Happy 2019. Oh my God what a great Blog year 2018 it was.

I wish a Happy 2019 to all of you , with health and luck.

2018 was a challenging year for me in many aspects of my life but overall I would describe it as a strengthening experience. That as a fact took a toll on my blogging activity. This year I had only 26 new posts, but it was the year that this blog had the most views since 2015 by far. I wanted to share an input on what attracted your interest mostly this year.

2018 Top 5 Visited Blog Posts

• Taxiarchis, Mandamados Mytilene, May 30 2015
• Nikon FM10, Zoom Nikkor 35–70 mm f/3.5-4.8 zoom lens. February 13 2015
• LUNA from Lomo is the… Lubitel 2 , renamed for the Greek market. October 4 2015
• A Walk Around Piraeus, Statue of Themistocles. March 1 2015
• Fujica STX-1 ,35mm SLR|Sexy lady from the past. February 18 2015

As it can easily be seen the common thing in all these posts is that they all are from 2015. Also 3 out of 5 are related to film cameras and analogue photography. The other 2 are travel blogs , photos from trips with my camera.

But how about the new posts from 2018, which where the most visited?

Here are the TOP 5.

• 28th October 1940, Memoirs “The Wounded Italian Soldier”. October 27 2018
• Raindrops……. April 6 2018
• Separated In Eternity But Forever In Love. January 7 2018
• Midnight Oil, February 21 2018

• Τρίκορφο Φωκίδας, Trikorfo Fokidas, April 9 2018

Here the 3 out of 5 posts are B&W related posts, one is a travel post and the last one is a history related post.

I would like to thank all of you around the world that have visited my blog and I hope that 2019 will be a creative year for all of us.

Views, Visitors. Stats ‹ Digital Film Revolution

 

 

Fujica STX-1 ,35mm SLR|Sexy lady from the past

The Fujica STX-1 is one of my small collection of vintage film cameras. It is an entry level SLR made by Fuji in the late 1970s to mid 1980s. It was introduced to the United States in 1979. The focal plane shutter is mechanical, with a top speed of 1/750th of a second and a flash sync at 1/60th of a second. The lowest speed is 1/2 second and the camera includes a bulb setting along with shutter release cable connection. Selected shutter speed is shown along the left side of the viewfinder through a mechanical linkage. A DOF preview control is present, conveniently placed on the front of the camera next to the lens.
Everything about the STX-1 is manual. No program modes are available. The camera does require a battery, but only to run the meter.Compatible batteries: Two of LR44-type alkaline-manganese batteries; HR44-type mercury batteries; SR44-type silver oxide batteries. The light meter on the STX-1 is an averaging, moving coil analogue type, whose operation is scaled by the camera’s shutter speed and aperture settings. This appears on the right side of the viewfinder. The later STX-1n model has a meter consisting of several small LEDs, but the overall effect of these is rather vague compared to the earlier analogue meter.

The other change in the STX-1n is a redesigned battery hatch. The STX-1 has a Fujica X mount, which is compatible with Fujica X lenses. Although often difficult to find, a decent selection of these lenses are available on online auction sites.

The STX-1 was also sold by Porst in Germany, as the CR-1.  Camera User Manual Here.

 

My camera came re-skined and CLA. It had mounted a fast X Fujinon 50mm f1.9, which produces quite good results. It is a small well made SLR, super easy to use with great lenses and the ability to produce nice photos for only a fraction of other more well known adversaries. If you find one give it a try.

"Decay and Rust", Piraeus Port Abandoned

Remember a few days ago I had Visited the last Liberty Ship in Piraeus Port. I Had started my visit to the port to photograph some graffiti and old buildings. 

What really caught my eye was two massive abandoned buildings with big external metal stairs that looked like they came from the 50s.

Then I noticed a homeless guy living under the entrance of a huge,out of order elevator. He had all his belongings in that opening. An old Christmas tree caught my eye. Before i set up my gear he somehow disappeared.

Another co-resident of this guy seem to be a fat cat.I thing Ports are famous,among other things for their rats.

The building had signs of old graffiti .The metal doors and windows where beaten up and rusty.

Opposite this building next to “Hellas Liberty” it was a complex of buildings which I couldn’t find access,with some massive graffiti.

Left Side View “The Diver”

Back View from aboard Hellas Liberty “Islands”

Right Side View “Poseidon”

At the end of this side of the port you could see people fishing…

Or just enjoying the Sun…

• All the photos except the last 3 where taken using an Olympus OM-10 and Zuiko 50mm f1.8. The last 3 where shot by a Fuji STX1. 

• Film Lucky SHD100 B&W

• Semi-stand Developed in Rodinal 1:100 60mins

• Film Scanned by Canoscan LIDE 700f

"Hellas Liberty" The Last WWII Liberty Ship in Greece

I am a son of a retired merchant marine captain. My father started his career in 1965 and one of the first ships he embarked was a Liberty type. Liberty ship type was a very popular type during and after WWII and was the cornerstone of the Greek Maritime Industry that helped the Greek nation to come out of the ashes of the destructive Second World War.

“Hellas Liberty”

One of the 3 last remaining Liberty ships in the world is located at Piraeus port and serves as a Museum. It is called HELLAS LIBERTY. This one that I visited by chance (I didn’t know its existence) was originally named SS Arthur M. Huddell, and was built in Jacksonville.The Huddell was launched Dec. 7, 1943, the second anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

In 2008 the decision was made to rehabilitate the ship. The reconstruction was finished in 2010, and since then has become part of a maritime museum in the harbor at Piraeus, near Athens.

I stumbled across the ship while i was trying to find more graffiti to capture within the harbor. I asked if the ship was open for the public (which it was,with no admittance fee) and started taking some photos until I run out of film.

Speed

 
I talked to the guard and he offered to take me down to the engineering room.But since had no more film with me I decided to revisit it in the near future and also bring my son with me to explore it further next week.

Helm

Maps Room

Maps Room

Captains Station

View From Command Station

Fire Control

Communications

Rudder Angle

Clock

Here are 3 articles about the Specific Ship and also the history behind the Liberty Type and their mass production.

Ships Diagram

Emergency Axe

Museum Entrance

Cameras Used 

• Fujica STX1, Fujinon Lens 50mm f1.9
• Olympus OM-10, Zuiko 50mm F1.8

 Film

•  Lucky SHD 100 B&W

Fujica STX1 & ILFORD HP5

Some old shots from my Fuji STX1 using Ilford HP5.

Broken Lives

All the photos are shot at Drapetsona except the from the first one which is shot under a bridge at Schisto Perama.