A return to film...and the Bronica SQ

Another find on e-Bay has proved to be a little gem, for nearly nothing I managed to acquire a fully functional Bronica SQ-A with 120 back, a 80mm standard lens and waist level finder. 

A little later I have invested in a 50mm, grip and a metered prism. 

The square format is classical; and makes composition a joy - 

Shot on Ilford FP4.

Shot on Ilford FP4.

Shot on Kodak Porta 160 VC [really out of date…]

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A return to film...and the Bronica.

Digital photography has flourished and I shoot a great deal in digital, even digital based Infrared (IR) but I have continued to use film throughout: many people don't have any experience with film based photography. I do like digital as it can improve your photographic skills very quickly - I have learnt a lot as you can immediately review your shot and quickly solve any issues with it.

But, I'm not sure even with all the digital conveniences that are available you can get the digital image to look the same as if the image was taken on a negative or transparency film. 

There seems to be a thriving movement (if it ever dwindled) supporting film based photography. I have revisited a format of film photography which I haven't used for a couple of years - Medium Format. I have a Bronica ETRS which I bought a few years back. I have a collection of films for the camera in the 120 format which comprise of Fuji transparency film (Velvia) and the excellent Ilford HP5+ for those black and white shots. Additionally as shown in the shot below I have a shot a couple of rolls of Ilford Delta 3200, a fast black and white emulsion. 

You might just want to get hold of a secondhand film camera, there are a few out there, the Nikon F4, the Canon T90 (I owned one of these!) or even a the superb Contax RTS III and a host of other wonderful photographic tools. Grab a roll of film and shoot - then the wait and anticipation of what you shot appearing on small analogue pieces of heaven. 

Loch Lomond Tree shot on Ilford Delta 3200. 

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Adventures with the iconic LOMO LCA....(Lomo Kompakt Automat)

I managed to get my hands on a LC-A a while back, the one I found on e-Bay seemed to to be an original Russian model and not one of the Chinese copies. 

I did a bit of research online and found that original LOMO LC-A models would have cyrillic lettering, plus would have the motor winder connection on the bottom of the camera. Additionally the film speed is measured in GOST units instead of ISO/ASA and and has no “Lomo Guy” logo on the viewfinder cover. The viewfinder does have frame lines, and the two red LEDs, focus indicator and icons.

For reference, if you do stumble on one of these, (like I did and the instruction booklet that came with it was in Russian..) the film speed settings can be set as follows:

Print Film:

65 for 100 ASA

130 for 200 ASA

250 for 400 ASA

For slide film (I only use 100 ASA and cross process) set the GOST units to 130.

All images taken on a LOMO LCA. Shot on Kodak Ektar 100 ASA print film and processed normally (C41).

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Infra Red - More Adventures

The converted Nikon D1x has proved an excellent base model, the IR capture capabilities are great, the only downside to the camera is the battery life. 

I haven't been out with the camera for a while..the weather just hasn't been up to it. I took these images back in May 2012.

Both images taken with a Nikon D1x 1/250 @ f8 ISO 100. (18-55mm AF-S f3.5-5.6G ED DX)

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SX 70 The Original Instant

I had bought the Polaroid Supercolor 670AF primarily to explore the realms of instant photography after reading about the Impossible Projects ambitions to restart the production of the film for these camera types since Polaroid had ceased production some time ago.

After buying the 670AF and then seeing how Lo Fi these units were, the search for something more substantial started. During the trawls of eBay I had noticed the SX 70 in various shapes and forms. There were the plastic ‘80’s versions that used the SX 70 film but I was after the more aesthetically pleasing folding SX 70 versions of the ‘70’s.

The earlier SX 70 models employed a 4-element 116mm f/8 glass lens, with focusing via geared wheel at top of lens/shutter housing. An electronic shutter with programmed automatic exposure with shutter speeds ranging from >10 sec to 1/175 with an aperture range of f/8- f/22. These sounded slightly more adventurous than the plastic bodied 670AF that I had got. So, the eBay hunting started….

After watching a few Sonar auto focus models, and watching the prices range considerably I spotted a “Buy It Now” listed Polaroid SX 70 Land Camera Alpha 1 Model 2. It was sold as seen with the seller noting “it has an old film inside” and that it was in half decent condition; I watched the item for a number of days. After further sales of SX 70 models it became apparent that most were in the same condition or had small faults. At that point I took the plunge and pushed the buy it now button…

The camera arrived, and as promised it did have the old film inside, it had been stuck in upside down by the way it looked, so it was prised out with some difficulty. 

Shot on a Polaroid SX 70 Land Camera Alpha 1 with the new First Flush PX100 Instant Film. 

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Further adventures in Infra Red

The Nikon D1X has been stored in the camera bag for the last few months due to the perpetual cold, and the constant dull overcast skies and rain. Finally the weather broke and the sun appeared. So with the battery charged I ventured out.

Since getting the camera and thoroughly reading the manual I figured out how to stop the aperture moving with the focal length, buried in the custom functions menu was the option to turn this feature off. Off it went.

As I have been shooting IR for a while now, I have picked up an invaluable piece of information that relates to how the images that the camera records will convert to give that IR effect during the processing of the images.

The key is setting the White balance [WB]. I have seen that some IR shooters leave the camera on “Auto” but I have found that setting the WB to custom then using the captured shot to set the WB the easiest way to get the foliage the ethereal “white”.

The best results are by using a green background to fill the frame, shooting this then using it as the reference to set the balance. This will set the WB to give better foliage reproduction in the processed image. I also shoot only in JPEG, I have read that some shoot in RAW but as the images don’t require the same degree of adjustment I tend to keep it simple. Processing the images is where the fun starts. I have read various workflows, which always seem to increase in complexity, I’m sure these are for people who have hours to spend stuck indoors. I’d rather be out with the camera. 

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