a rainy moment

On Monday I got a package from Ralf, one of my very dedicated followers, who actually sent me a medium format camera to try, an Agfa Isolette II folding camera! He even added a couple of rolls of 120 film so that I could start playing right away. Thanks Ralf!

Of course I wanted to take it for a spin right away, but the weather was dismal. Impatient as I am, I actually took a shot out the window and it turned out to be the best shot on the roll. I filled the rest of the roll while walking around with my Zorki yesterday. Of course I still need to practice, but at least half the shots on the roll – 6 of 12 – turned out alright. Pretty good for an unfamiliar camera. In three pictures the focus was way off, so I must have read the focussing scale wrongly. I also lost a shot, because the double exposure lock engaged without having taken a picture. No idea how I managed that. Once I start getting the focus right I definitely want to try this for some proper street photography involving people as well. Seems like a great camera!

By the way, if you’d like to see pictures with different gear or film, I’m always open to donations!

 

All pictures taken with: Agfa Isolette II, Apotar 85mm f/4.5.
Kodak T-Max 400 developed in Tetenal Ultrafin 1:10, 7min.

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

Heavy rain.

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

The woman in the background? I can zoom in on her and see what she’s doing. Medium format is great!

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

Feminist class struggle disco instead?

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

Tones and lines attracted me to this one.

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

View towards the sea.

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

I had to wait a little while to get them flying.

 

I had two scary moments when I developed that first roll of 120 film. The first one happened when I opened the back of the camera and realised that the roll wasn’t rolled up entirely yet. Luckily I had forwarded it far enough so that I didn’t lose any pictures though. In case you don’t know 120 film: It actually doesn’t have a canister but is just wound around the spool with light proof backing paper. The roll doesn’t need to be rewound, but gets rolled up on a second spool with the backing paper still in place. It only gets removed in the dark when putting the roll into the developing tank. The latter is fiddly business by the way, much fiddlier than 135 film and its wise to remove the backing paper before trying to get the film onto the developing reel.

The second scare happened after soaking the film for a couple of minutes. When I poured out the water it was blue! That never happens with 135 film. Apparently it’s the backing paper of the 120 film rubbing off on the film. Glad that I soaked it, because some developers don’t handle gunk like that too well. Also, 120 film seems to need more fixer, because my almost exhausted fixer, which surely still would have cleared a couple of Kentmere rolls, left the 120 roll rather pink. Since I hardly ever shoot T-Max I thought it was ok and hung it to dry, but then realised that it had a slight yellow shine against daylight. That’s usually a sign that it wasn’t fixed properly. In the end I had to fix it again, which was rather annoying because I couldn’t get the wet film back on the reel. In the end it all turned out fine though and I’d call this first roll of 120 film a success.

Comments

  • Ralf D.

    🙂

    Great for the first roll. With this structures I like the TMax. Well try the Trix with people – like to see that! And I think the Apotar, even a three-lenser isn’t that bad. 2 and 5 sharp and clear – architecture photography.

    🙂

    • Lilly Schwartz

      Actually, I think this Apotar lens is quite nice. Of course this is stopped down, but it definitely seems sharp.

  • Ralf D.

    Yes, I also like the last one.

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