I've just added a new folder to my vintage collection!
How cool is that? :D
Happy new year.
30 Dec 2015
23 Nov 2015
First test roll from a Zeiss Super Ikonta 531
Zeiss Super Ikonta 531 + Ilford FP4 Plus with unknown expiry date.
Stand developed in 1+100 Rodinal for 1:10 hours, with two agitations.
Scanned on Epson Perfection 4490, straight on glass without film holder and without top pressure.
Levels and sharpness enhanced via Photoshop.
Exposure mostly determined by a Kopil cold-shoe light lighter, except for the portrait, where I used a Sekonic L-558 for flash metering.
I wonder if the haze in the front element can be cured with a back rub, and whether it's going to enhance contrast, but I'm gonna need a smaller screwdriver than what I currently have.
Lens performance is satisfactory where in focus. I am now a believer in Tessar, but focus at infinity didn't work in the photos even though it aligns perfectly on the rangefinder and the lens infinity mark. Could be handshake though, or could be that the film plane was off since this was 35mm film in a 120 camera. I used 80gsm A4 paper as backing paper to give compensatory thickness behind the film.
I should also determine whether satisfactory sharpness is only affected where a very narrow aperture is used or not. The portrait shows the texture of the fleece, but this was also the narrowest aperture used on this roll for the flashgun.
As you can see in the first photo, I did not get even the framing right (must have turned the tripod head when I was cocking or screwing in the cable release.) Most other frames were otherwise great, and have mostly been long exposures due to low light in my room and ISO125.
Portrait was taken with a 1s exposure in a dark-ish room (my laptop screen was still on), and single flashgun that I was holding in my hand, fired manually.
Stand developed in 1+100 Rodinal for 1:10 hours, with two agitations.
Scanned on Epson Perfection 4490, straight on glass without film holder and without top pressure.
Levels and sharpness enhanced via Photoshop.
Exposure mostly determined by a Kopil cold-shoe light lighter, except for the portrait, where I used a Sekonic L-558 for flash metering.
I wonder if the haze in the front element can be cured with a back rub, and whether it's going to enhance contrast, but I'm gonna need a smaller screwdriver than what I currently have.
Lens performance is satisfactory where in focus. I am now a believer in Tessar, but focus at infinity didn't work in the photos even though it aligns perfectly on the rangefinder and the lens infinity mark. Could be handshake though, or could be that the film plane was off since this was 35mm film in a 120 camera. I used 80gsm A4 paper as backing paper to give compensatory thickness behind the film.
I should also determine whether satisfactory sharpness is only affected where a very narrow aperture is used or not. The portrait shows the texture of the fleece, but this was also the narrowest aperture used on this roll for the flashgun.
As you can see in the first photo, I did not get even the framing right (must have turned the tripod head when I was cocking or screwing in the cable release.) Most other frames were otherwise great, and have mostly been long exposures due to low light in my room and ISO125.
Portrait was taken with a 1s exposure in a dark-ish room (my laptop screen was still on), and single flashgun that I was holding in my hand, fired manually.
25 Sept 2015
Kodak Six-20 Brownie Box Camera 35mm
So I felt a sudden urge to shoot one of these box cameras. I can't explain it, especially given my craze for sharp photos. Sharpness is the last thing you want to expect from one of these, but heck, I wanted one, I got one, and here is how I tested it.
Before you start following any instructions, keep in mind that using 120 film spools was not a good idea here. I had to respool on original 620 spool to get this going.
Using 120 film backing paper and a Lloyds bulk loader, I taped the leader of my 35mm film right where the 120 film was. The Lloyds bulk loader allows you to use its weight and design to keep the film straight as you roll it.
With a spool at each end, the whole contraption went into the dark changing bag and I rolled an amount of film into the first spool.
Then I cut the film and rolled all the way to make sure the film and paper are nice and snug, and then I respooled the whole thing in reverse into the other spool. This way, I had the film "starting" where it should, and I could use the film counter numbers (which I didn't) to know how much film I'm actually advancing.
The backing paper was torn at the edge from the other spool which hooked into the hole and didn't want to come out in the dark bag. I had to tear it but that is fine. Now I simply rolled this in the camera making sure the emulsion side is facing front. This is where the problems began with using 120 film spools as they weren't the right size.
Advancing the thing was very tough and eventually the whole paper was torn. I had to take it all out, respool it on 620 spools (exposing a lot of both edges of the film in the process). I'm lucky I had two of these lying around
The camera was then ready to shoot.
Knowing the aperture value (which was f14 in this case, the shutter value (which is either fixed at 1/30th or bulb), and knowing my ISO rating (which was ISO125 since I used Ilford FP4 Plus), I metered the scene outside of my window and took a bulb-timed shot of the outside (meter reading to get the time, then hand-guesstimating on the button to actually shoot), and here is the first shot which sat in Rodinal 1:300 for about an hour and a half. Tones levelled in Photoshop to make it darker. Not bad eh?
Before you start following any instructions, keep in mind that using 120 film spools was not a good idea here. I had to respool on original 620 spool to get this going.
Using 120 film backing paper and a Lloyds bulk loader, I taped the leader of my 35mm film right where the 120 film was. The Lloyds bulk loader allows you to use its weight and design to keep the film straight as you roll it.
With a spool at each end, the whole contraption went into the dark changing bag and I rolled an amount of film into the first spool.
Then I cut the film and rolled all the way to make sure the film and paper are nice and snug, and then I respooled the whole thing in reverse into the other spool. This way, I had the film "starting" where it should, and I could use the film counter numbers (which I didn't) to know how much film I'm actually advancing.
