Snapshots and Motorcycles

 If you read my previous posts on the Chroma Camera snapshot, you may think to yourself, why doesn't he just accept large format for what it is and get a tripod, dark cloth and loupe?  Why doesn't he really get into the whole thing and enjoy the slow pace and amazing results possible from large format photography? 

Well the answer is really simple, I ride a Harley Davidson motorcycle.  The motorcycle doesn't have the same carrying capacity as an estate car.

Carrying anything other than a couriers bag is a bit of a hassle. Tripods don't really lend themselves to being lashed to a bike without scratching the machine. I could fashion a tripod case but this seems ridiculous.

No the answer to my prayers is the Chroma Camera snapshot.  Large format without the faff. 

We live in the 21st century and now we can use silicon chips to take photos and millions do.  Not for them the inconvenience, not to say danger, of chemicals, film and darkrooms.  No just a trusty smartphone is all that's required.

The cognoscenti will know that mirrorless is where it's at if a separate camera is required.  All of this modern technology is lovely, works well and produces technically good photos without learning about apertures, shutter speeds and the arcane knowledge of ISO markings.

However for some of us the joy of photography is the holy trinity of shutter speed, aperture and ISO. It's manual metering  and setting the camera to the correct settings to enable the correct exposure.

Yesterday I used another pack of Instax film while on the beach.  There really is something quite rewarding in getting a nice exposure after doing the dance of the photographer.

Snapshot Part the Third

In  the past couple of blog posts I have discussed the Snapshot camera from Chroma Camera and how it suits my way of shooting, by simplifying the process.  Zone focus really gets rid of a lot of baggage from Large format photography.

I should say that if anyone would like the full Large Format experience of ground glass focusing, loupes, dark cloths etc, I would suggest that you buy something like an Intrepid 4x5 or a Chroma Carbon Adventurer.

There are some downsides to the Snapshot as previously discussed.  For me those downsides are worth sacrificing for mobility and lightness.

Now I have taken delivery of the Lomography LomoGraflok 4x5 Instax back.  This back will attach to a standard Graflok attachment system and allow Fujifilm Instax Wide instant photographs to be taken. And the device is a thing of wonder.  I've shot 3 packs of 10 exposures using the combination and I am enthralled.

Most of the photos that you see from Fujifilm Instax are a bit soft and a bit, well, rubbish to be honest.  That is down to the cameras that are able to shoot Instax film. All of the cameras produced by Fujifilm that shoot this film are "fun" style cameras that are designed to be thrown in a bag and taken to the beach or a party.  Not one of them has decent glass. This tells you where the intended demographic lies for Fujifilm.

Large format users have long lamented the demise of Polaroid Peel Apart film for 4x5. 8x10 is still available from Polaroid for large format users. The regular integral film from Polaroid doesn't have a back for 4x5 use.  What Lomography have shown is that there is a market for using instant film with a Large format camera.

The Instax Wide film is an integral instant film, that is each shot carries it's own chemicals and ability to produce a single photograph. So there is no reason why Polaroid couldn't do this themselves. Whether they will is quite another conversation.

The downside to using a Snapshot for Instax is that the LomoGraflok back puts the film plane 19mm further back than the normal film plane.  To get over this the LomoGraflok comes with a spacer that fits behind the ground glass.  The insertion of that spacer puts a huge amount of stress on the Graflok springs on the Snapshot.

To overcome this issue, Steve at Chroma has designed a Graflok Spring back that moves the film plane back by 19mm and allows both the LomoGraflok and normal film holders to be used.  If the Graflok Spring back is used the spacer bars on the Snapshot will need to be 19mm shorter, also.

However once you have your setup, the Chroma Camera Snapshot, Chroma Graflok Spring back and LomoGraflok Instax back are a really usable combination.

Now as I don't use the Ground Glass for focusing, I have recalibrated by lens and use the LomoGraflok and Snapshot as a Compact style Instant camera.

