They were made of metal with plastic pieces around the windows and film take up. They are covered by a glued on leatherette. It weighs in at about 1 1/2 pounds (690 grams).
A good find for a display camera.
Malcolm Chalmers - Vancouver Island Event Photographer |
|
This King Regula IIIc seems to be a rare model, made in Germany this model was made for the export market. I found this camera in the back room of a local Thrift store for $3. A sticky shutter was the reason, otherwise it is in great shape. The King Regula IIIc 35mm cameras were made between 1955-56 by Mr and Mrs King, it was a family business that also produced electrical components in Bad Leibenzell in the Black Forest area of West Germany. They also produced cameras for a number of other companies. The Regula IIIc was one of many versions, a,b,c,d automatic, Cita III, RM and R. They were made of metal with plastic pieces around the windows and film take up. They are covered by a glued on leatherette. It weighs in at about 1 1/2 pounds (690 grams). The Regula IIIc is an interchangeable lens rangefinder camera that uses a bayonet mount that was unique to the King manufacturer. Lenses available were 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 90mm and 135mm, they used a 45mm filter. This IIIc has a 50mm f/2.8 made by Enna Wark Munchen a small German optics manufacturer. It's focus range is 1m to infinity. Apertures range from f/2 to f/22. A self timer, V is around 10 secs . A PC socket syncs at all speeds in X and M modes. The shutter is a Prontor SVS with Bulb, 1s, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125 and 1/300th sec, it used two sets of blades for robustness. As it turns out the cameras now seem to have a shutter sticking problem. It is not too hard to clean the shutter assembly to make it work a little better. This model does not have a light meter like the newer model IIId but the rangefinder on this model was the most accurate of the models because not having a light meter gave more room for a long-base coupled rangefinder.
A good find for a display camera.
1 Comment
This last year saw me shooting a lot more for our local newspaper, The Gazette, I have improved my skills shooting with a speedlight (which opens up new doors to shooting indoors) and found myself going to a number of different events in Lake Cowichan as well as some of my favourite places. Here are just a few of the images I shot in 2013. The winter months in the Cowichan Valley January, February, March are beautiful Little beach on the Cowichan River attracts many fly fishermen. I love this slow shutter image. Still the rainy season, well the cold and rainy season, February, saw this image from one of our many CVRD parks. This one is in Mill Bay beside the ocean. From March 2013 it was the subject matter in this image made me chuckle, the three legged Seagull . . . . it raised a lot of eyebrows on facebook . . . . and yes, it is two birds, both standing on one leg. My 10 year old Lab, a retired "seeing eye" dog, not the best photo buddy but here she relaxes in the moss at Jack Fleetwood Park in Kolksilah. Sports is always fun to shoot, it is all about timing. This image was shot at the Cowichan Valley Volunteer Fire Departments MD fundraiser Baseball game at the Sky Dome in Mesachie Lake in June. Visit my event coverage page for more images of events in the Cowichan Valley. We were excited to cover Nedfest again this year, so many great images. This one I like because of the facial expressions of the two band members. October is my favourite month for color, the reds, yellows and oranges of fall and they are finally standing still. It seems every team in Lake Cowichan is called the "Lakers" these are the Lakers Sr, Girls Volleyball tournament in November To further my point here are the Lakers Bantam Hockey team playing the Vancouver T-Birds at the Cowichan Lake Arena. Still one of my favourite places to shoot, Skutz Falls, The Great Blue Heron standing on a rock in the middle of the river waiting for a fish to swim by. December mornings are spectacular with the mist covered water and snow covered shores. Lake Cowichan got a brand new rescue boat this year. Another beautiful misty morning image of fishermen on the Cowichan River. Winter web found in Centennial Park in downtown Lake Cowichan. Check me out on facebook @ Malcolm Chalmers Photography or pick up a copy of the Lake Cowichan Gazette
if your are in the area, I write too! It was the 50's, things were made of metal and this camera the Anscoflex was a perfect example of form and function in metal. Built in Bermingham, New York, USA by Ansco it sold in Sears Stores for $15.95 as an easy way to take better pictures The body was designed by Raymond Loewy, a famous designer and logo artist from the early 30's he also designed the iconic Coca-Cola bottle, the Zippo Lighter and the 1954 Greyhound Bus, check out the lens cover/viewfinder shade, it reminds me of the doors to the luggage storage area on the side of a bus. The Ansco Anscoflex made between 1953 and 1956 is an unusual enamelled-metal bodied camera, with two lenses called a Twin Lens Reflex camera, it imitates the shape of a TLR, but with no conection of the taking and viewing lens. The self erecting finder hood and lens shield sets this camera apart from other cameras of the era. It has an an