More exploration

Well it has been a long time since I've written to this blog but I am back into the camera modification/experimentation game (after a few years of being sidetracked by other things such as looking for work/working/playing Fallout 4/ reading an excellent book series and doing a lot of photography with my digital cameras!)

I'm unsure where I was at the last time I wrote, but at present I work as a graphic designer and photographer for a construction company part time. My other job is a photo editor for a photo studio.

Lately I've decided that my film cameras have been sitting around too long (and so have I!) and I need to get out and walk more. So I have devised a plan to go for a walk or random adventure every few days, and take a photo of the adventure on one of my cameras. I've bought a book to document the adventure and which camera I have chosen to use.

So far 2 walks have been had, one with the Brownie 127 and one with the Holga.
I'm about to reload my Box Brownie Six-20 Target Hawkeye with some 35mm film as an experiment using this technique: Loading 35mm into a Box Camera.
When I have finished I'll try doing my own experimental processing using the following: DIY processing technique.

I shall keep you updated with results!

Kodak Instamatic 304

It is after my latest purchase, that I suddenly realised that all my vintage cameras are Kodaks. That was completely not intentional. Maybe I just like the look of Kodaks. Maybe it's because my first camera was a Kodak when I was a kid. Actually, my first digital camera was a Kodak too... And I only realised all this now.
Anyway, my latest purchase (at my favourite antiques fair we have here in Perth 3 times a year) was a Kodak 304 Instamatic Camera.
Inside it says it was serviced on the 11th of August 1967.
So, what can I find out about this camera?
It was Introduced in 1965 and the film format was 126. It has a Kodar 41mm f/8 lens with two shutter speeds: 1/90 and 1/40 for flash photography although mine does not have a flash. A small cubed flash can be added.
This website here has more on the camera:
http://www.vintagecameralab.com/kodak-instamatic-304/

They say it was worth $325 back in it's day. I only payed $20 for mine. The camera is clipped into an interesting black hard case which you open to take a photo. It also came with a leather carry bag which smells very old, and has "Exclusive to Kodak, made by Denzil Don, Melbourne" stamped on the bottom. The camera needs a bit of a clean up and then I may try some modifications.
This website tells how to convert a 126 to take 35mm:
http://www.betweenthesprockets.com/?p=614

The Brownie 127 (Second Model)

I bought this camera at a camera fair I went to a year or so ago. This model was the 2nd version made of this particular type of camera. It was in production between 1959-1963. The lens is a Dakon F/11 plastic lens. They were made for 127 films. I just opened the back of my camera after some time, and didn't realise that I must have made a modification at some point and there is some 35mm film loaded. So I may well have just exposed part of that. It's a pity a note wasn't made of it, I have no idea how much film has been used.

The Starlet

This is what my Starlet looks like! So retro!!

I was reading another of my posts on here that said that getting a 127 film developed is quite cheap. But I cant for the life of me figure out where I got this information from...
Yes I have places and prices for getting a 120 developed, but not for 127.
So maybe I will have to try re-spooling a 35mm film onto a 127 spool or something.

Yay! A link has been found:

http://making-the-noise.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html
and
http://www.flickr.com/groups/127/discuss/72157622370513621/

Looks like another project! But I shall have to get some 127 backing paper first I think. And another spool.

The Brownie Target Hawkeye!

I have just finally got around to modifying a 120 film to fit into my 620 Brownie Hawkeye camera.
I found a great tutorial here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/heritagefutures/3057193327/

I had the 120 for quite a while, but decided I would use it at the Steampunk LARP day at MOTAT on Sunday.

So, first I found one of Keiths chisels/files in amongst the tools. I sanded down both ends (and kept trying it out in the camera to see if it would fit. After a while it fit but didn't move easily so I cut the edges off and filed them smooth as is shown in the tutorial. Then it was all good, so I pulled out the film, taped it to the receiving spool and wound it on. And it wound fine!

Cant wait to use it on Sunday!

I think it should be able to take about 8 pictures but i'm not sure. I'm also not sure how many times to advance the winder each time. People say you should be able to see the numbers through the hole on the back, but i'm sure i've read somewhere before that you cant (because of the different sized film/position of the numbers on a 120).
So I will experiment. And take a normal camera for important photos.

Cross Processing

It seems from this discussion I found, that it depends which film you use, as to what your cross processing will be like.


So, it seems that for the intended effect I'm after, I should try the following films...

Provia 100
Provia 400
Trebi 100
Kodak EPP a.k.a Ektachrome 100 / 100s
Kodak Elitechrome 400
Kodak E100 G
Kodak E 100GP
AGFA Precisa CT 100

These are used to get more saturated colours.

Factors that also alter how the colours on certain films will be include whether you get the film processed in Kodak C41 or Fuji C41. My film was Fujifilm Sensia 200 processed in Fuji C41 so that may have given it less saturation as it seems that Kodak seems to be better for that according to various posts.

Or I could try photoshopping them...but that spoils the whole idea really...

Holga Tips

Just to note some tips for next time I use my Holga 135bc...

* The best film to use (in terms of ISO) for slide films are: 100 for sunny days, 200 for sunny/overcast days etc etc. 400 is said to be good all round.
For normal film, it doesn't really matter.

* It works best outdoors in daylight. This is because it has a fixed shutter speed of about 1/125 and a fixed aperture of f11.

* The Sun = f11 and the cloud = f8. So I was using them correctly. The sun for sunny days and the cloud for cloudy days/night. Although Holga users say that these dont actually work so f is 13.3 for all.

* The final picture will cut off the top 25 or 30% of what you see through the viewfinder. (Known as parallax)

* The closest focus distance is one meter when the single person icon is selected.

* "Many people are a bit disappointed with their Holga 135 when they first use it because their pictures don't look "holgaish" enough. One reason is the perspective is wrong. It's too "normal" as opposed to wide-angle. The Holga wide-angle converter really gives the Holga 135BC the perspective it should have had in the first place."

* "You really need to think about the conditions you'll be shooting in as slide film has lower tolerance for error. With negative film you can be upto three stops out and still get a useable image. Slide film won't be so kind. It's better to over expose than underexpose so go for a faster film."

* "Based on Holga focusing tests done in another thread in this group, these are the metric distance equivalents for the Holga focusing icons:

• One Person = 1m
• Three People = 1.5m (Instructions say 2m)
• Group = 3m (Instructions say 6m)
• Mountains = Infinity (Instructions say 10+m)

That puts the hyperfocal distance just to the left of the big group either way.

So, how can you use this piece of information? If you set your focus just to the left of "Bi Group" you should be able to get everything from about 2.85m (half the hyperfocal distance) to infinity in focus. You really only need to switch your focus for things closer than 2.85m (9.35 ft.). For things at the closest focusing range, you definitely want to use the "one person" setting. For things at infinity, you might still want to use the three people setting if you also want the stuff close to you in focus. If you set your camera to infinity, things closer than about 10m may be out of focus." (Info from Flickr Holga group)

Very interesting. I'll add more tips later.