williamtk1974

Funny thing about it was that reports from the following night indicated that the organizers made announcements about potential wind-related delays and fewer people ended up disappointed. Not sure why they couldn't have done that the night I was there. Their poor handling of the first night made it into local news media reports. About three hours south of where I live is a resort named Callaway Gardens. They've been there for a long time and offer pretty much the sort of amenities you'd expect at a place like that, such as golf, hunting in season, a man-made lake with a beach, a huge pool, extensive gardens, a butterfly pavilion etc. Neat place. Every year at the Labor Day weekend, they do an end of summer festival that includes a balloon glow. I went a few years ago and was not disappointed. It was clear that they've been doing this long enough to know what they're doing. I tried to get pics that night, but the US Mail lost my film.

I believe that Process One did a good job with the negatives and scans at a reasonable price. With regards to learning, I learned that this sort of photo project is doable. Having the right tools and technology were helpful. That said, I probably could have put the camera into fully manual mode and made good images there, but that would be more of a gamble. These weren't the only pics that were ok, but I thought they were the best of the lot. There were some others that were disappointing. I tried to get some pics of the ferris wheel on site, but could never catch it at its most illuminated, so those pics seem a little dull to me. Out of 36 or 37 exposures, less than half were all that good, but that doesn't come as much of a surprise. The limited number of exposures forced me to be careful. Now, I made brief mention that the event didn't go off as advertised. I believe that had it gone off as planned, I would have been able to get some better images. The event organizers advertised the event as a balloon festival that would also include a tethered balloon rides and a tethered balloon glow once the sun was down. There also happened to be a carnival of sorts taking place, as well as numerous food and craft vendors present. When it came time to do the glow itself, I couldn't help but notice that at least 1/4 of the balloons which had been present earlier in the evening were deflated and packed up. Once the time of glow's beginning passed, a delay was announced over the PA. About a half hour later, an announcement was made that they would continue to offer tethered balloon rides. No explanation was given about the state of the glow itself. The following week, the organizer's Facebook site seemed to be overflowing with increasingly negative and vitriolic comments about the festival's failure to live up to its advertising. It got so bad that the organizers had someone monitoring the site at all times and quickly removing anything other than posts about how someone had soooo much fun at the balloon festival and how they couldn't wait for it to come back next year. The cynic in me couldn't help but wonder if some of those postings were created by shills. If an explanation had been given at the event over the PA, I doubt they would have been subject to so much harsh criticism, but they handled the whole situation poorly at best. Thank you to everyone for your helpful advice on this posting and your kind words regarding the end result of the project. Maybe 2020 will see me getting to have another go at it somewhere else. -William

Ok, the film was Kodak Ektar 100. The camera was a Nikon F90X with a Nikkor 50mm F1:1.8 lens. If memory serves, I shot some of the pics with the lens at f8 and some at f11. Some might see this as cheating, but I set the camera at Aperture Priority and used Spot Metering. I was using a tripod and the Nikon electronic cable release that fits that particular camera, so any blur was a result of movement from the balloons during a long exposure.

Ok, finally, some pics to share. Please keep in mind what I said about how the event didn't turn out the way it was advertised. I'm not claiming that the pics are perfect, but I think they turned out pretty well and showed that this type of photography can be done on film.

I have some pictures I can share, but I'm not sure how to get them in here. I try to copy the link from Dropbox, and all I get is that broken IMG thing.

I just got a roll back from the Old School Photo Lab that was shot somewhere around 2013 and was in my freezer all that time. From a processing standpoint, all looked good. From an image standpoint, I wonder if I couldn't have done just as well with a roll of Ektar 100. However, the good pics were the sort of thing where a certain private island in the South Carolina Low Country should beg to use them in their next prospectus brochure. But I'm not going to solicit the business. Nothing against the OSPL, but a little further research showed that there are cheaper options out there.

I just shipped the film, along with a couple of other rolls, to Process One, so it shouldn't be too long before something comes back.

The problem seems to center around the 1/25 shutter speed, which is the first one in the fast grouping. For some reason, the release doesn't seem to spring back all the way, so when you go to cock the shutter, it's like it immediately fires again. All the other speeds, including B and T, seem fine. I haven't done any real scientific testing or anything like that. It's also missing the handle on the left side. I'm probably going to get a dog collar to take its place.

