Topic: I just picked up...

[Aksel]

70mm Kai-san?
Thats cool! Is it possible to get a hold of any Cine 70mm colour film?




The hate and love continues - cheap FM3a came my way and I already had the Voigt Ultron 40/2, which is stellar! Fifth time around this combo plays as my everyday setup. It will stay that way, who knows for how long.

The Fm3a really is a great little camera. In my eyes, better in use than the Contax S2, lighter than the LX, and paired with the little Voigtländer - about the size of the M2 + 35/2 but with the benefit of 1/4000 + AE. To bad they had to make it with that mirror

[Kai-san]

Mmmmmmm, the FM3A is a very nice camera, but usually quite expensive on the second hand market.
I have not checked if Cine film is available, do they not come in 1000ft rolls? That's a bit too much for me. I've seen expired 70mm colour film on ebay, have not checked the prices though. Macodirect has the B&W 70mm films, 85 Euro for 100ft. I have an extra 70mm Hasselblad back if you're interested........

[EarlJam]

There are a few rolls of expired 70mm Portra 160 currently listed on Amazon for about $100. I've also heard that 70mm can be purchased directly from Kodak, but don't know the minimum order.

Re Nikon FM3As - locally, they're selling for about twice the price of a similar-condition F3 and roughly 3x as much as a clean F2. Granted the FM3A is a newer camera, but the price delta seems a bit crazy (to me, at least).

[EarlJam]

70mm Kai-san?
Thats cool! Is it possible to get a hold of any Cine 70mm colour film?

I'm not sure if this has ever been discussed on FW; apologies up front if this ends up being redundant . . . Cine production film stock is 65mm in most cases, with prints released on 70mm. As I understand it, the decision to use 65mm, at least in the US, was a Cold War issue having to do with Russia-held patents for 70mm camera transports. IMAX uses 15-perf, 65mm for camera originals and releases in 70mm. (See https://www.theverge.com/2015/12/28/10675580/christopher-nolan-wwii-movie-dunkirk-65mm-film-imax.)

Long way of saying that camera negative, such as Vision 200T and Vision 250D, aren't likely to be available in 70mm.

[Aksel]

Long way of saying that camera negative, such as Vision 200T and Vision 250D, aren't likely to be available in 70mm.

Ahhhh, well - I had no idea about that. Only assumed it was the same thing. I have a camera that can take 70mm, but never bothered as 120/220 works for my needs.

[Aksel]

Mmmmmmm, the FM3A is a very nice camera, but usually quite expensive on the second hand market.
I have not checked if Cine film is available, do they not come in 1000ft rolls? That's a bit too much for me. I've seen expired 70mm colour film on ebay, have not checked the prices though. Macodirect has the B&W 70mm films, 85 Euro for 100ft. I have an extra 70mm Hasselblad back if you're interested........

Yea, they normally are kind of expensive and from day to day the FE2 would do kind of the same thing, as long as the batteries are working. The AE-L button are the one big advantage for me, like twice a month or so. 70mm Hasselblad back? Hmmmmm, could be fun but it´s not often I shoot more then a cupel of rolls a day with the ting  

[Indofunk]

I finally did it! I got a beer fri---- I mean, FILM fridge! Not a beer fridge at all! Heh heh! Who would even think of getting a fridge to put beer in? Anyways, here it is!



Wait, how did that happen. 

[ManuelL]

Nice,I can see you still have a few rolls of Fuji Lager. You better use them before they are too expired.

[Bryan]

I just found this Polaroid 800 at an estate sale for $10.  Even though type 40 film is no longer available the nice thing about this model is sheets of 4X5 film fit perfectly in the film chamber for a one-shot camera.  There is also a way to shoot 120 film with it.  Instructions for shooting available film are here: https://www.lomography.com/magazine/319666-tipster-using-available-film-in-a-polaroid-roll-film-camera

Polaroid Land Camera - The 800 by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

[Francois]

And there's a guy who sells 3D printed backs for it that allows you to use 4x5 holders in it.

[Francois]

Last weekend was the big city-wide garage sale so I went out to pick out some more stuff. I wasn't looking for cameras this time but managed to come back with these two beauties.
The Nikon EM has their famous pancake 50mm lens on it. I really wanted a good 50 for quite some time...
And the Instax was brand new in its box. The nylon strap hasn't even been removed from its original wrapper!

