Camera Collections: chrisg35mm and his Admirable Analog Arsenal

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Chris Goodacre has been shooting on film since the late 1970s. At the same time, he also took interest in building an artillery of analog weapons. In this interview, he shares an extensive list of his collection and the fantastic story that come with each of his cameras.

Chris Goodacre aka @chrisg35mm

Name: Chris Goodacre
Location: Peterborough, United Kingdom
LomoHome: @chrisg35mm

Please tell us about yourself, what you do, and what you are passionate about.

Since becoming a Lomography member, I’ve realized that everyday things that most people just pass by can make interesting photos. Even if you’re not taking photos, I think you notice things that some people might miss: colors, shapes, textures, lines, the light on something, a single point of focus. It enriches your visual senses. I think you all know what I am saying. For this, I would like to say “thank you” to all my fellow members and contributors for all your photos that have enlightened me.

I classify myself as a “Hybrid Lomographer.” My work as a technology author means that almost every day I realize the need to take a photo of an engineering assembly – a picture is worth a thousand words! So, a digital camera is an essential tool that I need to know how to use. The skills that I’ve learned using film cameras over the years have helped me as a digital photographer and vice-versa.

I think this is the first lomo style photo I took in 2007 with my phone.

How long have you been collecting film gear and how did it start?

Back in 1979, I remember looking at some photos I took with a 110 Instamatic and I thought these were rubbish. So, my wife brought me a Zenit EM as a birthday present.

The realization that a photo taken at f/2 and 1/500 of a second was sharp, with just the subject in focus. I had not really understood before how the different apertures and shutter speeds can have such a dramatic effect on a photo. Evening classes further advanced my interest in photography. The joy of developing my first film and watching the first photo appear in the darkroom will never be forgotten. I was hooked on photography and I started collecting the gear, lenses, flashgun, filters, and a big bag to put it all in.

It must only be about three years ago that I really started collecting cameras. I was browsing around an antique and bric-a-brac shop when an old Exakta Varex SLR caught my eye. I picked it up and admired its built quality and style. I wound it on. I tried the shutter and it fired. I thought it would look good sitting on a cabinet in the bedroom. I dug out my old Zenit EM and let it sit next to the Exakta so it will not feel alone.

Next, I put my Yashica Minitec Super from the 1990s next to them. But it didn’t look right. It has the wrong style, too high-tech with auto focus. It has been a few years since I used it so I put film on it to see if it still works. Next time I was in town, I got a roll of Kodak 200 ASA film, loaded the Yashica, and fired away. I got the film processed and admired the prints.

I had forgotten how much I liked film. I was back in analog mode. Then, I went past a charity shop I saw another film camera that needed a good home and this saga continues.

Can you possibly itemize every camera, film roll, and accessory you own?

Too many. The majority of them are in good, working condition but I’ve put together my favorite army members to share with you.

Retired Section

Ernemann Rolf I – circa 1924

This cute little folding bed camera was given to me by an elderly aunt. It used to belong to her parents. It uses a 127 format film and was made by Ernemann in a factory in Dresden, the former East Germany. It has a combined shutter mode and aperture lever for the settings M12 (Moment = instant mode at F12), Z12 (Zeit = time mode at F12) and Z18 (Zeit = time mode at F18). The viewfinder turns 90 degrees for framing portrait or landscape photos. Camera status: It seems to be working.

Agfa Isolette 1 – circa 1954

This is a 120 folding film camera. I also got the nice leather case that comes with it. This camera has given the photographer a lot more control than the box cameras that were common then. It has various shutter with speeds that ranges from 1/25 – 1/200 plus “B” and is fitted with an 85mm Agfa Agnar f/4.5 lens that stops down to f/22. Camera status: It seems to be working.

Kodak Six-20 Brownie Six-20 – circa 1933

The classic Six-20 Brownie box camera was made by Kodak in the US and Kodak Ltd. in the UK between May 1933 and April 1941. The US and UK models were entirely different in both construction and the art-deco fascia. They took eight 6×9 cm images on 620 film. Camera status: It seems to be working.

Exakta Varex IIb – circa 1965

This beauty is a 35mm film SLR camera manufactured by Ihagee Kamerawerk Steenbergen & Co in Dresden, former East Germany between 1963 to 1966. The lens is a 50mm, f/2.8 Zeiss Tessar that stops down to f/22. The main difference to most other SLR’s is the left hand film lever. Camera status: In need of surgery. The shutter is sticking, so I may try rubbing a very soft pencil along the shutter guide rails to hopefully lubricate it. The lens does focus but it is very stiff as the internal grease has dried up. I will try a few drops of lighter fluid down the lens barrel to loosen it up. This worked fine on my Helios lens when it got a bit tight!

Soviet Division

A friend gave me this immaculate Zorki-4 that belonged to his father. I know it served him well for many years. I must put a film on it and give it a try.

I purchased the Zenit E for under £10 off eBay simply to get hold of the fantastic M42 thread Industar “eagle eye” lens. I was very pleased when I found out that both the camera and the lens were in very good condition. With a cheap M42 to EF adapter, the razor sharp Industar lens now fits on my Canon EOS DSLR.

