Helios 40-2 1.5/85

i took the plunge, and am now a proud owner of a Helios 40-2 1.5/85 lens. this particular unit already had a Canon EF mount attached to it, which saves me the trouble of picking up another M42 to EF mount converter. this is surprisingly a mammoth of a lens, weighing nearly one kilo. this gives the lens a solid feel to its build, though i imagine it'll be a challenge to shoot on the go. as one would imagine, it is a manual focus lens that requires a little bit of patience and luck to nail the perfect shot. i admit i haven't had the proper chance to field test the lens, but so far i'm rather pleased by the results. shooting wide open gives a softness to the photographs, and closing down several stops, the photographs come out surprisingly sharp like the Helios 44-2. not pin sharp, but sharper than what i expect from a lens of this reputation.

though this isn't my first time playing around with an 85mm lens, it is nice to actually own one. it gives me more to play with, granted i don't break my back or neck lugging this beast around. here's hoping a field test happens soon enough.

Fujifilm Simple Ace Disposable Camera

the best thing about disposable cameras is how one only needs to consider one thing before taking a photograph - is well lit enough that i don't need to use the flash? the practicality of such cameras is made all the more rewarding by the fact that the pictures come out better than i had expected. perhaps this is due to my usage of expired films for past five or so rolls that i had forgotten how freshly made films turn out. where there is colour, the colours are saturated beautifully. pictures come out sharp despite the plastic lens, unlike the lomography line of cameras. and for an ISO400 film, the grain is hardly noticeable. had i known that these make for great photographs, i'd have picked up some more in my last trip to Tokyo. at less than 1000yen a pop, it's a great novelty camera. it's too bad they go for triple the price on ebay. i won't be holding my breath for those.

Fujifilm Simple Ace Disposable Camera

LomoChrome Purple XR

some months ago in a foreign city, i stumbled upon a film cooler selling a plethora of freshly produced film. as i had been out of the analog photography game for the longest of time, most of the selections didn't interest me too much until i saw boxes of Lomography's LomoChrome Purple XR in 35mm. at 1500yen a pop, i hesitated a little bit before making my purchase. however, having recalled how the LomoChrome Purple XR pretty much emulates the feel of the Kodak Aerochrome, i bid adieu to 1500yen and brought a roll of the LomoChrome Purple XR home with me.

the biggest challenge for yours truly was to find subjects worthy of such a pricey roll of film. to get the best out of the film's potential was to photograph greenery, of which might be plenty about here in Kuala Lumpur south, however i had already photographed said places to death in my various photo walks in the past. same subjects be damned, but the purple experimentation meant a different take on the same subject, which i conceded at the end of the day. and drove around i did - with lengthy gaps in between when the mood strikes yours truly right. in total, it took eight months to fully expose the film, which surprisingly wasn't the longest gap between procuring said film and developing it (the award goes to the as-of-yet unexposed expired ISO800 rolls i procured way back in 2010-2011).

lengthy digressions aside, the LomoChrome Purple XR works phenomenally well when exposed properly. having played with various ISO settings ranging from ISO50-400, the results varied from properly exposed to mostly being underexposed. i suspect the underexposure in some of the shots were due to incorrect metering. the underexposure darkens the details to the point of seeming muddy. the occasional overexposure gives the images a turquoise tint akin to a cross-processed slide film which doesn't sit well with me. for the most part, i'm happy with the shots featuring greenery, and especially those featuring different shades and hues of purple and the occasional turquoise to contrast the purple. the grain is acceptable, but becomes prevalent in underexposed shots. correct exposure is key in order to obtain the desired shot - of which i lack for the more constrasty surroundings (strong lights versus shadows).

ultimately the LomoChrome Purple XR was an intriguing experimentation that i would love to explore even more. in fact, one might be hard pressed not to feel the urge to load another one of these babies into your camera after your first roll. though the price might be a turn off for some, it is an unavoidable fact that film is becoming more and more niche, what with the increasing prices of film and the discontinuation of too many film photography staples. despite all the hurdles one faces to enjoy film photography, i believe this roll is the first step in rekindling my love for analog photography. perhaps it is time to finish the remaining 35mm rolls in my dry box, or better yet, procure even more interesting films i've yet to experiment on! such exciting prospects!

Canon AE-1
Lomography LomoChrome XR 50-400