If you have a question that is not answered in the FAQ, please leave a comment.

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Cameras

Canon PowerShot S3 IS I don’t own or particularly like this digital camera. It’s one I use at work so sometimes you may see its results here. Now lost.
Diana F+ My first 120 film camera. It’s a bit tricky to use but I’m having fun with it.
iPhone In situations of desperation or laziness.
Leica D-Lux3 I don’t own this digital point-and-shoot camera but I use it sometimes. It’s very pretty but really it’s a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 with different image processing parameters.
Lomo LC-A This one is a 35mm film camera from 1991. It’s very easy to use and makes nice nostalgic-looking pictures.
Nikon FM2 A 35mm SLR camera I use with 50mm/f1.2 lens. It’s a camera I have loved since my school days but I only bought it recently. It came with 50mm/f1.8 lens.
Nokia 6300 Old phone camera.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 A trusty digital camera that is a bridge between point-and-shoot and DSLR. It used to be my daily camera until I inherited the Sony.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 My current daily digital camera with Panasonic 20mm/f1.7 pancakes lens. Sometimes I use the kit lens with 14-45mm/f3.5-5.6 zoom or Cosina Voightlander Nokton Classic 35/1.4 lens (effectively 70 mm on the G1).
Polaroid SLR 680 First Polaroid 600 camera.
Polaroid SX-70 I use Polaroid 600 film on this with an ND filter.
Sony Cybershot DSC-T30 My daily digital point-and-shoot camera until it broke sometime in December 2008.

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Questions

What camera do you use?
A variety. Check the post tags for the camera used. All Lo-Fi guides are taken with Lomo LC-A.

How many cameras do you have?
I regularly use 3 but have 5 at the moment.

Do you have a DSLR?
No, I use Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds system.

Why do you use the Sony Cybershot DSC T-30 rather than another in the series? Is it simply because you inherited it?
Yes! I don’t usually upgrade or keep up with the latest releases. I get a new (equivalent) camera only when the old one breaks. I assume the newest one in the Cybershot T series will be as good or even better than T-30.

I plan to buy the DSC-t300 but the comments I read wasn’t positive. “Sony can’t take pictures” was something posted. So far the quality pictures I see from your camera are very good I just wonder how come a better upgraded gadget can bring such a comment.
I have to say, I’ve never been an advocate of Sony. I always much preferred Panasonic. But since I started using this Sony camera, I am rather pleased with the results. Pretty good for a point-and-shoot. As with everything else in this world, I’m sure there will be detractors no matter how good it is. Why don’t you look for results taken with the camera (Flickr is a good place to start) for a better guide?

Lomo LC-A or Nikon FM2?
They are two very different cameras with different purposes. Lomo LC-A does not give a realistic representation of what you see. I guess you can call it artistic interpretation. You can’t adjust exposure settings either. Nikon FM2 is used by photojournalists with all you might expect from an SLR.

Do you know anything about Nikon FE?
Sorry I don’t.

Where did you buy your Nikon FM2?
On eBay from someone in Spain. I was particular about getting an FM2, and not an FM2n, and that only had a short run in 1982.

I’m in love with pictures taken by the FM2! How much did you get yours for? I’ve seen a huge range of prices and I not too sure what’s reasonable … I want to get my hands on it someday but I know almost nothing about the technical stuff. Does it require some knowledge to use it? Did you study or did you experiment and learn as you go along?
As with buying old and used things, there are many variables that determine the price. Whether the camera body comes with lens, what lens they are and the condition of the body and lens. Note that Nikon FM2 and FM2n are marked FM2 on the body but have slightly different specifications. Mine was a FM2 with a few knocks and scratches on the body but it came with modern Nikkor 50mm/f1.8 lens which didn’t help to increase the value of the camera. Plus the modern one looks horribly jarring with the styling of FM2. Got it from eBay for around EU150 but like I said, the prices can vary a lot because of the variables. Since it is a fully manual SLR, it would be helpful if you knew something about photography before you buy it. You’ll have to understand ISO, aperture and shutter speed at the very least to be able to start taking properly exposed photos. Then you can start experimenting. When I did my photojournalism course in university, I used Nikon FM10 which was a newer version of the FM2 and that’s how I learned how to use it.

Do you use flash?
Almost never.

What film do you use?
A variety. Whatever I can get my hands on. Cheap, expensive, expired, new, I like to try them all. Recently I like Kodak Portra NC for Nikon, VC for Lomo.

Don’t you do cross process?
I do but they always turn out very green or very red. I’ve only had a few satisfactory results so far. If you have any tips, please share.

Any tips for a Lomo newbie?
I am pretty new to it all myself. After attempts at experimentation such as over-exposing, I decided it’s best to just keep the aperture at A and the ISO as the film is and concentrate on capturing the moment and framing. Simplicity works best with the Lomo.

Where did you buy your Lomo LC-A?
Lomography.com. It’s a deadstock Lomo LC-A from 1991 so it came in original packaging and has never been used. I’m not sure if it’s still available.

What Polaroid camera do you recommend to get those kind of ‘dreamy and ‘vague” pictures?
I’ve only used the above two and I think both makes dreamy images (without flash). Expired film makes the results even more “vague”.

What film do you use on Polaroid SLR 680/SX-70?
Polaroid 600. I have tried some Artistic TZ film but stocks are very, very limited.

Can I always use 600 film in a SX-70 camera? Or do I need other supplies besides the camera and film to make pictures?
You can use 600 but the images will be quite over-exposed and bright. I bought an ND filter on eBay that I stick on the film pack (reusable), so as to make more saturated images. Over-exposed Polaroids can be nice though, I just want to have the option.

Where do you develop your film rolls?
Snappy Snaps for both 35mm and 120. Because they are everywhere. Quality and prices vary from branch to branch. I rely on the one at Covent Garden and another on Wardour Street.

Do u usually process the 35mm films, have them printed and scan into your computer? Or do you process them and send them straight into CD format without the printouts?
Straight to CD. Prints will be a filing nightmare and I don’t want to waste materials for “off” shots.

Do you photoshop your pictures?
For film photographs, very rarely besides resizing and the occasional cropping. For digital photographs, mainly resizing and cropping. Sometimes brightening and adjusting colours depending on the conditions the photo was taken.

Can you send me more photos you took because you only have a few on the blog?
Everything I’m happy to show is on the blog or in my Flickr.

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