrey in his vintage cowboy shirts). Although my bike could use a little tender loving care (and possibly some gears!!)... I still love it; I think partially because of the memories that are attached to it. Those memories are actually so symbolic of us, that we are hoping to use our bikes in our wedding next summer.

It seems only natural that Glenda (the name I gave my bike; Jeffrey's is named Ray) would become the subject of some of my photos. The problem is, she is so photogenic that I couldn't decide which picture to use. So I decided to use them all!

Glenda my Eatons Glider on the sunny seawall

Glenda & Friend

All photos taken with my Olympus Pen F.

Creative Maladjustment

2010-08-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

Out on a photo/bike exploration with my trendy-cycling friend Mandy, we came across these giant "Cool Globes" outside of Science World... they just begged to be photographed. Around the same time I was in the midst of spending my days immersed in inspirational discussions around teaching and learning. One of my new favourite terms that came up in these discussions was "Creative Maladjustment" which was originally introduced in Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech (1958). This is what Mr. King had to say about being maladjusted:

"Modem psychology has a word that is probably used more than any other word. It is the word "maladjusted." Now we all should seek to live a well‑adjusted life in order to avoid neurotic and schizophrenic personalities. But there are some things within our social order to which I am proud to be maladjusted and to which I call upon you to be maladjusted. I never intend to adjust myself to segregation and discrimination. I never intend to adjust myself to mob rule. I never intend to adjust myself to the tragic effects of the methods of physical violence and to tragic militarism. I call upon you to be maladjusted to such things."

Educational guru, Herbert Kohl writes:

"When it is impossible to remain in harmony with one's environment without giving up deeply held moral values, creative maladjustment becomes a sane alternative to giving up altogether. Creative maladjustment consists of breaking social patterns that are morally reprehensible, taking conscious control of one's place in the environment, and readjusting the world one lives in based on personal integrity and honesty—that is, it consists of learning to survive with minimal moral and personal compromise in a thoroughly compromised world [...] It means small everyday acts of maladjustment as well as occasional major reconstruction, and it requires will, determination, faith that people can be wonderful, conscious planning, and an unshakable sense of humor.

Creative maladjustment is reflective. It implies adapting your own particular maladjustment to the nature of the social systems that you find repressive. It also implies learning how other people are affected by those systems, how personal discontent can be appropriately turned into moral and political action, and how to speak out about the violence that thoughtless adjustment can cause or perpetuate."

~ Creative Maladjustment and the Struggle for Public Education, Herbert Kohl (1994)

May this entry inspire you to find your way to creatively maladjust!

*Melanie steps off soapbox*

Portland Oregon & a sloe gin fizz

2010-08-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, Jeffrey and I took the train down to Portland for a small get away. It was a fun and relaxing break filled with lots of great food, interesting sights, and lots of photos. A discussion yesterday about Portland has made me nostalgic about the trip and started both of us plotting for when we can get back.
All photos taken with Pentax K1000 (on this trip I really got comfortable with my Pentax, more to come on that later)

Portland Train station

Helser's - The best breakfast I have ever had!

Kennedy School Hotel -
The very cool school turned hotel where we stayed

The famous Portland Sign

"Well Portland Oregon and sloe gin fizz

If that ain't love then tell me what is

Well I lost my heart it didn't take no time

But that ain't all. I lost my mind in Oregon"

~ Loretta Lynn

(duet with Jack White)

Tit for Tat

2010-08-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

So my earlier post comparing my two babies (My Olympus Pen F & My Pentax K1000) came about because I wanted to better understand the differences between the two. This exploration began back in February when I set a challenge out for myself to help me learn more about my newly acquired Pentax (I was a little discouraged after a poor turn out from a roll taken over Christmas time and so I kept falling back on using only my Olympus).
One Saturday afternoon when Jeffrey and I were heading out for one of our photo adventures, I couldn't decide which camera to bring with me... so, like any good woman would do when faced with indecision, I brought both! I decided to take each picture - frame for frame, setting for setting - with both of my cameras. It was a very interesting experiment and a great learning experience. However, I have been putting off writing this post because the pictures taken with my Olympus came back looking far inferior to those taken with my Pentax (It kind of broke my heart a little cause I love that little guy so much). But, since then I have had several other rolls of film developed (taken with both cameras) and have come to appreciate the uniqueness of each; also how to photograph differently with each and how to determine which is better suited to different situations.

