I have been experimenting with panoramic photography for the last few weeks and I wanted to share some of the things I have learned and offer some tips for anyone wanting to learn how to take panoramic photos. This isn’t a comprehensive panorama tutorial, but it should cover the basics and point you in the direction of panoramic websites where you can learn more.

Panoramic photography can be breathtaking. Even really wide angle lenses can’t come close to showing the range of view that you can get with a true panorama. The shot at the top of this page shows a 360 degree panoramic shot. Another method is to take a 360 degree shot by 180 degrees that results in a complete view of your surroundings. Once you have a 360×180 image there are some really interesting things you can do with them. For example, the shot to the right demonstrates a stereographic projection that is created from a panorama. Anther applications for a panorama include Quicktime VR’s which allow you to scroll up, down, and around the image as if you were standing in that spot. So how do you create panoramic photos?

Step 1: Taking the Photos

The first thing you need to know about panoramic photography is that it usually involves taking multiple photos and “stitching” them together into a single shot. While there are expensive cameras with swinging lenses, most panorama photos are made with ordinary cameras. You take lots of photos until you have taken a photo of your complete surroundings. Rather than just going crazy shooting photos in every direction it is a good idea to use a system that will make it easy to assemble the photos later.

In order to improve your chances of having images that will work optimally for stitching together you should definitely consider purchasing a high quality tripod. It is possible to hand hold your camera, but this really increases your chances of having images that don’t stitch together nicely. A normal tripod should work well for single row 360 degree shots. If you are taking multiple row, 360×180 shots you should consider purchasing a panoramic head.

A panoramic tripod head will allow you to move your camera in specific increments until you have completed the full 360. Each photo you take should overlap the shot you took previously. The overlap is important because this redundant data is what the software will use to stitch the photos together later. With my Panasonic Lumix LX3 (which has a pretty wide lens) I can capture a 360×180 degree image by taking 38 photos. That translates into 3 rows of 12 images and a photo for the ground and another photo of the sky straight above. I use the markings on my tripod to know how to turn the camera 30 degrees.

A panoramic tripod head can be an expensive investment. The Nodal Ninja tripod heads get great praise, but they are cost hundreds of dollars. A cheaper option is the Panosaurus that costs about $80. If you are the do-it-yourself type like me, you can build your own. I had some old tripod parts lying around so I decided to build my own panoramic tripod head.

The photo below shows my DIY panoramic tripod head.

This looks intimidating, but once you understand how a panoramic head works it isn’t that bad. The purpose of the head is to position your camera so that the “nodal point” of the camera stays in the same place no matter which direction the camera is pointing. What is a nodal point you ask? You can read the technical definition on wikipedia, but in general terms, this is the point of the camera lens that your camera will rotate around to produce images that aren’t distorted. If you simply rotate a normal tripod the nodal point will be different for each shot causing distortion. You can find the nodal point of your lens following the tutorial here. Don’t obsess over this, because as long as you are close you should be in good shape. Most likely, the nodal point of your camera is towards the front of the lens. There is a good thread on Flickr where you can see a bunch of DIY panoramic tripod heads that should give you some inspiration.

Step 2: Stitching the Photos Together

Once you have the photos taken it is time to create the panorama. Stitching multiple photos together presents some challenges. First of all you need some software. I use Hugin because it is free and has some advanced features. I haven’t used any of the other panorama photo stitcher software options out there, but search the internet and you should be able to see some of the other options out there.

Before you commit to learning Hugin, I should warn you that it wasn’t very easy to get it working for me. I am on a Mac running Snow Leopard and it took some work getting it installed and running. I ended up using MacPorts to help install the autopano-sift-c software required to run Hugin.

Once I had Hugin installed, learning Hugin presented its own challenges. I am the kind of person that jumps right into software without much training, so if you follow some tutorials online you might pick it up quicker than I did. Check out the Hugin Flickr group for additional info.

I hope this post was enough to get you interested in panoramic photography. There are plenty of great resources online if you are looking for more information. My advice would be to join Flickr and plug in to the many groups and passionate users creating panoramic images. There are lots of tutorials on Flickr and most people are more than willing to help out other photographers. Good luck!

