Tony

Professional skateboarder, not-so-professional photographer.

Instagram (Skateboarding): https://instagram.com/coldkennels/
Webshop (Skateboards): https://offsetskatesupply.co.uk/

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Last Notes

2025-11-28 18:48:50 UTC

Are these a chanterelle or some type of funnel mushroom? I have no idea. That's why I never even consider trying to pick #fungus in the wild; I'd definitely end up poisoning myself.
(Leica III, Summar and a NOOKY-HESUM adapter, Fomapan 100 in Rodinal)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography #FungusFriday #FungiFriday
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/594/824/880/678/428/original/53f8eea6e9fe6be1.jpg

2025-10-04 15:47:14 UTC

My old cat, Faris, was a smart and grumpy former street cat. She lived until she was 17 years old, and I still miss her dearly. Rescue truly is the best breed.
(Kiev 4, Jupiter 8M, HP5+ in LC29)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography #Caturday
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/210/082/523/092/276/original/776bf5f3abced181.jpg

2025-09-21 12:46:13 UTC

#BelieveInFilm / #SilentSunday
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/210/020/727/426/944/original/5dcf8b151ced1785.jpg

2025-08-03 14:15:30 UTC

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no arguments from me here - all the Voigtlander ones are amazing. The original 28mm Color Skopar is one of my favourite lenses of all time; the new version is an absolute bargain considering the performance.
Just bear in mind that the originals from the early 2000s are prone to irremovable haze - it’s an issue with the cements used. The new LTM ones (this 40mm Heliar and the new 28/2.8 Color Skopar) won’t have this issue.

2025-08-03 00:26:17 UTC

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Industar 22: great lens, won't focus correctly (back focuses about 10cm at the 1m mark).
Summar: incredible lens, probably my favourite in LTM. Hard to find one in good shape: front element is often shredded. Uncoated, will require a hood. SOOMP is the correct hood, FISON is cheaper and more compact.
Summitar (ref. @npub12xx…auy0): not bad. Uncoated and coated variations. Not as interesting as a Summar, not as "good" as a Summicron, more awkward for filters and hoods than both.

2025-08-02 11:23:59 UTC

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The only thing to consider is that once vulcanite starts chipping, it often continues doing so. And while the Barnack body design is very resistant to light leaks, there is one patch (around the slow speed dial) that can be problematic if the vulcanite drops off!
Not something to jump straight into, but definitely worth considering: http://aki-asahi.com/store/html/IIIg/IIIg.php
(Also, let me know if you want any lens recommendations!)

2025-08-02 03:58:45 UTC

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That's a good find. It's easy enough to replace the vulcanite too - Aki Asahi sells a kit to sort it out.

2025-08-01 17:51:56 UTC

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Dipping back into the SLR world with the Edixa Flex just made me remember why I love rangefinders so much: I can't focus anything as easily as I can a screwmount Leica. That 1.5x rangefinder is just a joy to use. I don't mind the framing vagueness or accessory viewfinders - at least I can focus confidently!
That said, I'm so all-in on the idea that I actually bought a special shelving unit just for viewfinders. That's when you know you're committed to the bit...
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/954/767/689/630/272/original/baf342f5c2848792.jpeg

2025-08-01 17:11:14 UTC

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Honestly? The loading system isn't as bad as people make out. Once you know how to cut a leader and load it, it's no harder than any other camera - and a lot more reliable than the various "quick load" systems in SLRs.
I cut the leaders on every film I buy now. I have nine different bottom loaders and the cameras which aren't can still take the long leader, so it's no big deal. It takes five seconds per film, max.

2025-08-01 17:08:43 UTC

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I've just finished roll 50 on my IIIg. The IIIf is at 112 rolls so far. Admittedly, I've had it for longer, but it's just so much more versatile - it's way more adaptable with all sorts of widgets.
The IIIg viewfinder is miles better, though. That's without question!

2025-08-01 16:30:03 UTC

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I do quite like the III - I wasn't expecting to, to be honest - but the IIIf is the one to go for if you're buying into the screwmount Leica world and want just one body to rule them all. It's a lot quicker to use due to the arrangement of the eyepieces, you get 1/1000 (the III stops at 1/500), click-stopped slow speeds, and fully adjustable flash sync.
(The IIIg is nice too but costs 2-3x the price of a IIIf, and the IIIc loses the flash sync and often has lower-quality chroming.)

