A Real Camera Store in Troy, New York

 

The Troy Photo Center

It's a museum, it's Aladdin's cave, it's a junk yard, it's Photo Center of Troy, New York. What a treasure trove. The helpful employee found some 48mm filters for my Canonet camera. Nikon Nick is an encyclopedia of photo stuff. 

The Leicas in a glass case were rough (user grade), and I did not have time to look at the lenses. And I saw some Rolleiflexes. Regardless, I do not need any more photo equipment (right??).

Nikon Nick compiling his archives

Want a clock or a naked Greek statue?

ET is at the camera store?

Is that Ulysses S. Grant wearing a fedora?

Photo Center would be a fun place to explore at leisure and talk to Nikon Nick. For more information:

Telephone: +1 518 - 273 - 0100

E-mail: info@photocentertroy.org

Address: 404 River St Troy, NY 12180-2821

 

Bonus: Carrboro, North Carolina 

 

Southeastern Camera in Carrboro, North Carolina, is another great store with bins of equipment. The best equipment is in the glass cases; the rougher stuff in tubs. They have medium format equipment and Leica lenses.

 

Bonus No. 2: Bergen, Norway

 

My sister sent me these frames of a film-oriented camera store in Bergen. Yes, enthusiastic Norwegians support film!

 

 

More Industrial South Seattle (Sea 11)

Short Note. Today is July 4, 2026. Happy 250th to all you readers. I remember the Bicentennial celebrations, which were for all Americans. We saw the Tall Ships in Providence, Rhode Island, and in Boston Harbor. Good times. They seem so long ago. Dear Readers, please stay optimistic and hopeful.

 

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.  

Industrial Cities in Wisconsin: Janesville

 

Janesville is a city in south central Wisconsin, the county seat of Rock County. For much of the 20th century, General Motors operated a factory in Janesville, but many people remember the city as being the home of Parker Pens. Parker's excellent fountain pens were popular through much of the 20th century and sold as a prestige product internationally. Sadly, the Parker factory closed in 2009, and the current corporate owner operates a pen factory in France.

 

Railroad bridges over the Rock River near Anglers Park

(30mm ƒ/10 Kodak lens on Leica M mount)

Janesville was built on both sides of the Rock River. At one time, the river must have been lined with industries and worker housing. Many of the buildings remain, and some or most appear to be occupied. 

 

River side (rear) of apartment facing N. Main Street 

River side of N. Main Street commercial buildings

N. Main Street apartments

Main Street is on the east side of the Rock River. Many turn of the century commercial buildings are clustered between W. Court Street and W. Centerway. Parking lots show where older buildings were demolished. 

Walk uphill on St. Lawrence Avenue, and you find gracious late-1800s homes. Look at the extravagant woodwork. 

 

404 St. Lawrence Avenue

418 St. Lawrence Avenue

\

500 E. Court Street 

69 S. Atwood Avenue

Magnificent homes, but I am glad I am not responsible for their maintenance. 

This ends our short look at Janesville, Wisconsin. There is so much more to explore in that state.

I took these photographs on Fuji Acros film with my 1950 Leica IIIC camera and a 5 cm ƒ/2 Summitar lens. One photo was with a 30mm Kodak lens adapted from a disposable camera. The light was soft and low contrast on this day. 

Looking for Grunge in Olympia, Washington (Oly 28)

Near the Thurston County Food Bank, Thurston Avenue, December 2025

I like to wander around looking for urban (and rural) decay and the detritus of our modern consumer society. Olympia, Washington, is not as rich with subjects as Jackson, Mississippi, or other southern cities, but one can find material here. 

Olympia Downtown

 

Unused tracks and view of Thurston County Food Bank
(Hasselblad 501CM camera, 250mm ƒ/5.6 Sonnar lens)

No camping on Chestnut Street, but some swine left a bag of trash.