Now I have Lightness, mobility and Instant photos, what more could anyone want?

The Snapshot (Part Deux)

Yesterday I wrote about the snapshot camera and how zone focus is set up to allow a 4x5 experience without using the ground glass to focus. Today I would like to discuss the user experience of using a 4x5 compact style camera.

Firstly why am I so enthused about this style of 4x5 camera.  Own up time, my eyesight is dreadful to the point where I struggle with focusing lenses. I wear varifocals and really can't get the hang of manual focusing. Autofocus on DSLR works a treat but on my Nikon F75 35mm SLR I use a manual focus lens and use the focus markings on the lens to get decently focused photos. In fact I generally use hyperfocal distance which gives me from 1.5 meters to infinity in acceptable focus.

Moving up to medium format I use the same principle, although my Holga is zone focus and pinhole cameras are always focused.  My Chroma Camera 679 is zone focused and works a treat and gets nice sharp pictures. The picture shown below was taken on my Chroma Camera 679 using hyperfocal distance.

Using the Snapshot in this way works well for me although I sacrifice the things that most large format photographers would deem essential in front and rear movements. The sacrifice is worth it because I get mobility, lightweight and the ability to shoot on the hoof as it were. I still benefit from large 4x5 negatives.

Do I need 4x5 negatives? Well not really but they are a thing of beauty and by doing a contact print onto another negative you can get a rather beautiful positive (slide) image that looks beautiful hung in a window.

There is another side to being able to zone focus and 4x5 cameras and that is it is possible to buy a 120 rollfilm back.  I have a 6x9 Wista Rollfilm back for my Snapshot and I love having the ability to throw a roll of film in the back and take 8 pictures.  More importantly I can reload in the field without changing bags and hassle. If I take 4x5 film out I can take 6 shots (3 double darkslide holders). But then I'm done.

I could buy more film holders but per image rollfilm is more economical to use. HP5 Plus in 4x5 is 2.00 GBP per sheet (photo). Rollfilm is 68p per photo and 6x9 is not really that much smaller than 4x5.

So the Snapshot really is a multiformat camera that is mobile, light and allows a different photographic experience.

Of course I've not mentioned instant photography, yet...

The Snapshot and Snapshots

 The Chroma Camera snapshot is a 4x5 camera that was designed to allow photographers to have a lightweight, large format camera that is easy to use on the run.  

Normally a 4x5 camera is a big and cumbersome affair needing dark cloths, loupes, sturdy tripods, a range of lenses, the list goes on and on.

The snapshot does away with much of that and allows a more handheld experience.

Unfortunately things are not as easy as that. I initially bought a 180mm Schneider Kreuznach Symmar lens.  This lens is really heavy and makes the handheld experience something of a trial, not least because it places the lens 180mm from the film plane which makes the camera front heavy and difficult to manage.

I've since replaced the 180mm with a 90mm Schneider Kreuznach Angulon.  The 90mm lens is really light and moves the center of gravity back towards the film plane, therefore making the camera much easier to handle.

The snapshot has a helicoid to which the lens and shutter is attached. If you look at a Holga camera, it too has a helicoid focusing system upon which is marked a single person, two people, a group of people and a mountain.  These represent 1 meter, 2 meters, 6 meters and infinity.

The snapshot helicoid will need to be similarly marked. However this calibration needs to be done by the photographer when the camera is received. 

The calibration is done by mounting the camera on a tripod and focusing on an object 1 meter away using the ground glass. Mark the helicoid. Move the object 2 meters away and repeat, then 6 meters and finally 10 meters.

Once calibrated the helicoid can be set to which ever distance is required and the user will have confidence that the picture being taken will be in focus.

Now the photographer doesn't need the ground glass for focusing and can compose the photo, set the helicoid, set the shutter speed and aperture, cock the shutter and take the photo all handheld and without dark cloths and tripods.

