Shooting Kodak TMax 400 on Zeiss Ikon Nettar

The drive down was long but enjoyable one. The weather continued to improve and made the drive through little English roads just that more navigable. On occasions, a view presented itself which merited a quick stop, review and then continuing on the winding journey to the coast.

I was a little hesitant at first to dive into the world of 6x9 film cameras due to the over inflated pricing of the cameras! The Zeiss Ikon Nettar 6x9 camera which is little heard of but is a bargain film camera for the size of the negative it produces. The final versions of these cameras came out in the early 1950s so it is a testament to the quality and simplicity of the build of the camera which has seen them survive so long.

The light kept piercing through the clouds occasionally as the fresh sea breeze drifted through the car window. I was beginning to wonder if it would be easy to find a parking spot close enough to the beach. Driving along the coast eventually brought some luck, followed by the slightest of scrambles up the shingle ridge and I was ready to snap away!

One of the main reasons to shoot on this format is because it gives the same aspect ratio as a 35mm so it’s natural to step up to this medium format for the significantly larger negative it offers. For those looking for more detail on the image, this would be a worthy step up. I suspect that professional photographers probably did use this for their higher clientele work and went through many, many rolls. I’m not sure if that would be practical in today’s world!

I placed my camera bag down on the shingle beach and took a look around. Lucas had already skittled off on an adventure looking for the right angle and shot. I sat for a bit just observing the waves coming and washing ashore, it was just nice to soak in the crisp fresh air.

Rustling through my bag looking for the films which I had brought along, I pulled out a few rolls of 120 film. Always tricky making a decision, sometimes having less is more. I realised at some point I would have to try out the Zeiss Ikon Nettar and now was as good a time as ever. Black and White film can be more forgiving so I loaded up a roll of Kodak TMax 400 in the bitterly cold wind. With one foot on the film wrapper, I closed the back of the case and scrolled the film through. I looked up and then went for a walk.

Shooting Fujicolor ISO 100 on Yashica T5

It has almost become strange to get snowfall in the south of England. I remember, when I was very young, when winter days would bring in several days of snowfall. Now, we get a few hours if we are lucky. This winter seems more colder than usual, but this has probably been amplified by the lockdown so when we got a break in the weather, I grabbed the Yashica T5 for a long walk.

It was a bright sunny day and the skies were clear. First time using the Fujicolor ISO 100 film which has been imported to the UK. It had been a while since I had shot some colour film and I really wanted to enjoy the walk while documenting it in a simple way. Enter the Yashica T5 compact camera with its f3.5 Carl Zeiss lens, with ISO 50-3200 range.

I decided to wonder in the direction of the countryside through the urban metropolis. Wandering through back streets and main roads along the way I took the opportunity to capture some new graffiti and the now dilapidated billboards along the way. Sadly, no Banksy style art here but the occasional Covid denials art got captured with the low-lying winter sun.

‘With the introduction of (New Super Uniform Fine Grain) technology, the reproduction range from highlights to shadows has expanded. By matching with the excellent graininess unique to ISO100, it reproduces a natural skin color with good connection. Product application: High-sensitivity fine particles for daylight / general photography. ISO sensitivity: ISO100’

Source: https://www.fujifilm.com/jp/ja/consumer/films/negative-and-reversal

This was an enjoyable film to shoot with. If you want a grainy colour film stock with a slow speed rating, then this is a good shout. If you compare it with Kodak Ektar 100 then it certainly has more grain and more subtle colour renditions.

I shot some images of the sky and there was a strong push towards the blue end of the colour spectrum. The images have an old cinematic feel to them, something from the 70s or 80s! I wonder if I had shot some CineStill 800T or Kodak 500T how similar the images would have been as these tungsten balanced films also produce a blue tinge when shot in daylight.

In comparison when shooting in an area with dry grass the colour came out more orange, perhaps due to the film pushing towards the away from the red end of the spectrum. Ultimately, there is no push to balance out the spectral sensitivity in this film which is one thing to carefully consider before shooting!

Fujicolor 100 is sold as an ‘Industrial’ film, I’m not entirely sure what this means! However, if you are looking for a film that does create a cinematic style look in daylight conditions then you should definitely shoot a roll or more.

The short winter days with their low light and occasional blue skies are enjoyable when they come! I enjoyed the casual nature of shooting with the Yashica and the Fujicolor 100. Next time, I may even take another slow rated ISO 100 film for comparison. I wonder how it may look in an ‘Industrial’ or even a ‘bright light’ setting?

Portraits on Bronica Zenza ETRS with Kodak TMax 400

One of the first times I shot with the Bronica Zenza ETRS was at a portrait photography workshop I was running in London.

I had a bunch of wonderful photographers who came out and got some amazing pictures on the day. After a little bit of hesitation whether to take my Bronica Zenza ETRS with me, I was so glad I took the chance!

The Bronica Zenza captures more medium format negatives, up to 15 images per roll, on 6 by 4.5. I was hesitant to shoot with the camera due to the pressures of leading a group and getting some quick shots in between.

The shots came out so good! I rolled up some Kodak TMax 400 and the grain and the quality that came out was absolutely stunning. I loved every shot I got on it!

A little background on the Kodak Tri X. It first appeared in the 1940s before being upgraded to TriX in 1954 available in 320ISO and 400 ISO. It was probably the go to film for photojournalists and could be pushed with ease to 800 ISO, pushing it any further would require a little more delicate work in the lab.

