Canon EOS 3 , 35mm film camera by Ken "Max" Parks

For a while I have had my eye on Canon 35mm cameras that supports the EF mount lenses of which I have some for my DSLR Canon cameras. I would not have to purchase any lenses nor have to buy any adapters. One of those models is the high-end Professional cameras produced from 1997 to 2007... the Canon EOS 3.

The EOS 3 I acquired is shown here with a an EF 50mm lens, f/1.4 and a Battery Power Boost device (PB-E2 ); supports 8 AA batteries, and it allows the AF (auto-focus) to react faster and provide a higher rate of sequence shooting, up to 7 frames per second. Without this battery grip, 3.3 frames per second. And without, it uses a single 2CR5 battery which is becoming increasingly difficult to find. I know I can easily find AA batteries.

What amazes me about this camera is the ability to know where I want to focus the viewfinder. This is an extra-ordinary auto-focus system of which it knows where you move your eye and then allows for the 45-point AF to set its focused point. There is nothing like this on any known DSLR camera. While one has to fumble with dials, knobs, or fingering the back viewer to point to a focus point with the latest and greatest DSLRs, the EOS 3 seems to magically select by sensing where my eye is looking and automatically focuses on that point before I release the shutter. It seems to
be ahead of the technical functions of our time.

And, if I don't like to use this AF function, I can resort to the old methods of auto-focusing.

Everything else about this camera makes it simple to operate. It does what I want it to do without the junk features commonly placed on today's DSLRs. I like simple... because I'm lazy. I can go manual, aperture preferred, or shutter preferred.

The EOS 3 was designed even for the amateur photographer in mind. Yet I prefer the Pro-sized weight and size with the add-on PB-E2 battery grip. The plastic carbonate makes the body lighter and yet more durable than a metal body. Canon insists that the gaskets on all the buttons and controls will protect from rain and dust. However, I would be reluctant to challenge that ability.

The top shutter speed is 1/8000 sec. and the slowest is 30 seconds. A flash unit can be synchronized up to 1/200 sec. The focusing screens can be replaced. I intend to find one with the split-image glass. The EOS has an auto-loading feature for film, and once I reach the roll limit, it takes about 6 seconds for it to auto-rewind.

I would have to say that this is a well thought out camera and the ergonomics makes it easy to handle. There are some pros and cons to this camera, but overall I would give this camera an A- grade.

Canon EOS M5 (mirrorless) by Ken "Max" Parks

About 18 months ago, Canon introduced a newly designed mirrorless DSLR camera called the M5, and it was quite different from the other Canon models. I waited for the price drop. Then I sold my 80D which I hardly used (only 383 shutter releases) so as to make the purchase of a used M5.

The major advantage I found was the weight and footprint of the M5 was much lighter and smaller than the clunky 80D and 7D Mark II.


This is very good for travel photography. I had looked at Olympus and Nikon, but that would require purchasing all new set of lenses. With a third party adapter, I can use all of my Canon lenses, still using auto-focus (AF). It was a no-brainer decision.


<--- The size differences of the M5compared to a 7DMark II with battery grip




The Canon EOS M5 uses the same 24.2 Mp sensor as the 80D... I like that! And this is built around the dual-pixel APS-C sensor giving it depth-aware focus in any part of the frame as one chooses. I keep the focus mainly in the center by using the back touch screen. Unlike all other M-series cameras, the M5 has an electronic view finder (EVF). And then there are several external controls, including twin control dials, that work in conjunction with the well designed touchscreen.

In comparison to Sony's a6000 and a6300, the direct controls put it above and ahead and making it more comfortable to use. It is on the same par with Panasonic's GX85. In addition, these cameras aim to offer still and video capabilities with relatively small and light weight bodies with quality level of direct external controls. I like the option of using this feature and the touchscreen.

