Gotta run, it’s trick or treat time for Rio, oops! I mean Harry Potter!

One from the archives. I’m near the end of a roll in both the XA and the OM2, so bear with me until I finish shooting those. If all goes well I should have some pretty cool library porn* on the way.

*It’s okay, you can click on that link. It’s not what you think;)

Here’s a shot from the Olympus OM2 test roll. I only shot 12 exposures - 6 with the 50mm lens and 6 with my zoom lens. The 50mm was predictably clearer and brighter overall. I think I can get sharper results from the zoom in the future if I stabilize it. I’m thinking about getting a cheap monopod - something very light and portable should do the trick. I shot this roll very hastily and I really don’t have any other shots worth sharing. Also, the roll in my Holga turned out like crap because I keep forgetting which setting to use for the bulb shutter setting! So I’m running out of photos again and I really need to get out and shoot. A lot! Hopefully this weekend will provide some opportunities.

Love that red!

Another Argus shot of Rio being silly:)

Here’s a sample from the Argus Argoflex 75 test roll. This is my first Argus, not to be confused with the Argus 75 that I purchased shortly after the Argoflex. The only difference is that one has a portrait lens. I’ve got a test roll in that one right now. They both have a working bulb flash and several replacement bulbs, and two different sized leather cases. I’ll probably merge all of these accessories and keep just one Argus. So far the results from the test roll are mixed (I haven’t scanned them all yet). The contrast is highly variable, and I suspect that this may be somewhat more the fault of my scanner, not the camera. Or perhaps a little of both. In any case, this was one of the more contrasty shots and also one of the best. I like contrasty images. Overall, this camera seems to produce Holga-like results without the vignetting. In fact, the Argus offers even less control over the image. No focusing, no aperture or shutter options. Well, it does have a Timer setting which is like the “B” setting - the shutter is open for as long as you hold down the button. I’ve got lots of negs to scan, lots of test rolls to shoot in my new cameras, and lots of stuff to post. It’s a bit chaotic at the moment but this is the kind of problem I don’t mind having:)

My Olympus OM2 arrived yesterday! So far I’m very pleased with it. It’s much smaller and lighter than the brick-like Mamiya MSX, and yet it clearly has a much more quality build overall. But the real test will be in the photos! So I’ve loaded it with 12 exposures of some cheap Walgreens film (12 exposure film is surprisingly hard to come by) and I’ll put it to the test over the next day or two. Also, I purchased a zoom lens for it which I’ll pick up at the post office after work. I needed a reasonably quick zoom lens for shooting horse shows, and this was a very affordable choice. It’s the 65-200mm/4.0 one-touch zoom, which means that focusing and zooming are accomplished in one movement. I’m not sure how that works exactly (yet), but I expect it to be useful when I’m trying to catch fast-moving horses over jumps. I also want to say that the main reason I chose the Olympus OM system (besides all the rave reviews I read) is that I’ve been so impressed with my Olympus XA. In comparison, the XA is a simple snapshot camera, but it’s the best snapshot camera EVER! I love the sharp details, the saturated colors, the slight vignetting, the aperture priority shooting mode, and most of all, I can fit it in my purse or pocket and take it everywhere, and I’m always pleased with the photos I get from it. Olympus made me a believer, and I feel good about investing in their OM system, even if it is nearly as old as I am:) As soon as I get my negatives scanned, I’ll have some test shots from the Argus to share and some Holga stuff on the way too!

Isn’t it funny how those 2 front teeth always seem to come out together? I couldn’t wait to get a shot of that grin:) I’m sure there will be many more. My second Argus 75 arrived tonight. I know, I know! But it was only $3 and this one has a portrait lens! I couldn’t wait to test out that lens, so I just loaded some film into it and then also found out that it fits my tripod. So I’ll be playing around with my new toy tonight. And my new Olympus OM2 arrives tomorrow . . . Life is grand! And not just because of my new cameras;)

I pick up two rolls of film tomorrow morning, and then the test roll from the Argus on Wednesday. And hopefully I’ll be able to drop off another roll from my Holga tomorrow, which should be done on Wednesday as well. AND my other new cameras should arrive any day now! Weeeee! In other words, I’ll be posting a lot of new stuff very soon:)

Here’s Rio demonstrating the Argus Argoflex 75. Isn’t it cute? I shot a test roll yesterday, but I won’t get it back from the lab until Wed (real black & white film only gets done on Tues & Thurs). I can’t wait to see how it turns out! I’m now at the tail end of 3 rolls of film in 3 cameras, and my new ones haven’t even arrived yet! I’m thinking maybe I should start shooting 12 exposure rolls just so I don’t have to wait so long to get a batch of photos. But for now I’ll try to finish off these rolls so I have something to post, because I’m running out of shots.

eBay is my new favorite vice. My first camera purchase arrived today - the Argus Argoflex 75. As soon as I find another 620 spool, I’ll be in business. I have another Argus 75 and the Olympus on the way. Weeeee! I’ll post a photo of the Argoflex very soon. I love to just look at it and admire it. On a completely unrelated note, here’s one more reason to love The Spankers, if you didn’t already.

My 15 minutes of fame has arrived. It was fun while it lasted:) But I certainly feel more comfortable behind the camera, thank you very much.