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Passage, November 17-20, 2022, McClintock Theatre. ©2022 Photos by Brian Feinzimer/Capture Imaging for the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
It is possible to find unusual stretches of railway in Thailand, which are not part of the main network. Mae Khlong Mahachai railway which runs between Wong Wian Yai in Thonburi, West Bangkok, and Samut Songkhram on the Gulf of Thailand. Originally constructed as a private line to take sea produce from the fishing ports of Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkran to the markets of Bangkok, it later became part of the State Railway of Thailand, though it was never physically connected to the rest of the network. This little known line has a great charm, passing through surprisingly un spoilt countryside, and apparently ending in the middle of the fresh food market ( known as the Train Market ) in Samut Songkhram.
The Maeklong Railway ( also known as the Mae Klong Railway ) is a 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 3⁄8 in ) ( Metre gauge ) railway that runs for nearly 67 kilometres ( 42 miles ) between Wong Wian Yai, Bangkok, and Samut Songkhram in central Thailand. The line consists of two sections: the eastern Mahachai Line, which runs between Samut Sakhon and Wongwian Yai with 18 stations; and the Ban Laem Line, which runs between Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram with 15 stations. The two stretches are separated by the Tha Chin River at Samut Sakhon. The only way to connect between the stations on the opposite sides of the river is by boat.
The Mae Klong Railway was built in two separate stages. The Tachin Railway Ltd, founded in 1901 with a concession from the crown of Thailand to construct a line to Samut Sakhon from Bangkok, built the 33 kilometre Mahachai Line; it opened in 1904 with eight stations. A year later, The Maeklong Railway Company opened the 34 kilometre Ban Laem Line. The lines merged in 1907 to form the Maeklong Railway Ltd. It was originally opened as a goods line, transporting produce from the fishing ports of Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkram to the Bangkok markets. The Thai military gained control of the railway in 1942, during World War II, and the line was nationalised by the Thai Government in 1946. The line was operated by the State Railway of Thailand ( SRT ) from 1952 and was fully merged into the SRT in 1955. In 1961 the line's original terminus at Khlong San was closed and replaced with a bus stop, to ease traffic congestion in Bangkok. Wong Wian Yai became the new terminus.
The railway became famous for its route through the Mae klong Railway Market, nicknamed meaning the umbrella pull down market. It is one of the largest fresh seafood markets in Thailand, and is centred on the Mae klong Railway's track. Whenever a train approaches, the awnings and shop coverings are moved back from the rails, to be replaced once the train has passed. Seventeen trains run daily in each direction between Samut Sakhon and Wong Wian Yai. Four trains run daily between Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram. The railway is one of the slowest in Thailand, and the average speed for the whole line is only 30 km / hr. In May 2015, the Ban Laem - Mae klong section closed for renovations and was scheduled to re-open in November 2015, with a new depot at Ban Na Khwang.
Passage, November 17-20, 2022, McClintock Theatre. ©2022 Photos by Brian Feinzimer/Capture Imaging for the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
Possible hybrid 1st year female Barrow's Goldeneye x Common Goldeneye photographed at Irondequoit Bay Outlet in Monroe County, New York on January 21, 2015. Note the thin nail at the tip of the bill implying COGO.
© All rights reserved
Brad Carlson
Passage, November 17-20, 2022, McClintock Theatre. ©2022 Photos by Brian Feinzimer/Capture Imaging for the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
Passage, November 17-20, 2022, McClintock Theatre. ©2022 Photos by Brian Feinzimer/Capture Imaging for the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
Doing the least possible in the historical parliamentary elections of Finland. Historical in the sense that the National Coalition Party made it's best result in its whole history by winning 44 out of 200 seats and the populist True Finns sprang from 5 to 39 seats. The Social Democrats came second, by comparison with their worst result since 1962, with 42.
Katri, #56 in Helsinki, from Left Alliance (socialist) didn't get in (nor did I assume so), but the Left Alliance doubled its seats in Helsinki, which is nice. Overall the result was poor, 14 seats (meaning a loss of three seats). This was mostly due to heightened voting activity. The Left Alliance gets nearly always the same amount of votes in elections as they don't lose traditional voters, but hardly win new ones.
