Film Camera Week for June 8

Here are a few from me - Zeiss Ikon Contessa, Fujicolor C200. The Contessa is such a lovely little camera!

 

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Yes, Contessa is a beauty. Unfortunately, in my own Contessa the shutter sticks. someday I'll have it repaired. The lens is excellent :)

rajmohabfotograf said:

Rick - your pictures of cameras are as arresting as those made with them and your writing - is there anything you cannot do?!

Thank you...I'd like to be 100% happy with the things I do, but that's still a summit to be achieved.Yours is lovely creative work with the Contessa; they are a beautiful little machine.

I recently found some VPH (Vericolor 400) negatives from around 1989. The film was shot in my Yashica D, which I'd picked up used for 60 USD from a service facility that had done a CLA. The film was processed by Van's in Mobile, AL. My dad used VPS instead of VPH for portraits and copy work and I used VPS for the occasional weekend wedding that I would do back then. Tried the VPH to give a little more flexibility with the Yashica. I also tried the film in 35mm but found it too grainy for weddings, Of course, many years later Portra 400 could deliver the results I wanted.

Here's a couple of scans from the VPH

My dad in front of one of our backgrounds. I should have used the studio flash here.

My mother relaxing, I used bounce flash from my Sunpak AP 52

While tinkering with a few old cameras last week I was struck by the thought that there's very little presence on CMC of the KMZ Zenit, one of the mainstay cameras of FSU 35mm photography; plenty of Feds and Zorkis but very few Zenits. So, yesterday afternoon I loaded up a Zenit E, one of the earlier models, and took a brief walk round town. The lens was an early version of the well-known 58mm Helios f/2, the 44-m.

The camera is not a comfortable one to use, being heavy, boxy and generally a little clunky, with a shutter release that terminates in a series of serrations that presumably were designed to provide a grip for gloved fingers, but don't do much for the comfort of a naked fingertip. There is one of those frustrating little intermittent light leaks in the camera, and the very minimal coatings on the old Helios were ineffective against our low harsh light, but I manged to salvage a few frames. The film was Arista EDU Ultra 100 developed in PMK Pyro.

119

Beech

Bokeh

Jar

Metalcraft

While tinkering with a few old cameras last week I was struck by the thought that there's very little presence on CMC of the KMZ Zenit, one of the mainstay cameras of FSU 35mm photography; plenty of Feds and Zorkis but very few Zenits. So, yesterday afternoon I loaded up a Zenit E, one of the earlier models, and took a brief walk round town. The lens was an early version of the well-known 58mm Helios f/2, the 44-m.

 

The camera is not a comfortable one to use, being heavy, boxy and generally a little clunky, with a shutter release that terminates in a series of serrations that presumably were designed to provide a grip for gloved fingers, but don't do much for the comfort of a naked fingertip. There is one of those frustrating little intermittent light leaks in the camera, and the very minimal coatings on the old Helios were ineffective against our low harsh light, but I manged to salvage a few frames. The film was Arista EDU Ultra 100 developed in PMK Pyro.

 

119

 

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Beech

 

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Bokeh

 

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Jar

 

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Metalcraft

 

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Amazing. You must have impossibly high standards if you aren't happy with these. I'm not crazy about Bokeh, but the others are stunning.

davecaz said:

I'm not crazy about Bokeh

Me neither, but I felt obliged to show the distinctive OOF effect of the Helios. I find it a little harsh and ugly.

I find it a little harsh and ugly.

Agreed

Dave, I was trying to recall which CMC member was the Zenith fan, remembering your contributions. That's a great collection of Zenits; I'll own up to having about 10, and while they're not my cameras of choice, they're very durable and capable. My favourite is the delightful little 3M pictured below. Perhaps we should start a Zenit thread!

Zenit 3M

Perhaps we should start a Zenit thread!

That's a great idea, Rick. I used to have a 3m, but traded it on something else (probably another Zenit!). My favorites are the 12XP, TTL, the Automat series, and the 18/19.

Speaking of which, here's a bit more filler for this week.

The "Mighty 19"

Davecaz said:

Speaking of which, here's a bit more filler for this week

Magnificent! The 12XPs are the latest I have. Yes, Mike, they are a fascinating and unique line of cameras.

Davecaz said:

That's the other Dave. :)

That's the other Dave. :)

OOps! Sorry...! I'll just have to get my Daves sorted...