oversized brilliant finder and a fixed focus lens for capturing the image. As usual images in these viewfinders appear backwards, to move object in viewfinder to the left you pan right. A little strange but you get use to it. The aperture (f/11) and shutter speed, about 1/60sec are fixed. This camera focuses from 6 feet to infinity. The red button below the viewfinder releases the back door for loading the 620 roll film. Unavailable now, the 620 film can be replaced by spooling 120 film on to the 620 spools. The internet has many videos on the proper method of doing that. Here is one . . . http://www.brownie-camera.com/respool/respool.shtml The film is wound by a large, ratcheted knob in the side of the camera, turn the knob 180 degrees to advance to the next frame. It also has an interesting double exposure prevention system, after depressing the large red shutter button it remains in the depressed position until the first rotation of the film advance at which time the button pops back to it’s normal position. On the other side a flash attachment can be mounted, it cost another $4.95 (as seen in the advertisement above). There are no other controls on this version of the Anscoflex, a newer version the Anscoflex II, a much more expensive camera, has two extra controls for filters just below the sliding lens cover, one for close up, focusing at 4 feet and a yellow filter for daylight exposures on Black and White film. There is just something about this "Industrial" design that makes it stand out from other cameras of that era. Hiring Raymond Loewy to design a camera insured that would look like nothing else on the market. It has a refined feel
to it, the soft corners, the ergonomic controls, it just feels at home in your hands. Unfortunately at the time of it's release 620 film was on it's way out and 35mm was replacing it. Burst or Continuous Shooting Mode is a great feature on todays Digital cameras that allows us to capture better images. Photography is freezing the moment and what burst does is allowing you to produce a sequence of shots in a short length of time. Photography, especially sports photography, took a great leap with the addition of the motor driven film winder. That simple addition allowed us to expose more frames of film in a second which allowed us to choose the image that represents the action at the peak of performance. In todays digital cameras the same thing happens except information is held in a "buffer" until you stop shooting then it is delivered to the digital memory card. Start your burst as you see the action starting and roll through it to the end, somewhere in those shots you should have the right shot. You sometimes have a choice between burst speeds, fast and slow. The difference can be imporant for the type of shot you are taking. Almost anything is a good candidate to use burst on but shooting action is usually the best. When you are trying to capture the peak of action burst will help isolate that fraction of a second, that perfect frame. Can you see where I'm going with this shot? I have prefocused on that hump of snow in front of Tyler. . . . . . Here is the shot I wanted to get, prefocused for that spot then cropped to the right size and you have a great image. There are things you should watch out for, slow shutter speeds. The shot of the spawning salmon was shot at 1/60 sec. There is a little bit too much motion blur with the combination of panning and slower shutter speed. Also shots requiring flash are not good candidates for burst photography. The use of a tripod is not necessary when burst shooting, if the action is fast you probably will be following it. Burst is so fast it doesn't give you time to move much. With the action of the tide coming into Thunder Hole a tripod would be nice to keep the framing consistent, you could print a series of images which might make a nice sequence on the wall. Have fun with burst look for shots that might produce interesting results. For portraits use the slow mode 3 frames per second, it could be the difference between eyes open and closed. For sports the fast mode 6-10 frames per second may be necessary. Remember with a SLR camera the mirror requires a split second to move out of the way so your sensor behind it receives the information, if you see the perfect moment in your viewfinder you missed it in the camera. It's west coast living at its best. Marinas around the Cowichan Valley are home to a number of Flaothome owners who embrace the ocean's lifestyle just a few feet from shore. House boats at Birds Eye Cove in the Maple Bay Marina. Nice view of their front yards, sorta' green like grass. Float home living on the East Coast of Vancouver Island has all the pleasures of ocean front property with out the property upkeep. Moored at a Marina you have all the comforts of home, electricty, water, sewer even Cable TV These are the three marinas I'll be visiting. Maple Bay Marina at Birds Eye Cove, Genoa Bay and Cowichan Bay. Maple Bay Marina at Birds Eye CoveBirds Eye Cove, on the east coast of Vancouver Island is in a sheltered cove where we find Maple Bay Marina. It attracts large Sailboats and Cabin Cruisers. The small community of Maple Bay can be seen off in the distance with the photo taken from Genoa Bay Road to the south. The dock acts as the entrance to the float homes, land