Starting With Zeiss Ikon 6x9 Folding Film Camera

This is a Zeiss Ikon Nettar 6x9 medium format camera. I'm going to take you through all the different functions in this camera so you can start shooting wonderful, super large-size negatives in medium format.

To open up this camera, push the button at the top and make sure your hand is across the front so that the bellows don't just pop open. These cameras can be up to 70 or 80 years old, therefore make sure that you are treating it gently. That way you'll get to use it for a long time as well.

Almost all the controls can be found at the front of the camera. The shutter speed control, as well as the aperture priority control as well. You will also have to manually calculate the distance between you and your subject before taking a shot.

To set the distance between you and the subject, you have to rotate the dial at the front of the camera until you find the desired distance between you and your subject. This is measured in feet, so make sure that if you're shooting somebody, a person or your pet, for example, carefully measure the distance between you and them, otherwise it will be defocused and it's not going to be helpful for you. If you're shooting landscapes, stick it straight onto infinity mode and you will be good to go.

There is a separate dial for setting the shutter speed. It ranges between 1/125th a second, all the way through 1/200th a second, which covers most grounds if you're shooting on film.

To change the aperture, you have this little triangular thing here that you have to pull across. This goes from f/6.3 all the way to f/32. So if you really want to close the aperture down in, you know, very bright, sunny conditions, then you can do so.

To get the camera ready for the next shot, once you have all the dials set in, pull on the silver latch found on the lens until depressed. You have two options to release the shutter. One, which is the wonderful leaf mechanism found underneath the lens. This allows you to shoot handheld in low light conditions without. Alternatively you can press the button found at the top on the left hand side.

I recommend whether shooting in low light conditions indoors or outdoors, that you use a cable release. First, mount the camera on a tripod put in the shutter release cable and then shoot at your heart's content.

The way you close the camera is by holding the two sides down to press them gently and then pull slightly on those silver levers there and then gently put the camera back together until it shuts.

At the top of the camera, you have a cold shoe, so you can't really use flash unless, of course, unless using a specific remote trigger. Also at the top, you have got the dial to advance the film.

At the back of the camera, you've got the red window gate, which you can open up to let you know what frame you are on.

To open up the full-on back, all you have to do is just pull on this bit here very gently and then it will slightly open and can just pull that apart like so. And there you have it. Make sure that you've got a spare spool for you to kind of load your film onto and your actual film will go in here, on the right hand side of the camera.

To load the film, you will have to pull down on the silver tab found at the base of the camera. Once firmly in place, drag your film across and make sure that it sits into the splice and the spool on the other side. Then all you have to do is rotate clockwise at the top here.

It can be a little tricky to make the film tongue catch so you may need to advance the film by hand until you see the film wrap around the spool completely before closing the back and rotating to the first frame.

I always like to line up the arrows with the viewfinder in the middle before closing the back. Once the back is closed advance the film slowly until you get to frame number one. You can check this on the red window at the back. You're going to go through some sundials until you get to the first one. Just be careful when you are winding on this film because it is very easy to skip frame number one.

Once you're framed up, some people like to close the shutter gate at the back of the window gate. This isn’t necessary on Medium Format film, however, if you have loaded 35mm film on this camera you absolutely must cover the red window. Otherwise you have a red haze appear on your final negatives!

Once you have shot your final 8th frame carefully rotate your dial until you hear the film come off. Just be extra careful, do some extra spins at the top, and then you're good to release it. Once confident it has offloaded, open the back and release the film carefully by pulling down on the silver tab in the bottom left hand corner.

The Zeiss Ikon Nettar 6x9 medium format camera is a wonderfully designed camera. If you want the largest negative size that you can get on medium format, 6x9 is the way to go. It is an incredibly cost-effective way of doing super large medium format photography. You will get this camera for about £20 to £30 online.

Traditionally, they have been well kept, so make sure that you get one with bellows, which are really clean and you've got a clear lens, and you'll be good to go for a long time. Crucially, this camera is the most budget-friendly in comparison to the most popular one, which is the Fuji GSW range, which will cost you upwards of seven, £800, or £900 . If you want to get started on medium format and you want to get super large negatives, then this could be a really cost-effective way to do so.

If you are a hobbyist photographer, this camera is a perfect introduction to large negatives. My suggestion would be to shoot landscapes and urbanscapes with it. Put it on infinity mode, and you're good to go. Although you can shoot portraits with it, you're going to have to be very, very careful. Make sure that you measure the distances between you and your subject carefully. By default, 6x9 cameras have traditionally been used for fashion photography and portrait work. Why not use it for that too?

The only condition might be how well the lens has been kept, how well the bellows have been kept, and how good the quality images will be. My suggestion would be to start off by using film stocks such as black and white ones. Ilford to do some fantastic black and white film in particular, although you might want to try other colour negative films too. Slide film might be a little bit more tricky to shoot on this, but with practice, it is certainly possible too.

I hope you found this blog/video helpful in getting started with the Zeiss Ikon Nettar 6x9 camera. It's a wonderful piece of kit, which very few people know about. You can certainly start shooting much larger medium format negatives in a very short period of time! Good luck!

Starting With Pentax ME Super 35mm SLR

The Pentax ME Super first made in 1979 and finished production in 1983. This is a wonderful full-frame SLR camera and we're going to break this down to see how we can start shooting with it.

The 28mm F2.8 lens is a wonderfully small, nimble little thing. It is a very compact lens and packs a punch. You will find the aperture and shutter controls on the lens itself. In the video, I demonstrate how you can adjust these controls.

Pentax is a very reliable brand, as such, it became trusted amongst professionals and hobbyists alike. Therefore, it should be relatively easy to pick up one on eBay. However, I would recommend popping into a local vintage camera store. You will be able to talk to someone about the camera and feel more confident with your purchase.

At the front of the camera you've got a timer. You can pull this down. Once you hit the shutter release, it'll start going and then it takes about 10 seconds for it to get to its point. So enough time for you to run to get into the shot. There you go. That's the front of the camera.

