Weekly Photograph - Graves
14.06.07 @ 8:14 am
I made the decision last week to make a concerted effort to learn how to take photos with our 1936 Rolleicord Type 2. This photo was one of the few that turned out well... and turned at all...
I have been thwarted up this this point with this camera - it made my 1975 Nikkormat FT2 look like bleeding-edge technology. Still, medium format photography intrigues me and I do not want to drop the cash for a more modern camera. Because of the camera's age and evolution in medium format film, I only get 8 exposures in a roll of 120mm film which is intended to hold 12. In addition, the film advancement process will expose the corner of your film if you are in direct light and even the slightly careless. Perhaps the thing that kills me the most is the difficulty to focus with the waist level viewfinder and the 1/300 second maximum shutter speed - many of my photos turn out blurry due to this combination. I feel like I am trying to tame a wild beast with this camera - to say it is frustration is an understatement.
Still, some photos turn out well and I am constantly blown away at the potential of medium format. The photo you are looking at could (easily) be blown up to 8 feet by 6 feet. Doing that with a 35mm photo is going to be much more difficult. Additionally, when I actually produce a decent photo with this camera, it is a major accomplishment. I have so many holes in my knowledge of photography and this camera clearly exposes them.
120mm film, black and white, camera, cemetary, film, medium format, medium format camera, photo, Photography, presidio, rollei, rolleicord, san francisco weekly
June 14th, 2007 at 11:15 am
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KEH has a Mamiya 645 kit for under $150 at the moment, in well-loved but warranted-functional condition.
If you’re too frustrated by the Rollei, you might look into that as a more manageable (prism finder, shouldn’t leak light, shutter up to 1/500) alternative - and the core of a real system, too.
June 14th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Oh, this is intriguing. I am instantly in love with the fact that it has its own light meter - that makes such a huge difference. I would definitely prefer a max shutter speed of 1/1000, but 1/500 isn’t bad at all. Plus, a price tag under $150 is sweet. Thanks for the advice, I may very well be taking you up on it.
June 15th, 2007 at 10:34 am
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I don’t think THAT Mamiya has a meter - the meter is in the prism in those, and that price won’t get you a working metering prism.
But since you already have a hand-meter, that’s not as big a deal.
(And since it’s a system camera, if you decide you really want 1/1000 and a body rather than lens actuated DOF preview, you can get a 645-1000S body for under $100, or a Super body with replaceable backs for a similar price…
I’m pretty well taken with my 645, as you might be able to tell.)
June 15th, 2007 at 10:49 am
Thanks again for this info on this. I really have so much to learn about medium format cameras - I know certain parts of the camera are replaceable, but I am still shaky on what those areas are. I think I would gravitate towards the 645-1000S system and then get a metering prism at a later date.
Thanks so much for sharing all this invaluable information. Almost all the camera stores I have gone to are basically useless when it comes to this sort of information. I brought in my Rollei to one of the stores when I first got it and they looked at it like it was an alien object - they had no idea what to do with it.
I have looked around for reviews of the 645 and there is basically nothing but stellar marks for it. When I have a little more cash hanging around and I am certain that I’m going to give medium format a serious go, I will be picking up this camera. Thanks again!
June 15th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
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Wow. I wish I took this shot. Damn it.
June 15th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
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random off topic…
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