Vintage film cameras

[daktulos]

Originally Posted by Kenzie

Is anyone else lurking here or is it just us three?

Hi! I'm lurking - I sold all my Mamiya kit recently, which I do regret a bit, but still interested. My wife has a couple of Rolleicords, a Leica and I bought her a MPP MicroPress (4x5 large-format) camera for her birthday this year which is an amazing piece of kit.

She takes a lot of infra-red film (which the Rollei TLRs are perfect for as you don't need to screw on a filter after composing).

I'm taking a bit of a break from film at the moment, but if I see a nice Hasselblad going cheaply, I've always lusted after one of those ...

[Kenzie]

Hi daktulos, welcome to the mad house! Be careful as reading this thread may cause GAS as Yoko has found out! I listen to the Film Photography Project and they do a lot of large format photography and they have also started talking about infra-red. I would be interested in giving it a go but unsure where to buy the film from and how to get it processed. Don't have a darkroom yet so I can't look into doing large format yet, but would like to give it a go.

[daktulos]

Originally Posted by Kenzie

Hi daktulos, welcome to the mad house! Be careful as reading this thread may cause GAS as Yoko has found out! I listen to the Film Photography Project and they do a lot of large format photography and they have also started talking about infra-red. I would be interested in giving it a go but unsure where to buy the film from and how to get it processed. Don't have a darkroom yet so I can't look into doing large format yet, but would like to give it a go.

Buying IR film can be a little tricky as a lot of it isn't sold any more. The responsiveness can also be a problem as really some of the films don't have very good response to IR, just the high visible spectrum. Efke IR820 is one of the better films and is still (just) available, I think Lomo is selling some old stock. Whatever film you have, you need a filter to match it, so with a 720nm filter, the Efke works well, but some of the films top out closer to 720nm (Ilford SFX at about 750nm) so you get barely anything - you'd need a filter which lets more visible spectrum in so get less IR effect.

If it's not a TLR, you also have to remember to put the filter on before taking the photo

As for dark rooms ... we have a very small one! As long as you're only doing film development (and scanning) and not paper development, it works perfectly and folds flat!

https://www.calphoto.co.uk/product/C...oom-Bag/RM1000

Other than that, it's just chemicals, a tank or two and somewhere to hang the films. It's quite rewarding as the different developers, timings etc. make a big difference to the result.

That said, I personally liked using slide film most - Velvia 50 my favourite. I sent that away for development, but always scanned it myself.

[Kenzie]

I have stuff to do black and white but haven't tried colour yet. I use Ilford ID11. Not tried slid film yet but will try it out soon.

[johnnyrod]

Hi Dak, you sound quite the connoisseur! What's the attraction of IR photography?

The Contessa is 35mm, it was the last folding 35mm camera they did before realising rigid bodies were simpler and not really much larger, and allowed easy connection of the shutter to the meter for coupling, automation etc.

[Kenzie]

Ah, it looked like a 120 for a second there. Can't wait to see what it can do! Have you finished pulling your hair out over the Certo yet?
I think it's the look of ir but never tried it.

[johnnyrod]

It does, it's about the size of an Ikonta 35 or a Contina. Am going to test some shutter speeds this week and see how it is. Certo is plodding along, got both B and T working, and found one of the levers that's dragging on something. I don't want to bend it too much, especially as it's a casting, so need to spend a bit longer figuring out if that's the right thing to do. The T setting, though I doubt you'll use it much, is a little hit or miss. Latching the shutter open works fine most of the time, on B it doesn't have to do this. The same lever comes over and should release it but to do so it's diverted upwards, the spacings of the bits inside to do this are far from clear-cut, and one tab was fairly bent at an angle to try to make amends. The lever that's dragging though is one of the bits troubling the shutter timing, hopefully there won't be many more! I have the shutter on mine open now for comparison, which I'm afraid to say is obviously their premium line (Compur Rapid) but I think also a little newer in age and design. Yours is fine but I think it's a bit of a Friday night one, but it'll work in the end - why bits are dragging or seemingly wonky where they don't have much stress makes little sense otherwise.

Slide film is supposed to give the best colours etc. but is also a bit more unforgiving in terms of exposure I think, never tried it. I think most people shoot it then scan rather than use it as slides.

[yokohama]

Daktulos, don't follow the links these two post up on here, it's a slippery slope. That being said though, I now have nice sets of Minoltas, Olympuses and Pentaxes + lenses.

Kenzie, have a great holiday. I bet that Harley ride will be awesome.

found this.

http://cameracollector.proboards.com.../cameras-china

[daktulos]

Originally Posted by johnnyrod

Hi Dak, you sound quite the connoisseur! What's the attraction of IR photography?

Not so much me as my wife. I have taken a few, though:



It's not a great example, but you can get a ethereal feel due to the way objects reflect IR light differently to visible light.

[Kenzie]

Won't be taking the Harleys over to the Grand Canyon as its nearly five hours away. However we will be visiting the Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon instead. Liking that shot Dak. Like the look of the Shanghai 201 Yoko, reminds me of my AGFA Silette.