Nikon D90 - Return of my first DSLR.

 Ah sweet Nikon D90, I have missed thee!

My first DSLR returned home this week after being loaned to my Granddaughter for her A level Photography course and I had to get out for a wander to reaquaint myself with my old friend. Also back is my Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AIS Longnose, quite possibly the nicest 50mm lens Nikon ever made, and my Tamron Adaptall 2 28-70mm close focus macro zoom lens.

When I bought my Nikon D90 back in 2017 I couldn't afford an autofocus lens and made do with the Tamron Adaptall 2 28-70mm zoom lens I bought for my Pentax SP500. I soon progressed onto AF Nikkor D series lenses that I have come to love, but I still love to use manual focus lenses as often as possible.

The 50mm longnose came with my Nikon F801 that was a gift from my dear friend, Muzza. I soon learned what a little gem that lens is and used it a lot over the next few years. It made sense to let my Granddaughter borrow them to discover what I was raving about and she took full advantage of them. We are all incredibly proud of her. 

For my walk I visited the local farm roads and nature trails to get reacquainted with my D90 and 50mm lens. I had been stuck indoors for a couple of days as Storm Lillian had crossed the UK and was glad to get out over the August Bank Holiday weekend. I visited the Horses and took a few shots of them with Baldy the Baldax for the Frugal Film Project before continuing along the footpath through the woodland and around the big field. I tried to find interesting textures, shapes and colours, with Himalayan Balsam, Thistles and Blackberries being my favourite items to photograph. There were Horses in the big field too and I took a few shots before heading to the Wheat Fields.

I missed the Harvest again.

One day I will get to see the farmer harvesting the crops, but, as always, I am a week or so too late. I made the most of the cloudy sky and rows of straw crossing the field, I just had to be patient and wait for the sun to bathe it in light as the low clouds had moved in. I was in no particular rush and could get myself lined up nicely whilst I waited for them to pass. With that sorted at the half way point, I headed towards home.

On my way home I took a few shots of the trees, power lines and pylons, you can't walk past them without taking a photo, it's the law! I also snapped a few shots of the antique ploughs on the walls by Giants Hall and the road through the woodland. I really enjoyed my walk on the day but, as always when I go for a walk, I was worn out by the time I got home.

I processed my photos with Affinity Photo 2 and I'm happy to have got a few decent photos as well as a few where my skills eluded me. I'm ok with that as it's been a long time since I used my D90 and 50mm f/1.8 manual focus lens. The exercise today was to get reacquainted with them and not to expect anything special. It was like finding an old favourite T-Shirt in the drawer and enjoying the memories made whilst wearing it and the feeling of comfort you get from it. It is exactly why I enjoy photography. The good memories made on the day can be relived long into the future.

Here's a few favourites from my walk and as always I have placed them and more in an album on Flickr you can visit by clicking the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Nikon D90 - 50mm f/1.8 AIS 

 

 

3 films + 2 cameras = 1 Afternoon of Fun!

 Whilst at the Lancashire Mining Museum, I took the opportunity to break out my OM-2 and my Agfa Isolette as I knew that one roll of film just wasn't going to be enough for our afternoon photowalk around the museum. I loaded a 120 medium format roll of Rollei Retro 400S into my Agfa Isolette and also a 35mm roll of the same film into my OM-2. Keith had given me both films a while ago and I decided to use them on the gloriously sunny afternoon we were blessed with that day. I also had a roll of Kodak Double-X that was my last roll of the day in my OM-2

I really enjoy using my Agfa Isolette I, it's a great inexpensive way into medium format film for any aspiring photographer. I have been fortunate enough to have not one, but two. I bought the second one initially for spares for my original Isolette, but after putting a test roll through it I found it was working just fine. Not a bad find for £15.

I had also fitted my Watameter rangefinder to help with any close ups I might find, but mostly shot it maxed out with a shutter speed at 1/200th and aperture between f/16 and f/22, depending on the cloud coverage. The lens hood I found online also came in very handy for dealing with the high and bright summer sunshine we enjoyed on the day.

I was also shooting Rollei Retro 400S with my OM-2 and it was a good experiment to compare Kentmere 400 and Rollei Retro 400S shot at Box speed. Kentmere 400 is slightly cheaper than Rollei Retro 400S, but how do they compare when shot with Olympus cameras and their marvellous Zuiko lenses? My OM101 had the Zuiko 50mm f/2 power Focus lens and my OM-2 had my favourite Zuiko 28mm f/3.5. I would find out when I developed my film a couple of days later.

I also shot a few frames and a couple of videos with my Nokia phone camera. I'm conciously using it more, not to overtake my film photography, but to compliment it. It's always with me so why the heck not! It gives me a chance to show you the machinery running and you too can experience the sounds of an engineering workshop. I love the sound of vintage machinery, it's hypnotic and I reckon you can dance to it.

