The Konica® Hexar AF became my new favorite camera after the first roll. Everything about it makes it a pleasurable shooting experience and I figured I might as well buy a few accessories since I know it’ll be in my permanent collection. First, I had a custom leather black on black half-case made by a wonderful artisan in Japan. It took about a month and a half but the outcome is truly a thing of beauty. Next, the good people over at Peak Design® was kind enough to send me a quick-release Slide strap. I then added a 46mm-49mm lens adapter to fit a bunch of old Japanese made filters that I ordered including my favorite, a black pro-mist (when buying filters be sure to purchase superior glass that won’t dilute the quality of your lens). I honestly think this camera could single-handedly take on the tasks of pretty much every 35mm film camera that I own. It’s super versatile and produces photos that never seem to disappoint. The only other camera that I’ve been using is a T4 when I need something small to throw in my bag. Which then makes me question why I’m hoarding so many other cameras that seem to sit in a cabinet all day. 

-Danny

We haven’t eaten “dirty” in a few months so we decided it was time for a treat. We stopped by Pizza Cookery which is a quant little spot that the gal and her parents used to frequent during her childhood. Walking in was like stepping into a time capsule embodied with a full wood treatment anchoring the atmosphere, fairy lights dangling, tchotchke’s adorned on the walls, saw-dust on the floors and ice in the mens urinals (I never understood this method but its always fun to watch it melt). The decor was warm, welcoming and filled with love as if you were visiting your Nona’s house for a Sunday supper.  The vegan gluten-free pizza and pasta was quite delicious but honestly, my mouth was salivating as the real deal authentic traditional dishes were walking past us. Sometimes being a vegan is tough when you remember just how delicious certain homemade food is, but nevertheless, we left with our bellies full and smiles on our faces. Thank you to the extremely kind staff at Pizza Cookery for being so welcoming.

-Danny

As someone who enjoys running and being active while pursing creativity and embodying a vegan diet, I have found that it’s absolutely essential to take daily supplements to keep me functioning at peak performance. I really wish someone would have told me years ago how important a chemical and nutritional balance is when trying to live a life that enables me to navigate clear minded and full of energy. We were designed to build, assembled to move and use our bodies. We were created to create. It’s vital to unblock any resistance that doesn’t allow us to do our obligations.

-Danny 

I feel like every few months I have a new epiphany or a realization that I grew out of what I created here at Steezy Studios. When I reflect on how it all started and how in love I was with photography, it somewhat puts me in a state of grieving because I’m no longer the person that I was when I started this project. I’ve grown up and expanded. My new pursuits don’t align with what this site/project once was. The audience came for wild nights, naked models and a person behind the lens that was okay with living life on the edge if it produced self-indulgent content. Sometimes I joke and say, “Trying to feed my current audience the positive, conscious minded subject matter that I want to inject into society now is like trying to preach the bible to a room full of atheists”. 

So where does that leave me, or shall I say where does that position this website? Well, I know that this isn’t the place to try to endocrine the comprehensive state of wellbeing that I’m currently in. It’s not on brand and you, the audience, came here purely for photography, which has lead me to a fork in the road because I don’t know if I identify with being a photographer any longer. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love photography and will make photos for the rest of my life but it isn’t at the forefront of who I am or what I wish to pursue. To say I am a thing that doesn’t fully fulfill me any longer would be a disservice to a discipline that I have a tremendous amount of love and respect for.

Do I re-work this site and shape it to mold my viewpoints or do I completely start over with a new brand, new idea, new place for spiritual and creative growth? That’s what I’ve been grappling with for the past two years. I feel like I’m in an unfulfilling relationship but its hard to leave because I’ve spent over a decade here and I still feel a sense of comfort in the discomfort. When life was hard, bad, sad or chaotic, photography and this website was always here for me to vent to. For me to shed my tears with and for me to pour all of my aspirations into. This project has saved my life more times than I wish to express. It was, and somewhat will always be, my baby.

What do I do? That my friends, is my current battle.

-Danny

The Dubblefilm® Show plastic camera is a recent expression of a nod to an industrial marvel, the disposable camera. The Show is a reloadable 35mm film camera that has all of the characteristics that people adore about the old disposables but is completely reloadable with a fun blog worthy color-palette. 

Available here

We added a small batch of high quality compact shooters to the SSCC. These are guaranteed to help you capture special moments.

Available here

Let me begin by stating that this is in no way an extensive review or a microscopic breakdown of the camera specs. I simply wanted to share my immediate viewpoints on the comparisons between the Contax® RTS III and the 167MT for those who happen to be curious or are undecided on which one to buy, just as I once was.

