Still photography

Post by **david** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:45 am

wado1942 wrote:I have a Pentax SLR and love it. No other way to go IMHO.

my first camera was a pentax MX - sold it long time ago because I needed some money and always regretted it.

Also owned some canons, ftb and a1. sold them as well but didn't care much.

Still the MX is my favourite, perhaps because it was the first one, but trying to be a bit more objective I would say the best reflex I ever owned was the Nikon f3 (non hp). 100% viewfinder, lots of accessories and built like a tank.

Now I'm shooting only with rangefinders because they're better for my needs. I do street photography mostly, so I need a camera that performs well in low light, has a silent shutter and is compact enough not to get noticed by people.
So the winners are a leica m2 and a leica cl with a summicron 40/2 and a elmarit 90/2.8. Always loaded with some tri-x or hp5.

Post by **Angus** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 1:08 pm

I have Kiev 6TL medium format SLR...very nice but bulky of course.

I took it as carry-on during a transatlantic flight almost 2 years ago, and was taking photos out of the window with it! I still wonder what people thought as I produced the body, prism finder and lens and screwed them all together to make this behemoth of a camera!

Post by **david** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 1:25 pm

Angus wrote:I still wonder what people thought as I produced the body, prism finder and lens and screwed them all together to make this behemoth of a camera!

well, that was two years ago. Now that people is taking pics with mobile phones they're probably thinking the same things of me wandering with a rolleiflex 6x6...

Post by **Superbus_** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:50 pm

still cameras I like to use:

rangefinders:
yashica electro 35 GSN with unbelivable (fixed) yashinon good lens - great camera in low light situations
zorki 1; zorki 4, zorki 4K: but the most important is the jupiter 8 lens: this is my favourite lens

Slrs:
Sometimes my father's zenit E, export version, he bought in England

))))

yashica fx3 super 2000 (I own two bodies

- a very reliable camera full manual only the lightmeter needs batteries but you can use independently and you can choose yashica or contax lenses for it.

Canon T50 kind a point and shoot camera but very easy to use and you can focus manually, great one I like older canon fd lenses...

ps cameras: a have chinon and yashica microtec or something like that

I'm planning to try a pinhole camera and I'm thinking about to find a medium format toy camera to make more interesting pictures (lubitel or a Hungarian fotobox or something like that).

I realized that sometimes super 8 stills are interesting for me as I mentioned earlier so I'm also planning to use one of my super 8 cameras as a still camera - just an idea of a completely idiot amateaur... ;)

Post by **wado1942** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:42 pm

That reminds me, I was training another indie company in my town to use film because they had only used video untill that point. I had my 1014E with me complete with fluid head tripod, lens hood, filters and a remote switch. While taking some light readings, somebody passed by and commented that we looked antiquated or primitive or something like that. People just don't know about stuff like that anymore.
Anyways, I used a borrowed Yashica super-8 camera for my first 2 shoots and it worked beautifully. There's actually a couple of things about it that my Canons don't have like 9fps shooting.
I did SOME playing with a pinhole camera years ago. It works really well if you get the hole small enough and you'd never see a more beautiful grain-free image.

Post by **Actor** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:48 pm

For 35mm a Pentax K1000. I really love this camera. The one thing I would like it to have is split image focusing. Therein lies a tale.

I recently had a local photo shop order a replacement bulb for my S8 projecter. They called and said it was in and I went down to get it. While I was there I noticed a neat looking camera on the shelf and asked to take a look at it. It was a Promaster 2500PK. This thing is a K1000 clone. It's basically a K1000 with (oh, joy) split image focusing, depth-of-field preview, self timer and double exposure capability. The light meter is activated by depressing the shutter half-way so you don't run down the battery if you leave the lens cap off. This one has a 28-70mm zoom lens. It was love at first sight and truly an impulse buy. I did not walk into that store figuring to walk out with my wallet $200 lighter. (OK. My credit card was $200 heavier.)

