More Industrial South Seattle (Sea 11)

 

Central South

 

Seattle from South Holgate Street, Oct. 12, 2025

(Fuji Acros II film, Sears KSX Super camera, 135mm ƒ/3.5 Pentax-M lens, orange filter)

South of Seattle's downtown is an extensive industrial area of warehouses, manufacturing, railroad yards, concrete plants and Boeing Field. Fortunately, some public streets provide some good viewpoints.

 

View north from Spokane Street between 1st and 3rd Avenues (note Smith Tower in the distance)

I took this picture from under the Spokane Street viaduct, which connects to the West Seattle Bridge. There is no sidewalk on the bridge where you can take an elevated view of the scene. I suppose I could stop my car on the viaduct and and hope that I would not be smushed. 

 

S Holgate Street view east (mind the train)

(Sears KSX Super camera, 135mm ƒ/3.5 Pentax-M lens, orange filter)

Scrap metal rail cars, S Utah Street at Denver Ave.

(Leica M2, 90mm ƒ/4 Elmar-M lens, yellow filter)

Shed, Carlton Ave S, next to Connections Museum

(50mm ƒ/1.4 Pentax-M lens)

 

  

East Marginal Way South 

 

Former UPS warehouse, 11231 Tukwila International Blvd. 

(90mm ƒ/4 Elmar-M lens) 

Aero Motel, 7240 East Marginal Way S.

(Fuji Acros II film, Leica M2, 50mm ƒ/2 Summicron-DR, yellow filter)

South Garden Street from East Marginal Way South

East Marginal Way South, view north 

Fence near Aero Motel

Track parallel to East Marginal Way South (50mm ƒ/1.4 Pentax-M lens)

This ends our quick look at the industrial area south of Seattle's downtown business district. I took most of these pictures on Fuji Acros II film with Leica M2 and Sears KSX Super cameras. 

The Sears could be a decent camera, but of three that I tried, one was broken on arrival, and two others broke quickly. They just were not robust internally, which is a real shame. The winding geartrain may have included some plastic gears. No more wasting time with these Sears consumer bodies. Surprisingly, the 50mm ƒ/1.7 lens, made by Ricoh, is excellent. It is a classic 6-element double Gauss design, with multicoating at least on the front element.

 

One of the now defunct Sears KSX cameras. 

One could keep buying these inexpensive bodies on eBay in hopes of finding one that lasts, but they waste time to load film and test. It is better to just buy a Nikkormat, Nikon F, Pentax Spotmatic, or Leica M body that you know will be reliable.