Treasure: a Real Camera Store in Carrboro, North Carolina

Southeastern Camera, Carrboro, North Carolina

For all of you film photographers, here is a treasure in Carrboro, North Carolina: Southeastern Camera. Walk in, and a visual delight of cameras, film, tripods, bags, photographic detritus, and stuff awaits you. 

Old timers like me remember when every town and city had at least one camera store. Some were well-equipped, while others mostly provided film and print processing. But regardless, you could step into one and buy film and, often, some sort of hardware. The digital tsunami of the 2000-2010 era eliminated most of these stores. Internet commerce, and especially eBay (ePrey), killed off most of the survivors. Typically, only major cities like New York or Los Angeles had enough customer base for physical camera stores to survive. 

Bodies and lenses? Just rummage and select.

Broken body for parts or repair? Just look around.

Some of these probably work

I saw a large number of classic 1970s bodies, like Pentax Spotmatics and Minoltas, in the bins. Many of these probably work but may need adjustment.

Off-brand zoom lenses. Some may be all right, but many were poor even when new.

In the 1970s and 1980s, various companies sold millions of zoom lenses, often covering 80 to 200mm in focal length. Many were mediocre optical quality. Amateurs often bought one of these in a kit along with their body, prime focal length lens from the camera manufacturer, braided banjo-style neck strap ("for comfort"), and, of course, "protection" filters for those "valuable camera lenses." The protection filter scam has lingered into the digital era. They are aimed at those rugged photographers who riding camels in the Sahara Desert or crossing the Antarctic on snowmobiles, taking pictures all the way.

Enlargers and film scanners.

In the early 2000s, photographers scrapped millions of optical darkroom enlargers. Now that are popular again. Nikon, Minolta, Hasselblad and others made film scanners in the early 2000s. They were discontinued and are now old, unreliable, and unrepairable electronic devices. The units in good operating condition sell for serious $$$s.

Film, real film!

Southeastern stocks all types of film, some of which is in a refrigerated case. I assume some of the customers are students at nearby University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. 

Sample photograph from the 35mm Leitz Summaron lens (Kodak BW400CN film)

When I stopped by in late-October, Southeastern had a beautiful little Leitz 35mm Summaron lens in thread mount for my Leica IIIC. It was $450, and I reluctantly (barely) passed. They had at least one Hasselblad, many Nikons, and a functioning Rollie 3003. I found a brand new Nikon cable release with the wide tip that fits my Leica, so I gave them some commerce. 

Summary: friendly employees and great stock. It's great to see a traditional camera store again. (Thank you SE Camera for letting me take some photographs in your store).

Optical Treasure: 1960s Jupiter-8 Lens from the Soviet Union

This will be a short review of my new/old Jupiter-8 50mm ƒ/2 lens from the Soviet Union. It was made for use on Soviet thread-mount cameras, like the FED, but uses almost the same 39mm thread as the original Leica bodies as well as most Japanese post-war rangefinder cameras.

Jupiter-8 lens mounted on my 1949-vintage Leica IIIC camera

Coated front element of Jupiter-8, probably 1962 construction (note: scratch-free and clear)

Many film photographers love the rendition from the classic Zeiss Sonnar 50mm ƒ/2 lens. Dr. Ludwig Bertele at Zeiss Ikon, the German optical giant, first formulated this lens in 1929. The name comes from the word “Sonne,” meaning Sun. Zeiss sold it with their magnificent Contax rangefinder camera in the 1930s and later. This competed with Ernst Leitz's popular Leica thread-mount cameras when equipped with their 5cm ƒ/2 Summar lens or the later 7-element ƒ/2 Summitar lens. 

After WWII, the Soviets packed up and moved remnants of the Zeiss factories, tools, machinery, glass, and technicians to the Soviet Union and painfully began to rebuild their home optical industry. They largely copied the Zeiss optical designs but made minor changes over the years and coated the glass surfaces to reduce flare. They renamed these new lenses Jupiter (ЮПИТЕР). The 50mm ƒ/2 version is the ЮПИТЕР-8. They produced these lenses from the early 1950s until about 1991, when the Soviet economy collapsed. The Jupiter-8 was the standard lens on many Zorki, FED, and Kiev cameras, which were made in the millions. The Soviet lenses had aluminum mounts instead of the superior brass/chrome mounts of the older German production. The Internet is full of detailed reviews of the Jupiter-8, so I will not repeat the same material. 