My star among these three is the Zenit EM. This is the camera that started it all for me. I took this photo in 1979 with an Ilford HP5 400 film.

Credits: chrisg35mm

During one of my evening classes, I cut an arm’s length of film off a bulk roll in pitch dark and I loaded it back into a cassette. Then, I pushed it to ISO 800 when I developed it. The same M42 thread Helios 50mm f/2 lens with the M42 to EF adaptor now takes superb photos on my DSLR.

Credits: chrisg35mm

Rangefinder Group

The Fujica GER is a new recruit this summer. The first film through it proved that it has the right qualities to be in this team. The focusing is clear and accurate and it has a nice wind-on action. It seems to be well-made and solid – yes I like this shooter.

The Olympus Trip 35 sneaked into the photo – it should in the Retired Section. The shutter fires and the red flag pops up in low light condition but the aperture blades have major problems.

I brought the Petri 7S rangefinder a few years back. It provides full manual control on both the shutter speed and aperture. The selenium cell has a match needle meter in the viewfinder and on the top plate. It’s a competent shooter with a 45mm f/2.8 lens that stops down to f/16. Petri also made a f/1.8 lens version of this camera as well. The shutter range is 1 second – 1/500 and “B”.

On the right, is my Taron Vic that dates back to 1962 but it is still a good performer. The selenium cell provides accurate readings even in tricky lighting. The 45mm f2.8 lens stops down to f/16, with coupled shutter speeds that ranges from 1/30 – 1/250 and “B”. After you’ve set the correct exposure, the lens can be uncoupled and manually set to under or overexpose the auto setting as you require.

Photos taken with Fujica GER, Petri 7S, and Taron Vic.

Undercover Squad

These are slim weapons that fit in my pocket. The Olympus XA2 is the rock solid squad member. I like the build quality, the clamshell design, the three-zone focusing and it feels right in your hand.

The Minox EL is wounded, so much that the light meter needle only moves about a third of the way up. But this just makes you think more about the light level and what aperture you are using as you can’t see what the shutter speed is – 4 seconds to 1/500 with ISO 200 film.

The Olympus AF-10 was a camera that served me well during the 1990s. I’ve had this one since 2013 and like my prior camera from the XA series, the auto focus and exposure works well in most situations. The only thing I don’t like about this is its noisy film wind-on motor.

The Ricoh R10 cost £1 from a charity shop. It was made in 2002. I believe this was the last compact film camera that Ricoh made. Like the AF-10, you aim, then shoot. It takes a decent photo. I used this camera recently, but a light leak has started to appear on some photos. There are no felt light seals in this camera. The body and the back were designed with deep recesses to keep the light out. I assume the light must be getting in through the film window on the back as this does have a felt light seal around it.

Photos taken with Olympus XA2, Minox EL, Olympus AF-10, and Ricoh R10.

More Weapons

The Agfa Silette LK Sensor is the old soldier in this group (circa 1979). I really like the smooth orange soft-touch shutter release and the nice photos it took really surprised me.

The silver Ricoh RZ-728 Zoom is okay but I’m not a fan of flashy-looking cameras.

The Olympus µ[mju]¬II Zoom 80 takes decent photos but has really bad internal lens flare. Reviews say it is a usual flaw on this model. The Olympus µ[mju]-I is a camera that I must give a try as the reviews I’ve read all rate it as a good performer. I have not tried any of the other cameras but they all seem to be working.

The Canon AF35M was the world’s first auto lens-shutter 35mm auto-focus camera at the time it was made (circa 1979), so it would be interesting to see how it accurate the exposure and auto focus are.

Photos taken with Agfa Silette LK, Ricoh RZ-728, and Olympus μ[mju]-II Zoom.

Other Weapons

I got the Yashica Minitec Super in the early 1990s. It’s the last film camera that was still new when I purchased it. This camera served me well as an auto point-and-shoot camera. I’ve kept in my pocket until I got my first a digital camera. I don’t really like the fixed glass lens cover. I assume the idea was to keep the lens clean and protected. It got a few dust spots under it now, but fortunately it does not seem to affect the quality of the photos. When I put a film on it last year, I noticed a small lens flare spot on some of the photos.

The Beirette “V” is a 35mm film viewfinder camera that I just like the look of. It has a nice size and weight. It was manufactured by Beier in the former East Germany and was first sold in 1964. As far as I can tell it seems to be working yet another camera to try!

Photo taken with Yashica Minitec Super.

This could be moving into the Prime Weapons section as a creative point-and-shoot camera. I purchased this nice Canon EOS 5000 body for £2.

At that time I did not realize that my Canon EF-S 18-55 lens on my DSLR would not fit it. This May I purchased the Yongnuo f/1.8 50mm AF lens for my DSLR. A brand new lens like this goes for £39 on eBay. This is a fantastic sharp lens that produces photos equally as good as Canon’s “nifty fifty”. This is another combination I must put a film on. Canon 35mm EOS bodies can be found on eBay for peanuts, fitted with a f/1.8 Yongnuo lens.

