“I Really Miss That Sound!”- Photojournalist For A Day

Last month, on the way home from Photographica, I stopped off at a Tea Party Rally. I figured it would be a great way to practice some photojournalism, old school, with the F3HP, motor drive, TriX, and a kit full of fast Nikkor glass. Good call.

A local newspaper photographer, shooting digital, came up to me, hearing the MD-4 and shutter, and said “I miss that sound!” To which I responded, “I can’t get enough of it”.

The supporters were polite, well-behaved, and demonstrating for what they feel was right. Agree or disagree, well, I guess, neither, as a photojournalist for a few hours. The F3 was the hit of the Party.

This was a blast to photograph. High contrast B&W seemed to lend itself perfectly to the event. I also shot some color in the F2, with not nearly the same impact visually. Here are a few frames from the couple of rolls I shot. My Flickr stream will have a lot more-

Tea Party Representative From Brandeis University

Tea Party Supporter

Hoping For Change

WCRN News Director Hank Stoltz on the left, engaged in conversation.

Shots From Photographica- April, 2012

As I blogged recently, last month, there truly were bargains to be had at Photographica. Ironically, despite being a mostly analog show, I was one of the few folks I saw there who was actively shooting film at the event. My Nikon F3HP received several ‘is that one for sale” inquiries, as well as “what film are you shooting with” questions. I was amongst friends, so the usual “you can still get film?” was not a question. The lighting was very dark inside, and as I did not shoot with a flash, I shot wide open at f/1.4. Outdoors, at about f/8.

Here are a few shots from the weekend (April 14-15, 2012)-

So nice to see a Hasselblad on the sign!

Fellow PHSNE member Al Holmy always has great gear for sale- and is very, very knowledgable.

Lots of film photographers were buying, and the prices were, after haggling a bit, very reasonable.

This gentleman had some fantastic Canon glass for sale.

Trying a tripod out.

The next Photographica is September 22-23rd, in Wakefield, MA. See www.phsne.org for more details. This show, the prices seemed much more reasonable, in line with what is out there online, and the dealers were indeed haggling. Maybe a sign of the economy, but also great for us. This show is a must see for film photographers in the Northeast.

Light Leaks Revisited- How I Fixed Them In A Polaroid Model 100 Automatic Land Camera

Light Leak In Upper Right- Means Leak Is On Left Side Of Camera Bellows.

A while ago, I blogged on the topic of light leaks. For some reason, I love them in a Kodak Brownie, which I shoot with, or stuff I see taken with a Diana or a Holga, which I do not have, but love. They seem part of the whole Lomography movement. But, in Polaroids? Call me weird, but to my photographic eye, they just don’t look right.

At Photographica a few weeks ago, I picked up, amongst other great finds, an original 1963 vintage Polaroid Automatic Land Camera Model 100. The first of the series, this beautiful camera was packed in one of the large Polaroid attaché’ kits, with every accessory imaginable, and unopened print mounts. When you collect and use Polaroids, this was a very nice find. The price was even nicer- on the dollar table, for a buck. Done.

The camera has a few quirks, which Polaroid undoubtedly improved upon in the later 200/300/400 series cameras. The chemical spread is uneven, resulting in all kinds of blobs. But what really was noticeable was a light leak, appearing in the upper right of each print. This told me there was a leak in the bellows somewhere on the left hand side. I took the camera into the darkroom, and shined a strong LED light into the back. Sure enough, a couple of pinhole sized leaks were noticeable on the left-hand side. Off to Home Depot.

Strong Stuff- Rust-Oleum LeakSeal.

After seeing an in store display showing how Rust-Oleum LeakSeal, described as a “flexible rubber coating”, I decided to give this a whirl. The bellows need to remain flexible as they expand, contract, opening, closing the camera, and focusing. it sprays as rubber, flexible, and pitch black. It is not cheap, at $10 US a can. And it is a STRONG smelling material. It needs to be sprayed in an area that has plenty of ventilation. In hindsight, I went a bit crazy, spraying two coats. More later on the unexpected side effect.

Masked off inner lens element, located behind the shutter assembly. You must do this before spraying LeakSeal. As you can see here, it did what it was supposed to do- protect.

INSERT WARNING HERE- Make sure you mask off your inner lens element, before spraying. I used masking tape, and then put Gorilla Tape over that area, with the bellows retracted, before unfolding. This will keep the black, rapidly drying LeakSeal from ruining the camera optics, and maybe even the shutter itself.

After letting it dry overnight, I tested the bellows for flexibility, and for leaks. None to be found, but the bellows folding was a bit rigid, and tight. I think one coat here really would have been plenty. The stuff is pitch black, and durable, but importantly, flexible. Two coats, not as flexible. Less is more. Lesson learned.