Recently, the Lomo company reintroduced the Jupiter-3, which is the 50mm ƒ/1.5 model. Note that Zeiss still sells a modern ƒ/1.5 Sonnar lens, an amazing testament to a long-lasting design (but the current lens is significantly different then the original).

Eighty years after the original design, photographers still like the way the Sonnar reveals details on film. Original 1930s and 1940s German examples are seriously expensive. As an alternative, I decided to try a Jupiter-8 and found one from a seller from Arizona. He said he bought it decades ago along with a set of Soviet thread-mount cameras. Arizona - that suggests dry and no fungus. This one was a Version 2 (design PT3060) from 1962 production (earlier is better for Soviet optics). The lens was clean and the coating almost perfect, but it was need of re-lubricating, as do almost all of these old Soviet optics; after all, they are 50+ years old. 

This lens uses a filter mount thread of 40.5mm. This was common for German lenses in the post-war era. I already had a 40.5mm Series VI filter adapter, allowing me to use my Series VI filters. Note that some Japanese lens makers used a filter diameter of 40.0mm for their ƒ/2 or ƒ/2.8 rangefinder lenses. Why did they do that? Was it to sell brand new filters and accessories to buyers of Japanese lenses? Yes, of course!

Here are some Jupiter examples around town, both when mounted on a digital camera and when used with film on my Leica IIIC camera.

Digital

I attached the Jupiter-8 to my Fuji X-E1 digital camera using a Leica thread mount-Fuji-X adapter. On all of these scenes, I set the Jupiter at ƒ/5.6 and mounted the camera on a tripod to eliminate vibration. This digital camera has an APS-size sensor, so a 50mm lens provides a field of view similar to a 75mm lens on a 35mm camera. Click any frame to expand to 1600 pixels wide.

 

Approaching storm, Kansas City Southern rail yard, Levee Street, Vicksburg (ƒ/5.6)

After the storm, Levee Street, Vicksburg

Kansas City Southern rail yard from the Yazoo Canal levee, ƒ/5.6

Washington Street view north

Pine Street cottages photographed from Belmont Street

Work shed on Yazoo Canal levee (no longer extent)

Panatomic-X Film 

I loaded Kodak Panatomic-X film in my Leica IIIC. I thought it appropriate to expose an old-fashioned film in an old camera body mounting an old lens. The package proved to be compact and convenient to use, but I do wish the Jupiter had click-stops on the aperture control. I exposed the Panatomic-X at EI=20, so most photographs required a tripod. I used a Gossen Luna Pro Digital light meter in incident mode for most measurements.

Sondheimer, Louisiana (1/10 ƒ/11.5, medium yellow filter, tripod-mounted)

1101 N. Chestnut Street, Tallulah, Louisiana (1/10 ƒ/8.0)

PoBoy Don's, LA 602 east of Tallulah, Louisiana (1/100 ƒ/4.0, hand-held)

Footbridge from Avenue B over Stouts Bayou, Vicksburg, Feb. 15, 2021 (1/10 ƒ/11.5)

Acadia Place, Vicksburg, Feb. 15, 2021

Kansas City Southern rail tracks at Maloney Circle, Vicksburg National Military Park (1 sec. ƒ/16)

Fairground Street Bridge (¼ sec ƒ8; click to see 2400 pixels)

Fuji Acros 100 Film

Old bus, Moseley Gap Road, Vicksburg (¼ sec. ƒ/16)

Ford Fairlane, Mt. Alban Road, Vicksburg (1/10 sec. ƒ/11.5)

I also finished a roll of Fuji's superb Acros 100 film with the Jupiter-8 lens. Being an ISO 100 film, it is easier to use out in the field than the slow Panatomic-X film (but the examples above are tripod-mounted). 

Kodak BW400CN Film

Tripp's Store, Mount Carmel Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Barn off Greensboro-Chapel Hill Road, Snow Camp, North Carolina (1/100 ƒ/11.5, yellow filter)

Greensboro-Chapel Hill Road, near Snow Camp, North Carolina

I have mixed feelings about Kodak BW400CN film. For these scenes, it worked well. At other times, it looks grainy and gritty. Possibly it does not age well. Regardless, I have used up my last three rolls and will not search for any more.

Comments and Summary

 

This old Jupiter-8 is a nice lens, and I like the results on both a digital camera and on black and white film. I think it sings with film. I do not see any obvious barrel or pincushion distortion, and exposure is even across the frame. At apertures wider than ƒ/5.6, this lens is quite weak, and sharpness falls off at the corners. On the scale of web pictures, the falloff is barely visible. I do not see (or do not know what to look for) the unique Sonnar rendition in these examples, but my photography friend in the UK said the special magic is at ƒ/2. This Jupiter has less field curvature then my 1949 Leitz Summitar lens. 

