kentmere – Late Developer

Spotmatic for the People

March 9, 2020Ian McCLeave a comment

Actually the SP500, a budget Spotmatic from the early 1970’s whose shutter speed only went as fast as 1/500th. But actually it did 1/1000th but it wasn’t shown on the dial – you just move it round.

I got this for a tenner on the eBay with a Tessar 50mm/2.8 lens, all working except for the meter. So Sunny 16 for using what is an aesthetically pleasing, delightful to handle and well build classic.

The SP500 is a no-frills M42 SLR but it’s useful to compare with the Eastern European counterparts. The Pentax looks and feels smoother and lighter, it handles really well and there’s no recoil from the shutter like the Praktica MTL3.

One of the factors contributing to it’s overall sleekness is the absence of a hotshoe, but there’s sockets for normal flash sync (X, 1/60th) and FP (focal plane) for higher speed fill in flash, not that I’ll be using this much with flash.

On top there’s the basics including the unmarked 1/1000th shutter speed setting. I’m sure Pentax had a good reason for that… Shutter release (threaded for a cable) and a pointless film identifier ring around the rewind crank finishes off the lo-fi feature list of the SP500.

Using it though, with Sunny 16, is a delight. It’s got a bright viewfinder (complete with non-functioning exposure needle), Olympus-OM-levels of ergonomic niceness and is a suitably admirable film camera for the inevitable Instagram post. I took it on a photowalk with a roll of expired Kentmere 100 which was developed in Ilford ID11.

Donaghadee lighthouse, Co Down — The Lighthouse, Donaghadee

Harbour nets, Co Down — A pair of fishnets

The SP500 – a basic budget M42 Pentax – has no unique selling point other than it’s a delight to handle, looks great and you can pick them up for a song on the eBay. It’s a sleeker alternative to the DDR and Soviet M42 SLR’s and there’s a ton of lenses out there.

Ueno Park, that’s where I’ve been

April 17, 2018April 17, 2018Ian McC1 Comment

what did you do there? I took photos

km400_tokyo_uenopark1 — Kaneiji Temple, Ueno Park

Ueno Park is a large green space in central Tokyo and a great place for a walk around the city with the camera. There’s temples, museum, a zoo, entertainment – including Taiko drumming blogged here, flea markets and plenty of people. It’s also beside a large shopping area, the Ameyoko Shopping Street so you can easily fill a day here. And like Tokyo there’s any number of JR and metro stations in the area to get here.

km400_tokyo_kimono_park2 — Another Kimono photo

km400_tokyo_uenopark_plantgirl — Blind among the flowers

km400_tokyo_uenopark2 — Oul lad in the park

km400_tokyo_uenopark5 — Strange cabbage-like plants, Ueno Park

km400_tokyo_uenopark3 — Flea Market bargains

km400_tokyo_uenopark4 — Seller of weird shit, Ueno Park

All shot on the Nikon F60 and Kentmere 400 or Kodak Tri-X

Osaka

April 16, 2018Ian McC1 Comment

Osaka is a nice city to visit and works well as a base for trips elsewhere (Kyoto, Hiroshima etc) albeit without an overwhelming must-see identity of its own. It is however clean, safe, friendly – and has a Universal Studios park. I’d only a few days in the city armed with the Nikon F60 and Huawei P9 and got some shots.

A good place to start is downtown at the Shinsaibashi shopping street, 600 metres of covered shopping.

km100_osaka_shinsabaishi — Shinsaibashi shopping street, Osaka

There’s also every conceivable eating place, including a bit of crab.

IMG_20170712_172550 — Downtown Osaka, seafood restaurant. Crab on the menu.

IMG_20170712_220021 — Downtown Osaka, Dotobori Canal

One of the main sites for a visit is the Osaka Castle in its large gardens. It focusses on local history and art as well as some viewpoints of the city.

km100_osaka_skyline — View of the city from Osaka castle

km100_osaka_owkawa river2 — Osaka Castle gardens

km100_osakacastle_park_shrine1 — Osaka Castle gardens

Osaka is also the site for Japan’s Universal Studios theme park. Cue lots of Minions but I was particularly taken with Hogsmeade, Asian style.