access is from here. The necessities of waterfront living, canoes, kayaks,lifejackets and a throwing rescue ring and for land use bicycles. Kayaking from your front door. These would be RV's and sports cars if you lived in a float home. Genoa BayUp the road in Genoa Bay Marina is the home to very eclectic float homes. It is in a cove just across the water from Cowichan Bay. The free spirit lifestyle abounds here farther afield that the other two marinas it provides private rural living. Pleasure boating in your front yard is just one of the perks of floathome living here. Here is some of the artistic flare found at the marina, like I said it's more of an eclectic style of life at Genoa Bay. There are lots of Boathouses here as well. Looking across the bay to the community of Cowichan Bay. Cowichan BayIn Cowichan Bay large Fishing Boats come and go. Prawns and assorted seafoods can be purchased right on the docks. Swans Seals and a variety of sea life are at your doorstep. Cowichan Bay is also a more urban neighbourhood than the other two locations. Cowichan Bay is about as bustling as you can get for a sleepy fishing village. The float homes in Cowichan Bay are interspersed at two or three marinas along the coastline. The sea is the draw to houseboat living. If living in a house is like driving a car, air conditioned and comfortable, then living in a houseboat is like driving a motorcycle, outside exposed to the wind and the bugs. It is not for everybody but for the ones who do love the life style it holds many benefits and challenges. These are the docks at Crofton, in the past it too was home to a few float homes but politics put an end to that now it serves as an take out point for float homes wanting to become land lubbers. In the 90's a couple of those float homes were relocated to lots just up the street in Crofton. Others were sailed to other marinas. This is the "Barnacle", once residing at the Maple bay Marina her owners found the only drawback to the float
home was it was getting to expensive to be floating and chose to move it to Crofton, on March 13, 2013 she was pulled out of the water and was being planted on a small lot only one block from the sea. Her owners loved the house, the ocean, the lifestyle but found paying upwards of $1000 a month in fees a bit much and wanted to instead invest in a piece of property for their beloved house. That is another beauty of the float home . . . portability. In arguably one of the most artsey places in the Cowichan Valley, Cowichan Bay, artist Pipi Tustian has opened her dream artist studio. She calls it "Tangerine Dream". Pipi is a Textile Artist, hand painted art on fabrics or furniture, vibrant colors, dreamy images all grouped into seasonal colors. Pipi works in acrylics so her creations on textiles can be used as well as displayed, handy because her works are all decoration as much as functional housewares, "Original Art for Everyday Living" is what she calls them. Situated on the waterfront her studio is big and bright, two adjoining rooms with a sliding wall enables both a selling and creating environment to be combined or seperated. Pipi's business partner Lesley Fountain (in orange), an artist and writer, chats with another Cowichan Bay local who likes to visit the studio. The atmosphere in the studio is filled with laughter and conversation, much like Pipi herself. Today Pipi has friends over for a little painting bee. Lesley is also an art instructor so look for more workshops in the near future.
With todays cameras it is relatively easy to take a good photo. Your ordinary digital camera or cell phone camera will do all the thinking for you just point and shoot. If you want to take better pictures you can use a DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflect) that will allow you to make some choices about how you want your camera to act and your image to look. With both cameras we will find an electronic monitor to see what we are shooting. With the DSLR we also have a small through the lens viewfinder that lets us a look through the lens with the use of a moveable mirror. The viewfinder is great on those bright days when your monitor is hard to see. The biggest difference between the two cameras are on a DSLR you have interchangeable lenses with many more adjustments or choices to change the way our photos look. Once we have determine what and where to shoot we have to make more options, such as how our lens will use the available light, like how much and how fast we want it to enter the camera and how sensitive the sensor is to the light landing on it. Most cameras can figure that out for you using their built in meters but as a photographer you may want to make some of those decisions yourself to influence the look of your image. In my last blog we talked about lighting and how that effects your images. Now I want to tell you about using that light and your ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed controls to add new focus to your photos. The amount and the speed light enters will change the way your image looks. ISO ISO = International Organization of Standards They set the standard used to measure the sensitivity of the digital image sensor in your camera. It digitally reproduces the image you see through the lens of your camera. In film terms this was ASA film speed.
