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Alright, thanks to you bastards I'm considering investing in some MF gear. Would I go wrong buying a Mamiya 645E on KEH for $254 (rated EX+), and pairing it with an 80mm/f2.8 lens for $89 (also EX+)? I understand 645 isn't the most beloved of the MF sizes, but am I right in thinking it's essentially a cropped 6x6 and that the advantages of MF will still come through? I'm thinking a light, plastic body that gets more shots per roll might be a better way to introduce myself to the format, and then if I'm feeling particularly enthusiastic I can always sell the kit and move on to a proper 6x6 (or 6x7) camera.
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Jan 19, 2014 10:21
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Spedman posted:Second this, 645 was my first step into MF and was a total waste of time. I only had the Mamiya for a month then dumped it for a Bronica SQ-Ai, more shots doesn't equal better. Also, I had a look through your tumblr. Fellow Melburnian still? Is there anywhere you'd recommend locally for development and scanning?
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Jan 19, 2014 14:09
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Thanks for the help, all. I'm leaning toward the Bronica at the moment. How does $700 on KEH sound? This is for an EX+ SQ-AI body ($199), EX+ 80/2.8 PS lens ($165), EX+ 12-I back ($165) and an EX waistlevel finder for $179 as none of the bodies include one. I also priced a Hasselblad system for $400 more -- is there enough difference to justify the extra cost? Is one a really good or one a really bad deal? (The Hassy is specced similarly.)
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Jan 20, 2014 05:34
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Yeah, $284 of that difference is taken up by the lens alone. I'll have a better look when I'm back home tonight because browsing KEH on my phone is bullshit. If $700's a fair price I might just pull the trigger.
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Jan 20, 2014 05:58
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gently caress it, I bought a Hassy. BGN back & body (w/ WLF), EX lens because I was wary about skimping there. It broke a grand once shipping was factored in (and I picked up some rolls of Provia 400, going on recommendations earlier in this thread). Now I'm going to stop looking at prices before I get depressed, and list some stuff in the B+S thread tomorrow (anybody here into the lesser formats?). Should be here on Friday. I'm excited! Think I have a lot to learn before then, but I'll work my way through the rest of this thread first. 
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Jan 20, 2014 13:12
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Thanks for the heads-up! (And validation!) When you say test roll, should I just be shooting normal scenes and seeing if anything's out of the ordinary, or is there a special process for checking for light leaks? And for the slow shutter speeds, is that where I time a second / half-second and see if they correspond?
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Jan 20, 2014 13:28
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alkanphel posted:Yeah just shoot a range of bright to dark scenes, if there's a light leak it should be fairly obvious. And yeah just put the Hassy on a stable surface and try the 1/4-1 sec speeds, shooting for the same exposure each time to compare.
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Jan 21, 2014 04:25
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Wow, that's fantastic. I went through and read your post history in this thread, and now I'm even more excited to get into MF if you only started in September and you're already producing these results. This shot is massively different to your others, though -- can I go out on a limb and guess it's slide film? I have no experience yet but I'm trying to pick up what I can. Got my tracking number from KEH. Expected delivery is next Tuesday, when I've got the day off work. Which would be great except I always get stuff delivered to work. 
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Jan 22, 2014 02:33
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  I can already tell this is going to be one hell of a learning experience. I love that everything is mechanical, and that things actually make sense once you think about it. I was having a lot of trouble getting the shutter to fire with the back attached -- it was working fine until I attached the back -- and then I remembered reading that it won't fire with the dark slide in. Later, I couldn't get the back away from the camera -- which is when I realised it needed the dark slide in for the back to be removed. Brilliant! I don't know if this is just expected behaviour with SLRs, but I appreciate the idiot-proofing. I was a bit of an idiot when ordering, though, and neglected to get lens or body caps. Given I only have the one lens, would I be able to get away with an off-brand 60mm lens cap?
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Jan 26, 2014 05:18
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Another silly beginner's question: I'm planning to take my Hasselblad out and about tomorrow, but it's expected to be above 30 degrees C for most of the day (probably hitting 35). Given all the talk about refrigerating film, and that the film box says to keep it below 24, should I be concerned? I can't imagine a big black metal box is the best place for film to be in those conditions, but is film finicky enough that a day's shooting would do harm?
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Jan 27, 2014 11:12
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I'm out shooting the film now, and I think heat is going to be the absolute least of my concerns. I'm expecting to get a roll back with skewed horizons and nothing in focus. Having so much fun doing it, though.
