Carl Zeiss Flektogon 2,8 / 35mm - The first photographs on the 19th February 2009 (Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal)

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I start getting kind of worried: it is a little harder everyday to focus my Rollei TLR from the sixties, or even my Hasselblad. I don't like to photograph with glasses on, but if I don't wear them, I can barely see the camera...

I know that it is very normal after a certain age, but I used to see very well and it kind of makes me feel mentally confused.

Besides, I like to compose an image till the edges, and the glasses are not very much helpful at that.

Trying to focus my Exakta Varex IIb is still much worse.
One of these days I remembered that I must have another focusing screen somewhere (yes, in the Exakta you can change them) and I was lucky to find it (I am not that kind of organized soul...).

Et voilà: I could see much better!

So I thought that it was time to finally try my "new" Carl Zeiss Flektogon 35mm, the one I talked about and showed in my previous posts about photo gear.

(Please, don't bother to tell me that in the meantime we are in the 21th century, and that we can buy auto-focus cameras... I know that! I even use some such things sometimes, but I can't help keeping on loving this old stuff.
Yes, I like to focus myself. Let me have my little joys, please don't take away my jewels...).

Now you probably start understanding why they call it the Macro - Flektogon...

I already posted a similar image in 8x10 inches. Good for you to compare.

It was a nice afternoon, the clouds were rolling across the blue skies and the sun felt good on my aching back. I found it a good idea to dust away my bones and my brain...

So I just packed the Flek and the Exakta, my Gossen light meter, some filters and a couple of Agfapan 100 rolls. I thought about bringing a tripod, but my back pain made me change my mind.

We don't need to walk very far away from home to get to the castle of Montemor. We are lucky, because it is a nice place, so we can have a cheap walk... Well, at least as long as they don't tax our feet...

Remember that old George Harrison / Beatles song "Taxman"?
I believe George won't mind...

"1,2,3,4,1,2

Let me tell you how it will be,
There’s one for you, nineteen for me,
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
Should five per cent appear too small,
Be thankful I don’t take it all.
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah yeah, I’m the Taxman.

(If you drive a car car), I’ll tax the street,
(If you try to sit sit), I’ll tax your seat,
(If you get too cold cold), I’ll tax the heat,
(If you take a walk walk), I’ll tax your feet.
Taxman.

‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
Don’t ask me what I want it for
(Ah Ah! Mister Wilson!)
If you don’t want to pay some more
(Ah Ah! Mister Heath!),
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeeeah, I’m the Taxman.

Now my advice for those who die, (Taxman!)
Declare the pennies on your eyes, (Taxman!)
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
And you’re working for no-one but me,
(Taxman)."

May I be damned! Now I feel like listening to "Revolver"...

I love the Beatles!!!

On most photographs I used a polarizing filter from Nikon with a step up ring. On some other occasions I put on a Rollei yellow filter. I love those filters from Rollei. I think that I never got one stuck.

Although not exactly small, the Flek uses relatively small 49mm filters.

That nice lady trying to come across my photograph on the lower left corner is my girlfriend.

If you watch attentively, you will see one of that auto-everything marvels I just mentioned before around her neck... See that I am well aware of their existence?

I Shot An Arrow To The Sky (Jimmy Reed 1967)

(As it seems, making this post turns my memories into songs)

I believe that the Flektogon must have cursed me on this one: "you just don't do that to an old lens, have you ever heard about flare?".

I can't blame her, and somehow I think that we are going to get along well, both of us, me and my "Fleky" (just got baptized!).

If I only knew a little better how to scan...

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