Roll #254
Film: Ilford Delta 400 Professional
Developed & scanned: Li-lai Photo, 2025/4/24
Camera: Olympus Pen-F original (1963)
Lenses:
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 70mm f2
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It's been nearly a month since I injured my right hand practicing BMX (the injury happened on May 15, 2025). Over this past month, I've been incredibly grateful for my wife. She's taken over everything — dropping off and picking up our son, hanging laundry, taking out the trash, doing the dishes, buying food, cooking. Everything you can think of, she's handled. I'm genuinely lucky to have her as my partner in this, and I feel it deeply.
Despite the injury, I kept working without interruption. Things were slower, of course — operating a computer one-handed takes more time — so I had to put in longer hours to make sure every web design project was delivered on schedule. Three days after the injury, I was already out the door for a client meeting that had been arranged before I got hurt. The client was understandably startled when they saw my hand, but I insisted on showing up. Partly because I take reliability seriously, and partly because I wanted the client to know that a setback like this wasn't going to affect the work. I believe most problems have a workaround if you look for one.
So I found workarounds. I bought a vertical mouse (the Elecom Relacon) and switched to voice input for typing — that got me through the worst of the early days. Since I couldn't ride or drive, my wife drove me from Banqiao all the way to Fengyuan for a client visit — there and back in one day. With my usual transport options gone, I also started taking the bus and discovered that most places are actually reachable on foot and public transit. It just costs time instead of convenience. But I didn't have a choice — I wasn't about to spend money on Uber or taxis. This year I've been living noticeably leaner than usual, and film photography spending in particular has dropped sharply.
When I first got into film cameras in the second half of 2022 (the EP1 post went up on June 17, 2022), I spent roughly 500,000 NTD on film gear in under six months. In 2023, the full-year total came to 635,000 NTD. By 2024, most of what I wanted was already in my hands, so it dropped to 235,000 NTD. This year, through June, I've spent 40,000 NTD.
Last night the algorithm served me a new video from the film veteran 囤積 AG, where he talked about how hunting for old cameras is fundamentally about chasing the feeling of getting something extraordinary for almost nothing. That hit close to home. I think that's exactly what pulled me in — the process of tracking down these old pieces of equipment is genuinely fun and challenging. It's like a real-world puzzle game. Or a gambling game, depending on how you look at it.
Good thing I've come back to my senses. What I need to do now is work harder and make up for the time I spent going off the rails.
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#1
My first time pairing the Olympus Pen-F half-frame system with Ilford Delta 400 Professional — and not even slightly disappointed. The tonal range and grain rendering are both exactly what I'd hoped for.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/30, f4)
#2
One detail about Li-lai Photo I really respect: they sleeve every roll — 135 and 120 alike — in Print File archival sleeves. That's not a given.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/30, f4)
#3
Going through photos in Lightroom when I came across a shot of my son — I love the frozen-in-time feeling of it.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/30, f4)
#4
As a regular person, my philosophy is simple: when you're feeling down, eat something. Three egg crepes for breakfast today. That was exactly the right call.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/60, f4)
#5
The egg crepes themselves. The smell really doesn't translate through a photo.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/30, f4)
#6
Heading to Kao Sheng in Neihu to pick up a lens that had been repaired three times — an Olympus OM Zuiko 35mm f2.8 with a faulty focus ring. Master Lo had it fixed, but when I tested it in-store on the first pickup, infinity focus was slightly off, so I sent it back. Kao Sheng has been my go-to repair shop since I got into film. Genuinely grateful for Master Lo's expertise.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/125, f16)
#7
Passing through Minquan W. Rd. MRT station on the way to Neihu. Nothing special about this shot — but this is what Taipei looks like day to day, and in thirty years, that'll make it something worth looking at.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/250, f16)
#8
This one was shot at +1.5 EV. Delta 400's highlight latitude isn't quite as forgiving as HP5 Plus, but its shadow latitude is exceptional — among the best of any black and white film I've used. The reason I chose Delta 400 for the Pen-F was the 25mm f4's small maximum aperture — I was worried about low-light performance, so I went with the faster film. That way I can comfortably hand-hold at 1/30 when the light gets thin. This shot was from the saddle of my mom's scooter.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/250, f4)
#9
Evidence of a roadside accident. When a Gogoro gets damaged badly enough, writing it off is usually faster than repairing it.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/500, f8)
#10
20 minutes of jump rope, 1,000 jumps. Completely drenched.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/60, f2.8)
#11
Documenting the calorie burn from 1,000 jumps.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/60, f2.8)
#12
40 minutes, 2,200 jumps. My heart rate hit 146 BPM and that was the ceiling for me. Though when I'm climbing hills on the road bike, I've seen it go up to 186. That's a different kind of suffering.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/60, f2.8)
#13
A friend from Nantou showed me a trick: hold your phone's front camera up to the viewfinder and your screen becomes a live view of what the camera sees. Used that today to take a self-portrait with the Pen-F. The softness is actually kind of beautiful.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/125, f1.8)
#14
I never looked up what the film title 器子 means, but it's been stuck in my head ever since I saw it.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 70mm f2 (1/250, f2)
