My better half…

In praise of half-frame film cameras…

Shot on Konica Auto-rex in Half-Frame mode. © Tim Gallo.

I don’t remember how I got my first half-frame camera. But I remember it cured my fear towards the street and snap photography.

Back in the day, whenever I finished a roll of 35mm film with my newly bought rangefinder I had a sweet premonition that this — this finished roll of film is the one that is going to baptize me in the league of revered street photographers. And whenever I took the prints back from the lab — I was crushed with disappointment and a voice that I waste film was becoming louder and louder in my head.

I had no more money to spend on my struggles.

Eventually, I found myself pointing a camera and not pushing the shutter button. Soon my bought-for-snap-camera started collecting dust on the shelf. Anyway, I was more into portrait photography I excused myself, and that was that. But the itch was always there.

Then I bought one by mistake. It was this beauty (not exactly this one, since its my 5th)… Canon Demi EE17, with 30mm 1.7 lens.

My glorious Canon Demi EE17. Re-painted(with marker), re-skinned (with tape), finder replaced from a newer model. with custom Gariz strap.

Now I had 72 frames!