We walked to different locations, assessed the options work collaboratively to capture some fun shots in each location. The workshop started quite late in the summer afternoon and we started to lose the light. I was quite concerned about shooting with ISO 400 film knowing the variability in summer light we get in England. Top tip: In these circumstances, its best to find locations where you can maximise your light output!

Working the camera is quite a lot of fun, as well as, getting you to think more about the images you take. The waist level viewfinder encourages you to move and create new angles and shapes before you take the shot. Choosing Kodak TX was probably the best decision I made on the day. The images came out with so much character. The clarity of the images came out superb along with just the right amount of grain to go with it.

When I get a chance to get out and shoot a similar style shoot again there are some things, I will take into account more carefully. Here in the UK, we typically have to really make the most of the lighting conditions. The best thing to do is try and get an update on the weather and then base your decision on where to shoot thereafter.

If it is your first time shooting with an analogue camera, then be prepared to factor in a bit more time. The other thing to think carefully about is the type of film you will be using. Be mindful of the potential conditions you will be in as you want the film that will best perform under those conditions. Most importantly, think about what you want to communicate with your camera audience. That will probably be the most important factor in choosing your film, so choose wisely!

Expired Film on Yashica Mat 124G

Whatever you may have heard, shooting film is generally quite an expensive venture. So why not try and find a way to make it just a little more affordable than usual? With that in mind, I went off searching for expired film. I had for a while wanted to shoot on Velvia Fujichrome 50 but I hadn’t really set an intention of specifically looking for this film when I went about researching. After googling expired film online and then venturing through eBay, I looked through quite a lot of different rolls available online. At the time, I knew I wanted to shoot Medium Format so at least that narrowed the search down to 120 film roll.

eBay became the main source of expired film researching. In a way, it is pretty lazy but made logical sense with the ease of the search process. Anyway, I narrowed the search focus to £10 and this helped to filter the results. Lots of different rolls available from Black and White to Colour Reversal films. Film stocks which were recently expired were generally the most expensive. As a rule of thumb, as the age of film increases the cost of film decreases. However, the bidding process online I feel adds an inflated price to the film stock which is based more on desire than in actual practical value of what is being bid for.

Velvia Fujichrome 50 is a well-respected and well sought after film. If you’re serious about your photography at some point you have purchased this film for your own use. After much research about this film stock on online forums and discussions with fellow film photographers I was quite excited when I first came across this batch of expired roll from 1998/99. The images showed generally well looked after boxes of the film and whilst I didn’t know how well they had been stored (Refrigerated film is the most sought after!) it fit my price point for £10 so I threw it in the virtual basket and parted ways with some sterling electronically.

I wanted to explore something away from the city so chose a seascape location that I had never been to before. Eastbourne looked like a good shout and had some variety which would fit in nicely with some film photography. Every journey is made more enjoyable with some company, so Lucas joined along for the drive down. I packed up my cameras and asked Lucas to bring along his Yashica Mat 124G which he had been raving about for a while now. He had been given this camera from a friend of his he found it lying around and thought Lucas would probably make better use of it. I figured why not? Just see what happens with the Velvia?

Traffic was quite heavy on the way in and admittedly I had not really planned out a route to a specific point. A bit of fly-driving led us to some fortuitous free parking near the beach. The weather however was holding up and plenty of good light with some cloud. We headed out and dumped our gear on to the beach. After scoping out the options we metered up and then Lucas pulled out the Yashica Mat 124G. The wind was picking up so with his back to it, he briskly loaded up the film in the cold breeze.

The Yashica had been through a lot. It reminded me of when I took my Nikon for a service a few years back and the delight to which the shop keeper had for seeing such a worn camera. The camera’s scratches are just a testament to the quality of the product but also that it was used for a purpose. It wasn’t just a keepsake. I dialled in the ISO settings and adjusted the shutter speed in line with the on-board light meter - it was working just about right when matched with my handheld light meter.

The TLR format gives you a totally unique experience. Adjusting to the waist level finder is fun along with everything flipped the other way! At first you have to adjust and get used to the setup. It can be quite easy for you to walk around with the camera like a duck with its head stuck in the sand - but with a view! Be careful, if it’s your first time walking around with one, you can easily lose awareness of what is around you.

Seeing things from a new perspective got me moving and interacting with my surroundings in different ways. It almost feels like you are more connected to your frame and along with the limit of 12 shots on the roll you take much longer and think more carefully about the shot you are about to take. If you don’t own a TLR but would like to get an idea of partially what it’s like you could hold your phone or SLR at waist level and click away (mind you that would not be the same experience in many ways!).

Given the age of the Yashica, I wasn’t surprised to find there were some issues with shutter. A few times I was left thinking whether the shutter was still stuck inside and whether I had overexposed the shot or not? Other times it worked just fine. Seeing that I have some spare roll, I’ll need to give those a whirl to see if my hypothesis is correct! That’s for another time, however. I didn’t venture too far with the camera; time was limited as it was late afternoon. I focused on getting some street style snaps of people walking by and then took a few of the buildings along the walkway before turning back towards the ocean to finish off the roll.

All in all, it was a fun experience, I’m quite pleased with the outcome, even though it was just 3 shots. The shots themselves had lost their colour rendition but a little tweak in Adobe Lightroom into Black and White really made the images grainy and textured. The images communicated of a time gone by and I really loved what I got!