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Mar 26, 2018 12:54
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Holgas and Dianas are fun to mess around with. You're not going to get these brilliantly detailed images that you'll make a ton of money on hanging in a museum, but they have a unique image quality that some people seek out on purpose.
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Mar 26, 2018 14:05
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imo make your toy cam experience worth it and grab a nice laser drilled pinhole cam from RealitySoSubtle or ZeroImage et al
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Mar 26, 2018 14:13
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I even bought a real vintage Diana after getting a Lomography reproduction to compare the small differences in them. I still keep it in the original box with the flash attachment.
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Mar 26, 2018 15:26
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Thanks everybody! I really like MF but am broke and was wondering if a toy camera would be a good way to see if it's for me without  and seeing that Holga + film on Amazon for $40 is pretty tempting. I'll probably just wait until I can afford it though.
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Mar 26, 2018 17:39
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girl pants posted:Thanks everybody! I really like MF but am broke and was wondering if a toy camera would be a good way to see if it's for me without Well, the question is what you're looking to get out of it. A $40 toy camera isn't going to get you into serious medium format shooting where you get these gigantic images full of more detail than you could ever imagine possible. That's in the realm of very, very expensive work. On the other hand, they get you into film cheap. My first ever film camera was a Lomography Diana F+. The images don't turn out looking awesome, but sometimes a grainy or softly focused image with some light leaks is the kind of interesting image you're looking for. They have a sort of coolness that people put a lot of effort into replicating digitally. 
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Mar 26, 2018 18:22
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I guess my question is, "would this be a good way to see if shooting MF is for me?" I have some 35mm toy cameras that I love but I find using them is an entirely different experience than using a film SLR. I'll probably just wait until I can afford something better though. I mean, I still have to pay to get the film developed.
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Mar 26, 2018 18:47
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Lomo/holga shooting is confusing to me because (especially if you're shooting anything but B&W) you go through a lot of energy buying the film, loading it, shooting with it, dropping it off, paying for the negs, scanning it, uploading it, etc. Real MF cameras aren't too expensive, most retain their value very well, it seems worth it to actually see if you like the full experience instead of some lovely analog. Using a holga is as different from using a hassleblad/pentax as riding a donkey is from being on a motorcycle - it's not going to translate the non-gimmick MF usage experience at all. If you want the look that those systems provide then that's an aesthetic matter obviously. e: yeah exactly. It's all the hassle of MF with none of the benefit.
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Mar 26, 2018 18:49
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I think starting film on old medium format cameras was a good learning experience. That Lomography Diana was the first physical film I had ever shot since the days of 35mm disposable cameras at theme parks. After that, it was a pre-1910 Kodak Brownie and then a Kodak 50th Anniversary Hawkeye. Loading 120 rolls onto a spool and having less than a dozen shots for the whole day is an excellent lesson in patience, even more than 35mm. There's no canister to ease loading and unloading, so you need to be careful and precise to avoid loving up your film.
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Mar 26, 2018 20:10
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What constitutes 'affordable' for you? Like most things photography related, there's not really an upper limit on how much you can spend if you really want to dive down a particular rabbit-hole, but you can get 90% of the performance for 50% of the cost. I shoot a lot of different MF systems, some with interchangeable lenses and some without. Apart from my Arax (which I bought new for ~$500), I paid less than $100 for each of them. That's obviously not going to get you a minty-clean vintage Hasselblad system but you don't need to spend a lot more than that to get a very capable setup from Bronica, Mamiya or one of the better TLR options. If you don't mind rolling the dice on the question 'is this a functional camera or is it a paperweight?' you can get some ex-Soviet bargains for less than the price of a couple of boxes of Portra. All of those will give you real lenses (including some very nice options in the ILC systems), proper controls and a full range of exposure options.
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Mar 26, 2018 20:30
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I wouldn't want to spend more than like... Maybe $3-500. Closer to $300 if possible.