So please don't judge my Olympus by these photos, he was simply serving as a sort of "visual-sounding board" for me to learn about my Pentax.

Church - Pentax

Church - Olympus

The shutter speed setting for the Olympus was too low, but came out beautifully on the Pentax.

Generally because of the lens and aperture I use on the Olympus, I set shutter speed higher.

Rail yard - Pentax

Rail yard - Olympus

This is a great example of how my eye is (was?) so accustomed to the half-frame, portrait style that I am able to frame these types of photos more easily. I prefer the Olympus shot in this case because of that.

Life persists - Olympus

Life persists - Pentax

Thank goodness for a zoom lens! It comes in so handy when you want to photograph things in other people's yards and you don't want to go trampling in there. I actually never would have taken this photo with my Olympus because it was just too far away (though it is such a good shot that I may just have trespassed, but shh, don't tell!)

So, in summary:

Olympus - Amazing detail on close-up shots, great depth and detail because of low aperture settings, small and portable, can be limited due to lens

Pentax - Yay for zoom! Allows for greater diversity of shots, gives great texture (now that I have figured that out - more to come on that later), Not so portable due to size and weight.

All in all, between these two babies I think I have a pretty good start to my camera family. Afterall, diversity is the spice of life right?

Comparisons

2010-08-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

Since I acquired my Pentax K1000 I have been pushed to learn even more about film photography than I had when I bought my Olympus Pen F, namely because they are such different cameras. I didn't actually realize just how different they were until I sat down and read-up on both of them... and of course in true teacher fashion, created a chart to compare and contrast (just be happy I stopped short of actually making a Venn Diagram). So here is what I learned today (seriously, my brain is full!)

Feature

Olympus Pen FV

Pentax K1000

The Olympus Pen FV produced by Olympus of Japan between 1967-1970.
The Half frame format meant that the camera used a 18×24 mm vertical (portrait) format, producing twice the pictures on a roll of 135 film as the regular 36×24 mm format. The smaller image format also allowed for a smaller camera and lenses, making the Pen F system one of the smallest SLR systems ever made

Manufactured by Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. from 1976 to 1997, originally in Japan.
The K1000's extraordinary longevity makes it a historically significant camera, despite its very ordinary design. The K1000 inexpensive simplicity was a great virtue and earned it an unrivaled popularity as a basic but sturdy workhorse, particularly suited to educating inexperienced photographers. The Pentax K1000 eventually sold over three million units.

Film Size

35mm

35mm

Viewing

SLR

SLR

Description:

A single-lens reflex (SLR) camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system (after a very small delay), as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly different from what was captured on film.

Shutter Type

Rotary disc shutter

Focal-plane shutter

Description:

While the vast majority of rotary shutters are naturally used on motion-picture cameras (as well as projectors), there were some still cameras that employed this type of shutter, notably the Univex Mercury and the Olympus Pen F SLR.
Rotary discs are semicircular mirrors which rotate in front of the film gate, and thus expose the film.
The rotary shutter proved to be very simple to construct, accurate and reliable in these cameras.

* Since Rotary Disc Shutters aren’t very common in still cameras, I had a hard time finding advantages or disadvantages of this type of shutter. If anyone has anymore information, please feel free to share.

The traditional type of focal-plane shutter in 35 mm cameras, uses two shutter curtains, made of opaque rubberized fabric, that run horizontally across the film plane.
One of the advantages of focal-plane shutters is that the shutter can be built into the body of a camera which accepts interchangeable lenses, eliminating the need for each lens to have a central shutter built into it.
Another advantage of the focal-plane shutter is that their fastest speeds are quite high.
The main disadvantage of the focal-plane shutter is that a durable and reliable one is a complex (and often expensive) device.
In addition, the typical focal-plane shutter has flash synchronization speeds that are slower. In other words, the very narrow slits of fast speeds will not be properly flash exposed.
Focal-plane shutters may also produce image distortion of very fast moving objects or when panned rapidly.

