1700s Cavanserai or Han, Eminönü District, Istanbul (Nov. 2024)

The Ottomans conquered Constantinople on May 29, 1453, after a 55-day siege. Unlike the exhausted, bankrupt (financially and politically), and demoralized Byzantine Empire, the Ottomans were energetic and militarily more sophisticated. The Ottomans already controlled the vast hinterland of Anatolia and swaths of the Middle East. To encourage trade, they built caravanserai, protected and safe trading posts, where merchants could shelter over the night or during bad weather and exchange goods. They were safe from bandits. Many semi-ruined caravanserai are still found in remote areas, attesting to trade routes. (As an aside, my dad, a hydraulic engineer, often asked where these remote outposts got drinking water. Were areas of Anatolia wetter in the Medieval period?)

Some of these caravanserai, also known as han, are in the Eminönü district of Istanbul. They were originally intended to serve as inns and trading centers, where merchants operated shops and warehoused goods. Hundreds of years later, these hans are still in use.  

Büyük Yeni Han, completed in 1764 (Leica M2, 21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss Biogon lens)

Büyük Yeni Han (note the air conditioners)

From Wikipedia:

The han' is located in the central historic market district that extends from the Grand Bazaar to the Eminönü neighbourhood on the shore of the Golden Horn. Since the founding of the first bedesten by Mehmet II in the mid-15th century, the Grand Bazaar developed into the city's main hub of international trade, spawning entire districts of shops, warehouses, and merchant lodgings. A han, a type of urban caravanserai, was a common type of commercial structure in Ottoman architecture (and more broadly in Islamic-world architecture) which served a number of functions including lodging for foreign merchants, storage for goods or merchandise, housing for artisan workshops, and offices from which to conduct dealings. A number of hans were built over the centuries in and around the Grand Bazaar district. The Büyük Yeni Han was completed in 1763 or 1764 CE (1177 AH) on the orders of Sultan Mustafa III.

A structure from the 19th century bridges across the courtyard, unfortunately blocking the grand expanse of the original rectangle han.

Entrance archway to Büyük Yeni Han (35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

I stumbled into the Büyük Yeni Han somewhat by accident. I was looking for a balcony or platform to take some pictures of the rooftops. I walked into the arch and saw some steep dark steps leading upwards. That seemed promising. Soon I was on the third level. There was even a rough but usable lavatory up there.

I love complicated rooftops like this. It is a pity that most of the modern buildings are rectangle concrete boxes.

Houses built into the side of Büyük Yeni Han

Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar is the ultimate arcade of them all. But it is so clean! The ceiling is decorated, the floors are polished, and it is well lit. And there is WiFi, and no one smokes inside. And people pay with plastic. Where is the earthy bazaar I recall from 1965?

Modern arcade in the Sultanahmet area

Well, Istanbul never ceases to provide interesting subject material. It is on my must-return list. If you have not been there, GO VISIT.

I took these photographs with Kodak Tri-X film using my Leica M2 and various lenses. Northeast Photographic in Bath, Maine developed the film in Xtol. I scanned it on a Nikon Coolscan 5000 scanner.

Not My Presidents Day Protest with Presto 400 film (Oly 19)

Last Monday, May 26, 2025, the USA celebrated Memorial Day to commemorate fallen service members. Many died in action to help maintain the federal form of government that we now enjoy. We all benefit from their ultimate sacrifices.

I thought it was appropriate to show pictures from the "Not My Presidents Day" protest that was held at the Washington State Capitol on February 27, 2025. That these people can gather and express their feeling and beliefs is a key element of our form of government. Will we be able to continue protesting in the months ahead? When will the repression start? It has already begun on some university campuses.

Read the posters and signs below and consider what they are saying. The people in individual or group portraits gave me permission to take their pictures.

The Olympia State Capitol

SNAP refers to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Oozing into Gilead

The Handmaid's Tale is a horrifying allegory of a totalitarian state (The Republic of Gilead) where white women become breeding machines for the ruling class. "The novel explores themes of powerless women in a patriarchal society, loss of female agency and individuality, suppression of reproductive rights, and the various means by which women resist and try to gain individuality and independence." (from Wikipedia).

