EP276: Five Rolls to Go — Konica Big mini HG BM-300 35mm f3.5 with Kodak UltraMax 400

Roll 276

Film: Kodak UltraMax 400
Developed & scanned by Li-lai Photo 2025/8/7
Camera: Konica Big mini HG BM-300 35mm f3.5

I flew to Chicago at the end of July 2025, and writing these entries has been overwhelming. Work has been incredibly busy. Counting from here, not including this one, there are still five rolls left in the Chicago series to write (up to EP281).

At some point today, I decided I just have to push through and keep writing. Otherwise, with a trip to Hokkaido coming up next year, I will only fall further behind. I do not want to keep stacking this kind of “film debt.”

#1
During our time in Chicago, we drove my brother’s car the whole time. It saved us a lot of money. Thanks, brother.

#2
An incredible steak. Both the food itself and the experience at Smith & Wollensky were unforgettable.

#3
Looking at this photo, I can almost smell the steak again.

#4
For many modern APS-C cameras, an f2.8 lens produces a depth of field roughly equivalent to f4.2 on full frame. For example, the Ricoh GR IIIx is often described as having a 40mm f2.8 lens, but in full-frame terms, it is closer to 40mm f4.2 or f4.3.

If there were a compact camera marketed as 40mm f4.2, most people probably would not be interested. But if you reverse the thinking, a 35mm f3.5 lens on a point-and-shoot translates to around f2.3 in APS-C terms, which suddenly sounds much more appealing. In practice, many 35mm f3.5 compact cameras produce very satisfying depth of field.

#5
The restaurant was located right by the river.

#6
The restroom at the restaurant. What stood out was the stack of disposable hand towels placed right on the counter.

#7
Midway through the meal, I noticed the light changing and instinctively took a photo. Film captures this kind of moment in a way that feels both beautiful and elusive, something that is difficult to recreate in post-processing.

#8
I really like this kind of deep gradient in color.

#9
The next morning, we visited a nearby fast food chain called White Castle. It is the first fast food chain in the US, founded in 1921. We went there for breakfast, which felt like a very local experience.

#10
Me, not quite used to having a sugary drink with breakfast.

#11
If I ever return to the US, I would like to have White Castle again. Their portions are small, which makes it easy to order a variety of items at once.

#12
Today, I took my son on Chicago’s city transit system.

#13
One of the things I love most about Chicago is its transit system. Every ride feels a bit like stepping into uncertainty, or perhaps, a small adventure.

#14
Road construction in Chicago feels somewhat casual, especially compared to Japan, where everything is extremely structured.

#15
We bought a Starbucks drink just to use the restroom. The staff even wrote “Cheers!” on the cup.

#16
Street percussion performances like this are something I really enjoy in the US. Locals, however, often find them too loud. While we were watching, I saw more than one person walk by covering their ears with a look of clear discomfort. It says something about the openness of American society, where people freely express how they feel.

#17
An articulated bus in Chicago. My son had been curious about it for a while, so we decided to take a ride.

#18
Chicago sits right by Lake Michigan, so the weather changes frequently. That day, we were heading to the city’s tallest building, the Willis Tower, the fourth tallest in the world. The visibility did not look promising. The building has 108 floors and was completed in 1973.