I ended up getting a manual from Mike Butkus that showed what I needed. Trouble is, I don't think this shutter is ever going to be as good as the shutter on the other camera. I work on watches. and this one looks like a cheap, brass clockwork to me. Lots of places for it to get worn.

Ok, good news is that the camera arrived today. It's what we would call a Pacemaker SG 2x3. Serial number dates it to around 1950, so it's around ten years younger than the first one I bought. It's in pretty good shape. The focal plane shutter works just like it's supposed to. It was being sold as non-working because the Kodak Flash Supermatic shutter on the Ektar 101mm lens was gummed up. A little lighter fluid with a q-tip got it running, at least for awhile... Then, the bad thing happened... The shutter started sounding draggy again, so I thought I would take a peek inside and try to have a go at better cleaning and lubrication. As it turns out, it's perfectly ok to go in through the front of the shutter. But I didn't know that, and tried to go in through the bottom. Apparently, some of the springs use those screws to brace against, so now nothing's working the way it's supposed to, and I'm not quite sure what to do. I'm kicking myself about this. Anyone by chance have a good, clear pic of what the shutter is supposed to look like when it's put together properly? Thank you, -William

Now I've just noticed that one of the feet is missing off the bottom. I swear it was on there earlier, but a careful search of the floor with a flashlight isn't proving fruitful, so it's probably been gone the whole time. Any ideas for a replacement that might look similar to the ones still on it?

The reason I'm asking is because I'm thinking about getting a 35mm lens for my Spotmatic. Looks like a good many 35mm lenses came in that f1:2.8 range, and most of them aren't all that expensive. I noticed that Vivitar lenses in this size can be had for less than $40. They're not the only ones in that price range, but they seem common. Any thoughts on this? Thank you, -William

Some of his captions for those found film photos are the best.

I managed to win an auction for a Mini SG with a Graflok back being sold for parts only. I'm hoping that it might be repairable, but we'll see when it gets here. I'm keeping the other one. Kind of half to now given that I've done a couple of repairs lol. All of the speeds on the lens shutter now work correctly, and so does the Kalart Range Finder. The little mirror inside had come off, but I was able to get it glued back on. Once I exercised the focal plane shutter, it started working very well.

Inquiring minds would like to know more. Hey Chuck, mine has the setup like what's in the middle of the picture.

Good afternoon, A couple of days ago, I "accidentally" won an ebay auction for a Mini Speed Graphic 2x3 camera. I made a low offer, and much to my surprise, the seller accepted it. Now, the camera was being sold as having a "Grafloc" back in its item description. Well, a bit of further research on my part shows that the pics look more like the Graphic spring back that these cameras came with originally. I would like to convert it to a Graflok back in order to use on of the roll film attachments, but I'm not sure what parts to get for this. I plan on keeping all of the parts so everything could be sold on to a new owner if I ever sold it. Has anyone done this, and might you have any before and after pics of the job? Thank you, -William

Sure, if I got anything, I'll share it. I'm keeping my expectations a little low, though. Aside from the technical challenges that have been mentioned here, the festival itself was a bit of a bust with regards to the balloon glow. I did use a whole roll of Ektar, so maybe i was able to get something worth seeing.

Yes, I was planning to take the tripod and purchased a wired remote release to use with the Nikon. The balloons are supposed to be tethered, so up/down movement won't be an issue. So far, weather forecast is calling for a cool, clear, and relatively calm evening, so maybe there won't be much side/side movement. I'm not too intimidated by doing this, but I do know that the shots need to be able to stay at around 4 seconds or less due to Ektar's tendency toward cyan shifting. As far as a digital camera goes, I have a Kodak EasyShare P880 that works. Seems like its lens at 28mm is around f1:2.8 IIRC. It can be operated in full manual mode and has a tripod attachment. However, it does not have provision for a remote release. It has a 2-second shutter delay for tripod-mounted situations. I would take it with me, but I haven't had it long enough to really learn how to use it well in a situation like Friday night.