"It Takes All of Us to Make the USA" 

Checking out Truth (Fraud) Social?

The protesters were vocal and energetic, but largely mellow. No fire bombs or torching buildings. 

I took these phortographs on discontinued Fuji Presto 400 film, the same emulsion as Neopan 400 Professional. The camera was my little Pentax MG with a 50mm ƒ/2 Pentax-A lens. My Indiana friend, Jim Grey, sent me some boxes of this superb film. Based on limited experience, I think it resembles the classic older style of Tri-X. I will write about Presto in more detail in a later article. Thanks for the film, Jim!

This is Abandoned Films no. 14 and Oly no. 19.

Eminönü in the Rain, Istanbul, Turkey (Nov. 2024)

The Eminönü neighborhood of Istanbul includes the bustling docks facing the Golden Horn, Eminönü Square, and the steep twisty streets reaching up into the heart of the Fatih District. This is historic Istanbul, occupied for 2000+ years. It is a warren of twisting steep roads dating back to who knows when, possibly the Roman era? It is so much fun to be in a place that has been occupied for centuries. 

The Golden Horn from the Eminönü district

After a week of wonderful sun, the winter rain finally came. Wet streets and drizzle, perfect for some Tri-X. We will start at the waterfront near the Egyptian (Spice) Market and work our way up the hill towards Sultanahmet. Street life is a visual delight in Istanbul. Please click any picture to enlarge it.

Hanging around near the Egyptian Market (21mm Zeiss Biogon lens)

Near the Egyptian Market (35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

Checking the shops near the Egyptian Market, Yeni Cami Cd

Fincancilar Sk, Fatih area

On the hill, Cakmakcilar Yks, Fatih

At the Grand Bazaar (at the end of the street)

Afternoon tea (or a cola??)

Chestnut vendor, Sultanahmet

Portrait at the Blue Mosque

Cemetery near Istanbul University

This ends our rewarding day in the rain and drizzle. The light is softer and the glistening alleys and streets add some interest. 

I took these photographs on Kodak Tri-X 400 film with a Leica M2 camera and 21, 35, and 50mm lenses.

Really Good Things in Small Packages: My Leica IIIG Camera

Background

The stock market behaved as every economist predicted in response to the chaotic tariff regulations. Our family assets sink with each burp of the markets. That is sure making America great again...... The popular photo blogger, Kirk Tuck, recommended folks buy any cameras they might want immediately. Hmmm.....  

I like that advice!! I suffered another bout of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and ordered a camera I have thought about for some years, the Leica IIIG rangefinder. A sale of Leica goodies at Tamarkin Camera in Chicago was too good to resist. The 'Bay lists tens of IIIGs for sale, mostly from Japan. But the Tamarkin price was a bit lower, and all his camera bodies have been checked, cleaned, and adjusted as needed.

The Leica IIIG

The IIIG is the last iteration of the famous Leica thread-mount camera line. Leica made this beauty from 1957 to 1960, with production of only about 40,000 units. Ernst Leitz GMBH had recovered from the war and was selling their top quality cameras and lenses around the world. Leitz had introduced their fantastic M3 camera in 1954, and the IIIG was their last and most sophisticated version of the older thread mount series. Unlike all the previous III models, the IIIG had a viewfinder with movable frame bars to show the coverage of a 50mm lens. It was a major improvement, although not nearly as sophisticated as the finder in the M cameras. 

Framing the scene that a lens will project on the 24×36 mm piece of film is always imprecise with viewfinder cameras. In the past, I have been frustrated with cameras that have a viewfinder only, such as my Vito BL, Kodak Retina IIa, and Leica IIIC. Depending on where I placed my eye, the frame shifted left or right. The projected frame bars in my Leica M2 and my Canonet cameras are a major improvement in aiming more accurately. Therefore, my new IIIG provides this improved function also (see, I just justified GAS). 

 

Leica IIIG viewfinder windows including small window to illuminate viewfinder frame bars

Like the older thread-mount cameras, the IIIG has two shutter speed controls. The dial on the front is for B (bulb) and 1 to 1/30 sec. The dial on the top controls 1/30 to 1/1000 sec. The self-timer is the lever on the front. 