At the top of the camera you've got your bracketing exposure setting so if you want to change it, it's really quite simple. You just rotate the dial and then you're good to go. It is a little simpler and easier than the Nikon FA equivalent. Also at the top, you will find your shutter release which you can pop a cable release into.

With such a compact design it is even more handy to have a hot shoe available at the top. Just be really mindful that when you put on a trigger or a remote, when you're taking it off, do so slowly. You don't want to lose the metal contacts from the hot shoe! Considering that this is a very old camera it might be difficult for you to get some new ones on. Ultimately, it will be very pricey for you.

In comparison with the Nikon FA there are fewer modes to choose from. The three available are, manual mode, as well as the auto mode.

One of my favourite things about this camera is the traffic light system which you can see inside the viewfinder. This could be particularly useful for any new film photographer with no light meter. That way you're going to make sure that you've got your subject, your scene well exposed for. To make the light meter work, you will need two L1154 Cells. You can find these online from a good electrical retailer. It is straightforward to pop in and I would strongly recommend putting in a couple, especially if you don't have a light meter.

To release the film back all you need to do is lift the little dial at the top of the camera and then it will pop open. You can go ahead and pop your film in there. Pull it across to the other side. The spool on the right hand side of the camera is very unique. It's very easy to put the film tongue into this and then you can just go ahead and kind of rotate the film. It will catch on very quickly and easily. This was, I think, unique compared to other 35mm cameras from its time. Once you've got that done, you can go ahead and shut the back and make sure that you've got that shut down and go ahead and shoot to your heart's content.

In the video I show the similarities and differences between the 28mm and 50mm in terms of weight and size. Pentax lenses are excellent and think carefully about what type of images you enjoy taking before committing to a new set of lenses.

This Pentax ME Super has a faster, lighter full manual exposure control than the K1000 available. It also has a cable release function so you can pop in the cable release into the top here and use that as well. I think this is a wonderful street photography camera.

It's so easily held. It's light, it's portable, it's quite friendly in the way that it looks, and also when you're carrying it. For any beginner photographer I would strongly recommend getting one of these. Particularly for those of you who don't have light meters and want to use one that's already built in, this will be perfect for you. Just to make sure that you get those shots absolutely well exposed.

Considering the Pentax, they had so many of these cameras out there. If something does go wrong then you've got options to find ways of fixing it. However, even if the battery stops working the light meter stops working, as it is a fully mechanical camera, so it will carry on working without those functions!

I'd love to hear from you as well. What's the best way to shoot with this? Doesn't really matter whether you're shooting colour, slide film, black and white film, everything's going to work here. Just make sure that you expose it well. Let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear from you!

Starting With Nikon FA 35mm SLR

The Nikon FA SLR camera which first came out in 1983, and finished production in 1987. It was revolutionary in many ways and a lot of our digital photography today has been influenced by something that resides right at the top here.

I'm going to break down all the different components of this camera, and where you can go away and start shooting with it, so let's dive in.

Understanding Nikon FA Lenses

Let's start off by looking at the lens. To remove the lens, you just need to press this silver button here and then rotate. This is a 35mm lens perfect for street photography, and it's the original one that came with the body itself.

The brilliant thing about Nikon is that you can use modern lenses with an F Mount. Therefore you can go ahead and shoot with a 50 mm or a 70-200 mm that you bought for your DSLR.

To change the aperture, you rotate the dials on the lens itself. So this particular lens goes from F2 all the way through to F22. Changing the focus is pretty simple and straightforward, you just need to rotate on this grip on the lens and then you're good to go.

What is the Close Loop Exposure System

The Close Loop Exposure System was revolutionary when the Nikon FA was first released. Once you have focused your shot and pressed the shutter, the exposure will be adjusted electronically in the camera itself. It actually exposes one stop down to compensate for how the light is going into the diaphragm of the lens itself, which is incredible, because every single time you'll get that shot spot on.

Back in 1983 there were a lot of photographers who didn't like that. They were kind of averse to anything new coming out, they wanted to stick with what they knew, and what worked for them. As such Nikon added this little button to the bottom left side of the lens.

By pressing and rotating it, it takes it back to the original exposure system that existed prior to the system that was developed in this camera. Therefore if you want to stick to the old school settings, all you have to do is use that function there.

I’m not sure if the close loop exposure system works with modern F Mount Lenses but if you do let me know!

Adjusting the Shutter and Aperture Settings

Let's have a look at the dials at the top of the camera itself, on the left hand side of the camera here, you've got your ISO settings, and you can just plug in what speed ISO film you'll be using, so for example, in this case we'll be using some Ilford HP5, you just lift this up a little bit and then rotate the red mark until you hit ISO 400.

If you wanted to bracket your images, that's pretty simple to do, depress and rotate the little silver button at the top.

At the top also on the right hand side of the camera, you will find the shutter speeds. The Nikon FA goes from bulb mode all the way to 1/4000th of a second. Ideally you should be using a dedicated light meter when finding the ‘correct’ settings for your image.

Nikon FA Matrix Metering System

The camera does have its own matrix metering system which was revolutionary at the time. It has continued to be used in digital cameras up till today. I'm not so familiar with whether that's the case with the mirrorless cameras but certainly with DSLRs has been used across all different brands from Canon to Sony.

For the first time, you also had ‘Program Mode’, ‘Shutter Priority Mode’, ‘Aperture Mode’, and complete ‘Manual Mode’ too. For anyone who has picked up a modern DSLR will know and often be scared off by these dials! My preference is to gravitate to manual mode. However most amateur photographers prefer to be in program mode.

Managing your Hot Shoe

At the top, you've got the shutter release as well as the hot shoe. Remember always to, regardless of a camera you've got, look after your hot shoe. Don't just rip off any remote that you might have plugged in at the top. Gently take it out cause you want to look after the metal bits and particularly with all the cameras. You don’t know if you'll be able to source parts for it, so bear that in mind.

Film Loading Basics

Once you've loaded up your film, to the first frame all you have to do is pull on the shuttlecock. Press the shutter and repeat until you get to the first frame. If you're careful and for example, if you load your film in a dark bag, you can actually start firing and get probably one or two extra frames on your roll film.