The Jupiter has an aluminum body, which is conveniently light weight. The finish is not up to German or Japanese standards, but at least on my sample, the numbers are perfectly legible. No issues.

Many photographers have written about focus shift with Sonnar lenses. I have not seen it yet, but have not taken close-focus photographs at wide aperture. This lens and my Summitar both focus perfectly at infinity using the same Leica-Fuji X adapter on my Fuji X-E1. Therefore, I assume that the Jupiter-8 is correctly adjusted for infinity on a Leica thread-mount camera. Close-up, it may back focus a bit, but I will need to test some more (one day in my non-spare time). UPDATE: I sent it to Mr Brian Sweeney, a Soviet lens expert in the USA, for a cleaning and adjustment for correct focus on Leica cameras.

 

I have also used one of the superb 1960s Canon 50mm ƒ/1.4 lenses. The Canon was more uniform across the field and may have displayed marginally better resolution. The mechanical construction was much better, typical Japanese excellence and precision from the 1960s. Its downside for me was the size of the overall optic. It blocked too much of my viewfinder of my little Leica, and the auxiliary 50mm finder was clumsy. 

 

In summary, the Jupiter-8 lens works well and has a nice rendition on film and digital. It is conveniently compact. When I use my little IIIC camera, I just may end up taking both the Jupiter and Summitar 50mm lenses in my camera kit.

Along the Nantahala River and US 19/74, Topton, North Carolina

Heading west through western North Carolina, you need to drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains. You can bypass the mountains entirely by driving south and taking the freeway through Atlanta. But can you think of a more dismal way to spend valuable hours of your life? Yuck.

Rugged terrain of western North Carolina (National Geographic base map from ArcGIS online)

West Oak Bed & Breakfast, Bryson City. Very friendly owners.

A much more enjoyable way to go west is to choose one of the mountain highways that pass through the Blue Ridge. One option is to stay in Bryson City (which is becoming a foodie place) and then head southwest on US Highway 19/74. Part of the route parallels the Nantahala River, which has carved a rugged valley through the mountains. It is slow going, especially in the tourist season when rafting groups load up busses and trucks for raft adventures. You pass farms, small towns, solitary houses, and some funky stuff. This looks like bubba terrain, in stark contrast to the ambience of Asheville and even Bryson City. 

Garage, 10444 US 74, Bryson City, North Carolina (Ilford Delta 100 film, Rolleiflex 3.5E Schneider Xenotar lens, green filter)

I stopped at an old-fashioned car repair/junk store on US 74 near the Wildwater Nantahala Rafting center. His "Vote for Freedom" sign emphasized • Limited Government  • Free markets  • Fiscal responsibility. How did that work out? This poor fellow was duped and scammed big time. 

Waiting to go (Ilford Delta 100 film, Rolleiflex 3.5E, 75mm ƒ/3.5 Schneider Xenotar lens)

There is some old Detroit iron in the yard, but will any of these samples ever be restored?

I did not see the proprietor or any activity at all.

Peanut store, 14305 US 19 west of Wesser (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

Unused house, US 19/74 west of Wesser (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

Here are some examples of western North Carolina rural decay. With all the tourist traffic, I am  surprised that the peanut store was closed. 

Rowlin Creek, east of Topton (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

The Nantahala makes a sharp right angle turn and heads south, while the highway continues southwest along the Rowlin Creek. This is a fast-moving tributary that flows into the Nantahala River. Several rafting companies offer raft trips on the Rowlin. 

US 19/74 view west, Topton, North Carolina

Country store, US 19/74 at Topton Road, Topton, North Carolina (Ilford Delta 100 film)

Finally, after driving through the Nantahala National Forest, you reach the hamlet of Topton. From here heading west, the valley opens up and the hills are less rugged. This poor old country store is at the corner of US 74 and Topton Road.

Bryson City rail line (Rolleiflex 3.5E, Delta 100 film, green filter)

A railroad once ran through this valley all the way from Bryson City. I do not know when it was last used. The ties were in poor condition.

 

Fixer-upper house, 24266 US 129 (also Routes 19/74), Topton

Post Office, Topton, NC

Topton has an unusual post office clad with stone facade. I assume it is local stone. The architecture was not exactly inspiring.

This ends our very short run through the Blue Ridge Mountains. I need to return and explore some more. Western North Carolina must have plenty of interesting urban decay topics.

