I joined the Medium Format Club today.

[SamSpade1941]

I am pretty happy, last week I worked out a trade for some stuff here at home I was not using and in return I got a pair of Bronica SQ-Ai cameras , a pair of 220 film backs and 5 lenses. One of the cameras is DOA but I knew it was when I made the trade and thats ok. I don't plan on keeping that camera. I will end up selling the DOA body to someone who can use it for parts. I ended up with a great camera , a 40 mm lens, a 50 mm lens , a 67 mm lens, a 110 macro and a 150mm lens . Oh and 10 rolls of Fuji 400 NPH to shoot as well. I used to years ago own a Mamiya C330 so the Bronica is a new experience for me, I just got batteries in it. I would appreciate any advice from Bronica owners here on the board.

Thanks so much .

 

[Derrel]

Bronica owner here!!! Sounds like a great outfit! I have a feeling your 67mm lens is actually a Zenzanon 80mm f/2.8 with 67mm filter diameter...or maybe the outfit has the 65mm semi-wide-angle lens? Nice that there was a macro in the kit! You're in for a treat.

 

[SamSpade1941]

Derrel,

You are right the lens is the 65mm lens my bad. I was looking at the lenses and they all have Seiko marked on them, I did not know Seiko made any of their lenses. I knew Nikon did on some of their earlier cameras. I need to load my film backs and go do some shooting this weekend. I also need to see if I can get some black and white locally , if not I will just order some from B&H.

I was thinking the 40mm and 50 mm are really close in focal length. Close enough that they really duplicate one another. What do you think ?

 

[Derrel]

Seiko made the awesome SHUTTER mechanism in the lenses!!! Oh, the 40mm is MUCH wider than the 50!!! You will find a use for both. If not, PM me!

 

[SamSpade1941]

Ok thanks Derrel .. its appreciated.

 

[Tuffythepug]

Congratulations. If my math is correct the 50mm lens would be the equiv. of about a 35mm lens in 35mm format. The 40mm would be about the equiv. of a 28mm or a little less.
I also just obtained a Bronica med format but mine is the ETRS 645. Unfortunately I only have the 75mm "normal" lens with mine. I'd love to have the 40mm and 150mm on either side. That would cover just about everything I'd want to shoot. I'm sure I'll be adding the 150 pretty soon.

Just another recommendation on film and film supplies: "Freestyle" in So. Calif. has just about everything you could want in black and white film supplies. You can order on the net. I have a couple perpaid 120 mailers I'll be sending off pretty soon.

Good luck with your new (old) camera

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Make sure you shoot that 400H at 100-200!!!!

 

[tirediron]

Nice!

 

[SamSpade1941]

Well I found a downloadable copy of the manual and got my film backs loaded so I am all set to go. Tomorrow I will go shoot some film

 

[Tuffythepug]

Make sure you shoot that 400H at 100-200!!!!

Could you explain that for us dummies who don't understand why you do that ? What is gained by overexposing a couple of stops ?

 

[SamSpade1941]

Make sure you shoot that 400H at 100-200!!!!

Could you explain that for us dummies who don't understand why you do that ? What is gained by overexposing a couple of stops ?

I would say he was being a smart arse if I had to guess.

 

[cgipson1]

Congratulations.. nice gear!

 

[Derrel]

Many color negative films seem to "do better" when the film is down-rated to an E.I. (Exposure Index, not the same thing as ASA or ISO rating which is an "official" rating) that is at least one exposure value lower than the stated ISO value. Ensuring that the SHADOW values have a generous exposure is one of the main benefits of setting a personal "E.I." that is half, or less, than the ISO value on color negative films. Kodak's old VPS Color negative film was rated at ISO 160, and most of us shot that "down-rated" to E.I. 100 (in effect, yielding a 2/3 stop over-exposure on all shots.)

With color reversal films (AKA slide film), setting a lower-than-ISO E.I. is not usually a good idea, and in fact, many people who shoot 'chromes tend to deliberately UNDER-expose, by setting say 100 ISO film to an E.I.of 125 or even 160.

 

[cgipson1]

Make sure you shoot that 400H at 100-200!!!!

Could you explain that for us dummies who don't understand why you do that ? What is gained by overexposing a couple of stops ?

When you shoot a faster film at a lower speed (underexpose), and process to match... it can give a tighter grain.. and better color saturation. When you overexpose film and process it to match, you get more grain, less saturation, etc.

check out page 112 of the following Kodak document:

http://motion.kodak.com/motion/uplo...en_motion_newsletters_filmEss_13_Exposure.pdf

Exposing to the right in digital maximizes signal, sort of like overexposing film a 1/2 stop or so. Some people think it helps.. some don't! Lots of interesting reading on the 'net about it if you do some googling!

 

[SamSpade1941]

Thanks for the explanation of why to shoot ISO 400 color film at 200 that makes sense. The only problem is I will be sending it off to be processed since I have no access to a dark room. Will they process it where I specify or where the film is marked if I shoot it at something marked differently from the film ?


Here is a quick shot of the gear....