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Mar 26, 2018 20:57
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girl pants posted:I wouldn't want to spend more than like... Maybe $3-500. Closer to $300 if possible. Yeah, you're well into entry-level interchangeable-lens systems or midrange fixed-lens cameras at that point. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mamiya-M645-Kit-with-Prism-Finder-80MM-F2-8-C-120-Film-Insert-EC/273118322047 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Yashica-Mat-124-G-Twinlens-Camera-2-1-4-film-camera-Excellent-Cond/173237483560 https://www.ebay.com/itm/EXC-Minolta-AUTOCORD-TLR-Camera-w-Rokkor-75mm-f3-5-from-Japan262137/132549748870 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Zeiss-Super-Ikonta-532-16-6X6-camera-with-80mm-f-2-8-Tessar-EXC/263564827795 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fuji-Fujica-GW690-Professional-90mm-f-3-5-Counter-159-from-JAPAN-T109-Exc/292498080453 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Koni-Omega-Rapid-M-with-Konica-Hexanon-90MM-F3-5-Lens-in-GWO/312090418774 Paul MaudDib fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Mar 26, 2018 |
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Mar 26, 2018 21:06
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You can buy a brand new Arax system for about that. An 88 (which is a 6x6 system) costs $466 for the minimum 'complete' set. You get an 80mm f/2.8 lens, a film magazine, a waist level finder and a warranty for that. If you can go for the full $595 set, you get an extra film magazine and a metered prism as well. The 60 is a 6x6 or 645 system that's a bit cheaper while being less modular (it's basically a huge SLR), but you still get to switch between a waist level finder and a prism, and you still get a Pentacon 6 lens mount. The P6 mount lets you use a lot of really great German and Japanese glass as well as adapted Soviet lenses. I have one of each and they are really great cameras if you don't mind the physical weight of the beasts.
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Mar 26, 2018 21:36
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bobmarleysghost posted:don't get for the same reason you wouldn't get a 645 Aw but I like my ETRsi  That being said, today I got this thing in the mail:  fuji by Brian Kennedy, on Flickr Ye gods, what a monster. First impressions: - it's comically huge and a bit awkward to handle but I'll get used to it - the shutter and aperture rings are kinda hard to adjust since they're so close together and the window to reach them is a bit small - the infamous shutter clang isn't nearly as bad as the internet lead me to believe. There's definitely a hollow *sproing* kinda sound and it's not pretty but it's much quieter than my Bronica's mirror slap The body shows it's age but so far it seems mechanically sound. Unfortunately it kinda smells like cigarettes but hopefully that will pass. I ran a roll through it and to be honest was feeling a touch of buyer's remose...that is until I pulled the roll out of the tank....  6x9 I know 2:3 isn't the favoured mf ratio but....wow. Edit: Any tips on cleaning this thing? The shutter/aperture/distance numbers are kinda yellowed and grimy and I'd really like to do what I can to get rid of this stale cig smell. I've found a guide for opening up the top so I can clean and adjust the rangefinder but I'd like general tips on the best way to clean this up. Rot fucked around with this message at 23:22 on Mar 26, 2018 |
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Mar 26, 2018 23:12
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Mar 26, 2018 23:42
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Rot posted:- it's comically huge and a bit awkward to handle but I'll get used to it This. It's often hard to get a sense of scale online, but "comically huge" is the only way to describe it. It's 7.75"x4.75"x4.75... the body is roughly the size of a small cutting board. It's hilarious in person. Random image off the internet: 
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Mar 27, 2018 00:24
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girl pants posted:I guess my question is, "would this be a good way to see if shooting MF is for me?" I have some 35mm toy cameras that I love but I find using them is an entirely different experience than using a film SLR. I'll probably just wait until I can afford something better though. I mean, I still have to pay to get the film developed. You haven't actually said why you want to shoot MF. The operation of a Holga is indeed very different from the operation of a Hasselblad or Pentax 67.
