SYSTEM NOTICE

Auto translation by AI. Be sure, accuracy, nuances and authorial intent may not be fully reflected.

I bought an Olympus Pen EED half-frame camera #MNG

2025年2月18日 01:05

The hassle of RAW development in photography

In my previous Note, I explained the background behind buying a Sony FX30, mainly for video. I thought that for video, since it's for creative work and editing is a given, I should shoot in Log and then apply a LUT during editing to perform color grading to determine the final look.

Since I was at it, I started taking photos too, but since the purpose of the photos is to casually record late-night walks and life with my family, I felt that adjusting the color of each shot one by one after RAW shooting was too much of a hassle, and I was struggling with it. If you shoot for 1-2 hours, you end up with about 50 shots, right? I don't have enough time to transfer them to my Mac and do all that, so I want to send them via LINE straight out of the camera! After trying various things, I feel that deciding on the "color shift" is the challenge for those who prefer straight-out-of-camera results.

Creative Look + HEIF shooting is about 80 points

The latest generation of Sony mirrorless cameras has a feature called Creative Look as a way to determine colors at the time of shooting. Among the various ones I've tried, I prefer using IN or FL, but no matter how much I adjust the fine settings, there are times when the colors don't become perfectly to my liking depending on the subject... However, it's better than the raw colors, and although it's subjective, I have the impression that I can consistently get results that are around 80 ± 10 points.

FX30 + Sirui Night Walker T1.2 + Creative Look IN

I want to try using film once

What kind of color usage am I aiming for when I tweak the parameters in Creative Look? When I think about it carefully, it's a film-like color tone. IN is apparently instant camera style, and FL is film style.

I've watched film movies and touched a disposable camera a long time ago, but I thought I would try using an analog camera once if I'm aiming for a film-like color tone. Film prices are soaring, but the film cameras themselves are relatively affordable.

Olympus Pen EED

After researching various things, I found out that there is something called a half-frame camera. If you use a 36-exposure film, you can take 72 shots, and because it's a format where you take two shots on one frame of film, you can also save on film costs. Of course, the grain is more noticeable because of that, but since I also liked the grainy feel of APSC cameras, it's actually convenient. As a companion for late-night walks, I searched for a lightweight model equipped with a bright lens in half-frame, and as a result, I bought the Olympus Pen EED in the top image used. It's a model released in 1967, but I was able to get one that works for about 10,000 yen. I was also torn between the SLR Pen F series, but I thought that if I were to carry the FX30 and have an additional camera for photos, a compact film camera would be better, so I went with a lens-integrated model. It's not something you often hear about in digital products that a product from over 50 years ago can still be used in active service.

Sample shots (Kodak Ultra Max ISO400)

With ISO400 and F1.7, you can take photos even on late-night walks if you find light.

The blown-out highlights of the lights also have a deep charm.

Focusing by eye estimation is difficult.

I don't dislike the walls where the graininess and grittiness of the half-frame format appear.

The half-frame format divides the film
vertically into two, so if you hold it normally, it becomes a vertical composition

When the focus is right, it resolves properly. I think the blown-out highlights are also nice.

Two photos should fit perfectly into one 35mm frame, but the margins are huge and it's shifted too much... Is it a camera problem?

Impressions (bullet points)

Not just film, but even CD-Rs are already nostalgic and have a deep, evocative quality.

I love the colors of film without doing anything at all... I also like how the highlights melt. I'm from the generation that just barely experienced analog media like cassette tapes and records, but since I've overwhelmingly benefited from digital, it's a mystery why I think film colors are so good.
Personally, I love the noise and graininess of half-frame film.
The shooting experience of not looking back after taking a photo is the best. It allows me to keep focusing on reality.
I felt that estimating focus by eye while shooting was too difficult, so I'm still interested in an SLR camera after all. (Pen F series)
Even late at night, if I find light, I can shoot with ISO 400 / F1.7 and a slower shutter speed. If there isn't enough light, a red flag appears and I can't take a photo at all. Mirrorless cameras are stronger in that regard.
The film advance function on the half-frame film was slightly off, so Fuji Color CD only digitized 24 out of 48 frames. The images were successfully recorded on the film, so I want to consider a way to sample them myself.
- In the end, isn't this more troublesome than shooting in RAW and fixing the colors...?
The cost per shot (film cost 2000 yen + development cost 1000 yen) / 72 frames = 41.7 yen. Even assuming there are failed photos, it's not a problem if it's around 50 yen. If I shoot in 35mm size, it costs 100 yen per shot... It feels like stacking 100-yen coins to play fighting games at an arcade.
I thought that if I wanted a film-like look straight out of the camera, a Fujifilm mirrorless camera might also be good.