There are plenty of articles online praising the technical prowess of this camera praising it as a point-and-shoot that can compete with an SLR. The only other camera that might give the LX a run for its money is the Canon G10. So rather than rehash the technical specs of the Panasonic Lumix LX3 I thought I would throw out some ideas that might get you thinking how to “hack” this camera to create non-traditional digital photos. If you have some ideas of your own, please add them in the comments.

1. Long Exposures Switch the Panasonic Lumix LX3 over to manual mode and you can control the shutter speed. Try it at night, or in situations where a long exposure can give you unexpected results.

2. Multiple Exposures The Panasonic Lumix LX3 allows you to create multiple exposures in camera. You have to scroll through some menus to get to this setting, but it can give you some really fun and interesting results.

3. Street photography The LX3 is small and quiet so it is a great camera for street photography. Some times I like to “shoot from the hip” and take photos by just pointing the camera in someone’s general direction and snapping a shot. Every once in a while this technique can create some real gems.

4. Manual Focus You paid good money for the fancy focusing technology of the Panasonic Lumix LX3, but why not turn it off? The manual focus of this camera is another way to get back to basics with your camera. Or add some creative blur to your shots.

5. Macro It’s amazing how much things change when you get really close to them. The macro ability of the Panasonic LX3 is pretty impressive and opens a whole new world of possibilities.

6. Black and white I find that unless color really adds something to a photo, I typically prefer the image in black and white. Why not save yourself the trouble of converting to black and white in Photoshop later and shoot in black and white mode. Another advantage of shooting in b&w is that it puts you in a different mind set. I feel like I am looking at the world differently when I have black and white film in my camera.

I hope you found these ideas inspiring. As always, follow me on Flickr if you are curious about what my latest work.

Here are some of the auctions for Panasonic Lumix LX3 cameras and accessories on Ebay that you might be interested in:

CAMERA AUTO LENS CAP FOR PANASONIC LUMIX DMC LX3 LX-3

US $11.87 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 18:39:18 PST Buy It Now for only: US $13.11 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

For Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX2 DMC-LX3 USB Data Cable

US $5.99 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 18:44:18 PST Buy It Now for only: US $5.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Form Fitted Leather Case for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

US $39.39 End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 2:59:47 PST Buy It Now for only: US $39.39 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Soft Case for PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-LX3 Digital Camera

US $10.99 End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 8:23:24 PST Buy It Now for only: US $10.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 with Enhanced CCD

US $175.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 14:34:35 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

DMW-BCC12 Battery + Charger fit PANASONIC Lumix DMC-LX3 CGA-S005 CGA-S005E

US $9.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 17:46:55 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

USB Cable for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 DMC-LZ1 DMC-FX580

US $1.98 End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 20:14:13 PST Buy It Now for only: US $1.98 Buy it now | Add to watch list

2X CGA-S005 Battery for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 DMC-LX3

US $7.49 End Date: Thursday Feb-09-2012 9:59:42 PST Buy It Now for only: US $7.49 Buy it now | Add to watch list

52mm Flower Lens Hood+UV Ultra Violet Filter for Panasonic Lumix DMC LX5 LX3 G2

US $5.69 End Date: Thursday Feb-09-2012 13:58:19 PST Buy It Now for only: US $5.69 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Camera Bag Case for Panasonic Lumix DMC LX3 FZ28 FX150

US $3.63 End Date: Thursday Feb-09-2012 14:32:22 PST Buy It Now for only: US $3.63 Buy it now | Add to watch list

For my test I used color slide film and it worked just fine. The pictures were taken with my trusty medium format Lego camera. I wasn’t sure what I would get, but the results were black and white negatives (as opposed to color positives). Interesting. Here is a photo from the roll:

Dennis from Captured Starlight has a nice pinhole camera made out of a juice box. A big part of my fascination with pinhole photography is the ingenuity of the photographers that build there own cameras. Anyone can drop a couple hundred dollars on the latest camera, but it takes a special motivation to build a picture taking machine out of the scraps you find in the garbage.

