Since acquiring the mju II a couple of months back, I’ve been exploring color a little more than normal with some accumulated portra stock from my fridge- I find its handling better than my GRD III for speed out of pocket. If I use my three middle fingers when reaching for it, I can be opening the clam shell casing and have it ready to fire by the time I can get the viewfinder to my eye.
When it comes to analog AF’s, I hit the jackpot this weekend when I found a Ricoh FF3 Super and a series one Olympus mju for $6 each in the second hand goods store for the Cat Protection Society of New South Wales. Normally I assume every Salvos and St. Vincent’s across the greater Sydney area has been cleaned out of classic camera gear by the type of old men that rule the Ultimo Camera Fair thrice a year but I guess no one thinks to wander into a place like the Cat Protection- I only ended up there while trying to find a half-gallon canning jar to mix up Philly Fish House Punch in for the coming summer- not an easy find out in Oz.
September 25, 2012 at 12:31 am
I’m loving the new work in color, especially the cityscape material. Some of the street scenes with people look a bit white washed and the skin tones seem off, but then again you’re in Sydney and I’m in Istanbul. Maybe I’m just used to people being a bit more tan. That said, the 5th photo is my favorite. The posture of the man in the forefront and the sign seem wedded together.
September 25, 2012 at 12:31 am
PS: Are you developing color yourself?
September 27, 2012 at 12:49 pm
The processing’s done via a local lab- I think they have one of the C41 auto-processing machines that scans and prints all in one although no one-hour like back in the states.
Skin tones are likely washed out on account of the flash, by default when I open the camera shell it sets the flash to auto in case it needs it for some fill.
September 28, 2012 at 9:06 am
I caught an image from your MJU II on Tumblr and I must say you have a very good eye with it. The MJU captures just what you have done very well and thanks for sharing.
Hope it continues giving you fantastic images!
September 28, 2012 at 12:41 pm
Thanks Dave-
Just this morning I dropped it across the floor of a cafe so hard the battery flew out so we’ll see how it goes!