Key Specifications of the M5

• 24MP Dual Pixel APS-C CMOS Sensor
• 2.36M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder
• 1.62M-dot tilting rear touchscreen
• Electronic video stabilization combines with in-lens IS to give 5-axis IS
• 7 fps continuous shooting (9 fps with focus and exposure locked)
• Wi-Fi with always-connected Bluetooth
  

Canon offers a few M-series lenses, but I found them to be expensive, slow f-stops, cheaply built, and made in China (plastic mounts as opposed to the more reliable metal mounts). Although heavier, the Canon EF and EF-S lenses work quite well including the AF with an adapter. There are third party makers, such as 7artisan that makes manual focus and yet fast lenses. I have yet to see the quality differences of the 7artisan lenses as compared to the Canon lenses.

There is an adapter for the older OM Zuiko lenses of which I have many to fit on to the M5. Albeit manual focus, the Zuiko glass is faster, such as the 55mm f/1.2, and still maintains quality images. Because of the 1.6x factor, the 55mm is equivalent to a 83mm and is excellent for portrait work.

Amazingly in this small camera body, the M5 has 4 dials in total: two main dials on the top of the camera, an exposure compensation dial and a 4^th encircling the four-way controller on the back side of the camera. In comparison to the previous M-series models, this offers greater flexibility for the user to have a higher level of direct control. This has provided for me a much more hands-on control in my shooting experience; I prefer to set the mode of operation to aperture preferred or sometimes fully manual, aperture and shutter speeds.

Later on, I will be using this camera for shooting video Bible lessons. I'm not interested in super high quality 4K video capability, but still have the video quality necessary for Facebook and YouTube. What I find desirable is the ability to use the touchscreen to re-position the focus point with a high level of confidence in that the camera will smoothly glide the focus to the right point.

There are a few annoyances, such as the position of the red video record button. Sometimes, I accidentally hit the button while shooting stills. I rendered a fix by turning off the button and reapplying the video-record feature to the M-fn button located on the top of the camera. I also added a small metal brace so that my right palm would be further away from the body and not interfere with shooting stills and hitting some other button on the backside with my thumb.

The battery life is short as compared to other cameras, only 295 shots. But I have set the camera for ECO mode which saves on power and can get up to 350 shots. There is no battery grip capabilities for this lightweight camera (2 batteries). I just happen to carry four more spare batteries.

For landscape and architecture photography, the M5 has high definition resolution (HDR), adjustable range out to 2 full stops, and high speed shots, 9 frames per second.

For wedding photography, the clunky 7D Mark II with a battery grip (>800 shots) and the ability to record dual card shooting, will still be the primary, and the M5 (80D replacement) will be the secondary camera.

I believe mirrorless cameras (no need for internal mechanical mirror shaking) will become the wave of the future. Canon has recently introduced the EOS R, a full frame mirrorless 30mp DSLR camera and can easily replace the 5D Mark IV.

Keep on shooting!

My New Toy: Olympus OM-4Ti

Yes, I shoot both digital with my professional Canon 7D mk II (20 mp) and Canon 80D (24 mp) and 35mm film with the latest in my collection, an Olympus OM-4 Ti, which stands for a Titanium body and one of the best of the OM family and the crown jewel of my collection.

I am somewhat of a collector of 35mm cameras.  A few cameras to my collection has been the old Voigtlander Bessematic with a hard-to-find Zoomar lens, 35-72mm, f/2.8, and some recently added Pentax classic K1000 and the ME Super.

But this jewel is my favorite of all of my OM cameras, including the two OM-10s with adapters, a OM-2, OM-2S, and the battery drainer OM-4.  In my traveling years, these OM cameras, exclusive of the OM-4Ti has been to Canada, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Austria, Romania (Bucharesti) and to Italy several times inclusive of Milan (4 times), Turin (twice), Vigevano, Matua, Florence (twice), Rome and the Vatican, the Tuscana region, and the Dolomiti Mountains.  I was even  allowed to photograph the Shroud of Turin (no flash allowed).