On the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

The Blue Ridge Parkway, stretching from Cherokee, North Carolina, to Afton, Virginia, is one of the great scenic drives of the world. It winds up and down through the Smokies, passing the higher points of the mountains and bypassing most urban areas. The scenery is sublime, especially in autumn, when the leaves are a brilliant feast for the eyes.

I took most of these photographs in May of 2017 en route to The Vintage car show, held annually in the Asheville area. The weather was perfect for photography with drizzle and low clouds. I could not resist. I have warned you long-term readers before that you will gradually see more "pretty" pictures here. So, no urban decay this time, just nature. These photographs are oriented from west to east, starting a short distance east of the western terminus of the Parkway. We will proceed to a few miles northeast of Asheville.

Balsam Gap Overlook (Hassselblad 501CM camera, Fomapan 100 Classic film)

This mellow overlook is just east of Balsam Gap, through which US 74 and 23, the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway, passes.

Licklog Ridge Overlook (elev. 4602 ft; Fuji Acros film, Pentax Spotmatic camera, 135mm ƒ/3.5 SMC Takumar lens, yellow filter)

During both 2017 and 2018, the weather became more misty and wet as I ascended from Balsam Gap. Both years had perfect soft lighting with just enough contrast to sculpt the trees and lichens.

Richard Balsam Overlook, highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Nexus 4 digital file)

In 2017, by the time I reached the highest spot on the Parkway, the weather had closed in and sleet was falling. Surprisingly, my old car does very well on these hills despite its little 1800cc engine.

Fetterbush Overlook (Fomapan 100 film)

Fetterbush Overlook (elev. 5494 ft)

Pisgah Campground (elev. 4980 ft)

Pisgah Campground (elev. 4980 ft; Fomapan 100 film)

The Pisgah Campground and Pisgah Inn are on a ridge with expansive mountain and valley views to the south and north (except when it is fogged in, which may be common). I had planned to drive here and stay at the inn in 2020 en route to The Vintage, but the Covid Virus ruined our plans. The Inn and Campground are cool during the hottest summer days.

Chestnut Cove (elev 2180 ft)

Heading east towards Asheville, Chestnut Cove Overlook is down to 2180 ft elevation. 

Study in poison ivy, Walnut Cove Overlook (elev. 2200 ft; Tri-X 400 film, 80mm ƒ/2.8 Planar-CB lens, green filter)

Walnut Cove Overlook is only a few miles from Asheville. The land off the Parkway is being developed with McCabins for the wealthy set. At least the developers have not clear-cut the timber.

North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville, NC (Tri-X 400 film, Hasselblad 50mm ƒ/4 Distagon lens, green filter)

The North Carolina Arboretum is a treasure of plant diversity, with trails and waterways. It is within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest just south of Asheville and adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 393.

The Parkway passes south of Asheville before turning north and crossing I-40. In 2018, I wrote about the River Arts District of Asheville and the rural decay en route to Hot Springs. Asheville has become a serious foodie and coffee place, well worth a visit.

Green Knob Overview (80mm ƒ/2.8 Planar-CB lens)

Green Knob Overlook (elev. 4760 ft), 

Once you cross I-40, the Blue Ridge Parkway begins to twist and turn and ascend. The Green Knob Overlook is a short distance east of the turnoff for Mt. Mitchell, a worthwhile diversion. In 2017, sleet was falling up at the visitor overlook. 

Mill on Curtis Creek Road in Pisgah National Forest (Fomapan 100 film, Hasselblad 50mm ƒ/4 Distagon lens, 1/60 ƒ/4)

I took the wrong turnoff and plunged downhill on Curtis Creek Road. It was dirt and very muddy, but fortunately I did not get stuck (gravity helped; going uphill would have been impossible in my little 2-wheel-drive car). The road headed down through the Pisgah National Forest. This handsome old mill caught my eye. Finally I reached paved road and found an onramp to I-40 at Old Fort. 

Mr. Catfish John, I-40 rest area, North Carolina

I met Catfish John at the rest stop on Interstate 40. I admired his big old Chevrolet Caprice station wagon. He said he had several and restored them. I wish I had a beard like his as well as one of these wagons.

This ends our short tour on the southwestern part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a fantastic road trip, but rather slow going, especially if you encounter RVs trudging along. Summer is quite crowded, so go on one of the shoulder seasons. During mid-winter, snow forces the Park Service to close parts of the road. These are film photographs, most from 120-size Kodak Tri-X 400 and Foma Fomapan 100 Classic film.