New Toy

Kinja'd!!! "D" (danjee)
10/21/2013 at 00:50 • Filed to: None

Kinja'd!!!0 Kinja'd!!! 12
Kinja'd!!!

Say hello to my first own camera, a Pentax P30T. For a while now I've wanted to learn basic photography, so this manual-everything relic is a good, violent start. My photo-phile friend helped me pick it—everything checks out as complete and in good shape. Plus it only cost $25, although it's going to turn in a money pit before long. Here goes.


DISCUSSION (12)


Kinja'd!!! Victorious Secret > D
10/21/2013 at 01:02

Kinja'd!!!5

Your next purchase is going to be a medium format Hasselblad. You don't have a choice.

Then you're going to horde all the old Nikon AIS and Canon FD glass you can find, because that stuff is brilliance and you can still use it on modern digital cameras.


Kinja'd!!! OttoMaddox > D
10/21/2013 at 02:32

Kinja'd!!!1

You'll also want a rangefinder. Forget Leica for now; bodies are very expensive; glass is ridiculous. The fixed-lens rangefinders are just fine. A Canonet QL17 G III is a good choice. I have a few of them now. I got one in a lot with two Canon AE1 Program bodies, one in black; on FD 50mm f1.4 lens, and a Vivitar 100-300mm zoom which turned out to be a Pentax K-mount (which I don't have a use for); all for $60 on ebay.


Kinja'd!!! ToyDeathbot > D
10/21/2013 at 06:52

Kinja'd!!!0

Yeeeeah! I have a Pentax too, although I picked the fully mechanical path...it was because my Canon EOS 500 screwed up with it's electronic film advance/shutter mechanism that I gave up with battery-dependent film cameras. That lens is a 50 right?

Kinja'd!!!


Kinja'd!!! ToyDeathbot > OttoMaddox
10/21/2013 at 07:08

Kinja'd!!!0

the question is Canonet or Russian Leica clone?


Kinja'd!!! Who needs sway bars anyway > Victorious Secret
10/21/2013 at 08:47

Kinja'd!!!1

This x1000000. I started with a Cannon AE1 and bought a handful of cannon FD lenses off of ebay/KEH and now I use them with my Nikon DSLR and they are great, the lack of auto focus makes doing moving subjects a challenge, but everything else is fantastic.


Kinja'd!!! Victorious Secret > Who needs sway bars anyway
10/21/2013 at 10:42

Kinja'd!!!2

I eBay'd myself an old Hassel just for medium format godliness and I've been scouring the web for fast FD primes, I'll even buy one of those AF confirmation adapters for Nikon and Canon glass so I can at least get visual confirmation I'm on focus using my 7D.

What I really, really want is the Nikon 50mm f/1.2 AIS. My god that lens. Half price of the Canon 1.2 and to be perfectly honest I'd only ever shoot at 1.2 and not having AF is okay by me because I've used the 1.2 and its AF can only be described as "Go home Canon, you are drunk"


Kinja'd!!! Who needs sway bars anyway > Victorious Secret
10/21/2013 at 10:53

Kinja'd!!!0

I would love a Hasselblad but even the eBay ones are a bit out of my current price range, I'm Currently using a Nikon D60 with an inexpensive FD- Nikon adapter, I still get focus conformation in Manual mode which is all I really need, but I am hoping to find a better adapter because bellow 50mm the image gets a bit distorted from the adapter lens. So far my best scores have been a 600mm f6.5 lens for $20 that has produced some great Moon shots and a 200mm f3.5 vivitar that is crystal clear and has that great manual feel you really don't get from newer stuff.


Kinja'd!!! D > ToyDeathbot
10/21/2013 at 14:30

Kinja'd!!!0

Yeah the lens is 50mm. It came with a Tiffen Sky 1-A filter too. I researched it and it doesn't seem to have too much impact other than removing some UV, so I'm leaving it on right now to protect the lens.


Kinja'd!!! OttoMaddox > ToyDeathbot
10/21/2013 at 21:42

Kinja'd!!!0

Your choice but the Canonet is called the poor man's Leica for its optical quality and elegant design. And they are lighter and cheaper.


Kinja'd!!! Stephen the Canuck > D
10/22/2013 at 20:47

Kinja'd!!!0

Nice pick up. I get the new camera fascination. I just picked up a Canon T3i last week and am having an absolute blast. I keep looking at ways to get good deals on more lenses.


Kinja'd!!! D > Stephen the Canuck
10/22/2013 at 20:49

Kinja'd!!!0

It's fun stuff! I can't wait to finish this first roll to see just how bad I am :)


Kinja'd!!! Stephen the Canuck > D
10/22/2013 at 20:57

Kinja'd!!!0

That's one thing about a DSLR I like, I can see the results right away so I can correct it. I've noticed improvement already. Your post has made me want to collect some classic film cameras too.