A bit of photographic nostalgia

[parish]

Mods: If this doesn't belong in this forum, please move it and I'll consider myself slapped

Whilst rummaging through boxes I stumbled upon this, my first "real" camera (prior to that I'd had a Kodak Brownie - not Box Brownie), and the Boots light meter (which still works )

It's a Franka Solida III (although the name embossed on the case looks more like Frauka)

Searching the 'net there is quite a lot about it and it seems to have been a pretty decent camera in its day. Mine appears to be from c.1951

Please don't bother to critique the photos - as Matt Sayle said in his recent 5000 posts thread, There is less wrong with sleeping with your daughter then these pictures!! ( (c)2008 Matt Sayle). they were taken handheld with shutter speeds of 1/13 - 1/30 :nono:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5. Depth of Field table.

Now, the question is, should I buy a roll of film, go shoot some photos, scan them in and post them up on TP? Can you still buy 120 film? Does anyone still process it?

 

[olv]

Now, the question is, should I buy a roll of film, go shoot some photos, scan them in and post them up on TP? Can you still buy 120 film? Does anyone still process it?

Do you even need to ask? do it

 

[parish]

Do you even need to ask? do it

Need to give it a good clean first - the viewfinder is that dirty it's like looking through a 10-stop ND filter

 

[StuntMonkey]

Go for it! 120 is still fairly easily available(try 7 day shop) and quite a few places still develope it... dare i say even Jessops but they send it away to be done. let us kow how you get on

 

[joxby]

Now, the question is, should I buy a roll of film, go shoot some photos, scan them in and post them up on TP? Can you still buy 120 film? Does anyone still process it?

Are you serious ???
I'm just gonna assume you've been......distracted.....or something

 

[parish]

Are you serious ???
I'm just gonna assume you've been......distracted.....or something

- my questions were somewhat tongue-in-cheek

 

[joxby]

I hope you're card goes rusty, and all the 1's and 0's fall off.

*fires up the uzi D1000, shoots an 8g clip and gets.............nooooooo photo's*



Reminds me of an old Mamiya Six, Super Ikonta or Isoletta, that camera

 

[MisterE]

I've got a similar one and put a roll of B&W through it a couple of years ago. I used it at a vintage model aeroplane meeting, which was appropriate. Got a few bemused looks. I've also got a Fuji 6x9 which takes 120 (Velvia 50 so far). I get my film from 7DayShop.com and send it to Peak Imaging to get developed.

Make sure that your camera takes 120 though, and not the almost identical but unobtainable 620. A 120 won't fit in a 620 camera, unless you rewind the film on to a 620 spool.

 

[Lensflare]

Schneider lens too - will be sharp as a razor.

Don't like the background you took the pictures on though - or was that on the table for your daughter?

I would echo the Peak Processing recommendation. They used to do all my E6 back in the bad old days. A good outfit.

Before running a film through I would fire it dry for about 25 - 30 shots, just to free up the diaphragm / shutter blades. Do it while looking through the lens from the front and keep changing the speeds - start at slow and work your way through. Watch to see that all the blades move in equally when the lens stops down for the exposure and that the time lag of the exposure does actually change - otherwise a sticking shutter or diaphragm blade would ruin your film and put you off. If stuck, do something about it. If not - stick a roll through it and see what you get.

 

[wack61]

I have a Contax T2, I put a roll of B/W film in it about 3 months ago, still haven't taken a picture with it