120 film tips?

[Canon Fan]

Well I am about to become the latest TPF 6x6 newbie For those who don't know I scored this Argoflex E Saturday night for $20.90shipped!

I have also ordered 2 rolls of Konica Professional ISO160 C-41 film to start off with (still need to get some B&W though). I have also found and downloaded schematics and repair guides just in case it doesn't work.

I have never even touched a TLR camera before let alone shot any pics with one. Any good newbie tips or tricks I should know about? Thanks in advance

 

[walter23]

A shutter release cable isn't a bad idea, since it's not necessarily easy to keep the camera still with the oddly placed release buttons these things have. Also if it's not equipped with a multi-exposure prevention mechanism, come up with some consistent system to keep track... like advance film after every shot.

Otherwise, keep in mind parallax if you're setting the camera down on a flat surface (the ground will take up much more of the final frame)... and have fun. I love using my TLRs.

 

[Brently]

I have two Argus 75s if you need help let me know. Mine use the 620 spool so i have to put 120 film on a 620 spool in the dark. Speaking of that, i need more film.

 

[Canon Fan]

Thanks for the advice Walter. I was wondering how difficult it might be to trip the shutter on this thing. The little bit that I have read seems to list that as the #1 awkwardness of these things. I will have to look into it

 

[oriecat]

The image will be upside down in the viewfinder, it's weird to get used to.

 

[Jamie R]

Cripes! You're going to command a lot of respect with that hanging around your waist. I'm envious

There's a lot of stuff on it on the classic camera forums. You might want to do a search on the photo.net database which seems to have the widest breadth. The classic camera repair forum is also a good resource although with an Argoflex, it's unlikely you'll have anything major to go wrong.

http://westfordcomp.com/classics/argoflexe/index.htm

I stumbled across it during the Christmas holiday.

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00AibR

This guy has just posted one beside his Brownie. It really looks good - his is silver/chrome coloured though. Respooling 120 film onto 620 is the easy bit. Finding 620 spools might be a bit harder. Negative film is easier than slide film to use.


Get a non-leather strap to let it hang from your neck. Leather ones tend to crack and dry out with age and then just break with your investment crashing to the concrete at velocity. The strap is really useful; pull down on the camera slightly to steady when shooting waist level shots.

Smaller apertures tend to be better with these things rather than the max. If your viewing lens makes the focussing tough, try cleaning it or the silvered mirror underneath. Use the medium-fast shutter speeds first. With the camera dangling in front of you, the image is laterally-reversed (right-to-left) and the right way up. That's what oriecat meant.

 

[Canon Fan]

WOW more good stuff. Thanks a bunch guys I can't wait for it to show up here.

 

[Mitica100]

A shutter release cable isn't a bad idea, since it's not necessarily easy to keep the camera still with the oddly placed release buttons these things have. Also if it's not equipped with a multi-exposure prevention mechanism, come up with some consistent system to keep track... like advance film after every shot.

Otherwise, keep in mind parallax if you're setting the camera down on a flat surface (the ground will take up much more of the final frame)... and have fun. I love using my TLRs.

Great advice! In regards to the parallax adjustement, I used to measure the distance between the viewing and the taking lens (in the center) and then mark it in my tripod's telescoping leg. Every time I took shots of subjects that are fairly close (not landscapes) I used to focus and compose, then raise the telescopic center of the tripod to the mark that I set as above and then shoot. Always worked like a charm.

 

[ksmattfish]

The image will be upside down in the viewfinder, it's weird to get used to.

With most of the TLRs I've used (I haven't used this particular model) the image is backwards (left is right and right is left), but not upside down.

If you have trouble triggering the shutter release you can get a pistol grip that mounts in the tripod socket, and uses a cable release.