Mist. fog. Ah, the mood! I usually avoid this on film, as it tends to come out slightly tinged with magenta. I probably just need to find the right film; Lomography Metropolis is my best bet, I think - I’ll try that one next. Anyway, I sprang out of bed with more gusto than usual when I saw the mist through my bedroom window, hurriedly dressed and headed out to take photos. This time I was armed with my trusty Fujifilm DL-270 Zoom, a camera I have been using more and more recently - it feels really good in my hand, light and pocketable.
The DL stands for drop-in loading, which is as easy as it sounds - you just pop the film in and the camera does the rest. It prewinds the whole roll, then winds each frame back into the canister as you shoot, so your photos are tucked away safely if the back ever gets opened by accident. It reads DX-coded film from ISO 50 to 1600, and there's a built-in flash with red-eye reduction, fill-in and flash-off modes, plus a panorama crop mode, a self-timer and remote control support. It all runs on a single CR123A (or DL123A) 3V lithium battery.
The Fujifilm DL-270 Zoom is a fully automatic 35mm point-and-shoot from 1994, and depending on where you are you might also know it as the Discovery 270 Zoom (North America) or the Zoom Cardia Super 270 (Japan). It has a Super-EBC Fujinon 35–70mm power zoom lens (f/5.0–9.5) and active autofocus with focus lock, focusing from 0.9m to infinity, or down to 0.65m at the long end.
I parked up in the Forestry England car park opposite Fearny Crofts, crossed the road and walked down the track to the right of the entrance. Instantly regretted not putting on a coat, as the mist is always wetter than it first looks. I love this path year-round. In summer, it offers beautiful heather; in autumn, changing colours; and in winter, a deliciously bleak mood that cannot be beaten.
I was struck at just how Autumnal things are feeling now, fungi, last of the heather and the green turning to brown, all made all the more vibrant for some rain and mist. Bloody love this time of year!