Lens

1:2,8 – 38mm
Fixed Focal Length (or Prime)
Interchangeable

1:4 – 125mm
Zoom Lens
Interchangeable

Description:

A prime lens of a given focal length is less versatile than a zoom whose range includes that focal length, but is often of superior optical quality, lighter weight, smaller bulk and lower cost.
Prime lenses usually have a larger maximum aperture than zoom lenses. This allows photography in lower light and a shallower depth of field.

A true zoom lens, also called a parfocal lens, is one that maintains focus when its focal length changes.
Zoom lenses are often described by the ratio of their longest to shortest focal lengths. For example, a zoom lens with focal lengths ranging from 100 mm to 400 mm may be described as a 4:1 or "4×" zoom.

*All information taken from Wikipedia (you know that place on the internet that I keep telling my students not to use for research cause it isn't credible? Yeah, that place)
P.S. Sorry about the formating, I am done fighting with it for today

Perfect Imperfection

2010-07-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

There are a few photo-blogs that I follow, but most of them are digital photo-blogs. I very much appreciate the abilities and the unique perspectives in each of these blogs, but at times, I think that some digital photos look almost unreal and take away the warmth and candidness of the photo. I mean they are impressive, but somehow they feel sterile.
Recently, I stumbled across Dream Camera via another blog I follow (Let's go ride a bike) both of which are written by the same author - Dottie. One thing that makes Dottie's photo-blog different is her love and appreciation of vintage film cameras (yay!). One thing that is inspirational about her blog is her acceptance and fondness for the imperfections that come from film (she also, like me, appreciates the anticipation of getting film developed).
So in honour of this wonderful new (to me) blog and in knowing that others share my love of the old, here are a few of my favourite Perfect Imperfect photos.

Boy in Fountain - Taken with Olympus Pen F

Airplane ride - Taken with Olympus Pen F

Portland Garden Gate - Taken with Pentax K-1000

P.S. I am not as brave as Dottie to leave my film photos completely unedited. Since I don't have a scanner at home, I get them developed directly to cd at the local drug store photo lab (it only costs approx $3!), the computer is (as my friend Mandy once described it) my "digital dark room". I will eventually take them to an expert to get developed to test whether it is really worth it, for now I enjoy being able to manipulate photos slightly (my favourite tool is "revive colours").

The Gift of Wonderment

2010-07-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I most love about photography is how it develops your eye. Since I have begun taking pictures, I have noticed that I pay more attention to the world around me. I notice that strange bird perched high on the roof top, or that piece of concrete that is a different colour than the others, or the strange light that is coming from an unknown source. It has given me the gift of taking the time to be an active part of my surroundings, so much so, that I do it even when I don't have a camera in my hand (and usually in those moments I wish that I did).
I have been immersed for the last two weeks in inspirational discussions about teaching and learning. One of the main points that so many of us seemed to echo, was that children often lose (or get trained out of) that sense of wonderment and discovery as they get older. What a sad thought as a teacher. But, I have been pleasantly surprised in myself, that I still hold a small piece of this in my curiosity and observations of the world, especially when I am taking pictures.
So here are a few of my favourite shots that show ordinary objects through a slightly less ordinary perspective.

Tutus

Tree bark

Seeds

Twisted Fallen Tree

P.S. As a side note, all the inspirational discussion I have been privileged to be a part of over the last two weeks has actually inspired me to start another blog (well, the thought is there anyway, cause we all know how good I am at keeping up on postings). I will keep you posted if it ever comes to life.

Sunspiration

2010-06-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

The bright sunny weekend (not to mention a big flashy pop-up from blogspot) has inspired me to do a blog makeover. This background and layout just seemed to suit me and my photos so much more, also it finally feels like summer here this weekend and so it also suits my mood. I am sure (as any of you who know me can attest to), I will change it as soon as something new and exciting pops up (much like my hair, shoes and clothes)... I get bored of looking at the same thing rather quickly.

So in honour of the new look and finally feeling like summer is actually here... a giant statue of a boy in an ice cream cone!