My advice would be to pull off the side of the box the the cover, and then slide it into the holder on the back of the camera. When you finish your 36 frames or maybe 37 or 38, press the silver button found at the bottom of the camera. Then once that's been depressed inside so you can't feel it on the outside, you can go ahead and roll your film and so just rotate it and then keep going until you hear a little click at the end. Once you've done that, all you have to do is open up and pull out your canister. Close the back and then send off for development!

There are some wonderful other little functions. There's a self timer, which is found at the front of the camera. Pull the lever with a dot on down and then once you depress the shutter, it will release, and at 10 seconds the picture will be taken. That's something for you to use if you want to do a selfie. You have also got a cable release option at the top and the left hand side here, there's two different versions, one which goes directly into here and also a cable release at the top here, which you can screen at at the top.

At the bottom of the camera, you may have noticed that there are some different things going on here. If you're going to be using the light meter embedded within the camera at the top, then you're going to need to have a functioning battery. Using a coin twist, open the silver tab. You will need two A76 batteries.

I would recommend investing in the A76 batteries, because there is a traffic light system on display when you look through the viewfinder. Red obviously means you are not advised to shoot the frame, amber it's exposed ok, and green obviously is good to go.

You'll notice on the far left hand side of this camera, there are these golden bits, which is where you can add a speed grip to your camera. The grip itself requires eight AA batteries to function and consequently adds more weight. I find that it comes in handy if you're doing a fashion shoot or you are doing some portraits perhaps in a studio, as such, I strongly recommend it.

When to Shoot with the Nikon FA

Use an appropriate lens for the conditions that you are working in. If you're doing some street photography, then I recommend using a 35 mm. If you are working with a singular person or a couple of people, then I would go for the 85 mm. Alternatively a 50 mm is perfect if you're not sure about whether you're going to be shooting some landscapes or portraits.

A 70-200 mm, especially if you're going to be shooting from some distance, would become highly recommended. You can use the newer DSLR F Mount VRII 70-200mm, obviously the auto focus is not going to work on this but the manual will, and you'll get some beautiful images for sure especially with that new glass that you might have.

The fact that you can use F-Mount DSLR lenses can be for most photographers a game changer. The ability to be able to use modern and older lenses easily on analogue and digital bodies saves you considerable amounts of money.

The Nikon FA is hardly ever talked about, you're going to find this camera online, at a very modest price compared to say the Nikon FM2, which is a very, very popular Nikon camera. In fact, I would strongly recommend investing in one if you are a Nikon shooter already.

You'll save a lot of money too. Generally these older cameras are really super well kept. It is a little bit trickier to find the black bodied ones with the silver bodied ones being a lot easier to find.

Finally, this is a super light camera to carry, once you've taken the handheld grip off, easy to use. Iif you've used the Nikon before, you know exactly how to use it straight away, It would just be seamless. It's lightweight, easy to carry, perfect, I would strongly recommend it if you're looking to do street photography, very easy to throw into your bag, and take with you anywhere that you go.

Starting With Bronica Zenza ETRS 645 Medium Format Camera

I'm going to show you how to use the Bronica Zenza ETRS medium format camera, which first came out in 1978 and was discontinued about 10, 12 years later.

I'm going to take you through all the different components; the lens through to the view-finders and the film backs. If you are not sure about how to get started with this camera, by the end of this blog or video you will be well on your way!

How to Change Bronica Lenses

This is a 75mm lens, which is equivalent to 45 mm on a 35 mm camera. It is a little bit wider than a 50mm, although not as narrow as an 85mm. It could be a perfect lens entry, particularly if you enjoy shooting landscapes as well as portraits.

Bronica lenses are detachable therefore you can take this off and replace it with another one. Alternative lenses include the 150mm f/3.5 and 250mm f/5.6.

To change this lens, you have to just pull on this lever here on the side of the camera and then twist your lens and then it should be able to come off with ease.

It's a pretty straightforward, easy way to kind of take off the lens. And to keep things to look forward in your lens, it's making sure that everything is clear before you buy it and everything is looking good.

A good lens will take you a long way. The Zenza Bronica lenses are excellent for all sorts of photography. It's a straightforward and easy camera to detach. The 75mm lens opens up to f/2.8 and goes all the way down to f/22

To change the aperture on this lens you just twist this lever here and it will rotate easily. To focus, it's simply pulling on this dial and you're good to go. It's a smooth dial, particularly with this lens. I reckon this has been kept well, therefore make sure that before you decide to buy your own one that it is not too stiff and it can smoothly rotate.

To detach this lens, if you want to fix a new lens, maybe a different one, then you can just pull on this layer here and then you can twist your lens. And then your lens will be detached. These are very heavy-duty lenses. They're fantastic, well kept, good glass.

This will last you for a very, very long time. To pop it back on, simply align the red dot with the red line and then just pull until it clicks shut.

To change the shutter speed on your camera you simply have to rotate this dial on the left-hand side of the camera and then this will adjust from all the way down to eighth of a second all the way up to 500th of a second.

The Viewfinder

The view-finder is simple to open up. You will find a waist level finder with this little button here. You just pull it along or pop in your view-finder. Inside push the tab to pop up the magnifying glass. You can rotate this for your own focused viewing.

By pressing the magnifying glass you will have the full-on view of the focus screen. To close it, you simply pull this on either side and then it just closes down.

If you're not a fan of view-finders then you can also remove the view-finder for your own pleasure. There is a button just here on the top of the camera. You just depress the button and then you can pull this off completely, right?

Then you can have your entire view-finder as is, which is a good way to look at your scene. If you're outside, maybe in a park or in an open landscape then it might be worth using this function. It just gives you a nice look and feel about the camera itself. Recommend doing that!

Focus Screen

One more thing to add about the view-finder is you can remove the focus screen and replace it with different ones.

In total, there are about seven different screens that you can put in here and they all serve a different purpose and function.

You can get some which have all the grids on therefore you can try to focus with everything in mind. You also have ones which are specifically designed for 35 millimeter shooting as well as ones where you have a multi-point focus point in the center of the view-finder itself.