All of the OM bodies can take on the Winder-2 for shooting 2.5 frames per second; that's not bad for old technology. It saves from having to engage the shutter manually with the lever. It has been used for shooting sports such as pee-wee football leagues, soccer matches and a few tennis games.  I used the OM-2 and a 120-600mm zoom lens

I have been shooting strictly B&W film, Kodak Tri-X and boost it to 1600 ISO (ASA) and then develop it with Acufine.  After the development process, I use my old reliable Epson scanner V600, despeckle the images and then clean up more with Photoshop CS-5 and NIK software.  The images are equivalent to shooting with a 40mp digital camera.  Yes, the process is more tedious, but well worth it.

Some of the advantages of this camera over the first OM-4 is the considerable strength of the body which uses Titanium as opposed to aluminum.  The dilemma of extensive battery drainage of the OM-4 has been eradicated with the OM-4T and 4Ti.

This last of the OM family came up with spot metering which makes the exposure of one's subject matter "on the spot" accurate.  One can also select shadow areas or highlighted areas. This is an awesome management of exposure that only can be found on the more expensive 35mm cameras and even the professional dSLR cameras.

My next adventure to Italy will be with my OM-4Ti along with one of my digital cameras.

This is one of my favorite images of Dino (A very good Italian friend who has been deceased these past few years) taken with my OM-2 back in 1999. We were in a pizzeria in a small town of Sa'lo where he ordered a pizza that had these elongated and crunchy fried taste items.  I asked him, "What are these,"  and he responded, "What do you call the ocean creature that has 8-legs?"

"OCTOPUS legs???"

"Yes, that's it!"  LOL!!!

The Italians even eat fried frog legs... YUCK!

Ciao per adesso, mia tutti amici!  (Bye for now, all of my friends!)

Anticipation of Canon 7D Mark II

By Ken Parks, September 13, 2014

It's been longer than 4 years since Canon has updated their APS-C flagship DSLR camera. Sure they have added new models to their lineup, but the 7D is in dire need of matching or exceeding the latest technology.

The latest rumor mill has it that the NEW and improved Canon 7D Mk II will be released at the next Photokina show on or about September 15.

I know what I would like to see (wish list) and it includes the following anticipation:

Wifi – this is a feature long needed, the ability to send images to your laptop, tablet, etc.

AF Video – the current 7D does not have the ability to auto-focus while video recording.
Double Exposure – a feature to allow multiple exposure over the same image.
Dual CF cards – the capability to copy from one CF card to another and continual shooting.
ISO upgrade to 51200.
Filters – have multiple image filters including the original image file.
CMOS filter of 24mp.

Multiple off-camera Flash configurations.

If Canon can add a few of these features/upgrades to the NEW Mk II, I would be tempted to sell one of my 7D's in favor of the some new features or upgrades.  If not and the price is unreasonable, then I'll stay with my older 7D cameras (own two), and maybe I'll keep the cameras for another 4 years.

There are several other features that will definitely be upgrades. However, if Canon wants to stay in competition to the latest Nikon innovations, they must compete with a model that will have Nikon users turning heads.

Sigma 18-50mm Lens

By Ken Parks, September 12, 2014

This little gem was picked up so as to handle a focal length range and speed that was not in my toolbox, the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 lens. I had a rectangular zoom 8-18mm, a 18-270mm and yet a bit slow, and a 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

This lens is strictly for digital APS-C type sensor on DSLR cameras, such as Nikon and Canon. The cost is relatively low for this quality glass, about $395-500 depending on the store. There also exist lens mounts for Minolta, Pentax, and the Sigma DSLR cameras.

Despite the fast lens aperture size of f/2.8, the design is compact in size and weight, which is smaller than the heavier full-frame size lenses. It then becomes a good match for the new technology of small mirror-less digital cameras.

The design is composed of a set of aspherical SLD (Special Low Dispersion) groups of elements. And the 7 aperture blades allows for a finer focus and depth of field (DOF). The lens offers a focus distance of 0.28m (about 12 inches) and a Auto-Focus (AF) micro-motor at an acceptable noise level.