If you are interested in pinhole photography, Ebay might be a good place to find a starter pinhole camera. Here are the pinhole camera auctions going on right now:

4GB Man Wrist SPY HD Watch Camera Cam DVR DV Pinhole Hidden Recorder Vedio

US $26.88 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:00:23 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

HD Mini Button Pinhole Spy Camera Hidden DVR Camcorder Vedio Recorder 30FPS

US $15.88 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:00:30 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

2.0 Mega Mini HD Hidden Pinhole Spy Camera Camcorder DV DVR Video Recorder New

US $28.88 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:00:44 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

4G Mini HD Spy ID Card Camera Cam VCR DVR DV Montion Detection Pinhole Hidden

US $26.88 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:00:45 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

4GB Man Wrist SPY HD Watch Camera Cam DVR DV Pinhole Hidden Recorder Vedio

US $26.88 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:00:21 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

HD Mini Button Pinhole Spy Camera Hidden DVR Camcorder Vedio Recorder 30FPS

US $15.88 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:00:32 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

2.0 Mega Mini HD Hidden Pinhole Spy Camera Camcorder DV DVR Video Recorder New

US $28.88 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:00:40 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

4G Mini HD Spy ID Card Camera Cam VCR DVR DV Montion Detection Pinhole Hidden

US $26.88 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:00:40 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Sony CCD Pinhole Spy Security Color Camera +BNC-11B

US $45.50 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:03:53 PST Buy It Now for only: US $45.50 Buy it now | Add to watch list

LawMate Earphone Earbud Color Pinhole Mini Wired Security Camera Cam Spy for DVR

US $195.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:17:36 PST Buy It Now for only: US $195.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Front of the camera with the shutter release cable:

The back with the film loaded:

The back of the camera opened up:

Here are the current auctions on Ebay for “Argus Cameras” that you might be interested in:

Vintage Argus C3 Rangefinder 35mm Camera W/50mm f 3.5 Cintar lens~Nice Conditio

US $9.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 15:36:41 PST Buy It Now for only: US $19.99 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE ARGUS CAMERAS INC PROJECTOR MODEL 300 CASE

US $46.99 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:01:11 PST Buy It Now for only: US $46.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Vintage Argus C3 Rangefinder Camera + Light Meters + Lens Shade + Panhead & More

US $41.00 (6 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:10:41 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Argus Rangefinder Camera in Leather Case 50mm Lens Vintage Photo Capture!

US $9.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:25:09 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE ARGUS RANGEFINDER CAMERA W/ CASE 30MM CINTAR ESTATE FIND

US $99.99 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:27:53 PST Buy It Now for only: US $99.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Vintage Argus M3 Movie Camera

US $4.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:31:23 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Argus STL 1000 Black w/Cosina 50mm/1.8 Lens-Beautiful Vintage 1971 SLR camera

US $339.44 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:00:28 PST Buy It Now for only: US $339.44 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Vintage Classic Cameras - Collector Guide including Argus, Konica etc

US $29.95 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:09:52 PST Buy It Now for only: US $29.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE ARGUS CAMERA

US $50.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:15:32 PST Buy It Now for only: US $50.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE ARGUS 75MM CAMERA CASE FLASH CARRYING STRAP ALL INCLUDED

US $8.50 (2 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:22:55 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

I haven’t posted a good camera modification in a while, so it feels good to present you with this new tutorial on how to build your own tilt-shift lens. Have you seen those photos where only a small part of the picture is in focus and the rest of the image gets dramatically blurred? If you ever wondered how this effect is created, chances are the picture was taken with a tilt-shift lens. Most lenses are fixed exactly parallel to your lens because that is the position that will distribute the light evenly and keep focus at a fixed distance. A tilt-shift lens is different because it allows you pivot the lens. By “tilting” and “shifting” the lens you can throw things out of focus in unconventional ways. Using a tilt-shift lens is a fun way to inject your photos with drama and controlled distortion. Here is a link to a good Flickr gallery full of examples of tilt-shift to give you an idea of what is possible with a tilt-shift lens.