Immaculate engraving and machining

The IIIG is somewhat of an anachronism today, being a mechanical camera that takes film and has no light meter. But it is more compact than my M2 camera, has a hand-crafted jewel-like precision, and has a fun factor that today's electronic cameras lack. And film has certainly enjoyed a revival compared to the early 2010s. Whether it lasts, I cannot predict. 

Loading contemporary film in current 35mm cassettes requires some preparation. You need to trim the film leader to have a tongue about 10cm long, similar to the way film was supplied in the 1960s. You load the film from the bottom. Lacking a back film door, the body is especially rigid.

I already had three 50mm thread-mount lenses that I used with my 1949 IIIC: 

• 1949 5 cm ƒ/2 Leitz Summitar (in the photos above)
• 1962 Soviet 50 mm ƒ/2 Jupiter-8 (a Sonnar type of lens)
• 1950s 50 mm ƒ/1.8 Canon (late production model) 

So, of course, too many camera toys....   

Note: In 1999, Leica issued their 50mm ƒ/2 modern Summicron lens in a thread-mount version. Hmmm... 

Olympic Peninsula, Washington

On a sunny and cheerful April day, my wife and I set out north into the Olympic Peninsula. I mounted my 1949 5 cm ƒ/2 Summitar lens on the body and loaded a roll of Kodak Portra 160. Leitz designed this 7-element lens before the war and continued production until 1953 or 1954. My example is coated and unscratched. I measured light with my Gossen Luna Pro digital meter, set at Exposure Index 100. Here are some examples. Please click any picture to see details.

Hunter Farm, Rte 106, Union

Fix me up, Center Road, Quilcene (1/250 ƒ/5.6)

Fixer-upper house, Center Road, Quilcene

Waiting for repair with a bit of fungus, Rte 101, Quilcene

Skeleton man on patrol, Quilcene

Also waiting for repair, Rte 101, Quilcene

Rte 101 bridge over Hamma Hamma River (1/125 ƒ/8.0½)

Motel, Rte 101, Lilliwaup (1/60 ƒ/4.0½)

Country store, Rte 101, Lilliwaup

Oh, oh, no coffee here, Rte 101, Lilliwaup

Summary

OK, I am thrilled. This  IIIG certainly passes the test. The body looks great, the finder is clear and clean, film spacing is even, and exposure is uniform across the frame (meaning the shutter curtains are running smoothly). 

The old Summitar lens is contrasty on a bright sunny day. The center of the frame is high resolution. But it has serious field curvature and is not as uniform across the frame as a modern lens. On the scale of internet display, the frames look fine. The entire package is fun to use, with a mechanical watch-like precision. 

My recommendation: Buy a Leica thread-mount camera and get back to the basics of film photography! Have fun! 

Reading

One of the best reviews of the IIIG camera is by Mike Eckman. 

Appendix - Leather Case

Genuine E. Leitz case for Leica IIIG with short or collapsing lens

Tamarkin Camera included a traditional ever-ready ("never-ready") leather case. Such cases were ubiquitous pre-1975 or so, but they fell out of favor with most photographers. I had enormous bulbous leather cases for my Nikkormat and Nikon F cameras in the 1970s. 

I stopped using cases for most 35mm cameras years ago. However, the one for my Retina IIa was useful and compact, and the square one for my Rolleiflex 3.5E adds almost no bulk. Despite the criticisms, cases can be handy because you can walk around in a rain and have your camera protected. But the camera remains easily accessible. And, you can toss it into a backpack or the floor of your car, and it will be reasonably padded. 

The case above is beautifully made of molded brown leather. And this one still has good stitching. It is a compact model with short lens snout, probably intended for collapsing lenses or a small unit like the 35mm Summaron. My Summitar fits when collapsed. 

Leitz also made taller cases that, I assume, were designed to hold the camera and a mounted selenium light meter.

Would this be handy for a bicycle outing? The leather straps are old and need to be replaced for safety, and a light meter will need to be in another pouch or a pocket. Hmmm, something to consider.