Film Fun Folio #4: Zeiss Ikonta A 521 and Agfa Crossbird 200

Periodically, I'll be posting scans of some complete rolls of film on here, showing both the good and the bad, and giving some basic information as well a little write up of the shoot as well as the reasons why I selected each camera and film.  Enjoy the trip! 

Feature #4:
Camera: ca. 1946 Zeiss Ikonta A 521 645 120 folding camera
Film: Agfa Crossbird 200 (processed in traditional E6)
Locale: Oregon
June of 2015

I had one more trip to Oregon to make following my trip there in mid-March.  This time, I would be likely to journey farther afield than Portland, and I would have much more of an opportunity to shoot during daylight hours.  Thus, I could focus on far more than simply the lovely scenes of Neon present in my Portland After Dark feature.  One thing I knew for certain was that in a retro-savvy town like Portland as well as its neighboring environs, I wanted to bring a roll of Agfa's CR-200, also marketed as Agfa Crossbird.  I figured that the warmly nostalgic hues of this film would be ideal to have at my disposal for some scenes on this trip, and elected to use the smaller Zeiss folder for this purpose so as to enable more images to be captured.  My last experiences with this camera were underwhelming at wider apertures, but I figured that most of the scenes I would shoot would be done at f/8 or smaller.  

1 - Camas, WA - f/8 1/50 - I made one small diversion just to be able to say I walked in Washington State, and these few photos serve as my proof.  While the mill in the small town of Camas gives it an odor, the downtown and Liberty Theater look quite nice, and made a fitting retro subject for this film.

Hot Shots - Classic Scenes of Warm Weather

Collecting vintage slides can be quite an interesting treat, while being able to pinpoint the location where some of these classic scenes were taken (and to readily provide a comparable scene today) makes it even more historically rewarding.  My ability to be able to do the location spotting has varied.  In some cases, I've employed the assistance of others prior to posting these images, while in others, blog followers have come forth to help locate the location of a classic scene.  Mostly, however, I've been assisted by having some advance knowledge of the location from writing on the mount, specific location clues in the image itself, or specific mention in the auction listing.  Lacking this, I've had some very satisfying times finding a tough location, or conversely, an arduous amount of clue searching to arrive at the presumed proper spot.  

I begin to find that the more that I collect, the more I encounter some great images that fall into the very last category mentioned above, either whose precise location is a mystery to me, or for which I really can't provide a good "then and now" comparison using online resources.  For these reasons, all too often, these great photos tend to languish in a a Kodaslide storage box, wanting to see the light of day on my Monday morning feature, but set aside week after week as I choose other images that more readily lend themselves to being able to be pinpointed.  

The inability to provide a precise location is the sole thing that precludes me from featuring these shots on the Monday feature, but that notwithstanding, these are some excellent images stretching back decades.  They deserve to be spotlighted, and I'm taking the opportunity to do just that in this feature.  Enjoy! 

There are times when I am at a complete loss for words when I think of how a color photographic image can survive decades in such a pristine state.  This is one such case.  The "ready-mount" for this image dates it, incredibly enough as March 11, 1941! Yet, it truly does appear as if it could have been taken just days ago.  The only locational clue is that it was taken in Miami, Florida, but I have no idea exactly where.

Classic Kodachrome Monday #50

Every Monday, I'll be spotlighting a different classic Kodachrome slide that I've picked up, and trying where I can to detail the who, what, when, where, why, and how (much) of the image:

This Week:

What: After the Rain

Film Fun Folio #3: Balda Pontina and Fuji Velvia 100

Periodically, I'll be posting scans of some complete rolls of film on here, showing both the good and the bad, and giving some basic information as well a little write up of the shoot as well as the reasons why I selected each camera and film.  Enjoy the trip! 

Feature #3:
Camera: ca. 1938 Balda Pontina 6x9 120 folding camera
Film: Fuji Velvia 100
Locale: Central Maryland
June of 2015

If I had to choose only one camera to shoot film with, this would probably be my choice. While short of perfect, the Balda Pontina and its Meyer Gorlitz Trioplan lens, has taken some of the most vivid and lifelike photographs that I have been fortunate enough of which to be a part of creating.  Generally speaking, my most likely film of choice for this old folder would be Velvia 50, renowned for its amazing color rendition and intense saturation. However, I had a roll of V-50's faster sibling, Velvia 100, that I elected to run through this classic camera to generate some hopefully predictable, yet pleasing results.

1 - Glenelg, MD - f/5.6 1/250 - My first shot of the roll offers a slightly contrasty yet well rendered scene by the Balda.