2025-08-01 13:01:42 UTC

I sent these two Leicas to "my guy" a couple of months ago, and they just returned home. The Ic on the left has had two brand new shutter curtains, and the III on the right just had a general service. Both are running beautifully now; I'm going to load up the Ic in a mo and put a test roll through it to check for issues.
I've really missed this weird little rangefinderless (and viewfinderless) camera. I never thought it'd be my favourite #Leica, but here we are.
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/953/626/102/395/402/original/f8c8bd002dedad77.jpeg

2025-07-31 17:40:20 UTC

I just remembered that I gave #Topaz' "Photo AI" #Lightroom plugin a go years ago and wasn't impressed, so I thought I'd go to their website and see if it's improved.
This is a sample pair they're using to show how "good" the product is. Even if you ignore the obviously weird and synthetic look of the "improved" version... what the hell is a CL Camire?
#AI = #slop. I am *so* tired of this being pushed on me from every turn.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/945/518/629/474/322/original/1011c2cce696f513.webp
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/945/518/927/631/854/original/f320cc9f526c4c51.webp

2025-07-28 15:44:58 UTC

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Oh, god. That sounds rough.
I've done my back in and have been walking around in pain and bolt upright for about four weeks now, and I still think I'd rather deal with that than a pinched nerve! Get well soon.

2025-07-25 14:40:34 UTC

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Congrats - that's huge?
Do you mind me asking if that American-style diner was in Derbyshire? It looks a lot like one I used to go to every so often in the early 2000s.

2025-05-27 15:18:31 UTC

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That's proper nice, that. What's the context - I assume it's something old and abandoned?

2025-05-15 18:22:57 UTC

A5: Here's some of my favourite landscapes that I've shared on here over the last year or so; the latest batch isn't quite ready yet!
I'll put camera/lens/film details in the ALTs for each photo.
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography #photochat
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/513/238/110/509/119/original/d8a7f0882e9d59bf.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/513/238/262/399/885/original/908037995288c19a.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/513/238/380/458/393/original/41fbdfa13197e94c.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/513/238/488/882/918/original/6f584851d6e7898a.jpg

2025-05-10 23:50:52 UTC

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That's a really good idea. I ended up finding an under-box bed big enough to store my dismantled medium format enlarger... but my dedicated 35mm one sits in the corner with an upside down developing tray over the top of it to keep the dust off. Not ideal!

2025-05-07 17:54:34 UTC

I recently decided to A) give Kentmere 400 a go and B) dust off my long-neglected Yashica A.
Honestly? They both did pretty well, but I'm looking forward to printing this one in particular. I'm still not 100% sure I like or trust my medium format "scanning" workflow.
(Yashica A, Kentmere 400 in LC29)
#TLR #BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/458/174/212/194/815/original/9703effdedb5a21b.jpg

2025-05-05 23:56:22 UTC

I've gotten tired of stressing about various bits of #Leica paraphernalia rattling around in my camera bag, so I borrowed my girlfriend's sewing machine and set about making some drawstring bags for them all this evening - including a multi-compartment one to hold all the various sections of a CEYOO flash gun.
Honestly, one of the most satisfying evenings I've had in years. Not bad for someone who hasn't touched a sewing machine since school!
#Sewing #VintagePhotography #BelieveInFilm
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/457/917/576/561/621/original/4ded0dd089017738.jpg

2025-05-02 13:41:08 UTC

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that's really interesting. I wonder if it's the warm tone which is helping reduce the overall contrast slightly - I know you can go from regular Ilford MGRC to the cooltone equivalent without changing anything, but the warmtone version needs adjusted exposure to get comparable prints.

2025-05-02 00:14:09 UTC

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Fomatone is a VC paper, right? What's so different about it that means there's no dodging and burning compared to the same print on a VC resin-coated paper?

2025-05-01 12:34:54 UTC

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Oh, there's the fibre based paper I know and avoid like the plague! Look at all that curling.
I've never been convinced it was really that much better than modern RC paper. How are you feeling about it after this batch?

