Bill Smith's Photography

Jo-Anne and I hit the road a month ago for a day trip to both Cambridge and Paris Ontario between Brantford and Kitchener-Waterloo. Call it a mini European tour without dealing with a seven hour plane flight and several hours of time suck at airports. Downtown Cambridge used to be called Galt prior to being merged with Hesplar over 50 years ago. The Canadian series Murdoch Mysteries is filmed in downtown Cambridge because the heritage buildings were by and large left intact.  I ran with my eye level prism Canon New F-1 with two lenses, the FDn 35-105 F3.5 Zoom lens which by all rights should have recieved the L designation in the Canon catalogue back in the 1980s. The the second lens is from the middle 1970s breech lock FD SSC 24 F2.8 lens which I used when I needed something wider than a 28mm focal length. For day trips during the spring, summer and fall, the 35-105 along with the 24mm is a great travel combo if you're running with Canon.  Camera: Canon New F-1, FD lenses....

  Another roll from last Summer but this time in colour. I have four Canon F-1's, two from the new era (1980s) and two from the 1970s. The oldest of the F-1's I have, has issues with the film transport, and some shutter bounce, it has been sent off for an overhaul. What you see here, has been fixed through the magic of Adobe Lighr Room's graduated filter. Otherwise, the end results look stunning. Canon FD glass just delivers.  I love the 1970s Canon F-1's as they were Canon's answer to the Nikon F and F2 respectively and Canon glass, what is there to say that hasn't already been said. The sad thing is the motion picture industry is re-housing FD glass for cine use, so, Canon FD shooters, you better invesst in your lenses sooner than later.  The day trip north of the city was part beer run to Second Wedge Brewing in Uxbridge, visiting an old university friend who lives in Newmarket and stopped by in downtown Schomberg on the way home. I just realized something, I...

The Canon EF is a one of those below the radar cameras that deliver. Long overshadowed by the AE-1 and A-1 in the back half of the 1970s, the EF was a technology testbed for later innovations, like using a hybrid mechanical/electronic copal shutter, shutter priority. In some ways the EF, was Canon's answer to the likes of the Nikkormat EL and the Asahi Pentax ES(II), advanced cameras filled with technology for advanced amateurs. There's much to love with this camera in terms of ergonomics, and the fact with the bridge circuits you can use modern voltage batteries.  In terms of winter photography, it has been all over the place, we have been getting some snow, then it melts. In terms of the classic white Canadian winter  I haven't seen one of those in a while in Southern Ontario. I like winter photography but the really cool stuff will happen once I start skiing for the season and get out of Oakville, if there's a ski season.  Canon EF, FD 50 f1.4 and 28 f2 SSC lenses....