[Bryan]

I stopped at a thrift store on my way home from work last night and found this Olympus OM-1 with a G. Zuiko 50mm f/1.4 lens for $15.  The camera advance lever was not working, it would move but didn't advance the film or cock the shutter. it just moved the full swing without any tension.  I didn't care because I wanted the lens which is in excellent condition.  It is one of the earlier f/1.4 versions which I have read are not as good as the later ones but I don't know if there's a big difference. 

I took the bottom plate off the camera but couldn't find anything wrong so I took the top plate off.  I have never taken the top plate off before but it was much simpler than I expected it to be.  After fiddling with the advance lever mechanism a bit it started working again.  It needs new foam light seals and is missing the black cover on top of the film speed knob but otherwise it's in great condition.  I haven't check the light meter for accuracy but it is responding to light. 

[Kai-san]

Fifteen frogskins for a working OM-1 is a steal! I've never owned an OM, but they do look nice. Hope you get lots of fun with that one.

[zapsnaps]

A darkroom. Not the kit - but a room.

I was gifted the kit ages ago by a d*g*t*l convert, but had nowhere to use it - Mrs Zapsnaps was not keen on me 'transforming' the bathroom. A chum has an outhouse and has offered me the use of it. It even has some shelving etc. All I need to do is black it out and I'm ready to play.

[Francois]

That's going to be a nice project 

[Aksel]

zapsnaps, that´s wonderful!

[zapsnaps]

Aksel & Francois: Thank you. I've wanted a darkroom for ages - not helped by the fact that most of the people I follow on here seem to have one. Messing around myself to produce an image will be far more 'analogue' than send a roll to the lab and awaiting the postman's return. It also means that I can use my turn-of the-century half plate camera and I now have an excuse to but a 5x4. I also want to try gum bichromate printing etc, so it's going to be a busy, and hopefully creative, summer.

[Aksel]

I know that feeling
As you say, it's a real game changer being able to handle most formats yourself. Enjoy!

[AJShepherd]

Just picked up a Voigtlander VCII light meter. It nestles quite nicely on top of my Leica IIIf, but I've got a few other cameras I could benefit from using it with.

[Pete_R]

Just picked up a Voigtlander VCII light meter. It nestles quite nicely on top of my Leica IIIf, but I've got a few other cameras I could benefit from using it with.

Those VC meters always seem stupidly expensive to me for what they are. I have one of the original ones but it gets little use and I'm tempted to sell it.

[Kai-san]

I recently purchased a Digitaliza 120 film scanning frame from Lomography. It's based on a different philosophy than most other scanning frames. You lay the metal plate on the table, position the open frame over it, load the film and place the magnetic yoke on top of the film. This is meant to make sure the film is flat. Then you close the frame and remove the yoke. Here's my impressions from the first trial, scanning with an Epson V750:

Positive:
* It is easier to load the film than with Epson's standard frames.
* You get the whole width of the film, with the Epson frame you can loose a bit depending on the camera used.

Negative:
* The frame is too short to accommodate four 6x4.5 frames (other cameras might have different spacing).

Looking at the inserted film I'm not sure it's absolutely flat, but that can be hard to achieve with 120 film without using glass frames. The frame is quite wide, so I'm not sure you can put two of those side by side on a flatbed scanner. It might just work, but I cannot test it since I have only one of these.
I have attached one of the first frames I scanned, shot on Fomapan 200.
 

[Indofunk]

I like that! Would it fit my V500? And do they make a 35mm version as well? nvm, answered both questions in the positive by doing a quick Google search I suppose I'll pick up one of each to try out!

[Indofunk]

aaaaaand they're out of stock  Adorama, Lomo, everywhere

[Kai-san]

I loaded another film tonight, and I can confirm that it will NOT flatten a bulging film. I think you will have a better chance with the 35mm version in that respect. It will also make it possible to scan the sprockets for those who have a rocket. 
As for availability, Fotoimpex in Germany has these on stock.

[Francois]

I have both the 120 and 35mm version and can say that they don't perfectly flatten film. But they do allow the scanning of a big part of the edges.
What I like about the 120 version is that it's long enough to handle more than one image at a time.

But if you want the ultimate in cheap and good flat sprocket scanning, there is my contraption film scanning frame made from a piece of antireflection glass (the pebbly type), some rubber feet and tape. This thing holds the film flat using scotch tape. And if you place it strategically, it won't show in the scans.
Granted, it's more a hassle than the Lomo holders, but it works.

One of the things I like a lot about the Digitaliza's is that they are sturdy. None of the flimsiness you see in the Epson holders. They hold secure and are definitely built to last, which is a rare thing nowadays.

