I think the main thing I need to state before anything else is I’m not a rangefinder man. I’ve shot them and had, for the most part, mixed feelings about them. Examples of rangefinders I’ve liked include the Argus C3, and the Kiev 4. So when I say I liked the Nikon S2, despite what I feel to be a bit of a cumbersome workflow, I think that speaks volumes.
Like many of the cameras I try out, the Nikon S2 is a loaner. On my YouTube channel, I tend to shoot a new camera each week. And rarely do I come across rangefinders. Much of what I find are in thrift stores and at garage sales, and people who shoot with a rangefinder, tend to know better than throw it in the bargain bin.
This Nikon S2 was a loaner from a camera store here in Alberta called The Film Experience. I’m fortunate enough to be able to test cameras for the shop.
Every so often I window shop to see what Leicas are going for on eBay (come on we all do it.) and someone suggested I try the Nikon S2 instead, as it’s a great alternative, in their opinion.
To test the Nikon S2, I chose one of my last remaining rolls of original Fujifilm NEOPAN 100 ACROS. It’s my favourite film, and you can watch my first impressions of it here.
I’m pretty sure this is the last one I have that isn’t behind glass. Many of us have the equivalent of a wine cellar of films and we pick and choose depending on our palette that day; I wanted the richness of ACROS.
To meter, I used the very tiny, very Canadian, Reveni Labs Light Meter.
I’ve been shooting downtown Calgary a lot in the last year and it’s not always easy trying to find new material, our brains tend to gravitate to what we’ve already shot. I combat this by seeking out a single subject and then trying to come up with as many angles as possible. On this day I chose an abandoned fire hall.
The plaque reads 1911 and it’s just a gorgeous work of brick and sandstone. It’s everything I love about shooting architecture: simple lines, classic styling and lots of texture. When people ask me what I like to shoot, I want to say “texture” but I feel like they wouldn’t understand.
I know you do though. Full video here.
~ Azriel
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One response to “5 Frames… With a Nikon S2 and original Fujifilm NEOPAN 100 ACROS in Downtown Calgary”
😉
great
I believe you will get the same results with a Lomo 😉
Good photographers can take good pictures with all cameras.
But this great S2 is certainly a very good tool for your telent, and it is in very good mint condition.