While it's a little bit involved it does mean that the camera is a light and quick in use.  Certainly quick enough for street photography use if the hyperfocal distance is used. 

Note you cannot compare a camera of this sort with a modern 35mm camera. 4x5 is by it's nature slower than 35mm to use.

This is what you can get with a Chroma Camera Snapshot handheld, using zone focusing on the helicoid. A snapshot of a VW van taken while out for a walk on 4x5 Adox CHS 100 II film.

HP5 Plus and the Perfect Developer

 

I have been working with my Chroma Camera 679 using a Mamiya RB67 film back and a Topcon Super Topcor 90mm lens.  I've tried a few different films but I return to Ilford HP5 Plus time and again. The flexibility of this film in terms of latitude, developer choice and application make this film the "Swiss Army Knife" of the film world.

The box states an ISO of 400 however this film can be exposed at 200, 250, 320, 400, 800, 1600 without much bother. If you need a 100 ISO film, add a yellow filter (-1stop) and shoot at 100 and develop for 200. For a dramatic effect you can add a red filter (-3 stops) and shoot at 50 ISO while developing at 400.

The key here is the time that you need to develop for. It can get complex but it doesn't need to.

Several photographers on Twitter have been exposing at 250 and processing in Ilford Perceptol developer a slow developer that will loose effective film speed.  They have all had fantastic results. Others have shot HP5 at 1600 and developed in Ilford Microphen, a fast developer that will increase effective film speed without an increase in grain, again with fantastic results.

I have been getting great results by using a homebrewed version of Kodak D-76 that omits the Hydroquinone.  This recipe of D-76 is correctly called D-76H (sometimes referred to as D23 accelerated) and was devised by a chemist at Kodak to give the same results as D-76 but with better sharpness and finer grain.

The recipe is very simple.

• 2.5g Metol
• 100g Sodium Sulphite
• 2g Borax
• 1 litre of water

Method

N.B. ensure all chemicals are fully dissolved before moving on to the next.

• 750 ml water at 50 centigrade
• add a pinch of Sodium Sulphite
• add Metol
• add remaining Sodium Sulphite
• add Borax
• Top up to 1 litre with cold water.

I like using this developer at a dilution of 1+1, so for a single 120 film, 250ml of D-76H plus 250ml water. I use the timings for normal D-76 from the massive dev chart and add 10% extra time to allow a bit more density and improve the negatives ability to be scanned using a DSLR.  I am seeing well detailed negatives when the film is exposed at 400 ISO with incredible sharpness.  The highlights are not blown out and the detail in the shadows is amazing.  The grain, while present is well controlled and unobtrusive. It looks like a film photograph, rather than an image that could have been taken by a digital camera.

So in conclusion I feel that I have found a great developer that works for me and produces lovely images when coupled with HP5 Plus.

A Grand Day Out

There are few pleasure in life that compare to some proper father and son time.  My son and I have a love for all things automotive. He's recently purchased a Ford Mustang 5.0 Liter monster of a car.  I have a Harley Davidson  motorbike that has a 1.7 liter engine. Fast and American is the way to go. 

So it was with enthusiasm that I agreed to join him at a Rock and Ribs festival in Dorset.  

This festival showcases American Rock and American cuisine (BBQ, Pizza, Enchiladas, Burritos, Fajitas, steak and of course pork ribs).

I took my Chroma Camera 679 and a few rolls of  120 Ilford HP5 Plus film, not for me lugging about a DLSR.

Much of the attraction of American culture harks back to a simpler time, with simpler views and very definitely film photography.

My first camera was a Kodak DuaFlex box camera.  This took 620 film and was gifted to me by my parents. Ever since then I've had a thing about box cameras. I like the way that they work, their simplicity and the quality of their images. 6x6 on medium format film is great.  The Duaflex had two speeds, Instant and Bulb. It sported a fixed aperture and the focus was good from about 2 meters to infinity.

