My journey with Classic Cameras

[steve_10170]

<p>Read with interest as I stumbled into all of this last summer, but is interesting how I got here: I was originally given a Minolta X-700 for graduation in 1986 and took a lot of 'snapshots' on 'auto' over the years. Bought a point and shoot digital and then a DSLR and returned to photography. However, <strong>the problem came in the form of creating a final product / 'printing' for me</strong> . I just did not care for quality of digital prints at home and sending them out to print wasn't very gratifying. So after buying a scanner and developing my first film negs at home, I figured I would try printing in darkroom at home now that I had the space and prices seemed so affordable. The quality was awesome! And friends/family really appreciated and were interested in receiving a 'hand made' print. So after purchasing 35mm Yashica G, Canonet QL17 and Retina IIa, realized that 'bigger may be better' and tried a Rolleicord V. Yep! Love it. And bought Mamiya 645 and Zeiss Nettar II. I even went further and purchased a mat cutter so I could produce finished pieces to give away which has been a lot of fun to see strangers, local business owners, and friends receive the framed pieces out of the blue as gifts. I bought a few tools like spanner wrenches so I can clean and maintain and have brought a few shutters back to life. I really appreciate the vintage equipment like the beseler 23cII, gralab timer and gossen meters. Just something about it all that really makes me grin inside. I am looking forward to this spring/summer which will be my first summer with functioning cameras and darkroom at the ready to enjoy and express myself via photography this year. Thanks to all on here who have contributed to this hobby; couldn't have done it without you! Cheers!</p>

[subbarayan_prasanna]

<p>Yes JDM! the Pentacon Super! I believe they made only around 4000 of them. Designed specially for the Russian space exploration work it is said to have an intriguing [or mysterious!] hybrid shutter, half metal and half cloth. Wondered why! Ed Romney recommended it as one of the most "collectable" cameras. regards, subbarayan.</p>

[bsharpe411]

<p>Forgive me for continuing my earlier "thesis" on color printing but one other thing came to mind concerning the use of the 18% gray card. Back in the 'old days' of color printing in the darkroom (and still today for professional photographers using film) getting the proper color balance was critical if you expected to get the big bucks a pro demands. That fashion designer who hired you to do a full session with their latest outfits expected the color they chose for the dress or whatever to be the color they'll see as they write you a check.</p>

<p>A pro usually began the session with that gray card right there in the shot. The photographer was in control of the type of film and the lighting used, while the custom lab was in control of the paper and chemistry used. Neither of them knows the exact color of the garment without actually having it there in the darkroom, but they both know what an 18% gray card should look like. Most color analyzers have a spot meter capability and all that is needed is to place the meter on the projected image of the card in that first picture.</p>

<p>Make the 18% gray card come out 18% gray in the final print, and everythiing else should be perfect. Continue printing the rest of the session with those settings.</p>

[silverscape]

Thanks a lot for getting into this and sharing your stories, guys. I've been having a great time with this.

 

Bob...you did indeed scare the hell out of me! LOL...but that's okay. I still have a lot to learn, but I really do feel like I'm ready to get into developing color now. If I mess up and make a lot of mistakes in the beginning...so be it. I'm expecting that when I try to develop color prints for the first time, I might make mistakes and the colors might be all weird. Or maybe I'll mess up the first time I try to develop color film. I'm prepared for that.

 

The first time I developed B&W film, I kind of mentally prepared myself that I might mess up and make all kinds of mistakes and the film might not turn out right. That way I wouldn't get frustrated. If something didn't turn out right, I would just go step by step and figure out what went wrong. I actually had a really good experience the first time I ever developed black and white film...I opened the tank and the negatives came out great! I was so happy, I was literally jumping up and down. I couldn't believe I had done it right, and there were actually real images on the film. I knew I wanted to learn how to develop darkroom prints later on, but I was so anxious to see how the pictures actually turned out that I took the negatives to a photo lab to get prints. They came out pretty good. I had a lot of problems with water spots in the beginning, but once I started using Photo Flo and got a routine going washing the film a final time with distilled water, I pretty much eliminated that problem. I really think that positive experience when I first got started is really what helped to boost my confidence. The first time I ever developed my own film, and the darn thing actually worked.

 

I know color is a lot more complex than B&W...but I'm prepared that I'm probably going to make a lot of mistakes in the beginning.

 

Anyway, it's probably going to still be a little while before I can get into color developing. I need to save up some money for a color enlarger! But that's one of my goals for 2010! This year, I want to get into color developing. Heck, I'm hoping I can do it by this summer.

[jack_welsh]

<p>Started with the Kodak brownie Hawkeye flash and the Imperials when I was a kid. When, I was able to buy a good camera. Bought a Mamiya 500 DTL. Then,2 mamiya C 330s and a 4x5 monorail. Got into B&W developeing. Which got me into Carbons, Salted Paper and Kallitypes years ago.<br>

Chris, have 4 tube radios.Oldest is a 1927 Atwater Kent 33 "coffin" style. Also, a Hallicrafters, Emud and a Zenith. Want a Hammurlund.</p>

[DWScott]

<p>Thanks to everyone for sharing. Chris, your story was familiar to me as well. I never thought that still photography would become so important to me either, and it also occured over a very short time.<br>

I had a little less to learn about the technical side, because I was trained as a filmmaker. So aperture, shutter speed, lens nomenclature... they were all familiar. But somehow there was a line in the sand between movies and pictures.<br>

Then a couple of years ago I won a radio station contest, and the prize was a $500 gift certificate to a camera store. Suddenly, the thought of having a nice camera and making nice pictures was a reality! I decided to stretch my gift certificate and bought a really nice used autofocus SLR. The pictures were nice... but when I started to look around online at photography that I really liked, I realized that the best pictures were often made with medium format gear. The next steps of my journey were set... including TLRs, other 35mm cameras, a Bronica 645, putting in a new darkroom and getting a good film scanner. Every step of the way feels like a great exploration and I love learning how different cameras, films and processes influence what kinds of pictures I make. It seems like a fortuitous time. We have at our disposal all the old and all the new ways of photography. And fantastic, top-notch gear is available for peanuts. I can use cameras and equipment which are far better than anything I could ever have afforded new-off-the-shelf.<br>

It does feel like the beginning of a lifelong journey, and I never would have imagined that it would happen just a few years ago.</p>

[k5083]

<p>Beautiful, Gene. I can't quite make out what that sign next to Larry's ladder prohibits...</p>

 

[patrick_mont]

<p>I have the amazing folks here at Photo.net to thank. Last year around this time I had just gotten a light meter and I had an AE-1 Program with a 50mm lens and knew almost nothing. Now I am shooting 35mm, 120, and 4X5 and I have a sucessful darkroom set up. I now have a huge bank of photographic knowledge in my head.</p>

[patrick_mont]

<p>Chris- I could see you having a great time with 4X5 and coming up with unique ways to take photos. I wish you were local to me. We could share my set up :)</p>

[silverscape]

well, Patrick, you're one of the people who got me interested in trying slides!

 

I'm so glad I had a chance to use Kodachrome before it was gone :\