Recently i have shot 3 or 4 rolls through it, and its given me a few ideas, here are some scans from those rolls, mostly shot around Dunedin city where i live.
Thursday, 7 September 2017
Small frame fun
I've been shooting film more regularly over the last couple of years. Mostly medium format, but i have had my little Pentax Auto 110 a couple of years now and shot a few rolls of film, but i havent really used it heaps.
Recently i have shot 3 or 4 rolls through it, and its given me a few ideas, here are some scans from those rolls, mostly shot around Dunedin city where i live.
Recently i have shot 3 or 4 rolls through it, and its given me a few ideas, here are some scans from those rolls, mostly shot around Dunedin city where i live.
Thursday, 18 May 2017
Easter fun
Easter has come and gone, and with it the airshow season in NZ.
I attended Classic Fighters 2017 this year, mainly to see one of my favorite Reno Air Racers of all time, the Yak-3U R2000 known as Steadfast.
Anyway i digress, this year my intention was to shoot a lot of film and not a lot of digital.
Well, i shot a bunch of film, but not as much as i wanted, i left home with 10 rolls of film mixed between 120 and 35mm, well, i bought 4 rolls home unused... and shot a shade over 6500 frames over three and a bit days using my OM-D.
The trip up was pretty darn spectacular, from Christchurch to Blenheim we had to take the 'inland detour' due to the SH1 still being closed south and north of Kaikoura after the November earthquake. But that detour goes through some of the South Islands most spectacular scenery.
I limited my film cameras for the trip to my Canon A-1 with 4 lenses from 28mm to 200mm, and my Pentax 645 and lenses.
My film stocks for the trip was a mixed bag, Lomo Earl Grey, Kodak Ektar 100, Portra 400, Lomo X-Pro, Ilford PanF 50, Ilford Delta 400, plus my 35mm stock included some out of date Konica and Agfa color negative film.
Going through my pics, ive been pretty happy with the results from both my digital, and both of my film cameras. Here are some of the images both film and digital
Tank, Canon A-1 Expired Konica film
The Same Tank but on Lomo Color Neg from my Pentax 645
The Fokkers- 7 Fokker Dr1s and 1x Fokker D VII
3 Spitfires, Top to bottom Tr9, Mk XIV & Mk IX
Dh Venom - Olympus OM-D E-M1
The Mk XIV Spitfire Friday evening
A Flame start - Mk XIV Spitfire
I attended Classic Fighters 2017 this year, mainly to see one of my favorite Reno Air Racers of all time, the Yak-3U R2000 known as Steadfast.
Anyway i digress, this year my intention was to shoot a lot of film and not a lot of digital.
Well, i shot a bunch of film, but not as much as i wanted, i left home with 10 rolls of film mixed between 120 and 35mm, well, i bought 4 rolls home unused... and shot a shade over 6500 frames over three and a bit days using my OM-D.
The trip up was pretty darn spectacular, from Christchurch to Blenheim we had to take the 'inland detour' due to the SH1 still being closed south and north of Kaikoura after the November earthquake. But that detour goes through some of the South Islands most spectacular scenery.
I limited my film cameras for the trip to my Canon A-1 with 4 lenses from 28mm to 200mm, and my Pentax 645 and lenses.
My film stocks for the trip was a mixed bag, Lomo Earl Grey, Kodak Ektar 100, Portra 400, Lomo X-Pro, Ilford PanF 50, Ilford Delta 400, plus my 35mm stock included some out of date Konica and Agfa color negative film.
Going through my pics, ive been pretty happy with the results from both my digital, and both of my film cameras. Here are some of the images both film and digital
Tank, Canon A-1 Expired Konica film
The Fokkers- 7 Fokker Dr1s and 1x Fokker D VII
Thursday, 23 March 2017
Saying goodbye......
Today i said goodbye to a solid friend and one of my monsters...
Yes i sold my Bronica S2a kit... I love the camera, but it also frustrated me absolutely as i struggled to get my head around framing a 6x6 image, i either had far to much foreground, far to much sky, or i cut things off in the vertical plane.
Im not going to say how much i got for the camera, but i got an ok number, and although if i had of sold it on the likes of ebay i could have gotten much more for it because unlike many that have been online for sale in kits, most had 1 nikkor lens, 1 back and maybe another brand of lens in the kit, whereas my now former kit had 2x 120 backs, a pentaprism finder, 75mm Nikkor lens, 5cm Nikkor lens and 200mm Nikkor lens, and the original Zenza Bronica travel case.
