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Nikon F2 Photomic, Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 Ais Micro, Kodak Tri-X 400, Kodak D76: Kiev 4, Jupiter 8M f/2, Kodak ColorPlus 200, Kodak D76:

I just got some scans back of a roll of colour film that I shot as a test. Once again, I'm not happy with the halo effect that occurs on just about anything bright in the image. I does seem that the exposure is OK (I used a Gossen meter on all shots), however the halo requires that all shots are adjusted for brightness. I uploaded all of the scans to a web folder. The scans are raw and were done with no level adjustment by the lab. If you can please have a look, I'd be grateful for any comments. Here is the link: test - Escuta (use password: "test") I'm still not using a lens hood, but I can't imagine that all shots would ordinarily show such flare. Notice there are 2 shots of a white bench. One is with a UV filter and the other is not, but both seem to show the same amount of halo. There's also a white garden trellis that glows madly - and the sun was practically behind my back when i took the shot. Is the lens a dud? If it is, at least it will be cheap to get a replacement. All the best, Iain

Thanks Wouter. It wasn't wide open and I'm fairly certain it was at f/8, so it must have been lens flare that caused the glow. I took some other shots on the F2 with a 105mm lens without a filter and the sky was still much darker than those taken with the Kiev. Having complained so much about the Kiev/Jupiter, I did get some good shots and I'll post some tomorrow on the Classic Manual Cameras Thursday thread. All the best!

Thanks AJG and m42dave. Exposure for the Kiev was calculated with a Gossen Lunalite and I think for that particular shot I did incident metering, although for others, with similar outcome, I did reflected metering. Yes, I have a vented lens hood on order. Would lens flare have caused that halo effect? That's brilliant, the CRT screen test, thanks, perhaps there's an old TV at work... When I finish the current roll of film I'll have a look for possible internal reflections. One thing that occurred to me last night: I don't yet have a lens cap (it's also on order) and I'm using the original leather case to protect the lens which, by the way, has a new Hoya UV filter on it. While the filter looks clear enough, perhaps the leather case is perishing and leaving fine dust on the filter. Perhaps that might cause a halo. For sure though, a hood will help and I had a hood on the F2 for that last photo. All the best,

Hello, I took possession of this rather beautiful Kiev 4 recently and shot a roll of Tri-X 400 using a Gossen Lunalite meter to make the exposures. I developed the photos together with another roll of Tri-X shot on a Nikon F2 which included the above shot. The Kiev photos look overexposed to me. I took a number of photos with white objects and these appear to have a halo. It that consistent with overexposure? Here's a shot with the Kiev: And here's a shot taken with the F2 a couple of days earlier at roughly the same time of day but with a yellow filter. Again, processed together with the Kiev roll: Shutter problem? Light leak? Please let me know if you have any suggestions. The physical appearance of the camera and lens is excellent and it was sold to me as a CLA'd machine. Thanks! Iain

Nikon F2 Photomic, Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 Ais Micro, Kodak ColorPlus 200:

Nikon F2 Photomic, Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 Ais Micro, Kodak Tri-X 400, Kodak D76: Nikon F2 Photomic, Nikkor-S Auto 50mm f/1.4, Kodak Tri-X 400, Kodak D76:

Nikon FE, Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 Ais Micro, Kodak ColorPlus: Nikon FE, Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 Ais, Kodak ColorPlus: Nikon FE, Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 Ais Micro, Kodak ColorPlus:

Nikon F2 Photomic, Nikkor-S Auto 50mm f/1.4, Kodak ColorPlus 200: Nikon F2 Photomic, Nikkor Ais 55mm f/2.8 Micro, Kodak ColorPlus 200: Nikon F2 Photomic, Nikkor-N.C Auto 24mm f/2.8, Kodak ColorPlus 200:

Here's the camera that I finally got from the Ukraine (see my last message above). Both body and lens are from 1970: Oh, while I'm here, will 40.5mm UV filters, hoods and lens caps, apparently made for Sony products, fit the lens? : Filtro Uv Kenko Ø40.5mm - Nikon Lente Nikkor Aw Aw1 Ø40.5 - R$ 12,90 Parasol Tulipa Alumínio 40.5mm - Sony Nikon Canon Panasonic - R$ 34,99 Ø40.5 40.5mm Tampa Frontal Preta P/ Lentes Samsung Olympus - R$ 21,99 Thanks a lot!

