Pentacon – Reliving The Past #2

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.

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Pentacon- Reliving The Past

14-09-18

After scanning in some old slides from the 1980’s see:- (turning vintage) and being impressed with the quality of the Pentacon, f3.5, 30mm lens I managed to get another copy (gave the last one to a friend when I updated my camera gear to Olympus)

I have an adaptor for M42 to Canon ef, I like the plastic Canon as it has focus confirmation, very good for my ageing eyes. I found that when I focused the lens at infinity the mirror wouldn’t return until I turned the lens to a closer focus distance. Loaded the Canon with a roll of TMax 400 that had expired in June 1994 that I found lurking at the back of the fridge. Developed the film in Adox Adonal at 1-100 dilution, and used semi-stand method for 60 mins. The results were not too bad considering the age of the film, and I know It wasn’t always fridge stored (my fridge isn’t that old !) 

All You Need Is Love

This was taken on a very dark path leading to the arboretum, lens wide open. I have yet to post process the other images, spot removal, a bit of contrast, and sharpening, hopefully should be able to run them through LightRoom over the weekend, although I’m out tonight with my buddies for a Beer & Curry evening.

Rolleiflex and a Coot

06-7-18

I was out with my PhotoBuddies at Abbey Park (last week) it was so bright and hot we decided to adjourn to the tea room for large ice creams. I did managed to get a few images though. It almost looks like the Coot is walking on snow, but it was a covering of duckweed on a pond in the Park.

I used some expired (2006) Ilford HP5+ for this shot and developed it in Kodak D76 1-1.

Rolling out the Rollei

25-06-18

I’ve had my slightly battered Rolleiflex 3.5F since the late 1980’s, the slow shutter speeds eventually started sticking so took it in to be CLA’d in 2008, and have never used it since. Thought it was about time to give it a test run. Found a roll of Ilford Delta 400 (expired 2006) and quickly shot some images with it around the garden on Friday. Developed it Friday evening in some Adox FX39, (just enough in the bottle) and let it dry overnight.

The images aren’t anything special, just wanted to know if everything was working as it should.

Lavender 

With Rolleinar II closeup lens.

It was extremely bright and sunny on Friday (still is) so the lighting was really harsh.

Blackberry Flowers

With Rolleinar II closeup lens in a dark part of the garden.

Berries

With Rolleinar II closeup lens in a dark part of the garden.

Rose

With Rolleinar II closeup lens in a dark part of the garden.

Fleur (Do Not Disturb)

Every time I moved in close to take a photo she decided to move !

Me & My Shadow with some Timber

Everything seems to be working fine with the camera, and considering how out of date the film was I’m quite pleased with the results. Out with the PhotoBuddies on Thursday so I might take it along with some fresh film.

3 Film Cameras #3

17-05-18

Canon EOS 500n, really like this combination of the Canon and my old Helios lens. Now I’m getting older my eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be, but the Canon gives me focus confirmation which really helps. I loaded the camera with Kodacolor 200 which had expired in 2001 and rather than getting it developed at the fast photo outlet in town I sent it off to the excellent FilmDev lab, what a difference.

These images were taken back in March.

Rustic Bench

Just Before Spring

Photo Buddy

Considering the long out of date film I was really pleased with the images.

Praktica Super TL #2

09-01-18

A few more images from the heavyweight Praktica Super TL with well out of date colour film.

Easter Island !

Keeping Time

Silver Birch Catching The Morning Light

Polarised

I used a Polarising filter on this shot and it gave a night time feel to the image.

Short Back & Sides

My Obsession 

This fencing sits around a lovely old large house which is currently empty awaiting conversion to apartments !!!!!! Can’t resist photographing parts of the fence line almost every time I walk past. 

I’ve just ordered some fresh colour film, wish I could afford Kodak Porta, maybe in the spring ?

Praktica Super TL

06-01-17

I bought this camera a couple of years ago but hadn’t used it because the original 50mm lens (Meyer Optik Görlitz) was well and truly gummed up, didn’t mind too much as it was from a charity and wasn’t expensive. So when my sister dropped in the Zenit 19  for me to look at I used the Bell & Howell 35-105mm macro zoom lens that came with it to test out the Praktica. I had some Kodacolor 200 film that came with another camera, I had no idea how old it was and judging by the results it was well past it’s best. 

What A Relief

Alternate Universe

Keeping Watch

Winter Eye

The camera weighs a ton with the zoom lens, but I enjoyed using it. The lens is very good, think it’s made by Tokina. 

Zenit 19 (House Brick !)

23-12-17

My sister bought the Zenit 19 from a charity shop for £10.00p hoping it would be a good starter film camera for my niece, and would I try it out to see if it works. I’d never seen this model before, it’s quite old but has some good features, shutter speed to 1/ 1000th of a second and stop down metering. The bad thing about it is that it should take two PX625 mercury batteries, I used 675 hearing aid batteries and a coil of silicon tube to hold them in place. The Zenit weighs a ton and the meter is really slow to react compared to a more modern film camera.

It came with a Bell & Howell 35-105mm zoom lens, which looks very similar if not the same as a Tokina. I decided to try it with my newer version Helios 58mm lens and a roll of Kodacolor 200, expired in 2001. The hardest part was trying to find a day with some semi reasonable weather.

Still Clinging On
 

Contre Jour Cafetiere & Hands

Watchful Eye 

Bokeh and Barbwire

St Stephens & Winter Sky

Barbwire & Snow

Captured Star

Knot & Ice

Not really a camera for a beginner, although I really enjoyed using it. Managed to get a Pentax Z50p with 28- 80mm af zoom lens for my my niece for only a couple of pounds more than the Zenit, it should be a lot easier for her to use, it’s certainly a lot lighter ! 

Konica Lexio 70W

22-10-17

Put a couple of rolls of film through this Konica in September for the first time. I bought the camera about 2-3 years ago for £7.99p, It didn’t look as if it had been used very much at all, It came with a case, the instruction manual and original box. 

The weather was really dull when I used the camera, and the film I was using had an expiry date of 2001, so there were some strange colour shifts on some of the shots, but I don’t mind that.

Workplace Plastic Chair & Graffiti 

Down By The River

The water wasn’t this colour, but I like the effect.

Footbridge

This was more like the true colour of the water.

Old Factory

The factory is still be used

Nature & Water

On the Turn To Autumn Colours

This was taken on a brighter day near to home.

I’ve seen a couple of reviews for this camera which really didn’t rate it that much. Well I like the camera, 28-70mm zoom lens, part metal clad body, and you can switch the flash off.

Teasel

15-01-17

Went out for a walk with my photo buddies a couple of weeks ago, of course the weather was dull and threatening rain, but we weren’t going to let that stop us. We walked (interspersed with a coffee stop) down to the Grand Union Canal. I was using my Konica Lexico 70W, a nicely made 28-70mm compact film camera. The film was Kodacolor 200 expired in 2001, wasn’t expecting too much, but apart from some colour shifts it was OK.

Teasel

I’m guessing the lens was wide open because of the lighting conditions.