Old New York with an old camera

[limr]

It was my turn on a camera chain from another forum (kind of like the Lens Across America, though this was a camera and it's both Europe and America). I'm not going to say the name of the camera so that no spies will leak the information at the other forum (looking at you, gsgary! )

The camera is quite limited, so I knew it wouldn't fly in a lot of situations. In retrospect, I could have used a faster film for more flexibility, but I used Pan F (ISO 50) because...well, it just seemed appropriate. Film speeds used to be a lot slower, and this is an old camera, so perhaps they would work well together.

Anyway, I didn't expect too much, but here are some shots that somewhat exceeded my expectations. I cleaned up the dust a little on these, but otherwise they are sooc.

This wasn't a double exposure, but I think there was a bit of frame overlap - thus the 'ghost' on the left side of the frame. Could probably just crop that side and some off the top. I also didn't bother with the dust at the top yet, as you can see!


Chrysler block resized by limrodrigues, on Flickr




Chrysler resized by limrodrigues, on Flickr


135 resized by limrodrigues, on Flickr

This last one is dark, I know, but I still kind of like the moody, abstract feel to it. I took the shot in B, camera steady on the stairway railing. Should have kept the shutter open one more second, but oh well. Next time.
I could also scan it at a higher resolution so I can crop it. I'm interested in seeing if I can crop to draw more attention to that woman standing in the circle of light in the middle of the frame.

Grand Central resized by limrodrigues, on Flickr

 

[sleist]

I like these a lot. I think the last one may be too dark though.
2 and 3 are also a bit dark on the left side - particularly #2.
Makes them feel a little heavy on that side.

 

[limr]

Thanks! I agree - they are all darker than I would like. Here are some crops. Do they help a little?

I prefer the second crop to the first one, but the second doesn't remove the ghosting. I don't really plan on doing much with these two, since I already have tons of views of the Chrysler from this perspective, but sometimes I like revisiting the same subject with different conditions/equipment to see what else I can do with it.




Actually, the more I look at them, I'm finding that I like the sky in the first crop much better.




This one is still very dark, obviously, and there's only so much I can do with it, but maybe this makes it a tiny bit less heavy.


The one of the door I didn't try to crop. It does get a little heavy on the left side, but there's still enough detail in the shadows that you can see it's the rest of the doorway. Cropping that out would feel too abrupt.

These are basically all "almosts" but again, a lot better than what I expected from this camera

 

[sleist]

The cropping helped the 2nd one, but also took a bit away.
I don't mind the ghosting in one - it gives it character, but it does look a little like the reflection from a window.

 

[limr]

The cropping helped the 2nd one, but also took a bit away.
I don't mind the ghosting in one - it gives it character, but it does look a little like the reflection from a window.

Thanks for the feedback!

The ghosting is a bit curious, actually. It's not a double exposure, I rechecked the negatives and there's no overlap of the frames, and I had the window open when I shot this. The window was on the left side of the camera.

This is also an old camera, as I said, and the lens was actually a tiny bit cockeyed, so I wonder if it did catch a reflection somehow. Mysteries!

 

[mmaria]

ok two things...

I actually like the last the most.

and second thing is.... please don't leave tpf over some other forum...

 

[limr]

ok two things...

I actually like the last the most.

and second thing is.... please don't leave tpf over some other forum...

First, thank you, and second, don't worry, I'm not planning on going anywhere

 

[limr]

The camera chain on the other forum is done, so if anyone was even remotely curious about the camera used for these shots, it was a Bilora Bella: Bilora Bella - Camerapedia

• Manufacturer: Bilora, Germany
• Shutter: B, 1/50, 1/100s
• Aperture: f8, f16
• In production: 1953-1966

Smial at the German language Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bilora_Bella_front_IMGP1781_WP.jpg

 

[Derrel]

That is a very handsome camera design. Muy bella, indeed. Front cell-focusing lens, two-speed shutter, centrally located viewfinder to minimize parallax for those 1 meter close-up shots!, and a very unusual left-front, recessed film advance knob placement AND no top-deck shutter release button, both to help to give it that very sleek, early-50's smooth top look! Really, quite a lovely simple camera design.

 

[snerd]

It was my turn on a camera chain from another forum...........

To be honest, I had a twinge of jealously and hurt when I read that. Stepping out on another forum?!

 

[limr]

That is a very handsome camera design. Muy bella, indeed. Front cell-focusing lens, two-speed shutter, centrally located viewfinder to minimize parallax for those 1 meter close-up shots!, and a very unusual left-front, recessed film advance knob placement AND no top-deck shutter release button, both to help to give it that very sleek, early-50's smooth top look! Really, quite a lovely simple camera design.

It was quite a pretty camera. I do have to say, though, that it felt kind of cheap in the hands, though. It's pretty lightweight and the one that made the rounds was a little beaten up. But it was still really fun to play with! I like the challenge of seeing what I can get with such limited options.

It was my turn on a camera chain from another forum...........

To be honest, I had a twinge of jealously and hurt when I read that. Stepping out on another forum?!

What can I say? Sometimes a girl needs to hang with some other film geeks! But don't you worry your pretty little head, doll, I only flirt on TPF

 

[terri]

What a pretty little camera! Definitely some limitations, but it's the sort of thing you'd no doubt get used to if you owned one and used it often. Otherwise, I'd say you did fine for the traveling camera thingy and your limited use of the thing.

 

[limr]

Thanks, Terri! Yeah, I only had it for a week and we were to put one roll through the camera and send it along. I don't think it would have been a huge deal if I'd thrown another roll through it, but I was already at the end of my week, so I had to move it along. Still, I think getting 5 shots that I like out of 12 is a pretty good hit rate

Oh yeah, I only posted four here in this thread, the NYC ones. I did have one more that I liked - quite opposite to the urban scenery above!


Bash Bish resized by limrodrigues, on Flickr

The city shots could have used a faster film, but here was where I was glad to have ISO 50 loaded so I could set it to Bulb and get a decent daytime longer exposure! I think this was a couple of seconds, iirc.

 

[terri]

Wow - dramatic difference, eh? Thanks for posting this one. It helps show off what the camera can do. Look at the detail in the rocks, the tree branches...very nice.

And 5 out of 12 is definitely a success! :cheer: I'm stoked to get 1-2 really good frames from a 36 exposure roll.