Topic: Semi-random musings

[FrankB]

A while ago I purchased a Rollei 35 (Tessar) from Ffordes of Inverness (a.k.a. my pusher!). I promptly fell in head over heels in love with the thing and, when the opportunity arose, nabbed a 35S on eBay. One or the other has lived in my jacket pocket ever since, but...

...the results I've been getting have been disappointing. The matter came to a head today when I processed a couple of rolls and tried scanning the results - which were shit.

I apologise for the language, but they just were! Camera shake afflicts the majority (I was shooting at 1/60th which, with a 40mm lens, my Nikon SLR would do just fine; without mirror-slap I would've expected the Rollei to do better. Maybe it's a heavier release. Maybe it's me.   ), zone-focus errors hit some, poor subject selection / lousy composition nail the rest. Two rolls heading for the round file - Yes, ladies and gentlemen (and Dave Miller ), I truly am a Filmwaster!

I was actually on the point of chucking the pair of them on to eBay and even thinking that I'd completely lost it and should go back to Crayolas and plasticine worms when I came across the enclosed, which I really, really like! (Don't ask me why, I just do.)

So, on the basis of a grand total of one (count it!) shot, I'm going to persevere with the gorgeous, awkward, beautiful, recalcitrant little sods! I'll up my base shutter-speed to 1/125th, learn to release a shutter smoothly again and be a damn sight more discriminating over my choice of subject.

Self-confidence is extremely fragile (well, mine is anyway!), especially when you don't fully understand why you stop and make an exposure right then and there of that.

Why did I post this? Buggadifino! It's been an odd sort of afternoon...!

The moral of the story?

1) Rest easy, Skorj - I ain't never going to be a street photographer!
2) Believe in yourself. You may be wrong (and usually in the minority!), but it's still better than the alternative.

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[LT]

Frank - this is a great shot.  The little rollei is such a different animal to your usual gear that it will take time to get used to it .... and one shot per roll is about what I hit on my RF stuff too - but I'm not getting rid of it, just hoping for more opportunities to practice.

[Andrea.]

My goodness Frank, I never seen Manc so quiet even at night. Did you frighten them all away?
i just about manage 1 half-decent shot every two rolls on scale focussing cameras too. Sometimes even less than that! Having said that I can get sharp [albet boring and uniteresting shots ] from my Retinnete and the A5 minolta at 1/30th. How much 'medicine' are you taking?? :-)

[dave miller]

Frank, you’re supposed to suck the pills not crunch them! 
Nice pic’ by the way.

[Phil Bebbington]

This looks pretty sweet to me. I guess new cameras bring new challenges and the ones we are most familiar with will always yield good results but then we often forget how long they have been part of our lives. I guess the thing to do is persevere even when the hit rate is low. I know I have a bunch of cameras that need that sort of attention.

[FrankB]

Leon - Ta mate. I'll keep working on it.

Andrea - You've seen me; strong men blanch, children run screaming, women swoon... but not for the right reasons. As to the medicine, not enough obviously! The 'camera shake' may be just me or may be something else. I'll persevere and see if I can improve.

Dave - Thuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrpppppp. And thanks!

TK - Thanks. It's good to know I'm not alone!

I suppose it's worth mentioning that for 90% (at least) of my exposures to date whatever camera I've used has had a damn great Manfrotto tripod underneath it, so this is a bit of a departure for me.

[Francois]

I know a rangefinder also takes me quite a bit of getting used to. I'm used to very tight compositions that hug the sides of the frame. I can't do that with a rangefinder and it can seriously bug me.

As for shooting handheld, I never ever use a tripod. I know I should but don't. Instead, I use breathing control... which is more tiring at points than using a pod (especially when hand holding a 500mm lens at less than 1/500 sec...)

And stay away from those brown roast double latte... they contain more caffeine than an espresso

By the way, a famous photographer in the region uses only those Rollei for his street photography.
Check out his site (http://www.gilbertduclos.com/) to see what those tiny marvels can do.

[FrankB]

AO - Thanks for the tips and the link (unfortunately my French is bordering on the non-existant!). I almost always start the day with a mug of Java Sumatra grade 5, so maybe that's contributing to my 'camera shake'. Or maybe it's just me...! I'll have to get used to it anyway; a Rollei 35 would look a bit silly on a Manfrotto 055ProB!

All is not lost - I found another acceptable one! (Good Lord, that's one a roll! )


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[david b]

Part of the problem is probably that the Rollei is so tiny that it has little inertia, and so is more likely to be moving around when you hit the shutter than a larger camera ... in general rangefinders are much better than SLRs in this regard, I have a few handheld shots with my Mamiya at 1/8th that are fine, so it can be done!  In dodgy situations I try to slowly exhale, then click - seems to help.

[Phil Bebbington]

I must say I never use a tripod no matter how slow the shutter goes...night shots excluded. I also think it is down to a good breathing regime! I did target shooting years ago and I use a similar technique! The slow exhale and pause always works. I also find the heavier the camera the easier it is....I have such a problem with the Holga due to the lack of weight but the Hasselblad just sits there like a house brick.

[astrobeck]

Definitely a keeper. 
 And aren't most great photographers plagued by some type of "habit"?

I seem to only get one reasonable photo for every 2 rolls, so if you have one from each, I think that's admirable.

[Skorj]

The Rolei 35 is considered a marvelous machine by many. A colleague has one, and he swears by its magnificence. Practice was his word when I grilled him about its quirky use. Like anything I suppose.

As for street work, some high-speed T-Max, a leaden gray English sky, and a few presets, and I am sure shooting from the hip at 1/60 would get something interesting...

But, I suppose hip-shot blurs ain't what that Tessar is about. Persevere.

[Francois]

AO - Thanks for the tips and the link (unfortunately my French is bordering on the non-existant!).

There's an english translation button on the bottom right side...

[dave miller]

AO - Thanks for the tips and the link (unfortunately my French is bordering on the non-existant!).

There's an english translation button on the bottom right side...

Why do they make things so complicated? 

[Francois]

Why do they make things so complicated? 

Don't worry, it's always like this around here...
Nothing is ever simple. The law prevents it

[FrankB]

AO - Thanks for the tips and the link (unfortunately my French is bordering on the non-existant!).

There's an english translation button on the bottom right side...

My eyesight's crap as well!