Depending on which option is best for you if you're going to be shooting 35 mm or if you're going to be shooting medium format you might want to think about which glass or focus screen that you put in here.

Releasing the film back

To release the film back all you have to do is press this button here which will then generally release your film back. To use the film back, you will have to unload it and then it opens up and you'll hopefully have a space ball that will go at the bottom and your film will go on top.

Once the the film holder is taken out it's very easy to use, pop it back into the main area. You can shut it close from above. Make sure it's firmly shut otherwise it will not work. You have also got a dark slide here.

This pulls out to reveal the frame. This is a 6 x 4.5 camera and the film back obviously matches that. The dark slide comes with this little plastic bit at the end got a very nice professional feel to it as well.

To pop it back on all you have to do is take the edge and line the two silver hooks and then pop it in. You'll hear the sound and you'll be good to go. As a rule of thumb it's always good to have a spare film back and there are lots and lots available for Bronica online.

This is actually an older film back than the ETRS one that I have here on my camera at the minute. And you'll notice that there is a slightly different function to open it.

I find that this one button open film back is a little bit more finicky to open but is certainly very sturdy still. Be mindful that if you are looking for a film back on Bronica that you find one which is straightforward and easy to use.

The best ones I've found have been the ones with two arrows at the top here and here because you can just pull these and then the cassette opens very, very easily.

How to use 35mm Film Backs

You can also get 35 millimeter backs for the Zenza Bronica and here's one that I've got. This is a 135N. There's also 135W. And they have different aspect ratios. The 135N has normal 35 millimeter dimensions and it opens up and you'll notice here in the back the film will go in here.

On the right-hand side over here pull the film across and then you can wind it on using this device here on the right-hand side. To close it, you just need to simply pull here and close shut. And once you finish your film you can unwind it by rotating this the other way around.

You'll notice that the dark light when I remove it is what you'll get with a normal 35 mm dimension. If you want to have that flexibility to shoot with 35mm as well as Medium Format, then this is going to be a good option for you to consider while moving up.

My recommendation however is that if you are going to shoot 35mm think about which film back you want to get. The 135N film backs are relatively cheap online. However, to find the 135W film backs, there's a noticeable markup on the price.

For a 135W you are looking at probably around £700-800. This wide film back is not as wide as a Hasselblad XPan in terms of its aspect ratio. Before you fork out this amount, think about the dimensions carefully first. If you enjoy that wide landscape view on 35 mm, then this could be an option for you.

Once your film is loaded, you're going to have to make sure it's fully put onto the spool. All you have to do is just twist this here until you get to the first frame, which you'll see up here.

The alternative way of doing it is if you've got a handle grip you can just rotate this in the same way you would with a normal 35 mm camera.

Once you've got your first frame and you're ready to shoot, you can line up and you can depress this shutter button here to shoot. The alternative option is if you don't have the handle grip then you can shoot by depressing this shutter button right here.

Understanding the Modular System

The great thing about the Zenza Bronica is it's a modular system as such you can change the lens, you can have a speed grip if you wish to do or if you don't you can leave it out. You can change between 35mm and Medium Format film backs. The options are varied. You can also change your view-finder too. Therefore if you wanted a prism view-finder at the top you can pop that on there as well.

Adding a Speed Grip and Changing the Battery

If you want to remove the handle grip all you have to do is rotate from C to O on the back, and then just simply gently lift this out from the right-hand side. There's a little tab just there and then pull this across and then you will have your speed grip separated.

Of course at the bottom you also have the option of adding in a battery for the exposure. All you have to do here is pull the lever, push it down, pull it across and then it should open up. And then you have a little battery that you can pop in there. This is an A544 battery. This one's Energizer battery and it's still available online.

Go to Amazon or any other good electrical store. You should be able to find one. You can pop that back into your camera. Take your battery cover and it'll give you a little arrow as you can see at the top in, and then close the grip.

You'll know whether the battery is working or not because at the top of your camera there's a button you can press and when you press it, the red light in the middle will go on to tell you whether it is functional. That is something that you can add to it.

Do you need to have the battery in the Bronica Zenza ETRS for the camera to work? The answer is absolutely not!

The camera will function just as well without that in place. Make sure that you lock everything back in and then you'll be good to go to shoot your next frame.

How to do Long Exposures

You might want to do a long exposure and for that you will need a cable release. The cable release mechanism is found on the right-hand side of the camera and you can see just this little nodule. If you don't have a cable release, then you might want to consider using the shutter lock function which can be found by rotating this dial.

How to do Multiple Exposures

Those of you who are a little bit more creative may want to do multiple exposures on this camera. It's a wonderful way to get creative and it's a simple way of doing this. All you have to do is on the right-hand side of the camera you have this lever and you just pull this lever down and then automatically now you can shoot as many frames on one frame as you wish.

In most cases you probably only want to do two shots. However, if you want to take it a bit further you can do 3, 4, 5, as many as you would like in this setting. Bear in mind that once you have taken the number of different exposures that you wish, just make sure that you pull this back up so that it goes back to signal mode again. That can be easily forgotten, therefore try to remember that next time you decide to go out and shoot multiple exposures.

The base unit alone doesn't come with a hot shoe, as such, if you're someone who enjoys to shoot with flash or shoots in a studio, then it would be highly recommended that you get a grip with a hot shoe on it.

Otherwise you're good to go and it could actually save you a lot in weight if that's something that matters to you. Holding it will be a lot easier. Also, if you're doing a lot of waist level photography then that might be a better option for you anyway. But if you do want a 35 mm sort of field because you're stepping up from 35 mm to medium format then this grip is actually a good one.

And it makes it very comfortable to hold a camera and also gives you straightaway the ability to shoot with ease. Changing to the next frame is also very easy too.

For this, you'd have to consider what kind of view-finder you use. For that there are a number of different options. If you want the full original analogue experience with medium format then stick with the waist level finder. However, some of us are a little bit stuck to our old ways and we want to shoot how we've shot before, maybe with the DSLR or even a 35 mm camera.