For medium format I have a Seagull TLR, another impulse buy from 1994. Same scenario. Saw it on the shelf, asked to see it, bought it! It's a great little camera for the price. It occasionally gives me problems with the shutter. At random times the shutter simply fails and the film goes unexposed. Unfortunately I don't have an enlarger or scanner that takes medium format film so I have to out source all my MF lab work.

The latest models of the Seagull include a 645 mask and 645 markings on the viewfinder.

I've been looking at the Pentax P110D digital.

Post by **Actor** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:54 pm

Superbus_ wrote:I realized that sometimes super 8 stills are interesting for me as I mentioned earlier so I'm also planning to use one of my super 8 cameras as a still camera - just an idea of a completely idiot amateaur... ;)

3600 frames per roll!! Bracket your shots.

Post by **wado1942** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 9:32 pm

I thought about using super-8 for still pictures, then I realized how limited I would be on resolution and grain and decided to stick to 35mm.

My Pentax came with a 28-80mm zoom lens with auto focus and aperture support. Man I hated that lens. F3.5 was the fastest it would go and it wasn't that clear. Even at the 50mm position, it would still bow the edges of the image. Then I got a 50m prime lens with an F1.4 iris. What a difference. I now have a separate 28mm lens and a 135mm lens as well as a couple of tele adaptors and I tell you, what a difference. Even a cheap prime lens looks and works better than a mediocre zoom lens.

Post by **audadvnc** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 9:57 pm

I'm shooting with 2 still cameras nowadays, each as old as I am:

- Busch Pressman 4x5" press camera (Wollensak Raptar 135mmlens),
- Kodak Retinette 35mm rangefinder (Schneider lens),

- and have an Agfa Isolette 6x6 camera on the way from eBay.

The difference in look between 35mm and large format is very dramatic, like moving from Super8 to 35mm (although that Retinette is no slouch).

Developing Shanghai B&W at home, in the tub, with D76. Still haven't figured out how to avoid scratching the emulsion off.

Post by **avr** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:00 pm

Still photo is a good training for all filmakers, and if you shoot film (analog) with light meter you learn a lot without spend a lot of money shooting movie film.

I have a Nikon FM2 and a Mamiya 645 medium format camera (6 x 4.5) both great cameras and the best of all they are fully mechanical.

Post by **narri** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:59 pm

Still photography brought me into the motion picture world as well, so it seems to be quite common.

At the moment I'm using a Rolleiflex 2.8C for medium format stuff and a Contax IIIa for 35mm pictures. Both are great cameras and I'm really enjoying the quality of the pictures.

While working I'm stuck with a Canon Eos 350D(Rebel XT in the states), most clients tend to want me going digital. Nothing bad to say about this one either, it might be a bit small for bigger hands though. The jump to the next level is quite expensive(Eos 5D), so this one will have to do for a few more years.

Post by **Actor** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:39 am

The next obvious question is: What is your favorite still film?

I like Ilford XP-2 for B&W and Fujicolor Superia 800 for color.

Post by **wado1942** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 1:01 am

T-max 100 for B/W. I haven't found a good color film yet but then, I've only used consumer grade color film with the exception of maybe 3 shoots and I used a different type each time.

Post by **sciolist** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 1:31 am

audadvnc wrote:Developing Shanghai B&W at home, in the tub, with D76. Still haven't figured out how to avoid scratching the emulsion off.

I've avoided scratching the emulsion on sheet film by tray developing with the emulsion facing down. I carefully shuffle the sheets (up to a dozen at a time) and use a dilute developer at a cool temperature to extend development time.

Post by **super8man** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:12 am

I like the the HP5 (400ASA B&W) from Ilford. Very nice and consistent results roll to roll.

Hey Nigel - keep the F5 - I have one too and when I want real shots, it's my workhorse. I have the D50 but am sort of disappointed in digital generally. Still, the D50 does give great images BUT perhaps I like the infinitiness of 35mm film.

Interestingly, I have some 11x14 prints at work that really show off the D50 quite well...until you look at the red tones.

I still keep an F3 in the closet - its a "stranded on a desert island" camera.

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