This photo was actually taken with my wonderful Pentax K1000 (with which I have now fallen madly in love). The biggest benefit of it? The zoom lens (which is not a luxury that I have on my Olympus Pen F). Focusing is a bit harder, it is significantly heavier than my Olympus and I am still getting used to all the settings, but the ability to zoom has come in handy on several occasions. Also, since it is a full frame, it offers a whole new world (and challenge) of framing.

Mmmmm.... ice cream.

Daisy May

2010-05-16T11:20:00.003-07:00

Ever since I was little, daisies have always been my favourite flower. I remember looking at the photos from my parents' wedding; my mom in a long peasant style gown, with her flowing hair, holding a bouquet of daisies. It always struck me as so simple, so romantic. And although, as I grew older, I never sought out that "hippy-love" look in my own life, daisies always made me feel contented and at peace when I saw them. I love bouquets of colourful wild flowers and I appreciate the beauty of a delicate orchid and the scent of a vibrant rose bush, but the beauty in the simplicity of a daisy, for me, is unrivaled. My eye is always drawn to them no matter where we are.
It is one of the reasons why, I have decided that they must absolutely be a part of my own upcoming wedding. Who knows, maybe one day my own daughter will look at my photos and decide that daisies are her favourite flower...

Statue stability

2010-05-02T21:06:00.005-07:00

Since the weather in this town has seemingly developed multiple personality disorder (I swear, half of the day it is February, and the other half it May)... I have decided to post on something that is unchanging - public art. Vancouver has a plethora of public art scattered around the city... some good, some not so good, but at least it makes you stop and think. It is a constant that you can admire in any weather. These are a few statues around town that I found amusing.

P.S. Jeffrey clearly likes the statues as well.

To snow or not to snow...

2010-04-30T20:32:00.004-07:00

Well clearly I spoke too soon and my hopes for a nearly summer weekend have been washed away (literally) by the rain. And although I know that I am very lucky to live where I do and to have such generally mild weather patterns, the cold, pouring rain does make me slightly nostalgic for the crisp, clear, sunny days of the winters of my childhood (and also my Alberta Christmas vacation which is where these photos were taken).

Well, I guess the grass is always greener on the other side isn't it? (And since the grass is actually very green here right now, I should just be happy and enjoy what I've got!)

And it was all yellow...

2010-04-29T20:29:00.003-07:00

The sun has been shining for the last two days and it makes me hopeful that summer is just around the corner. And I believe that no colour screams summer more than bright yellow. Maybe if I just believe it hard enough, it will come true.

Canine Companion...

2010-04-26T19:28:00.003-07:00

On a rainy and blustery day like today, I find myself wishing that I could have a pet even more than usual. A dog or a cat that loves you unconditionally and will curl up on the couch with you is just good for the soul. Just the act of petting an animal can lower your blood pressure and put you in a better mood.

Since I don't have a pet of my own, I take any opportunity to love other people's pets... whether it be a random cat on the street, a friend's dog or one of the adorable family puppies above (Jeremy & Bubba), I can't resist a good canine snuggle.

Urban Art

2010-04-25T10:20:00.002-07:00

In a city that has so much natural beauty (trees, mountains, ocean, flora, fauna, etc)... it is easy to miss or disregard the man-made beauty of urban art. To remember to stop and look around at the artists who are leaving their mark on the city. It is this art that makes you stop and think.

Rainy day blog...

2010-04-24T09:38:00.003-07:00

On a grey and rainy day like today, I have to remind myself that the rain in this town is what makes our vegetation so lush and plentiful. It also is what ensures that we have plenty of beautiful blossoms in February. I am so lucky to live in a city that is so beautiful and so green, and some even say... the moisture in the air is what keeps our skin so young and healthy looking.

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."
~ Dolly Parton

Working without a flash...

