{"id":49078,"date":"2025-01-25T23:31:30","date_gmt":"2025-01-25T15:31:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/blog\/49078"},"modified":"2026-04-12T21:12:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T13:12:13","slug":"%e7%ac%ac-242-%e5%8d%b7%e5%ba%95%e7%89%87%ef%bc%9a%e7%86%b1%e6%83%85%e5%85%88%e6%b1%ba%ef%bd%9colympus-o-product-35mm-f3-5-%e8%88%87-ilford-delta-400-professional-%e9%bb%91%e7%99%bd%e5%ba%95%e7%89%87","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/blog\/49078","title":{"rendered":"EP242: Passion First \u2014 Olympus O-Product 35mm f3.5 with Ilford Delta 400 Professional"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\nRoll #242 \u2014 Sun Moon Lake in black and white<\/p>\n

Film: Ilford Delta 400 Professional
\nDeveloped & scanned: Li-lai Photo, 2025\/1\/16
\nCamera: Olympus O-Product 35mm f3.5<\/p>\n

Sponsored by Mr. Chen from Nantou.<\/p>\n

-<\/p>\n

For a long stretch of time \u2014 years, actually \u2014 this blog went by a different name: Passion First. I came up with it when I was just starting out in the working world. Fresh out of school, landed the job I'd been dreaming of, full of ambition and ready to prove myself. What I didn't realize was how many problems I'd brought along: an inflated sense of my own abilities, rigid thinking, a tendency to get stuck in my own head. I ran into setback after setback at work. So I started writing \u2014 a blog to document where I was, because I found that the act of writing helped me work things out, or at least let things go. It gave me enough to come back the next morning.<\/p>\n

From that point on, most of what I wrote became a kind of diary. I've always liked that \u2014 writing as a way to settle the mind. That's what these film posts do for me too. Before I started shooting film, my daily life felt scattered and fragmented. Things happened, but nothing felt quite worth writing about.<\/p>\n

Once I started carrying a camera, that changed. I don't shoot with any particular agenda \u2014 I just bring the camera along and photograph whatever seems worth capturing in the moment. A lot of frames are from waiting at red lights on the scooter, just marking where I was headed. Others are my son, because kids only become more independent over time, and the window for this kind of documentation is closing.<\/p>\n

A few rolls in, I realized this way of observing my own life worked for me. Could you get the same effect with a digital camera or phone? Not for me \u2014 I need the forced stopping point. Without the physical frame limit of film, I wouldn't know when to pause, look back, and write.<\/p>\n

That's how \"The Film Effect On Me\" came to be: a record of what's happening in my life, filtered through these rolls of film. It's diary, opinion, and personal values all in one. The good and the less good. I've thought about going back and editing out some of the more contentious things I've written over the years \u2014 plenty of it is unconventional \u2014 but reviewing 200-plus posts, each with multiple captioned photos, adds up to something like five thousand captions. That's enough to keep me frozen in place.<\/p>\n

Do I actually need to revise my own diary? I'll keep writing and keep thinking about it.<\/p>\n

The camera on this roll, the Olympus O-Product 35mm f3.5, was lent to me by one of the most valued friends I have \u2014 probably the person who understands my film photography the best. I've told my wife: if anything ever happens to me and she doesn't know what the gear in the dry cabinet is worth, ask him.<\/p>\n