Black cat and mold

Parking lot off Columbia Street NW

Parking lot off Columbia Street NW

(Ilford XP2 film, Pentax 28mm ƒ/3.5 shift lens, yellow filter)

4th Avenue near Plum Street

 

West Bay 

 

West Bay Drive passes along unused former industrial land. There is one city park and unused flat terrain once occupied by Hardel plywood and Reliable Steel.  

 

Former Reliable Steel shed, 1218 West Bay Drive

(Fuji Acros II film, 35mm ƒ/2.8 Pentax-A lens)

Free office chair

"Pacific Titan" crane barge moored at Port of Olympia

(Fuji Acros II film, Pentax MX camera, 50mm ƒ/1.4 Pentax-M lens) 

Tumwater

 

Cars painted here?

Former Olympia Brewery 

(Kodak T400CN film, Pentax MG, 35mm ƒ/2.8 Pentax-A lens, med yellow filter)

 

This is the former Olympia Brewery ("It's the Water"). Year after year, these ugly tan buildings molder away in the Deschutes River valley. They are an eyesore. Who will ever use these buildings again?

 

Skokumchuck

 

When I bike on the Chehalis Western trail, I often stop at the Monarch Sculpture Park for a rest and drink. Immediately north of the park, railroad tracks end in the woods. For months, these petroleum tank cars loomed over the bike trail. 

I took these photographs with Kodak Panatomic-X (120 size), Kodak T400CN, Ilford XP2, and Fuji Acros II films using Leica, Pentax, and Hasselblad cameras. 

Autumn in Olympia (Oly 27)

 

It is spring of 2026 in Olympia, and an amazing profusion of flowers and leaves are bursting forth. What a spectacular display of nature. But wait, how did winter zip by so quickly? And what about autumn? I did wander around in November and December of 2025. Therefore, Dear Readers, this time I will impose on you some "pretty" pictures. Enjoy the colors and patterns. 

 

Olympia

  

Percival Landing, Nov. 11, 2025

Rail line under Interstate 5, off Henderson Park Lane, Nov. 15, 2025 

(Zeiss Ikon ZM, 21mm ƒ/4,5 Zeiss Biogon-C lens)

View SW towards tunnel under Capitol Blvd. SE (90 mm ƒ/4 Elmar-M lens)

Along the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail (21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss Biogon-C lens)

Sunset from my balcony, East Bay Drive NE (50mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

Former Reliable Steel shed, West Bay Drive (21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss Biogon-C lens)

Skeleton man on watch duty, Bethel Street (Leica M2, 35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

  

Tumwater

 

Capitol Blvd. SE (historic Route 99), view north (50mm Summicron lens) 

Former Olympia Beer brewery (50mm ƒ/2 Jupiter-8 lens at ƒ/8)

 

The buildings that formerly housed the Olympia Beer ("It's the Water") brewery remain unused, an eyesore. The grounds are patrolled by a security guard. He and I wave to each other when I set up my tripod on the Capitol Blvd. bridge.

 

Seattle

 

Shed next to Connections Museum, Corson Avenue, Seattle

East Marginal Way South, view south (50mm Summicron lens)

In autumn, even East Marginal Way does not look too bad. Cancel that; it still looks very industrial and grungy.

I took these pictures with Kodak Ektar 100 film exposed at EI=80 using my Zeiss Ikon ZM camera with various lenses. The view of the Olympia brewery was with my 1962 50mm ƒ/2 Jupiter-8 lens from the Soviet Union. This is a Sonnar type of optic that is usually acclaimed as a portrait lens because of its pleasing signature. But stopped down to ƒ/5.6 or ƒ/8, my copy does exceptionally well with distant subjects.  

Northeast Photographic in Bath, Maine, developed the film and scanned it with a Noritsu system. The Noritsu colors tend to look very warm, and I adjusted color with Photoshop Elements 2024.

 

Zeiss Ikon ZM rangefinder camera with 21mm ƒ/4.5 C-Biogon ZM lens