The lens has the same EX (excellent) appearance, the EX crinkle finish and rubberized control rings. I found that the focus is relatively smooth and the zooming a bit on the stiff side, which is typical of EF lenses. The zoom mechanism is tight, not allowing for any inner tube wobble often found on cheap lenses. And zoom creeping has not been an issue in any of my shoots.

At the 18mm mark, there seems to be a slight barrel distortion, and at 35mm and 50mm there is very little of distortion. Vignetting seems to be normal and not much of a concern. However, the weakness of this lens at the f/2.8 setting is the noticeable purple chromatic aberration (fringing) when enlarged to 200% in Photoshop.

The quality that exceeds my expectations is the bokeh (shallow depth of field) which I find quite pleasing especially shooting portraits. When it comes to color, Sigma appears to have improved their color correction coating process.

Windows XP: Final Breath

By Ken Parks, March 30, 2014

After 12 years of their most successful operating system (O/S), Microsoft is giving up on Windows XP as of April 8, 2014.

To this day, nearly 33% of companies, individuals, and education systems still use Windows XP. Why not? It's reliable and stable, for the most part. Even AT&T was using Windows XP into the beginning of 2013 with their eventual conversion to Windows 7.

I have it on the old PC along with the ability to boot Linux (Ubuntu). It is reliable and yet only good for 32 bit applications. The apps that use 64 bits need to run on Windows 7 or 8.1 in order to successfully implement the fullness of these O/S's.

So, April 8^th is the day of reckoning; Microsoft will no longer support Windows XP. If you have a virus or a malware attack, going to Microsoft will be futile. Being a multi-decade computer geek, I usually find ways to resolve virus and malware issues. But for the commoner, it might be best to upgrade to the new O/S and new hardware.

Recently, a new computer was built in the confines of my home. “Patriot,” a super computer was to run Windows 7. In addition, this beast of a machine has 16 TBs of disk drives, a Hex-Core processor (Intel i7 4930) running at 3.4 Gh), a Solid State Drive (SSD) of 240 GBs ,and an H100i sealed water-cooling system. Some call it “overkill.” I call it fantastic.

But when it comes to the old PC, it will remain as is, a Windows XP machine. It won't recognize the memory upgrade, and it won't accept 4GB drives. Sure it's slower and won't support the latest technologies such as USB 3.0 and the fast drives, but it's reliable and stable. And that to me counts the most.

The Model Shoot

For the most part, I'm not a model photographer. Over the years, I have learned some of the techniques of posing and working with models. And, I think this is not one of my strong points. I'm inclined to photograph weddings, portraits, landscapes, street scenes, architecture... and the list goes on. Model photography, I consider to be my weakness.

It's not that I don't get along with models; it's quite the contrary. I'm a talker and I like to communicate with models during the shoot, what they like, their hobbies, and even their relationships. I think it allows for them to become comfortable and then they have a tendency to trust me. And, what I hear from other photographers and models is that they like my approach within the sessions.

In terms of doing a model gig, I'm reluctant. On occasion, I'll build up enough courage to do a model shoot. It's work and requires some imagination and knowing the basics. Sometimes, you can break the compositional rules, but most times, I stay with what I know works well. If there is a more experienced photographer who has shot many model gigs, I allow them to run the show, set up the model poses, and hopefully I can learn something in the process.

I always canvass the area of the model shoot and see where the sun is positioned. When I'm foreign to the area, I sometimes wing it, or rather experiment with the props, the scenery of the area, and the backgrounds. I try to photograph the models in shaded areas, where the light is softer. It's almost the same for shooting weddings and outdoor portraits --- go for the soft light.

Lens selection: This varies on the type of model shoot. If there is to be a lot of head shots or three/forth shots, I generally use a lens that will give me shallow depth of field, somewhere in the range of f/2.8 to f/4 and slight telephoto. Usually this will involve the 35mm equivalent of a 80mm or 100mm lens. I find myself using the combination of an 80mm Carl Zeiss Planar T* lens from the Hasselblad and the Canon dSLR camera. I call it the Canonblad.