[Indofunk]

I remember you posting about your contraption, Francois, and remember being impressed by it. But being not too mechanically inclined (or, rather, mechanically inclined but way too lazy to start a project like that ), I think I'll wait for a Digital Liza Hopefully they stock up in the US, I'd imagine shipping from Germany is as expensive as the holder itself

[Francois]

Yeah, shipping nowadays is always what breaks the deal.
Like yesterday Cinestill released a new b&w monobath developer that looks very interesting. If it's used warm, it promises to fully develop and fix film in 3 minutes. It retails for around 16$ a jug and can be reused. But when I looked into it I would need to add 41$ in shipping to get it delivered.... And that's just for going across the border.

[Kai-san]

I have a plan................ to waste more film. 

[Bryan]

What's your impression of that AP loader?  I have a Watson 100, Watson 66 and a LLoyd.  The AP costs a lot more than the others, I assume there's a reason for that.

[Kai-san]

It's my first 35mm loader, so I really cannot compare. I found it quite easy to load the roll, a bit cramped with a 100ft roll. It has a separate knob for feeding the film manually which is quite handy when you enter the film into the cartridge. You have to close the lid to get the crank handle in, so it's locked when you wind the film into the cartridge. The counters are very clear and visible which I like. So no complaints so far.

[Francois]

If the AP is anything like my LPL Dayroll, they are quite an interesting piece of engineering. The things I liked about it are the frame counter and the roll thickness meter. Just one look and you know how much film is left. But I like less the slightly more complicated bulk loading procedure. (you have to snake the film around the counter sprocket, release the felt trap's pressure plate, feed it to the canister side, make sure the lid is completely secure or the crank won't even go in...)
But in the end, it doesn't do much more than the good old Lloyd's

[zapsnaps]

A funky 1960's Polaroid 'Wink light' for my Pola 800. Totally useless, but it just sits so well with the 800 & it was only £5 - the price of a pint of beer, so it seemed rude to ignore it. It's so huge I might see if I can put an LED in it guide passing ships or planes. Or just use it to illuminate the sitter.

[Bryan]

This was listed on eBay as a 120 roll of Panatomic-X for $14, the picture was clearly a bulk roll of 135 so I took a chance.  I've been shooting a lot of expired Panatomic-X this year and I like it a lot.  I don't know the expiration date of the stuff I'm shooting but I doubt it's as old as this stuff that expired in 1963.  Once I finish off my current bulk roll I'll break into this one and do some test shots.

[Francois]

I really hope that it's been well kept.
For some reason I just love mystery bulk film

[Bryan]

I really hope that it's been well kept.
For some reason I just love mystery bulk film

The box looks brand new, hopefully that’s a sign that it has been well kept. 

[Francois]

All I hope is that it won't turn out like a roll of Exposed Kodacolor II I was given. The roll pre-dated 1972 and was so fogged you couldn't even see the edge markings...

[Bryan]

Another GAS attack, Leidolf Wetzlar Lordomat.  It's a well built camera, not quite a Leica but still pretty nice.  I just need to figure out how to adjust the rangefinder, the horizontal is good so it's usable but the vertical is off a bit.

Leidolf Wetzlar Lordomat by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

[Francois]

Well, that is definitely a rarity. I've never seen one or even heard about it.

[Kai-san]

Could it be a camera for Lords? 

[Bryan]

Leidolf only made cameras from about 1950 to 1962.  They started out as a subcontractor to Leitz making microscope parts and were later taken over by Leica in 1990.  The Lordomat C35 is probably one of their more popular cameras but it's a lot of money for what it is.  It's the same as the Lordomat with a light meter and a viewfinder for other lenses.  The downside to this camera is finding other lenses like a wide angle, they use their own lens mount and seem to be quite rare. 

http://www.cjs-classic-cameras.co.uk/leidolf/leidolf.html

[zapsnaps]

They are nice cameras. There is a used camera shop in Germany that I visit whenever I'm in town on business and he has a good eye for well-priced vintage cameras. He often has interesting German cameras which are rare outside of Germany, which is were I first came across the Leidolf brand. I bought a funky Altix wearing a Zeiss 2.8/50 for about €20-25 from memory.

[cs1]

Which shop is that, zapsnaps?

[zapsnaps]

It's Photo Kuehn in Baden-Baden, https://www.photo-kuehn.net/
They have all sorts of goodies. Good hunting

[cs1]

Thanks for the link, zapsnaps!

