glenn_mabbutt

Admittedly not a classic, but I do use classic lenses on it - a couple of years ago I bought a Bessaflex - a recently-

produced M42-mount camera from Cosina-Voightlander. I don't think they're in production anymore.

 

It has the advantage of being pretty recent, and I bought it new, so it won't break down for some time. It does have

an LED-based +/- meter, which I found takes some getting used to.

 

However, I must confess the "M42 camera" I use the most is actually an M42-to-K-mount adapter on a Pentax ME

Super - when I want to use an SLR, I find aperture-priority very convenient, I really like the form factor of the ME

Super (very compact for an SLR), and while M42 lenses are available, K-mount are much more common locally for

me, at least, so an M42 adapter lets me have the best of both worlds (losing the automatic aperture of the M42 lens,

however, which isn't a big deal for me).

 

As for cost of K-mount lenses - not sure where your friend is getting that - many of the lenses I've seen locally and

on eBay are US$100 or less (sometimes much less), and that's in the same general range as M42 lenses (although

the M42 versions seem to sit longer in stores, so you may be able to strike a better deal in person for those).

Great shots. Was this handheld, on a tripod, with a cable release, or some combination thereof? I have one I haven't taken for a test drive yet...

I just tried this on July 1 for Canada Day, using expired Agfa Ultra 50 (50 ISO) film.

 

I was trying 30-second exposures at f/8 (f/8 tends to be lens' "sweet spot" on average, no other reason, really).

 

Most of my roll ended up washed out - if I were to do it again, I'd go for shorter times, in the 20-second range.

 

However, the biggest problem was that the initial shell explosion blew out completely in most frames, before the fireworks dispersed into a nice pattern. So, I'm inclined to try a different approach next time - use a camera without double-exposure-prevention, and just open the shutter for multiple patterns *after* the initial explosions. Some sites say you can also do this by holding the shutter open and using a hat to cover/uncover the lens for the bursts - but you would have to be extra careful not to bump the camera when doing so.

 

People I was with were shooting digital - they had some success with 2-4 second exposures at 100 ISO, f/8 - less motion in the fireworks, of course.

Actually, scratch that, you MUST try the Konica Auto S2. It's a great camera for not a lot of money, with a very nice lens. It's not perfect, but it's unique enough (at least with Tri-X) that it should be tried by everyone at least for one roll :)

Last summer/fall I would have said the Konica Auto S2, hands down. I picked it up last spring, and ran a number of rolls of Tri-X through it, and took a couple of my favourite (outdoor) images to date. The fixed Hexanon is rumoured to be a Summicron clone, and clone or not, it's very good. The viewfinder has parallax correction lines, which is very useful, and the meter is accurate.

 

However, over the winter and this year, I must admit I've used my Pentax ME Super more, mostly because for taking pics of people I tend to prefer the automated DoF control afforded by aperture priority (the Auto S2 is shutter-priority), and because I have a few lenses at different focal lengths, and an M42 adapter for the one of my favourite lenses, the 85mm Jupiter-9.

 

I will be taking the Auto S2 out for more excercize, but currently I've got a recently acquired Hi-Matic E on the go with a test roll, and one in a FED-2 with FED-50 lens that I've been dying to use more of - it just fits so well in my hands.

 

And, I've been meaning to shoot more medium format with folders and a TLR... So many cameras, so little time :)

I don't know how to adjust it, but perhaps a related question: which battery are you using in it? I ask because I have

a few rangefinders from that era, including a recently acquired Hi-Matic E, and they were all designed to use a 1.35v

mercury battery. The meters often won't work 100% accurately with a modern 1.5v.

 

Fortunately finding replacement batteries with the correct voltage is relatively easy - the 675 size of zinc-air hearing-

aid batteries available from many pharmacies and department stores work just fine, although they don't last as long

as the mercury ones. Sometimes there are spacing issues in the battery compartments (although I've had no issues

with the Hi-Matic E), but that can usually be solved with some aluminum foil or an extra spring or something else

conductive.