If the model shoot is outdoors and there is scenery that can be used to highlight the shoot, then I use wide angle lenses. I often use two dSLR cameras, favorites being the Canon EOS 7D, and the wide angle lens of choice is a Sigma 8-16mm. The other lens is often one of my favorites, a Tamron 18-270mm lens. With both of these lenses, I can cover the full focal length gamut.

The most recent model shoot was in Canton along with model photographer and organizer, Cory Shannon. Of the four models invited only one model subscribed to the model shoot, Di Alisia.

Cory has much more experience in model shoots, and I was surprised in how much knowledge he had in film photography. Most young photographers shoot only with digital and have never shot film. This is not the case with Cory. He had a Nikon FE 35mm camera and an old Mamiya M645 medium-format camera (I used to shoot weddings in Florida with the same exact camera).

And Di Alisia was an exceptional model. She knew how to pose. She did not complain about the slightly chilly temperatures. And one of her interest is photography. She did a very good job and made it easier for me.

Do I aspire to be a model photographer? It's not my strong point. However, I enjoy a vast type of photography and doing a model shoot fits in with all the others.

Olympus OM-10: A Beginner's Camera

The camera purchased in 1997 as a backup for the OM-2 was a low-cost OM-10. I didn't expect much from this camera other than it can be used if the OM-2 cameras failed, especially on journey's to Italy. When I brought the camera to Italy, it failed. Upon return, it was designated to a dresser drawer and rested there for 14 years. 

Recently, I took the OM-10 out of its darken enclave. I cleaned the battery compartment and added two new batteries. Surprisingly, it worked. I attached a “manual adapter” and now the camera can be used similar to an old Pentax K1000, beginner's camera, manual only or aperture preferred.

I tested the various lenses and found out that the intermittent lens jam of the OM-2 never became an issue with the OM-10. The more I played with the OM-10 the more I liked it. It can still be set for aperture preferred which is what I often use for my dSLR cameras. Now the 55mm f/1.2 lens has found a partner in the OM-10 and in conjunction, it actually works better than the OM-2. I am pleasantly surprised.

The Olympus OM-10 can be found in garage sales, eBay, and stores selling used 35mm cameras. Usually, they are found with the standard 50mm f/1.8 lens, which is by the way very good glass. And what the camera is capable in terms of its function in comparison to cost, I believe it's the best bang-for-the-buck. On KEH.com, a used OM-10 goes for $35.00 and it fits the entire set of Zuiko lenses, which can also be easily obtained.

Olympus introduced the OM family of SLRs back in 1972, the first being the M-1. The release caused quite a stir because of its smallness and lightness. In comparison, the Nikon F-series were huge, bulky and heavy. Olympus then produced the OM-1, OM-2, OM-3, and OM-4 models with various models in between. The OM-10 was first released in 1979 and completed its production in 1987. It was geared up to be an entry-level consumer model. Certainly Olympus produced this model with the intent of lower production cost, and it became quite a success. Perhaps the abundant supply of the OM-10 is the reason that so many can be easily found in the used market.

One of the features or the lack there of that causes photographers to obtain the more expensive OM models is that the OM-10 does not have a manual mode. Some photographers cannot work a camera without this function. In difficult lighting situations or with electronic flash, manual mode is preferred. I know that I must have manual mode. Olympus realized that an optional “manual adapter” would be necessary.

Although, the OM-10 is lighter than other OM-series cameras, the cost cutting has impacted the dampening system, causing the camera to be noisier and no so quiet as the OM-2. Also, the lack of dampening creates more of a kick-back or internal bouncing of the mirror. This can result in blur effects at low shutter speeds, more so than the higher quality OM-series cameras. With the 55mm f/1.2, shutter speeds can be increased and camera shake effect is eliminated.