In which case you might want to consider getting a view-finder. These are available online at a modest cost and all you have to do is press this button here at the top, release this, the view-finder the waist level finder will come off.

Adding a Prism Finder

You can change your settings as you wish when shooting with this camera. For those of you who are reluctant to invest in a light metre, a dedicated light metre or perhaps you want everything to be available similar to a digital format feel then you can get additional view-finders which have those mechanisms in place.

The AE3 is also available if you remove your prism and is easily attachable. The AE3 prism comes with its exposure dials. You can change it to manual mode, aperture priority, shutter priority.

You can dial in the ISO rating on your film as well. It's the same process here. You just pop it on top and then it clicks in and then you're good to go. The only difference here is that everything is maintained within this metered prism.

If shooting with it, they can help you to make sure that you've got all your exposure dials correctly set. I have to say it comes with a caveat though. If you are a purist then you can avoid this option. The other more important downside is that at some point there could be some errors that happen within the prism itself or perhaps even stops working. They're very hard to find online. You may have to pay quite a lot to have it replaced. Therefore think about that option carefully.

You do have your other options such as the waist level finder, which I think is fabulous. This is simple. Doesn't cost a lot, simple to replace as well. Nothing technical involved in it.

If you want to have the 35 mm experience you can get just a view-finder you can look through it level on. The advantage of having either of these prism finders, one which is electronic, one which is analogue, is that you've got the full 35 mm experience. Therefore you can shoot landscapes or you can twist over and shoot portraits without any challenges. That's a lot more difficult to do with a waist level finder.

Should I Invest In the Bronica Zenza ETRS?

Bronica Zenza ETRS with 75mm Zenzanon Lens

Think carefully about what kind of things you're going to be shooting because that could have an influence on which view-finder system that you choose to go for. Overall, this is a great system to have.

If you're thinking about moving from 35 mm to medium format, there are many other options available which are going to be a lot more costly for you. The Mamiya 645 is available. You've got the PENTAX 645 that you can also shoot with and those are fantastic cameras in their own rights.

The Bronica is one that is forgotten. I'm not sure why, but the lenses are fantastic. Often you'll find the bodies in good shape and good nick. Because it's a mechanical body, if you choose not to obviously get an electronic view-finder you're going to find this will last you a long time. And what are interchangeable backs, you can get the 35 mm or medium format backs.

You'll be good to go and you'll be saving a lot of money for this particular system. There are obviously newer systems available for Bronica which came out in the early 2000s, the SQ ranges. However, if you're looking for something which is going to cost you maybe a few hundred pounds, getting a system such as this will be one that saves you quite a lot of money.

That is quite an important thing to mention because film prices are not cheap these days for the foreseeable future anyway. And if you're keen and you want to get into medium format photography there shouldn't be anything that should stop you from it.

You can invest in this knowing that you're going to take some wonderful pictures on it. I stand by it. The framing, the way that this camera is set up, it's solid, it's light, easy to carry. It's got fantastic lenses which I've said so many times already.

This is going to be a fantastic entry point into medium format photography. Shoot with it, add things to it as you go along as I have and you'll pick up these things on eBay from time to time. Find something which is a fantastic deal and then something that you can add to your camera to give you a little bit more flexibility.

The only one downside I would say about the Bronica is that it doesn't have a 6x6 film back which is a little bit tricky, especially if you want to shoot in that wonderful square format. You can't shoot 6x7 on this either, as such, you are limited to 6x4.5 and 35 mm shots.

I hope this blog/video has helped you make a decision on which camera is ideal and best for you!

Zeiss Ikon Nettar Simplified

No, these images were not taken on a Hasselblad or Rolleiflex but on the very humble 6x6 Ikon Zeiss Nettar Medium Format Camera.

Originally released in 1934, it went through several different iterations with the final Nettar II 518/16 being released in 1949 and ending production in 1957.

In this video we will look at the camera, its functions, how you can load film, take pictures with it and along the way I will show you what you can expect from taking images for the very first, how to avoid making the mistakes that I made and start taking beautiful images which will rival any 6x6 Medium Format camera.

Over the next few years expect to see a lot more digital Medium Format Cameras appearing on the market. Fuji has already made a flying start with its GFX range and you might be wondering what’s the point of shooting Medium Format? What is it and what can I use it for?

Historically speaking Medium Format Film Photography has been used by professionals who are creating work for clients that needed extra detail. Peter Lindberg put it best when he said the 35mm is for conversational photography and Medium Format is more for presentation style work.

This is a 6x6 Medium Format Camera and you will be able to capture 12 shots on this wonderfully simple camera. If you have an Instagram, you’ll be familiar with the square format which was originally started with 6x6 Medium Format cameras!

At first glance there is very little to the camera. It is a very light and highly portable camera. Its bellows open to reveal a fixed 75mm lens, aperture range from f5.6 through to f22. Its shutter speeds are 25, 75, 200/sec. You can put the shutter in between these fixed positions.

As there is no on board light meter, you will need to use the sunny 16 rule if you don't have one and if you do - use it!

How to operate the Ikon Zeiss Nettar

Let’s go through controls of the camera, the shutter release, cold shoe, bellows release and the film wind. If you are not sure about something, just hit pause or come back to it so you can master this at home yourself.

By pressing the bellows release the camera reveals itself. You will have to manually adjust all the settings including the distance between you and your subject, shutter speed and aperture. I would strongly recommend using a light meter which will calculate the correct settings when using this camera.

Be careful when you first open this camera, the bellows can pop out very quickly. Place your hand gently at the front of the camera and then press the bellows release. Let the bellows unfold out slowly.

The camera is in your hands, perhaps over 70 years old, treat it gently and perhaps someone else can benefit from using it 70 years from today!

There are main parts you need to focus your attention on when you open the Zeiss Ikon Nettar. The first dial you must adjust is the distance between you and your subject. It ranges from 4ft through to infinity.

4ft is about 1.2m so as a rule of thumb you can measure one large stride between you and your subject and you should be good to go. Maybe even work out what 1.2m looks like in your own stride or step. This is especially important when shooting a subject and when you are time pressed.

