Half Frame Cameras

angelpaaul

angelpaaul

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Just curious but does anyone here use a half frame camera?
 
Not me. Small image size and 72 photos per roll of film? I'd never finish anything!

Have been tempted though :)
 
I used to like them back in the day (70's) but don't think I'd ever finish a film these days.
 
I had a Pen F that I used for only one story, about the Territorial Army, in (I think) 1968. As experiments go, it wasn't a success... :tumbleweed:
 
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Took some back in 2021

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2021 Film Photographer of the year, June entries - Random

Post your entries on the theme of Random in this thread by 23:59 on 30st June 2021. A poll will go up for seven days afterwards. Entries must be SHOT ON FILM, and must be TAKEN ON OR AFTER THE 1st DECEMBER 2020. The rules and themes can be found >>>here>click here for the discussion thread
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I picked up an Olympus Pen EE-3 which I am glad to say was kept in its original case with the lens cap on so that it still has a lot of life left in it.

Keep meaning to take it out of hibernation but never remember to pick it up! Should probably sell it on to someone who would enjoy it
 
No, as other have said 72 exposures per roll sounds draining. I was briefly tempted (but never put my hand in my pocket) for a Zeiss Tenax. That takes about 50 square exposure on 35mm film.
 
I use both an Agat 18-k (fully manual, Eastern block made) which used to be dirt cheap as well as a Canon Multi-tele (fully automatic).

The Canon does both full frame and half frame but you can't change format mid-roll, it has a tiny yellow internal switch that when flicked draws up 2 flaps to mask to half frame. It's weird using it in half frame as it's like shooting everything in zoom and you have to be a long way back from your subject. Being a Canon is utterly reliable.

The Agat is fun to use but not always reliable and has chewed film in the past. I also seal the joints with electrical tape as they are prone to light leaks. It always get 80 plus frames and the most I got was 91 shots - I got my money's worth from AG when they developed and printed the C41 film :)

I've also got a cute as a button clockwork GAF Auto Half (I think it's a re-badged Ricoh) but the selenium cell has never worked rendering it unusable.

I do fancy an Olympus Pen EE something at some point.

These days I make up a short b&w roll for the Agat and then dev it myself. A 36 exp film can stay in a half-frame camera for a v long time.

I now only use the half-frames infrequently since I've got into Minolta 16's.

Edit: Oh, I've successfully enlarged half-frame shots from the Canon to 8x6 wet prints on 10x8 paper.
 
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Used a univex mercury half frame camera.

Put but one roll through it that took me about three years to get through!

I liked the style of the camera hence I searched for ages to find a decent one without issues.

The excitement when I received it was quickly extinguished when I saw the resulting subminiature negatives.
 
I have been considering the purchase of a Pen-F (the original, with the Gothic F character on the front) but haven't yet stumbled on a mint sample anywhere. Those I see around, including from ebay japan, look to be well used or somewhat mouldy/rusty.

I am not personally worried about the 72 frames, as I'd use the camera, 'conceptually' as a standard 36 exposure one: I'd like to experiment with only taking pairs of thematically related pictures - diptychs, to use a somewhat pompous word.

One thing that worries me is the inter-frame spacing produced by these cameras. I scan my negatives, and my 35mm scanner holders are shaped to fit a standard 24mmx36mm frame. Would they accommodate 2x half-frame full images or would the additional inter-frame space make the diptych a little too wide for my holder? Would be interested to hear from any owners.
 
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I've got a Canon Dial which I haven't used for years. Back in the 1970s, the clockwork motor drive and auto exposure made it a very fast to use camera for candid photos - especially around my then office. For smallish prints, it worked well.
 
For many years I used an Olympus EE3, which I bought new in Cambridge, as a sort of notebook/snapshot camera. The results were amazing. I almost exclusively filmed using Kodachrome 200. After the demise of Kodachrome, I sold it, and a spare, and moved on (I was a bit suspicious about the condition of the meter). Then I bought an early Pen, the original manual only camera, and have enjoyed using it every now and then. You have to commit to taking lots of pictures. It seems to work well with 200 ASA colour negative film if you aren't too bothered about grain.

And, as suggested, you can pair your shots to create intentional or unintentional diptychs. The diptychs fit a 35mm frame well.

From the EE3...

Image6e.jpg
 
Boots said:
No, as other have said 72 exposures per roll sounds draining. I was briefly tempted (but never put my hand in my pocket) for a Zeiss Tenax. That takes about 50 square exposure on 35mm film.
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We need a forum emote for "runs off to Google"... Square I could get into - I love my Instamatic, but rolling the film for it is a mahoosive pain.
 
I did back in the 70s using a camera given to me by Grandad. I still have it but unfortunately it no longer works. For nostalgic reasons I bought a Pen FT last year, I have not used it much I'm still on my first roll of film. Bought from a UK dealer, not cheap. but not many available.
 
trypdal said:
I am not personally worried about the 72 frames, as I'd use the camera, 'conceptually' as a standard 36 exposure one: I'd like to experiment with only taking pairs of thematically related pictures - diptychs, to use a somewhat pompous word.
Click to expand...
Some folk on film twitter are using half frame cameras to make broken panoramas (2, 3 or more shots) which can be very interesting. Suggestion is to take a blank frame before and after, so you know where you are.
 
I'd certainly like to try one. Although, as others have said, I might struggle with 72 shots. I suppose it depends on the subject matter.
 
I borrowed a Pen-F I think, certainly an Olympus half frame for a few weeks, I have to admit being supprised by the quality. What I didn't like was the portrait format. I know it's just turn the camera, but I was never happy doing it for some reason. I got the trip full frame after and that was me happy.
 