Other than that, The lightweight OM-10 is an awesome little camera, and is worth serious consideration for a beginner. One can easily upgrade to an OM-2 or higher model, using the full array of Zuiko lenses and 3^rd party lenses. For the advanced or professional photographer, the OM-10 makes an excellent backup. The OM-10 may not be considered a collectors piece, but it's now one of my best 35mm cameras.

OM-2: Back to Film Photography

I'm back to shooting film photography on a regular basis. This doesn't mean that I've abandoned digital. It's more of a supplement to digital photography, especially when high detail is required, equivalent to 40 megapixel or higher. Joe Hoyle and the F-troop (film-troop) encouraged me to venture back into emulsion photography.

One of my old favorites cameras is the Olympus OM-2. I acquired my first OM-2 when I was editor of my college yearbook staff. I had been shooting for many years with an old Voigtlander Bessamatic and a number of German lenses. What enticed me to go with the OM-2 was the articles that I read, that Time-Life had exchanged all of their Nikon systems in favor of Olympus. I was more than impressed. And there was third party lens manufacturers such as Vivitar. The camera and lenses were purchased at the Olde Mystic Photo Shoppe. Like my Dad, I learned how to bargain. The bargaining started with, “I'm not going to pay the store price!”

The owner, a former Brooklynite, was startled, “What do mean, you're not going to pay store price?”

“Exactly. I can make a trip to New York and go to 47^th Street Photo and purchase it at a far better price.”

“Why would you do that when you can save yourself from a two-hour drive?”

“Look, I can drive to NY, pay for the gas, and still save more than what you are asking. And besides, I know the mark-up and how much you're making off each camera and the lenses”

“Okay, you have me there. But what I can do is give you the 47^th Street advertised price and charge an extra $20.00 for your cost of gas.”

“Hmmm... that sounds reasonable. But I want the f/1.4 lens and not the f/1.8 lens”

“You drive a hard bargain.”

“That's what 47^th Street Photo is offering!”

“Okay, it's a deal.”

Later on, I bargained with the same store owner over the price of a Beseler 23C enlarger and darkroom supplies. My Dad had lived in Brooklyn, NY and had learned to bargain for most anything of high price, such as cameras, cars, and even the house that we purchased in Mystic. By watching him wheel-n-deal, I had become a good student.

Had my Dad been alive in that fall of 1976, he probably would have disowned me. He had a great disdain for Japanese camera equipment and wanted me to shoot only German cameras and lenses. But times were changing, and the Japanese had produced some good glass, maybe not the same high-quality as the German manufacturers such as Carl Zeiss and Schneider. But they were good enough for my purposes and cost a whole lot less.

I added a Vivitar Series 1 lens for the OM-2. This short and fast f/2.8 zoom lens became the primary lens of choice for most assignments. Over the years, prior to digital photography, my OM system had grown to another OM-2 body, motor drives, the fast Zuiko 55mm f/1.2, a 35-70mm Zuiko lens, a long telephoto Vivitar 75-300mm lens, and even a longer telephoto 120-600mm Vivitar lens (great sports and bird photography lens).

The OM-2 had seen many adventures and travel to places such as Italy, Belgium, Canada, and many of our U.S. States. And after all of these years and the dramatic technology changes in the photography business, my OM-2 system has endured the test of time, more than 35 years. Surprisingly, my original OM-2 camera is still functioning. The only thing not working is the small red LED light that is used to check for battery operation. No big problem! Other people have attested that this is one durable little camera.

Today, I did an experiment with the OM-2, shooting with TX-400 film and using multiple exposures on the same subject. This is the equivalent to setting up a digital camera for HDR or high dynamic range. In a few more days, the results of the negative scan to digital and the use of NIK software, HDR Efex Pro, should provide something of interest. I have yet to see anyone try this. If someone has tried this, I have not heard about it.

I'd Love to Win a Canon 5D Mark III

Big thanks to the SnapKnot wedding photography directory for offering this great camera giveaway!