In bright daylight an ISO setting of 100-200 will suffice. Need to use a flash maybe 400 - 800 ISO will work. Aperture [A] and Shutter Speed [S] are the two controls we will look at next. We need to decide how the light enters the lens to activate the image sensor. For this we use the Aperture [A].
When the aperture is very small, the light entering is highly collimated, which means all the rays are parallel to each other. This results in a sharp focus for all the light that comes in. When the aperture is more open, only the rays which closely match the focus point are collimated — which means that whatever you've focused on is sharp, but farther or closer parts of the scene will be increasingly blurry. In combination with ISO speed and aperture opening we need to know how long to leave the aperture open for this is called Shutter Speed [S].
Shutter speed allows the impression of motion in an image. Slow shutter speed blurs fast motion, giving the impression of greater motion of the camera or subject. It can enhance the image by making athletes or cars look like they're going very fast. It also can detract from the image if the subject is not intended to be moving, like a portrait or Landscapes, So using different variations of ISO, Aperture and Shutter speeds will help produce different looks to your image. Motion Blur is a tool used to emphasize a subject, here speed and a slow shutter are used to produce the blur effect. The top image was shot with a fast shutter speed 1/1600sec and freezes the moving image while the bottom shot at a slower speed 1/30sec is open long enough for the subject to move and cause a blur in the image.
Depth of Field Also known as Depth of focus this is one of a photographers tools used to clearly point out the important subject in your photo. A shallow Depth of Field is determined by a large aperture opening, distance to subject and focal length. With any image you will want the most important subject in focus and the other less important objects slightly to completely out of focus. Here are some simple ways to accomplish that. Here I am telling you what I feel is most important in each image. Taking these photos I am quite a distance away zoomed in with a wide aperture and fast shutter.
Sports and High ISO If I am indoors shooting a sporting event I'll have low light and fast action. To capture fast action I will want a wide lens to pull in more light, a fast shutter speed like 1/200 or 1/500 of a second. That means light will have to come in fast, a medium aperture opening and a higher ISO will give me a wide depth of field. I will have to 'bump up" my ISO to 3200 to allow me that faster shutter speed and medium aperture. By using these variables I can achieve the best speed to shoot the image I want.
Sharp focus Hyperfocal Distance is used in landscape photos where everything in the frame is important. Wide angle lenses (18 - 28mm) allow you to see foreground in focus as well as the background. In a Landscape photo you want to be sure everything is in focus. To do this, you’ll have to figure Hyperfocal distance. This distance is defined as the closest distance at which a lens can be focused while keeping objects at infinity in focus as well. When the lens is focused at this distance, all objects at distances from half of the hyperfocal distance out to infinity will be sharp. For a more in-depth explination of how to calculate Hyperfocal distances visit http://dofmaster.com/hyperfocal.html This chart will show you approximate Hyperfocal distances Lastly, when you have all your technical ducks in a row it is time to check your composition, horizons level, eyes 2/3rd of the way up the photo, looking room on one side and important objects on intersecting lines. Rule of Thirds. This rule helps us choose where we place objects of importance in the frame. But remember rules are made to be broken. Cameras sometimes come with a grid pattern to help you compose your shots and keep your horizons level. Check your camera menu to find out how to turn on this feature. Of corse if you are using "Dutch" angles just adjust the grid in your head. . . Happy Shooting!! For more tips on shooting lights at night visit my photoblog. http://malcolmchalmersphotography.weebly.com/2/post/2012/02/2011-cowichan-exhibition-at-night.html The Cowichan Estuary can be accessed from a few small parks. The latest one I have visited is by Blackley Farm between the Cowichan River and the Cowichan Bay Saw Mill. Here you can walk a short trail to view birds living in the estuary and boom boats working at the mill. Around the corner and up the hill sits the old Stone "Butter" Church where you can view the estuary and on to Cowichan Bay. Eagles survey the area from their vantage points high up in the trees. Other birds that frequent the area are Ducks, Geese, Osprey, Sparrows, American Wigeon, Western Sandpipers Trumpeter Swan, Short Eared Owl and the Great Blue Heron At the end of the path you enter on to The Cowichan Bay Saw Mill's proptery. A road leads you to the ocean where you have views of Cowichan Bay and a strip of water used to transport log booms to the mill. It seems that a lot of people visit this area but I would be careful not to come too close to the saw mill itself, it is most likely private proptery and to say the least could be dangerous with moving vehicles and industrial activity. Cowichan Estuary out to the ocean. The Stone "Butter" Church overlooking the estuary. Mt. Thouzhalem. The path in and Blackley Farm. The entrance to the trail is off Tzouhalem Rd. between Duncan and Cowichan Bay.