2025-04-13 15:48:46 UTC

#SilentSunday
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/319/641/304/234/709/original/fbeeaeb783f43898.jpg

2025-04-11 17:52:55 UTC

I've not posted anything for ages, so in advance of #FolderWeek, here's one from a recent Franka Solida roll.
Not quite sure the depth of field table was accurate enough here, to be honest...
(Franka Solida, Fomapan 100)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/319/623/977/073/748/original/c0a4331394d810ac.jpg

2025-03-19 21:16:13 UTC

My dad is in his early 70s.
He’s always been into computers, but he’s used nothing but MS-DOS and #Windows since the 90s, and resisted change at every turn.
Last month he called me up to ask me about #Linux, package managers, and “the terminal”. He’s now installing Linux Mint on his friends’ computers so they don’t have to throw out perfectly good computers because Windows 11 won’t support them.
I’ve never been more proud.
https://mastodon.social/@dosnostalgic/114184937238415364

2025-03-11 16:11:08 UTC

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I've managed to fix a lot of stuff over the years, but shutters tend to be where I draw the line. I've never managed to get a focal plane shutter running correctly myself and leaf shutters are a bit more of a mixed bag.
I suspect this just needs a full clean and relubricate, but that needs doing properly - i.e. full disassembly, not just flushing. Even most "technicians" don't bother doing that.

2025-03-11 14:37:19 UTC

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Yeah, I thought it would ease up with repeated firing, but the opposite happened. I'm debating if I should have a look into it myself or send it off.

2025-03-10 19:24:42 UTC

Last of the #Edixa photos for now: in the same auction, I also got this Yashica-Mat for an absolute bargain. Optically, it's in good shape, but I found out mid-test roll that the shutter was hanging open at 1/2 a second. I tried exercising it, and now it hangs open at anything below 1/60. Urgh.
But at least it looks pretty.
(Edixa Flex, Carl Zeiss Jena 135mm f/3.5 Sonnar, FP4+ in Rodinal)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/113/467/826/687/397/original/246cf8cdfe835537.jpg

2025-02-27 20:46:16 UTC

Test roll from the Edixa Flex is in the film condom. No film transport issues, no obvious light leaks, both electronic flash and bulb flash appears to be sync’d correctly, and I can’t see any obvious exposure issues.
The proof will be in the scanning, but this looks amazingly promising. As to whether I can accurately focus without a rangefinder… that might be a totally different question.
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography #VintagePhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/077/794/792/654/692/original/0604476bdbdfcf09.jpeg

2025-02-21 18:48:59 UTC

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Update: took the lens out for testing today. Just boring test shots on digital, nothing exciting. But focus is bang-on, colour rendering is decent, sharpness is good, and no flare without a hood. All the fungus I scrubbed off doesn't seem to have affected anything! I'll chalk this one up as a win.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/043/364/636/794/391/original/fa6d17d3e2a28ffc.jpg

2025-02-21 13:50:20 UTC

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I'm such a convert. Why use electronic flash when SMALL EXPLOSIONS are possible?

2025-02-21 01:00:49 UTC

And now for more #Leica neurosis: I got this Canon LTM 50/1.8 in a job lot last year. It turned up RADDLED with fungus - completely unusable. On Monday night I finally took it apart and thoroughly cleaned everything - it came up lovely, but the focus was way out. Tonight I've sat and cut some shims out of greaseproof paper and tin foil and found the perfect combination so it 100% agrees with the rangefinder in a Leica.
Arduous, but satisfying.
#CameraRepair #VintagePhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/039/150/215/207/843/original/c9461ae47587cc15.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/039/164/995/109/783/original/61159e7f063e67a4.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/039/167/197/421/417/original/f3f4195a58f87130.jpeg

2025-02-20 18:25:48 UTC

I just realised I forgot to post this on Sunday - visual evidence of my first attempt to photograph skateboarding with flashbulbs. I love these little things - they produce so much light, and the destroyed bulbs you're left with are pretty cool items in their own right. Almost seems a shame to throw them out.
#FilmPhotography #VintagePhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/033/835/747/856/808/original/32e922e23b137ab4.jpeg

2025-02-19 19:26:47 UTC

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I actually just dug out one of my recent prints - an unfiltered exposure made with an uncoated lens, so relatively nice and smooth tonality.
The iPhone definitely makes it look more punchy than it is. I hate digital photography so, *so* much.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/032/193/138/702/609/original/efd598921533ade2.jpeg

2025-02-19 19:24:54 UTC

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That's really interesting - your negs don't look too dissimilar to mine, but the contact sheet actually looks slightly flatter (which makes sense - I make mine without a filter, so I'm printing them at about grade 2). The phone camera must be going absolutely nuts on the prints!

2025-02-19 18:21:41 UTC

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That's a hell of a lot of contrast for a grade 2.5! Blimey. I'd love to compare negs at some point.

2025-02-19 15:39:42 UTC

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God, that's some punchy contrast you've got going on there! Are you using contrast filters for these or is this a straight print onto multigrade paper?