You don’t want to be carrying around a tape measure with you, alternatively if you have a tape measure app on your phone you could use that too!

If you are shooting landscapes, then stick it to infinity and you are good to go, simply easy.

The shutter speed goes from bulb mode through to 200/sec. Again, you will need to adjust this yourself and set it using the orange marker on the shutter speed dial.

Your aperture dials from f4.5 through to f22. Stick to one of the marked aperture points on the dial when you are starting off. Once you have a good command of these and you are happy with the results, then play a little more and see what you can create.

Once you have dialed in your distance, shutter speed and aperture you are ready to shoot. You will need to pull the shutter lever back to prime the camera. There are two ways in which you can release the shutter.

The first is with the 'leaf shutter release' at the base of the camera. Alternatively, you can use the shutter release on the right-hand side of the top of the camera. If you are shooting handheld, I would strongly advise using the leaf shutter where you can.

If shooting something where you need to have the shot come out for sure, such as a portrait of a friend or a client, then use a cable release like this one. They are very inexpensive and you can find many online for a few pounds or dollars.

The shutter release button at the top of the camera is where you can screw in the cable release. Once in you can control the length and duration of your shutter release by depressing the shutter here. This allows you to take multiple exposures as well as long exposures. Be sure to check getting your timings correct before you attempt this though!

How do you load the film on the Zeiss Ikon Nettar?

How do you load the film? Easy, close your camera bellows and turn it over. Pull down on the silver latch on the left side of the camera. The camera takes 120 medium format rolls which will give you a large 6x6 negative.

To put the roll into the camera, pull down on the springy silver bit located on the bottom right-hand side of the camera. That will allow you to slot in your roll, then gently release the springy bit back and the roll should be firmly put in place.

Pull the film across on to the empty spool on the left-hand side of the camera, wind and close the back lid firmly.

Now, roll the film by using the scroller dial on the top left-hand side of the camera until the first frame can be seen on the camera gate located in the middle of the back of the camera. In total you can capture 12 shots on each roll of medium format film.

Want the cheapest XPAN on the market?

Did you know you can also use 35mm film in your Zeiss Ikon Nettar? You will need some 35mm adapters such as these ones. This is easily found online or at a good vintage camera store.

Here’s how to get this setup. You will need any roll of 35mm, attach the adapters like so. With the adapters fitted you will need a spare film spool and some tape.

Take the film tongue and attach your tape like so. Now word of caution here if you are doing this in the open you will lose the first few frames on the film as it will be exposed when you pull it to stick it in.

You can get around this by investing in a dark bag. Once you have the film on your adapters and the tongue taped you can pop this into the dark bag and then mount the film blind into the camera. It looks hard but honestly it's really easy.

On a side note the dark bag has come in very handy. On occasions when film might get stuck in your camera, this can happen on any film camera, you can whip this out and salvage your film anywhere, anytime! I have saved several rolls in my time using this.

It is however, especially important for this camera because once you have finished the roll there is no way of rolling this back. So you will have to pop it into the dark bag and then manually wind the film up. You can do this by twisting this top bit clockwise.

Now I don’t have the tech to show you how to mount this in the dark bag but I can show you how to mount it in the daylight. Simply pop the film into the holder like so and then drag your film across and place the spool inside.

Before you close the back of the camera I would advise you to put some tape or piece of cardboard, you can take some from the box of film and tape it right over this red window. The reason is because this normally would allow you to see which frame number you would be on medium format film.

You can see that here on this medium format film strip. This paper protects the film from being exposed from the red window which is not present on 35mm film so you have to make one! If you don't you’ll end up getting a panoramic shot like this.

You might be thinking, but Ahsan, you have a window latch at the back of the camera! Yes, you do and you could tape that up or even just keep the camera inside a case if you have one. That way you know it should be fine.

There are lots of film stocks to choose from on 35mm and Medium Format. These include color negative films such as Kodak Portra, through to dedicated BW film stocks produced exclusively by Ilford and if you are feeling truly adventurous then stick in some slide film such as Ektachrome, Velvia or Provia.

Why You Need To Keep Practicing With Provia 100F To Start Getting Real Results

Video Block

Double-click here to add a video by URL or embed code. Learn more

My first time shooting with Provia was almost a complete failure. This hasn’t stopped me from shooting this film more frequently in many, many different scenarios with subjects. Of course with informed practice, you too can improve your outcomes too. However, taking pointers from those who have failed before you will save you the time and effort of having to reinvent the wheel, get results faster and save you a few bob in the run too. 

Summer conditions are ideal for shooting with Provia 100F namely because you will have plenty of sunlight. In the UK, you’ll most likely have clouds which add a wonderful soft box effect for free so perhaps you may not need to carry tonnes of equipment with you. 

If you are still new to slide film photography, use a light meter. It will save you time, money and in the long run your desire to keep working with this wonderful film stock. Just imagine see frame after frame of positive perfection in your hands. Something for you to save an archive for the future too. 

First few shots here did quite well, although framing could be markedly better on this occasion. With hindsight perhaps choose a location with no running traffic in the background, unless of course it aids/ compliments your work. The next few frames were a complete dive, worried due to the lack of light in this narrow pathway, I decided to take the aperture right down, opening up the lens and there was light!! 

In contrast, I went the opposite direction here due to the strong light passing through the open skies. The shadows are quite marked. Although I was able to somewhat salvage this shot by flipping it into BW. Next time it's worth bringing a light reflector. 

Finishing off this set with the blue dress, the heavy clouds had rolled in now. The image has come out however the shadows are very heavy. In a wider sense, if it’s a look you are going for, then all good. In my case, an addition of some off camera flash probably would have aided this image far more. 

Much learning from this shoot which has added to my knowledge and understanding of working with Provia 100F. As I have shot more and more, I have carefully chiseled away the errors and am getting some fabulous results too. 

There is no reason why you can’t too, everything requires a bit of dedication, failing and learning to get to where ‘there’ is! 

All film images were taken on the wonderful Bronica Zenza ETRS Medium Format Camera with 75mm lens.  