-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#1
\nWhen I took this photo, my son and I were happily practicing BMX together. By the time I sat down to write the caption, I'd already injured my wrist and wouldn't be riding again for a while. Life moves fast.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#2
\nWhen something urgent comes up for a client while I'm out, I find a place to sit, open the laptop, and get to work.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#3
\nThe neighbor's cat. Every time I crouch down, it walks over. I still can't remember its name \u2014 that's on me.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#4
\nThe Olympus O-Product is one of those cameras that turns heads the moment it comes out of the bag \u2014 even from people who know nothing about film. The design is singular, unlike anything before or after it. It perfectly captures Olympus's instinct for going against the grain, and I think that's a big part of why I love this brand as much as I do.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#5
\nDriving down to Nantou to ring in the New Year \u2014 stopped at a rest stop along the way to eat.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#6
\nOn the road to Nantou.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#7
\nThe Olympus O-Product's shutter range is 1\/45 to 1\/400, with apertures from f3.5 to f9. At the minimum exposure combination of f9 and 1\/400, there's some risk of overexposure. For outdoor daylight use, I'd recommend a film with strong highlight latitude. First choice: Ilford HP5 Plus 400. If you've worn that one out, Kodak T-Max 400 is a solid second. Both handle overexposure well, though personally I find HP5 a touch more forgiving in the shadows too.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#8
\nJust arrived in Nantou \u2014 first stop, Sun Moon Lake.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#9
\nOn the boat.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#10
\nA boat in the distance.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#11
\nHonestly, I prefer the vertical framing from the previous shot. This landscape version is here because I needed a cover image for the post.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#12
\nI loaded Ilford Delta 400 Professional in the O-Product \u2014 a film that handles underexposure well but struggles with overexposure. Worth keeping in mind given the camera's limited aperture range.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#13
\nMy son and me \u2014 my wife took this one. This is exactly where a point-and-shoot earns its keep: autofocus, no fuss.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#14
\nAfter the boat, we went kayaking. This was right after finishing \u2014 fun, actually.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#15
\nThe paddle design drips water down your arms with every stroke, so by the end my son and I were both soaked \u2014 pants, socks, shoes, everything. We nearly got cold enough to be a real problem. If the staff had warned us beforehand, the whole experience would have been better. But they probably know that if people knew, no one would go.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#16
\nBack on the boat, leaving Sun Moon Lake, heading to our guesthouse in Puli.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#17
\nThe New Year guesthouse was excellent \u2014 I'll keep the name to myself so it stays bookable. The architecture and interior design were genuinely impressive. Our room.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#18
\nThe corridor inside the guesthouse. Betel nut palms visible in the distance \u2014 a signature of Nantou's landscape.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#19
\nNew Year's morning \u2014 the owner cooking breakfast. Genuinely skilled.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#20
\nMy wife.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#21
\nWe visited Shuili Snake Kiln, where we also made some pottery \u2014 a fun process.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#22
\nA small farm nearby.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#23
\nThe kids from all the families, together.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#24
\nPuli, surrounded by mountains on all sides.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#25
\nA ramen place in Puli with a lightbox illustration I couldn't stop looking at.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#26
\nHad to get a close-up.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#27
\nI keep wondering: if I got a manual motorcycle, would I need a child seat on the back?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#28
\nWaiting for my wife to finish work.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#29
\nA clear weekend morning \u2014 taking my son to Neihu to ride BMX.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#30
\nWear your protective gear. Makes falling much less of a problem.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#31
\nMy son on the right, a classmate on the left. A rare photo of the two of them together. I wonder if they'll stay in touch after graduation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#32
\nLooking out from a parking garage in Neihu.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#33
\nAn empty parking lot \u2014 took the chance to photograph the car. I call it \"my car\" because I've grown attached to it. Hard to imagine just selling it. We've been through a lot together. A few times a year I drive alone, somewhere between Taipei and Changhua, and things come to mind that don't come up otherwise. Once, driving alone, I suddenly thought of my father \u2014 who's been gone for years \u2014 and I just started crying, couldn't stop.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#34
\nThe moon at dusk.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#35
\nHome after work \u2014 found my son playing by himself. Looking at what he'd built, I thought: he's grown up again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#36
\nThe Olympus O-Product 35mm f3.5 has a nickname: \"Lucky Cat\" \u2014 named for its external flash attachment, which looks like the raised paw of a maneki-neko. Unfortunately I still haven't figured out how to use fill flash properly, so it hasn't seen much use. This is the one frame on the roll where I actually fired it.<\/p>\n

Thanks again to Mr. Chen from Nantou for sponsoring this episode. That's the full roll \u2014 Olympus O-Product 35mm f3.5 with Ilford Delta 400 Professional. Thanks for reading.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Roll #242 \u2014 Sun Moon Lake in black and white Film: Ilford Delta 400 Professional Developed & scanned: Li-lai Photo, 2025\/1\/16 Camera: Olympus O-Product 35mm f3.5 Sponsored by Mr. Chen...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45230,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1852,1957],"tags":[1795,1797,2039],"class_list":{"0":"post-49078","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ilford-delta-400-professional","8":"category-olympus-o-product","9":"tag-35mm-fixed-focus-point-and-shoot-camera","10":"tag-lilai-photo","11":"tag-iso-400-black-and-white-film"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/71590012.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49078"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49078\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49079,"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49078\/revisions\/49079"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}