It doesn't take long to shoot 3 rolls of film with 2 cameras in 1 afternoon when you're having fun. It was around closing time when we finished our film photography shenanigans for the day and we will definitely be back to visit the museum again. It's free entry, there's refreshments and a gift shop. The Engine Running days are quite popular as folk enjoy seeing the winding engine run and have a ride on the narrow guage railway. Donations are always welcome too. I will post the link to the museum website below.

I developed both of my rolls of Rollei Retro 400S in HC110 1+31 dilution B for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had them hanging to dry in my bathroom. The next day I developed my roll of Kodak Double-X in HC110 1+63 dilution H for 10 minutes at 20 celcius and hung that to dry. Once dry, I digitised my films with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi film holders, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I edited the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2.

How did Rollei Retro 400S and Kodak Double-X fare? Rather well actually. Rollei Retro 400S in 120 medium format is a great film and certainly getting up there with HP5 and Tri-X in the same format. For the price it's a film I enjoyed great results with and I will use it again.

How did Rollei Retro 400S compare to Kentmere 400 in 35mm? It shone, especially when I put the orange filter on for a few shots. It's better than Kentmere, not by a huge margin, but enough to put it above Kentmere.  Kentmere is a decent everyday film for the budget concious film photographer. Rollei Retro 400S just has that little bit more performance and I could happily shoot it every day. It's worth spending the extra money for Rollei Retro 400S.

Kodak Double-X is in a league of it's own. I use aperture priority when using my OM-2 and my Zuiko 28mm f/3.5 is a great street lens. Kodak Double-X, I must say, is a great choice for an everyday film if you can buy it cheap enough. Some folks like to buy a bulk roll and respool it themselves. I just like to buy a couple of rolls as a treat every so often and it never fails to make me smile.

Here's a few of my favourite shots from my three rolls shot with 2 cameras in 1 afternoon. It was a lot of fun and I now have a choice to make for my next visit as I could happily shoot Kentmere 400, Rollei Retro 400S and Kodak Double-X again next time. Cheap film doesn't always mean you will produce crappy photos, I put some effort into it and got few bangers. All of the films I shot during our visit to the museum don't cost a lot, make sure to shop around for the best bargains.

As always I have placed them and more in albums on Flickr you can visit and don't forget to visit the Lancashire Mining Museum website, all via the links below. I hope you enjoy them.

Lancashire Mining Museum
Rollei Retro 400S - OM-2
Kodak Double-X - OM-2
Rollei Retro 400S - Agfa Isolette I

Rollei Retro 400S

Rollei Retro 400S

Rollei Retro 400S with Orange Filter

Rollei Retro 400S no filter

Kodak Double-X

Kodak Double X

Frugal Film Project 2024 - July - 35mm

 Last minute Jim strikes again! Yep, I left my Frugal Film Project 2024 roll of Kentmere 400 for July to the last minute and to be honest I needed the break. I have been four blogs ahead for most of this year and I took the opportunity of a break during July without having to worry about not having anything to share with you. It's hard to find inspiration during summer, everything is green and whilst I like seeing the trees full of leaves, there's only so much you can do in the woods during the summer.

Our pal Keith came to visit on the last weekend in July and I suggested we visit somewhere local for our photowalk. There are more than a few places to visit here in the north west of England that are well worth pointing a camera at. I suggested the Lancashire Mining Museum at Astley Green, midway between Wigan and Manchester.

The Museum has a selection of working machinery on display and they like to run them for the visitors to enjoy. Sadly not with steam, but with compressed air. The colliery once was powered by 16 boilers, the last of which is on display, and burned coal dust and gas from the colliery to make the steam to power all the machinery.

To have a working coal/gas fired boiler in the 21st century requires a lot of expense before you even think of firing it up. A boiler service can run into 6 figures depending on the condition, a new one is prohibitively expensive for them, so you can forgive the Museum for choosing compressed air to power their working machinery. It's nice to see them run.

There is also the last surviving winding engine and head gear in the Lancashire Coalfield. This equipment has not been transported to the museum, it is the same winding engine and head gear that was in use when the site was a working colliery and also the very last still in place in Lancashire. The engine is run on select days during the year.

Astley Green Colliery closed in 1970 and was mothballed for many years for good reason. There are papers lodged with the Instutute of Mining Engineers that detailed the engineering challenges that had to be overcome to reach the coal seam 2,600 feet below the surface. It took 4 years to sink the first shaft courtesy of the soft, unstable ground on the edge of Chat Moss and those papers are studied to this day by students of civil engineering.

The shafts are capped, there's no cable reaching down into the depths below and there's no danger of anyone falling down a very deep hole. The head gear is showing its age now and is in need of repair which the Musuem are actively raising funds to carry out. Steel needs painting to keep the rust at bay, but after a hundred years that battle is slowly being won by the rust. Donations are most welcome to help keep this last man standing for many years to come.

There is also a narrow gauge railway and the days when the railway is running are a way for the museum to raise some much needed funds to keep this bastion of the Lancashire Coalfields alive. It would be a great shame if it were to be lost, consigned to history like all the coal mines before it. You can find out more about the museum by clicking the link below.