It is, that's the Brazilian market for you. With some advice from Bill Bowes and help from a Flickr friend of mine, I purchased a very nice, fully serviced (CLA) 1970 Kiev 4 with Jupiter 8M from a Ukrainian dealer for US$47 - complete with leather case and a yellow filter. I'll check out the Helios-103 in the future, thanks, but I've been impressed with a lot of Jupiter 8 photos that I've seen. Cheers

Nikon F2 Photomic, Nikkor K 200mm f/4, Kodak ColorPlus 200:

Thanks for that Bill, I hadn't heard of CLA. The only risk with Ebay is that customs slap a 100% tax on it when it arrives, but I'll consider these options. It's the Jupiter 8 lens that I've been very impressed with.

Thanks JDMvW and Greg. I think I found it. The following site lists what looks like the same camera as the "Kiev-4(b)" (you need to scroll down the page): Communist Cameras It's selling here for around US$180. A fair price? Haven't yet asked the seller how its functioning.

Hello, I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what model of Kiev camera this is. I believe it's a Kiev-4 but does anyone know the type? Could it be the type 2? Is this a valuable camera? Thanks. All the best

it wasn't 14'40" but 13'40"

Perhaps and yes it is weird. I used the same batch of chemicals as with a roll of 35mm HP5+ last week and same development time (the 35mm roll showed perfect exposure). The only thing I changed was that I fixed for about 9 minutes instead of about 7 - I don't think that would do anything, would it? The developer was fresh and the Kodak fixer only used twice before. And the camera/light meter was definitely set at 400 ASA. Development time for this roll and the last was 14min 40sec for both (should be 13min but i increased to compensate for a 5% error in the developer dilution).

Thanks James and Rick. James, I've done lots of practice with both 35mm and 120 film. Can't seem to get it right. I used a Patterson tank years ago when I was 15, I remember it worked then so it should I think be as easy for me now. Rick, due to the exchange rate here, the Vuescan software is almost a third the price of a new V550, plus my G4050, as of recently, is producing a long streak in the scans and is very slow, so i think it's time for an upgrade. All the best!

First photo on an Agfa Billy Compur. Raw and out of focus scan made with an HP G4050 scanner (i plan to get an Epson V550). Development problems (plan to sell my stainless steel tank and get a Patterson - i have no talent for winding spools!). All photos on the roll seem under exposed. This was shot I believe at f/11 and 1/250. Other shots at f/16 1/400 have similar underexposure. I used a Nikon F2 with a 50mm lens as a light meter and distance checker. Ilford HP5+ 400 film (50 or 100 ASA film would be better). How many stops would you say that this is underexposed by? Thanks!

Thanks Julio, very helpful!

Back again, as is the Billy Compur, from service. It looks good, with all features working and the shutter speeds seem OK to me, the slow ones anyway. I plan to take photos with the camera tomorrow (of city monuments and with a tripod) and have a few questions on these two points: 1. I've heard that f/11 is generally a good aperture to use for folders. Does anyone have experience using smaller apertures (16 - 32)? Am I likely to loose sharpness? How small is still good? The lens is the Solinar. 2. Any tips on focusing? To photograph the monuments from a reasonable distance I was thinking of setting the focus at infinity and pulling back a fraction and let the small aperture catch everything imporatnt. I'll take an SLR with me to check distances, but can the distance markers on the lens be trusted? Do the markers refer to distances of the film to the subject or from the lens itself? Thanks!

An old Ericsson hotel switchboard. Nikon F2 Photomic, Nikkor Ais Micro 55mm f/2.8, Ilford HP5+ 400, Kodak D-76:

From a first attempt at developing film. Mistakes made with the mixing of the Kodak D-76 and fixer and a bigger mess made when loading the stainless steel spool. In the end there were around 7 or 8 usable shots. All shots taken in the centre of Brasilia. Nikon F2 Photomic, Nikkor-N.C. Auto 24mm f/2.8, Tri-X 400.

I'll post here the best of the roll and the best (most interesting) of the "abstracts", most of which are unusable. If anyone can recommend a good video on how to load a stainless steel spool, please let me know! The first photo is of a sculpture called Pombal and is home to hundreds if not thousands of pigeons. The second is of Brazil's congress buildings, situated just a couple of hundred metres away from the sculpture:

Well, I developed my first roll of film. The chemical bit went well, however I botched the spooling of the film onto the stainless steel reel. Despite practising 20 or more times with an exposed roll, the film got stuck together in places and crumpled, and well, you know how it turned out. Some salvageable images perhaps. I'll take the negs in to be scanned professionally.... Hopefully I'll get it right the next time! Thanks for your help everyone!