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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
02-21-2011, 03:11 PM
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Steve, that's a lovely photo - creamy tones and quite sharp. What's your impression of the Jupiter-12? I just got a Fed and was thinking of springing for a wider lens.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-27-2011, 08:28 AM
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This is interesting. I remember back in the day shooting Penn State football games in Central PA. The newspaper sent two photographers to cover games. During one game the temperature was in the single digits with a strong wind adding to the fun. My colleague on this day was a Canon user. She used an F1n with a lesser model (A1?) as a backup. The F1n stopped working by halftime, and the backup didn't have a motor adequate for shooting sports. I had to finish the game alone -- my Olympus bodies (OM1 and OM2) kept chugging along. I don't recall ever hearing of the paper's stock of Nikons ever quitting due to weather, either.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-27-2011, 08:11 AM
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Here are a couple from a going away party for neighbors. All with a ZXM and SMC-M 35mm f/2.0. I have to say the ZXM finder really stinks in low light. (Does anyone know how the PZ-1 is for manual focusing? I like the specs of the camera, but have never looked through one.)
Tri-X and Diafine are a perfect combo for available light. It was so dark that I did a lot of shooting at 1/15 or 1/30 wide open so the results are a little mushy.
Liz & Mr. C get their picture taken while Colt eyes the food by xnedski, on Flickr
Pez by xnedski, on Flickr
Miss M by xnedski, on Flickr
Pez (1) by xnedski, on Flickr
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-27-2011, 07:59 AM
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Nesster, this is really true.
Since the youngest folders are nearing their 50th birthdays, the shutter speeds are off one way or another. You can only get a feel for how they're off by shooting, taking some notes, and looking at the results.
I've got one Agfa folder where the shutter speeds are pretty close, and an Ansco where the fast speeds are OK and the slow speeds get progressively slower.
Correct exposure and focus is a relative thing so with a little experience you can trust your judgement. Negative films are better because there's a bigger margin for exposure error.
This was taken with my Agfa Isolette I. I set the focus for this in feet using the scale that's marked in meters. DOH! It came out OK:
Wallace St. by xnedski, on Flickr
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
12-29-2010, 07:10 PM
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Thanks. They allow non-Pentax stuff over in MF? I'll have to take a look...
I haven't been using the Hassy too much lately. A neighborhood store had an Agfa Isolette that was cosmetically almost perfect for super cheap. It needed a little work - the focus was gummed up and the bellows needed some patching. I've been carrying it everywhere because it fits in my pocket. It's pretty easy to use if you're OK with guesstimating focus and a choice of 4 sorta-accurate shutter speeds.
Color is Provia 100F, B/W is new TMAX 400 in Rodinal.
Birds by xnedski, on Flickr
Dragon, Chinatown by xnedski, on Flickr
Franklin Court by xnedski, on Flickr
Street (1) by xnedski, on Flickr
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
12-26-2010, 04:58 PM
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Hi, all. I've been lurking for the past few months, enjoying all the great work that's been posted here.
Here are a few from Oaxaca, Mexico in October/November. All Hasselblad 500C/M, Fuji Provia 100F. Most were with a 60mm Distagon except for the Bug which was with an 80mm Planar.
Church, Mitla by xnedski, on Flickr
Parade by xnedski, on Flickr
Steps, Plaza de la Danza by xnedski, on Flickr
Breakfast (1) by xnedski, on Flickr
Bug by xnedski, on Flickr
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-23-2010, 07:10 PM
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I have a ZX-M. I'd suggest you try getting your hands on one and trying it you're going to use it for low-light photography. The viewfinder image is smaller than the older Pentaxes and it uses a very fine grained screen. The screen looks more like that on a DSLR, with the addition of the split image and microprism. While the viewfinder is nice and bright focus doesn't "pop" on the ZX-M screen the way it does on the coarse and grainy screen of my P3N.
I've found the autoexposure to be flaky the few times I used it. Typically I shoot on manual mode with a handheld meter so this isn't a worry for me.
