Pentax Zoom90-WR
and one roll of FujiFilm Neopan ACROS 100II
eBay
Before my trip to St. Augustine, I decided to browse eBay for an old point-and-shoot film camera. It’s been years since I shot film (I sold all my film gear long ago), so I wanted something inexpensive just for fun. I remembered that Pentax made a camera that was well-regarded and weather-resistant, so I began searching for a Pentax Zoom90-WR. There were plenty of options in various conditions. Some listings even included the original box and paperwork, while others were just the camera. Then I spotted one for $20 with free shipping - a great deal that would arrive just in time for my trip. Now, my next question was, what film should I load up and shoot?
Pentax Zoom90-WR
The Pentax Zoom90-WR was first released in 1991. The autofocus camera’s lens has a focal length of 38-90mm, shutter speeds from 1/5-1/400 sec, a 10-second self-timer, support for DX-coded film cartridges, a built-in flash, a remote control, and best of all, it’s weather-sealed to protect against elements.
Once I received the camera, I checked it to make sure it was working properly. I was happy to see that the camera was working perfectly, or so I thought. I bought new batteries for the camera and remote. I replaced the old batteries with the new ones and found that the remote did not work. After experimenting with the camera and its settings, I found it to be a bit finicky. While using the zoom function, I found out it has a mind of its own, and sometimes the buttons just didn’t work. Here is a tip for eBay buyers: Make sure the listing states that the camera has been fully tested. Remember, I was looking for a great deal on the cheap.
FujiFilm Neopan ACROS 100II
Back to the question from earlier, what film should I load up and shoot? I hit up the local film lab and grabbed a roll of 36-exposure FujiFilm Neopan ACROS 100II film. This film was released by Fujifilm in 2019 as an updated version of the original Across film. The reformulated Neopan Across 100II version has a new emulsion to deliver “ultra-high image quality with world-class granularity,” and sharper highlight gradation, while preserving the original’s prized traits.
Characteristics of the film
Orthopanchromatic B&W negative film
ISO 100
Rich sharpness
Super fine-grain technology
Rich tonal range with excellent midtone representation
Versatile push processing up to ISO 800
Excellent reciprocity for low-light exposures
Incorporates Precision Iodine Distribution Control (P.I.D.C.) technology
Sold in both 35mm and 120 roll film formats
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
I had a wonderful trip to St. Augustine. I did the whole touristy thing while walking around with two cameras around my neck. When visiting St. Augustine, one of the top spots is the Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. I have always had a fascination with lighthouses, and this one did not disappoint. This post is about the Pentax and Fuji film. I will have a future post about travel photography in St. Augustine.
I had the Pentax loaded with a 36-exposure roll for a 4-day trip, planning to take about nine shots per day at the main tourist spots. These photos are from the Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. The first image shows the spiral staircase. One nice feature of the Pentax is its automatic flash, which fired for this shot. It really helped bring out the details in the stairs.
The rest of the photos were taken outdoors. You can see how contrasty the film is—shadows look clean with very little visible grain, but highlights tell a different story. In overexposed areas, like the bright sky in the sailboat landscape, the grain becomes a bit blotchy.
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
Wow, Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States. The fort was built by the Spanish over 450 years ago. This stronghold was used to defend the Atlantic trade route and its home La Florida. This place has changed hands over the years and has so much history. The Spanish left, then the British occupied, then the Spanish again, then the Americans. Today, Castillo de San Marcos is a National Monument and part of the National Park Service. Here are some photos that I took at the fort. The first photo shows what happens when you take a photo when the camera lens is fogged from being in the A/C of the car. It’s a cool effect sometimes, but not for this shot, as the fort looks soft (out of focus). The other photos are very contrasty due to the time of day. The sun was overhead and bearing down. Not many clouds in the sky.
The last two photos are from Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mosé. This replica wooden fort was part of a former Spanish occupation. The Spanish governor, at the time, established this location as a free black settlement, the first legally sanctioned area in what would become the territory of the United States.
More Images
I had good intentions of photographing more of the town and sites. I ended up only capturing two locations with a couple of shots of the historic town. After the trip, I still had some frames left. I took the Pentax on a bike ride. I finished the roll of ACROS 100II during my bike ride on the edge of the Everglades. I feel that if the photo is busy with movement, the Pentax does not know where to focus. You can see the focus is off on the images of the vultures.
Conclusion
Since my photography career started with film, it was fun to shoot film again. The Pentax is a great camera, not too small and not too bulky. The lens seems sharp, but there are other point-and-shoot cameras that have better optics. I believe this camera is not suited for landscape photography. I think the best photos come around the 10-40 foot range. It would be nice to have higher shutter speeds, too. This camera would be great for the street photographer. The person who takes their time to compose the shot.
Fuji Neopan ACROSS 100II film was great to shoot. It works best for overcast days and diffused light. The contrast is nice, with a fine-grained structure that lends an organic feel. I think it’s a great all-around film. I had my film processed and scanned at Dale Labs. This film is great for film scanning. Most of the images in this post were straight scans. I did tweak a couple of them in Lightroom just to see if I could pull out some detail in the shadows. Yes, I was able to get a little more detail with some of the dark areas.
Overall, I would recommend both the Pentax Zoom90-WR and Fujifilm Neopan ACROS 100II.
Links
If you would like to try a disposable camera before investing in a point-and-shoot or an old-school SLR, here is a link to a post I did about the Iford disposable camera. Ilford HP5 Camera
Dale Labs film processing. bestfilmdeveloping.com
Dale Labs for prints and enlargements. Dale Labs
Information about St. Augustine. Visit St. Augustine