2010-04-23T22:22:00.005-07:00

In a previous post about figuring out how to work with the limitations of my Olympus Pen F with only one lens, no zoom and no flash (Post titled Versatility), I was quite happy that I had been able to figure out how to take a variety of pictures with my camera despite the limitations, but had still not figured out how to take pictures indoors with out a flash. Well, a roll of pictures I had developed from Christmas time shows that I have actually already started to figure it out! Without even realizing it, I took a few photos of the same miniature train set in different lighting which really allowed me to compare and it helped me to figure out how my camera works indoors without a flash. I know it doesn't seem like it should be that hard to figure out, but without the instant feedback of a digital camera, it is difficult to judge lighting. I think I am developing my eye better and learning to adjust my shutter speed and aperature settings accordingly. It was such a positive thing to see that I had overcome another hurdle in my quest to take good pictures with my lovely and wonderful, but challenging old camera.

Toy Village taken in flat daylight near large window. The photo just ended up being flat and blurry.

Toy Village taken at night with large overhead light. The colour is much more vibrant and the focus is a lot better.

Church decoration with inner lighting, no extra indoor lighting.

Still figuring things out...

2010-04-03T10:56:00.005-07:00

Ok, so I am back to using this blogspot space as my main blog. Once I moved everything over to the Windows Live Space, I realized that I actually had less and less need to have a space that would allow me to put a larger selection of my photos on at one time. Namely because, as I am getting better, within one roll of film I have so many photos that I really like that it no longer makes sense to post each roll as a seperate album, it makes more sense to group them into themes.
I have also been inspired by other photo blogs that post more frequently, but with fewer, more logically grouped photos. For example I love the Little Brown Pen blog and her grouping of pictures by colour theme.
I also love to look at my friend (and collegue) Michelle's photo blog at Un Peu Capote while she is doing the 365 day project. Having a picture a day is a really great way to keep things interesting and makes it easier for people to just pop by and check it out, with out investing a huge chunk of time to look through (say) 20 photos. (I also look forward to seeing what sort of creative photo she will come up with each day) ;)
I will still create full albums of all my photos on the picasa photo albums site, but it will take me a little while to get all the photos from my Windows Live Space over there, then add my new pics as well.
For now, here is a sneak preview of one of the pictures taken with my new (to me) Pentax K 1000 camera that my grandpa sent me for my birthday. It is a huge change from my Olympus Pen F in terms of settings, framing, and focusing... but it has been a fun new challenge :) More to come...

Versatility

2010-04-03T10:31:00.005-07:00

(Originally posted on February 21, 2010 on Windows Live Space)
In previous entries I have talked about the limitations of my camera because of the short lens. Basically I had a very hard time taking interesting pictures of anything other than close-ups (well, the portrait type shots were pretty good too, but even they were always close-up portraits). I have even perfected the focusing, framing and aperture settings to give the most detail and contrast in these tight shots.
This last roll I felt a lot more comfortable with the settings so I was able to take a lot more risks and try different things. The results were great! I actually managed to take some good distant scenic shots, some multi-layered shots (where the foreground and background compliment or add depth to the photo), as well as some portrait and close-up shots. I was really happy that I have been able to learn and overcome (and work with) the limitations of my lens.
The next challenge... lighting! I don't have a flsh for my Olympus and so indoor photos seem almost impossible and even outdoor shots on a not-so-sunny day are a huge challenge. The first few photos in the the latest album were taken indoors and they didn't turn out very well. I couldn't even salvage much with photo-editing. Only one turned out well and it's because there was a bright light directly above.

Stay tuned because I finally finished my first few rolls of my Pentax and will be taking them to get developed soon. I am so anxious to see how my new toy works and how the pictures turn out... a whole new learning curve for me!

I should really keep better track

2010-04-03T10:27:00.006-07:00

(Originally posted on February 06 2010, on Windows Live Space)
So back in the summer time, I went on a photo adventure with a friend. Wandering around beautiful Stanley Park with my new toy, I was snapping away sure that my photos were going to be brilliant. I mean afterall, this was not my first roll of film, I had had the chance to get a few rolls back which would help to teach me about what shutter speed settings were best for which light, and I had even read up on aperture and started playing with that. I was so excited to get this roll back and as I started looking through the pictures, my hopes quickly vanished. I realized that I had mixed up the shutter speed settings... in bright light I had set the speed high and in low lights, I had set the speed low... in other words, almost everything was either too washed out or too dark! I have no idea what was going on in my head to make me mix those up, but it meant that out of 48 pictures on a perfectly sunny, gorgeous day, I had very few that I could salvage. But man I learned my lesson!

