Shooting in film really sucks sometimes. Rest assured, for those of you who know me well, I routinely sing the praises of film photography - the look, the feel, the methodology, the technical demands. I love it. I feel my own photography has drastically improved since shooting film. It's one of few things I truly get super, unabashedly geeked out about. And nothing is quite as exciting or satisfying than holding a properly exposed, properly developed negative. But there is a dark side to this: there nothing quite as devastating when the perfect shot is ruined because I flubbed it. Big time. And while this doesn't happen very often, it does happen, and it's beyond frustrating.
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Gear Upgrade! Rolleiflex 2.8E - Test Roll /
Sometimes I have to stop and say to myself, "Ray, don't you think you have enough old crusty cameras?" Short answer is Yes, I do probably have too many. But at least I shoot with most of them in my rotation. With replacing carpet, refurnishing my house, and other miscellaneous expenses that have come up over the last few months, I have indeed been really good lately about not buying unnecessary stuff. But I came across a deal I couldn't refuse.
Read MoreFujifilm Velvia 50 /
A few months ago, I won an auction on eBay for some 20 odd rolls of FujiFilm Velvia 50 in 120 format. All of them were expired sometime between 1995 and 2004, which made the entire purchase somewhat of a crap-shoot. Expired film, when stored and cared for properly, can live well beyond it's useful life. And at just under $3 a roll (normally around $9 when fresh), what did I have to lose right? A few months ago, I won an auction on eBay for some 20 odd rolls of FujiFilm Velvia 50 in 120 format. All of them were expired sometime between 1995 and 2004, which made the entire purchase somewhat of a crap-shoot. Expired film, when stored and cared for properly, can live well beyond it's useful life. And at just under $3 a roll (normally around $9 when fresh), what did I have to lose right?
Read MoreLinhof Photo Samples /
After getting my Linhof Technika III up and running, I was anxious to get ahold of some 4x5 sheet film to try it out. Luckily, my good old buddy Adam (check him and his work out at http://www.contentunknown.com) had an old, and mostly full, box of Arista sheet film. Adam claimed that this film was left in a desk drawer inside a sweltering warehouse for a couple of summers. Then lived in the back of his truck for quite sometime. "Use it at your own risk," he warned.
Read MoreRolleiflex Automat MX-EVS TLR - Test Roll /
After scouring Ebay for a couple weeks, I eventually found a Rolleiflex Automat MX-EVS with a Carl Zeiss Tessar 75mm f/3.5 lens. It was in pretty amazing condition. This particular model was made between 1952 and 1956, and was the first model to couple the shutter speed and aperture dial according to Exposure Value (hence EVS). Rolleiflex's in particular are built like tanks, and are a thing of mechanical beauty. The way everything perfectly fits together and the smooth, solid movements of the knobs and switches are just spectacular.
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