Agat 18k - B&W

<p>Finally got around to trying B&W in my Agat 18k <br />(previous thread here - http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00dtbA)<br>

A friend suggested I take their film scanner as they never use it anymore, I feel I need to learn how to tweak it because the images seem quite grainy and low. I did edit a few on p/s afterwards, but resizing made some loose sharpness. <br>

These are rather snap shot as I am coming to my last few days at Uni for first year. <br>

Either way, I am getting a lot of happiness from taking up photography so this is a very positive thing to include in my life. </p>

<p> </p><div></div>

<p>Another </p><div></div>

<p>Life Drawing </p><div></div>

<p>Another Lane </p>

<p>Lane </p><div></div>

<p>Pathway </p><div></div>

<p>What type of scanner did you get Elena? Lot's of people here probably have one also and can forward some info. Both Epson V600 & V800 here. Bill</p>

<p>Hey Bill. <br /><br />They did not have the box anymore, but its a cheap small "Veho" one, fits in your hand. </p>

<p>Hello again. Classic Manual Camera's are like potato chips. . . . you just can not have ONE ! So start saving your pennies for a scanner that will grow with a camera "collection". Epson V600 is a great scanner to target. . . covers a host of formats up to 6x9cm. Bill</p>

<p>Oh I think I already know about that problem of not just having one! <br>

I think I might start saving up gradually for a good quality scanner. <br /><br />Currently have a low range graphics tablet for class, almost finished saving for a good quality one that will last me, after that I may start for a good scanner.<br>

You get what you pay for after all.</p>

Another vote for the V600. I've had one for five years and am very satisfied with it.

<p>Interesting pictures, Elena. Kind of otherworldly looking. Thanks for posting them!</p>

<p>Yes, a pretty good effort considering the scanner really isn't the greatest. The colour ones you posted previously show what the camera is capable of. In many ways B&W is a lot less forgiving than colour...Thanks for an interesting post!</p>

<p>BTW, I really like the composition on the "Path" image. Thanks for sharing.</p>

<p>Getting some colour film from the Agat developed today.<br />I will ask for a CD scan of them, and then when I get home, scan the film on the dinky scanner and compare. <br>

Some of the images were shaky/grainy to begin with for the b&w but I feel the scanner (and resizing) likely did not help! <br />It is far less forgiving which is nice, make me have to think a lot harder about things.<br />I have been thinking of developing it at home over summer in the small bathroom, so I really should be using b&w more than I am. <br>

Feeling annoyed that I shot a full roll on my Petri yesterday, I rewound it (seemingly) but when I opened it, the film has snapped from the canister and I was rewinding but not moving it anywhere. Lost! </p>

<blockquote>

<p>but when I opened it</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Everyone who has ever shot film has had something like that moment. Loading and rewinding film are not so simple as they might seem.<br /> On many manual wind cameras, you can tension the film as you load it or after loading, so that the spool knob will rotate as you advance and rewind the film.</p>

<p>You can also put your ear up to the camera when rewinding and can often hear the 'pop' as the film end comes out of the take-up spool. This is especially handy if you swap films in mid-roll and want to come back later and blind advance the film to approximately where you stopped.</p>

<p>Misloading and such are more common as people start using film, but mistakes occur even to the most experienced.</p>

<p>JDM - I am learning the hard way it seems, but it always seem to happen to this particular camera. Very wary of it and may try and open it in the dark in future.<br />The film counter is bust in it, so I need to start keeping track and trying to feel any resistance as you say. <br>

I scanned in some of the film which I also had on CD. <br />Right is CD and left is scanned in.<br />Seems like with colour anyway, I can edit the scans on photoshop a little to help. <br /><br /><br /></p>

<p> </p><div></div>

The CD scans do look sharper. Of course post processing would "level the playing field a bit". Black and white scanning

can be tricking because of the silver grains. But you are learning what works well and what doesn't and that's important.

Please continue to post your work and ask as many questions as you like.

BTW, if you find the reducing the size of large scans reduces sharpness too much, you can apply a small amount of

sharpening in post processing. Good luck with your continued efforts.

<p>I'm wondering why the new photos came out of focus, maybe you were in a rush and did not set the distance? But the color will be better with such a weak optics and on a half frame.<br>

Looking at the first thread: the red/orange version is not the original one, it's just a relatively rare one. The original one is yellow, I've never seen the red version in the 80s.<br>

Be careful with rewinding, the inner part is very weak and may break, happenned to me... 30 years ago ;) And I'd always open the camera in darkness after rewinding because of this - if it breaks, it goes freely and you simply think that you have rewound the film completely.</p>

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<p>Hey Mike, well the veho scanner was just given to me as someone did not want it. My laptop does not have a CD drive, but I ordered an external drive so now if I wish I actually can just use the CD.But the scanner is a back up plan I guess. <br /><br />A guy on another fourm I am on is getting rid of a canoscan9900f but is not sure if it still works as its in storage, not sure if I should bother. <br>

I don't know what I actually need to learn, its all just stumbling about and asking questions when it comes into my head (and reading old threads on this website) which is a great resource. <br>

Seems with b&w that you need to pay much more heed to lighting and such, which is maybe why I should use b&w more to brow beat it into myself. <br />I am going home next week! Which is nice and also means I have a lot of free time. <br />And I have that Rollei B35 to fix. <br>

Oh no Ilya don't say your camera broke! <br />When I rewind it seems very very delicate and I am always a bit scared of it breaking. <br />I am stupidly fond of the little agat now. I think you are correct on distance, it was in a busy street and I had to quickly stop and did not think too much on the distance I was. <br />That is a very delicate photo of yours, almost like an aquatint. <br>

</p>

Well, it did break, but as I said, it was 30 years ago, and it was

probably under warranty. Those cameras were the cheapest

35mm, there were also two full frame for that price, which was one

fifth of cheapest SLR (Zenit). But so was the quality. Mine first had

a piece of a hairy, when enlarged, thread, inside of the lens. Then

that rewinder thing broke. But then, unlike more complex cameras,

it could survive any abuse and, as you see, they had no problems

working in east european winters.

I hope you can get the Rollei working, Elena. What kind of black & white film are you using?

If in doubt as you said "open in the dark"..... the most useful item I have in my stuff is a changing bag.

Since I now donT' ahve a a dark room this is my tank loading room and my " Hmm did I break the film" etc

. Very useful to have a "changing bag"

<p>And of course with a changing bag any room in your house becomes a darkroom. I've taken one to school a few times to demonstrate film developing to my students. Did it once for a photography class I taught and another time for chemistry. For contact printing on photo paper we'd cover the windows with red bulletin board paper and the makes the whole room comparable to safelight illumination. </p>

<p>When you shoot with Agat, hauling a changing bag is unnecessary capitalist luxury. Just take off your coat/jacket, button it, and voila! you have a changing bag, complete with sleeves. And a roomy one! It's not perfectly tight of course but does its job most of the time.<br>

In the 80s, most of decent stores where you would go to buy an Agat, had stationary changing boxes. A wooden box with sleeves attached. Most of us were buying film in rolls, because one in a cartridge would cost you a third more. So you could buy a roll, and get your film ready for shooting right in the store.</p>