First roll almost completed - what a learning curve!

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percymon

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So the first roll of 120 is nearly finished in my newly acquired Bronica ETR-Si.

What a learning curve though - some of yesterday evenings events are laughable, i'm so used to automatic everything and the wastefulness that is digital (ie shoot, look, delete, try again !!).

The plus points...

+ very enjoyable experience using something so different to a conventional shaped SLR :D
+ film loading is very easy :woot: - one look at the instruction diagram and i was away. A real bonus as i did wonder whether loading film out in the field would be a pain in the ass.
+ viewfinder; its like watching HD TV !


The mistakes !!

- first shot i couldn't get the shutter to fire, dark slide still in !
- removed dark slide still, no response, film advance handle needed another 2 clicks, presumably to cock the shutter :)
- first pic taken :woot: then realised i'd forgotten to focus :wacky: but fortunately was set to infinity so correct for the shot ;)



Went to several local locations as the light of the late evening was fading, mainly to test out the Weston Master V lightmeter readings (ebay £5.50 :clap: )

The frustrations..

one thing i did find frustrating was that using 125ISO Ilford FP4+ film i was always struggling to find a combination shutter speed and aperture value. This is no doubt partly due to the limited range of shutter speeds on the Bronica but i do find it a bit disconcerting, especially when you can't check the results immediately! Maybe a different iso film would have given me somethign more aligned to shutter and apertures on the camera ?

I did take some shots using aperture settings between the click stops of the lens - it was a bit of a gamble at the time as i didn't know for sure what setting i would get :cautious:. The manual suggests there are intermediate settings (provided no metered prism in use), so i think i'm OK. :thinking:

Could someone confirm this ?
 
I think I made those mistakes when I first had my SQ-A as well :LOL: (but not the focus one)

About the film question, you could always just shoot it at 100 as the film has a large exposure range so wouldn't really notice to be fair.

Never tried using the settings between the f numbers so I'm unsure about that, guess you just wait for the film to get developed
 
cherryrig said:
I think I made those mistakes when I first had my SQ-A as well :LOL: (but not the focus one)

About the film question, you could always just shoot it at 100 as the film has a large exposure range so wouldn't really notice to be fair.

Never tried using the settings between the f numbers so I'm unsure about that, guess you just wait for the film to get developed
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thanks for the comment - i moved the iso setting on the lightmeter at the time and to be honest it didn't help a lot !. At least FP4+ has a decent exposure latitude :)

Will be sending this one to peak-imaging, asking them to scan to CD too. They will probably think its the worst set of pics they have seen, but whatever the result it'll be my first roll of MF so i'll be keeping them if only to embarass myself in years to come :LOL::LOL:
 
I'd echo what Cherry say's, I'm still pressing the shutter with darkslide in to this day, it's all part of concentrating on all the other things you have to do for yourself now.
Finding yourself between apertures or shutter speeds is quite normal when you don't have any exposure bias control, it hardly matters with most b/w film.
Generally, film manufactures over estimate their film iso sensitivity, I shoot 125 at 100 anyway, the faster the film the greater the disparity, for Ilford 3200 I shoot it at 1000 indoors, which is less than a third of its rating...:shrug:
 
If you are new to film photography then its going to be strange and medium format even more so,even those of us who grew up with film made those mistakes and when I first got my SQA years ago the number of times I pressed the shutter release with the dark side in were numerous
 
The first roll is in the post to peak imaging tonight - managed to find a few interesting shots at lunchtime whilst shopping in Chester. Can't wait to see the results. I might even have one good enough to add to the film pictures thread (but don't hold your breath)

Interesting that the B&W films are able to cope so well with a range of parameters - comforting to know i don't have to hang around for the light to change such that it comes in spec !

Now loaded with Velvia 50, so a new challenge awaits :D :D
 
percymon said:
I did take some shots using aperture settings between the click stops of the lens - it was a bit of a gamble at the time as i didn't know for sure what setting i would get :cautious:. The manual suggests there are intermediate settings (provided no metered prism in use), so i think i'm OK. :thinking:

Could someone confirm this ?
Click to expand...

I'd be amazed if your Bronica lenses didn't have the facility to select half aperture stops for just those occasions when the whole stops don't line up with the shutter speeds as you'd like. If you can feel a click stop on the aperture ring in between the whole stops, then half stops can definitely be selected. Both my Mamiya lenses for the RB67 have clicky half stops which are selectable.

Even if there's no apparent clicky half stop on your aperture ring, it's still possible that you may be able to select a half stop by carefully positioning the aperture ring midway between two whole stops. I've certainly owned many lenses in the past where this is possible.

Either way, if you lock the shutter open using 'B' or 'T' settings you should be able to look at the front of the lens as you move the aperture ring and look for a change in diaphragm size between the whole stops.

I forget to take the dark slide out all the time. ;)
 
Nice one percymon.