Why do some of your photos turn out great and others don't look good at all. It could be the light you are using not your camera. Here are two images of the same place taken around the same time on different days, it really shows the power of light. As an Event Photographer I sometimes have little choice in the light I am able to use. What I do have is the ability to use the available light to my best advantage. Sometimes it works sometimes, not so much. Here are some tips to help you shoot better photos. Some of the events I shoot are all day long and outside. Fortunately there is a variety of ways to use this light to your advantage. Positioning your camera can be one of the most important things you can do to improve your photos. The photo above is a good example of shooting at noon on a cloudless sunny day. I have positioned myself (the camera operator) to use the sun as back or side lighting. Avoiding direct light and shadows on the faces. Shooting in direct sunlight. You might think "Hey, the more light the better" but that is not always true. The opposite of light is dark and the more light you have on your subject will also produce darker shadows where the sunlight isn't. High contrast between light and dark does have its place in photography, mostly horror movies though. The dark shadows under the eyes, nose shadows, also the hot spots on the bridge of the nose and forehead are never flattering. Try not to shoot your subject looking directly into the sun, have it come from behind or just off to the side and bounce light to the front or move out of the direct light and in to a shaded area. You can bounce light with a "reflector" of some type. Shooting in shade. Shade allows you to balance or flatten the light that hits your subject, it reduces the contrast between the light and dark on your subject. When you have your subject in the shade watch your backgrounds, the amount of light hitting the background can become over exposed and distracting.
Look for a solid shady area with no pools or shafts of light, let your camera's aperture open up a little more or use higher ISO speed. ISO is how sensitive your film or Digital Image Sensor is to light. It is expressed as 100 - 6400+. Your image can be adversely effected by very high ISO though. Try to stay under ISO 800 or use more light. Cloudy/Overcast light. Living in BC it feels like we have more overcast days than bright sunny days so we have to be able to shoot on those days. On overcast days light is flat even light, it produces very little shadow. It can however appear stronger from different angles. When you are shooting have your subject turn and watch where your lighting is best. An overcast sky can be very bright so be careful with your backgrounds and how much sky you include in your photo. Using your main source of light as Backlight. Backlight can be your friend, if you use it right. It helps provide separation between subject and a background. It rounds out your subject, provides some depth. It's like a little 3D effect. When using backlight be careful, you don't want to underexpose the front of your subject so take your meter readings from your subjects face where the sun is not reaching. If you can, use a reflector to bounce light to the front. Using reflectors or "bouncing" puts the light where it needs to be. I like to use strong light as backlight, mostly for the ability to provide the separation from background and it offers me the ability to redirect the light to the front of my subject(s). In the portrait above (check the inset photo), you can see in her glasses the reflection of the (Foamcore/whitebord) reflector or Bounceboard. The sun is over her left shoulder and bounced back off the whiteboard that is to her right. This will remove shadow from under eyes, nose and chin. You can almost use anything white to bounce light in bright sunlight. A white car, the white lid on a Styrofoam ice chest, a white towel even a news paper will bounce light. Make sure it's white not colored so you are not reflecting color on to your subject. Professional reflectors come in white, silver and gold color. White Foamcore can be purchased at hardware or building supply stores at a fraction of the price. White or silver car window shades can also be used. Sunrise, sunset, it's called the Golden hour for a reason. As the sun rises or sets the angle of the light produced by the sun must travel through more atmosphere, clouds, particulates in the air (smoke, dust etc) it softens the light and reduces the angle of the light so it does not produce those deep shadows under the chin and eyes. And generally gives off a nice soft glow or great backlight. Plan your shooting just after sunrise or just before sunset on clear days or evenings. Shooting in Low Light. Shooting motion in low light is tough for anybody. When I needed to find a low light image I knew exactly where to look