Back to film - 30 years on

Velorum

Velorum

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Traditional film photography has been calling to me for some time now. A few weeks ago I picked up a lovely old Olympus OM1 just like the one I sold along with all my other equipment about 30 years ago. Its currently with Luton Camera Repairs for a service and battery compartment conversion and I am looking forward to its return.

In the meantime I have been playing around with this 1962 Minolta Autocord. My first ever experience with a TLR and 120 film.



Something of a challenge! I have found focusing really tricky, even with the flip out magnifier. Having put a few rolls through it there aren't many pictures that aren't blurred to the point of abstraction. Here are a few that aren't too bad, well at least you can see what the subject matter is.......





 
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Welcome back. :wave:

Focussing a TLR can take a bit of getting used to but once you have had a few practice runs I'm sure you will nail it and then you will see just how fantastic a medium format image can be.

I shot these recently with a 1953/4 Rolleicord Model IV which has a really dark viewing screen and it was a fairly dull day as well, but the focus is spot on.
Thomas Vernon by Andy, on Flickr
Boxing Gloves 1 by Andy, on Flickr

Stick with it and welcome to the best, friendliest and most helpful part of the forum.

Andy
 
Thanks Andy

Well being as the OM will be a while yet I had better get out for some more TTL practice!
 
Welcome!

To echo what Andy said above, TLR's can indeed take a bit of getting used to; it's not harder as such, just different somehow. I've not much practice myself, having only used a yashica mat 124G a few times, but even then, I do recall that it takes some double and triple checking!

I personally shoot large format which generally requires a hand held loupe to get the focusing spot on. It's slow - nothing about large format is fast! - and certainly takes some getting used to as well. Stick with it!

Looking forward to seeing your results from both cameras :)
 
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Welcome from here too. The Autocord is an excellent camera, with an extremely sharp lens. I too have problems focusing mine. I did replace the screen but TBH I'm not sure it helped!
 
Welcome to the F&C
 
Velorum said:
Many thanks folks.

Here is my OM1 complete with original metal lens hood:

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My first proper SLR after the Zenith, cracking cameras and even better lenses.
 
My OM1 is currently at Luton Camera Repairs for a full service and battery compartment conversion - really looking forward to getting it back. In the meantime I have just bought a virtually unmarked OM2 complete with all original boxes and paperwork including sales receipt. In the late 70's I dreamed of owning both an OM1 & 2......40 years later here they are........



 
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Velorum said:
My OM1 is currently at Luton Camera Repairs for a full service and battery compartment conversion - really looking forward to getting it back. In the meantime I have just bought a virtually unmarked OM2 complete with all original boxes and paperwork including sales receipt. In the late 70's I dreamed of owning both an OM1 & 2......40 years later here they are........



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Congrats.....nice to know you can find pleasure in using a film camera that die hard digi shooters can't....just to add that many members on T&C also have digi cameras as well and just enjoy using a film camera.
 
Is the metering on the OM1 consistent and or accurate with the battery conversion?
 
I believe that Luton Camera Repairs calibrate the meter once they have converted the battery compartment.
 
Velorum said:
I believe that Luton Camera Repairs calibrate the meter once they have converted the battery compartment.
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Not owning an OM1 (but having just purchased an Om10 which I haven't used yet), do you mind me asking what is the underlying reason for the battery compartment conversion? I haven't come across this before and am interested to know. Many thanks.
 
The original mercury batteries arent available anymore and the modern equivalents cause the meter to be inaccurate or incorrect. The conversion allows a modern battery to be used without these issues.

Good work re the OM10. I bought one of these when they first came out, it was a lovely thing.
 
Velorum said:
The original mercury batteries arent available anymore and the modern equivalents cause the meter to be inaccurate or incorrect. The conversion allows a modern battery to be used without these issues.