You can learn more about my wider photographic work by subscribing to my YouTube Channel. See you there!

Street Fashion with the Nikon FA on Fuji Pro400H

The summer was finally here and I got out to shoot the now discontinued Fuji Pro 400H. 

I was shooting with my Profoto A1 and Nikon FA. We started walking these deserted streets early in the morning on Sunday, finding narrow Victorian alleyways and cobbled streets. 

Here are my favourite shots from the shoot on the day. 

First shot with Georgia resting her elbow on the structure. Good hand placement from her and the hair falling down her left hand side adds a little bit of movement to the image itself. 

Flipped over to the other side with Georgia leaning against this structure in her floral green dress. The colours are seemingly reflecting off the window in the distance with a fan like design mimicking the wind flowing through her hair. In terms of composition, the angles and flow are pleasing to the eye hence why I chose this is one of my favourite shots from this shoot. 

The sun was strongly illuminating Georgia’s left shoulder. To balance this out and reduce the shadow casting across her body I angled the Profoto A1 to the left of the frame. The fall off from the light was not able to adequately light her legs which came in good learning for the next time! Pleased with the composition and pose in this image with the backdrop of one of London’s most iconic buildings; The Shard. If you haven’t been to the top of it you should definitely book in to spend some time in the Sky Garden! 

My best shot from the day was Georgia wearing this red dress standing with her pointing down. The natural light bouncing off all buildings and with her turning back and pointing her finger down as to the idea of direction of movement of light. The natural light highlighting the hair and illuminating it adds to the drama created by the yellow lines passing into the perfect endlessness. 

All film images were taken on the wonderful Nikon FA 35mm Camera with the manual f/2 35mm lens

Which one of these selected images was your favourite? Let me know in the comments below! 

You can learn more about my wider photographic work by subscribing to my YouTube Channel. See you there!

Provia 100F on Nikon FA

Back out on the water again testing Provia 100F which typically is recommended for portrait photography. I thought why not see how it looks for urbanscape photography?''

5 key features for this film stock

1. it provides super-fine grain making life a breeze when enlarging prints.

2. You will get highly accurate colour reproduction

3. If you meter correctly you will get very accurate highlight to shadow linearity

4. This could be a good choice for long exposure photography and multiple exposures

5. Want to shoot in low light conditions then you can push process 1/2stop up to 2 stops with a small amount of variation in colour balance and degradation

Key Features

If you like the fine sharpness of digital photography and would like to return to film then this film could be a good choice. Shooting at ISO100 this colour reversal film will give you an extremely high level of sharpness, capturing the details with extreme clarity combined with wonderfully vibrant colours.

Film Speed

If this is your first time shooting slide film, shoot it at box speed whether it's on 35mm, medium format or large format. It’s the only way to truly find out what works best for you in the conditions you are shooting them in. After shooting a roll in different conditions, you can review them after processing to see which images resonate with you best. Now, you want to consider some push processing to see how the results will vary.

Exposure Guide

You should be good to go with the age old recommendation of shooting sunny 16. However bear in mind that these settings are determined for 2 hours after sunrise and 2 hours before sunset! Adjust accordingly using a light meter before and after these times so you can ensure the best results.

As you are watching these wonderful images scrolling, you might want to consider the following added things I have learned from shooting this film.

If you are out shooting casually in these conditions, perhaps on a beach, open water or even snow, anything with large reflective surfaces, then set your aperture to f/16 and you’re good to go. If you are standing in the middle of the street then, f/11 is sufficient, in extremely well lit conditions.

In hazy sunlight consider moving down to f/8 and if there is considerable cloud coverage, then, f5.6. If you’re in the shade or shadows and your camera allows it, then f/4.

Depending on your circumstances and experience with shooting slide films, you may want to adjust up or down ½ a stop during summer or winter.

If you are shooting indoors, perhaps, backlighting a subject then you may need to go up or down 1 stop in your aperture adjustments. Also, if you are shooting in extremely bright or dark conditions then you may want to adjust your lens plus or minus one stop.

All these numbers may sound confusing and complicated. You can save yourself a mind bend by using a dedicated light meter such as the Sekonic L-308X. The amount of times I have mentioned this brand you’d think I’m cutting a cut!

Best Filters

As you can see from my images, some of these have been exposed to extremely bright conditions.

If you are shooting in seaside locations, snowy landscapes in Alaska or distant bright views as you can see from these images, or even closeups or plants or portraits it is advisable to use a UV filter Number 2C.

For bright cloudy conditions, you can use a Wratten No.81A Filter and make an appropriate aperture adjustment plus 1 or 3 stops.

For early morning or twilight portraits use a Number 82A or Number 82C filter and adjust aperture stops again plus 1 or 3 stops.

Shooting with Electronic Flash

I have shot with Provia on Medium Format several times, the results have been very good when exposed correctly. However, I strongly suggest getting lots of practice with studio lights.

The advantage of working in a studio is you have a great degree of control over the lighting, so you don't want to flood your subject with too much or too little. Most modern studio lighting equipment is very very reliable and gives you a very consistent light.

If you are using fluorescent lamps you will have to adjust your exposure by one stop for white, daylight and cool white and 2 and 1/3 of a stop for warm white.

Use a Wratten Filter No.80A along with a 1 2/3 lens stop increase, when using 3200K tungsten lighting.

For household tungsten lighting such as room lamps which are the main source of lighting, you will need to use both a Wratten Filter No.80A and a Wratten filter No.82A, plus an aperture increase of 2 stops.

Storing your film

Serious analog photographers know the value of film and the value of their pockets. You can ofcourse store your film wherever you want but if you’re not sure when you might be using your film or even use it sparingly, then make sure you store it appropriately.

If you are going to be using it for up to 3 years then stick it in the fridge out of an abundance of precaution. Anything beyond that stores below 0C or 32F, i.e. in a freezer. If taking film out of a fridge, leave it in room temperature conditions for at least 2 hours before shooting with it. Obviously use your usual good sense when defrosting film from a freezer!