#15
Most people only know Ming typefaces from Microsoft Word, where they tend to look clunky — but that's Word's fault, not the typeface's. Set Ming in Illustrator with proper tracking and the right imagery alongside it, and it becomes something else entirely. The font on this movie poster isn't Ming, but it's in the same serif family. Typography is something I genuinely love — the whole discipline of it.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 70mm f2 (1/125, f2)
#16
Don't underestimate the Pen F 25mm f4. It's the lightest 35mm-equivalent lens in the entire Pen-F system at just 120 grams, and it focuses down to 25cm. A 35mm equivalent can handle pretty much any subject, and the close focus makes it even more versatile. This one happens to be a self-portrait.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/60, f4)
#17
My son's class had an indigenous culture day, and we were making bamboo rice. The woman sawing bamboo is my wife. The boy steadying it beside her is my son.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/125, f4)
#18
My son's turn with the saw. Lucky we'd done some woodworking at home before — he already knew how to handle one.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/125, f4)
#19
Once the bamboo is cut, you pack in the uncooked rice. Every step has its own little logic to it — I found the whole process genuinely fun.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/60, f4)
#20
The Pen-F system only has two 35mm-equivalent lens options: the 25mm f2.8 and the 25mm f4. When I used the f2.8, I never felt a strong need for that extra stop — at a 35mm equivalent, you tend to want depth of field anyway, and the Pen-F's top shutter speed is only 1/500, so staying wide open risks overexposure. Under those conditions, the f4 is actually more practical — and it's lighter and smaller too. The 25mm f4 is the second lightest lens in the whole Pen-F system at 120g, just behind the 38mm f2.8 pancake at 70g. But the pancake only focuses down to 80cm, while the f4 goes to 25cm. No contest.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/500, f4)
#21
Even wide open at f4, the 25mm still produces a nice sense of depth at mid-range — you get sharp and soft elements in the same frame, which makes the subject read clearly. Here we're checking out a traditional Atayal hunting trap — the kind used to catch bamboo partridges.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/60, f4)
#22
Mid-session, I spotted what looked like a Taipei tree frog nearby — that saturated, almost neon green. The one moment I wished I hadn't loaded black and white. "Why not just use your phone?" Fair point. But getting a shot on film and getting a shot on your phone are two completely different feelings.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/60, f4)
#23
A slingshot activity. Slingshots are genuinely cool — and surprisingly dangerous — little weapons.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/60, f4)
#24
Archery was even more fun — so much fun I forgot to take photos.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/500, f4)
#25
The f4 maximum aperture actually works in your favor for close-up shots — it keeps you honest about stopping down. Turning a limitation into an asset. I really like the layered rendering here, with the stamen in sharp focus.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 25mm f4 (1/250, f4)
#26
My first time shooting black and white with the Pen-F 70mm f2 — no complaints whatsoever. f2 handles night shooting easily without a tripod. And I'm starting to think the half-frame format allows for a slightly more lenient safe shutter speed than you'd expect. The 70mm is a 100mm equivalent, which would normally call for at least 1/125 — but I pulled this off at 1/60. Maybe my hands have just gotten steadier.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 70mm f2 (1/60, f2)
#27
I'm sure anyone who knows cars can ID the make from a single tail light. That must be its own kind of fun.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 70mm f2 (1/60, f2)
#28
The BMX park where my son trains.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/60, f1.8)
#29
My son, mid-practice.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/60, f1.8)
#30
We've put BMX on hold while my hand heals — both of us. When I'm back, it'll probably just be me going solo. But taking classes together with my son while it lasted was genuinely one of the highlights of this year. I grew up loving bikes, and watching him love it too means a lot.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/60, f1.8)
#31
A cat — always worth featuring. This one belongs to our BMX coach. Look closely at the rendering at f1.8 wide open — the layering is remarkable. This is what the Pen-F system is about: pushing the half-frame format to its absolute limit, in a way that's never been done before or since.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/60, f1.8)
#32
Also at f1.8 wide open. You can almost feel the fur.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/60, f1.8)
#33
Every BMX class means driving from Taipei to Taichung and back in a day. We commit.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/125, f16)
#34
My wife driving today. Stopped down to f2.8, the 38mm f1.8 hits a sweet spot where sharpness and depth of field find a new balance — I'd believe you if you told me this was shot on full-frame 135.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/500, f2.8)
#35
Maintain a safe following distance on the highway. Please. Always.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/500, f8)
#36
A Hongludi temple charm, roughly as old as the car it hangs in.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/500, f2.8)
#37
My six-year-old's constant companion — a guinea pig stuffed animal.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/500, f2.8)
#38
Our Nissan Kicks with the rear seats folded 60/40 flat — fits two BMX bikes, one adult size and one kid's, no roof rack needed.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 38mm f1.8 (1/500, f2.8)
#39
Took my son to the park to shoot slingshots — we were competing to see who could shoot farther out over the lake. I pulled back too hard and broke mine. After that it was just him shooting while I retrieved the ammo.
Olympus Pen F Zuiko 70mm f2 (1/250, f2.8)
That's the full roll — Olympus Pen-F original (1963) with Ilford Delta 400 Professional. Thanks for reading.