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Jan 28, 2014 03:27
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I made a series of decisions and now I own a Chamonix. Which is really exciting except I'm flying out of the country tomorrow and my share of the luggage is already spoken for with the Hassy and various accoutrements. So: what's the best way to store a LF lens while not in use? Obviously I'll leave it uncocked, but do I need to do anything fancy with the aperture or shutter? Also, I know a lot of you either live in or travel to Japan a lot -- are there any must-see film places? Is Map Camera worth checking out?
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Apr 3, 2014 23:51
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I kind of love Portra for long exposures, it turns out. Need to try it more often. Matsuya Ryokan by rstop bstop, on Flickr (Is the bottom-left too yellow/green? Rest of the picture looks good to my eyes, any thoughts welcome.)
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May 16, 2014 13:30
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 Midagahara Hotel by rstop bstop, on Flickr
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May 18, 2014 15:12
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Behold, super-lovely LF. Bench by rstop bstop, on Flickr Actually pretty happy I got a shot at all. Had to boost the contrast a lot in post -- I know Rodinal leads to a flat negative, but I was shooting with a red filter, so expected more contrast in the sky. I think next time I won't compensate as much for the filter, and develop a bit longer? (I did a 1:100 semi-stand for an hour.) [edit: also, the right-hand side -- I'm thinking the fading there must have happened during development, as it's on the wrong side for a light leak. Not entirely sure how it could have happened, though. rohan fucked around with this message at 12:38 on May 28, 2014 |
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May 28, 2014 12:35
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Have many people here sent a Hasselblad to David Odess? I know someone has, but I can't remember who. Particularly interested if any Aussies have done so as I'm a bit concerned about customs / shipping etc. I've been putting off maintenance for a while as there's nothing obviously wrong with it, but I did also buy it as a bargain body, and the sooner I send it in the sooner I can get back to shooting.
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Jul 5, 2014 13:26
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I just processed and scanned a bunch of 4x5, and every frame has a similar fogging which I'm assuming is a light leak. Here's the least obnoxious example: BERETT by rstop bstop, on FlickrAnd here's a more prominent example:  Light by rstop bstop, on FlickrFour sheets from two different holders all show the same fading that tapers in from the left-hand side of the image (so, the side the darkslide opens from). Fair to say it's a light leak? I'm thinking either my technique getting the darkslide in and out isn't good enough, or else the holder isn't seated properly in the back when I take the shot. But maybe someone here has a better idea?
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Oct 1, 2014 11:19
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gently caress me I just realised after shooting some 4x5 in portrait, I'd put the back on in landscape position upside down. Loading film holders doesn't work so well from the wrong side, it turns out! Unless you're me and you're stupid enough not to realise they're not locking in properly. This is why I'm keeping my 4x5 Portra in the freezer.
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Oct 1, 2014 12:05
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MrBlandAverage posted:I think he was putting the back on wrong (left-to-right) but the holder in right (right to left). I don't know about whether it makes a difference on a Sinar, but it definitely makes a difference on a Chamonix where the closed end of the holder is surrounded by a raised part of the back.
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Oct 1, 2014 14:59
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If you're going to do it on even a semi-regular basis, a mod54 would be a really good investment. It's fairly easy to load one after a bit of practise and you'll be able to develop all six sheets at once.
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Oct 12, 2014 06:16
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Sludge Tank posted:My first ever batch of slide film finally developed (was sitting in the fridge for like 18 months). I'm going to sell everything I own and buy more velvia. rohan fucked around with this message at 01:16 on Oct 19, 2014 |
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Oct 19, 2014 01:13
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Nice! What kind of exposure comp did you need for that shot? I've never had much luck with Acros and red filters.
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Oct 20, 2014 08:01
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I think a project is a really good idea. I'm sick of being a 'photographer of opportunity' because it's so easy to get in a rut and keep taking pictures of the same loving things in the same loving places. One idea I'm going to steal from somewhere else is planning out trips on Google Maps and street view. It feels as if I never have enough dedicated time for photography and, especially when shooting the larger formats, I really need to cut down the amount of time I spend trying to find good shots. (At this point I'd just be really happy if my photos were poo poo because of dull composition and subject matter, rather than 'oh hey you forgot you were shooting 100-speed film and you can't use spirit levels for poo poo'.)