2025-02-18 14:10:54 UTC

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I'm not sure if it's really that much faster than the Plustek - there's a lot more active labour involved in camera-scanning, and the results for 35mm are very comparable.
But against the Canoscan? It's a no-brainer. Even an entry-level mirrorless camera from 2015 would do better.

2025-02-17 23:32:32 UTC

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Just for perspective, here's the new Leica-derived scan of this photo side-by-side with what I thought this photo looked like for the last twelve years.
And yes, a Leica M240 is a *lot* more expensive than the Canoscan 9000F I used to use, but you don't *need* to go straight to £2.5k full frame cameras to get this performance. Friends don't let friends use flatbed scanners to digitise film in 2025.
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/021/122/198/153/334/original/ab8f67ec04ffafb1.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/021/122/360/825/794/original/6cf5a2502bfec0f5.jpg

2025-02-17 18:47:08 UTC

One from the archives: I took this photo of my mum back in 2012, not long after I bought my first Leica. I remember being amazed that I could shoot a 35mm f/3.5 lens in such low light without a tripod and get basically no shutter shake at all! It was a big step up from the SLRs, FEDs, and Zorkis I'd been using.
Revisiting it to "scan" it with a digital Leica now and seeing so much more detail has amazed me all over again.
(Leica IIIf, Summaron, Tri-X in LC29)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/981/100/683/833/476/original/b271149815c17577.jpg

2025-02-17 00:22:20 UTC

So apparently I now own a full Edixa Flex outfit - 35mm, 50mm, 95mm, and 135mm lenses, plus interchangeable waist-level and prism finders.
I'm supposed to be trying to thin out the collection, not buy more. And I don't even like SLRs! I'm blaming Mike Eckman for this: https://mikeeckman.com/2020/09/wirgin-edixa-reflex-b-1956/
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/016/358/185/574/128/original/1ae937db9f28024d.png

2025-02-09 16:11:15 UTC

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I’m all about the pre-flashing in those scenarios. I find it often gives you a more natural look than localised burning.

2025-02-09 15:23:22 UTC

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HAHA I didn't mean lith printing and I'm an idiot!
I actually meant linocut. I have lith on the brain because one of the things I printed last night was shot on XP2 and the first straight print was so contrasty it looked like a lith print. Absolutely absurd. Ended up with a 1min 40sec exposure with a 0 grade filter at f/8 PLUS 1.5sec of pre-flashing with the enlarger at f/22 just to get some tonality into the white areas.
Burned through far too much paper figuring that out.

2025-02-09 15:16:22 UTC

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Oh, damn. That's a really good idea.
My partner and I are looking at moving soon and we want one dedicated "art room" for creative work (Jennifer is a fantastic painter and does a bit of lith printing, too). Installing a roller shutter might be the perfect answer for a darkroom setup in there.

2025-02-09 14:33:44 UTC

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Considering my "light blocking measures" are just large panels of corrugated cardboard loosely duct-taped over the windows, I don't think daylight printing is in my future! I don't mind pulling all-nighters, though. Fewer distractions.
Definitely glad for coffee today, though.

2025-02-09 03:54:52 UTC

Just finished a 7 hour stint in the darkroom.
It's now 4am, I'm absolutely knackered, my feet hurt, and everything stinks of fixer.
Totally worth it, though. This never gets old.
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/971/902/819/215/231/original/47d0ba2231719dae.jpeg

2025-02-07 19:32:47 UTC

Sometimes atmospheric haze can almost work in your favour. I always quite liked the way the different hills are given different tones to the different amount of haze they're viewed behind in this one.
Still: carry a yellow filter. You don't have to (and shouldn't) use it all the time, but goddamn, you'll kick yourself when you need one and don't have it.
(Yashica 24, Fomapan 400, LC29)
#FilmPhotography #BelieveInFilm #PeakDistrict
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/920/535/551/584/364/original/9a6c7bff0e146251.jpg

2025-02-05 18:53:39 UTC

Another one from 2013; I honestly think this #landscape shot of the viaduct at Monsal Dale might be one of the best photos I've ever taken. It printed beautifully with very little effort, too. Always nice when it works out like that.
(Yashica 24, Fomapan 400, LC29)
#FilmPhotography #BelieveInFilm #PeakDistrict
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/920/512/919/389/352/original/fb3b9dc76c7ca497.jpg