If I have convinced you that a tilt-shift lens would be a nice addition to your photography arsenal, I have some bad news for you. Tilt-shift lenses are expensive. A quick Ebay search reveals that you will be lucky to secure a lens for under $500 with some lenses well over $1000. Yikes! A slightly less expensive option is something called a Lensbaby, which will run you between $100 to $400. Despite hearing good things about the lensbabies, I just can’t justify dropping a couple hundred dollars on a lens that’s main purpose is to degrade and distort my pictures. Luckily there is a third option. Here are some ideas that will help you create your own tilt-shift lens for next to nothing.

The great thing about this method is that you don’t need glue, tape, liquid nails, or anything messy. All you need are four things that you might already own:

1. The first thing is a single lens reflex camera. For this example I am using a Pentax K1000, but it should work with any SLR including most digital SLR cameras.
   
   

2. The second thing you will need is a body cap. If you bought your camera new, the body cap was probably in the camera when you pulled it out of the box. This is the cap that you would have removed before you attached your lens. If you don’t have a body cap you should be able to pick one up for cheap on Ebay.
   
   

3. The third thing you will need is an inner tube from a bike tire. You probably have a bike in your garage with a flat tire, so that will work perfectly. If you don’t have a flat, you can pick one up an Wal-Mart, but it could cost about $20. If you live close to a bike shop I would bet they could give you a flat inner tube for free.
   
   

4. The fourth thing on the list that might be the hardest thing to track down is a lens from a junk camera. If you hit your local thrift shop or an antique store it should be relatively easy to find a lens that will work. As you hunt for a lens there are a couple things to consider. First, it will be to your advantage if the lens is easily removed from the camera. If the shutter mechanism is part of the lens (as is common with older cameras) you will have to figure out a way to keep the shutter open permanently. This could be a challenge. You want the lens to be thin. A half inch is ideal. If your lens is too thick it will be too bulky to tilt and shift. For this example, I used the lens off a really old (but common) Argus 35mm camera. The lens is easily removed. It has a “T” setting for a shutter speed that keeps the shutter open for long exposures. This is handy for our needs because we want the shutter open permanently. If you go with the lens off an Argus don’t pay more than $10 because these are really junky cameras.
   
   

Now that you have all your supplies you are ready to start building your tilt-shift lens. Depending on the SLR you have and the type of lens you were able to secure, the following steps could vary quite a bit. Use the following instructions as a guide and improvise to suit your needs. The general idea is that you cut a section of a bike tire inner tube and stick your body cap in one end and an old lens in the other end. The rubber tube flexes enough to hold both parts tightly and it lets you move the lens freely in any direction that you desire.

Step 1: Remove lens from your junked camera
Strip away everything that you can so that you are left with as thin and small of a lens as possible. You can click on any of the images in this tutorial to see a larger photo. The third photo below shows what the Argus lens looks like from the back.

Step 2: Prepare your body cap
The body cap that I had was made of a soft white plastic, so I was able to use an exacto knife to cut out the center circle. Once you have the center of the body cap cut out you are ready to stick it in the inner tube. I started with a section of the tire that was about 4 inches long. You want more than you actually need so it is easier to work with. We will cut off the excess later. The diameter of the bike tire inner tube is quite a bit smaller than the lens cap, so it will take a bit of stretching and pulling to get it in there. It takes a bit of work, but the result is a tight fit that won’t move after you get it in there. That’s a good thing. At this point you can test to make sure that the body cap still fits in your camera.

Step 3: Insert Lens in the inner tube
Now in the other end of the inner tube you can insert you lens. The diameter of my lens was smaller than the body cap so it isn’t quite as much work to make this side fit. At this point you need to start thinking about focal length (the distance that you lens will be from your film. This is important because it will determine what is in focus at certain distances from your camera. If you want to take photos of things at midrange to far away you will want the lens to be as close to the film as possible. If you want to take pictures of things really close to the camera (macro photography) you should keep the lens further from the film. I couldn’t decide what I wanted so I left a little extra rubber so that I could move the lens depending on what kind of mood I was in.

