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For Monday 5th of November 2012 Cathay Camera Club Members and friends had a night out at Club Member Klaus Chan’s shop in Tsim Sha Tsui. Klaus has setup his second hand camera business in a back room of the “Hong Kong Audio & Video Shop” on 1st Floor, No. 2 Humphrey’s Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui. After general chit chat, distribution of Flyers for our 2012 Annual Exhibition and Club News from Chairman Ali, Klaus began his presentation. Klaus talked of some of the history of the older film cameras from the ’70’s, 80’s and 90’s and lenses and moving onto more recent digitals and adapter mounts for older lenses. Some of us still shoot with film, many of us used to and certainly handling the gear again brought back happy memories or rekindled a desire to move back to film.

One of the outstanding aspects (for me) was the clarity and size of the viewfinders of some of these film cameras (e.g. the Nikon F801S) – so much better than most of the DSLRs we use now.
Also the smaller (very solid and robust) bodies incorporating all we’re familiar with now – autofocus, full mode controls, motor drive, viewfinder info display, top LCD panel etc. – apart from no rear LCD image display or digital image sensor. Why can’t DSLRs have the same size and form factor?

We all had a good play with the cameras and some making direct comparisons with the performance of their latest and greatest DSLRs. Some of us then went home (or work!) whilst others headed off for supper and some night shooting. A very pleasant, interesting and different meeting from our usual setting. Many thanks to Klaus for hosting us and sharing his passion for film cameras and older but great lenses. — written and photographed by John M.

View more photos here.