Im happy with my decision to sell the big girl, but i hadnt used the camera in 6 or 7 months, and honestly, ive been going for my 645 bag when i grab a medium format camera bag, because although still a big 120 film camera with auto wind and metering, it still slows me down and the image quality is superb.
The new owner is already planning on giving the Bronny a little birthday by re-lining and restoring the case a little, and using it more than i have and will in the future.
No regrets for me selling, as i know it will get used, but there will be a soft spot for the Big Bronica for me as a camera that totally re-invested me in film photography...
Yes i sold my Bronica S2a kit... I love the camera, but it also frustrated me absolutely as i struggled to get my head around framing a 6x6 image, i either had far to much foreground, far to much sky, or i cut things off in the vertical plane.
Im not going to say how much i got for the camera, but i got an ok number, and although if i had of sold it on the likes of ebay i could have gotten much more for it because unlike many that have been online for sale in kits, most had 1 nikkor lens, 1 back and maybe another brand of lens in the kit, whereas my now former kit had 2x 120 backs, a pentaprism finder, 75mm Nikkor lens, 5cm Nikkor lens and 200mm Nikkor lens, and the original Zenza Bronica travel case.
Im happy with my decision to sell the big girl, but i hadnt used the camera in 6 or 7 months, and honestly, ive been going for my 645 bag when i grab a medium format camera bag, because although still a big 120 film camera with auto wind and metering, it still slows me down and the image quality is superb.
The new owner is already planning on giving the Bronny a little birthday by re-lining and restoring the case a little, and using it more than i have and will in the future.
No regrets for me selling, as i know it will get used, but there will be a soft spot for the Big Bronica for me as a camera that totally re-invested me in film photography...
Sunday, 5 March 2017
The 645
Its been a while since i made a post, and this one is a follow up to the monsters post.
I have had my Pentax 645 a little over 6 months now, and i must say it is rapidly becoming a favorite camera of mine.
The 645 with a back, and the 80-160mm lens it is no lightweight at a shade over 2.5kg but yet i am able to carry it around and not feel exhausted.
There is just something nice about that big shutter going clunk and the whirr of the advance moving the film on to the next frame.
I touched on the nostalgia i have for Pentax's big beastie last post, and i was worried that the nostalgia would temper my reality, but in fact it is the opposite, the nostalgia is turning my dabble with film photography into a serious return to using film as a major part of my photography now.
There is just something about using film that makes me feel comfortable and the anticipation of seeing what comes out on the film is part of the fun, as is knowing i only have a limited number of frames to capture, that is limited by the amount of film i am carrying, against my ILC digital camera with the 5 memory cards i carry and having around 4000 frames to go through.
The 645 makes being careful an art, with 16 frames per film, i have to be careful and selective of what i take.
Part of the other reason i am loving film photography, i am developing my own black and white films at home, i have a nice small setup that i can use easily, and the cost of developing a roll of film is down around $5 a roll compared to paying triple that if i have it processed commercially.
I have had my Pentax 645 a little over 6 months now, and i must say it is rapidly becoming a favorite camera of mine.
The 645 with a back, and the 80-160mm lens it is no lightweight at a shade over 2.5kg but yet i am able to carry it around and not feel exhausted.
There is just something nice about that big shutter going clunk and the whirr of the advance moving the film on to the next frame.
I touched on the nostalgia i have for Pentax's big beastie last post, and i was worried that the nostalgia would temper my reality, but in fact it is the opposite, the nostalgia is turning my dabble with film photography into a serious return to using film as a major part of my photography now.
There is just something about using film that makes me feel comfortable and the anticipation of seeing what comes out on the film is part of the fun, as is knowing i only have a limited number of frames to capture, that is limited by the amount of film i am carrying, against my ILC digital camera with the 5 memory cards i carry and having around 4000 frames to go through.
The 645 makes being careful an art, with 16 frames per film, i have to be careful and selective of what i take.