A SLR like the Pentax K1000 lets you remove your lens without exposing the film, so if you want to adjust your tilt-shift lens halfway through the roll, just take the lens off, make adjustments and reattach. The other thing that makes an SLR ideal for this homemade tilt-shift lens is that what you see through the viewfinder is exactly what will end up on the film. So as you are moving your lens around you are getting a perfect preview of what is and what isn’t in focus. Test your tilt-shift lens out as you are building it to help you get a better idea of what to expect from it. Once you know where you want the lens to be positioned in the inner tube you can cut off any excess rubber.

Step 4: Attach your tilt-shift lens to your SLR
Now you have a tilt-shift lens. Depending on how tightly your body cap fits into your camera you may need to secure it better so that your lens doesn’t fall out. You can see in the photo below that I used some extra rubber from the tire to make large rubber bands that hold the lens on more securely. It makes an already ugly lens a little uglier, but it does the job. I think some body caps might screw into your camera body, and if you can find one like that then you wouldn’t have to worry so much about the lens falling off.

Step 5: Hack your camera so you can use its light meter
Your tilt-shift lens should work as is, but you probably won’t be able to use your camera’s light meter. If you want to have a working light meter there is one more hack that you will have to perform. Usually without a “real” lens on your camera body the light meter will be disabled. I can only speak for the Pentax K1000 so you will have to experiment with other models. If you find a solution for other kinds of cameras, please share your advice in the comments below. On the Pentax K1000 there is a tiny latch on the right. When a lens is put on the camera it turns this latch about an inch and a half and this turns the light meter on. I used a small piece of a twisty tie to wedge this latch into the “on” position. You will want to be careful that you don’t damage your camera as you are doing this. You will also want to be sure to remove the twisty tie before reattaching your other lenses.

Congratulations! You are done. If you had all the ingredients already it cost you nothing. If you had to buy everything from scratch it didn’t cost you more than $150 and you that includes a 35mm SLR! That is cheaper than a lensbaby!

Pentax K1000 = $100
Bicycle inner tube = $20 or less
Argus 35mm camera = $10
Total = Under $150!

Last but not least, here are a few samples from the first photos taken with my homemade tilt-shift lens:

References:
I was inspired by a post on mkaz.com where Marcus Kazmierczak attaches a lens with bellows onto a Nikon SLR. If you want to learn more about tilt-shift lenses, Wikipedia is a good resource.

Here are some of the auctions on Ebay for tilt-shift lenses that you might be interested in:

MC 2.0/50mm TILT/SHIFT lens Olympus PEN E-PM1, PEN E-PL3 , PEN E-P3

US $349.00 End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 5:07:26 PST Buy It Now for only: US $349.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Arax Photex Arsat 35 mm tilt shift T/S lens for Nikon

US $621.15 End Date: Thursday Feb-09-2012 2:43:21 PST Buy It Now for only: US $621.15 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Canon TS-E 17mm F/4.0 Tilt Shift Lens

US $1,985.00 End Date: Thursday Feb-09-2012 10:50:40 PST Buy It Now for only: US $1,985.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Nikon PC-Micro-Nikkor D 85 mm F/2.8 Tilt/Shift Lens

US $1,100.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday Feb-09-2012 19:00:23 PST Buy It Now for only: US $1,299.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

Canon FD 35mm TS SSC 1:2.8 Tilt Shift ....Rare Quality Lens - Great Cond...

US $749.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 15:34:46 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Canon TS-E 24 mm f/3.5L II Tilt-Shift Lens 3552B002 NEW

US $2,049.00 End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 20:21:06 PST Buy It Now for only: US $2,049.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Arax Photex Arsat 35 mm tilt shift T/S lens Canon EOS

US $610.42 End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 2:30:01 PST Buy It Now for only: US $610.42 Buy it now | Add to watch list

for Pentax M42 42mm Zenzanon Bronica Tilt-shift lens - 80 mm - F/2.8 set

US $469.00 End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 13:01:22 PST Buy It Now for only: US $469.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Canon TSE Tilt Shift 17mm f/4L SLR Lens

US $2,209.00 End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 17:38:08 PST Buy It Now for only: US $2,209.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Arax Photex 2.8/35mm TILT/SHIFT lens Sony A950 A850