So me taking my Chroma Camera 679, I set the aperture at F22, the shutter at 1/80th and loaded the HP5 Plus. I set the focus to 2 meters and used the camera like an old box camera.  

I didn't faff about with metering the scene or framing shots or composing scenes. I was enjoying my day out with my son and I took a few pictures box camera style. I shot 2 rolls (20 pictures on 6x7)

The resulting negatives were much better than I expected. Obviously some where I was closer than 2 meters had focusing issues but on the whole you gotta expect that from snaps, right?

The great thing was that I didn't let my photography get in the way of a great day out and time with my son.

Box cameras are the way forward, maybe. 😀

Film Manufacturers and Rebranding (part 3)

There are some films that are only available in certain formats.  For example Kentmere film, a budget film produced by Harman Technology, is only available in 35mm cartridges.  Harman have positioned the film as a student/starter film and therefore see very little point, or profit, in producing it as a 120 or sheet film. 

Harman are also competing with themselves as they produce the Ilford line of films.  Ilford films are available at a very keen price point too. 

A 35mm roll of HP5 with 36 exposures is 5.75 GBP, 120 roll of HP5 is 5.00 GBP and a box of 4x5 sheetfilm (25 sheets) is 45.00 GBP.  Compared with Kodak films these are a bargain to start with. Kodak Tri-X 400 is 10.00 for a 35mm, 36 exposure roll, thats twice the price! 

Kentmere film in 400 iso is 4.50 for a 36 exposure 35mm film.  That's 1.25 GBP cheaper than HP5, which is quite a saving. 

Recently I have been buying Agfa APX 100 film, which is available as 35mm only at 5.00 GBP for a 36 exposure film.  Great price and really nice film.  I have also bought some Adox CHS 100 II in 35mm which is also 5.00 GBP per 36 exposure film.  Both films I am really enjoying and love using them. 

However, there is a rub (to paraphrase the Bard).  I use a lot of 120 film and 4x5 sheet film. The Adox is available as various sizes of sheet film and 35mm cartridges.  But no 120 film.  I understand the complexities of producing film and that Adox do not have the machinery to produce 120 film rolls. Adox can coat film, cut film and produce 35mm cartridges.  But they don't have the film available in 120.  Which is a real shame because the Adox is a wonderful film that has a beautiful tonality.  I shoot a fair bit of 120, so I'd like the Adox in that format.  I do understand that just because I would like something to happen, my personal situation does not present a compelling business case for a film manufacturer. 

The situation is similar with the Agfa.  The Agfa APX 100 is only available as a 35mm cartridge, no 120 and no sheet film.  It's a shame but again my personal situation does not present a compelling business case for a manufacturer. 

Another thing that may feed into this discussion is that Agfa APX 100 is made for Agfa by Harman and is in fact Kentmere 100, rebranded.  If this is the case then the effects of Brexit will be mitigated for the UK because the Agfa film is produced here.  This situation is believable because Agfa Photo is a different company to Agfa Gevaert, who are a film manufacturer that produces mainly military and industrial use films.

  

This also means that unless Harman change their position then the situation with formats other than 35mm is unlikely to change. 

As an aside, Agfa Gevaert produce Agfa AviPhot 200, which is an aerial reconnaissance film. This film is sold under a number of different brand names for stills photography use but the main brand is Rollei. Their Retro 80S, Retro 400S and Superpan 200 (available as 120 tool!) are all derived from large rolls of AviPhot 200. 

If you really need to shoot real Agfa film then shoot Rollei! I'm going to give it a go.

On the upside, Adox are working to procure and implement a 120 machine.  This will be fantastic but is more longer term aim. Procurements, moving machinery, setting up a production line, testing it all, packaging production will all take time.  Also the aforementioned Brexit issue may play havoc with supply and pricing from European countries.  Bergger products from France are already in very short supply.

In the meantime Ilford will have the majority of my 120 business and HP5 will remain my go to 120 film. which is no bad thing.