Low budget often means low quality.  If not immediately, then most of the times it will be on long term…  well, not always!

Last saturday, I had the unique opportunity to get a Contax T compact camera for a price, lower than 10 rolls of film… For those of you who don’t know the price of a roll of film… this was cheap with the big “C”.

The Contax T was introduced around 1984, what makes it +/- 28 years old.  This little gem, designed by FA Porsche, performs better than ANY compact (digital or film) I ever owned.

It has only a few buttons and controls, which makes handling really simple…  I like!

• ISO setting
• aperture setting
• self-timer
• shutter-release
• and exposer +1,5 stops for backlit subjects

and that’s it!  No fuss, no extra bells and whistles…  just that.

Now, what makes this tiny little camera so special?

First of all: the glass.  This little beast has a 38mm 2.8 Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*…  yes, the same glass quality you would find on a Leica or a Hasselblad!  And I can assure you, it is a hell of a lens.  Sharpness and rendition is just great.  I had my first “test-walk” with it on saturday and some of the results are included in this post.  No extra sharpening has been added.  Just resize and ready.

Second: the design/  It is very clear that a great mind like FA Porsche had his part in the design of the camera.  He designed the camera to be made completely out of aluminum and titanium, no cheap-ass plastics!  For example the film winder is put away flush with the body when you don’t need it.  Just little things that make a difference.

The most eye-catching part still remains the lens cover “door”.  You really have to lower a “door” to engage the camera…  not alway that handy, but it is really effective to protect the tiny Zeiss.

And last but not least: it is really compact!  this camera, which makes pictures at the quality of an SLR, can easily be put away in the pocket of your coat… no big and bulky cameras any longer for my upcoming trips!

Oh yes…  and for those who need it (not really my cup of tea), it comes with an attachable flash!  Also very stylish designed of-course.

It looks like a toy…  but certainly doesn’t perform like one!

Yesterday I was invited at the official introduction of the book “Mijn 10 geboden voor elke interieur” by the well-known Belgian architect Filip Deslee.  Did I have plans to rebuild my interior?  Well… not at this moment…

A while ago I met Filip for my “faces”  project, what was a very nice meeting with some beautiful pictures as a result.  A few weeks ago, I got a mail from Filip with the question if he could use one of my pictures as cover-photo for his new book…  Euh… did I get the message right?  Of course he could!  So we made an agreement and yesterday was the big day!

I got my copy of Filip’s new book…  and I do have to admit: the made it just the way I could have imagined it!

And it are those moments when I get fulfillment of my job as a photographer….  when people really like your pictures!  And if it’s a well-known person or just the man in the street… it doesn’t matter!  It’s the smile on his/hers face that counts when the see their pictures… that’s what really makes me happy!

And now… all go out and buy a copy of this beautiful book on interior-achitecture!  (just kidding)

As today’s DSLR’s and lenses are getting bigger, heavier, more expensive and become obsolete quicker and quicker, I decided to make a change for my daily carry-around camera: the good old Nikon FE2 !

The FE2 is one little piece of craftsmanship and has been around since 1983… almost 30 years ago, time flies!  As the FE2 uses batteries, you could think that it needs the batteries for operation but no.  It only uses the batteries for its built-in lightmeter.  So when you run out of power, no worries, just keep on taking pictures using the sunny 16 or your handheld lightmeter!

As you could figure, the FE2 is a fully-manual camera…. well, not really.  It has an “A” stand on the shutterspeed-knob, which can be used as an aperture priority setting.  So first set your aperture on the lens and the FE2 will select the suited shutterspeed.  This only when you didn’t run out of power of course.

As the FE2 is NOT a DX-camera (which means that it will detect your ISO-speed on the film canister), you still have to set the ISO-rating yourself.  This can ben a big advantage for over- or underexposing your film…  YOU have full control!

The FE2 has a nice and bright viewfinder with standard the split-image/microprism focusing.  The is a pretty easy way to focus on a SLR camera, so no hassles with this.

On little nifty trick is the film advance lever, the shutter can only be released when the advance lever is in the backward position.  This, to prevent unwanted shutter releases in your bag…  nice little trick from Nikon!

The standard kit to take on a hike is completed with the small manual focus Nikkor H-C 50mm 2.0.  A nice and sharp lens with very robust focussing ring, which I like!  You immediately get the ring when needed.  It focusses very smoothly and precise.  As an addition to the 50mm, the 28mm 2.8 E-series is also a nice and small manual focus lens.  These 2 lenses perform well and keep size and weight down. And one very important detail…  you can find them really for no money!

Oh yes…  and for those who love looks: it has a brass body… so it will only become more beautiful during the years!

A few images I took with the FE2 on one of my recent trips to Luxembourg.  Film was Kodak TMAX400, bit grainy, but lovely in contrasts!

Back from London since last night, a little bit later than expected, due to Eurostar…  but eventually we got back!

As I went to London to accompany my girlfriend, who was attending a make-up masterclass, I had 4 days completely free to do the things I like…  have a walk in the sun, make some nice pics, have a drink…  just relax!  The life I could get used to!

Well, as this was nice already, I decided to give it a little extra…  I asked a colleague photographer to meet and have a chat about our big love: photography.  Good idea…  but where to start in the selection?  Well, for me it was quite easy.  I follow some photographers on Twitter and their blogs and I can assure you, there are only a few in London who’s work I really like!  So, after writing a mail to one of them, I got a surprisingly quick and positive reaction back!  Woohoo… me happy!  Kjrsten Madsen found it a nice idea to have a coffee and talk about our mutual passion: photography.

Kjrsten is a photographer who came from Portland (USA) to London this year and she works 100% on film.  After trying the digital world, she decided to go back where she came from and was happy with: film!  And talking to her, you can see that she is really happy with what she is doing now!

By moving from Portland to London, it was a big move…not only in miles… but also in culture, climate, habits, etc.  But after being a while in London now, she seems to be doing very well!

We both shared some of our experiences with clients, camera’s, commercial stuff,… without knowing time flew by.   I can say that it was really nice to see how colleagues from abroad think, work and try to give the best of themselves for their clients!  For my part, I really learned a few important things from the conversation and got to know a good and very kind photographer… so yes: mission accomplished!

At the end…  she came up with a scary surprise…  she wanted me to pose for her… ouch!  A photographer posing!  I usually don’t like it, but she could make me feel at ease without much of a problem….  so yes: another extra!  I didn’t see the picture yet, but I’m quite sure that it will be one of the best I had until now!

If you’re in London and looking for an inspiring photographer…  one good advice: take a look at Kjrsten’s work.  it will be worth it!