2025-02-04 19:21:23 UTC

Before I started using rangefinders, I used TLRs almost exclusively. I actually learned how to expose film properly with a TLR, but I've barely even touched one for about a decade; that's mostly because the only way I had to scan 120 film, a Canoscan, *sucked*. Now I've got a camera-scanning rig dialled in, I can go back and scan some old negs like this one from 2013 and actually get decent scans from them!
(Yashica 24, Fomapan 400, LC29)
#FilmPhotography #BelieveInFilm #NotFlatbedScanners
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/920/494/640/395/545/original/415818bf2b1ee730.jpg

2025-02-03 11:18:13 UTC

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Yeah, I've worked that way a few times, and for that scenario, ExifTool is great.
However, I have found that it can be a bit erratic about how it assigns lens and camera info to the files. Not sure why. Time, date, exposure info, GPS? Works fine. But camera and lens? Not so much.
And, of course, if you're working fast and not logging every exposure, you won't have the data to copy over via ExifTool. That's where AnalogExif comes in - just highlight all, assign lens, click save.

2025-02-03 10:35:37 UTC

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I still prefer AnalogExif for bulk exif editing (the fact it allows you to create a big library of camera, lens, and film info that's easily assignable to photos in bulk is a big help), but I just found a specific ExifTool combination to scrub off all the exposure info created when "camera scanning", so that's a *big* help.

2025-02-02 14:53:11 UTC

After last night's unwanted SD card formatting, I used some commercial software to try to recover the images. It found and recovered 17 ORFs (Olympus' proprietary RAW files).
Another go with some other software found 352 ORFs, but wanted £74 to save them.
So I've turned to PhotoRec, a #FOSS command line util - https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec - and it's found 237 ORFs already with about 50 minutes to go.
The lesson? Learn to use Terminal. It'll save you a fortune AND you'll get more done.

2025-02-01 00:57:27 UTC

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I think I've mentioned to you before that I've always secretly wanted one of those.
See also: a late Flexaret. (I already have Meopta enlargers; might as well get the camera to match!)

2025-01-31 15:32:53 UTC

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I was about to say "TLRs give you most of the benefits of a medium format SLR without the weight" and then remembered how heavy the C220 is!
Agreed, though. There's a damn good reason TLRs were *the* press camera for such a long time. Comparatively compact but impressively good optics. Even the lowly Lubitel is capable of amazing things, and you use to be able to pick those up for a tenner!

2025-01-31 00:30:47 UTC

I'll be honest: I've taken some variation of this photo a bunch of times over the last year, and it is *much* easier with a TLR than anything else.
(Yashica A, Fomapan 100 in Rodinal 1:50)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography #HeritageRailway #SpaValleyRailway
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/920/135/903/932/786/original/8609b68d59e5523b.jpg

2025-01-30 19:39:54 UTC

Continued adventures in "camera" scanning, episode 2,354: I think I've shown this thing on here before; Leica made it to copy negatives and photograph small details in the 1930s and 40s. You can only use it with a 50mm Elmar, but thanks to an LTM-to-M adapter, it works perfectly fine with a digital M.
I had one very, *very* dusty frame on the last roll I scanned (with a Plustek), so thought I'd use this to "rescan" it; worked a treat. Not bad for 1930s tech!
#FilmPhotography #BelieveInFilm
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/918/984/476/736/393/original/a0fe9a7fef55a182.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/918/988/445/156/023/original/4b4de801a2e9425c.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/918/995/087/691/107/original/0a7e42f35f6f37ac.jpg

2025-01-30 01:52:45 UTC

Continued adventures in "camera" scanning, episode 637: I've not been really happy with anything "scanned" with my X-Pro 2. The corners looked smeary, and I was putting that down to the cameras I'd shot with, as I didn't know the performance of them too well.
Now I've shot something with a Yashica TLR I know like the back of my hand, I did some testing.
Yep, it's all the X-Pro's fault. The Leica M240 does a much nicer job with the same lens. Not sure why!
#FilmPhotography #BelieveInFilm
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/914/798/715/969/469/original/b8ccd83a2d8d6c92.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/914/802/938/522/116/original/e98f6d05646a257d.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/914/805/856/667/466/original/1bf7bb778b48ff03.png

2025-01-26 15:30:30 UTC

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Ah! That is more appropriate than you realise. There's some speculation online that the Trinol, like the 105mm "mountain Elmar", was originally designed for use on medium format but fitted to a mount for Leica. Two reasons: 1, there's strong mechanical vignetting at f/3.5, suggesting this mount is a bit of a cludge (see the attached test shot from my M240), and 2, the lens head and mount were made in two different places (the head in Leicester, the mount in Scotland)
(cc @npub135e…54ya)
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/895/357/887/496/822/original/3ac93043204bf17e.jpeg

