My new film camera

Personally I dont really care about the IQ differences many appear to see between analogue and digital capture. Frankly my experience has been that with careful processing you can get pretty much the same image outputs irrespective of how you input the data.

For me the only material differences are in flexibility and handling. And while the basic flexibility limitations of film remain, my experience is that by pairing a digital camera with a film one I can ameliorate the worst of the issues I have with film, settle back and enjoy the experience a lot more.

All of which I've said before, so why the new post?

Well to be honest I've got a new addiction. I love my nice new little Peugeot hot hatch - if I've got to go somewhere I always grab its keys and I know I'll have a great drive, it will be reliable and comfortable and - well - easy. But usually once a week I dont "have" to drive anywhere - then I break out my old Lancia which is slower, rougher, less dependable but oh so cool and fun and gorgeous.

Whats this got to go with photography?

Well, the Sony A700 and all my lovely AF lenses are my modern little hot hatch but I've been having so much fun with the occasional fang with film with my $40 Minolta HiMatic I've decided to get a bit more into this 'classic' photography with a more powerful old timer.

So I just placed my order for Contax 167 and Zeiss Planar 50 1.7. Why Contax? Lots of reasons, one (like a classic Lancia) it rare, you'll months without seeing another. Two, its got all those wonderful Zeiss lenses that are (with a few astronomical exceptions) remarkably reasonably priced. Three - Robert Capa used one (ok not the 167 but close enough). Four - this particular camera is really small but reputably as hard as a coffin nail. Five - have you seen these camera's and lenses? just looking at them is a treat.

You'll notice I havent really spent any time trying to say my new camera is particularly good - I hope it is, but really this new experience is all about the journey not the destination.

Maybe its not that tough going back to film (occasionally).