RetroCamera » SLR howtos

What to do with your cold cameralens when you take it indoors

Mattias — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:46:09 +0000

Condensation – We who live in the colder countries in the world (like Sweden where I live) have a small problem with this. So what to do with your cold cameras and lenses after shooting outside and take it indoors?

The solution
The discussion came up on MFlenses.com the other day. I have been taught that having the camera in the bag and warming it up slowly was the thing. But it was questioned and suggested warming up as fast as possible was better. I had a theory that humidity had something to do with the two versions. Sweden has COLD and DRY air in the winter, when I can imagine some countries further south can have a higher humidity and and slightly warmer – maybe it is better to warm up fast there? But I haven’t got a scientific proof that my solution is best. Do you?

Yashinon DX 50mm f1.7 – interesting bokeh

Mattias — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:58:12 +0000

Maybe not the best saturation (it was a gray day, though), but sharp and very interesting bokeh. Here at f2, if I remember it correct. Today my C/Y->EOS adapter arrived, so now I can try my ML-lenses and compare. I see a test of 50mm-lenses in the not to distant future :)

Yashinon DX 50mm/1.7 berries

How to avoid film rip with Zenit ET

Mattias — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:50:08 +0000

My first roll of film passed through the Zenit ET. Time to rewind. But… HOW? I took a while to find the rewind release button. When I found it, it was hard to push down. Guess I didn’t do it well enough, because the film snapped right of.

Ripped film

Although I didn’t get that until I opened the back and let the light in! But you learn from you mistakes, and I can enlighten others about them, so here’s how you do it.

The rewind release is around the shutter release-button. On the Zenit ET is protected of a halfcircle of plastic. I now use the casing of a pen to press it down, ALL THE WAY DOWN!

Push it down

Ok, rewind the film with the film rewind knob. Lift it up to open cameraback and take out the film. Now, I don’t know if its just my cameras rewind release thats a bit stuck but I hade to screw the button a bit to get it back up again.

Rewind release and shutter release

For forther reading look at the Zenit B, E and EM manual.