Plain Nev said:
I'd certainly like to try one. Although, as others have said, I might struggle with 72 shots. I suppose it depends on the subject matter.
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The thing with all those shots is you can just rattle through them. Take a shot of what you fancy, not sure you got it right, take another with a different composition/aperture/shutter speed etc. Experiment, keep taking, you've no shortage of shots. If you are using a low cost film (Kentmere for example) then you are at around 6p a shot - slightly less taking into account you'll probably get more than 72.

I find that approach quite liberating. Half frame cameras are usually smaller, easy to have to hand etc so can get used more. If I want a bigger and better quality neg I'll use a camera that gives me that.

Of course half frame, like any other format, is not for everybody but if it takes your fancy give it a try
 
I'll have a trawl over the next couple of days and see if I can find a couple of prints to put on here.
 
Harlequin565 said:
No, as other have said 72 exposures per roll sounds draining. I was briefly tempted (but never put my hand in my pocket) for a Zeiss Tenax. That takes about 50 square exposure on 35mm film.
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Talking about alternatives to half frame, I've had some success with a Robot Star camera which takes square pictures. But, then again, it is quite a heavy lump of metal compared to the Pen.
 
auntiemaryscanary said:
The thing with all those shots is you can just rattle through them. Take a shot of what you fancy, not sure you got it right, take another with a different composition/aperture/shutter speed etc. Experiment, keep taking, you've no shortage of shots. If you are using a low cost film (Kentmere for example) then you are at around 6p a shot - slightly less taking into account you'll probably get more than 72.

I find that approach quite liberating. Half frame cameras are usually smaller, easy to have to hand etc so can get used more. If I want a bigger and better quality neg I'll use a camera that gives me that.

Of course half frame, like any other format, is not for everybody but if it takes your fancy give it a try
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I think you are right. They are more cost effective. And, with the number of shots at your disposal it must be liberating. I've gone and talked myself into it now. ;)
 
For the ultimate in liberation due to number of shots at your disposal, a some cameras (Olympus, Nikon etc) had 250 exposure backs available. From memory WYC had such a Nikon 250 exposure back already in situ on a camera, so you just need to keep your eyes open...

"I can resist anything except temptation" - Oscar Wilde,
 
PeterSpencer said:
Talking about alternatives to half frame, I've had some success with a Robot Star camera which takes square pictures. But, then again, it is quite a heavy lump of metal compared to the Pen.
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@stevelmx5 of this parish, in his extreme and endless inventiveness, sells a tiny pinhole camera that does 24x24mm frames, and another camera that requires an added lens that does 24x24, 24x48 or 24x72mm, both using 135 film! Both very tempting to me, though I've not bitten either particular bullet yet. Even with the added gizmos you need for the latter camera, I suspect you could buy many of them for the price of a XPAN!
 
PeterSpencer said:
For many years I used an Olympus EE3, which I bought new in Cambridge, as a sort of notebook/snapshot camera. The results were amazing. I almost exclusively filmed using Kodachrome 200. After the demise of Kodachrome, I sold it, and a spare, and moved on (I was a bit suspicious about the condition of the meter). Then I bought an early Pen, the original manual only camera, and have enjoyed using it every now and then. You have to commit to taking lots of pictures. It seems to work well with 200 ASA colour negative film if you aren't too bothered about grain.

And, as suggested, you can pair your shots to create intentional or unintentional diptychs. The diptychs fit a 35mm frame well.

From the EE3...

View attachment 379397
Click to expand...
You have inspired me to dust off my ee3 and take it to Venice in a couple weeks.
 
I visited Venice a while ago. I had my EE3 with me. I didn't take a single picture. The city is so overwhelming I just stepped back and took it in, I spent the whole of the holiday walking around and taking it all in. Not to say that you shouldn't take any pictures of course.
 
StephenM said:
For the ultimate in liberation due to number of shots at your disposal, a some cameras (Olympus, Nikon etc) had 250 exposure backs available. From memory WYC had such a Nikon 250 exposure back already in situ on a camera, so you just need to keep your eyes open...

"I can resist anything except temptation" - Oscar Wilde,
Click to expand...


Many years ago, Dad was a pro photographer and one of his colleagues had a Nikon, motordrive and bulk back which he used for shooting motorsport. The joke between them was that the Nikon combo was Mr Eastman's friend.
 
I picked up the orignal Pen F last year (pretty good condition) and have put through two rolls so far. I like a previous poster has mentioned have used it mainly to take dyptychs, it's quite fun to use and this way doesn't take forever to shoot 72 individual exposures.

 
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A cheap-ish way to get into half frame cameras

www.35mmc.com

NEWS: Double the Fun with AgfaPhoto's New 35mm Half Frame Film Camera

Lupus Imaging & Media, the company now behind the AgfaPhoto brand and APX black and white films, has brought us a new fixed-focus half-frame camera with a 50mm F5.6 lens. The AgfaPhoto Half Frame 35mm camera is similar to what we have seen in the Kodak Ektar H35 from the Reto Project, but for...
www.35mmc.com www.35mmc.com

I've not come across Pattern Cameras before but seems to be eBay based

www.ebay.co.uk

Half Frame AGFAPhoto 35mm Film Reusable Compact Camera in Black with case BNIB | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Half Frame AGFAPhoto 35mm Film Reusable Compact Camera in Black with case BNIB at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk
 
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Review of both new half-frame cameras branded Agfaphoto and Kodak. Interesting read if only to point get you looking older alternatives.

Canny Cameras

Shooting Film on the cheap on the Border in Credit Crunch Britain
austerityphoto.co.uk austerityphoto.co.uk
 
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