That's the problem... Getting practice. The event is next Friday night. The weather is being less than cooperative right now. I say that less because I'll melt in the rain, but more because clouds lighten up the sky some. The forecast is for a cool, clear evening for the event itself. I'm also not sure I would be able to get a roll of film processed quickly enough ahead of time to see what worked and what didn't. I'll see what I can do during the week, but there's a chance my trial run might be the event itself.

Yes, there are some differences, but the overall theme is the same. Dark sky and colorful lights. The balloons might be brighter, depending on how close I'm willing and able to get. But the shooter was able to preserve the contrast between the sky and the bright lights. I'm thinking about just taking my 50mm f1:1.8 and seeing what happens. It might limit the ability to get those "group" balloon shots, but it's nice and sharp and doesn't take up much space.

I bought a Kiev 4 a few years ago for around $40. Like your Zorki, it was quite amazing at how it felt so "real," if that makes sense. I couldn't help but love its vintage aesthetic, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that not only was its selenium cell light meter still functional, but it appeared reasonably accurate as well. As long as I cut the "Contax cut" film leader properly, it takes great pictures. Its aromatic leather case shows more than a little wear, and the camera wouldn't pass for brand new, but it certainly doesn't appear worn-out by any stretch. I can't help but wonder if it's something that the average Soviet citizen back then would have been allowed to own. On the subject of Soviet cameras: I bought a FED 4 a few years ago, and my overly active, restless mind got the better of me and I ended up taking it apart and ruining it in the process. I've regretted that ever since and am on the hunt to replace it even though I don't need another camera. I didn't damage the Industar 61 52mm f1:2.8 lens. Maybe not the fastest lens, but it looks good and clear.

Good evening, I've had some good experiences with some of the cameras from the FSU. So, since I don't have any other medium format cameras, I decided to have a look at getting a Lubitel 166 Universal. The Universal has the advantage of being able to take two different sizes of photos on 120 film provided the appropriate frame is in place. There seem to be several of them available on ebay at any given time, but the film frames seem to be something that gets lost, so finding an auction for a used Lubi with the film and viewfinder frames is the exception to the rule. The Lomography website sells a complete Lubitel kit with everything you could possibly want for one that costs around $350US. It's almost comically understated for me to say that seems a mite dear. Sadly, so many of the ones available on the used market seem to still live within the confines of the FSU, so the shipping charge pretty well kills alot of the good deals that could be had. My question is: Is it possible to make your own functional film and viewfinder frames for this camera? I've heard that there is a service out there that sells replacements, but there is something about a Soviet camera that inspires a certain amount of DIY spirit. It would seem more rewarding to solve the problem with materials at hand. Thank you, -William

This one proves that what I want to do is possible, and it looks really good. Did you happen to remember the technical details, like lens size, f-stop, shutter speed etc?

Hi everyone, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who took some time out to ponder my questions and offer up some advice and suggestions. It's funny that not all of it is in agreement, but such is the nature of the beast. I have a tripod, my F90X, some Ektar 100, and the gently used Nikon MC-20 release came in the mail today. Hopefully I'll end up with something to show for all of this. Thank you again.

I just remembered a couple of others: The first camera I ever had was a Polaroid One-Step. Black plastic with those rainbow logos on it. I must have been 9 or 10 years old, and I can't remember what time of year I received it. It had to have been for a special occasion, though, because they were $35 back then, and that's probably like $70 or $80 in today's money. It's still around somewhere, likely packed away and gathering dust somewhere. I later bought another Polaroid sometime around 1995, and may still have it in part because it came with a nice case. Back when I was around 11 or 12, I bought my first 35mm in the form of an Ansco P&S with autofocus from K-Mart. It was somewhere between $20 and $40, and I'd saved birthday and Christmas money for it. I really thought I was moving up into the big time, especially since the camera had autofocus. I got a reality check in time, but even for all its flaws, that camera went with me on several school trips, family vacations, and trips to the beach with friends. I would imagine there are more than a few of us on the forum who can tell a similar story, and like me, they look through the collection of negatives they still have and think back about how taking a picture seemed like a big deal, because if you used the roll of film, you had to get another one if the trip was still happening and you weren't home yet. So, you probably got a little parsimonious with the film, and passed on a few memories that you wish you had now. That camera is also still around, though packed away.