Hi to everyone

[highdetail]

Haven't been here for many a year. I last shot a roll of 120 thru a Kershaw folder more than a year ago, tho' I inherited a Super Graflex and a Yashica TLR. Finally realised I was using the 23 rollfilm back because it was troublesome to develop 4x5 sheets.
Last week I bought a Mamiya 23 (I have a 645 and a set of lenses from 1980 including a 500mm catadioptric) The problem is not the hardware its moving the spirit to go out and use it. Last pic I took was a macro closeup of a tomato..
HELP - inspire me !
Ron in Scotland

 

[dirk]

Hi Ron,

thank you for your introduction :z04_whip2_1:

Unfortunately, it is raining here since a week, so it is tough to get into the mood to go out and shoot. Show us that tomato shot

How do you scan your film?

 

[highdetail]

I'll keep this short.
I use a Epson Expression1680 for neg to disk transfer. Will post some pics when I can.
Most of my cameras have been 2nd hand. My first camera at age 12 was a plastic Ilford 35mm fixed focus. I learned lighting and composition on it. At 15, I bought an Exa-II and learned how heavy post-war cameras were to lug around.
I bought a Paterson Gnome enlarger and became a creature of under the stairs. The Exa lens migrated to become the enlarger lens using 2 part polymer resin.
A few years later I bought a new Mamiya 645 with wide angle, tele and catadioptric lenses. I think I stunned the staff at High Wycombe Cameras by laying down cash for the whole kit in 1975. A lovely system camera.
I visited California and bought a Pentax 110-auto which I carried everywhere for ten years. Eventually life took over and the cameras were consigned to a cupboard and then one day I met a Sony VX1000 and became a video maker using Power Director.
Digital demanded I seek and purchased a Canon EOS 550 and that was a fun camera with more features than any amateur needs. About six years ago I bought a Graflex and discovered 4x5 sheet film. Back into the darkroom again only this time there was room to stand up. The Paterson Gnome had long gone but I had film backs which came with the Graflex, one of which used extinct paper film packs (the model 1234 film pack adapter), available these days for about £5. Get one if you can, it fits the spring back. I modified it to take a 4x5 or smaller negative with a cold light source from ebay and it then shines through the Kodak Ektar lens as an excellent enlarger.
I soon noticed that I stopped using 4x5 sheet film and being lazy was using the type RH-8 lever wound film back for 2-1/4" x 3-1/4"
Then this year I took a fancy to the Mamiya Super 23 which has a 8 on 120 6x9 format. Time will tell if this medium format will hold my attention. I have many lenses, picked up over the years, perhaps my favorite is the Zuiko, the Mamiya 45mm C for the 645 camera, a beautiful lens. I would add the zoom lens for the Pentax 110 auto but unfortunately the dog found it in a holdall and chewed it until it was destroyed (the lens, not the dog)
So there you are, nearly 50 years of photography.

 

[dirk]

Hi Ron,

thanks for this great overview! I find it always an advantag to know the background of other users. That makes it a lot more "family like" and helps when one recommends some specific gear to each other...

 

[JosephSavage]

Hi, reading your story is very interesting, thanks for sharing!

 

[highdetail]

macro tomato

 

[JosephSavage]

macro tomato

looks great, did you use macro settings?

 

[highdetail]

The tomato shot was a Mamiya C 45mm wa which was mounted on extension tube adapter to a Canon 550 allowing me to use the screen display for focussing. The original shot was 25 MB.