23-09-18
A few more images from my Pentacon lens test, really ought to be called “Helios – Reliving The Past” as I swapped over to the lovely Helios lens half way through the roll.
Leaning To The Light
Pentacon 30mm
Rest Awhile
Pentacon 30mm
Seed Pods
Helios 58mm
Signs Of Autumn
Helios 58mm
Catching The Light
Helios 58mm
Tree Hugging
Really enjoyed the walks through the Arboretum, autumn colours should be showing in a week or so, a roll of colour film for the next visit.
This series is terrific. I love the leaf close-up and the bench. All are well conceived.
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I really like this series in black and white–the black and white medium helps to focus the play of light and shade on the trees and leaves.
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Thank you, I was lucky with the light on that day.
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Dear lord! This set is so gorgeous that you have me searching “Pentacon” and “Helios” in hopes of echoing your beautiful results. Wonderful post!
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Thank you. The Helios is my favourite, it came as a standard lens on my Zenith camera that I bought in 1978 !!!! It works really well with an adapter on my Olympus EPL1 digital too.
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If I read tags right, it seems it’s an expired Kodak T-max, what was the speed? Images are grainy and I like it! I also like the close-up of a leaf.
Helios lenses are rather good. I used it (the same model) on Zenit camera and On my digital Sony camera.
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Hello, hope you are good. It was TMax 400, expired in 1994, I used semi stand development in Adonal (same as Rodinal) 1-100 for 60 minutes. I really like the Helios lens also, works well on my Olympus digital.
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Yes, I’m fine! Thank you! Hope, you are fine also 🙂
I didn’t try to develop expired films, used just expired papers. I know that ISO falls with time. And maybe it looks a bit like pushed or it’s normal grain for tmax400?
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I’m good thanks, even after a visit to the Dentist today ! I think the combination of stand development with Adonal and the leaf being in shade brought out the grain. I’m thinking of setting up my darkroom again, most of the photographic paper I have will be out of date, be interesting to see the results.
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Visiting a dentist is a scary thing! Nice to hear that you are good even after that 🙂
Good idea about a darkroom! Good luck to you!
I printed on expired papers. I used just FB based paper (or when RC papers appeared? Maybe at that time there were no RC) expired for 10 and up to 26 years. Slavich papers expired even for 10 years are very good, just contrast falls a little and that’s all. These papers have a good a bit vintage look because of their age. I used Fotex-1 expired for 27 years and of course contrast was rather low, though I think it could be used anyway for some plots. And I used Slavich Bromexpress-2 expired for 26 years, it is awful 🙂 It develops uneven and I don’t know why but very-very fast, really express 😀 3 seconds under enlarger’s lamp (with the most closed diaphragm) and an image is almost completely black 😀 But I used it for pinhole shots and photograms. It could be good this way also.
What kind of papers do you have? I’d like to see your results!
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Most of the papers I have are Ilford RC Multigrade,10 to 20 years out of date, I used Ilford PQ Universal and Agfa Neutol developers, I like quite contrasty prints. My friend just gave me a Beseler Colour enalrger, all I’ve got to do is figure out how to put it together ! but I have an Opemus 6 enlarger that works well. My biggest challenge will be making the room lightproof, I threw out all my blackout material. I wonder if that Bromoexpress was for fast contact printing ? 3 seconds stopped down is really fast, no time for dodging and burning.
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Where do you want to make a darkroom? I put an enlarger in a bathroom on a washing machine and when I print I put a black garbage bag under the door and it’s enough. Papers are not so sensitive. Though it’s not difficult to tape the door completely but it’s not comfortable to do it every time after you want to check your prints on the normal light. I think it’s possible to use a black curtain if you have it.
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I have a spare bedroom that I used as a darkroom, the window is fairly small, would be fairly easy to blackout the window with bin bags. Biggest obstacle is that I have my desktop computer, film scanners and printer occupying the space where the trays and easel used to be. But that can be sorted with some rearrangement.
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A spare bedroom is a really good variant. Though I don’t know where ventilation is better. It’s good to think about it also. By the way, is there access to water?
Anyway, good luck to you with your work! I’ll be glad to see your prints or new film shots!
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What about bromexpress I really don’t know, maybe. I’m just surprised. If after 20 years it is still so fast, then how did it work when it was new?
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Maybe just a quick exposure in a contact frame with a low powered lamp ?
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Wonderful B&W images! What is your conclusion about the lens?
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Thank you, I like the lens a lot, better suited to landscapes I think. My favourite is still the Helios 58mm though.
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