The Helsinki electoral area being an exception as the party leader Paavo Arhinmäki made the highest personal result in Helsinki and had the 4th highest votes nationally.
Be as it may, this was a right-wing populist victory this time. We must work harder the following four years to counter the racist fraction of the True Finns as well as the neoliberal technocratic right of the NCP.
Solo swan at Hanover, Pennsylvania, 11-22-14. Possible trumpeter? The head shape looks more like a trumpeter and the bill looks larger than a tundra swan. Tundras don't usually travel alone, but trumpeters frequently do.
We drove to Northumberland during August, the first time we had been to the county. We were intending to explore a bit, walk a bit, generally familiarise ourselves with the place and of course, take photographs. Whilst the weather was much better than home, the light wasn’t always kind, frequently improving after we had a left a stunning viewpoint – we didn’t have the luxury of time as we wanted to see as much as possible and it’s a big place.
We walked over the Simonsides, part of Hadrian’s wall, along the coast and around lots of castles and villages. I was amazed at the lack of people and traffic, with fantastic quiet roads. I haven’t enjoyed driving so much for a long time, motorway distances on A and B roads, no hassle and great views.
We were out from 7.30 AM until 9.00 PM most days, shorts and tee shirt but not as warm and pleasant as recently. Our day on Hadrian’s wall saw gale force winds and as we drove to the western end of Kielder to travers the whole valley the weather was foul – but we were in the car! I didn’t take a single photo of Kielder as the visibility was that low.
I think we visited most of the well-known castles, drove up to Berwick, into the centre of the Cheviots, through the Scottish Borders and most of the coast North of Morpeth. There wasn’t much we didn’t see, even if it was sometimes brief, I don’t doubt that we will be back.
I’m not sure what people do in some of these remote places, with miles to travel for anything. I barely ever had a 3G signal on my phone. There seemed to be a lot of pWe drove to Northumberland during August, the first time we had been to the county. We were intending to explore a bit, walk a bit, generally familiarise ourselves with the place and of course, take photographs. Whilst the weather was much better than home, the light wasn’t always kind, frequently improving after we had a left a stunning viewpoint – we didn’t have the luxury of time as we wanted to see as much as possible and it’s a big place.
We walked over the Simonsides, part of Hadrian’s wall, along the coast and around lots of castles and villages. I was amazed at the lack of people and traffic, with fantastic quiet roads. I haven’t enjoyed driving so much for a long time, motorway distances on A and B roads, no hassle and great views.
We were out from 7.30 AM until 9.00 PM most days, shorts and tee shirt but not as warm and pleasant as recently. Our day on Hadrian’s wall saw gale force winds and as we drove to the western end of Kielder to travers the whole valley the weather was foul – but we were in the car! I didn’t take a single photo of Kielder as the visibility was that low.
I think we visited most of the well-known castles, drove up to Berwick, into the centre of the Cheviots, through the Scottish Borders and most of the coast North of Morpeth. There wasn’t much we didn’t see, even if it was sometimes brief, I don’t doubt that we will be back.
I’m not sure what people do in some of these remote places, with miles to travel for anything. I barely ever had a 3G signal on my phone. There seemed to be a lot of property for sale in some of the villages. I did wonder what people do for a living, I would guess that farming, tourism and government services are the only employment without a commute to the major conurbations around Newcastle.
August was fantastic for colour – if not light – the field were full of golden crops, the moors covered in purple heather, with some green fields and a dark green copse on every hill. If everything came together the photos look a little unreal, like paintings.roperty for sale in some of the villages. I did wonder what people do for a living, I would guess that farming, tourism and government services are the only employment without a commute to the major conurbations around Newcastle.
August was fantastic for colour – if not light – the field were full of golden crops, the moors covered in purple heather, with some green fields and a dark green copse on every hill. If everything came together the photos look a little unreal, like paintings.