Prime Weapons

These two are my “top brass” that I know just do what a camera is intended to do. They take good photos that will are sharp and correctly exposed. They both have large bright viewfinders and fast lenses that focus smoothly and easily in low light. The OM10 is probably the backup weapon as manual control is by the adapter in front. The other big plus for these two is that I have adapters to fit both their lenses on my Canon DSLR. I don’t think there is anything between them as far as picture quality goes. It’s only the quality of processing labs I’ve used that lets them down, I guess the answer is to try the LomoLAB Development Service.

Photos taken with Minolta X-300 and Olympus OM10.

Have you used every camera in your collection or you just adore them from the camera shelf?

No, not yet. But the majority of them are working OK. When I am in analog mode, the Olympus XA2 and the Minolta X300 seem to be what I got for. I’ve just put a film on the Olympus µ[mju:]I as it’s a nice small “pocketable” summer camera.

Will you ever part with your collection?

Probably some of the basic point-and-shoot cameras like the Olympus Trip MD. But I know that l want to try a film on it first. But cameras like the Zenit EM, Zorki-4, Kodak Retinar IIIS, Minolta X300, Olympus OM10 and XA2 are ones that I can’t see myself selling.

Do you think you’ll ever stop collecting? Why or why not?

I can’t answer that with any certainty but I can see no reason why I would not buy something similar to the Petri S7 at a bargain price. I think I need to be more focused on what I really like: pre-1980, quality 35mm rangefinders. You’ll never know. One day I might see a Leica M2 or M3 at a price I could not resist.

Is there a camera you still don’t own and want to be part of your collection? What is this and why?

I would probably buy a Voigtlander Bessa R2 series. This is a camera that I would love to own and use. This classic 35mm rangefinder camera is a precise device that just oozes with quality.

Fast Facts:

Number of cameras? 27 film (plus about 8 digital)

Number of accessories?

I think that this could almost be a separate story. I have all the normal stuff that photographers like to accumulate like:

Lenses
Tripod
Mini tripods
Light meter
Cable release
Numerous camera straps
Filters (for lenses & flashguns)
Bags & cases.

Number of films?

Fortunately in the UK you can always get an Agfa Vista Plus 200 color negative film for a £1 a roll from Poundland. I think I’ve got four rolls in my camera drawer at the moment.

Biggest buy/most expensive items?

Thinking back, a Pentax P30N SLR in the late 1980s was worth lot of money at that time. But more recently, my Canon EOS 550D DSLR.

Sweetest steal/cheapest scored items?

In the late 1970s after I had got the Zenit EM, I recall reading a feature in a photography magazine and admiring the Minox 35: “the ultra compact, smallest 35mm camera you can buy, with a superb f/2.8 Color-Minotar lens that puts many far more complex optics fitted to high-priced SLRs to shame.” That would be attractive to keep in my pocket I thought. I never got one but a few years later I brought a Ricoh 500ME instead. It was cheaper, a nice compact little camera that served me well.

In 2013, I saw a Minox EL for £2.99, the same camera that I had admired all these years. It did not work when I got it home. I put some new SR44 batteries in it but still no luck. Managed to get the top off and worked out that the wind-on mechanism was jammed. I sorted that out and got the shutter release rod back in after it had popped out. Now it wound on and the shutter fired. The first film made me realize that I had brought a good camera for peanuts!

Favorite photo taken with your favorite gear?

This photo was taken on the sea front at Opatija, Croatia, where my wife and I had our first holiday abroad together. We enjoyed leisurely strolling along this sea front and going to the grill restaurant for a snack at dinner times. It was taken using a Kodachrome slide film with my Ricoh 500ME, which I nearly always had with me as it was so compact and light compared to the Zenit and took as good photos. I wish I had never sold it!

Any last words?

Back up your photos on your PC, laptop, tablet, or wherever you’ve got them. Now you have all these wonderful photos as digital images make sure you have them in a backup location as well because hard drives can fail. Use cloud storage or get yourself a USB drive.

I have negatives and photos going back to 1978, most of these I’ve already scanned. What I now find frustrating is that I’m not sure what camera I used to take them. TIP: include a file with some basic info, like the camera used, film, who, where, what, in the folder these photos are in.

It doesn’t matter if it is a film camera or your phone. The important thing is that you have something with you to capture the shot! So whether it’s analog or digital, take time to get to know the camera. Look at the photos, its composition and exposure. Determine what’s good and what’s bad. Compare your photos with previous shots. Ask yourself: Would it look better in black and white?

Thank you Chris for sharing your wonderful collection with us!


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Care to share your camera collection with us? Drop a line at eunice.abique@lomography.com and share your story with the rest of the community!

written by Eunice Abique on 2015-08-01 #gear #lifestyle #camera-collections-series #camera-collections

3 Comments

  1. icequeenubia
    icequeenubia ·

    Thank you @chrisg35mm for sharing your collection with us!

  2. crismiranda
    crismiranda ·

    Nice collection!

  3. chrisg35mm
    chrisg35mm ·

    This is my latest addition to my collection: www.lomography.com/homes/chrisg35mm/photos/20697988

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