john_mcinnis

My first camera was a fixed focus Brownie. It did nothing to interest me in photography. The first decent camera I ever used was a Mamiya 35mm SLR that I got issued by the govt. And trained on. I later bought a Minolta 110 SLR Mk II to use instead of my issued Nikon Fm2 that took up too much space in a backpack for work trips in outback Alaska.

Just finished a test roll of Fujicolor Superia 400 in a new to me Agfa Super Solinette. I'll probably finish a roll of Ektar 100 that I started a week ago in my Agfa Record III. Then, since I don't do darkroom work, I'm going to try a different lab that seems to offer a little cheaper and faster service.

I assume flash is not part of your plan. In any situation where shooting in variable low light meter failure may be a problem. Rather than depend on my memory and often faulty exposure guesses, my inclination would be to get a copy of the Black Cat Extended Exposure Guide which uses estimates of lighting in unusual situations to give you a starting point. You compare your lighting to the listed situations and set the guide. Then bracket from there. You can preplan your options for probable expected conditions and quickly adjust as you go. It lets you quickly do what if comparisons. It's a handy inexpensive little pocket tool. Even with access to a good meter, I'd really want that as a backup. It's quick to use, no batteries, and will give you something to work with in situations where a meter may fail miserably. The starting points it gives for dark lighting account for reciprocity failure possibilities. You can check it out by Google. Also think long and hard about DOF in that situation. If the lighting is really low, carry a small red lens flashlight to read your settings. Sounds like you're setting forth into one of those love/hate situations, love the challenge but hate the possibility of wasting too many shots. One reason I still like film. It forces me to think.

Pretty is as pretty does. Good shooting.

Sorry about the double upload. I think I have it figured out. Better next time.

Agfa Record III w/ Apotar lens. Test shots with ARISTA EDU PAN 100. Also, testing this upload function.

About the only time I would, maybe, use this app would be when checking aperture and/or speed settings on my camera. Otherwise, I'd just take paler notes on the rare occasion it might matter.

I have a Kodak No. 2 Folding Cartridge Premo circa late 19 teens. It has shutter speeds of 25 and 50, and aperture 1, 2,3, & 4. I've found it likes Ilford PAN F 50. Assuming the apertures translate to f11, f16, f22, f32, I've set the camera with my Luna Pro light meter and never yet had a bad exposure. The slow shutter speed on these cameras, and their lack of ergonomics, means they're never gonna be snapshooters. But they are completely able to do decent B&W landscapes, and posed still life and portraits. Solid basic photography with basic cameras.

I've gotten in the habit of carrying a couple of prints of good photos I've made with the camera if I'm using a really old folder. A lot of folks are curious how good a picture they make. Showing them a couple of good prints satisfies their curiosity and adds to the WOW factor for folks who've never actually seen the old bellows rigs being used. Of course, you have to be prepared for the occasional protracted conversation that can arise, too. But, I'm retired. So, I'm seldom in a hurry. :-)

A few weeks ago, I decided to see what I could do with my Kodak No. 2 Folding Cartridge Premo in 120 using it strictly hand held. I normally use it on a tripod or braced against some other solid object. This was just an experiment because the camera has the ergonomics of a broken concrete block when hand held. Nevertheless, it was instructive to see that tolerable hand held photos can be made with a hundred year old machine of relatively low quality with limited shutter speed and exposure settings. The finished photos below were taken with ILFORD PAN F 50, processed/scanned by the Darkroom, and minimally straightened/cropped with Photoshop Elements. Shutter speed was uniformly 1/50 with exposures eyeballed on the old Kodak 1 through 4 aperture settings. The prism viewfinder on the camera is only useful to get within the ballpark for framing when hand held. I caught some flare in the lower right quadrant of a couple of photos which, fortunately, cropped out nicely. Other than that, they are what they are. All the photos were taken in the Old Town section of Olive Branch, MS. ENTRANCE TO THE PARKING LOT SHOPS AT THE NORTH END SHOPS ALONG PIGEON ROOST ROAD BARBER SHOP AND BEAUTY PARLOR FIRE DEPARTMENT ON PIGEON ROOST RD HOUSE ACROSS FROM CITY HALL

I have been unable to attach one to my no. 2 folding premo. There is a mounting hole beneath the shutter lever. But my cable releases block movement of the lever when pressed which stops the function.

Ilford Pan F Plus 50 works nicely in these old cameras. It's probably more in lone with the film the camera was built to use. These cameras are best at deliberate photography. I always shoot either off a tripod or braced against a wall or a tree. Aperture 1 or 2 at 1/50 in bright sun. If you have a light meter, it helps. Be really careful to svoid flare. Without a lens shade the lld lenses are really subject to flare. Keeping the sun over yojr shoulder is an old rule that works. The film view window needs to be covered because modern films are way more sensitive to red than the old films. So, it's best to do film advances with the window uncovered in the shade. Then replace the black tape over the window. The film backing paper will help against light leak onto the emulsion. But bright light could still cause a problem even with the red filter.

Good catch on the film size, and good info on the adapters.

Actually, there is a manual on Butkus.org that covers both the no.1 and 1A Junior. I'd go with the actual ID plate to determine what the camera is. Don't think I'd use epoxy on the red view port. A less aggressive contact cement might be better for later removal if it finally gives up the ghost. I used #106 primary red gel filter available in 10 x 10 in. Sheets from Amazon to repair the one on my no. 2 folding cartridge premo. With modern film, you still need to put a piece of black electrical tape over the window when you're not winding the film.

If you're planning on using the camera, I hope you will have checked the bellows and basic lens and shutter functions before you worry with the viewfinder. Those viewfinders are almost the least useful part of those old cameras and adequate workarounds can be improvised. That said, you might be able to find a similar parts camera or even the same one cheap online. The 1A looks like it uses the same VF. Since the VF is rivetted onto the mounting plate, replacement, though perhaps not trivial, should be possible by drilling out the rivets and remounting the replacement with small screws and nuts. The manual for your camera is available on BUTKUS.ORG under orphan cameras. At least you should be able to get film, since the camera should be 120 format. Also, the aperture settings in the old Kodak format (1, 2, 3, 4) translate roughly to f11, f16, f22, f32. As forgiving as BW negative film is, that's close enough. Happy shooting