So here are a few of this pictures that either fell in medium light and therefore a medium setting (meaning I couldn't screw them up), or that I managed to save with a little help from photo editing software (Photofiltre). A few of the pictures are actually from a seperate outing not in Stanley Park, but that were on the same roll, so I put them in there too. Most of these ones worked out because I had Jeffrey around to help advise me (and for the record, I am starting to be able to give him tips now too) ;)

The move, the ketchup and the birthday present

2010-04-03T10:23:00.004-07:00

(Originally posted January 23 2010, on Windows Live Blog space)
Welcome to my new blog space! I have decided to try out the Windows Live space for my blog rather than the more hip & saavy blogspot because the layout seems to suit the style and intention of this blog so much better. I can put my photos and blog entries all in the same space and actually have the slideshow next to the blog entry (which visually makes sense). So I am going to try it out... please bear with me and my non-web saavy bumblings.

The big move to the new space has also meant that I am significantly behind on updating with new photos and adventures (virtual moving is apparently as much of a hassle as moving in reality). So here is a little Ketchup (catch up)...

The latest photo entries are from way back in sunny August/September when the summer sun and bright natural colours lent themselves really well to great nature photos. I was particularily happy with this roll because I think I had a lot of luck with the aperture and shutter speed settings in getting proper focus and lighting. I say I was lucky because I am not completely convinced that I actually managed to achieve this because of any amount of skill on my part... I am still fumbling to remember which settings work best in which lighting and seem to need to re-teach myself everytime I go out (which clearly isn't often enough if I am retaining so little). Most of the pictures needed very little digital editing in terms of brightness or contrast although I used a basic "revive colours" function on almost all of them which essentially does exactly what it says... revives the colours. I think if I were to actually get the film developed at a professional shop (instead of the local 1 hour drug store photo lab) this might not be necessary. Maybe someday when I am confident enough that the film holds enough decent pictures to shell out the "big bucks" to do that, I will find out.

One of the things that I am actually proud of and feel isn't sheer luck is the framing of the pictures. I had to crop very few of them and was really impressed overall on the way that I had set up the pictures. I am really getting a feel for what my camera can and cannot do (mostly because of the type of lens on the camera) and how to work with those limitations. In fact, because the lens on my camera is so unique, I find it quite hard to now look through a different lens and figure out how to frame and focus it. Which brings me to my final point...

If you haven't noticed, with the arrival of the new blog space is also the arrival of a new name for it. The old space was "Experiments with my Olympus Pen F"... this space is "Experiments in Old Technology". The reason for the change is that during a conversation with my grandfather who used to dabble in photography, he mentioned that I could have his old Pentax camera (in fact the exact same model that Jeffrey has; the one that actually inspired me to pick up my Olympus in the first place). Well, he ended up sending it out to me for my birthday but when it arrived there were about three other large boxes that followed, filled with all sorts of other old cameras. His statement was... "Well if she wants one, she has to take the others as well"! I am completely thrilled to have them and hope that eventually overtime, I will be able to expand my knowledge of old cameras and share them all with you all here (hopefully on a more regular basis than I have managed thus far). I believe I have about 3 or 4 more rolls of film that are either waiting to be developed or are waiting to be uploaded and sorted... so don't touch that dial and stay tuned for more exciting expirements in old technology.