Thanks, everyone - I feel much less stupid now that I know I'm not the only one who has a Soviet Finger Trap :)

Ah! Thanks for that. I knew it was something simple - on my sample the problem is I have to hold the button in the "up" position while pulling the chrome tab beside the button. Previously I was just pushing it up and then letting it go.

 

Now that I've got it open, a 2nd question arises - does the switch on the back near the pressure plate actually do anything? It has 2 positions, for square and rectangular (6x6 and 6x9), but when I change it I don't see the pressure plate actually move or anything. I did get one that had a 6x6 insert just in case the mood strikes, but mostly I'll be using it for 6x9, so I've moved the switch to that position for now.

OK, time for the dumb question of the day - how do you open the back of a

Moskva 5 folder?

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I bought one from Fedka recently, and the lens/shutter/aperture look good, but for

the life of me I can't get the back to open.

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On the right side of it there is a "button" with an arrow pointing upward - the button

doesn't move much, but it does a bit - however, with it up as far as it will go I still

can't get the back off (believe the back is removable on this model, but in any

event, it doesn't swing open, either).

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I did find Mike Butkus' <a

href="http://www.cameramanuals.org/russian_pdf/moskva_2_4_5.pdf">manual</a>

for it, but all it says is to push the button up and open the back.

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I'm sure it's something simple - a catch I'm missing, or I have to apply other

pressure something simultaneously, but I can't figure it out and it's driving me nuts.

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I'm now going for a walk and will shoot some 35mm - hopefully this will clear my

head :)

Just a note in case you're unfamiliar with them, selenium meters are battery-less, and do wear out eventually.

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You may get lucky with a working one, but given most of them are well over 20 years old, best treat them as suspect.

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I've gotten a couple of selenium-cell equipped FSU rangefinders, but gave up on them after that - use a handheld meter or sunny 16 and you'll be fine.

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As for lenses - I like the Industar 61 L/D - 55mm, *very* sharp and nicely contrasty (some say it rivals Leica M lenses, but I can't verify that). The Jupiter-8 (50mm) and Jupiter-9 (85mm) are Zeiss Sonnar copies, so a little softer, but nice for portraits/people pics.

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Buying from a reputable dealer is key with FSU equipment - as above, I can attest to Fedka, I've also bought some things from <a href="http://www.sovietcamera.com.ua">Soviet Camera</a> in the Ukraine, and I've heard good things about <a href="http://www.okvintagecamera.com">Oleg Khalyavin</a> in Russia. A few eBay sellers are OK, including "moscowPhoto" in my experience.

Interesting find. 80mm on medium format is a little too wide generally for portraits - I believe it's approx. the equivalent of a 50mm on 35mm cameras. "Normal" portrait length for 6x6 is usually considered to be about 120mm to 180mm (although personally I've found 180mm to be a little tight - good for head shots, but you have to back up a fair bit to get torso as well).

 

I've tried it with 80mm on a couple of TLRs and folders, and it's tough to get close enough for a good portrait without being right on top of the subject, and then sometimes you end up too close to focus. But, hey, if you can do it, more power to you :)

Never mind - after some more playing it turns out I didn't have the cable release exactly aligned in the socket, which was causing it to go in at an angle, which was making it jam (I thought the socket was just a bit sticky from years of unuse before I bought it - silly me :)

Interesting about the cable release - I have a Clack and didn't realise that was what that particular hole was for :)

 

However, I've just tried it with my cable release (standard, Pentax-branded, works fine in other cameras), and it's triggering the shutter, but it doesn't return to it's original position - it sticks, and I have to manually unscrew the release and push the shutter lever a couple of times to be able to remove it.

 

It's almost as if the Clack's shutter mechanism was designed for a shorter cable-release pin so it wouldn't stick - but if I don't push the release all the way down, the shutter doesn't trip.