Need to start watermarking my photos really and had this sitting around as a possible logo / watermark thing. Very worried about the potential of copyright infringement with the laughing man logo from ghost in the shell which inspired my name and logo... c2.api.ning.com/files/wXBSVdA8JTvZAGJOIttiVjpuLlnXZIjTo45...
Passage, November 17-20, 2022, McClintock Theatre. ©2022 Photos by Brian Feinzimer/Capture Imaging for the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
It is possible that there is a greater story to these pictures than that about to be written here. The photo shoot to record the latest art works of Anthony Roy Youel was over when an opportunity became available. The video tape seen in these pictures is set to feature in and around some of the creations currently on show in The Monkey Gallery Thurgoland. A pair of shades were customised with tape reels and the unwound tape was affixed to Anthony to make a rather unusual display.
Ant at The Monkey Thurgoland
Photographs ©2014 PHH Sykes
www.flickr.com/photos/phhsykes/
phhsykes@googlemail.com
The roses in the People's Garden
Plan
Rosarium History - Classification
Floribunda - new color range - Casting
Tree roses - new plantings - Pests - Winter Care
Rambling Roses - fertilizing, finishes
Shrub Roses - Rose Renner - Sponsorship - variety name
The history of roses in the People's Garden
The People's Garden, located between the Imperial Palace and the ring road is famous for its beautiful roses:
1000 standard roses
4000 Floribunda,
300 rambling roses,
(Also called Rose Park) 200 shrub roses.
Noteworthy is the diversity: there are about 400 varieties, including very old plants:
1859 - Rubens
1913 - Pearl of the Vienna Woods
1919 - Jean C.N. Forestier
The above amounts are from the Federal Gardens. My own count has brought other results:
730 tree roses
2300 Floribunda
132 rambling roses
100 shrub roses
That's about 3300 roses in total. Approx. 270 species I was able to verify. Approx. 50 rose bushes were not labeled. Some varieties come very often, others only once or twice.
Molineux 1994
Rubens 1859
Medialis 1993
Swan lake 1968
Once flourished here Lilac and Rhododendron bushes
1823 People's Garden was opened with the Temple of Theseus. Then made multiple extensions.
The part of today's "Rosarium" along the Ring Road was built in 1862. (Picture fence 1874)
What is so obvious to today's Vienna, was not always so: most of the beds in the People's Garden originally were planted with lilac and rhododendron.
Only after the second World War II it was converted to the present generous rose jewelry.
Since then grow along the ring side creepers, high stem and floribunda roses. On the side of Heroes Square, with the outputs, shrub roses were placed, among which there are also some wild roses.
1889 emerged the Grillparzer Monument.
(All the pictures you can see by clicking the link at the end of the side!)
Rhododendrons, output Sisi Avenue, 1930
Classifications of roses
(Wild roses have 7 sheets - prize roses 5 sheets)
English Rose
Florybunda
Hybrid Tea Rose
Rambling Rose
At the Roses in the People´s Garden are hanging labels (if they do not fall victim to vandals or for souvenirs) with the year indication of breeding, the name of breeding and botanical description:
Hybrid Tea Rose (TB): 1 master, 1 flower;
Florybunda (Flb): 1 strain, many flowers;
English Rose (Engl): mixture of old and modern varieties Tb and Flb.
Called Schlingrose, also climbing rose
Florybunda: 1 strain, many flowers (Donauprinzessin)
Shrub Roses - Floribunda - Tree roses - Climbing Roses
Even as a child, we hear the tale of Sleeping Beauty, but roses have no thorns, but spines. Thorns are fused directly to the root and can not be easily removed as spines (upper wooden containers called).
All roses belong to the bush family (in contrast to perennials that "disappear" in the winter). Nevertheless, there is the term Shrub Rose: It's a chronological classification of roses that were on the market before 1867. They are very often planted as a soloist in a garden, which them has brought the name "Rose Park".
Hybrid Tea Rose: 1 master, 1 flower (rose Gaujard )
Other classifications are:
(High) standard roses: roses are not grafted near the ground, but at a certain strain level. With that, the rose gardener sets the height of the crown.