Roll #2 - tests in aperture

2009-11-15T12:03:00.002-08:00

So I am a little behind on updating this blog (that's what happens when I get back into work). But bit by bit, I will keep uploading more.
The new set of pics on my Picasa site (titled Roll #2) were taken during the September long weekend. I was excited to get this roll back because it was the first time I had been able to take candid shots of people (and animals)... I couldn't wait to see what they would come out like. I was actually really happy with a lot of the shots that came back. I am realizing that the lens that is on my camera is really well suited to close-up portrait style shots. When I try to take longer distance shots, there isn't really a clear focus; the pictures tend to lack depth and interest. If anyone has tips as to how I can get depth in these shots without needing to change the lens, I am open to suggestions!
The other great thing about this roll of film is that I started to learn how to adjust my shutter speed to control lighting levels (although I am still mastering this art). I also read up on adjusting the aperture and was testing it out. Adjusting the shutter speed will change how quickly shutter opens and closes. The faster the shutter speed, the less light. So generally a fast shutter speed (on my camera the highest shutter speed is 500 or 1/500th of a second) I use for outdoor shots when the sun is shining directly on my shot. The aperture on the other hand controls the size of the diaphram to allow in more or less light (like the iris of your eye). The larger the aperature number, the smaller the size of the diaphram. My camera's aperture varies from 2.8 to 16.

The lower aperture settings (larger diaphram size) allow me to focus on one object while having the surrounding areas "blurred". Using this feature on this roll of film really helped me to get pictures that are more interesting and have more depth and detail. I am still working on balancing the aperture and shutter speed though. Some of the pictures where I had a larger diaprham on the aperture, I didn't have the shutter speed high enough and so the pictures came back washed out.
Overall, this roll of film really motivated me to continue playing with my camera and testing things out. I learned a lot about the capabilities and about some photography techniques. Definitely worth the $2 at the garage sale! More pics to come... (I think I have at least 1 or 2 more rolls after this one to post... and one in the camera that is almost done!)

Updated Album

2009-10-12T21:01:00.002-07:00

In an attempt to not fall too far behind on recording my experiments, I finished editing and uploading the last pics to my first Picassa Web album ("First attempts"). All these pics are still from my first roll and a half of film on which I knew very little about photography, let alone anything about my specific camera.
I am excited about the last few rolls that I have developed and am hoping that I'll need to do less and less editing with photoshop as I learn more. I will create a new album for my second roll of film and update as soon as possible.

First Attempts

2009-10-04T11:46:00.005-07:00

When I first found my treasure at a garage sale, it had film still in it. The film was lord-only-knows how old, and it was a low quality asa 100 film. I didn't have great expectations from that roll, only to discover if the the camera actually worked or not. I was pretty excited when I got the first roll back and there were actual pictures on there! The quality was really poor and spent hours pouring over them on my computer trying to get the right contrast, to get some decent colour out of them. I managed to salvage a few that have some interest.
For my second roll of film, I was sure to buy a higher quality asa 400 film, but I still knew nothing about photography! So Jeffrey and I went on a photographic adventure to figure out just what my new toy could do with some decent film in it. J, who also has an old film camera, gave me a few tips about adjusting shutter speed for light levels, but we didn't really know the right adjustments for my particular camera.
I learned a lot from the roll of film, namely that I need to set my shutter speed higher than J would with his camera, as a lot of my pictures came back washed out. Also, with the lens that is on my camera it is a lot more difficult to take interesting pictures of larger landscapes (i.e. it captures objects close-up much better than far away). Also I found that my Olympus Pen F can capture amazing colour, but it doesn't fair well on white or light backgrounds. (On my next roll I have started to learn about and experiment with apature to try to correct some of this, but that is for a later entry).
Overall, my first roll and a half of film still required some help from the computer after developing to really get quality photos but there was some progress.

** I have created a Picasa Web Album to support this blog since it will allow me to create albums and hold more pictures. I have added a slideshow on the left side of the blog with those pictures, but you can check out all my pics and view them out in more detail on that site (click on the slideshow to be automatically directed to my Picasa Albums).

My New Toy

2009-09-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

We live in a world today of constant, instant gratification.
Point, click, instant access to anything you want…
Want to find out some information? Point and click at Google.
Want to listen to music? Point and click on your ipod.
Want to talk to someone anywhere in the world? Click away on your cell phone.
Want to take pictures of your special moments? Point and click on a high-tech autofocus digital camera (don’t forget to check the review screen and delete it if it didn’t turn out).
Want to share those pictures with friends? Point and click to text, email, or facebook them.