2025-01-25 04:23:34 UTC

The lens that shot this was an on-a-whim purchase from West Yorkshire Cameras' closing down sale, and it's easily the most unusual lens I own in a whole lot of ways.
I'm not going to lie: part of me wants to set up the blog I've been threatening to start for ages *just* to talk about this lens, because there's so little online about it.
(Leica IIIf, National Optical Co Trinol 105/3.5, Fomapan 400)
#BelieveInFilm #VintagePhotography #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/887/032/345/943/762/original/51cb97b4ef858100.jpg

2025-01-11 12:07:27 UTC

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It depends a bit on how the lens is made. Soviet rangefinder lenses are usually incredibly easy to service - this required backing out three grub screws, removing the close-focus stop, and then it just came apart.
If you can get to that point, it's a dirty job, but simple enough. I use bike degreaser and Q-tips followed by an old toothbrush, then a final clean with rubbing alcohol or methylated spirits. Once it's clean, just regrease with your grease of choice and reassemble.

2025-01-11 00:52:53 UTC

Someone was just getting rid of this because - as typically happens with old Soviet lenses - the grease in the focusing helical had dried to old beeswax and it was impossible to focus.
During the course of two episodes of the X-Files tonight, I polished off some of the tarnishing, cleaned out the helical threads, and regreased it.
It is beautiful now.
This feels very, *very* satisfying.
#VintagePhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/806/973/006/244/953/original/82f59101b5faeeb2.jpeg

2024-12-13 03:01:42 UTC

#ArtAdventCalendar, day 12; another one from Folkestone, and another one with a 135mm lens.
I think I probably get more "keepers" per shot with a 135mm than anything else. I don't use them often, but when I need one, nothing does the job better.
In this case, I turned the corner, saw the framing, and was glad I still had the 135mm on my Leica; sometimes that extra distance is just what you need.
(#Leica IIIf, Canon LTM 135/3.5, Fomapan 100 in Rodinal)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/643/277/130/977/092/original/994a6d70d9fe2f31.jpg

2024-12-08 19:50:35 UTC

#ArtAdventCalendar, day 8: Back to trains. This shot at the #SpaValleyRailway from March is probably my favourite photo of the year - one of those moments where subject, film stock, and lens all align perfectly. This could be straight out of the 1950s if it wasn't for some of the text on the wall behind the train!
(#Leica IIIg, Zeiss 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar, Rollei Retro 400S in LC29)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/613/269/292/029/343/original/7dce66ed8d6fab4f.jpg

2024-12-07 19:12:19 UTC

#ArtAdventCalendar, day 7: I honestly can't think of a lot of good things to say about the town of Glastonbury.
#GlastonburyTor, though? Gorgeous.
(#Leica Ic, Voigtlander 28mm Color Skopar, Rollei Retro 400S in LC29)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/613/123/217/090/009/original/f48fc5f70c0b86fd.jpg

2024-12-06 02:51:52 UTC

#ArtAdventCalendar, Day 5: every so often, when I'm in London and I've got time to kill, I'll head to the financial district and photograph the Lloyds Building. It's weird - it's an "inside out" design, with all the pipework, venting, and lifts/elevators running outside the building.
It's a fun ongoing challenge for me to find new ways to frame it.
(Kiev 4, Jupiter 8M, Rollei Retro 400S in LC29)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/603/599/788/321/193/original/e0a1fba6630775f1.jpg

2024-12-05 17:19:12 UTC

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That's beautifully moody.

2024-12-04 17:50:06 UTC

Well... the automated fraudulent purchases on my website have started back up. 24 have made it through all the IP blocks and Google's ineffective reCaptcha today alone, so I guess we're giving Cloudflare's alternative a go... I don't want to have to resort to a full-scale Cloudflare setup if I can help it.
Urgh.

