Being a digital man I never really used film, however someone at work who knows I'm into photography is kindly giving me a Lubitel 166u TLR camera that had been used once 20 years ago and then been in a cupboard since!
I wondered if anyone could point me in the direction of some good links in how to use the thing, best places to buy film and where to get it developed!
Any help appreciated
Like you, I was given a Lubitel 166 after mentioning to someone that I was interested in giving medium format a try. As I shoot quite a bit of 35mm film on a few different cameras, it wasn't too hard for me to get to grips with using the Lubitel, although it certainly has its quirks.
First, I find it very difficult to judge focus, especially compared to my other film cameras, but I can see even less than with the puny little viewfinders on my DX DSLRs. Unlike my 35mm or the other MF camera I currently own, the Bronica SQ-A, there isn't a split-prism focusing patch and almost the entire focusing screen is in focus. The little focusing dot in the centre of the viewfinder, which is supposed to show f/2.8 according to my manual, really doesn't help much. Also, be aware that the distance scales may not be very accurate, as I know that mine is definitely a bit off. That said, the viewfinder is fairly bright, which makes composing a bit easier and I do find using a WLF very fun.
Second, because of the difficulty focusing and limitations of the lens wide open, I would probably recommend stopping down a bit to ensure that you get your subjects in focus. It might also help to use some forgiving film, such as Portra 400, as you'll need to either meter externally or estimate your exposures using the sunny 16 rule. Additionally, the latitude of Portra might help if some of your shutter speeds are off at all (7dayshop usually sells Portra at a reasonable price for a pack of five).
You could certainly use a tripod with it, as suggested earlier, but I don't think it's a necessity once you practise with it and get accustomed to the reversed image in the viewfinder. In fact, the Lubitel is so small and light compared to other MF cameras, I think it's perfectly fine for handholding. I've used this and I currently use my SQ-A handheld without a problem.
A helpful video for you might be this video on youtube that shows you how to load film into the camera:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zfh9AdF5n8
It's certainly a nice way of getting your feet wet with film; I personally used it as a gateway into medium format from 35mm film. Let me know if you have any other questions about the camera.