IMG_20170713_151925 — Hogsmeade, Japan (snow not real)

IMG_20170713_153953 — Hogsmeade staff (Owl not real)

Practicalities – we stayed in the suburbs at the wonderful Rainbow Hostel near Imazato train station about 20 minutes from downtown. The area was nice and quiet and you’ll not go hungry

35739900483_491a192ab6_k — Out in the suburbs

And of course in Shinsaibashi there are plenty of camera stores. Nice that film is still widely used in Japan.

acrpsss — just over a tenner for a three-pack of Acros

Kit: Nikon F60 / Kentmere 100 and the Huawei P9

Hiroshima

April 5, 2018Ian McC1 Comment

Most visits to Japan will include a trip to Hiroshima – to the Peace Park with the Atomic Dome and the various monuments, and to the museum. Like many war and memorial sites, they’ve been photographed countless times but it’s still the best way of recording your own visit, your thoughts and having an aide-memoire as one gets older.
All pictures taken on Kentmere 100 in the Nikon F60.

KM100_hiroshima_dome1 — Atomic Dome detail

KM100_hiroshima_dome2 — Atomic Dome – rear view

KM100_hiroshima_peacepark2 — Memorial by the Motoyasu river

There are a number of peace activists and displays around the park. This is an in-utero survivor from the bombing meeting with tourists.

KM100_hiroshima_dome_survivor — In-utero survivor

KM100_hiroshima_peacepark4 — Eternal flame – possibly colour would have been a better choice

KM100_hiroshima_peacepark8 — Students memorial

KM100_hiroshima_peacepark9 — Workers memorial

KM100_hiroshima_peacepark1 — More riverside statues

KM100_hiroshima_peacepark6 — Memorial Hall

KM100_hiroshima_peacepark10 — Children’s Peace Monument

KM100_hiroshima_peacepark7 — Inside Memorial Hall

A few practicalities.
The best way of getting to Hiroshima is by the fast JR train – the pass is great value
http://www.japanrailpass.net/en/

At the station there is a free bus that goes around the city including a stop at the Peace Park. There are also Tourism Meeter/Greeters around the station who are really helpful.

Tokyo: Taiko

March 28, 2018March 27, 2018Ian McC1 Comment

Taiko is traditional Japanese ensemble drumming – a full-on percussion experience with visuals to match. These were shot in Ueno Park, Tokyo on a Sunday afternoon but there are all sorts of shows, classes and competitions to go and watch and take part in Taiko.

km400_tokyo_taiko3 — A wee hand held drum

km400_tokyo_taiko7 — Traditionally a male dominated art – not any longer.

km400_tokyo_taiko5 — Calm before the storm

These shots were taken on Kentmere 400 film – cheap and cheerful but very grainy on scanning (they do sit nice and flat though..).

It does however do a much nicer darkroom print.

cof — very ungrainy darkroom print – Ilford Multigrade RC Matt

And of course, when in Tokyo – give it a go yourself.

taiko2 — Me and Taiko teacher Oskar. He’s the one on the right…

Kit: Nikon F60 with Kentmere 400.
Me and Oskar shot on a Huawei phone

O Fortuna. Part 1

March 14, 2018Ian McCLeave a comment

Fortuna Dusseldorf — Toni Turek. Fortuna’s most famous player – and goalkeeper in the 1954 Miracle of Bern West Germany world cup winning team

When travelling it’s always a pleasure to check out a local football club. On a visit to Düsseldorf, the grandly named Fortuna Düsseldorf were playing the lowly 1. FC Heidenheim 1846. Or Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna 1895 to give the home side their full unedited title. (The book Tor! by Uli Hesse explains the background to the glorious naming conventions of German football).

As to the match itself, it was a cracking 2-2 draw ending up with a mass brawl between both teams, coaches and substitutes – and a referee who clearly lost control and the general ability to referee a football match.

From a photographic point of view however, armed with a 1970’s Ricoh KR-5 and a few prime lenses, it was going to be some documentary shots to give a flavour of the matchday experience.

The Espirit Arena is a big multi-function trade fair venue (Messe) and sports arena in an anonymous looking industrial estate. It does however hold over 54,000 and the Rolling Stones have played here. For a 2nd tier yoyo club, it’s an impressive home stadium.

And with typical German efficiency, getting to the ground and around the stadium couldn’t be easier.