I took a quick, chaotic little overnight trip to Astoria, Oregon in winter with whatever film I had left in December—and two cameras I wanted real-world time with: the Mamiya 7 and my Leica MP. This was my first real outing with the Mamiya 7, plus my first time properly using the Summilux 75mm f/1.4 (yes, I know it’s a flex—I wanted that lens forever). Astoria is one of my favorite spooky-dark coast towns: tiny downtown, tons of neon, maritime history, fog, and that quiet winter vibe that makes everything feel cinematic. I started strong on the Mamiya 7 with fresh Portra 400 and got clean, sharp night shots—Liberty Theater looked straight-up enchanted. Then I did a neon pass on the Leica MP with Pro Image 100 (the glove-box daylight film) just to finish the roll… and those ended up being some of the trip highlights. After that, I got cocky and loaded expired Fuji NPS 160, and the wheels fully came off—aperture priority handed me multi-second exposures, I handheld it like a delusional pioneer, and the results were melting buildings and wandering lights. Morning Portra 800 on the MP felt quiet and story-like, but the Mamiya focus and film swaps humbled me again. The takeaway: winter film is unpredictable, and this trip wasn’t about perfection—it was about learning the Mamiya 7, testing the 75 Summilux, and letting the hits and misses be part of the character.