Post by nikkortorokkor on Jul 16, 2007 22:32:27 GMT -5
I'm not trying to blitz everyone with my images, but I just got the first roll back from the Hi-Matic7, and since I used the 'My Town' project as an ideal way to test the rebuilt camera, I thought I might as well post 'em.
About the camera: This Hi-Matic7 was purchased via online auction for not much money. The battery terminal was knackered and the shutter/aperture operation seemed sluggish. I partially stripped and cleaned things, though I'll admit the 7's escapement is a little beyond my monkey with a brick level of ability (the Yashica J is the outer limit of my comfort zone!) When finished, the metering appeared accurate and the shutter sounded OK, but I suspected the meter coupling was still sluggish. Thus I tested the 7 as a metered manual rather than as a true AE.
The results? I'm B%&&#Y impressed with the metering, and the lens is, IMHO an absolute belter. Lovely contrast and colour rendition. It really makes the best of our hard southern light. Most pics were, by the way, taken at EV 11-13, i.e. 1/30 and f/8 or 1/60 and f/8 or f/11 on Fuji ISO200 print film. I'm still coming to terms with correctly framing with a rangefinder (as you'll see), but otherwise: terrific!
The Town: Rangiora is where I grew up, and I'm still a little startled to be living back here after a long absence. It is a provincial market town that has become something of a dormitory town for Christchurch, the provincial capital that is 25KM (15.5 miles) to the south. Rangiora now has a pop. of 11,868.
Whilst New Zealand, and Christchurch in particular, is known as trying to be more English than the English, the truth is that our architecture is much more new world. Christchurch may have a lot of neo-Gothic paste in its historic precinct, but the market towns remain dominated by the false fronts, verandahs and weatherboards of the frontier.
My local, the Plough Hotel. It used to have a balcony.
It's difficult to capture this wonderful shop without the cars. It faces west, so in the morning, when there are no cars, the light's wrong.
Classic New Zealand Gothic. St John's Anglican Church, under restoration.
The archetypal arts and crafts cottage. This is one is Edwardian, just pre the onset of the Californian Bungalow. The Rokkor 45mm has done a woderful job in the 'golden hour'.
Reverential civic architecture. This modern public toilet takes its styling cues from nineteenth century hipped roof cottages.
Grandiose civic architecture. A nineteen-thirties electric sub-station.
Such flamboyance! This is where we watched the 'flicks' and stood self-consciously on stage in school plays.
False-fronts on High Street.
More false fronts. Here the Rokkor has just started to show weakness, losing contrast in the difficult light. The camera shop in the left of frame was once owned by local legend landscape photographer Andris Apse. www.andrisapse.com/
Maybe the oldest shop in town, it probably dates from the 1850s - note the hitching rails. My framing could be better!
1960s suburbia. The corner dairy is NZ's version of Britain's corner shop or America's convenience store. This block of shops - a hairdresser's, a corner dairy and a fish and chip takeaway - is typical of a 50s-60s suburban development. It's squat, utilitarian aspect, 'decorated shed' design and acres of intersection symbolize the consumption driven, car dominated emptiness of our modern townscape. Still, these blocks are a dying breed with the move to supermarkets and malls, and I now look at this one with sentimental fondness.
I love the colour of the oaks, but can never make a satisfying image of them. This one does, however, show of the ability of the Hi Matic7 to render colour, if not my compositional ability
About the camera: This Hi-Matic7 was purchased via online auction for not much money. The battery terminal was knackered and the shutter/aperture operation seemed sluggish. I partially stripped and cleaned things, though I'll admit the 7's escapement is a little beyond my monkey with a brick level of ability (the Yashica J is the outer limit of my comfort zone!) When finished, the metering appeared accurate and the shutter sounded OK, but I suspected the meter coupling was still sluggish. Thus I tested the 7 as a metered manual rather than as a true AE.
The results? I'm B%&&#Y impressed with the metering, and the lens is, IMHO an absolute belter. Lovely contrast and colour rendition. It really makes the best of our hard southern light. Most pics were, by the way, taken at EV 11-13, i.e. 1/30 and f/8 or 1/60 and f/8 or f/11 on Fuji ISO200 print film. I'm still coming to terms with correctly framing with a rangefinder (as you'll see), but otherwise: terrific!
The Town: Rangiora is where I grew up, and I'm still a little startled to be living back here after a long absence. It is a provincial market town that has become something of a dormitory town for Christchurch, the provincial capital that is 25KM (15.5 miles) to the south. Rangiora now has a pop. of 11,868.
Whilst New Zealand, and Christchurch in particular, is known as trying to be more English than the English, the truth is that our architecture is much more new world. Christchurch may have a lot of neo-Gothic paste in its historic precinct, but the market towns remain dominated by the false fronts, verandahs and weatherboards of the frontier.
My local, the Plough Hotel. It used to have a balcony.
It's difficult to capture this wonderful shop without the cars. It faces west, so in the morning, when there are no cars, the light's wrong.
Classic New Zealand Gothic. St John's Anglican Church, under restoration.
The archetypal arts and crafts cottage. This is one is Edwardian, just pre the onset of the Californian Bungalow. The Rokkor 45mm has done a woderful job in the 'golden hour'.
Reverential civic architecture. This modern public toilet takes its styling cues from nineteenth century hipped roof cottages.
Grandiose civic architecture. A nineteen-thirties electric sub-station.
Such flamboyance! This is where we watched the 'flicks' and stood self-consciously on stage in school plays.
False-fronts on High Street.
More false fronts. Here the Rokkor has just started to show weakness, losing contrast in the difficult light. The camera shop in the left of frame was once owned by local legend landscape photographer Andris Apse. www.andrisapse.com/
Maybe the oldest shop in town, it probably dates from the 1850s - note the hitching rails. My framing could be better!
1960s suburbia. The corner dairy is NZ's version of Britain's corner shop or America's convenience store. This block of shops - a hairdresser's, a corner dairy and a fish and chip takeaway - is typical of a 50s-60s suburban development. It's squat, utilitarian aspect, 'decorated shed' design and acres of intersection symbolize the consumption driven, car dominated emptiness of our modern townscape. Still, these blocks are a dying breed with the move to supermarkets and malls, and I now look at this one with sentimental fondness.
I love the colour of the oaks, but can never make a satisfying image of them. This one does, however, show of the ability of the Hi Matic7 to render colour, if not my compositional ability
