My morning often involves use of my vintage Esterbrook J Demi fountain pen. I restored it and it is filled with Noodler’s Zhivago. The drafting pencil is used for guidelines, just like I used to when I was a drafter. Image made using the Nikon D750 and a Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 at f/4. Image straight out of camera.
We all have routines, or something I call dailies. They are a set of habitual behaviors that serve us in various ways.
My morning regimen generally involves a coffee (or two), made one mug at a time. I heat water, warm the mug and Aeropress, grind my beans, and then extract the drink. This is a ritual.
Once I have coffee, I sit at my desk for a few minutes enjoying the coffee and spending some time with my journal. I usually make a prayer list and exercise it. I write any thoughts that came up during sleep… sometimes recording a dream or a dream fragment. I think about the coming day and what needs to be done. And I write about anything that is or was remarkable.
This process usually involves another mug of coffee. As my wake-up routine progresses, I might watch a bit of YouTube if any of my followed content creators published something I want to see. I also tend to my Bullet Journal to review what was done, what needs to be done, and to plan (ha!) my day. Then it will be breakfast time.
I got out the Nikkor 105mm f/2 D for a few test shots with the Nikon D750. This one is at f/2 with the Defocus set to f/2 R.
In conjunction with yesterday’s post, here is the shot from the Nikkor 105mm f/2 D Defocus lens shot wide open. The background blur and bokeh are lovely, as expected. This is a big lens and wants to be carried on a big camera. It is probably not a lens I would walk around with. However, the 85mm f/1.8 is such a lens. It is on the chunky side of glass, but not unforgivably so.
However, for staged captures, the Nikkor 105mm f/2 would be an excellent choice.
I have the Nikkor 135mm f/2 D Defocus in my inventory. I need to get it out and spend a little time with it as well. These are some of the best Nikkors in existence and a reason why Nikon is one of the best manufacturers of cameras and lenses.
This is a test shot with the new-to-me Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 shot wide open on the Nikon D750.
A couple of weeks ago a new-to-me Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 AI’d lens arrived. It is one of the lenses that established Nikon as a major camera manufacturer and is still revered by photographers. The later f/2 version was changed optically and does not have the same quality as the earlier f/1.8, although the AIS capability offers some advantage with more recent camera bodies. (Note: I posted an image from the Nikkor 85mm f/2 here.)
I generally prefer the AIS version of Nikkor glass because most of my cameras use the feature to improve exposure during the making of the image. However, I will always choose optical quality1 if there is a better version of the lens.
I made the test shot of Lucas at my desk this morning. I had the D750 close at hand, after making a couple of test shots with a Nikkor 105mm f/2 D (Defocus) lens. (I will share this in another entry, later.) The shot was captured wide open (f/1.8). Sharpness is very good, I like the image quality, and the background is nicely out of focus with a lovely bokeh-ball from the living room lamp.
This lens will be fun to take to the field. It will also work on my Nikon film cameras just fine.
The week begins. I have work to do. I am grateful. Life is good.
1While this is generally true, I certainly have a lot of vintage glass in my collection that exhibit character over sharpness. Therefore, the definition of image quality is somewhat subjective.
My new-to-me Fujifilm Klasse. It is not the perfect point-and-shoot, but it is very good. Shot with Nikon D750 and micro-Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 at f/5.6.
I am interested in some of the classic film cameras. The Fujifilm Klasse has been on my list for a few months, but finding one in decent condition at a reasonable price is a challenge.
For example, the Contax1 T2 or T3 is another interesting classic premium point-and-shoot camera. However, an influencer was seen using one and the price increased dramatically (and to stupid levels). They are bought by individuals with no knowledge of cameras (and probably photography) because a favorite content creator uses them. Meh!
OK, end of rant… I was able to snag a Klasse a few weeks ago at a reasonable price. It arrived in good physical condition and I am running a test roll through it as I write. There are a few more frames left on the roll before I send it in for processing and scanning. (I should finish the test roll today, then it will be on to another camera for a test roll.)
This is not a review2. I will likely write a review at a later date after spending time with the camera. What this article is about is the handling of this little camera as I have experienced it to date.
For me, this is a pocket camera. It will easily slip into a cargo pocket or a jacket pocket. It is small, sleek, and has a good complement of controls. It is also fully automatic if that is what you want.
Like most of them I looked at for sale, my instance has a tiny bit of wear on the back in the center, presumably from being worn on a strap and rubbing on the previous owner’s clothing. That is acceptable. It is not a new camera.
The tiny LCD display on the top panel provides a frame counter, flash status, and date readout when the camera is on. Lens f-stop and zone focus are set by dials on the top and front of the camera. The lens retracts into the body when the camera is off and extends when it is on. It is a lovely Fuji 38mm f/2.6 EBC lens. I am looking forward to the results of my first test roll to see if the glass lives up to the Fujifilm reputation for lenses. I expect it will.
The Klasse is one of my grail cameras. It is a premium point-and-shoot from a bygone era. I still shoot film and expect to continue shooting film as long as I can. In many ways, I prefer the look of film photographs to digital. I like the analog look.
It will be fun to run more film through this little camera. Like any fixed lens camera, there are many situations where the 38mm focal length will work well. However, there are others where I will want one of my interchangeable lens bodies (and a few lenses) in my bag. But the Klasse fits into my pocket.
There are four rolls of film on my desk waiting to be sent for processing. There will be another from the Klasse soon and another from the Nikon F2as shortly. Then they will go into the mail to be processed and scanned.
I am grateful. Life is good.
1Yes, Contax is not longer a German camera. It was bought by Kyocera long ago. It is still a good brand.
2I do not do technical reviews. There are a lot of those to be found on the Internet (easily searched) that have a lot of technical details about the cameras and lenses I use. I am more interested in the handling and aesthetic product of my cameras and lenses. Hence, I write reviews about those things.