Keith and I were in our element and shot several rolls of film, including this roll of Kentmere 400 I shot with my Olympus OM101 and Zuiko 50mm f/2 power focus lens for the Frugal Film Project. It's the first time I have used the 50mm lens and I also took the opportunity to use an orange filter on several shots as the sun was high and bright. It seemed like the way to go to make the best use of the conditions. 

For two middle aged fans of local history and the machinery that powered the industrial revolution, this was heaven. The working machinery on display has been lovingly restored and one or two have a big end knock that would make some folk worried. I would be if it was my motorbike, but the pump with a hypnotic knock is over a century old. It isn't under any stress and could probably run like that for another century. It will get a new babbitt bearing eventually.

One exhibit I am glad has been preserved is Fred Dibnah's home built head gear from the shaft he dug in his back yard. I'm sure Fred would approve that he is remembered at the Mining Museum. He spent his life collecting steam powered machinery and restoring them to working order so we could enjoy them for years to come. Fred's programmes about the golden age of Steam and the Industrial Revolution are still shown on TV and YouTube today.

Sadly, as often happens when I'm having fun, I ran out of film. Four rolls of film and a few videos shot with my phone ws a very productive and very enjoyable afternoon at Lancashire Mining Museum. It was almost closing time so we said our goodbye's to the staff and we headed home, happy with what we achieved that afternoon. We will be back.

I developed my roll of Kentmere 400 a day or two later using HC110 1+47 dilution E and hung it to dry in my bathroom overnight. I digitised it the next day with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2.

Here's a few of my favourites from our afternoon at the Lancashire Mining Museum. It's a great place to visit with knowledgeable and very helpful staff on hand to talk about various exhibits and answer any questions. It's a great afternoon outing for all the family and you can find the opening times via the link below.

I am also very impressed with the Zuiko 50mm f/2 Power Focus lens that came with my Olympus OM101 given to me by my dear friend, Wellies. Olympus made their name from Optics before entering the camera market and the Zuiko range of lenses that accompanied the OM cameras are outstanding. This 50mm f/2 power focus lens follows that tradition of optical excellence and I'm glad it's in my kit.

As always I have placed these photos and more in my Frugal Film Project 2024 - 35mm album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2024 - July - 35mm
Lancashire Mining Museum

Frugal Film Project 2024 - July - 120 medium format

 I left it late in July for this month's roll of Ilford HP5+ 400 in Baldy the Baldax and got out for a walk on a gloriously sunny afternoon in the final week of the month. I had to go into town and decided to take a slow walk back home along the Leeds - Liverpool Canal to see what I could find. I took my Gossen Trisix light meter, but to be honest I didn't really need it. It was so bright I was using the fastest shutter speed of 1/300th of a second and alternating between f/16 and f/22. There wasn't much more I could do about it, Baldy the Baldax was pretty much maxed out.

I took a long shot looking along the canal to Wigan Pier and Trencherfield Mill before making my way under Seven Stars Bridge and onwards towards home. I was hoping to see a canal barge on my walk, but the canal was only being used by Ducks, Geese and people walking and cycling. I got a couple of shots of a Crane, the mechanical thing not the bird, on the other side of the canal and continued enjoying my walk in the sunshine.

Canada Geese get everywhere! I saw two small gaggles of them and didn't get hissed at. The first gaggle must be so used to people they don't even bother doing their finest "Hissing Cobra Chicken" routine anymore. The second gaggle slipped onto the canal and took a swim before I got near them. I got a couple of shots of the first lot and a shot of a compass carved into a paving slab on the path. I checked it with the compass on my phone and it does indeed point North. I wonder how many times people have walked over it without even noticing it's there?

The Brick Community Stadium, home of Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club and Wigan Athletic Football Club is always worth a photo, even when the sun is high overhead and it's mostly back lit. It's been the home of both clubs for 25 years and is a decent stadium with a great atmosphere, especially when there's a big crowd in attendance. I took the shot and walked on towards home.

I was really enjoying my walk home and I came across a boat which looks like a Canal maintenance tug and took a photo. When I got to the last canal lock at Woodhouse Lane, I had two shots left. Sadly there were no more boats on this stretch of the canal from Wigan Pier to the bottom of Beech Hill, but I wasn't too disappointed. I enjoyed the fresh air and soaked up vitamin D from the bright sunshine. I finished my roll of film, turned off the canal path and made my way up the hill towards home.

I developed my roll of Ilford HP5+ 400 the next day in HC110, 1+31 dilution B, for 5 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry in my bathroom. I digitised it with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi medium format film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2.

Baldy had a few light leaks again this month. I have got used to it and will sort it eventually, but it's such a nice camera I don't want to take it apart and break it. I know there's good photos waiting to come from this camera and I shall keep tweaking it until the end of the year. Here's a few of my favourites from my July roll of Ilford HP5 that I shot with Baldy the Baldax for the Frugal Film Project 2024. I have placed them and more in my Frugal Film Project 2024 - 120 medium format album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2024 - 120 medium format