Welcome to My Profile

I’ve been a keen amateur photographer since the late 70’s, and being an engineer I guess I have always found mechanical things to be interesting, lets just think what the camera is - a unique electro-mechanical device designed to capture and preserve moments in life for you. My first proper camera was a Zenit EM brought by my wife as a present; this gave me a good apprenticeship in the subject. The realisation that a photo taken at f2 and 1/500 of a second was sharp with just the subject is in focus. I had not really understood before that how apertures and shutter speeds had dramatic effects on a photo until I joined a photographic evening class.

Naturally my camera skills have progressed over the years, I still take an interest in the “device” and the accessories but realise it is the recorded image that is the part that really matters. Yes, if money was no object I would love to own a Leica M (digital choice) or a Contax G2 (35mm choice), but I cannot complain about the quality of the photos that I get out of my Canon EOS 550D, Olympus Stylus 1S (or one of the many 35mm cameras I own). I think the Olympus XA2 is my favourite film camera, I love the small dimensions of this electro-mechanical wonder. All you need do is concentrate on the composition and press the shutter. As you "click" your way through life reflect on this: "a colour photo may make you smile, but a photo in monochrome provokes thought"

September 2016 Update

Since writing the above, I have replaced my much loved Panasonic DMC-FS15 "pocket cam” with a Panasonic LF1, a newer version that has full manual control, with manual focusing via a ring round the lens, plus the added bonus of a small electronic viewfinder. This is producing some really nice photos and also fits in my pocket. I still am not using my Canon EOS 550D as much as I should do, mainly because I also brought an Olympus Stylus 1s (looks like a mini OM-D). I decided to have a clear out of some of my old film cameras I’ve accumulated over the years and sold them on eBay, this made enough money to buy the Stylus 1s. Like the LF1, I’m really pleased with the quality of photos the Stylus is producing. I like the electronic viewfinder better than the one on the Canon 550D – bigger and brighter, and like the LF1 it has full manual control and focusing, including a handy touch sensitive tilting screen on the back that can be used to focus and fire from.

www.whatdigitalcamera.com/reviews/compact-cameras/olympus...

www.whatdigitalcamera.com/reviews/compact-cameras/panason...

March 2017 update

Smartphone cameras are now so good that most people just don't need a traditional camera. The bottom line is that for many people there is no need, as convenience out ways pure image quality. Without doubt, interchangeable lens cameras still have advantages: wide apertures for low light and shallow depth of field performance, plus super-zooms to cover the whole spectrum of possible shooting situations. But for sheer convenience, I now think the smartphone camera really does deserve a permanent place in your pocket – the best camera is always the one you have with you. I now see them as another tool I can quickly use. My current Moto G4 won’t match DSLR image quality but the photos saved as monochrome with a slight graininess that gives a “retro film” look that I really do like (and there’s an endless stream of photo apps). The last few years I have felt disappointed with the 35mm image quality I got from a SLR with a good 50mm f/1.8 lens, my phone has become the replacement. Have a look at some photos I’ve taken with mine: www.flickr.com/photos/chrisg35mm/albums/72157675027894631

P.S. - this is the camera that started it all for me:

2025 Update:

Wow, the future is here! AI will take over the world (original The Matrix film 1999), Flickr flooded by AI photos, do they still make new DSLR's? who cares when you have a Smartphone in your pocket. And that's the point, this 21st century gadget is now your best friend. As well as a phone, txt, WhatsApp, torch, social media and the whole Wiki world at your finger tips, you now have at least a 50 Megapixels OIS camera always with you. It's almost an effort to put a compact camera in my pocket now, another product nearing extinction, just checked; 13 of my 27 Explored photos are taken with a smartphone! As Morpheus said in The Matrix, "welcome to the real word".

PS - as technology has progressed so far, how come you can't buy Digital 35mm Film Cassettes??

Some of my photographs:

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