US $599.00 End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 12:22:59 PST Buy It Now for only: US $599.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

I finally got the camera I have always wanted. No, it wasn’t a Hasselblad or a Mamiya or a Leica. The camera that has been on my wish list longer than any other is the Pentax K1000. Sure, I could pick one up on Ebay for under $100 but I just figured that someday the classic camera would just find its way into my collection. That is pretty much what happened. I love having a story to go along with a camera and now I have one that I will probably be telling quite a few times in the future. Here is how the classic tank of a camera came into my collection…

I have coveted my friend Bennett’s K1000 for years and envied the $5 deal he found at a rummage sale. Knowing how much I coveted his Pentax, he has been on the lookout for a K1000 for me. After cleaning out his basement he made a trip to the landfill to drop off some junk. Shortly after entering the building he spotted something on a conveyor belt that looked familiar. It was a Pentax K1000! He flagged down a worker and was able to get the conveyor belts stopped. It took some negotiating, but he was able to save the camera from the doom of the landfill. Aside from a broken film counter, it was in perfect working condition. All it needed was a new battery and the light meter snapped back to life. Now that I have a K1000, I couldn’t be happier.

If you took a photography class in high school, chances are you used a K1000. The fully manual camera is (or was) the standard shooter for pimply-faced teens everywhere. Holding the Pentax K1000 is like going back in time to my days at Wentzville High. The faces of friends come back in focus. Walking the halls of the school with my friend Molly. The magic of the darkroom. The excitement of capturing something on film. And that sound! Is there a better sound in the world than the shutter releasing on a Pentax K1000 and the clicking as you advance the film? I don’t think so.

I would be willing to bet that part of the enduring appeal of the K1000 has a lot to do with similar nostalgia that the camera brings back to their owners. People that really cherish a camera know that it is more than just a picture making machine. It is an extension of who we are. As we look back through are photo albums and recall the special moments of our lives we remember that the camera was there. A silent friend, steadily documenting our lives and capturing the light that fills our memories.

Here are some of the auctions on Ebay for Pentax K1000 cameras that you might be interested in:

VINTAGE ASAHI PENTAX K1000 35MM SLR FILM CAMERA W/ MANY ACCESSORIES + 200MM LENS

US $35.00 (13 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:07:25 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Pentax K1000 35mm SLR Film Camera with 50mm Lens

US $41.00 (16 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:20:08 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Asahi Pentax K1000 Instruction Manual: Original

US $8.90 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:39:09 PST Buy It Now for only: US $8.90 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Asahi Pentax K1000 Instruction Manual: Original

US $8.90 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:42:59 PST Buy It Now for only: US $8.90 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Pentax K1000 35mm SLR Film Camera & Soligor 300mm Lens

US $44.00 (11 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 18:00:17 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

ASAHI PENTAX K -1000 35mm CAMERA With Case and Ricoh 28mm Lens -NICE-

US $15.55 (3 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 18:00:56 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Pentax K1000 film 35mm camera 55mm lens kit

US $109.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 18:21:02 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Battery & Light Seal Kit: Pentax K1000 1000SE K2 KX KM LX ME Super MG MV MX P3

US $8.95 (1 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 18:40:43 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Asahi Pentax K1000 Instruction Manual

US $9.90 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 18:51:21 PST Buy It Now for only: US $9.90 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Vintage Pentax Asahi K1000 Camera

US $69.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 18:57:29 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

A recent addition to my camera collection that is quickly becoming a favorite is the Yashica Electro35. It is an old rangefinder with a fast lens, a quite shutter, and accurate auto exposure. If you are like me and can only dream about owning a Leica, this camera might be just what you are looking for. They are a bargain on Ebay going for $25 or less.

The only downside of the camera is that they don’t make the 6v batteries anymore. Luckly, there are a bunch of enthusiastic fans of the camera that have figured out how to make modern batteries work in this antique. If you need battery help check out this thread in the Yashica Electro35 Flickr group.

If you are interested in seeing some of my photos from this camera you can click here.

The photo below shows what the viewfinder looks like. To focus the camera you align the image inside the diamond with the image outside the diamond.

