Tag: film

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Nikomat EL

I was making some prints in Photo Kanon  today and I found interesting camera on the shelf. They had Nikomat (Nikkormat) EL and Nikkor 50mm 1.4. It looked brand new, like it had just came from Nikon factory. So I asked how much it was, and I was surprised, only 18,000 yen. The meter works, and it even came with new battery.

I’m not very interested about cameras. Especially digital cameras. They release new ones every year and new cameras take cleaner and cleaner images and pack new features. They are like miniature computers. The whole race for convenience turns me off.

But Nikomat! This camera was made before I was made! They produced these in Japan from 1972 to 1976. There is something that genuinely attracts me with really nice objects like this. It feels like a real tool which has a story.

I shot a roll of Lomography 400 with my Nikomat this afternoon and I really love to shoot with this camera. My Bessa R3m feels like a plastic toy after I hold this brick on my hands. It’s obvious that this camera is made to last.

Metering is nicely implemented, and is really easy to get used to. I didn’t try to shoot with aperture priority mode yet since I’m really used to shoot full manual. Downside with this camera is that if battery dies, you can only shoot with 1/90 (unmarked shutter speed), since the shutter speed js controlled electronically. That would mean ND filters if shooting outside. Battery is, by the way located under the mirror! At least you won’t lose battery door..

This is SLR all right and focusing is very different than with rangefinder. There’s no autofocus. But also it feels kind of refreshing to see exactly the image I’m going to capture, through the lens. I’m so used to shoot with my rangefinder. And this can focus closer than Leica.

Shutter is kinda loud that is to be expected from SLR.

The Nikkor 50mm lens is a big question mark for me. I have never shot with Nikon lens but this is as wide as 1.4 so it should be really nice lens for indoor photos. My Nokton 1.4 lens is very contrasty one, so I do hope Nikkor would offer a bit more gentleness what comes to contrast. I will develop my first roll tomorrow, so we’ll see.

I will write a complete review of this camera after I get acquainted with her more.

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Regarding New Documentary Movie

When I talk about documentary film, I don’t mean a movie which simply describes or tries to analyze something. The movie I make is not objective, but extremely, and honestly subjective. I have no intention of making another NHK documentary, trying to analyze and break things apart. Instead I just want to tell truth.

In Japan, society has many invisible rules, and people don’t normally talk about their emotions. These rules of society are taught to the children since their birth. For example that it’s unacceptable to cry or laugh in public. If you ask children if they like their parents, most of them won’t say they do. People think it’s natural. Why?

Children are supposed to go to kindergarden, and all kinds of schools after that, as long as they are not home. To say “I want to walk through my life, my child by my side”, for example, would sound strange. Why?

Your child is like a god. You can learn many things from him. He is you. Of course, you want to spend as much time as possible with him. Who wouldn’t want to spend time with god?

I believe that the present day loneliness is a situation produced by the society.  This theme was well described in Naomi Kawase’s Moe no Suzaku.  This movie is a story of me and my son, and a kind of separation. Not only separation that takes place every day when I take him to the kindergarden, but also separation that I feel as a human. So in fact, this is a personal matter.

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Scratched Negatives

Note to self: next time wait until you return to Japan to develop your negatives.
Finnish photo lab (Fuji piste) in shopping center Keskinen pretty much ruined my negatives. They are full of scratches and odd irremovable dust that was caused by the developing process.

It would be OK if few frames had these but almost all frames have scratches and dust.

And not only this but the whole process of developing three rolls and make some one hour prints costed more than 5000 yen equivalent. That’s so expensive, although I must admit that the 10x15cm prints were very high quality on very nice matte paper.

Oh mann!!

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Thoughts on Kaze Tachinu

I just saw the latest animation film by Hayao Miyazaki. This film is very anticipated movie for all Ghibli fans. Kaze Tachinu (Wind Rises) is dramatized biography of Jiro Horikoshi, designer of Zero fighter plane for WWII. I haven’t yet read the manga which this movie is based on.

The movie begins with a dream-like sequence from the main character’s childhood. He sleeps, dreaming of flying. In his dream he climbs on roof of his house on which there is a fantasy airplane waiting. He takes off enjoying the breeze, but suddenly finds huge bomber ready to deliver it’s payload, sinister dark creatures on huge black bombs. The boy’s glasses are torn away by the wind, and the boy falls, then wakes up.

In overall Kaze Tachinu is a great movie; this is genuine Ghibli production. Hand drawn old-fashioned animation is great and is occasionally complemented by CG-aided sequences. As you might expect, level of detail is amazing.

I love the way how CG techniques were used only to aid the main storyline, they were never too obvious to steal the attention. This is exactly how it should be done.

The overall style of the film is so elegant and true to the era it depicts, furniture and houses for example looks so real; significant effort must have been done to research and ensure the authenticity of the environments.

The movie doesn’t really show war but wartime is just a context or environment for this film. It would be wrong to call this romantic movie although the story contains tear-jerking romance. It feels appropriate, warm and human.

It would be easy to imagine that Miyazaki wanted to make more stronger anti-war movie but couldn’t because of pressure from sponsors. So he might have had to choose more subtle method; reference to the horror of war via metaphors such as natural disaster, injury or death of a loved one. Even though this is huge Ghibli production, Kaze Tachinu Has received a little attention in mass media. It just seems that in present day Japan, war or recent history isn’t very popular topic. Some TV channels seem to have even decided not to mention the movie at all.

It is curious that Miyazaki chose this topic, in this very moment in Japan. The Liberal Democratic Party had landslide victory in the two last elections, and the party has been very open about it’s intentions of changing the pacifist article in Japanese constitution and arming Japan with military and possibly nuclear weapons. Anti-war theme couldn’t be more unpopular.

But then, it might be the reason why Miyazaki decided to make this film.

I did notice that some of the scenes were cut, probably by some other factor than Ghibli or Miyazaki, maybe sponsor forced edits. If there is ever going to be director’s cut, it will be a must-see!

I really recommend this film. Bravo, Miyazaki Hayao!

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Kaze Tachinu

Tomorrow I will take my family to see the new Miyazaki film Kaze Tachinu. I really look forward it. I will write my impressions after the movie session.

Selecting the movie this time was not difficult. We soon agreed 100% it’s going to be Miyazaki. There’s new Star Trek, World War Z, Emperor and couple of american action movies, and none of them seemed interesting. Seeing the trailer is enough and makes me kind of feel like “this was enough, no need to see more”.

I love Hayao Miyazaki’s movies, they seem to grow with me. And it makes even more sense now to watch the movies here in Japan. Princess Mononoke is still my personal favorite. It’s actually kind of statement.

I really hope that the Kaze Tachinu is true Ghibli production and bold enough. Knowing the history of Miyazaki’s movies and his strength and dignity as a director, I’m pretty sure it is.

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Kawase Naomi

I really respect and love works of Japanese director Kawase Naomi. I saw her works in beginning of 2000 in Helsinki Ateneum. I was stunned to hear about her adoption (she was adopted when she was two, just like me). It could be because of this reason that I am so moved about her work.
My personal favorite is Mogari no Mori (Mourning Forest 2007) but I also love her earlier work Katatsumori and Embracing. She is fearless and honest documentarist.