At medium to small apertures it's pretty much a dead heat as to whether the XA or XA-2 performs better. In low light (where the long exposures make the shutter go "claaaaa-ck" the XA might have an edge if stopped down to f 5.6 or 8. The XA-2 would be wide open at f 3,5 and to my eyes looks better than the XA at f 2.8 (apples and oranges I suppose). I'm amazed at how well the XA-1 does in bright light compared to its more expensive siblings. I do like the self time on the XA and XA-2.

I've seen many wonderful photographs made with both of these cameras. I think that my inability to get the best out of them is due to my limitations rather than to those of the cameras! :)

That's the other Dave. :)

There are only two of us? That's not enough!

OOps! Sorry...! I'll just have to get my Daves sorted...

I don't mind being sorted, just don't fold me.

Talking Zenit, one from last year on the Zenit EM and Fujinon 55. Arista 200 in Rodinal.

8265.

Dave, I was trying to recall which CMC member was the Zenith fan, remembering your contributions. That's a great collection of Zenits; I'll own up to having about 10, and while they're not my cameras of choice, they're very durable and capable. My favourite is the delightful little 3M pictured below. Perhaps we should start a Zenit thread!

 

Zenit 3M

 

I am a Zenit 3M fan. It was my main camera for many years, and I did not even know that the lens (a Helios-44) was interchangeable, nor did I care too much for that fact.

Hello all

Here are a few from the new Perkeo II

Expired Delta 100 HC110 Dil E

Came out better than expected and the camera worked great.

I see aliens

trash

Table

dome

Hello all

Here are a few from the new Perkeo II

Expired Delta 100 HC110 Dil E

Came out better than expected and the camera worked great.

Very nice. Is it a pleasant camera to shoot with?

I see aliens

Me, too.

Hello Dave

It is about the same as any other folder, it makes me slow down and do everything right.

The camera itself is pretty small so it is light which makes it nice to use.

Aloha, I'm a bit late to the party this week. I was playing with EBay last week and ended up winning a bid on a black Rollei 35 SE. I have had a burning desire for one of these for the past two years. When it arrived I was pleasantly surprised by the condition. No scratches or dents, mechanically functioning, and only slight brassing on the advance lever. I went to the drug store and purchased three LR44 and one LR43 batteries to replace the dead mercury cell. I was concerned with the 6.2v vs 5.7v mercury cell but, that seems to work fine. I tested the light readings from the camera with my Sekonic L758DR and they were either exact or very close. The meter is a bit of a pain as it seems to require fairly bright light to read. Guessing the exposure or using the Sekonic proved to be a lot quicker than fiddling with the camera's meter. My greatest challenge was estimating the distance for zone focus. Ok, now for some pics from my Sunday morning hike. I was impressed with the sharpness of the 40mm Sonnar lens. Shot on HP5, Ilfotec DD-X, and scanned emulsion side down on Epson 850.

Raindrops

Old Pali Road

Old Pali Road (Same composition I posted last week with the Zorki 4)

Tree Flower (2.8 at 3ft)

Aloha, I'm a bit late to the party this week. I was playing with EBay last week and ended up winning a bid on a black Rollei 35 SE. I have had a burning desire for one of these for the past two years. When it arrived I was pleasantly surprised by the condition. No scratches or dents, mechanically functioning, and only slight brassing on the advance lever. I went to the drug store and purchased three LR44 and one LR43 batteries to replace the dead mercury cell. I was concerned with the 6.2v vs 5.7v mercury cell but, that seems to work fine. I tested the light readings from the camera with my Sekonic L758DR and they were either exact or very close. The meter is a bit of a pain as it seems to require fairly bright light to read. Guessing the exposure or using the Sekonic proved to be a lot quicker than fiddling with the camera's meter. My greatest challenge was estimating the distance for zone focus. Ok, now for some pics from my Sunday morning hike. I was impressed with the sharpness of the 40mm Sonnar lens. Shot on HP5, Ilfotec DD-X, and scanned emulsion side down on Epson 850.

 

Raindrops

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Old Pali Road

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Old Pali Road (Same composition I posted last week with the Zorki 4)

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Tree Flower (2.8 at 3ft)

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Excellent pics! I used to use DD-X, but at least here in Finland it is very expensive, so I use Rodinal now, which is dirt cheap.