for one. Tyler's wrestling tournaments are held in gymnasiums lit by sodium vapour or florescent lights. High ISO, large apertures and slow shooting speeds are what you are going to have to face. The way to counteract these hurtles are "fast" lenses (ones that open f2.8 - f1.4), use the image stabilization in your camera or on your lens, monopods or tripods and that dreaded flash all help. Shooting in Mixed Light. Often you will find yourself taking photos inside near windows, you'll have the inside lights turned on, possibly you are using your cameras flash as well. That is mixed light, three different colors of light to your camera. It is almost impossible for cameras to white balance for multiple light colors. What is Color Temperature? Check this website for a good explanation of color temperature and how your camera handles it. http://www.olympusamerica.com/crm/oneoffpages/crm_whitebalance.asp
Pick your brightest light source and try to get rid of or minimize the others. If you can't only use one source use color correcting gel on your flash to match your strongest light source. You can also buy large sheets to cover windows but covering your flash is much cheaper. Night doesn't mean no light. It just comes from different places. Shooting at night has many challenges. It is harder to focus, get the right exposure, high ISO and shallow depth of field (DOF). It does though put you in control of where and how much light you can use to light your subject. Here is where your light is coming from at night, top photo - the moon, centre - the subject has it's own light, bottom - car headlights, large windows in buildings or street lights etc.
Learn to look for these natural sources of light when shooting at night. On camera flash photos. Most cameras come with a flash either built in on they have a hot shot to attach one. In my opinion your on-camera flash should be your last choice for lighting your photo. In provides flat lifeless light and harsh shadows (like the mid day sun). If anything get the flash off your camera and move it higher and to the side to help provide some modeling. Notice there is no dimension to this subject, it really does look two dimensional and slightly too bright compared to the background.
With practice adjusting the light output of your flash and moving it off your camera you can achieve better results while using your flash to fill in light. Understanding your equipment. Todays camera equipment can be very technical and does require you to read and understand the manuals.
You can find many on line tutorials that will help show how to use all the features your camera offers. Spending a little time learning the way your camera works will help make your photos keepsakes you will want to cherish for the rest of your life. Digital cameras produce images with pixels, the more pixels the better the resolution, the better resolution the larger the print you can make. What if you are not making prints, maybe you are just sharing on the web. How many pixels do you need for email or the web? When you are uploading JPG images to the web there are some things to take into consideration. Format - how do you want your picture to look, crop it square or rectangle in horizontal or vertical. Image size - pixels are information, how many pixels X pixels you have dictates your image size in height, width and resolution. If you change the pixel ratio you may squeeze or expand the image. File size - number of pixels dictates amount of information in megabytes (MB) or kilobytes (KB). This affects the time it will take to download on a site. You can decrease the size of your file by compressing it. JPG compression analyzes images in blocks of 8X8 pixels in size and selectively reduces the detail within each block.By using JPG compression, you can keep the physical size of the image the same and reduce the amount of disk space required to store it but you will be sacrificing the quality of the image. You cannot increase the number of pixels in an image without effecting the resolution of an image. Below is the same image blown up from 500 X 331 to 1000 X 660 it is the twice the original size but with 1/2 the information. Notice the difference in the resolution. Today even some cel phone cameras can produce 12 mega pixels, about 4288 x 2848, (more than enough to make a 11in X 14in print at 200 dots per square inch). That many pixels are not nessesary for email or websites. In most cases 1000 X 664 pixels (6.6MP) would be sufficent (as seen in the Facebook image chart below). Large image files on a web page take longer to download so just use the right number of pixles to suite your final output device weather it be the web or printer.
Check your computer's photo editor for an image resizing program or you can find them to download online. Aperture, Lightroom or Photoshop type programs will all have ones that will work.
|
|