What do you do when you’re promised a weekend of uninterrupted sunshine over the weekend and you have no other plans? Why, you take a trip to the seaside, of course!
I wasn’t the only one who got this memo though, not by any means – however when you visit Brighton, being thrust among throngs of people is all part of the appeal – especially when everyone in Brighton looks so much more interesting – whatever their age.
Are you wondering what she’s looking at? You can’t quite see it but she’s grinning broadly, a big orange-lipsticked smile and intently watching this…
So, on this little trip I took took the opportunity to test out a new (to me) film camera . It’s a Yashica T3-Super and it’s the second-ugliest camera I own.
It’s a point-and-shoot film camera and it has a Carl Zeiss 35mm, f/2.8 lens (i.e. a really high quality, fast lens). One of the reasons it’s been on my wishlist for ages is that it has a waist-level viewfinder on the top of the camera, making it an ideal choice for street photography and/or low-level shooting.
The other reason I wanted it (and why it has a bit of a cult following) is that it’s the camera Terry Richardson uses for his photography. They normally go for at least £100 but somehow I managed to get this one for £25!
I tried a few shots really low to the ground and was impressed at how effective the tiny viewfinder on top was at helping to compose the shot, meaning I didn’t have to lie down in the gutter – always a plus…
And it’s good for being a little less obvious if you want to capture some of the local colour (although I think I was spotted in this first one)…
I gave it the best of chances by using my very favourite film – Kodak Ektar 100…
Overall I’m really pleased with this little camera – it’s definitely better than other similar film point and shoots I’ve tried; the images are nice and sharp, it seems to gauge the light perfectly and I’m loving the extra viewfinder a lot! It has it’s own character, too (if that makes sense), although I guess some of that is down to the great film I used. This camera’s a keeper, for sure.
Here are a few more photos, if only to prove the sun does shine here sometimes…
All photos taken with a Yashica T3-super and Kodak Ektar 100 film
These have got a real Martin Parr vibe to them – LOVE!
Martin Parr is a total hero – so thank you! :)
I love yashica cameras and I’ve heard such good things about the t3 and t4, how are you always a step ahead of me :) I really love there results though, wow!! Gorgeous.
p.s. please take part in my film swap, pretty please?
I’d been looking out for a T3/T4 for aaaaaaaaaages – can’t believe I managed to get this one for such a bargainous price. Score!
D’oh! I missed the boat for you film-swap – can’t wait to see all the participants work though, something to look forward to for sure!
Ha I also just noticed the woman’s shorts in the ice cream shop… What is happening there?!
I know! I think this is my fave shot of the batch – there’s so much going on
These just made me miss England so much. Can’t wait to go back home. What a lovely day at the seaside this looks like. Reminds me of days on the pebble beaches in Devon. Sigh. Lovely colour and light in these. Will have to see if I can get my grubby little paws on one of my own! :D
Keep your eyes peeled – I’d been after one for aaaaaaaaaaaaaages and managed to get it at a super-cheap price on ebay – it does sometimes happen!
Haha, you’re right – it is a pretty ugly camera, but the photographs are wonderful!
It’s awful isn’t it! I think that’s why i got it cheap though so not complaining :)
I love love love the stripey deck-chair pictures! Gorgeous. Also, I love Brighton. It’s where I went to uni (Sussex Uni) and met the hubster. Yey! Lovely lovely Brighton beautifully captured by clever you. But now a serious question: I have been given a couple of old film cameras and there’s one thing that’s bothering me: how do I know what a correct exposure is going to be? On my 5D, it tells me. There’s a little display with a pointer to tell me how over- or under-exposed the image is going to be and I can then adjust shutter speed, aperture and iso accordingly to get the result I want. There are no digital displays on these old cameras, so how do you know? This is probably the dumbest question you have ever read. Please forgive me!
Brighton’s great – it must have been so much fun going to uni there!
Your question isn’t silly at all – the simplest answer is this; does it take a battery? Sometimes you’ll think “oh no, it’s a really old camera” but if you look on the base-plate or somewhere hidden on the body you may well see a groove to a hidden compartment where a little watch-type battery will live.
If it does take a battery then there’s a 99% chance there’s a light-meter, the trick now is to figure how it works. Small point-and-shoot type cameras will tend to be automated so you can… well, point and shoot! With an SLR you’ll probably need to look through the viewfinder – for example on my Pentax K1000 when I look through there’s a needle which you need to ensure is positioned horizontally – it will be pointing up or down if the aperture/shutter speed is set too high/low. Not really so different to a dSLR!
If you’re still a bit stuck let me know the make of the camera etc and I’ll see what I can find out – it can all seem a bit daunting the very first time but it’s so much fun!