Part of the other reason i am loving film photography, i am developing my own black and white films at home, i have a nice small setup that i can use easily, and the cost of developing a roll of film is down around $5 a roll compared to paying triple that if i have it processed commercially.
 |
| Pickup truck, USA Day March 2017 |
Shooting Black & White film is so much fun, the above neg is an Ilford Delta 400 film shot at 400ASA and processed at home using Ilford LC29 at 1+9 mix
 |
| The molars in Dunedin |
This neg is an old expired roll of Fuji NPH400 that was one fo the first rolls put through the 645 and processed commercially
 |
| Abandoned Gun emplacement in Dunedin |
This frame is a roll of Lomography X-Pro 200 Slide film cross processed in C-41 commercially processed The colors of the Lomo film cross processed are quite cool, the next roll of this will be processed in E-6
The 645 is an amazing camera, i love it, so much so that my Bronica is sitting idle now, not having been used since not long after i got the Pentax, and i am now wondering about do i keep it, or do i try to find a new home for the Bronica and a couple of others in my collection.. But one thing is for sure, the Pentax will be a very loved and trusted companion.
Thursday, 19 January 2017
Infatuated with a couple of Monsters....
Over the last 3 years i have become enamoured with shooting film again, its been a really interesting experience to say the least, and it all started because i mentioned to a customer at work that i had a hankering to shoot some medium format film, and a day later i had taken possesion of my trusty Bronica S2a kit and the adventure started.
Since gaining the Bronica and re-kindling my romance with film, i have also aquired a couple of 110 cameras, an original Olympus Pen F half frame film camera, Canonet rangefinder camera, and after 15 years of lust a Pentax 645, all my cameras get used, but i have the biggest love affair with my 2 monsters.. The Bronica and Pentax 645.
Ever since i started my job selling cameras 15 years ago, I have always lusted for a Pentax 645, why because it was one of if not the first camera i ever sold, when i started my job we had 2 645s in stock that we were selling on behalf for customers, one was a 645 with 3 lenses and a spare insert, the other was a 645n with a 75mm lens. It was the original kit I sold early on, and since then always wanted one.
Why have i wanted one, well for 1984 tech in Medium Format, this was the gun
After so long of wanting one, i was randomly looking around ebay and found a Pentax 645 kit in Japan that was right up my alley, it had a 200mm f4 lens, and 120 insert and was in my price bracket considerably. 6 days later it was in my hands and that loving feeling of oh how i love the feel of weight in my hand.
In the 4 months ive had the 645 i have shot over half a dozen rolls of film through it.. all with a 200mm lens. In the time i have owned it, i have also purchased an 80-160mm lens for a little versatility, and another film insert for extra capacity. I would love a couple more lenses, something like the 45-85mm and of course the 75mm lens. I would also love to get one of the Pentax * series telephoto lenses, either the 400mm f5.6 or 600mm f5.6,... though they are lottery win lenses.
I love the 645, its a monster of a camera, it looks like and handles like an overgrown Pentax SLR from the era, the body with no batteries, insert of lens weighs over 1.3kg, it truly is a monster, yet is so comfortable to hold, and the controls are in easy to reach places it makes using it no harder than using an old 35mm SLR.
Ive put maybe 6 or 7 films through it now and it is actually one of the first cameras i look to carry on a trip because it is just that nice.
Unlike my Bronica, which has a waist level finder, and no light meter, the 645 uses a Prism finder, with center weighted TTL metering, This makes the process a little faster, but with manual focus getting it just right is the challenge. Because of the prism finder, it also looks like a regular camera when in use so most people ignore it, its only when that satisfying clunk and whirrr of the mirror and shutter moving, then the film advancing that people look at it.
The Bronica on the other hand takes patience, having to take light meter readings before taking a picture, i use a light meter app on my smartphone, so people see that and think i have taken a picture, then when i bring up the camera to adjust settings and take the picture i get looked at with weird looks.
Why do i love the bronica? Well even compared to the 645, the Bronica is different..
The Bronny with no meter, waist level finder looks like an old school Hasselblad that should be in a studio or museum. The no built in meter thing really slows down your picture taking by requiring a light meter or, be really good with the sunny 16 rule. The other fun thing about the bronny is the waist level finder, without a prism to correct the image like say the 645, the images are up the right way, but reversed, so framing takes a lot of patience.
The negs are gorgeous when processed, when scanning the negs, they are HUGE, even when scanning at 4800dpi, a 6x6 neg from the Bronica scans out at over 10,300 pixels by 10,300 pixels!
