[Max Clarke]

Max Clarke, amateur photographer
I am an Englishman, now living in South Wales, aged eighty-three. I took up photography as a schoolboy in 1952, and within months began developing and printing black and white films. Ten years later in 1962 my wife bought me my first Pentax, an S1, fitted with an f2.2 Auto Takumar. High quality cameras had only just appeared on the UK market because a acute shortage of foreign exchange following the second world war had demanded very strict import controls. My Pentax and lens cost £69.19.9. I must admit I would have preferred a Nikon F1, but at £120 it was almost twice the price
At the same time an older and wealthier friend bought a Zeiss Contarex fitted with an F2 Planar. That camera cost about £250 and weighed a ton! We carried out a comparison test with our lenses set at various apertures using Adox KB14 film, considered to be the sharpest film then available. I developed them in a tank which could take two films. We then enlarged the results in the same enlarger. The results were virtually identical, with my lens having a little more contrast, and the Planar having slightly more even coverage. Other friends told me that my camera, though optically good, would not last, being made from cheap materials. But to disprove the point, I have put hundreds of films through that camera, mostly taking family photos. Twenty years later I replaced it with an LX (in my opinion, the most beautiful camera Pentax has ever made) giving the S1 to a daughter when she left for university. That camera was stolen from her digs.
Those early happy days cemented my loyalty to the brand. I have used Pentax cameras ever since, now owning a K3, a K1, and a 645Z. Of these three, I prefer using the 645Z. These days I am mostly taking pictures of landscapes rather than babies.
I attach three photos, spread over fifty years:
The first was taken of my father-in-law, I think in 1968. The interest here is that the photo was taken with an S1A using home processed Ferraniacolor, a very slow transparency film rated at an ISO of 12. The film had to be physically reversed, which was hard work. The chemicals had a very short shelf-life once mixed, so I made up the solutions one evening and developed the film the next.
The second photo was taken with a Pentax 645 film camera with a 55mm lens, using Kodak Technical Pan, a monochrome film. That film was extremely sharp, but very tricky to develop. Streaking near the edge of the film was the problem. The subject is the setting sun over the Rhinog mountains in North Wales.
The third is of wild honeysuckle, taken with a 645Z, using a 90mm macro.
Max Clarke
August 2021

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[Not a Number]

Welcome to the Forum. I would say you are a highly skilled and talented amateur.

[ramseybuckeye]

Welcome! Those are some beautiful samples that you have shown, I'm sure that you will be a great asset to this forum.

[Mikesul]

Welcome! Those are excellent introductory photos!

[Kerrowdown]

Welcome to the forum from the Highlands of Scotland

[CedrusMacro]

Welcome, the photo of your father-in-law is wonderful, such a great tone to match his expression.

[Unregistered User 8]

Welcome from Australia, Max. I'm glad that you have started posting your images.

[microlight]

Welcome to the forum Max, from a South Welshman who’s lived in southern England for half a century.

[Sgrim]

Welcome to the forums. Awesome photos on display!

[house]

Welcome Max! Those are three very beautiful photographs.

[MarkJerling]

Welcome from New Zealand Max!

[garno]

Welcome Max!

The black and white photo is fantastic, thanks for sharing.

[GregL564]

Wonderful work spanning a lifetime of photographic tools and expertise. Thank you for sharing!

[Photos-by-Chas]

Max Clarke, amateur photographer
I am an Englishman, now living in South Wales, aged eighty-three. I took up photography as a schoolboy in 1952, and within months began developing and printing black and white films. Ten years later in 1962 my wife bought me my first Pentax, an S1, fitted with an f2.2 Auto Takumar. High quality cameras had only just appeared on the UK market because a acute shortage of foreign exchange following the second world war had demanded very strict import controls. My Pentax and lens cost £69.19.9. I must admit I would have preferred a Nikon F1, but at £120 it was almost twice the price
At the same time an older and wealthier friend bought a Zeiss Contarex fitted with an F2 Planar. That camera cost about £250 and weighed a ton! We carried out a comparison test with our lenses set at various apertures using Adox KB14 film, considered to be the sharpest film then available. I developed them in a tank which could take two films. We then enlarged the results in the same enlarger. The results were virtually identical, with my lens having a little more contrast, and the Planar having slightly more even coverage. Other friends told me that my camera, though optically good, would not last, being made from cheap materials. But to disprove the point, I have put hundreds of films through that camera, mostly taking family photos. Twenty years later I replaced it with an LX (in my opinion, the most beautiful camera Pentax has ever made) giving the S1 to a daughter when she left for university. That camera was stolen from her digs.
Those early happy days cemented my loyalty to the brand. I have used Pentax cameras ever since, now owning a K3, a K1, and a 645Z. Of these three, I prefer using the 645Z. These days I am mostly taking pictures of landscapes rather than babies.
I attach three photos, spread over fifty years:
The first was taken of my father-in-law, I think in 1968. The interest here is that the photo was taken with an S1A using home processed Ferraniacolor, a very slow transparency film rated at an ISO of 12. The film had to be physically reversed, which was hard work. The chemicals had a very short shelf-life once mixed, so I made up the solutions one evening and developed the film the next.
The second photo was taken with a Pentax 645 film camera with a 55mm lens, using Kodak Technical Pan, a monochrome film. That film was extremely sharp, but very tricky to develop. Streaking near the edge of the film was the problem. The subject is the setting sun over the Rhinog mountains in North Wales.
The third is of wild honeysuckle, taken with a 645Z, using a 90mm macro.
Max Clarke
August 2021

Welcome to the Pentax Forum, Max. That is quite a story and a great photography history. Your displayed photos are excellent. The portrait of you FIL, the pics of the clouds and the flowers are all wonderfully done. I am quite impressed by your abilities. Glad to have you here and look forward to seeing more of your work and learning from your obvious expertise.

[Michail_P]

Welcome to the community, Max! I love the cloudscape! Greetings from Greece!