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Oct 20, 2014 23:45
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Also trying to get my head around red filters. Revisited the scene of a previous shot and came out with this: Cricket II by rstop bstop, on Flickr Which I think is an improvement but I doubt you'd know I was using a Red 29 filter if I didn't tell you. For reference I took this around 3pm and the earlier shot was taken around 6pm (so, about an hour before sunset). What kind of lighting do I need to be getting the intense blacks Sludge Tank has in almost every shot? Or is it down to one film being more sensitive to blue / red than the other? (I also switched up development and suspect I underdeveloped the first shot anyway.) rohan fucked around with this message at 13:24 on Oct 25, 2014 |
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Oct 25, 2014 09:29
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Yeah, I forgot to come back to this discussion. It all makes a lot more sense now so I reckon I'll have a better idea of how to gauge filters next time. I've also ordered a 67mm polariser as I think a polariser + yellow filter will probably get closer to the look I want to achieve than a red filter on its own. I already have a 58mm polariser from my time shooting the lesser formats but a) that would only fit on one of my lenses and b) am I right in thinking the order should be polariser->filter->lens to get any sort of effect? I've also noticed Acros in particular was ill-suited to red filter use so it's nice to see that backed up elsewhere. I've mainly used Acros for night-time long exposures though (those inky blacks!) so it wasn't really based on huge amounts of experience.
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Oct 27, 2014 04:00
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 Surveillance by rstop bstop, on Flickr rohan fucked around with this message at 14:09 on Nov 3, 2014 |
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Nov 3, 2014 14:05
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Sludge Tank posted:That's awesome. I've tried doing some of that selective focusing with my LF but it's harder than I thought to pick a good scene for it. I always just end up cracking the shits. f/128 yolo Also, that's a great shot, Helicity.
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Nov 5, 2014 10:56
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nth-ing the Chamonix. I got the 045F-1, but should've got the 045N-2 -- I never, ever use the asymmetrical tilt, so I'm carrying around an extra 200g for no reason (and I paid more for the privilege!) I'd really suggest making a shopping list before you buy anything. There's so much extra stuff involved in shooting LF that it's easy to forget something until you find out you need it. Bare minimum, you'll need the camera, lens, tripod & tripod head, some way to carry it all, cable shutter releases, changing bag (or darkroom), film holders, a loupe, and something you can use as a darkcloth. Later on you'll want to get a proper meter, colour filters for B&W, more film holders, and an actual darkcloth. Probably some film, too. I really like 150 & 210 as well. They were the two cheapest lenses I've bought and the 150 is almost comically light (the 300mm I bought off Sludge Tank is comically light). I don't think you could go wrong with the standard 150, but honestly I think the 210 is even more versatile. That said, because LF lenses are so much lighter than their MF counterparts, it's so much easier to justify carrying two or three around with you, so you'll be more likely to use different lenses.
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Nov 14, 2014 11:16
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lime's right, and it's the reason I've only shot B&W in 4x5. That said, I'd still recommend 4x5 over MF if you think it'll suit your style of shooting more. It's a much slower process and you'll be taking far fewer photos than you would shooting MF, which helps mitigate the extra cost per shot.
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Nov 15, 2014 00:08
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 Slide by rstop bstop, on Flickr rohan fucked around with this message at 13:17 on Nov 17, 2014 |
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Nov 17, 2014 08:53
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I picked up a Gossen Digisix based on some goon recommendations and it's treated me well so far.
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Dec 9, 2014 07:06
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Pretty sure I need to learn to stop down more. Shed by rstop bstop, on Flickr
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Dec 17, 2014 09:51
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nice! deaders I know where you live rohan fucked around with this message at 13:02 on Dec 19, 2014 |
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Dec 19, 2014 12:57
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From memory Sludge Tank has the F1 (as do I) and I haven't noticed any issues with unfocused shots, but I also take very few photos where critical focus would be an issue. I suppose the easiest test would be the classic ruler laid out in front, focus on a measurement and see how far off the focus is. I should probably do this myself some time...
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Jan 3, 2015 03:30
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dear lady who pulled into a parking space, saw my 4x5 and tripod immediately beside it, and then pulled out and drove away thank you your sacrifice in the name of poo poo pictures is appreciated
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Jan 6, 2015 03:14
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 4WD by rstop bstop, on Flickr
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Jan 9, 2015 13:21
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deaders posted:https://www.flickr.com/photos/woutervandevoorde/ is one of the best on flickr in my opinion.
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Jan 10, 2015 05:08
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Helicity posted:It's cammed for the 135 that's in it right now, so I don't need to worry about that. I hit a little snag with the Fuji lens though - does anyone know how to easily tell which Copal number a lens is? It just says Copal on it, and I thought these were all Copal 0, but apparently Fuji made a few different sizes. The seller has no idea. Does it even matter for the Crown?
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Apr 16, 2015 03:17
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Finally shot some of the Astia I bought from MrBlandAverage a little while ago. Amazed at how well it turned out for ten years expired -- this was shot at box speed with minimal levels and curves in Photoshop. No Smoking by Rohan Bassett, on Flickr
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May 15, 2015 11:55
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120 shoot astia erryday for the next two days Bike by Rohan Bassett, on Flickr
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Jul 31, 2015 00:50
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