New film purchases, Zeiss Ikon film, and NZ...

Some new film purchases from Vanbar. They seem to be trying to move a lot of their obscure B&W films, and my stocks are depleted since New Zealand, so I thought I'd pick some up:

5 x Paterson Phototec 400 pan 36exp
5 x Lucky SHD 100 36exp
5 x Maco -UP 400 plus 36exp
5 x Paterson Phototec 100 pan 36exp

I have no idea if they are any good, although I think I read that the Lucky 100 is supposed to be similar to TMax. We'll see! And I'm sure I'll just send it up to Black & White Photographics in Invermay to get developed/printed. The gentleman there did a good job with the Rollei Disposables from the wedding.

UPDATE: Vanbar just rang to say they only have the Lucky film. Not really worth it now! I wanted a good stock of miscellaneous B&W film for cheap-ish, so I think I'll just cancel the order and re-think my re-stocking strategy. It's a bit annoying, as this is the second time I've ordered something from Vanbar from the website which they didn't have in stock. If I knew of a better place to order film internet-wise, I'd use it...

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I've just put my first roll of film (some recently expired Agfa colour 200) in the Zeiss I purchased in February. I haven't taken many shots yet, and I'm relying on Sunny-16 as the light meter appears to be buggered. We'll see what the results are like...

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I will start getting film developed from NZ this week. We have about 8 rolls of Reala and 2 rolls of Velvia 100, I think the Velvia will probably be the last off the rank as I think it's going to cost $26.95 for develop & mount. As for prints or scans, I might have to wait! Expensive, but I seem to recall Black & White Photographics charging exactly the same 6 years ago when I was at uni.

A couple of photos from Strathmore, a property behind Evandale. Incidentally, this is where I was married 4 weeks ago. These shots are from the morning after our celebration (bear in mind this is not representative of where our wedding actually took place...that was in the garden area around the other side).

Ilford XP2, Minolta XG-M, 50mm lens. And, if I remember correctly, the first time I've used the UV filter. Whether it had any effect on the resulting film is difficult to say; some say UV filters are only good for protecting your lens from scratches. I have a weak theory that as we have higher levels of UV in our skies down here (thanks to proximity to the ozone hole), it's not completely unneccesary. But I have nothing to back that up.

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Following this wonderful day, we spent three weeks in sunny New Zealand by way of honeymoon. I took 10 rolls of Fuji Reala 100, 2 rolls of Fuji Velvia 100, and picked up 2 rolls of Kodachrome 100 (which went unused). I think I have 3 rolls of Reala left. I'll be developing those in the next few weeks - more correctly, Stallards will be developing them, and I will be paying them - so I'll post the results as they happen. First time I've used Reala or Velvia, so it'll be interesting to see the results. The Reala I shot at 80iso on advice from a friend, the Velvia I shot at 100 as I've heard horror stories about correct exposure...and as I'm new to Velvia (and slide in general), I thought it best to stick with the safest path, and branch out if I feel like it later.

I'm excited to see how the Reala comes out, as I've had nothing but good results with the standard consumer-level Fuji film (Superia 100, 200, 400), and Reala is supposed to be the bee's knees of Fuji neg. Green is supposed to come out wonderfully vivid, so we'll see...Heidi kindly obliged by buying and wearing a wonderful green knit from Akaroa on our third day in NZ, I guess that will come out pretty amazinglier and stuff.

I just picked this up today at the Evandale Tinker, located about 25 minutes drive from my home. We (myself & "the tinker") had a bit of trouble riddling the shutter out - I took one shot & it all went black - before he decided I could take my chances for half price ($40 Australian).

After a bit of reading & frustration, it turns out that the winder just needed a bit of "encouragement". So while it looks beautiful, I discovered it might not be the most reliable of beasties. It also came with a brown cover & some magnifying lenses.

I'm quite pleased. Google tells me it's an all mechanical SLR from the 1960s. The lens was probably made in Jena, Germany (my favourite "went-through-without-stopping-on-the-train-wish-I'd-stopped-now" place), and the cameras are supposed to be fairly unbreakable - I'm guessing all that brass & steel would contribute to it's considerable heft.

It has a light meter (supposedly TTL) which I'll need to take some time with to figure out, and the mirror doesn't return when you take the photo - hence the moment when everything went black & I got a considerable discount - but all in all I'm happy with it, and I look forward to putting a roll of Reala through it some time after NZ.

Fujicolour 200

Non-expired Fujicolour 200. Much better. Where's the poo?

Also, these last two images came with my first use of a UV filter. I'm not sure whether it's had any effect (common opinion seems to be that UV filters are good for protecting lenses, nothing else). Might have an effect when we're out & about in NZ/Tasmania, what with all the extra UV we get down here at the mouth of the ozone layer hole.

Fujicolor 1600HG (expired '92)

Chalk this one up to a learning experience - if it's 17 years old 1600iso, it's probably going to have grain the size of rabbit poo.

A bit of despeckle in GIMP will tidy it up a little, but then you lose sharpness & a bit of definition. Still, passable for small prints; not worth the gamble for special occasions.

If anyone knows what the HG stands for in Fujicolour 1600HG, I'd like to know.

wedding shots

To be used on the wedding day - separate from our official photographer, of course. The idea is that these will be left beside a guest book. When guests get the urge to leave us a note (hopefully not "I kill you scums"), they will be urged in turn to take a photo of themselves using one of these bad boys. The photo will then accompany their note when we can be bothered getting the photos developed.

These disposables are loaded with Rollei Retro 400, which as I understand it is a true B&W film that imitates the look of 35mm films from the 50s & 60s: fine grain, high contrast, etc. Some examples can be seen in the dedicated Flickr group. I'll entrust this to Black & White Photographics on Invermay Road for development.

I also picked up some Rollei Pan 25 for use at a later date. I'm thinking a trip into the highlands, but I'm undecided. Not until after the wedding for that one.

Incidentally, I have always pronounced it "rol-eye" (as it's a German company), the person I spoke to at Vanbar favoured "role-ee", even picking me up on my "error".

Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super

A recent trip to an antique/second hand dealer & I found one of these beauties. I didn't buy it at the time, but I have my eye on it. Not sure whether $85 is a good price, but it did seem to be in awfully good nick, the shop owner assured me the shutter is functioning. If it's still there following the honeymoon, I'll be spending my had-earned on it. Provided it works properly. There was another camera (folding camera, takes plate film but comes with a DIY 120 back - looks nice, although I have no guarantee it's functional) in the window which has been there for at least two months, so that gives me confidence that stock moves slowly there...

My god is it heavy though! I think I read it's mostly brass & steel, which I guess would account for it's considerable heft.

The other objects of desire are either a TLR of some kind, or a Fed 1/Zorki 4.

Crane