Every time I use my wee Yashica GSN and get the results back I think...."why do we buy anything else?"
The answer to that is simple for some and not for others. For me it was the viewfinder. Im sure I could get mine cleaned somehow but it just never was bright enough, although I was able to use it in some very demanding situations. For others its everything from size (not the smallest rangefinder for sure) to lack of bragging rights. Somehow 13 dollar camera (what I paid for mine) doesn't seem something that you can boast about unless the person you are showing off to is a fellow super geek.
But anyway, I love this camera for its discrete clicking shutter, the lack of movement when those thin metal leafs spring into action. I love the light meter, its absolutely fabulous, in dozens of rolls of film I think I have no more then 3 shots that were off, situations that would make my Canon 20D cry like a baby are simple for this little masterpiece. But the main reason I love this camera is that its lens is just top notch for my style of shooting. Its got character, its got sharpness, its got smooth gradients, great out of focus qualities, its fast, and best of all, its a normal. A hair wider then a 50, and thats just great. The metal on the barrel, the double focus nubs, the confident aperture ring...its all a tactile experience that make it just that much better. If I could have this lens in M mount I would sell my Zeiss Planar on the spot. For me this lens is just the business.
And now that I have gushed about the lens so much, how about a few pictures recently developed by yours truly. Ilford HP5 in LC29 1:29.
The alley way I took this photo in had the perfect lighting, the sun was situated in just a way that it didn't illuminate the wall but did cast a glow on the person sitting in the middle of it. She just looked at me on that hot day with barely a response as I snapped a few shots and walked on.
Old guys wasting away the hot Chongqing days playing cards in a little tea shop. Hard to imagine some of these practices lasting much longer and younger generations have found new alternative entertainments.
A couple of boys cooling off by the river on a particularly hot day. Actually it seemed pretty nice, I could have used a dip myself.
An old style Chinese country house with many of the old style things still in it makes it a quaint little place to grow up in, even if they may dream of opportunities in the cities.
Two boys playing around someones door, who knows what mischief they are up to.
Little girl takes a stretch after waking up from a nap on the chair.
Lighting up the pipe of tobaco and bark chips they grow in the countryside. Only the older people smoke this stuff as it is considered too vile by younger city people.
Cheers!
Threaded Mode