Fun, this was not. This stuff could knock an elephant down. But it works.

I took the camera out yesterday, almost as an afterthought, as I had some digital photography to do in the morning with my D300, at my son’s game. One bag. And some chrome I wanted to shoot in the afternoon with the F2S. Another bag. So, I threw the Polaroid case into the trunk. Diners and Polaroids are almost made for each other. As you can see, there is a lot of uneven chemical spread still. Maybe another project for another day. Until then, yes, the light leak is gone. If you like them, keep them. If not, they can be easily repaired.

Moran Square Diner, Fitchburg, MA- Uneven Chemical Spread In The Corners.

Revisiting Kodak Ektar- The 35mm Flavor

The name Ektar is an acronym for Eastman Kodak TessAR. -Wikipedia

Kodak Ektar is a beautiful color negative film. As Kodak claims it to be the finest grained color negative film, I wanted to take another roll of it for a spin, this time in 35mm. My latest results with Portra 160 have been quite disappointing, with a lot of blown out skies and overexposure. The blown out sky phenomenon, a few years into film photography, is somewhat puzzling to me still. Is it metering? Is if filtration (or lack thereof)? Is it the emulsion? As I have had some success with Ektar, the punchy colors and almost watercolor painting-like look of the film continues to keep drawing me back to it.

An almost ideal color negative film for sunsets. Worcester, Massachusetts.

These shots were taken with the Nikon F2S, 28mm AiS Nikkor, and 135mm f/2.8 Ai Nikkor. A sidenote- the “rabbit ears” of the 135 were not engaging with the coupling pin of the F2. They somehow were bent, or damaged, by the previous owner. A kind reader on the outstanding photo.net forum was generous to send me a replacement set, along with new screws. An easy 5 minute swap, and the lens couples perfectly to the F2′s DP-2 Photomic light meter head.

Nikon F2S, Nikkor 135mm f/2.8 Ai. With the right light. Ektar's sharpness can be truly spectacular. The red bias is noticeable here.

An untechnical capsule review: the film seems to heavily emphasis reds. The colors are so saturated, you almost have to pull the saturation down, a lot, in Photoshop. Yes, it is sharp, but not overly so. It scans beautifully. It is what was once thought of as a medium speed film, but with more and more color negative emulsions being discontinued by the day, it is one of the slower ones. it does not have the wide latitude of, say, Portra 400. In my experience, it is less prone to overexposure than, say, Portra 160. In my experience with that film, your exposure has to be pretty much dead on, or highlights will blow like the 4th of July.

Fly Fishing- Mirror Lake, Devens, Massachusetts

While I have had some success with skin tones in the larger 120 medium format version, in 35mm, it will produce typically some very ruddy complexions. Like any photography, your mileage may vary. The above shot had the subject in the shadows, back turned. Not a problem here. For portraiture, there are much better choices, such as the above mentioned Portra 400.

In conclusion, Ektar is indeed a lot of fun to shoot. I would not leave it loaded up in my 35′s all the time. But a case of it in 120 is going to get a lot of work in the Hasselblad this summer.

Metal Mechanical Marvel- The Nikon F2

Nikon F2S, Built In Japan, In 1976.

After a lengthy hiatus (too long), I am back photographing. So much so that I am behind on my developing. And suffering yet another medical setback, that has forced me to slow down lots of activities. How does one cheer up? Maybe pick up yet another camera body that has been on the “bucket list” for years now. The classic, quintessential mechanical 35mm SLR, the Nikon F2.

Introduced way back in the Fall of 1971, the F2 originally was slated to be called the Nikon F Model A. Thankfully, Nikon settled on the numeric nomenclature that exists today with their D series. The F2 was more an evolution than a revolution, a refinement of the Nikon F that came out 12 years earlier. The F2 was on the drawing board for years before its introduction. Despite the fact that Nikon was selling a ton of F’s, even going into shortages in many parts of the world in the early 70′s.

The F2 set out to correct a few quirks that the F had since 1959. The body was now more rounded, making it easier to hold in the hands. A slightly faster flash sync speed was now at 1/80th of a second, up from 1/60th. The top end shutter speed was now 1/2000th of a second, almost unheard of in its day, and still a marvel for an all mechanical camera. Amazingly, exposure can be fine tuned by choosing intermediate, stepless settings about that 1/80th sec. speed. The batteries for the light meter were now of the silver oxide variety- no more mercury. The batteries are available today, still,ejust about anywhere you can think of.  Not that you always need them, because, like the F, the F2 is 100% mechanical. A larger mirror reduced the likelihood of viewfinder vignetting with longer glass. There are about 1500 parts in the camera. Yes, you still get a bullet proof titanium shutter. And, a hinged back door with a memo display. No more removable door, a holdover from the rangefinder days, which maybe is one of the original F’s very few design flaws.