My kids are fascinated with the viewfinder image, I have an 110mm F/2.8 lens and aperture is massive, so the shallow dof looks like 3D TV

I love the way it's the polar opposite to digital photographer, absolutely nothing is done for you (bar the safety interlocks) everything is down to the photographer, that way, when the results are crap (or good), there's only one person to blame :)
 
Yeah, I loved the wlfinder, I wouldn't have used anything else, apart from the big screen, and not having to hold it to you're face and squint, it gives a more interesting angle by necessity......the low downs are easy too.
Only problem is when the sun isn't shielded by the flaps during a shot, makes it tricky to see.
 
CT said:
I'd be amazed if your Bronica lenses didn't have the facility to select half aperture stops for just those occasions when the whole stops don't line up with the shutter speeds as you'd like. If you can feel a click stop on the aperture ring in between the whole stops, then half stops can definitely be selected. Both my Mamiya lenses for the RB67 have clicky half stops which are selectable.

Even if there's no apparent clicky half stop on your aperture ring, it's still possible that you may be able to select a half stop by carefully positioning the aperture ring midway between two whole stops. I've certainly owned many lenses in the past where this is possible.

Either way, if you lock the shutter open using 'B' or 'T' settings you should be able to look at the front of the lens as you move the aperture ring and look for a change in diaphragm size between the whole stops.

I forget to take the dark slide out all the time. ;)
Click to expand...


Thanks for the clarification CT (y) - yes my lens has the clicks at the marked f stops, so 2.8,4,5.6 etc. The manual states in between settings are there but you have to position between the clicks. I've not tried the DOF button to check for any difference bewteen marked stops, but it does sound like they are there which is a great help in attainign accurate settings after light readings.
 
cherryrig said:
Slide film is not so forgive, just to let you know

How are you metering these shots?
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Weston Master V - using it facing the subject on a line slightly down from the camera lens line, to avoid sky readings (as per the 1950s manual). Seems pretty reliable and it does have a calibration sticker on it, albeit a few years old now. At some point i will check it against the EOS5d digital and EOS30 film camera readings.

First film will be a good test of the light meter accuracy !
 
You don't have to be spot on - 1/3 stop is neither here nor there. You can work to 1/2 stops happily. You are just used to the decimal places of digital!

The thing you MUST remember to do is put the dark slide in BEFORE you remove the film back! Otherwise it is a wasted roll.
 
Using your incident ligt meter...if you hold it across the light, towards the light source (or half towards, not so it is all shadow side) instead of pointing at the camera you will get an immediate mid range meter reading. It saves taking a highlight reading, then a shadow reading and averaging it - you can average it in one go.
 
This is becoming an expensive dabble with film :(

todays order with 7 day shop, the third order i've placed in 3 weeks.

1 x Fuji Provia 100F - 120 roll (Single Roll) = £1.99
1 x Fuji Astia 100F - 120 roll (Single Roll) - SPECIAL = £1.95
1 x Ilford Delta 100 - 120 roll (Single Roll) = £1.65
1 x Ilford Delta 400 - 120 roll (Single Roll) = £1.65
1 x Ilford PAN F Plus 50 - 120 roll (Single Roll) = £1.55
1 x Ilford Delta 3200 ASA - 120 = £1.90
1 x Fuji Neopan ACROS - 120 Roll (Single Roll) = £1.60
1 x Fuji Velvia 100F - 120 Roll (Single Roll) = £2.40
1 x Fuji Provia 400X - 120 roll (Single Roll) = £2.39

Experimenting with different films isn't perhaps my best ploy at a time i'm familiarising myself with the camera and lightmeter, but its so cheap i can't resist :D :D :D
 
percymon said:
This is becoming an expensive dabble with film :(

todays order with 7 day shop, the third order i've placed in 3 weeks.

1 x Fuji Provia 100F - 120 roll (Single Roll) = £1.99
1 x Fuji Astia 100F - 120 roll (Single Roll) - SPECIAL = £1.95
1 x Ilford Delta 100 - 120 roll (Single Roll) = £1.65
1 x Ilford Delta 400 - 120 roll (Single Roll) = £1.65
1 x Ilford PAN F Plus 50 - 120 roll (Single Roll) = £1.55
1 x Ilford Delta 3200 ASA - 120 = £1.90
1 x Fuji Neopan ACROS - 120 Roll (Single Roll) = £1.60
1 x Fuji Velvia 100F - 120 Roll (Single Roll) = £2.40:love:
1 x Fuji Provia 400X - 120 roll (Single Roll) = £2.39

Experimenting with different films isn't perhaps my best ploy at a time i'm familiarising myself with the camera and lightmeter, but its so cheap i can't resist :D :D :D
Click to expand...

Cheap..?, you could get a cf card to store 100 raws for £15....wait....thats 9 rolls @ 12 shots a roll...no more, its 645...err hummm...... 9 x 15 + 2 /14 take away the number you first though of...ahhhh, well thats over err 100 frames of beautastic filmstuffs..(y)

*conveniently disregards processing costs because, money....has sod all to do with it*

:LOL:
 
Conveniently discards processing costs cos they are likely to be spread over a long period - he says knowing full well it won;t be.

CF cards getting much cheaper by the day - forgotten where my 5d is !!!
 
