All taken on the Olympus 35 RC. I had some misgivings about taking an old rangefinder as my only film camera to Japan, as I am more of an SLR guy. But I wanted to travel as light as possible so the Oly 35 RC it was. It had no trouble nailing exposure, though I think some of the shots might have been a little sharper. These are lab scans.
Thanks. On reflection and comparing them to my other recent 35mm work, I think they are pretty comparable. I'm pixel peeping at home on a 28inch 4k screen, which seems to be a stretch for 35mm.
Wow, I was in Japan a year ago and was concerned with getting the film through security. I loved my digital images, but Ektar really looks great and I love your images. Regarding 35mm scanned Ektar..there is a lot of there there with the right equipment. Copying Ektar can potentially yield 40MP; output ~9,504 x 6,336 ≈ **~40–45MP** usable.
- Matches drum scans with cleaner colors.
bwcolor wrote:
Wow, I was in Japan a year ago and was concerned with getting the film through security. I loved my digital images, but Ektar really looks great and I love your images. Regarding 35mm scanned Ektar..there is a lot of there there with the right equipment. Copying Ektar can potentially yield 40MP; output ~9,504 x 6,336 ≈ **~40–45MP** usable.
- Matches drum scans with cleaner colors.
These are lab scans. When my film is returned, I'll scan them myself which may yield a little more detail and better colours.
I had a pleasant experience with the film and security at Sydney and Haneda. Had my rolls in a clear bag and just handed it to the attendants near the scanner. In both cases they took it without question and handed it back to me on the other side of the screening.
Wonderful! I was in Japan in 2019 and back then film was cheap and scanners weren't destroying film (at least from the UK outwards). I'm going to Korea + Japan next year and debating whether to go just digital or take the film camera and have an excuse to visit yodabashi...
panos.v wrote:
Wonderful! I was in Japan in 2019 and back then film was cheap and scanners weren't destroying film (at least from the UK outwards). I'm going to Korea + Japan next year and debating whether to go just digital or take the film camera and have an excuse to visit yodabashi...
I have to admit carrying both film and digital was a pain. The little Oly 35 RC did the job well, but carrying it meant one less lens for my digital system and whenever I was shooting there was always the question of should I shoot this on film or just digital. But now that I am back, I am glad I shot of a couple of rolls and didn't go digital only.
I did 100% film there in January. Travelling with the film was straightforward. Easier than digital I would suggest since no cards, chargers, computers etc. Just rolls of film, a bag and a camera/lens.
Thanks for sharing, lovely shots. Always enjoyed the little Oly 35RC and what you've done with it here
In November of 2024 my wife and I went to Paris and Amsterdam. I took a Kodak Retina IIa that had a cursory service (the tech who knew what he was doing was unavailable that summer). People would stop on the street to ask about my camera and the best part. it would easily fit in a jacket pocket. It started breaking film in Amsterdam but about an hour after that happened, my wife slipped on the lobby stairs at the Rembrandt House and changed the direction of the last few days of our visit.
I used my phone for any digital work but the film camera was fun.
There was a clerk at a bookstore who waved me in to get a better look at the camera. That's the kind of stuff that makes vacation memories.
Wow all your photos are so vibrant and beautiful. Amazed amazed amazed. The photos are so lively that it feels like I'm actually there. But I'm sure your photos are better than real life. I hope I could take photos like this one day as well!
panos.v wrote:
Wonderful! I was in Japan in 2019 and back then film was cheap and scanners weren't destroying film (at least from the UK outwards). I'm going to Korea + Japan next year and debating whether to go just digital or take the film camera and have an excuse to visit yodabashi...
omg if you're going to Korea you should definitely bring your film camera! Film development is fast and cheap there
It really depends on what part of Seoul/Korea you're in, as film studios are all over Seoul. I recommend using the "Naver map" app, as Google Maps is not reliable in Korea. If you search Naver Maps for "필름 현상소" (film studio, the app is in English but gives better results when you search in Korean), you'll find many studios with turnaround times of a few hours to a day. You can see the costs online and can sometimes even make reservations online. The price can be as cheap as $4 per roll + scan (Medium size). In Korea, prices are tax-included, so that would be the net cost for a roll of color film. I know this sounds like a lot, so you can just PM me when you're in Korea/need a film studio suggestion nearby, I am more than happy to help! A place I found via quick search is here: maps.app.goo.gl/oraDFrFXsCrd6E8B6 Gorae(Whale) Film Studio. It's in the heart of the mecca of Korean photography, and the staff speaks English. (But don't buy films there as films are generally more expensive in Korea compared to the US, and they are on the expensive end as well.)
Recently ran a roll through a friend's old Minolta rangefinder (Himatic F) and was disappointed and how many missed exposures there were (granted it's fully automatic exposure, and I was shooting with a fair bit of backlight).
Yes, I was shooting entirely using the camera's own meter. The Oly 35 RC shoots in either shutter priority with its meter or full manual with no meter. I shot in shutter priority the whole time. Its meter is still good, but you need to avoid backlight situations or switch to manual.
Here are a few more shots. These are my own scans using SmartConvert, with a little PP in ACDSee Photostudio Pro. The corners of the Oly 35 RC aren't pretty when shot wide open, but who cares. Otherwise if you can find a good one with an accurate meter, I'd say it is a better option than a Contax T2 or whatever the hipsters are paying thousands for these days.