Floribunda roses : the compact and low bushy roses are ideal for group planting on beds
Crambling roses: They have neither roots nor can they stick up squirm. Their only auxiliary tool are their spines with which they are entangled in their ascent into each other
English Rose: mixture of old varieties, hybrid tea and Florybunda (Tradescanth)
4000 Floribunda
Floribunda roses are hardy, grow compact, knee-high and bushy, are durable and sturdy
There are few smelling varieties
Polyantha classification: a tribe, many small flowers; Florybunda: a tribe, many big blossoms
New concept of color: from red to light yellow
The thousands Floribunda opposite of Grillparzer Monument shimmer (still) in many colors. From historical records, however, is indicated that there was originally a different color scheme for the Floribunda than today: At the entrance of the Burgtheater side the roses were dark and were up to Grillparzer monument ever brighter - there they were then already white.
This color range they want again, somewhat modified, resume with new plantings: No white roses in front of the monument, but bright yellow, so that Grillparzer monument can better stand out. It has already begun, there was heavy frost damage during the winter 2011/12.
Colorful roses
2011: white and pink roses
2012: after winter damage new plantings in shades of yellow .
Because the domestic rose production is not large enough, the new, yellow roses were ordered in Germany (Castor).
Goldelse, candlelight, Hanseatic city of Rostock.
Watering
Waterinr of the Floribunda in the morning at 11 clock
What roses do not like at all, and what attracts pests really magically, the foliage is wet. Therefore, the Floribunda roses are in the People's Garde poured in the morning at 11 clock, so that the leaves can dry thoroughly.
Ground sprinklers pouring only the root crown, can not be used because the associated hoses should be buried in the earth, and that in turn collide with the Erdanhäufung (amassing of earth) that is made for winter protection. Choosing the right time to do it, it requires a lot of sense. Is it too early, so still too warm, the bed roses begin to drive again, but this young shoots freeze later, inevitably, because they are too thin.
1000 Tree roses
Most standard roses are found in the rose garden.
During the renovation of the Temple of Theseus the asphalt was renewed in 2011, which was partially only a few centimeters thick, and so was the danger that trucks with heavy transports break into. Due to this construction site the entire flower bed in front had to be replaced.
Now the high-stem Rose Maria Theresia is a nice contrast to the white temple, at her feet sits the self-cleaning floribunda aspirin. Self-cleaning means that withered flowers fall off and rarely maintenance care is needed.
Pink 'Maria Theresa' and white 'aspirin' before the temple of Theseus
Standard tree rose Maria Theresa
Floribunda aspirin
The concept of the (high) standard roses refers to a special type of rose decoration. Suitable varieties of roses are not grafted near the ground, but at a certain height of the trunk. With that the rose gardener sets the height of the crown fixed (60 cm, 90 cm, 140 cm)
Plantings - Pests - Winter Care
Normally about 50 roses in the People's Garden annually have to be replaced because of winter damages and senility. Till a high standard rose goes on sale, it is at least 4 years old. With replantings the soil to 50 cm depth is completely replaced (2/3 basic soil, 1/3 compost and some peat ).
Roses have enemies, such as aphids. Against them the Pirimor is used, against the Buchsbaumzünsler (Box Tree Moth, Cydalima perspectalis) Calypso (yet - a resistance is expected).
In popular garden roses are sprayed with poison, not only when needed, but also as a precaution, since mildew and fire rose (both are types of fungi) also overwinter.
Therefore it is also removed as far as possible with the standard roses before packing in winter the foliage.
Pest Control with Poison
The "Winter Package " first is made with paper bags, jute bags, then it will be pulled (eg cocoa or coffee sacks - the commercially available yard goods has not proven).
They are stored in the vault of the gardener deposit in the Burggarten (below the Palm House). There namely also run the heating pipes. Put above them, the bags after the winter can be properly dried.
Are during the winter the mice nesting into the packaged roses, has this consequences for the crows want to approach the small rodents and are getting the packaging tatty. It alreay has happened that 500 standard roses had to be re-wrapped.
"Winter Package" with paper and jute bags
300 ambling roses
The Schlingrosen (Climbing Roses) sit "as a framing" behind the standard roses.
