A day with a Rolleiflex

I had the honour and pleasure to use the Rolleiflex 2.8E(Rolly), all thanks to Mr David who kindly lend me his copy.

So i was wondering why a Rolly is so sought after where there are lots of other TLR available in the market. The moment i hang this camera on my neck, it attracts lots of attention. Looking thru the viewfinder, i could see almost everyone smiling at the camera. It's really a chick magnet! The camera on its own is very charming!



Pardon me for now blowing the dust away before taking this picture!




I compared with my mamiya c330 and the Rolly looked so refine like a gentleman beside it.




Obviously, the Rolly has a brighter VF.


The only thing that i like my Mamiya is the ability to do close focusing! Its so amazing how close i can go with a TLR!


So here are some shots that i randomly snapped at Chinatown. Using Lucky 100(One of the film that curl like mad), here are some lucky shots!

Shot at 2.8 mainly!








My personal opinion on this camera?? Well, its a very sturdy & reliable TLR like all german made stuff. Optics wise, perfect! But given the current market price for this camera(which i can trade for 3 minolta autocord), most probably i wont be buying it...definitely not now! :)

However, if you already own one! Treasure it, its definitely a gem!

The shoe maker

In my recent trip to Malacca, we spotted this traditional shop that sells beaded shoes.
Peranakan beaded slippers, also known as kasot manek, literally meaning shoe beads, is a type of shoe that dates back to the early twentieth century. These shoes were worn by a Peranakan women, also known as a nonya.
The intricacy and fine workmanship of a pair of beaded slipper is also a hallmark of highly accomplished nonya.

Uncle was telling us that currently, only Malacca is still producing this type of shoes and that the beads are sewed on one by one. The whole process take more than 2 months to complete just a pair of shoes. Of course, with the worksmanship and effort, a pair of beaded shoes would demand an expensive price.

Uncle shared the stories of how the shop was passed down to his generation..




Demonstrating to us while chatting




Unlike most seller, the uncle was not all about the sales of shoes. He took pride in the items that he made and is more than willing to share the stories and histories to us.

If you ever visit Malacca, please do visit his shop. You should see a pair of 3-inch shoes right on display at the entrance!

A sunny noon at MBS

Its been awhile since i last shoot with a 6x6 medium format film and so i decided to bring my minolta autocord down for a test shot before my trip. Since Holly and Fionis are both at Marina Bay Sands, i decided to bring it along for a walk and shoot session.

The shooting experience with a TLR is so different. Mesmerized and attracted to the big beauty screen, you get to frame your shots nicely without people noticing that you are aiming at them. Compared to a normal camera, people are more curious than defensive against you...

The feeling is so relax compared to shooting a RF or DSLR...

She had a cast on her legs but yet so happily asking people to take a picture of her, without showing her legs.
Cheerful on a sunny bright day


An indoor shot handheld at 1/15, sexy lady, who got attracted by my TLR


Never thought that i would find a kid so young and emo


They always say that once you shoot a TLR, you get attracted with it all...that you just wish to shoot more especialy with only 12 shots in a roll...Its true!

Chiyoko Super Rokkor 5cm f2

Chiyoda Kōgaku, later renamed Minolta, made a range of Leica screw lenses for its Minolta 35 series camera, a Leica copy made between 1947 and 1958. Chiyoko is a shortened version of the name (CHIYOda KOgaku).

Of which, the chiyoko Super Rokkor 5cm f2 has received the most praises.
No doubt about its quality since its a 7 elements/4 groups, following summitar design.

All thanks to Ed, I had the chance to own a nice copy of this lens.
Like all old vintage lenses, this copy is build like a tank and heavy on its own. The chrome metal of the parts weigh quite a fair bit.






Well since i was street shooting that day, i decided to test out this lens.

And a bokeh freak like me would definitely like to see how this lens will perform wide open. So here's Holly helping out as my model for this test shot...

These pictures are from ilford HP5+, pull 1 stop, and develop using HC110, dilution H.

@f2, bokeh seems a little harsh, but the swirling motion produced from this bokeh really wows me.


It does produced a little 3D effect.


After testing the bokeh, i decided to try on its handling and performance on streets where most of which are shot at f2.8.






My conclusion, this lens is sharp and renders nice contrasty pictures. Its definitely a nice lens to use!
I will update this entry with on going test with this lens..such as shooting in colors etc. Stay tuned!