Bilora Radix and Voigtlander Vitomatic... ** and Rollei SL35E added! **

Ambermile

Ambermile

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So as you know today I went out to test the two cameras in the title, a Radix 6 I think, and a Voigtlander Vitomatic IIa (the best little RF they ever made in my opinion). Had a few issues loading the Radix as it is a Rapid system and I had no cassettes... some fumbling in the changing bag and half a roll of Rollei ASA400 found it's way inside the camera. The other half went in the Vitomatic and off I went, dog bouncing along behind.

A sunny day, a sunny 16 rule for the Radix (ISO400, f/11 at 1/200th?) and of course the Vitomatic has all the whistles and bells. Result for the day is that I learned a big lesson - if you want to use half a Rollei film, make sure the scissors are in the changing bag because as sure as eggs is eggs, you'll get some light in if you have to get them in there later and you *cannot* tear this stuff easily! Whatever. The Radix has a 38mm f/3.5 and the Vitomatic a 50mm f/2.8 - here's a quick comparison (and I love them both!)


3-7-2010_026-800.jpg



3-7-2010_015-800.jpg

​

I am very much liking the way both of these cameras take a picture, OK I may have accidentally pushed the processing a bit (temp too high... so sue me) but ultimately I do like the old photo look - been after it for ages!


Arthur

PS - thanks to Ujjwal for letting me in on the Rollei film deal too!
 
Arthur, thanks man. I have a bad feeling you will use up the films before I do.

BTW, Vitomatic is a great solid camera; but surely you exaggarate when you say its the best. I love the CL better; its lighter and the lens is sharper. But for the money ( I got and sold mine for 20£, I think); its certainly one of the best; and easily available.

BTW : was there a colour cast on the Rollei base? I have heard that the 100ASA has a kind of green base..

And PS : Have you ever used a retina II or III. I am thinking of getting one; but they are getting expensive....damn; why dont everyone go and use the digital cameras, they are so easy to use
 
Hmm. I have the IIa, the I, and a Vito B (several Vitorets but they're not in the same league) and I love this the most... CL? Well, maybe but it's the same as the Vitorets for me - a cheap pressed tin box... jumping on the mass-producing bandwagon like so many other camera makers of the time - and that's why the cameras all look the same. Does the CL not use the same lens I thought? 2.8 50mm Skopar?

Not noticed anything other than the bw stuff to be honest.


Arthur
 
Ah - I said it was the best RF *they* ever made!
 
As for the retina, I assume you mean the slr one? Never even touched one but like you would sure as heck like to. All in good time though, I have a sick Sensomat on the way that needs almost a total rebuild so that's going to keep me busy for a while at least - and I still have to make a new film back for the MT-1 so I can use it without the big fat databack stuck on :D
 
No Arthur, I was talking of the 35mm RF folders. Apparently it has a great lens; and interchangeable too - after a fashion ( like the contaflex, the front element comes off, the rear element stays in place.)

Would have liked to have one with the 35, 50 and 85mm Xenar lens. Some day, when I have put together some money; or sold something or the other.

Actually, i am wondering why I keep 2 MF camera - both 6X6 and both good stuff : the mamiya 6 and the Hassy. I might end up selling one of them on the ebay.

And about the MT, while you are at it, why dont you convert it to M42 mount....lol
 
Ha - funny you should say that about the MT-1, I already have. And replaced the mirror assembly, focus screen, prism and viewfinder to get it to focus as well :D

Arthur

PS - I have deleted the original Bilora image and replaced it with one that is the same relative size from the camera as the Voigtlander image... the Voigtlander being standard 35mm (24x36) and the Bilora being Rapid (24x24). It occurred to me that enlarging one over the other was not a fair comparison, so now you can clearly see the difference between the 38mm and 50mm lenses.
 
Arthur, i saw a MT1 modified for M42 mount going for crazy money on the ebay. Was that you? The guy had a nice write up to go with the camera listing as well
 
Yup, the Bilora is the square one, that's pretty much standard size for the format from a 35mm film.

Ujjwal - that was mine yes... but the MT-1 standard comes in around £80m then you have to find two more cameras (one of which is a Zenit 19, pricey) and there's about 10 hours-worth of hairpulling! Then the testing, callibrating, blah, blah, blah... I thought it was dead cheap really, what are your other choices SLR half frame-wise? Alpa? Konica? Alpa frighteningly scary price, Konica I am after one myself, but you are stuck with pricey lenses...

Arthur
 
Oh I dont doubt that the camera was worth the money...absolutely it was.

The trouble, as you know, is that some of these nice cameras do not get good price. I saw a Sl35E body + 4 lens go today for 180£. 2 lens Rolleinar and 2 Zeiss. Now thats what i call a steal.
 
Yup... but the thing is that the ones I want go for silly money! And if I ever got an AutoReflex then the Rollei would have to go to make room for it :(
 
Anyway, went out with the Rollei (SL35E with the hft 50mm 1.8) for the first time today, roll of FP4 safely stashed and big dog wandering alongside. Nice walk, went a different way this time for the hell of it. Got home and the new System 4 tank was here so I dropped the film in right away and checked emails while the clock ticked.


So after a while I realised I should be doing something... no idea what but went to make a cup of tea... you guessed, there by the sink was the timer ticking past 26 minutes and my film probably curling it's toes inside the tank! Whipped the developer out, stopped and fixed, rinsed and dried, scanned and uploaded. I was looking forward to this roll but now I think I will have to start over as the forcing/pushing has made things a wee bit too rough for my liking - see what you think

Slideshow clicky here...


I do have a couple of "bright side" points though, first I am lucky it was not as sunny a day as yesterday was, and second, again lucky I used FP4 at ISO125 instead of the Rollei stuff at ISO400!

Arthur
 
I like quite a few shots; but then I like sharper contrasts rather than washed out images - hence my preference for Zeiss lens over leica lens ( I am talking of the old ones).

So you cooked it for 26 mins - how much was the correct time. and dont you agitate it every minute?

I am not sure how the sunny day affects it ( unless you mean due to the brightness the dynamic range would have been a greater number of stops; so the contrast would have been higher due to overcooking. )

I was told to set B/W one stop over ( i.e set 400 ASA at 200 ASA) and then develop for 200 ASA. Apparently that way it captures both the details and the highlights....
 
Should have been 14-15 minutes... and usually I give the tub a shake when I walk past - I'm not regimental about it!

Yup - a sunny day would have given me even more harshness, less range. I think I may have "inadvertently" pushed it at least a couple of stops :D
 
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