 

Is there a trick to this, or do I just have a dud Clack (it works fine without the cable, though)?

My own take on it, like many here, is multi-faceted:

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- when I got interested in photography generally a couple of years ago, some research turned up quite inexpensive cameras - for the prices, they were worth a shot without much risk.

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- if I get involved with something, usually I like to know a lot about it. Classics let me play to varying degrees with manual settings, experiment with DoF, etc, and were the gateway for me into how photography works. This isn't impossible with newer cameras, just that classics "force" you into that mindset to a greater extent vs. auto-everything (which also has it's place, don't get me wrong).

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- Related to the above, for me, understanding a process more fully helps me use it to a greater extent - so, say, understanding how DoF relates to aperture helps me take better people pictures vs. just using the "portrait" setting on a camera. (And in talking to various local photographers, basic concepts like DoF and hyperfocal distance seem to be approaching a lost art.)

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- Completely subjective, but a lot of older cameras have more metal in them than modern cameras, which give them a certain "heft". I like the way many of them feel in my hands. This is a sweeping generalization, obviously, and not true of every "classic", but I do like many of the classic ergonomics (esp. true of 35mm SLR and rangefinders, the FED-5 excluded).

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- lastly, it's not a big motivator for me, but I do find peoples' reactions to my cameras interesting - sometimes, with, say, a TLR or a folder, I tend to get either a curious or nostalgic reaction, depending on age - sometimes this can lead to better informal pics as people relax more (eg, the camera itself becomes an icebreaker). I get this reaction less with 35mm cameras generally, although some fellow photographers have made some comments about rangefinders when I've been out and about - and I've gotten personal invites to 2 local camera/photo clubs so far while out shooting with a classic - one of which I joined last fall, and one I'm currently checking out. I guess using a classic gives you instant photographic "street cred" now :)

A somewhat larger suggestion would be to get a Meopta Flexaret Va through VII with 35mm adapter.

 

Although designed as a standard 6x6 TLR using 120 film, the cameras come with an internal mechanism for using 35mm film (24mm x 24mm negatives). With an adapter to hold the 35mm canister (usually extra), the mechanism auto-senses 35mm film, and there is a mask for the viewfinder to match. The film counter also changes to reflect the 35mm film.

 

I have a Flexaret VI and the adapter kit, but I haven't tried it out yet. Other people have reported success with it.

<b>Bueh B.</b> - <i>But what they always appreciate are portraits with small depth-of-field, because the basics of bokeh, selective focus techniques or fast primes lenses are completely unknown.</i>

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Good point - something I've noted as well. From what I understand the mechanics of a light-gathering surface area smaller than regular 35mm film (such as the sensor sizes in many digital cameras) make small depth of field harder to achieve, so the effect is much more rare than it used to be.

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I've shown people small DOF shots before and gotten genuinely astonished responses - just one more thing in film's favour, I guess :)

Nice shots, Luis. Reminds me I need to give my I-61 some more excersize :)

 

Interesting that you've gotten pretty good at getting the correct angle on the waist-level shots - I've experimented with it a few times, and usually end up with lovely shot of the top of people's heads and sky, or their feet and a lot of ground. Any tips on getting the proper angle, besides more practice ;)

 

Although I haven't tried it much, and his style was more aggressive, Garry Winogrand had an interesting technique - basically he "played" with his camera in his hands and raised it briefly to quickly frame and snap a shot - he also used a 28mm lens on a Leica, and sometimes got really close to his subjects - most of whom didn't seem to mind or sometimes notice. There are a couple of news clips/short documentaries about him floating around - very interesting to watch.

Funny, I was just fondling mine the other day :) It turns out I'll likely be travelling to a wedding in the fall, and although I'm just a guest, I'm already starting to plan what cameras I'll be able to take - due to it's form factor the 35RC is high on my list right now.