Kodachrome Classic Monday #49

Every Monday, I'll be spotlighting a different classic Kodachrome slide that I've picked up, and trying where I can to detail the who, what, when, where, why, and how (much) of the image:

This Week:

What: City Setting under cloudless skies

Film Fun Folio #2: Balda Lisette and Rollei RPX 25

Periodically, I'll be posting scans of some complete rolls of film on here, showing both the good and the bad, and giving some basic information as well a little write up of the shoot as well as the reasons why I selected each camera and film.  Enjoy the trip! 

Feature #2:
Camera: ca. 1938 Balda Lisette 645 120 folding camera
Film: Rollei RPX 25
Locale: Washington DC and Central Maryland
May and June of 2015

I really enjoyed the results of Rollei RPX in the Franka Solida, but when a shutter hang issue precluded its use not too long ago, I had to find an alternative for shooting this really great film.  The obvious default was the Balda Lisette, largely due to it being the only other 120 in my possession with a lens as fast (f/2.9) as the Franka.  Having only run one roll of film through the Lisette, I was a bit leery about the results I might get at wider apertures, particularly given how much I liked the results from the Schneider lens on the Franka, but I had to take the chance to see how this Trioplan could perform with this stunning slow speed film!

1 - Washington DC - f/2.9 1/100 - I started with a monochrome version of the very same shot that started off my Agfa roll last week.  As much a fan of color photography as I am, I have to say that I am far more partial to this shot, which carries a more powerful composition in shades of grey.

Kodachrome Classic Monday #48

Every Monday, I'll be spotlighting a different classic Kodachrome slide that I've picked up, and trying where I can to detail the who, what, when, where, why, and how (much) of the image:

This Week:

What: Neon at Night

Film Fun Folio #1: Agfa Billy Compur and Fuji Velvia 50

Regularly, I'll be posting scans of some complete rolls of film on here, showing both the good and the bad, and giving some basic information as well a little write up of the shoot as well as the reasons why I selected each camera and film.  Enjoy the trip! 

Feature #1:
Camera: ca. 1949 AGFA Billy Compur 6x9 120 folding camera
Film: Fuji Velvia 50
Locale: Central Maryland
May and June of 2015

It had been a while since I'd shot anything on the Billy Compur, a gleaming Art Deco styled camera that was among the very first folding cameras I picked up.  I'd felt a little guilty about leaving Billy on the shelf for so long, but as the landscapes about turned from a dreary shade of straw into a more lush green, I wanted to give this camera another shot, as my previous results were a bit hit and miss, and I was not sure if this was more a by-product of my inexperience with folding cameras when I first shot it back in the Fall, or if it was an issue with the camera itself.  I loaded it up with a fresh dated roll of Velvia to see how it would perform for its first roll of 2015.

1 - Washington DC - f/4.5 1/50 - I elected to test the sharpness of the Solinar lens wide open for my first image, and got this generally successful result.

Kodachrome Classic Monday #47

Every Monday, I'll be spotlighting a different classic Kodachrome slide that I've picked up, and trying where I can to detail the who, what, when, where, why, and how (much) of the image:

This Week:

What: Mountain Town

Eight Reasons Why I Shoot 120 Film

Not too long ago, I was asked by a friend and fellow film fan "So do you ever shoot 35mm any more?" It was a simple but good question, given that the answer at the moment is "No."

After all, there are a wealth of GREAT reasons to shoot 35mm film, such as the wealth and variety of equipment, including some with outstanding optics as well as many of the advanced technological features seen in present day digital cameras, with a number of these advanced cameras available for less than the cost of even a basic zoom digital camera.  In addition, 35mm is more economical, providing more frames per roll of film than my beloved medium format, typically allowing 3 times as many images per roll, which translates to more shooting fun.

So with all this going for it, why would I elect to shoot medium format instead of 35mm?  It's a question that bears thinking about, and certainly bears answering, and I've gladly provided some responses below.

1 - It's Easy on the Eyes - Since I shoot "slide" film predominantly, I find it handy to look directly at the film to assess photos prior to scanning them.  While I'm by no means "poor" in sight, my rods and cones are not exactly what they once were, and looking at a 120 slide, I can pretty readily evaluate exposure, focus, and color in my images at a glance, whereas I've picked out "good" shots on 35mm slides at a glance only to find that they are not at all focused when looking closer.  Besides, it is amazing to look at something that actually looks like a "enlarged" scene when looking at one's film rather than just a "thumbnail" type of view.

Long Green, MD - Agfa Billy Record.  I could readily tell by looking at this 6x9 transparency that it was properly exposed and focused before ever using any magnification.