Using disposables for a month wasn’t just a gimmick; hopefully I’ve convinced you of that. I emphasized them for their speed, bright viewfinder, and non-intimidating nature. I initially picked them up because I felt a photographer’s block. I aspired more to be ‘shooting what I see’ and less fuss over exposure and all the technical that comes before taking the photograph. Trust me, I know my way around manual and spot metering tones, hyperfocal (not that it applies to point & shoots much) and using a grey card if I had to, but it also dictates very much what your style is. I feel I’ve always had the most success just taking photos through intuition – meaning not being aware of a situation or circumstance, but knowing there’s something special there. This instantaneous nature of photography is not something I had tapped into very often. Using disposables has changed my seeing in a beneficiary way where I know I have a different tool, but the right tool for a different type of photography. Inevitably this means I want more of the same, but in a proper film body and a lens not made out of floor tiles…
Doing on and off research and with a strong siding with a Flickr buddy, I bought an Olympus Trip 35 for $40 CAD on eBay. Not fully manual – no I don’t want that fidgeting to bring me to my heels for now. Highlights:
- Solar powered light meter (no batteries!)
- Zuiko 40mm F/2.8; insanely sharp, almost no distortion
- Four indicators for focus: 1m, 1.5m, 3m, infinity
- Thumb wheel allows you to advance film with one hand
- Parallax error markings in viewfinder
All I can think of at the moment!
The solar powered meter around the lens definitely draws attention and was an unexpected way to strike conversation with people. Actually while I was getting a coffee at a Starbucks in The Path today one of the Baristas asked me about it cause it’s obviously too cool and unusual! More on that later.
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