 

As for the battery - for me it's a non-issue - hearing-aid batteries are the proper voltage (1.35V) and size (the 675 size) and are available in every pharmacy/department store around me. They're zinc-air, not mercury, so they don't last as long, but I normally keep my 35RC in the "off" position when not in use, and I'm still on my first battery (going on 8 or so months, I think). Maybe I just got a good sample :)

 

My only issue is the lack of lens cap and easily scratchable lens coating - someone here mentioned filter adapters are available for more common lens cap/filter sizes, so I'll have to look into that further...

I don't know - I've had a few rolls of XP2 Super in 35mm and 120 formats with either a green or magenta base and corresponding tint. This was processed at a local pro/am shop that does a fair bit of pro (it's clean, does a decent volume, etc). Printing/scanning all turned out monochrome, but either green or magenta - apparently many machines can't do the b&w conversion properly and/or automatically. I was told by the photo store/lab staff that this is quite normal for XP2 (this store sells a fair bit of Ilford film generally). It may not mean much but this store hasn't steered me wrong yet, and it's full of amateur/semi-pros with a lot of collective experience.

 

I don't use XP2 much anymore - I've found the local labs have an easier time with Kodak's BW400CN, which has an orange base like colour C-41. YMMV.

I don't do weddings, so I'm not one to criticise, but if you haven't done so already I would suggest reading the <a href="http://www.photo.net/interviews/jeff-ascough">interview</a> that <a href="http://www.jeffascough.net/">Jeff Ascough</a> did in the Wedding forum a while back (it was interactive, but nicely put in an orderly fashion by the moderator for posterity).

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Although he uses Canon, and his focus is more of a documentary style, it's full of useful general tips and techniques, even just for those of us who like to take people pictures generally.

<p>

Also, the Lighting forum here and Planet Neil's <a href="http://planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/">Natural Looking Flash</a> pages are very informative resources (although a lot to absorb, never mind master :)

Well, the only "truth in advertising" camera name from the FSU that I'm aware of is the "Lubitel", which means "amateur" (not that there's anything wrong with either a Lubitel or being an amateur, it's just that the camera itself was designed with somewhat lower standards than a "professional" camera of the same period - more plastic, lens that vignettes, etc).

 

I wouldn't put too much effort into finding a hidden meaning to the Etyud name - probably meant to convince the population that it was a status symbol or something - not much worse in many parts of the FSU than being "nekulturny" (uncultured, more or less).

That's interesting - I didn't know there was a macro lens for the Flexarets.

 

I'm tempted to pick 1 up for my VI...

Personally, I love the lens, but hate the FED 5s - heavy, awkwardly shaped, and dim viewfinder/rangefinder.

 

I can't compare directly with a Yashica, but the I-61 L/D is very sharp.

 

I've picked up a Zorki-4K, primarily to use with my I-61 L/D - haven't tried it yet (too many cameras, too little time), but it's definitely on the list. With the Zorki at least I'll get a usable viewfinder and a more ergonomic package overall.

<b>Chris</b> - I don't think they meant a C3 :) It would be cool to bring one to a class like that, but I wonder if even the instructor would know how to use it...

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Usually with these types of courses that I've seen locally they're expecting a basic SLR with a built-in meter of some sort, like a Pentax K-1000 or equivalent. With something *more* manual you'd be on your own for metering.

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Darn it, now you've done it - I was going to go out testing a zoom lens further, but now you've got me thinking about my C3 :)

A while back I picked up a 250 in great shape, with close-up attachment and flash bulb unit for US$30. Although entirely automatic (with a dial for exposure compensation) and using hard-to-find batteries, you can tape 3 x "N" 1.5V batteries together with the leads, and it will fit in the original battery compartment, and works just fine.

 

This style of camera will take any of the 3.25" x 4.25" Polaroid or Fuji pack films - eg, FP100-C but NOT FP100-C45 or any pack film that says "4" x 5" ".

 

Using pack film definitely takes some getting used to :)