The F2 was conceived as more of an “automatic” Nikon, allowing for add on’s that would automate modes such as shutter priority. Those with the mindset that an F should be a full manual camera, always, would later be disappointed in 1980, with the introduction of the F3, and its Aperture Priority mode. Ironic, because when the F3 ended production almost 20 years later, it was then hailed as one of the greatest 35mm SLR’s of all time.

The model I scooped up this past weekend, at Photographica, is the F2S. Built in 1976, it was impossible to resist, condition, functionality, and price were all to the liking. The F2S was the first 35mm SLR with LED’s in the light meter to display exposure. They are beautiful to look at, helpful to measure exposure, and a huge plus in low light situations over the previous needle mechanism. And nicely tuned with the stepless shutter speed capabilities.

The F2 is a joy to use. The better handling and ergonomics really make it easier and even more fun to operate than the F. while still admittedly a very heavy camera, it does not feel heavy in use. It is perfectly balanced. And feels more like a finely tuned instrument than a camera.

NOTE: If you plan on using the F2 with a “modern” day Speedlight, you will need to get, which I did right away, the very handy AS-1 flash coupler. This slides over the rewind knob, and allows you to slide on most Nikon Speedlights, even thouse such as the SB-600, or SB-900!

The F2 made way in 1980, for yes, the F3. Samples from the 1st roll below, shot with Portra 160, in Wakefield, MA, home of Photographica-

From the first roll shot on the F2- exposures are slightly hot, but maybe due to the time of the day, and just not used to the light meter yet.

What you see is what you get with the Nikon F2- 100% viewfinder coverage, always.

Definition Of Color

Color : (Noun) The property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way it reflects or emits light.

I have not shot color film photography in quite a while. Partly due to my home black and white darkroom obsession, and partly due to my stubborn resistance to it as an artistic medium. To my eyes, much color photography is too close to the “snapshot” variety, and maybe lacks the texture, tonality, and depth of B&W. While I do indeed prefer black and white film photography, Kodak Portra, in both 160 and 400 speeds, represent some of the very best color film materials available today. While the conditions yesterday at Moore State Park in Paxton, MA were far from ideal (strong midday sun, almost no natural diffusion from foliage), the mid 70 degree day in March made it irresistible not to get out there, and shoot a roll or two. Here are a few of my favorite exposures from the day. These were taken with the Nikon F Photomic FTn, 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor, and a Tiffen Skylight filter, for a slight warming effect.  Oh, and Portra 160. Next time, under similar conditions, I may opt for some Ektar, for its slower speed. Maybe it is the FTn meter, but was really surprised the exposures were so “hot”. But, looks like this stuff might be around for a while. Thanks, Kodak.

This Waterfall Really Was A Blast To Photograph With The 50mm.

Would Have Been A Much Better Shot If Taken During "The Golden Hour".

Guessing This Is A Very Old Tree.

Favorite Of The Day, Shot Fairly Wide Open.

Return To The Railroad

I received a great gift from an online friend a few months ago. Knowing my fondness for Minolta cameras, and Rokkor lenses, Alex, a fellow FPP listener, and contributor, from Canada, sent me a gorgeous X-700, with the 45mm f/1.7 Rokkor. To take advantage of my fondness for trains, and railroad scenes, I decided to take the camera through its paces, and take it down to the former Fitchburg Railroad tracks, now part of the MBTA, as well as other freight services. This strangely accessible area, near the municipal airport, gave me opportunity to photograph both moving, and stationary tracks.

The camera is one of the most advanced manual SLR’s I have ever used. Featuring program exposure, aperture priority, and manual exposure, it has an amazingly accurate light meter, one which is stepless in aperture priority, And, unlike the beloved XG-7, yes, the meter does meter completely in manual exposures. It can be as simple, or as advanced, as you want. The lens, like the 50 1/4, and 1.7, is sharp and contrasty. At 45mm, it comes close to a pancake lens. Compact and great to handle.

Back to this location. Not a soul in sight. Guessing along the tracks, there are, on occasion, security guards, etc. No fences, no warning signs. I was able to walk right up to parked cars, and pan closely when MBTA commuter rail trains blasted by. These were taken with Kodak T-MAX 100, and home developed with HC-110. I also should mention that a Hoya yellow filter was used as well.

Thank you, my friend Alex!

Boston And Maine Freight Cars

Freight Car Wheels Up Close

CSX- The 45mm Rokkor Worked Beautifully For This Image

MBTA Commuter Rail On Its Way To Boston