2024-12-03 02:08:20 UTC

#ArtAdventCalendar, Day 2: out of all my Leicas, the Ic - the most stripped back of all of them - was the one which came through the most over this year, and this day in Rye back in January really started the ball rolling. I'm slightly worried it'll need at least one new curtain soon, but for now, it's very much The Little Camera That Could.
(#Leica Ic, Voigtlander 21mm Color Skopar & a yellow filter, Rollei Retro 400S in LC29)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography #Landscape
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/586/438/136/104/681/original/719e9d84d64446a1.jpg

2024-12-02 00:38:18 UTC

I realised a bit too late tonight that I almost missed the start of the #ArtAdventCalendar.
Sadly, this year hasn't been a good one for me; it seemed like a lot went wrong. It felt like everything was broken, crumbling, or failing, and my photographic "output" noticeably dropped as a result.
This shot about sums it up: lost in a field, dark clouds looming, wondering where to go next.
(#Leica IIIg, Elmar 50/3.5, Rollei Retro 400S in LC29)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/580/424/546/275/205/original/f84c1456f47d0183.jpg

2024-11-25 12:52:43 UTC

Thanks to the wonder that is the PSP Go's suspend feature, I've managed to keep this one game of Dr Mario going so long that I've now maxed out not only the clock, but the level counter, too (this is level 100). I'm half-tempted to keep going until I max out the score counter as well.
In totally unrelated news, I now hear the Dr Mario theme tune in my sleep.
#RetroGaming #PSP
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/543/671/924/705/204/original/ec4211ccc5cd53fd.jpeg

2024-11-22 23:18:48 UTC

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yeah, that does look a LOT better.
I’d still like to see a wet print of it. This is the issue I have with digitising anything: you don’t really have any idea what all the different pieces of software are doing in every step of the process.

2024-11-22 16:43:04 UTC

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...god, that is grainy for a 6x6 shot! Bloody hell.

2024-11-19 20:30:05 UTC

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I’m a Rodinal man, not a fool! Even I understand Rodinal’s limitations. 😂

2024-11-19 19:08:46 UTC

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I've got a roll of this in 35mm sat on the shelf. I was planning on using LC29 for it, but this doesn't bode well!

2024-11-19 00:30:06 UTC

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Are the lenses interchangeable between the C330 and the C220?
My local camera store has one of the TLR bodies and a couple of the lens sets, but I forget which combination of which bits. Very nice cameras, but definitely more suited for studio work than casual use or hiking accompaniment!

2024-11-18 10:58:18 UTC

With all this talk of different social media platforms in recent days/weeks/months, I'll just say this:
#Mastodon is the only platform I've ever been on where I can dip in at any given time and find something genuinely interesting. Hell, my iOS app of choice (Ice Cubes, do recommend) is set to "trending" by default, and it's never fed me rage-bait or celebrity gossip.
#Fediverse, please never change. You're a truly special place in an Internet of Shit.

2024-11-16 15:55:50 UTC

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Wow. That passed me by. The last roll of colour 220 I shot was an old stock roll of Portra 160NC back in 2012. Very cool.
I love 220. I wish there were more options available for it - I shot some Shanghai GP3 in 220 earlier this year and it felt so liberating to get an extra 12 shots out of it without reloading.

2024-11-16 15:50:09 UTC

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wait... is this colour 220 film?!

2024-11-15 19:16:16 UTC

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Rodinal is THE developer. I mean, I'll run everything through Rodinal at least once, but it's just a perfect pairing here.
A lot of people seem to think Pan F+ is "too contrasty". I suspect that's just down to using HC-110 or something similar (LC29 or Ilford HC).

2024-11-14 19:05:46 UTC

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A5: this was shot on a roll of Pan F+ someone gave me a long time ago. It was the first time I'd ever used a 50ISO film, and it not only convinced me that I could handhold shots at such a low ISO in lower light quite easily, but made me fall in love with Pan F+. It's a very special film, and I don't think I'd have ever tried it if someone hadn't given me a roll.
#photochat #BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/482/860/082/590/651/original/d88f655dd49c8acc.jpg

2024-11-07 14:14:13 UTC

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...problem is who mixes the stock solution and then sits on it for six months? In reality, you're going to use some near-immediately, and then you've only got one month to use the rest. Not ideal.

2024-11-06 21:49:07 UTC

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how long does the stock solution last with Microphen? I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve had to throw mixed ID-11 out because I’ve not used it fast enough.

2024-11-06 17:52:31 UTC

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I wish there was a liquid equivalent to this... I bloody hate mixing powders!

