I've only had one old film camera actually turn into a brick while I was shooting it, and that was a Rolleiflex SL2000f. That little misadventure is perhaps a story for another day. Suffice it to say that the experience put me off purchasing any fully electronic cameras for quite some time. However, the pull of being able to shoot with the most advanced Leica reflex camera ever made (for pennies on the dollar) was too enticing to resist. So, after a multi-year search, I finally found a well sorted R9 for a reasonable price, and here we are. So far, the camera has served me very well indeed. If for any reason my R9 spontaneously expires, it will make a very nice doorstop or conversation piece. In the meantime, for this outing, I decided to use it in tandem with the 50mm Summilux lens, and paired this combo with a roll of Kodak Pro-Image 100. I was hoping that the lo-fi look of this film would suit the urban-ish landscapes I was hoping to capture.
I was pretty pleased with the results I achieved. I have no idea what is behind the blue door, by the way, but I will tell you that the door is locked. And then there is the propane tank in the shadows on the right hand side. Draw your own conclusions.
Earlier in the day, we stopped at a junk store. Neither of these two sinks appealed to us enough to purchase, but they are nevertheless interesting subjects for a photograph.
Lessons learned? Kodak Pro-Image is a great film stock when light is plentiful, adding just enough grit to the shadows to make things interesting, and having good color rendition overall, I think. There is more grain than some of the more 'professional' films, but hey, grain is a good thing, right? As far as the Leica reflex cameras are concerned, count me as a huge fan. There is plenty to talk about in that regard, so stay tuned.