The backing paper was torn at the edge from the other spool which hooked into the hole and didn't want to come out in the dark bag. I had to tear it but that is fine. Now I simply rolled this in the camera making sure the emulsion side is facing front. This is where the problems began with using 120 film spools as they weren't the right size.
Advancing the thing was very tough and eventually the whole paper was torn. I had to take it all out, respool it on 620 spools (exposing a lot of both edges of the film in the process). I'm lucky I had two of these lying around
The camera was then ready to shoot.
Knowing the aperture value (which was f14 in this case, the shutter value (which is either fixed at 1/30th or bulb), and knowing my ISO rating (which was ISO125 since I used Ilford FP4 Plus), I metered the scene outside of my window and took a bulb-timed shot of the outside (meter reading to get the time, then hand-guesstimating on the button to actually shoot), and here is the first shot which sat in Rodinal 1:300 for about an hour and a half. Tones levelled in Photoshop to make it darker. Not bad eh?
15 Sept 2015
Franka Solida III - overview
The following squares have been taken with this very camera in the video above. No cropping whatsoever. Film was an expired Fujichrome NPH400, developed in C-41. Colour tint is either from expiry or from scanner. I might fix that.
31 Aug 2015
Contrasts
Another photograph post. Another photogear post. Another Contrasts posts.
1/50@f5.6 ISO1600
Looks almost graphite. Would have loved this to be a graphite drawing, but it is actually a photograph.
EXIF data:
Canon EOS 40D
EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM (@50mm focal length)
1/50@f5.6 ISO1600
Feel free to like, fave or share on 500px or flickr as well.
Looks almost graphite. Would have loved this to be a graphite drawing, but it is actually a photograph.
EXIF data:
Canon EOS 40D
EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM (@50mm focal length)
1/50@f5.6 ISO1600
Feel free to like, fave or share on 500px or flickr as well.
28 Aug 2015
Tools of Some Trade
Tools of Some Trade
"Tools of Some Trade"; featuring a modern light meter and a vintage folding medium format folding camera.
For the curious, the modern is a Sekonic L-558 light meter, and the vintage is a Franka Solida III with a Schneider-Kreuznach 80mm f2.8 Radionar lens in Prontor-S shutter. With viewfinder, no rangefinder.
And yes, I'm using these things to take photographs.
This photograph is in black and white, taken with a digital EOS-M camera and shows so many contrasts. Old and new, modern and vintage, electronic automatic measuring and analogue manual measures, smooth and rough, a dark chamber and a light meter.
Feel free to like, fave and share from this blog, from my 500px or from my flickr.
23 Aug 2015
Fujifilm NPS160 in 6x8 Medium Format
Was thinking, while this blog is on, why don't I share my photography as well? :)
Here are a couple frames from a Fujifilm NPS 160 expired 120 film roll shot in a Fujifilm GX680 II. That is 6x8cm for each negative. That is a whole lot of image real estate.
Both of these shots are taken in my front garden. Fortunately that won't reveal my address to you. ;)
This first shot is of a single white-ish daffodil that bloomed this year in my front garden. The only one this year, something positive perhaps, taken with a Fujinon EBC 100mm f4 at near-macro level. I used the macro extension rails and long bellows of course.
The following shot was taken with a much wider 65mm f5.6. Remember, at 6x8cm, 65mm is pretty wide. This decoration lantern that won't turn on can potentially mean so many things for me, not all of them positive which goes well with the lantern's incapacity for giving out any light.
Two images that, in the context of their making, despite the simplicity of their content, can mean a lot. Does the blooming of the daffodil stand as the stubborn persistence of life to grow where the forces seem to be against, as the breakthrough of possibility despite the paralysing circumstances that surround it, or does its singularity reveal the lack of fertility in the carer's home and his incapability of providing what it would have taken for the rest of the bulbs to grow? Does the lantern incapable of giving any light reflect what I feel about my journey as a PhD student stuck in a rut and incapable of either production of getting out of what seems like an impossible situation? Or does the sheer symbolism of the object reflect what is actually happening behind the door it decorates? Will the lantern actually give out anything any time soon? Two simple images that I am struggling to read.
I hope you like them.
Here are a couple frames from a Fujifilm NPS 160 expired 120 film roll shot in a Fujifilm GX680 II. That is 6x8cm for each negative. That is a whole lot of image real estate.
Both of these shots are taken in my front garden. Fortunately that won't reveal my address to you. ;)
This first shot is of a single white-ish daffodil that bloomed this year in my front garden. The only one this year, something positive perhaps, taken with a Fujinon EBC 100mm f4 at near-macro level. I used the macro extension rails and long bellows of course.
Fujifilm NPS 160, C41, Fujifilm GX680 II, Fujifilm EBC 100mm f4
The following shot was taken with a much wider 65mm f5.6. Remember, at 6x8cm, 65mm is pretty wide. This decoration lantern that won't turn on can potentially mean so many things for me, not all of them positive which goes well with the lantern's incapacity for giving out any light.
Fujifilm NPS 160, C41, Fujifilm GX680 II, Fujifilm EBC 65mm f5.6
Two images that, in the context of their making, despite the simplicity of their content, can mean a lot. Does the blooming of the daffodil stand as the stubborn persistence of life to grow where the forces seem to be against, as the breakthrough of possibility despite the paralysing circumstances that surround it, or does its singularity reveal the lack of fertility in the carer's home and his incapability of providing what it would have taken for the rest of the bulbs to grow? Does the lantern incapable of giving any light reflect what I feel about my journey as a PhD student stuck in a rut and incapable of either production of getting out of what seems like an impossible situation? Or does the sheer symbolism of the object reflect what is actually happening behind the door it decorates? Will the lantern actually give out anything any time soon? Two simple images that I am struggling to read.
I hope you like them.
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