I can't deny to be a friend of Canon SLRs. I used a Canon AE-1 when I was young and got back into film photography with a Canon AE-1 Program. I later got an A-1 and found a really well preserved Canon F-1 a while ago which is one of the cameras that I use most. I've since then sold both the AE-1 Program and the A-1. A while ago I bought a lens that "came with" a Canon T70 (the seller would only sell both the lens and the body so I bought the body as well because I really wanted the lens). I've never used the T70 after that, mainly because it didn't strike me as a very attractive camera or as a camera that looks like it's nice to use. I ignored it for around a year. A few weeks ago I came across another Canon T70 with the Command Back. I picked it up for two reasons: (1) I've read in the meantime that the T70 is an ugly duckling which already is a swan on the inside and (2) I couldn't resist GAS. I took it for a spin last week and I think that it's absolutely brilliant! Here's why: the light meter is amazing on the "average" setting, it's incredible useful even in very difficult lighting situations, the shutter is well built and precise, it runs on AA batteries, it handles quite easily, it's got a fantastic viewfinder (the best I've seen on any Canon FD camera), and it's a well built body (don't let the outer appearance fool you). I don't have a photo of my copies but you can look at it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_T70

As I said before, it came with the Command Back which is quite an interesting beast. It uses a separate button cell to power it and apart from the completely useless superimposing of a date on your negative (I always think that there're better ways to ruin a shot; I do, however, understand that there're a number of scenarios where it might be useful and the superimposing can actually be switched off) it has several interesting functions: you can program a time period in minutes and seconds (really long periods are possible) and the command back will expose for that amount of time which is brilliant for long exposures (ND1000 filters, night etc.), it can also shoot at programmable intervals (time lapse). For the long exposure feature to work you need to switch the camera to bulb mode.

Sorry for making this a mini review. I'm going to end it with a quick conclusion: the Canon T70 is a totally underrated camera in my eyes. But that's a good thing in a way. People will practically give it to you for almost free when you buy Canon FD stuff from them just to get rid of it (happened to me). You can get it for around 20 € over here in Germany for just the body. Always try to get it with other FD kit. This will lower the price for the body considerably. What you get is a solid camera with a brilliant viewfinder, which can be powered with over-the-counter batteries and which can use any FD lens (a system that has many great lenses often for very little money). If you want to enter the Canon FD world, this may be a good camera to start with. If you already have FD stuff, this camera is quite compact and has an excellent "fire and forget" P mode which is a nice contrast to the brilliant but fully manual (if not upgraded) F-1.

[Bryan]

I passed over a Canon T70 recently, I can't remember where but I remember seeing one.  I recently sold off all my Canon FD gear to buy some other stuff so it's not likely that I would get back into it.  Not that I don't like it, there's other stuff I like better. 

[cs1]

I always have the feeling that Canon film SLRs are somewhat underdogs today. Maybe they're not "exotic" enough or maybe too many people used to own them. It's also very likely that they didn't have enough top notch cameras (though the F-1 in all it's incarnations is as good as it gets in my eyes). In any case its worth looking both at the F-1 and the T70. The F-1 is a tank and the distinct sound of the F-1's shutter makes my heart beat faster. And the T70 with its comfortable usability deserves more attention.

[Bryan]

I have the best luck when I go to thrift stores in small towns.  I was on the Oregon coast yesterday escaping the 97F heat in Cottage Grove when I found a Polaroid SX-70 and a Keystone Panorama 455P.  Then, just down the road I found some flash bulbs, a projector bulb and a nice Philco Radio at a garage sale.  I have a small collection of old bakelite radios, I'll get this one working and add it to my collection.  The radio was covered in grime when I got it but it cleaned up quite nice.  The projector bulbs are getting hard to find and this one fits one of my 8mm projectors.  I grab projector bulbs and flash bulbs whenever I come across them for a good price. 

I got the SX-70 for $13, I'll get it working and sell it on the evil auction site.  I can't remember how many SX-70's I've sold but I always get around $100 to $150 for them.  This one has some cosmetic issues to it may go for a bit less.  The battery contacts need some cleaning and the mirror is stuck but once I get power to it the mirror should work properly. 

I remember someone on this forum was talking about a similar panorama camera, this will give me a chance to try it out.  It's still sealed in the original packaging. 

[Francois]

Might as well try it since it'll never be a collector's piece.

[Kai-san]

......... my first Swedish camera, a 501CM with a Planar 80mm CFE lens. Not a bargain, but the right price. The system V series are quite reasonable here so there is nothing to gain by importing them and get 25% VAT on top.

[Francois]

väldigt trevligt