Schlingrose pearl from the Vienna Woods
Schlingrose Danube
Schlingrose tenor
Although climbing roses are the fastest growing roses, they get along with very little garden space.
They have no rootlets as the evergreen ivy, nor can they wind up like a honeysuckle. Their only auxiliary tool are their spines with which they are entangled in their ascent mesh.
Climbing roses can reach stature heights of 2 to 3 meters.
4 x/year fertilizing
4 times a year, the soil is fertilized. From August, but no more, because everything then still new drives would freeze to death in winter. Well-rotted horse manure as fertilizer was used (straw mixed with horse manure, 4 years old). It smelled terrible, but only for 2 days.
Since the City of Vienna may only invest more plant compost heap (the EU Directive prohibits animal compost heap on public property), this type of fertilization is no longer possible to the chagrin of gardeners, and roses.
In the people garden in addition is foliar fertilizer used (it is sprayed directly on the leaves and absorbed about this from the plant).
Finishes in the Augarten
Old rose varieties are no longer commercially available. Maybe because they are more sensitive, vulnerable. Thus, the bud of Dr. F. Debat already not open anymore, if it has rained twice.
Roses need to be replaced in the People's Garden, this is sometimes done through an exchange with the Augarten Palace or the nursery, where the finishes are made. Previously there were roses in Hirschstetten and the Danube Park, but the City of Vienna has abandoned its local rose population (not to say destroyed), no exchange with these institutions is possible anymore.
Was formerly in breeding the trend to large flowers, one tends to smell roses again today. Most varieties show their resplendent, lush flowers only once, early in the rose-year, but modern varieties are more often blooming.
200 shrub roses
Some shrub roses bloom in the rose garden next to the Grillparzer Monument
Most of the shrub or park roses can be found along the fence to Heroes' Square. These types are so old, and there are now so many variations that even a species of rose connoisseurs assignment is no longer possible in many cases.
The showy, white, instensiv fragrant wild rose with its large umbels near des Triton Fountain is called Snow White.
Shrub roses are actually "Old Garden Roses" or "old roses", what a time
classification of roses is that were on the market before 1867.
Shrub roses are also called park roses because they are often planted as a soloist in a park/garden.
They grow shrubby, reaching heights up to 2 meters and usually bloom only 1 x per year.
The Renner- Rose
The most famous bush rose sits at the exit to Ballhausplatz before the presidential office.
It is named after the former Austrian President Dr. Karl Renner
When you enter, coming from the Ballhausplatz, the Viennese folk garden of particular note is a large rose bush, which is in full bloom in June.
Before that, there is a panel that indicates that the rose is named after Karl Renner, founder of the First and Second Republic. The history of the rose is a bit of an adventure. President Dr. Karl Renner was born on 14 in December 1870 in the Czech village of Untertannowitz as the last of 18 children of a poor family.
Renner output rose at Ballhausplatz
He grew up there in a small house, in the garden, a rose bush was planted.
In summer 1999, the then Director of the Austrian Federal Gardens, Peter Fischer Colbrie was noted that Karl Renner's birthplace in Untertannowitz - Dolni Dunajovice today - and probably would be demolished and the old rosebush as well fall victim to the demolition.
High haste was needed, as has already been started with the removal of the house.
Misleading inscription " reconstruction"?
The Federal Gardens director immediately went to a Rose Experts on the way to Dolni Dunajovice and discovered "as only bright spot in this dismal property the at the back entrance of the house situated, large and healthy, then already more than 80 year old rose bush".
After consultation with the local authorities Peter Fischer Colbrie received approval, to let the magnificent rose bush dig-out and transport to Vienna.
Renner Rose is almost 100 years old
A place had been found in the Viennese People´s Garden, diagonal vis-à-vis the office where the president Renner one resided. On the same day, the 17th August 1999 the rosebush was there planted and in the following spring it sprouted already with flowers.
In June 2000, by the then Minister of Agriculture Molterer and by the then Mayor Zilk was a plaque unveiled that describes the origin of the rose in a few words. Meanwhile, the "Renner-Rose" is far more than a hundred years old and is enjoying good health.