2024-10-29 23:48:19 UTC

Adventures in film scanning, part 214: now with 100% more Leica.
(I actually have no idea how many iterations on the basic process of digitising film I’ve gone through now.)
#believeinfilm #filmphotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/393/373/739/247/978/original/a6d17ba9207c4436.jpeg

2024-10-29 17:39:53 UTC

Battle Abbey has this weird door-with-a-tiny-door just inside the gate.
I non-ironically love this and would have a wooden door-with-a-tiny-door in my home if I could.
(#Leica Ic, Voigtlander 21mm Color Skopar, Rollei Retro 400S in LC29)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/391/921/459/542/742/original/5d41aa30bd20bfe7.jpg

2024-10-29 13:47:01 UTC

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You know what they say... if a job's worth doing, it's worth doing in the most convoluted way possible. 😅
Joking aside, these weird old contraptions are fun. I love seeing just how far you can push the basic Leica design; Leitz really intended it to be able to do everything. It's great.

2024-10-27 22:15:39 UTC

This afternoon was fun in a typically “let’s pretend it’s 1951” sort of way.
#Leica #VintagePhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/381/684/441/286/356/original/c5a4a6afd959b914.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/381/684/654/341/075/original/d4daf7fefbc9f354.jpeg

2024-10-14 18:17:20 UTC

More train yard shots; I'm building up quite the collection of these now.
(Leotax T2L Elite, Helios 103 via Amedeo adapter, Fomapan 100 in Rodinal)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/297/467/320/947/783/original/afa5f32ae8212219.jpg

2024-10-14 17:39:51 UTC

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...I guess it does if you move your head in the right way?

2024-10-13 19:09:06 UTC

No, shut up. *Your* camera is stupid. Mine is totally normal and sensible and in no way a completely ridiculous anachronism.
#Leica #VintagePhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/301/680/881/680/999/original/0530f4b804a40d68.jpeg

2024-10-13 14:36:21 UTC

#SilentSunday
(featuring @npub13lz…2fze)
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/289/992/439/267/689/original/842c474d3b5f17ec.jpg

2024-10-13 10:13:09 UTC

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Urgh. People say that, but the file sizes are *huge* - 50MB vs the 10MB JPG of the same scene. Bloody annoying.

2024-10-12 01:46:29 UTC

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I picked up one of these new “SD cards”. I think this should be good for 36 shots, just like a roll of film, right?
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/291/918/918/769/354/original/467473d354da309e.jpeg

2024-10-12 01:14:02 UTC

I spent tonight working with DNGs for the first time - with all the Fuji X-bodies I've owned, I just worked with OOC JPEGs, but I feel like owning a digital #Leica and *not* playing with DNGs seems like a waste.
Not to toot my own horn, but this one feels... okay, I guess? It's not a great shot and the lighting was hellish, but the DNG edit definitely looks better than the OOC JPG.
I'm still not sold on this whole "digital #photography" thing, though. It'll never catch on.
#HeritageRailway
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/291/778/998/071/037/original/8ac23f46e3cfdee8.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/291/779/302/584/384/original/fc71cb66e8bfb176.jpeg

2024-10-11 14:36:10 UTC

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This is funny, because I tend to find Foma - at least developed in Rodinal - handles wide tonal range much better than FP4+ does. Meter for the shadows, and the highlights always look good with Fomapan - whereas I often lose them on FP4+.
What are you using as a developer?

2024-10-10 17:42:14 UTC

This photo has been in my unedited folder for months; I finally cleaned it up last night, and I thought while I was doing so that I'd used a yellow filter for this shot. Then I checked my notes and realised I couldn't have done, as the VC 15mm Super Wide Heliar doesn't have filter threads. It's just Fomapan 100 doing Fomapan things.
I love the tonal range of this film, I really do.
(#Leica IIIf, Voigtlander Super Wide Heliar, #Fomapan 100 in Rodinal)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/280/808/547/494/826/original/b4fc5b520598ef57.jpg

2024-09-27 11:37:49 UTC

Seriously, though. Look at the colour coming out of this #Leica M240. It's stunning.
This was taken with a 1950s 50mm f/3.5 Elmar, and it's beautiful; it *almost* makes me rethink this whole "only shooting in black and white" thing I've had going for over a decade.
#photography #rangefinder
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/209/308/939/525/938/original/e0b30d42b2ec1c31.jpeg

2024-09-08 15:39:29 UTC

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ayyy! The Zorki's back out for a run!

2024-08-28 17:54:50 UTC

I'm not sure this would even be remotely interesting in black and white.
That said, I'm not convinced it's that interesting in colour. It's perhaps just "nice".
What I'm saying is that I'm still not sold on this whole "colour photography" thing.
(Leotax T2L, Voigtlander 21mm Color Skopar, Ultramax 400)
#BelieveInFilm #FilmPhotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/040/920/869/140/633/original/2ff483f4d2179984.jpg