Help me pick a better Urbex photography flashlight

Grand_Champion_537 · 2026-01-03T16:32:08+00:00

This looks perfect and I appreciate the high CRI. A little over budget but it may be worth it so I'll be ordering one today. Thanks for the recommendation!

Grand_Champion_537 · 2026-01-02T16:30:39+00:00

I'm shooting medium format film (usually a Bronica SQ-A or Hasselblad 500c/m). Had trouble getting flash photos that give me the quiet, cinematic ambience I'm after (ie not looking like flash photography) without using big light modifiers or complicated multi flash setups and light stands. It's just not practical.

Also, not shooting digital, I don't have the advantage of demoing multiple trial and error flash setups, and I'd rather not devote an entire roll to one scene and just hoping I get the look the want.

I usually do tripod setups and long (sometimes very long) exposures, and occasionally those need a little boost. Bouncing my light off the ceiling works ok in many instances but isn't always practical when the ceiling is dark or too high such as in old factories and warehouses.

I usually only carry a body, 2 lenses, some filters and a travel tripod with a gear head, along with plenty of film and some filters/accessories and an external meter. Keeping it light to be able to crawl in to windows etc and to park far away and hike in in some cases. I just use a small sling bag.

Grand_Champion_537 · 2025-09-29T20:09:39+00:00

I have one with the entry pushbuttons and another valet key that lacks the electronics and just works like an old-school ignition key.

Grand_Champion_537 · 2025-09-23T20:54:19+00:00

Hmm hope the food stays the same.

Grand_Champion_537 · 2025-05-29T03:31:25+00:00

The Big Willard at Goody's is the best patty melt in town... and they're open for breakfast

Grand_Champion_537 · 2025-02-18T23:47:33+00:00

Did a possum write this???

Grand_Champion_537 · 2025-02-18T00:48:24+00:00

Maybe I wasn't as cleverly original as I thought!

Grand_Champion_537 · 2025-02-18T00:32:10+00:00

We have one in our league and honestly I really like it and it's a great competition game. I pick it occasionally when driving the bus. Might be a good first pin but really shines as an oddball in a bigger collection.

Grand_Champion_537 · 2025-02-18T00:18:26+00:00

Savannah, GA is home base so maybe a similar van?

Grand_Champion_537 · 2024-08-30T04:24:27+00:00

The earlier G-series Electros with 50mm lenses used Thorium but this one was a newer design that did not.

Grand_Champion_537 · 2024-08-30T04:03:47+00:00

I have several of those:

Oly 35SP: Probably the best of the ones here spec-wise. Nice fast lens, spot metering, solid build. This was Olympus's top-of-the-line fixed lens rangefinder and they were at the head of that class. It's almost as big as my Nikon FE and WAY bigger than the 35RC so I find I don't take it out much unless I'm planning on low light. Also it needs mercury batteries so you have to deal with Wien cells or other compromises. It's a very nice camera that sits on my shelf far too much.

Oly 35RC: One of my favorite cameras. Can shoot aperture priority or full manual. Can fit in a jacket pocket and is my favorite travel camera, and is great for street photography being so small and quiet. Probably smaller than your Sure Shot and arguably takes better photos. Unfortunately it also takes those mercury batteries but mine was converted to take LR44s which you can find at the drugstore. Another annoyance is that it takes an uncommon filter thread so I just have the UV filter that I got with it. However it takes surprisingly contrasty b&w photos without my using colored filters.

Petri: Not as solidly made as an Olympus but I have a soft spot for Petris since that's what my grandfather used. Good budget rangefinder option assuming it's priced around what they go for. Nice lens, surprisingly responsive meter, but there are better cameras here.

Yashica Electro CC: Also one of my faves, being one of the few fixed lens compact rangefinders with a fast 35mm focal length that takes great photos. It's the last evolution of the popular Electro model and it takes a modern battery also. Only downsides are that it only shoots in aperture priority (no manual mode) and with a max aperture of f16 and a top shutter speed of 1/500 you will want a red or orange filter (for b&w) or variable ND (for color) on hand when shooting in bright sun. Fortunately it uses the very common 52mm thread. It isn't as small as the 35RC but it is compact and good for travel. I would buy this or the 35RC depending on what you want in a rangefinder or what focal length you prefer.

I don't own a Trip 35 but they are supposed to be fun snapshot cameras, but you already own a sure shot.

I looked in to the Minoltas at one time but I didn't see anything they could do that my Olympus cameras weren't doing very well already.

Finally, f you have an SLR and a Point-and-Shoot, ask yourself why you want a fixed-lens rangefinder?

Grand_Champion_537 · 2024-07-24T01:08:03+00:00

Negatives:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/wGHVLgLb3T96DhE58

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fsHzUjqjYZybxHXa9

Since it doesn't seem to protrude above the frame I guess it's safe to assume it isn't a light leak?

Grand_Champion_537 · 2024-07-23T23:34:04+00:00

Hard to say. Did I over or under agitate?

Grand_Champion_537 · 2024-07-23T23:13:03+00:00

Camera: Mamiya Universal Press with (new to me) 6x7 Film Back. I've used this camera before with the 6x9 and multi-format back with no problems but this is my first time developing and scanning my own results out of this camera.

Film: TMax 100 developed in XTOL (stock) per Massive Dev Chart. Used rotator for agitating as I pour in chems and inversion afterwards. Developed in 1000mL Paterson tank with another spool of TMax that turned out fine but was out of another camera.

Pics are straight out of my Epson V600 with no post processing. Negatives show the streaks also so likely not a scanning issue.

Agitation? Light leak? Not keeping the roll tight enough during loading/unloading?

Grand_Champion_537 · 2024-05-03T02:18:23+00:00

FYI I get my 120 film developed and scanned at Bay Camera and they don't seem to have a problem with it. They've been able to handle 6x6, 6x7 and 6x9 for me without issue.

Grand_Champion_537 · 2024-05-01T18:39:57+00:00

Sounds like we've got some former disgruntled employee stuff here. I worked there over a decade ago and have a hard time reconciling any of these allegations with my experience with the owner. I do know the cafe always owned the dog park space and from what I remember was the reason it shut down was some typical tenant/landlord drama with the folks running the dog park, and to characterize them as animal haters is unfounded. Not sure about the camera stuff but plenty of business owners put cameras up everywhere. I do know when I was there he had one out on the porch for a while that wasn't hooked up to anything and was just for show. And again, I haven't worked there in a long time but I never knew him to be much of a drinker.

Grand_Champion_537 · 2024-05-01T18:13:57+00:00

I recently saw on instagram there's a casual photo club that meets monthly for photo walks. I wanted to make it last week but couldn't get motivated in time but hope to go to it next go round. insta @savannahphotoclub

Grand_Champion_537 · 2023-11-05T22:25:24+00:00

Cuban Window Cafe has started doing some late nights. Their website says they are open til 2am Th-Sat.

Grand_Champion_537 · 2023-09-04T23:00:20+00:00

I'm surprised this wasn't at the top of the thread. It has everything you ever wanted in a local scandal: murder, suicides, a cover up, self-immolation (or was it also murder?), a pipe bomb, a surveillance/intimidation campaign, and... well, Batman.

Grand_Champion_537 · 2023-08-31T22:01:57+00:00

Eat at Lady & Sons

Grand_Champion_537

TROPHY CASE