Here are some of the auctions on Ebay for Yashica Electro35 that you might be interested in:

Yashica Electro 35 GSN 35mm Rangefinder Film Camera See Video OF This Item L@@K

US $12.50 (2 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:52:52 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Yashica Electro 35 CC Rangefinder Camera, CLA'd, A grade Condition 35mm f2 case

US $105.50 (3 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 18:30:04 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

YASHICA ELECTRO 35 GS RANGEFINDER 35mm FILM CAMERA & CASE KONICA LENS CAP

US $15.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 19:14:03 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Chrome Yashica Electro 35 Rangefinder Camera Neat!

US $39.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 19:32:18 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Yashica Electro 35 GSN 35mm Rangefinder Film Camera w/ case,cap,box,inst,adapter

US $39.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 19:38:18 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Yashica Auto - Up Close Up Lens Kit for Electro 35G, Gsn, Gtn - 80cm- 45cm

US $12.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 19:44:45 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

YASHICA ELECTRO 35 Rangefinder 35mm Film Camera

US $39.95 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 1:37:18 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage Yashica G Electro 35 Camera w/ Color Yashinon DX 1:1.7 Lens F= 45mm

US $14.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 7:07:25 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

YASHICA ELECTRO 35 CAMERA CASE MANUAL AND LENSES.

US $0.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 9:17:57 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Yashica Electro 35 GSN Rangefinder with Color-Yashinon DX 45mm f/1.7 lens

US $10.61 (5 Bids) End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 12:42:08 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

The newest addition to my camera collection is the Canon AE1 Program. This is the automatic version of the AE1 which I reviewed a few months ago. It is just a coincidence that I got this camera at the same time as my Pentax Super Program becuase these cameras had to be competing against each other around 1984. I had to chuckle at the lens cap because it had “Official 35mm Camera of the 1984 Olympics” on it.

Both this camera and the Pentax Super Program represent the peak of consumer 35mm SLR cameras. They were reliable, accurate, compact, had great lenses, and could take a beating. This is pre “Rebel” days, before cameras became bloated with electronics and features that doubled the size and weight of cameras.

The controls are logical and easy to use. If you aren’t real sure what you are doing you can leave it on the automatic setting and not worry about it. When you want to go manual the controls are right where you would expect them. If I have a complaint about this camera it is that I miss the needle light meter of the plain AE1 version. Flashing lights and numbers can’t compete with the simplicity and common sense factor of a needle. This is a minor complaint, however, and I highly recommend this camera.

Here are some of the auctions on Ebay for Canon AE1 Program cameras that you might be interested in:

Canon AE-1 Program Body & Canon Speedlite 188A Flash - As Is For Parts

US $9.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:37:07 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE CANON FD 50MM 1:1.8 LENS w/ LENS COVER for AE-1 PROGRAM CAMERA

US $39.99 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:55:54 PST Buy It Now for only: US $39.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE CANON AE-1 PROGRAM 35MM SLR FILM CAMERA w/ FD 50MM 1:1.8 LENS

US $149.99 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 16:55:55 PST Buy It Now for only: US $149.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Canon AE-1 Program 35mm SLR Camera Body Used Exc

US $149.99 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:00:43 PST Buy It Now for only: US $149.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Canon AE-1 Program 35mm SLR Film Camera with FD 50mm 1.8 lens

US $15.50 (5 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:03:16 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

CANON AE-1 PROGRAM __+__ CANON FD 50mm F1.8

US $156.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:07:12 PST Buy It Now for only: US $156.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

CANON AE-1 PROGRAM __+__ CANON FD 50mm F1.8

US $98.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:12:20 PST Buy It Now for only: US $98.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

CANON AE-1 PROGRAM __+__ CANON FD 50mm F1.8

US $112.50 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:17:18 PST Buy It Now for only: US $112.50 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Camera Repair Service for Canon AE-1, AE-1 Program, A-1, AL-1, AT-1, FTb

US $45.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 17:31:00 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Canon AE-1 Program TOP HOUSING Silver AE1 NEW OEM RARE

US $27.95 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 18:00:14 PST Buy It Now for only: US $35.95 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list