The 645 negs at 4800dpi scan out at at over 10,000 x 7000 pixels. I tried to scan a few at 9600dpi and those files are MASSIVE to say the least.. a 645 neg scanned out at over 20,000 x 15,000 pixels!!!
I love these big cameras because they force me to photograph with more patience and also be more critical about what i do take even with my digital camera.
Since gaining the Bronica and re-kindling my romance with film, i have also aquired a couple of 110 cameras, an original Olympus Pen F half frame film camera, Canonet rangefinder camera, and after 15 years of lust a Pentax 645, all my cameras get used, but i have the biggest love affair with my 2 monsters.. The Bronica and Pentax 645.
Ever since i started my job selling cameras 15 years ago, I have always lusted for a Pentax 645, why because it was one of if not the first camera i ever sold, when i started my job we had 2 645s in stock that we were selling on behalf for customers, one was a 645 with 3 lenses and a spare insert, the other was a 645n with a 75mm lens. It was the original kit I sold early on, and since then always wanted one.
Why have i wanted one, well for 1984 tech in Medium Format, this was the gun
| Maker | Pentax |
|---|---|
| Type | Single-lens reflex camera |
| Lens mount | Pentax 645 A mount |
| Recording medium | medium format film |
| Focus | manual (auto on 645N) |
| Exposure | automatic, manual |
| Flash | hot shoe, socket, X-sync |
| Shutter | vertical cloth focal plane |
| Shutter speeds | 15 s - 1/1000 s, Bulb |
| ASA/ISO range | ISO 6-6400 in 1/3 stop increments |
| Exposuremetering | TTL center-weighted |
| Viewfinder | fixed eye-level pentaprism |
| Battery | 6 AA |
| Weight | 46.2 ounces (1,310 g) |
| Made in | Japan |
In the 4 months ive had the 645 i have shot over half a dozen rolls of film through it.. all with a 200mm lens. In the time i have owned it, i have also purchased an 80-160mm lens for a little versatility, and another film insert for extra capacity. I would love a couple more lenses, something like the 45-85mm and of course the 75mm lens. I would also love to get one of the Pentax * series telephoto lenses, either the 400mm f5.6 or 600mm f5.6,... though they are lottery win lenses.
I love the 645, its a monster of a camera, it looks like and handles like an overgrown Pentax SLR from the era, the body with no batteries, insert of lens weighs over 1.3kg, it truly is a monster, yet is so comfortable to hold, and the controls are in easy to reach places it makes using it no harder than using an old 35mm SLR.
Ive put maybe 6 or 7 films through it now and it is actually one of the first cameras i look to carry on a trip because it is just that nice.
Unlike my Bronica, which has a waist level finder, and no light meter, the 645 uses a Prism finder, with center weighted TTL metering, This makes the process a little faster, but with manual focus getting it just right is the challenge. Because of the prism finder, it also looks like a regular camera when in use so most people ignore it, its only when that satisfying clunk and whirrr of the mirror and shutter moving, then the film advancing that people look at it.
The Bronica on the other hand takes patience, having to take light meter readings before taking a picture, i use a light meter app on my smartphone, so people see that and think i have taken a picture, then when i bring up the camera to adjust settings and take the picture i get looked at with weird looks.
Why do i love the bronica? Well even compared to the 645, the Bronica is different..
The Bronny with no meter, waist level finder looks like an old school Hasselblad that should be in a studio or museum. The no built in meter thing really slows down your picture taking by requiring a light meter or, be really good with the sunny 16 rule. The other fun thing about the bronny is the waist level finder, without a prism to correct the image like say the 645, the images are up the right way, but reversed, so framing takes a lot of patience.
The negs are gorgeous when processed, when scanning the negs, they are HUGE, even when scanning at 4800dpi, a 6x6 neg from the Bronica scans out at over 10,300 pixels by 10,300 pixels!
The 645 negs at 4800dpi scan out at at over 10,000 x 7000 pixels. I tried to scan a few at 9600dpi and those files are MASSIVE to say the least.. a 645 neg scanned out at over 20,000 x 15,000 pixels!!!
I love these big cameras because they force me to photograph with more patience and also be more critical about what i do take even with my digital camera.
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