Good work re the OM10. I bought one of these when they first came out, it was a lovely thing.
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Many thanks dor the reply.
Sorry for the follow up (and apologies if this is a bit of a daft question) but does the battery conversion apply to just some, most or all old film cameras? Because in addition to the OM10, I seem to have acquired two Minoltas (XD7 and X700) and a Praktica. Admittedly, I only got them because one or more of the associated lenses interested me (& plan to use with adapter on digital), but if I start using all or even some of the old film bodies, it would be good to know what I'm up against if the battery compartment is not converted. I Assume this is voltage related?
Thanks again.
 
You can still get batteries that fit some old film cameras, depends how old the camera is and if batteries are still made in that size/voltage etc.
If the battery only supplies the onboard meter and the camera has a mechanical shutter you could use a separate hand held light meter or even a second camera to meter and ignore the film camera's light meter completely. That would really being going old-school :-)
 
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It's only older cameras that have the mercury 1.3v cell, (can't remember the date for change over probably early 1970s)...all newer cameras can have anything from the common 1.5v cell, 3v, 6v or AA, AAA batteries (might be some I've missed).
Anyway I don't bother paying for a conversion or using expensive 1.5 to 1.3v cell converters and just put a 1.5v cell in the camera and compensate by adjusting the ASA knob and haven't heard of any reports of the electrical circuit being blown by increasing the volts by 0.2v.
 
If it is an older camera where you centre the meter needle, the camera is using a bridge circuit and the voltage does not matter within a volt or so.

For other metering systems, the difference in voltage will cause a corresponding difference in exposure that is well within the latitude of film. For both my OM1 and OM10 I just use a modern battery with no adjustment of any kind.
 
john.margetts said:
If it is an older camera where you centre the meter needle, the camera is using a bridge circuit and the voltage does not matter within a volt or so.

For other metering systems, the difference in voltage will cause a corresponding difference in exposure that is well within the latitude of film. For both my OM1 and OM10 I just use a modern battery with no adjustment of any kind.
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On my mercury cell Konica TC when using the 1.5v I have to set the ASA knob to 300 ASA for 200 ASA\ISO film, but then the meter might have been out anyway using a mercury 1.3v cell...I've picked up a couple of old mercury cells since buying the camera but can't be bothered using them if I'm getting perfect exposure using my adjusted method with the 1.5v cell.
 
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Many thanks for all the replies. I've since done a bit more reading and have come across an MR-9 adapter which is another option. Anyway, my starting point must be to recheck what batteries are in each of the cameras and go from there. I've routinely removed the batteries from the XD7 (owned for 7/8 years) and removed them straight away from the recently acquired OM10. The praktica takes something completely different which I've just replaced which leaves me with the X-700 which is currently not working.
Thanks again everyone.
 
goinggreynow said:
Many thanks dor the reply.
Sorry for the follow up (and apologies if this is a bit of a daft question) but does the battery conversion apply to just some, most or all old film cameras? Because in addition to the OM10, I seem to have acquired two Minoltas (XD7 and X700) and a Praktica. Admittedly, I only got them because one or more of the associated lenses interested me (& plan to use with adapter on digital), but if I start using all or even some of the old film bodies, it would be good to know what I'm up against if the battery compartment is not converted. I Assume this is voltage related?
Thanks again.
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The Minolta XD7 and X700 both take modern SR44 button cells.

If your X700 isn't working it might be a capacitor failure. Apparently it is a common fault in the X700, there are 2 capacitors which can fail over time. It's an easy fix if you don't mind using a soldering iron. I think the usual symptom I'd that the camera won't wind on, shutter won't release and when you activate the meter if you press the shutter button then the L.E.D's go out and the meter won't activate again until you turn the camera off and on.
 
Sorry, I forgot to say - my OM1 is converted to take an SR44. My OM2 takes the same but without needing to be converted.
 
Nomad Z said:
He's right, you know - all you need is a 35mm compact or rangefinder, a propensity for wonky horizons, and 3,000 rolls of Tri-X. :)
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And fridge space to store those exposed rolls for a year or two before developing them...
 
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