On the plus side they're very light, fairly sturdy, and cheap enough to be considered disposable.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
10-23-2010, 06:36 PM
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Have you looked at the work of Sebastião Salgado? Very much in the spirit of Smith and the old school Life photographers. All black and white, and he tackles very large themes.
I saw photographs from "Workers" many years ago and was blown away. Do yourself a favor and seek out his books.
Here's one image from "Workers":
Sebastio Salgado's best shot | Art and design | The Guardian |
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-18-2010, 06:23 PM
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Philadelphia's Chinatown has had a Mid-Autumn Festival for the past dozen years or so. It's always a good time: There's a carnival for the kids, traditional Chinese music and dancing, the occasional mariachi band, a moon cake eating contest, and a lantern parade lead by lion dancers.
Here are a few photos from this year's edition. K100D, kit lens and an ancient Vivitar 283 for fill.
Lion heads by xnedski, on Flickr
Shopping for lanterns by xnedski, on Flickr
Lion by xnedski, on Flickr
Homemade lantern by xnedski, on Flickr
Lion by xnedski, on Flickr
Lion by xnedski, on Flickr
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
08-13-2010, 11:15 AM
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Some recent medium format. These are all from on or near Canal Street, a narrow cobblestone street behind some industrial buildings near the Delaware river in Philadelphia. Hasselblad 500c/m, 80mm Planar, Acros 100 @ 200, Diafine.
Taxi wreck, Canal St. by xnedski, on Flickr
Tires, Allen St. by xnedski, on Flickr
Stairway to Heaven, Canal St. by xnedski, on Flickr |
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
08-09-2010, 05:03 PM
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Steve,
Russ may not be the right person for your Lynx. My impression is that he doesn't do "deep" repairs (shutter repairs, lens/aperture blade cleaning, etc.). Based on our email exchange about the camera I sent him, I think he sticks to rangefinder cleaning and adjustments, light seals, releathering, and pad-of-death replacement. It's definitely worth asking about, though. He did a really beautiful job on my Electro -- the rangefinder was so clear it was like a new camera -- and the price was reasonable.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
08-08-2010, 06:21 PM
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Diafine is now my official summer developer since I don't have to deal with temperature control issues.
Pentax P3n, Pentax-M 35mm f/2.0, LegacyPro 100 @ 200, Diafine:
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
08-08-2010, 05:56 PM
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David,
Nice work with the Electro. I used one for many years and was consistently amazed at the accuracy of the autoexposure system and the lovely 45mm lens. It is a different beast than an SLR and takes some getting used to.
I can recommend Russ at camerarefurb.com for a CLA. He did a great job on mine. Cost was around $50. The seals on mine were fine, but I think that would have been included in the price if they needed replacing.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
07-26-2010, 07:13 PM
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Got a mint condition Sears 135 f/2.8 for $9 on eBay a while back and just took it for a spin. Here are some photos off the walkway of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Not a bad lens.
An old painted ad on the side of the former Wilbur chocolate plant:
The view towards Society Hill down 2nd St:
Detail of roof and billboards:
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
07-26-2010, 03:15 PM
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It does look a little too nicely made - I guess you have to add light leaks in PP :-)
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Forum: Photographic Technique
07-25-2010, 05:07 AM
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Sketching is definely one good way to slow down and really notice what you're seeing.
But as Mike suggests, there are more "photographic" ways of slowing down. A large format camera does this in a number of ways: you can't shoot quickly, you typically only shoot only a few frames, you have to use a tripod, you need to think about exposure, and the image you see through the camera is upside down and backwards. All of these factors really make you look hard at what you're photographing and think about the final image.
If you can't get your hands on a view camera, you can go on a photo walk with some rules: take only one photograph using a tripod, manual focus, manual exposure, spend a minimum of an hour in doing this.
Also study the photographs you think are well-composed, think about what appeals to you, and try to incorporate this into you own work. Sometimes it helps to try to restage a photo you like.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
07-19-2010, 09:29 AM
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My first camera was a Kodak Duaflex, a hand-me-down from my grandmother. Here's one of the first photos I shot with it in 1972:
(My dad really is taller than houses.)