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Mar 27, 2018 02:05
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girl pants posted:I wouldn't want to spend more than like... Maybe $3-500. Closer to $300 if possible. there are So many systems you could buy for $3-500. The previously mentioned, plus: Mamiya C series TLRs Ricoh TLRs Probably an older Rolleicord TLR Pretty much every folding viewfinder camera (zeiss ikonta, agfa isolette, etc) Those big fuji rangefinders (GW670, GW690) Pretty much every eastern europe MF camera (previously mentioned arax, plus also things like the pentacon and kievs) Pentax 6x7 would be at the higher end of your budget, but it is an unbelievaly good system Probably some of the bronica cameras? Mamiya RB and RZ 67 Basically as long as you aren't expecting a hasselblad, rolleiflex, makina, contax 645, or mamiya 6/7, most systems are very affordable.
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Mar 27, 2018 02:36
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Wild EEPROM posted:there are So many systems you could buy for $3-500. A few years ago I bought my Bronica with prism & waist-level finders, 75mm, 135mm, two 120 backs, and winder for something like $750 cdn ($585 usd). That lolnormous GW690ii I just posted a picture of cost me $575 cdn ($450 usd) delivered to my door. Medium format stuff is relatively cheap, getting a decent camera on a budget of $300 - $500 is easily done, imo.
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Mar 27, 2018 02:55
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Rot posted:Unfortunately it kinda smells like cigarettes but hopefully that will pass. I got a Contax TVSII that smelled really bad like smoke. I wiped it down with some lysol wipes which helped some and the rest of the stink faded with time. The cloth case it came with was far worse but I doused it in febreeze a few times and it's not so bad now.
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Mar 27, 2018 05:18
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Rot posted:Aw but I like my ETRsi GW690 is the best, mine isn't as clean as yours, I wouldn't bother cleaning or opening it up, just get out and shoot.
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Mar 27, 2018 07:53
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If the viewfinder is foggy, it's really easy to remove the top and clean the glass on the inside. Just don't touch the mirrors or anything. Made a big difference for me.
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Mar 27, 2018 16:36
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polyester concept posted:If the viewfinder is foggy, it's really easy to remove the top and clean the glass on the inside. Just don't touch the mirrors or anything. Made a big difference for me. Yeah while doing my research before buying the camera, I came across this: https://stillthrill.com/2015/07/13/how-to-adjust-your-fuji-rangefinder-in-under-5-minutes/ Seems simple enough. Optically this camera is in very good shape, plus I did a little range test yesterday and everything checks out, but it's nice to know that the rangefinder is fairly easy to service.
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Mar 27, 2018 17:29
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Mar 27, 2018 21:10
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Just getting used to my newly acquired Pentax 67, when scanning in through v550 for some reason ICE didn't do a great job getting the dust/scratches. Just re-learning film. Grabbed a C41 press kit, gonna try processing color on my own to make this a cheaper hobby.
ianskate fucked around with this message at 23:07 on Mar 27, 2018 |
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Mar 27, 2018 22:48
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ianskate posted:Just getting used to my newly acquired Pentax 67, when scanning in through v550 for some reason ICE didn't do a great job getting the dust/scratches, and I haven't had time to edit that stuff out... but don't mind me, just re-learning film. Grabbed a C41 press kit, gonna try processing color on my own to make this a cheaper hobby. You're already in photoshop to correct crop, colors, etc why not spend the time to clone out dust before you save it for uploading?
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Mar 27, 2018 22:54
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VelociBacon posted:You're already in photoshop to correct crop, colors, etc why not spend the time to clone out dust before you save it for uploading? Fair enough, just cleaned it up a bit 
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Mar 27, 2018 23:06
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Mar 28, 2018 01:41
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I just want to say thank you to Helen Highwater for his recommendation of Arax 88 camera. I have received it yesterday and I am pretty happy overall. I should go out and make some bad photos to try it out properly.
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Mar 29, 2018 15:13
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High five fellow huge-Ukrainian-camera-having buddy! Did you get the standard kit? If you don't already have it, that Mir-26B lens is an absolute beast on a 6x6 system (45mm f/3.5).
