It really does have a close focus issue. I’m not sure if the focus is even working . Using it stopped down, the depth of field covered most of the problem but it was becoming more obvious that something is wrong, I was just in denial. The Love Tree and the Box of Delights posts below really should have alerted me.

I tripod tested it on a row of books at 1.5m and eugh… painful, even at f/8. I have a suspicion the focus is stuck on infinity or thereabouts. Since it would probably cost more to repair than it did to buy it looks like the cupboard for this one.

Real shame because it must be one of the smallest, most convenient, holdable little folders. The Solinar lense is also obviously outstanding.

Grrrrr…

Re-enter the Super Ikonta, stage left, as the walk-about of choice.

Picture in a picture

If, as has been argued, any picturesque scene is something that is already a picture (by definition huh?), a photograph of a picturesque scene being painted is highly recursive. It appeals to me anyway.

Since I did not know the people painting (there was another woman behind a tree to the right) I thought I’d better ask rather than breathe down their necks while kneeling behind them fiddling with a camera. It isn’t really practical to grab-shoot with the Isolette, at least not for me. I’d have liked to have got closer and spent more time framing the woman better, maybe losing the bra-strap somehow. That doesn’t quite read right…

So Heidi and friend, if you see this, thanks and I hope the paintings turned out well

Self portrait

Couldn’t resist, I’m such a tart fan of my own dramatic shadow.

The shot below was pointed almost directly into the setting sun. I am amazed at the lack of flare from the Solinar. I think it is only single coated which is all the more impressive.

Setting sun

While looking at this I got chatting to another photographer who used to shoot with a Bronica with FP4+ 120 for his b&w work. Sadly he is now using some monster digi and no longer has the Bronica. His bag looked like it weighed about 15-20kg , plus a tripod. I had the Isolette, light meter and some rolls of film. Probably weighing in at just over half a kg. I know what I prefer, and the lack of choice of lenses etc causes me no problems.

I used the railing to brace the camera and my left hand as a lens hood. Probably f/16 at 1/8th second. I really should take notes but I can’t be arsed. Trouble is I can barely remember focal settings from yesterday, let alone last year…

Earlier in the day, walking past the Bird-in-Hand I grabbed this

Bird-in-Hand pub

Reminded me of one of those compartmentalised boxes viewed from above, like a box of delights or the mysterious Joseph Cornell style boxes Marly Krushkova has to find in Count Zero. Well not really, but I have a good imagination

Love – can you see it? Click to enlarge…

I photographed the tree the day before on another roll of film but assumed I had screwed up the focus because the tree did not look sharp. It is easy to forget to focus with a non-coupled rangefinder camera. Yesterday I went back and assiduously checked the rangefinder reading and set the focus on the Isolette before shooting. Three times just to make sure. And the tree still doesn’t look sharp… I think it may be the combination of the frayed and peeling bark and the dappled shade from the leaves giving the illusion of unsharpness. The rest is sharp enough, and should be at f/16, so it wasn’t camera shake

Anyway, I’m calling it The Love Tree from now on. Tree-hugging goodness.

A bit of tree lurve

This one taken with my ‘sketchbook’, the GR2.

And while I was there I took another view of the sight screen on the Rangers Field cricket pitch to reassure myself of the rangefinder.

No problems there, so could it be the tree?

Deptford Creek

I wasn’t expecting great thing from it to be honest but it isn’t too bad! It is a very small 6×6 folder, extremely pocketable with a very pleasing clean symetric design. It probably dates from the 1950s. These models are known for light leaks in the plasticky bellows material but this one seems OK. Likewise the helicals, which are prone to seizing  with the grease and lubricants getting harder in their old age. The ones on this camera are very smooth. So I’ve been lucky!

Cafe in Greenwich Park

I was just snapping to see if the camera actually worked. The closed white umbrellas stand out in the gloom. They are needed this Summer, but sadly not for the sun…

Blast Cleaners, Deptford

Look carefully along the top of the gate, there are nooses! The sun was going down and shining quite brightly and low as can be seen from the shadows.

Finally back over Point Hill, and it dealt with the view very well

View from Point Hill