On one of my recent garage sale ventures, I came across an old Olympus Pen F camera (a manual 35mm film camera that was originally released in 1963). Having watched and admired Jeffrey’s handy work with his old skool film camera, I was inspired to try it out myself. So, for a mere $2 (film included!), I picked up what has now become my most beloved toy (next to my old skool beach cruiser bike complete with basket, of course). The camera is original, to say the least, because it actually takes two pictures within a regular single frame (thus on a 24 roll of film, I actually get 48 pictures). It has basic focus functions on the lens as well as the ability to adjust light levels. It doesn’t have a zoom lens with it (although I could probably get one if I searched one out).

But the best part of my new toy is the anticipation! I love seeing a great shot, taking the time to adjust light levels and manually focus the lens before I click away (and remember to wind it after each shot!). And having to wait to see how the pictures turned out. Getting the pictures back is like Christmas! I can hardly wait to see what the rewards of my efforts will be.

It has reminded me that, in our world of instant gratification, we need to step back and take the time to enjoy that sweet anticipation of the unknown.

So I have created this blog to document my experiments in re-discovering this old technology. To help myself keep focus, and to share my adventures with anyone who is willing to follow along.

First attempts taken with old 100-film (the stuff that came with the camera) when I wasn't sure it was even working. Photo was edited using a photo-editing program to rebalance light levels and enhance colour.

Feature	Olympus Pen FV	Pentax K1000
	The Olympus Pen FV produced by Olympus of Japan between 1967-1970. The Half frame format meant that the camera used a 18×24 mm vertical (portrait) format, producing twice the pictures on a roll of 135 film as the regular 36×24 mm format. The smaller image format also allowed for a smaller camera and lenses, making the Pen F system one of the smallest SLR systems ever made	Manufactured by Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. from 1976 to 1997, originally in Japan. The K1000's extraordinary longevity makes it a historically significant camera, despite its very ordinary design. The K1000 inexpensive simplicity was a great virtue and earned it an unrivaled popularity as a basic but sturdy workhorse, particularly suited to educating inexperienced photographers. The Pentax K1000 eventually sold over three million units.
Film Size	35mm	35mm
Viewing	SLR	SLR
Description:	A single-lens reflex (SLR) camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system (after a very small delay), as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly different from what was captured on film.
Shutter Type	Rotary disc shutter	Focal-plane shutter
Description:	While the vast majority of rotary shutters are naturally used on motion-picture cameras (as well as projectors), there were some still cameras that employed this type of shutter, notably the Univex Mercury and the Olympus Pen F SLR. Rotary discs are semicircular mirrors which rotate in front of the film gate, and thus expose the film. The rotary shutter proved to be very simple to construct, accurate and reliable in these cameras. * Since Rotary Disc Shutters aren’t very common in still cameras, I had a hard time finding advantages or disadvantages of this type of shutter. If anyone has anymore information, please feel free to share.	The traditional type of focal-plane shutter in 35 mm cameras, uses two shutter curtains, made of opaque rubberized fabric, that run horizontally across the film plane. One of the advantages of focal-plane shutters is that the shutter can be built into the body of a camera which accepts interchangeable lenses, eliminating the need for each lens to have a central shutter built into it. Another advantage of the focal-plane shutter is that their fastest speeds are quite high. The main disadvantage of the focal-plane shutter is that a durable and reliable one is a complex (and often expensive) device. In addition, the typical focal-plane shutter has flash synchronization speeds that are slower. In other words, the very narrow slits of fast speeds will not be properly flash exposed. Focal-plane shutters may also produce image distortion of very fast moving objects or when panned rapidly.
Lens	1:2,8 – 38mm Fixed Focal Length (or Prime) Interchangeable	1:4 – 125mm Zoom Lens Interchangeable
Description:	A prime lens of a given focal length is less versatile than a zoom whose range includes that focal length, but is often of superior optical quality, lighter weight, smaller bulk and lower cost. Prime lenses usually have a larger maximum aperture than zoom lenses. This allows photography in lower light and a shallower depth of field.	A true zoom lens, also called a parfocal lens, is one that maintains focus when its focal length changes. Zoom lenses are often described by the ratio of their longest to shortest focal lengths. For example, a zoom lens with focal lengths ranging from 100 mm to 400 mm may be described as a 4:1 or "4×" zoom.