A Real Work of Art - Zeiss Ikon Contaflex 35mm Film Camera from the 1950's

I'm a little worried about myself. Now that I have just about every lens in my kit that I've ever wanted, I am getting the feeling that I will soon turn my attention, and wallet, to collecting classic 35mm film cameras such as this gorgeous Zeiss Ikon Contaflex that I stumbled upon on eBay...

This little camera is a work of art in and of itself. It was manufactured in Germany sometime between 1953 and 1958. As with most things designed and manufactured in Germany, the Zeiss Ikon Contaflex is extremely well-built and sturdy. Although it's at least 60 years old, it looks really great. When I hold it in my hands, I get the feeling like it will easily last another 60 years. It's made almost entirely of metal and that weight is reassuring. It features a fixed 45mm Zeiss Tessar f/2.8 lens which I'm sure will produce remarkable images. Here is a sample image that I found on the web (Photo credit: http://www.davidchuaphotography.com/tag/thoughts-on-photography/)...

The Zeiss Ikon Contaflex is a "Rangefinder" camera. That means that the focus ring is split into two halves, the two halves will align when you manipulate the focus ring and the image is in focus. The name Zeiss is synonymous with exceptional quality in the photography industry. Zeiss lenses are reknown and this camera has the distinction of having both a Zeiss body and lens. 

Fortunately, I found a You Tube video which demonstrates how to load the film into the camera body and I also found a .pdf download of the original manual. I plan to load some film into it after work tonight and I'll be sure to share my first roll of photos with you as soon as I can.

Check out some more pics of this classic beauty...

Zeiss Ikon Contaflex I

I'm still getting my feet wet when it comes to film photography. As you can see in the images below, I got a slight double exposure from my last roll of 120 medium format shots with my Hasselblad 503CW. I'm not sure if I exposed the roll when I opened the film back to remove the film after rewinding or if the film is just a bad roll, after all, it's been expired for a long time (yes, film does have an expiration date).

On the other hand, I have been doing a lot better and am quite pleased with the images from my Minolta X-700 35mm film camera. That probably has more to do with the fact that the Minolta X-700 features an Aperture Priority mode that I really like to use. I manually set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed so there's no guess work there.

The Sony 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye Has Arrived!

It's always a happy day when I see my name on the mail room list, this means that a package has arrived for me and today it was the Sony 16mm f/2.8 fisheye lens that awaited my signature. I unwrapped it with the unbridled ecstasy of a child on Christmas morning.

My first impressions (mind you, I've only had it in my possession for around 20 minutes as of this blog posting) is that it is an extremely well-made, high quality lens. It's all steel and feels sturdy and weighty, even the lens hood is made of steel or aluminum. It feels like it's built to last.

Photos shot with Sony A77.

Here are a few quick shots of the lens a a couple trial photos. So far so good.

Bored? Just Grab Your Camera and Walk

I've got these T Shirts for sale with a slogan I am proud to say I originated "EVERYTHING IS A PICTURE" (available now at http://www.cafepress.com/FelixGPhoto) and it's a catch phrase that really holds true. I decided to take myself out for dinner yesterday, as is usually the case here in Korea, and I brought my camera along. After all, I purchased the spectacular Sony A7 Mark II and complimented it with the impressive Zeiss Loxia 50mm lens for the specific purpose of shooting street photography. Just as I suspected, they make a fine pair!

Next time you find yourself with a little free time, even just an hour, you may find that walking around your neighborhood will yield a bounty of photographic opportunities, because, "Everything is a Picture".

All photos shot with Sony A7 Mark II and Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 lens

Arrived Today - Sony LA-EA4 Adapter

It's always a big boost to morale to a soldier stationed overseas when he or she receives mail, but it's an even bigger boost when that mail happens to be a package containing a much anticipated camera accessory such as the Sony LA-EA4 A-Mount to E-Mount lens adapter.

The Sony LA-EA4 adapter became a much wanted accessory for me because as it stands, I currently own 3 Sony E-Mount cameras; the Sony NEX-VG10 video camera, the Sony A6000 (APS-C sensor) and the Sony A7 Mark II (full frame) mirrorless cameras.