Memorial Dr. Karl Renner : The Registrar in the bird cage
Georg Markus , Courier , 2012
Sponsorships
For around 300 euros, it is possible to assume a Rose sponsorship for 5 years. A tree-sponsorship costs 300 euros for 1 year. Currently, there are about 60 plates. Behind this beautiful and tragic memories.
If you are interested in sponsoring people garden, please contact:
Master gardener Michaela Rathbauer, Castle Garden, People's Garden
M: 0664/819 83 27 volksgarten@bundesgaerten.at
Varieties
Abraham Darby
1985
English Rose
Alec 's Red
1970
Hybrid Tea Rose
Anni Däneke
1974
Hybrid Tea Rose
aspirin
Florybunda
floribunda
Bella Rosa
1982
Florybunda
floribunda
Candlelight
Dagmar Kreizer
Danube
1913
Schlingrose
Donauprinzessin
Doris Thystermann
1975
Hybrid Tea Rose
Dr. Waldheim
1975
Hybrid Tea Rose
Duftwolke
1963
Eiffel Tower
1963
English Garden
Hybrid Tea Rose
Gloria Dei
1945
Hybrid Tea Rose
Goldelse
gold crown
1960
Hybrid Tea Rose
Goldstar
1966
deglutition
Greeting to Heidelberg
1959
Schlingrose
Hanseatic City of Rostock
Harlequin
1985
Schlingrose
Jean C.N. Forestier
1919
Hybrid Tea Rose
John F. Kennedy
1965
Hybrid Tea Rose
Landora
1970
Las Vegas
1956
Hybrid Tea Rose
Mainzer Fastnacht
1964
Hybrid Tea Rose
Maria Theresa
medial
Moulineux
1994
English Rose
national pride
1970
Hybrid Tea Rose
Nicole
1985
Florybunda
Olympia 84
1984
Hybrid Tea Rose
Pearl of the Vienna Woods
1913
Schlingrose
Piccadilly
1960
Hybrid Tea Rose
Rio Grande
1973
Hybrid Tea Rose
Rose Gaujard
1957
Hybrid Tea Rose
Rubens
1859
English Rose
Rumba
snowflake
1991
Florybunda
snow white
shrub Rose
Swan
1968
Schlingrose
Sharifa Asma
1989
English Rose
city of Vienna
1963
Florybunda
Tenor
Schlingrose
The Queen Elizabeth Rose
1954
Florybunda
Tradescanth
1993
English Rose
Trumpeter
1980
Florybunda
floribunda
Virgo
1947
Hybrid Tea Rose
Winchester Cathedral
1988
English Rose
Source: Federal leadership Gardens 2012
Historic Gardens of Austria, Vienna, Volume 3 , Eva Berger, Bohlau Verlag, 2004 (Library Vienna)
Index Volksgartenstraße
www.viennatouristguide.at/Altstadt/Volksgarten/volksgarte...
Among my camera collection, FOCA's are probably the ones that mean the most to me. Called sometime with respect the « French LEICA’s », the FOCA’s are very far from any simple Leica copies. They were independently designed and prototyped in the clandestine by clever French engineers of the O.P.L. (« Optique & Precision de Levallois ») company in Paris, France, during the WWII. They were then manufactured in series as soon as possible after the war end in 1945 to 1962 in various versions. Overall about 150.000 units were produced (for the focal curtain shutter bodies). FOCA’s are amazing of precision, optical quality, and a real joy to use.
I selected this mid-range PF2B FOCA circa 1955 and its normal lens OPLAR 1:2.8 f=5cm for a relaxing photowalk enjoying a sunny mild afternoon in Lyon, France. For all the views the lens was equipped with 42mm push-on filter, AUV for the two first frames then, for the rest of the film, a FOCA Yellow x2.5 filter. A Genaco metal shade hood was aditionnaly used for all the views. For the fun, I added an external collimated viewer FOCANOX f=5cm.
The film used was a 36-exposure Ilford Pan 100. Expositions were determined for 100 ISO (or 50 ISO to compensate the absorption of the Yellow filter) using an Minolta Autometer III lightmeter fitted with a 10° finder for selective metering privileging the shadow areas.
