Gareth Lewis' Biography
06th June 2025
In: Members' Biographies, News
This week Gareth tells us about his photographic life.
Cled has also posted a President's update on the President's Page.
Gareth Lewis – Biography
I started my photographic life trying to take photos on my dad’s camera, an Exakta RTL1000. This is a heavy mechanical camera, but it has a light meter head. Oddly it is also ambidextrous, having both left hand and right hand release, depending on whether the lens is automatic or manual aperture control.
My first camera was a Kodak using 126 film cartridges, but then I got a Halina 3000, with CDS cell built in and a linked shutter speed/aperture dial (a little like a Hasselblad). This was a 35mm camera with a decent lens, but distance selection/focussing was by guess work. It served me well on a school cruise, providing some decent images (I was 12 at the time) and in my Scouts photography badge work (which I didn’t achieve).
Move on a few years and I was working, now in my late teens, so I treated myself to an Olympus OM2-n with a Tamron 35-70 f3.5/4 lens, augmented later by their 80-210 zoom lens. I added various other lenses and an OM1 to the collection later, but after a while, when my father bought a Leicaflex, I swapped it all in (plus cash) for an almost new R4 in silver chrome - which I still have. No lenses yet, so the Adaptall mount from Tamron (for the R system) was used - I was told I had the only two in the UK at one time.
These lenses were retired soon after when I acquired a 180mm f2.8 Elmarit-R and then a 50mm f2 Summicron-R. Later I also bought 35mm, 90mm and 135mm Elmarit-R’s, all of which I still have. The 35mm and 90mm together make a fine travel set too.
I now have an R9 as well and I have been using it again recently with reasonable results, although getting a decent lab was a challenge (Photographique in Bedminster, Bristol is very good by the way). In addition to all the above I am now doing more digital work, using an X-Vario (which pushed the R9 into the background for a while) and a Panasonic GX-9, from which I’m getting reasonable results. I don’t win or even get placed in many competitions, but I like what I do and if anyone else does too, that is a bonus.
My subject matter is wide and varied - landscape, action, portrait (mostly family) and anything that grabs my fancy at the time. Eclectic and fun, but perhaps if I focussed on one subject I would improve in more subjects, who knows? The thing is, I like what I do, so why change? I doubt that I will and since I have retired now, perhaps I will how more time to practice. One can only hope."
Union Jack - Chester Cathedral
Cloisters - Chester Cathedral
Harbour View
National Waterways Museum - Ellesmere Port
Cled has also posted a President's update on the President's Page.
Gareth Lewis – Biography
I started my photographic life trying to take photos on my dad’s camera, an Exakta RTL1000. This is a heavy mechanical camera, but it has a light meter head. Oddly it is also ambidextrous, having both left hand and right hand release, depending on whether the lens is automatic or manual aperture control.
My first camera was a Kodak using 126 film cartridges, but then I got a Halina 3000, with CDS cell built in and a linked shutter speed/aperture dial (a little like a Hasselblad). This was a 35mm camera with a decent lens, but distance selection/focussing was by guess work. It served me well on a school cruise, providing some decent images (I was 12 at the time) and in my Scouts photography badge work (which I didn’t achieve).
Move on a few years and I was working, now in my late teens, so I treated myself to an Olympus OM2-n with a Tamron 35-70 f3.5/4 lens, augmented later by their 80-210 zoom lens. I added various other lenses and an OM1 to the collection later, but after a while, when my father bought a Leicaflex, I swapped it all in (plus cash) for an almost new R4 in silver chrome - which I still have. No lenses yet, so the Adaptall mount from Tamron (for the R system) was used - I was told I had the only two in the UK at one time.
These lenses were retired soon after when I acquired a 180mm f2.8 Elmarit-R and then a 50mm f2 Summicron-R. Later I also bought 35mm, 90mm and 135mm Elmarit-R’s, all of which I still have. The 35mm and 90mm together make a fine travel set too.
I now have an R9 as well and I have been using it again recently with reasonable results, although getting a decent lab was a challenge (Photographique in Bedminster, Bristol is very good by the way). In addition to all the above I am now doing more digital work, using an X-Vario (which pushed the R9 into the background for a while) and a Panasonic GX-9, from which I’m getting reasonable results. I don’t win or even get placed in many competitions, but I like what I do and if anyone else does too, that is a bonus.
My subject matter is wide and varied - landscape, action, portrait (mostly family) and anything that grabs my fancy at the time. Eclectic and fun, but perhaps if I focussed on one subject I would improve in more subjects, who knows? The thing is, I like what I do, so why change? I doubt that I will and since I have retired now, perhaps I will how more time to practice. One can only hope."
Union Jack - Chester Cathedral
Cloisters - Chester Cathedral
Harbour View
National Waterways Museum - Ellesmere Port
Comments
By Alan Humphries: Thank you Gareth for your interesting piece that brought back memories of the Tamron - Adaptall system In the 1980’s I was serving for the Leica version of the adaptor for some while before coming across one at from the Vic Ogden store at London Bridge branch. It was for use with very wide angle lens- the focal length is lost in the mists of time.
Returning to Vic Ogden when we last visited Worksop more or less opposite the Lion Hotel there was a shabby little shop with an equally shabby Vic Ogden sign.
How many member remember Vic Ogden? By Ken Davis: I remember the Vic Ogden adverts in Amateur Photographer but I don't think I ever bought anything from them. I still have some of the Tamron lenses, the 90mm macro was good and the 300 f5.6 performs quite well. I have a couple of Leica adapters, one for the R and one for the Leicaflex tho' I haven't used them on an R body for years.