Multiple exposures

Great news for those of you doing long and multiple exposures. You don't need to exposure correct or colour balance within 1/4000 to 128 seconds shutter speed ranges. However beyond this you will need to expose correctly and colour balance as required.

Processing Film

You will need to use E6 chemicals when processing this film. If you enjoy experimenting then you can also cross-process colour negative films with E6 which will give you a colour positive image but likely with an orange base.

Retouching/editing your film

This is really down to you as an individual. However you may want to consider doing this if the highlights are too bright or you would like to lift a little bit more out of the shadows. Typically with film, it is very difficult to pull information out of the shadows so just be aware of this when metering for your subject or landscape.

Why Printing is your work is important

Regardless of what is happening around us, we are living in unique times. A time when we have access to our photos at any point on our phones! Yet, how many of us have our images where we can see them in our daily lives or even to feel in our hands. Take the time to pick out your best images and perhaps make an album or even a book out of them. They’ll bring you joy in a very different and tangible way.

Final reflections

Provia 100F is certainly one of my favourite slide film stocks. One of the main reasons why I love this film so much is because you can see the results of your work right there in front of you. Unlike film negatives you can relive those moments without having to scan your work [that is if you don't want to].

Photographers often associate this film stock with fashion or portraiture work but there’s absolutely no reason why you should use this film for other work from product to natural landscapes. In fact, I think with large positives available in medium format you could take some wonderful landscape images.

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel here for more tips on shooting with film

First Fashion Shoot with the Bronica Zenza ETRS A Throwback Story

A throwback to one of my first outings with my Bronica Zenza ETRS and Jacqueline. We chose to head over to the centre of brutalist architecture, the Barbican Estate. 

We shot two different looks around the estate. The first one was this red number. One of the most enjoyable things about film photography is the range of different ways you can shoot with different cameras. The waist level finder on the Bronica offers new ways of approaching your subject to shoot with. The key thing to when you are uncertain, is to focus on going fully head on with it. 

In these images you can see that I was shooting at first from very straightforward positions. Here’s one with Jacqueline standing in the middle of the road, as we use the dotted lines for framing the image. 

I then changed perspective at got as close as possible to Jacqueline shooting from above as she rested against this pillar. The theme continued with finding new ways of taking the image from angles which are often unlocked. 

Taking the shot from this position was a little tricky, climbing in to position. I made sure I was safely within my boundaries, If I stepped too far forward, it would be a hospital visit forsure. When shooting film, you don’t know how it will turn out so it forces you to compose the image in detail before you shoot away. 

Adrenaline running I thought of new positions to get in to which would be tricky. I walked an incredibly narrow strip of wall to capture this image, precariously balancing on the edge to capture this image of Jacquiline resting across the steps. Again, pleased with the outcomes with the relative risk involved. 

Finding unique bits of art to shoot with or on are tricky and hard to find sometimes. Jacquiline is a free spirit and was keen to create so without hesitation took off her heels and walked across to climb up this sculpture. Her long profile and top to toe works well, especially with the green and red contrast. Next time you are out shooting, think of different ways of capturing images and move your feet too. 

With a few minutes remain Jacquiline jumped in to this black and white look and we shot some fun stills to end the day and shoot! 

All film images were taken on the wonderful Bronica Zenza ETRS Medium Format Camera with 75mm lens.  

You can learn more about my wider photographic work by subscribing to my YouTube Channel. See you there!

Classic Car And Portraits Shoot

Alright mate, do you fancy shooting with a classic car sometime? 

I just finished up a shoot in Central London with my group as this gentleman asked what I was up to. We got talking and it turns out that Wayne had an incredible original Ford Escort parked up at home. We exchanged numbers and arranged a time to set up a shoot. 

On the day, I had lined up another shoot with Maria. As always a dream to work. As we were shooting some riders on Ducati’s turned up. We headed over as they had parked up for a break, got chatting and before we knew it, had maria posing with the bikes! 

Changed up locations and finished of the shoot with these wonderful images taken on film. 

Wayne texted me to say he was almost there as the workshop came to a close. We darted over and there was the incredible Ford Escort. Maria prepared her outfit and started looking at how to light up the car from different angles and positions. 

We worked our way around the car using an Profoto Off Camera flash. I shot on BW and Colour films. Overall, really grateful to Wayne reaching out and bringing in his car for us to shoot with. Would love to set up another shoot soon and see what else can capture with this beauty!

All film images were taken on the wonderful Bronica Zenza ETRS Medium Format Camera with 75mm lens.  

You can learn more about my wider photographic work by subscribing to my YouTube Channel. See you there!

Shooting Portraits with Carla in Bath

The perfect chemistry for a shoot involves; great planning, choosing the right subject or model and of course the location to match.

Bath is certainly one of my most favourite places to shoot. An old Roman era city, today most of the buildings are made from oolitic limestone giving them the classic feel.

It's a beautifully warm summer day and we headed out from London early to head to the city. We would be shooting a summer look in the morning, early afternoon. Stopping for a quick lunch and then shooting some vintage 60s before finishing up with some wonderful late afternoon bohemian styled set.

The light was strong and the heat intense by early afternoon and we found some respite in this covered arch by the River Avon. I love how the light is falling through casting a shadow and reflecting back off the floor. Carla’s outfit choice is spot on and we took very many wonderful images both on film and digital.

Lunch came at the peak of the heat as we settled for a well earned rest. The heat wasn’t going to subside much so we ended up shooting in narrow path ways in this old quarter of the city. The vintage 60s look put together by Carla was on point. Here we used some off camera flash to add a little more light to the image as there was a strong shadow cast over here.

We had scouted out a few locations in advance and found this wonderful spot with cobblestones and oolitic limestone columns for out last set in the late afternoon. Carla flipped in to this wonderful bohemian style dress with a crown to match. I particularly enjoyed how the images came out on black and white. Although the steal for the day were final few portraits taken with a golden reflected adding the final piece of magic to these image taken on Kodak Portra.

All film images were taken on the wonderful Bronica Zenza ETRS Medium Format Camera with 75mm lens.

You can learn more about my wider photographic work by subscribing to my YouTube Channel. See you there!