The first noticeable thing to mention is the size difference. The RTS III has more weight and body mass which feels a lot more heavy-duty or “professional” in your hands. The added dimensions add comfort when shooting and is ergonomically more responsive. If you have smaller hands or don’t like holding hefty cameras for long shooting durations, I would opt for the 167MT. The RTS III added weight also accounts for the newly implemented settings (dials) which I wish Contax® would have kept simplified with the LCD and slider-switch system that the 167MT embodies. For me, the LCD slider combo is super easy and fast once you get the hang of it. You can responsively adjust your shutter speed through the viewfinder and it becomes second-nature to adjust speeds to accommodate the built-in light meter without ever having to take your eye away from the camera. This approach comes in clutch when you’re trying to capture a frame on the fly. Speaking of the built-in light meter, I also prefer the 167MT’s easy to use arrow style metering system. Perhaps I’m just not technically inclined but the RTS III meter isn’t nearly as simplified when it comes to shooting in real-world scenarios. Life moves fast and I like my cameras to be able to keep up. I also wish they would have kept the LCD as it was because I like being able to look at the top of my camera and have all of my settings displayed digitally rather than having to spot where the needle is pointed on the dials like I have to do with the RTS III. This isn’t a huge problem since you can see the digital read-out when your eye is to the viewfinder.

As for the build, in my opinion, the RTS III blows the 167MT out of the water. Mechanically it feels like a much more superior machine with added vertical and horizontal (landscape and portrait) shutter buttons. The viewfinder has been proficiently upgraded to adequately accommodate my poor eyesight when compared to the lackluster eyeglass of the 167MT. A lot of my frames would tend to come out soft since the viewfinder was hard for me to nail focus through, especially when I would forget my eyeglasses. Now with the new big bright viewfinder its like having floor-to-ceiling windows in your home. You can clearly see all of the beauty that stands before you. Contax® also added an appealing rear privacy curtain to help prevent the undesirable dust that tents to party-crash its way into the finder. 

I can honestly say the RTS III performs elegantly yet ferocious like that of a luxury sports car. I believe that’s what the Porsche® design team had in mind when they implemented their automotive disciplines and applied them to a machine that could equally transpire experiences into thrills and turn them into small desirable fractions of happiness.

-Danny

Our new collection of point and shoots just got added to the Camera Club. 

Happy shooting! 

This is the first of the almighty T series cameras that Kyocera®/Yashica® produced in the mid 80’s that features a meritorious Carl Zeiss® Tessar lens. The camera design runs parallel with what was being mass produced at the time but ahead of the curve when it comes to function and form. Chunky just like your favorite dad sneakers but not nearly as comfy. Let’s face it, contemporarily speaking, this machine wasn’t built for comfort, it was designed to produce sharp contrasty images that would later evolve into the gold standard for any fashion editorial that resonated with the counter-culture youth. 

I never had any desire to own this particular camera but it just so happened that it came in a packaged deal from my guy in Japan. I figured why not take it for a spin and to see how she handles. The first thing that I noticed was just how clunky the plastic body felt. I realize the technology that was being initiated was not nearly where it is now and that there was a limit to how small parts could be produced. I mean, it really shows how much industrial design has evolved and championed over the years. Nowadays we carry a device in our pocket that serves as a mobile office, chauffeur, life coach, chef service, matchmaker, movie production, photography studio and a full blown mass-publication outlet. Honestly, if my phone knew how to scratch my back at night I think I would have spent the rest of my days in self-isolation way before the pandemic. 

Anyway, the camera, back to the camera. Aside from the chunky frame and the AA batteries only lasting for a few days due to the aged circuitboards, I’d say it’s a pretty good point and shoot that renders noteworthy results. It’s definitely not a dependable first choice if this is going to be used as your primary point and shoot due to its nearly forty year lifespan. Quite frankly I found it to be a bit irritating when I would frame a good shot only to find the shutter unresponsive. My advice, if you come across one for a reasonable price, jump on it but always pack fresh batteries. 

-Danny

The Revue® Slim Shot 2 Date is one of those obscure cameras that you can’t find very much information on and almost never see pop up for sale. In fact, from what I’ve gathered, not very many people are even aware of it’s existence. Like most of my camera consumption, this one too was discovered by chance and immediately purchased purely for its exterior characteristics. I liked how compact it is, the clamshell design and the no frills point and shoot approach. Not sure if the camera could produce a usable image, I purchased it and had it shipped over from the UK.

Upon receiving it I quickly became enthusiastic about shooting a roll though it but wasn’t too keen on the auto-flash feature that most compacts were equipped with from this era. Perhaps I’m vacuous but no matter what I tried, the flash fired under all conditions including bright daylight (I even tried to block the sensor). Aside from the uncontrollable light bursts, the camera was really fun to use and for someone who loves the vintage snapshot vibe, this would be a great little snapper to tote around. As for me; I like it, I want to love it, but I don’t think we’ll ever get there. Sometimes you have to let go so the right one can find you.

I also shot these photos with it.

-Danny