View Nr. 6: 1/200s f/6.3 focusing @ infinite (Yellow filter)
Rue des Tables Claudiennes, March 3, 2025
69001 Lyon
France
After completion, the film was rewound and processed using 350 mL of Adox Adonal (Agfa Rodinal) developer prepared at the dilution 1+25 for 9min at 20°C.
Digitizing was made using a Sony A7 camera (ILCE-7, 24MP) fitted to a Minolta Auto Bellows III with the Minolta slide duplication accessory and Minolta Macro Bellow lens 1:3.5 f=50mm. The diffuse light source was a LED panel CineStill Cine-lite.
The RAW files obtained were inverted within the latest version available of Adobe Lightroom Classic (version 14.2) and edited to the final jpeg pictures without intermediate file. They are presented either as printer files with a frame or the full size JPEG's together with some documentary smartphone color pictures.
About the camera :
This FOCA camera is in an exceptional state of conservation and looks exited from a sort of time capsule since 70 years!
I was not so very optimistic about the real state of this camera because of the scars description of the seller, but I finally won the bid for tiny price on September 26, 2023 and the camera arrived to me a few days later.
According to the serial number this PF2B should be a model-4 from year 1955 (model-4 spans the years1954-1957). The shutter is a type-3 that equipped the version 16 to 17 in 1956. Curiously, the camera has also the type-6 rewind large button only appeared in 1957 on the model-5 of PF2B's. Maybe a latter upgrade required by the customer or prosed by the after-market service?
The camera was kept clearly in original box with the serial number hand written on the right side. The OPLAR normal lens 1:2.8 f=5cm is a model-3 version-4 from 1955 with the "ECD/9" diaphragm graduation 2.8...3.5...9....18.
In the box Botton was the user manual, a Kodachrome brochure in French and several cashier ticket from the seller "PHOTO BANGARD", 29, Quai du Fossé, Mulhouse, France, also identified in the inner side of the camera back with a sticker.The cashier ticket are probably to related to the camera since the amounts in French Francs does not correspond to any price list of that time.
In addition the camera has a leather ever-ready bag in excellent condition. When I first detailed the camera, I soon appeared that it almost pristine with very little sign of use. All functions works flawlessly and the shutter curtains are as new. The view finder and range finder are very clear and contrasted as the day 1. The lens is also very nice with the coating in quite good condition.
The camera was so nice and easy to clean that I could test it with a film the day after the receipt.
About the FOCA PF2B camera's and the normal lens OPLAR:
The Foca type PF2B (PF for "Petit Format") was constructed in France by the company "Optique & Precision de Levallois" (OPL) starting from 1947. It was manufactured in the Chateaudun OPL factory, route de Jallans, France. The factory, constructed in 1938, is still at the same place under the name of SAFRAN now producing precision devices for aerospace appliances.
The camera is equipped with the collapsible 36mm screw-mount OPLAR lens (a modified Tessar formula with an additional fifth rear element) 1:2.8 f=5cm. The focal shutter of the PF2B has timing of 1/1000, 1/500, 1/200, 1/100, 1/50 and 1/25s plus the B pose. A slow exposure device below 1/25s could be installed by the aftermarket service and was installed basically for the FOCA PF3 type.
I'm still mulling over my fabric choices, but I pulled this bundle out today and I think I like it... still not 100% certain but I'll be using some of these if not all!
People are so hard on their point and shoot cameras. True, there are some bad ones out there, but the camera I use was $200! I paid $300 three years ago for a 3.2 megapixel camera that took great photos. and now I have a 7.1 megapixel camera that also takes great photos. It's about light, people, and knowing what your camera can do! A manual can't teach you how to take a picture, practice does!
This photo was taken with a basic point and shoot using natural light with post-processing that I do to practically all of my photos. That's another fallacy -- beautiful photos are made, they don't just happen. The subject and the basic composition has to be there to begin with, but the lighting and feel have to be tweaked most of the time because a camera just can't capture what the human eye can so you have to help it along!