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Mar 29, 2018 16:12
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I actually said gently caress it and got the special edition with MLU, genuine leather cover and all. I didn't get the lens, since I have CZJ Biometar 80/2.8. Per your recommendation I got Mir adapter and will look into getting that 45mm lens. As for the size, coming from Pentacon six, I expected worse. It is slightly heavier, but fits nicely in hand. And while its metal shutter is loud, it is much sharper click compared to P6's hollow thunk, so it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Gevorg is a champ and has sent me a set of filters and Ukranian candy as a gift. The Claptain fucked around with this message at 09:07 on Mar 30, 2018 |
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Mar 29, 2018 17:01
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Speaking of arax cameras, I've got this beautiful CZJ 180/2.8 lens that's been sitting on my shelf ever since I sold my old Arax 60. I've been thinking about picking up a body again to go with it. The lens is fantastic and made some awesome images of my friend's wedding. I'm thinking about just going with an Arax 645 with the factory-modified advance gearing and mask. I figure that all the shutters on these models show some banding at fast speeds, so why not just mask out the edges where it occurs, eh? Plus, you get 3 or 4 more exposures per roll. I was thinking about getting a Fuji GS645S, but the Arax would be around the same price and I would get the use of the CZJ 180 again to boot. The only thing is, the GS645S comes with a 60mm lens and the Arax, an 80. Ive heard tell of 60 and 65mm lenses for the PSIX mount but apparently they're very rare. Closest I could get would be the CZJ 50, which would be fine, but the MIR-26B 45mm would be ok too. A little wider is fine for my purposes. But how does it compare to the CZJ 50, really? I guess sample variation is the great equalizer (or unequalizer) here, but can Helen or anyone else speak to the best choice for a moderate-wide (28-40mm equivalent) lens on an Arax?
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Mar 29, 2018 23:37
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There are few ~60mm lenses with P6 mount - 60mm Schneider Curtagon, 65mm Mir 38B and 65mm CZJ Flektogon. I do not know how available they are, but if you don't mind going wider 50mm CZJ Flektogon is a great lens. Also, 180mm Sonnar on 6x6 is beautiful, I wouldn't really go to 645. Sample pics: Sonnar:  50mm Flektogon:  The sun is almost in the frame, and this is old, single-coated zebra version, almost no flaring at all.
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Mar 30, 2018 09:05
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Old lenses really make you appreciate multi-coating. I never even worry about flaring on my Pentax stuff unless I'm doing something totally idiotic.
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Mar 30, 2018 09:40
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There are a couple of 65mm Mir lenses. I don't own that particular lens myself but I would see it quite frequently at fleamarkets so I don't expect that it's particularly rare. All of the Mir lenses are based on the Flektogon formula so I'd expect that the 65mm version would be about the same as the 45mm lens that I have. There's a Mir-3 which is the older version and then the later Mir-38. Both are the same formula at 45mm and f/3.5 and the same number of aperture blades, but the 38 has has a smaller barrel. Both were made in the Kiev/Hasselblad thread mount and also with a P6 bayonet mount. There are a lot of tests for this lens on the internet and they all seem to agree that it's superbly sharp even wide open - which matches my experience with my Mir-26. The caution to add is that most old Soviet lenses, even the multicoated ones, will flare like crazy if there's a strong light source anywhere close to the field of view. A decent hood is a must IMO. Edit: An additional caution is to check the serial number of the lens. The Arsenal factory used the year of manufacture as the first two digits of the serial number. Don't buy a lens made after 1990. All of the usual variability of the Soviet manufacturing process got turned up to eleven when the Soviet Union collapsed. Workers weren't being paid, gangsters were straight up stealing machinery from the shop floor, and people generally stopped giving even the pretence of a poo poo about their work. Helen Highwater fucked around with this message at 14:18 on Mar 30, 2018 |
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Mar 30, 2018 14:12
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Apr 2, 2018 16:38
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Apr 5, 2018 09:15
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The Claptain posted:There are few ~60mm lenses with P6 mount - 60mm Schneider Curtagon, 65mm Mir 38B and 65mm CZJ Flektogon. I do not know how available they are, but if you don't mind going wider 50mm CZJ Flektogon is a great lens. Yes that portrait shot shows why I like that lens so much. Fantastic.
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Apr 6, 2018 02:18
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Apr 13, 2018 03:08
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Apr 14, 2018 23:11
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