The Sony LA-EA4 adapter fits onto the front of your camera at the lens opening and snaps into place the same was as a lens would, then you simply attach your A-Mount lens to the front of the LA-EA4. The LA-EA4 is an improvement over it's 3 predecessors in that it offers full auto-focus capability and it's very fast.

I really like my E-Mount lenses but with this adapter, I now have the option of bringing ANY of my lenses, including the Minolta lenses, to the table and that has provided me with a vast array of lens options.

Buy yours at Amazon! Sony LA-EA4 A-Mount to E-Mount FF Lens Adapter with TMT

Seoul Photo and Imaging Expo (Blog, Video and Photos)

The COEX Convention Center located in Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea, played host to massive crowds who flocked to the big Seoul Photo and Imaging Expo last weekend. All the major brands were represented. It came as no surprise to see that Nikon, Canon and Sony had the biggest booths.

We spent a few hours walking around checking out all the latest products. We were most impressed with the Sony RX1R. It's a pricey compact point and shoot but they quality of the images matches anything I've seen from the top DSLRs.

I met up with a Facebook friend of mine, Brian Harris, who had a photo selected for display at the show and we did a fun short interview which you can see in the video.

Check out my video from the show:

Sony SAL 500mm

Sony A7S

Sony RX1R

Sony HDR-AZ1

Shot with my Sony A7 Mark II and a Zeiss Loxia 50mm lens.

We finished off our long weekend with the best sushi in Korea.

Sushi Town located in Gangnam.

Facebook Groups - Sony A7 Mark II and Sony A6000

I recently started a couple Facebook groups for amateurs and pros who use a variety of Sony DSLT and mirrorless cameras. Use the links below to join one of them...

Sony A7 Mark II Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/386959531486701/

Sony A6000 Facebook Group -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/a6000photos/

Sony A99 Facebook Group - 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/sonyA99/

So far, the A99 group has been the most active but that's because I've only just recently launched the other two within the last week or so.

The Facebook groups have been a fun place to share photos and exchange tips, tricks and links. I've got a great group of photography enthusiasts participating! Check it out.

Zeiss Loxia 50mm or Leica Summilux-M 50mm Hmm?

UPDATE (7 April 2015): I bought the Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2.

*****

I really want to take advantage of the full potential of my new Sony A7 Mark II. With this in mind, I recently ordered the Sony LE-EA4 adapter which will allow me to use my full inventory of A Mount glass (and I have a lot of those lenses) but I would also like to use some native, full-frame E Mount lenses as well.

Currently, I have only one full-frame lens for my A7 Mark II and that's the 70-200 G zoom lens (I recently ordered the Sony 28-70mm). I have several fantastic APS-C E Mount lenses that I use with my Sony A6000 but I definitely want to make up the deficiency in my full-frame E Mount inventory.

Perhaps my worries will be eased with the arrival of the LE-EA4 adapter, after all, I have two fantastic Minolta 50mm lenses, both the 1.4 and the 1.7 but can they compare in quality to some of the best 50mm glass in the world? Namely, the Zeiss Loxia 50mm which was developed specifically for the Sony E Mount system, or, the Leica Summilux M 50mm?

Both the Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 and Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 are considered world class lenses, the best the world has to offer in this focal length but are they worth the money. The simple answer is yes. However, where the decision is made for me on which to purchase (later this year) is the price.

The Zeiss Loxia 50mm is currently selling for around $950 USD and that seems to be a fair market price for a lens of this quality. Surely, a few nice used ones will show up on eBay in the near future, which is a good way to save a little money. Maybe I can get one for 800-ish in a few months?

The Leica Summilux-M 50mm on the other hand, is going to cost you nearly $3000 USD. I've seen a few priced around $2800 but regardless, that's a big price jump. Please note: you'll need an adapter to mount the Leica onto your Sony A7 but the good news is the adapters are really cheap, like $10 USD. Just search for a LM-NEX adapter.

Both are manual focus lenses, so you won't be using them for any action shots, but for studio, portrait and street photography, it might not get any classier or better than these two lenses. I really wish I could justify spending that kind of money on the Leica, but I just can't right now. No big deal, because it's really not "slumming it" to select the Zeiss Loxia, it's right up there with the Leica, held in the highest esteem among professionals and enthusiasts as one of the best 50mm lenses ever made.

I look forward to getting mine!

Leica Summilux M 50mm f/1.4

Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 Planar T Lens for Sony E Mount