Lensflare said:
It's in the cupboard marked - sterile and unemotional.
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If the package i've just had back from peak imaging is anything to go by, you might be right !! :eek:

Great service, under a week, including scanning to CD (25Mb tif files !!) - files too big for the archaic software in the office to handle, so a bit of resizing to do at home tonight before i post the good :love: , the bad :shake: and the ugly :thinking:

Overall though, I'm really pleased with the first roll :woot: - a few mistakes i knew i'd made so not surprisingly there are a few dodgy exposures (first 3 frames :D ), and a few sunsets and high contrast subjects were always going to be a test for the 50yr old light meter, never mind me and the camera !

Back on the web to find a 200mm lens then :bonk:
 
cherryrig said:
Upload some of the photos so we can see.
Click to expand...

will do tonight (y)

What was the price on the Peak Imaging service?
Click to expand...

£17.45 for developing one roll of 120, and scanning to CD - that includes postage which is obviously quite steep on a single film mailing, several films would be the same cost :)
Have a look on Ffordes as yhry have some 200mm lenses
Click to expand...

i do almost daily - they have a good site in terms of pictures of the goods, but they are about 150% the prices of other reputable outlets. Thanks for the heads up anyway ;)
 
Well in for a penny.....these are basically resized only from the peak-image scans, VERY minor tweaking of levels....

1. valve ? at catalyst museum - used this for its high contrast between the high reflectivity face and the dark finned inside

Catalyst_Valve.jpg



2. a few of Runcorn Widnes Bridge - weather was pretty dull, the latter at sunset with the weak sun at the camera.. first one looks a bit out of focus or camera shake on the left 2/3rds of the bridge..

rw_bridge3.jpg


rw_bridge1.jpg


rw_bridge2.jpg


3. one of a latvian musician playing in Chester - was trying to finish the roll off at this stage but she presented a good subject due to the textures. Used the sunny16 rule for this one - f16, 1/125th shutter speed..

latvian_musician_chester.jpg


and this is a crop of the main file, with a little sharpening in p'shop...

latvian_musician_chester_crop.jpg



the musician pics cost me a pound to the busker -well worth it :clap:
 
4. spike island marina - another poor weather evening :crying:

spike_island_marina.jpg



and

5. my first ever MF picture (oh dear )... :puke::puke:

the_first_one_lol.jpg




Comments appreciated.
 
I think that's a cracking start you've made.
 
sprog said:
Yes, very good. What film was it again?
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Ilford FP4+ 125asa

seems it has a fair bit of foregiveness !


The subject matters aren't exactly the most exciting and the lighting for most was pretty appalling (drizzly very overcast skies etc). Overall i'm pretty chuffed with the results, given i could have ended up with a load of out of focus, badly metered, even light leaked images !

Since i loaded the Velvia 50 i havn't taken one shot - perhaps i should stick to B&W to keep my interest :thinking::thinking:
 
Off to Austrian Tirol tomorrow for a week, so have the backs loaded with Ilford Delta 400 B&W and Fuji Velvia 50. Taking Delta 100, Velvia 100Fand Astia 100F as extra rolls just in case. Gives me 60 shots to play with along with about 3000 images on the dSLR and another 50 or so on the EOS30.

So the rucksack is packed..

Canon EOS30 with battery grip, Sigma 28-200mm (purely to give me a bit of length without taking the monster Sigma 80-400IS)
Canon 50mm f1.8
Sigma 17-35mm f2.8/4
Canon EOS 5d with 24-105mm f4 L IS
Bronica ETRSi with 75mm f2.8
Bronica 150mm f3.5

plus the usual regalia of filters, films, spare batteries etc - the rucksack is a bit weighty to say the least !
 
Well its a personal choice, depends on the camera and the lens.
personally I liked the 50 on my Bronica EC, the 40 always looked a little too distorted to be used for anything other than landscapes.
I had a Mamiya 645 super for a few weeks, it had a 45 and although the distortion was fairly controlled, I didn't like the 645 format as much as 6x6, so that went but not because of the lens.
A 50 on a Mamiya 6 which is 6x6 is supposed to be distortion free, I know it isn't but its absolutely the best that can be bought for distortionless wide angles.
So its really a question of when you start adding verticals to an image like in architecture or whatever, how much distortion you can live with, if you're only gonna do landscapes it doesn't matter that much.
You need to look through them both, maybe the 40 for a 645 etr is no more distorted than the 50...:shrug:

I have some building stuffs somewhere from that 645 mamiya 45, can't guarantee it's the same view as a etr 40, but at least the format is the same.
 
Joxby - you are soooooo right - even with the 75mm lens on its almost impossible to get a shot of a full building in towns. In Salzburg i tried to photograph a fountain in the square with the fortress on the hill above in shot too. I must have been 100 feet from the fountain and still couldn't get it all in. So on the lookout for a 40mm i think !

Three rolls of film completed in Austria - quite a few stupid mistakes made like forgetting to fine focus, and not changing the asa setting on the light meter to allow for the differing films in the two backs i took ! Turning out to be expensive this film lark - processing wasted frames lol!
 
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