My dad got a Konica TC in the late '70s. That camera really got me into photography.
The first camera I bought for myself, with savings from working in a deli and video store, was an Olympus OM1n with a winder (1981):
The camera was indestructible but the winder was crap - it used nylon gears that wore out. After going through two of them I finally saved up for the motor drive, a 5-fps speed demon that was as rugged as the camera.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
07-18-2010, 07:31 PM
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Hey, Kevin. I've got a Canon 8800f which was around $200, and I've printed scans from it on a wide-carriage inkjet with really good results. I do tweak settings for each frame, which is time-consuming, and it's not a speed demon. I guess the point is you don't have to spend a fortune for a great scanner.
By all means get out and shoot that Velvia then post - can't wait to see some more eye-hurting color!
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-17-2010, 07:52 PM
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Here's one I grabbed while we were waiting for the El one morning. The light was lovely.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
07-17-2010, 07:38 PM
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Kevin,
I mostly shoot B&W, so when I shoot color I want COLOR. In the old days I used to shoot Fujichrome (there was no Velvia back then).
When I got back into shooting film a few years ago and was deciding whether to buy Velvia 50 vs. 100, I found that 100 has finer grain that 50 (strange but true according to the Fuji data sheets). The consensus of many users is that 50 has higher contrast, and may have higher saturation. I opted for the extra stop of speed, lower contrast and finer grain.
In addition to 50 and 100, there's a third variety of Velvia: 100F. It's supposed to have nicer skin tones and less saturation. I haven't used it.
Oddly, when I tried Velvia in 120 I wasn't happy with the results; something about the look didn't click with me. For medium format I've switched to Provia 100.
As for processing costs, I save money by doing the scanning myself. E6 processing at Philadelphia Photographics, my local pro lab, is $9.50 for 35mm and $7 for 120, which is not bad. Scanning adds $19 to the 35mm and $9 to the 120.
And, wow, $27 to develop and scan a roll of Plus-X? I understand there's a lot of advantages to having the lab do the work, especially if you don't have the time or desire to do your own processing and scanning. But all I can think is that $27 will get you a bottle of Rodinal and enough Ilford Rapid fixer to process 50 rolls of film...
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
07-16-2010, 07:14 PM
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Velvia is all about over-the-top color. I love it, but tend to avoid it for people.
I scan my own stuff and Velvia does tend to have a purply cast to it, but in the shadows more than the skies. The nice thing about slides is you can see if the cast is present in the originals, or was introduced in the scanning process.
Willow Steam Plant, Hasselblad 500c/m, 80mm Planar, Velvia 100:
Graffitti, Yashica Electro 35GSN, Velvia 100:
This one definitely has a color cast. Yashica Electro 35GSN, Velvia 100:
Here's a crazy mixed lighting effect. Daylight, tungsten and light from the TV. Yashica Electro 35GSN, Velvia 100:
I've shot a lot of Velvia in the past two years. You can browse on Flickr.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
07-15-2010, 07:41 PM
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I've got it. I'm quite happy with the images I've gotten out of it.
The thing I dislike about it is the aperture ring. It's obviously where they decided to cut costs: plastic, not at all smooth to turn. Not a big deal if you're putting it on a dslr where you can set it on A and control via dial.
But I'm still a film shooter and that crappy aperture ring is probably why I'll eventually get rid of the lens.
EDIT: Here are a couple of images shot with it.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
07-12-2010, 10:32 AM
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Not sure about the origin of the front plate that's visible in the photo. In the right side is a number plate from the Camel Trophy race which went through Central America - this car must have run it. In the back it's got a regular Pennsylvania plate.
There's a guy in my neighborhood - Skytop Rover - who imports very cool old Rovers, mostly ex-British Army. There's a good chance this is one that he imported.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
07-11-2010, 07:19 PM
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Wow, an old-school Bessa. Looks plenty sharp and contrasty - not bad for a 70+ year old camera.
I've been trolling eBay for a decent, not too expensive folder - a Bessa or Isolette, since Ikontas are like gold. No luck so far.
Unfortunately I can't quite afford the new Bessa III...
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