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HELP! (some advice please)

I am seriously considering taking a black and white / studio class at my local community college. (Sinclair Community College)

An introduction to the art and technique of black and white photography. Photographic shooting, processing and printing are stressed. Students to supply their own adjustable camera, (35mm or 120) film and print paper. Six studio hours per week.

I don't have a film camera!

I really would be interested in a vintage medium format that may be adaptable to 120??? (is that possible?) Any advice on what type of camera, sources and pricing and suitability for an adult (meaning mature not xxx!!!) student that is actually somehow already making money from photos.

Thanks in advance for any input you can provide.

Doug
 
I think I'll stay the digital route myself, but black and white is the best way to go! This sounds like an interesting endeavor! Enjoy the bloody 'eck out of it and post as much as you can on here whenever you're up and rolling!
 
As a past film shooter / developer who's moved to the digital side of the street...

Doing it the old fashion way will increase the quality of your work with digital processing tools. Print processing using an enlarger along with all the things/skills needed to increase / reduce light time on specific parts of the image will be very beneficial to your craft. Enjoy the course. Your skills will benefit!

If you really like it... Do you plan to invest in the equipment and the space needed for film and print processing?

As for cameras and formats...

Hasselblad makes/made great medium format SLRs. You can pick the up used for a decent price. (When new/top of the line these film cameras were priced in the stratosphere.) They were/are built to last multiple lifetimes.

Have fun!
 

Legion

Staff member
You are heading down a rabbit hole fast. Might I suggest buying a 35mm, rather than a 120 to learn with? You will get 36 shots per roll, rather than 12, for one thing. Yes, the image quality will not be quite as high, but I'm guessing at a community college you are probably not going to be printing much bigger than 8x10" most of the time.

A decent 35mm camera will be easier to find, less than half the price, the lenses will be easier to get, it will weigh half as much.... and so on.


As for a medium format recommendation, I always felt that the Mamiya C330 what a great value system camera. Image quality at least as good as a 'blad, and you should be able to find one for about 50-70% of the price of a 500C/M.
 
I have several 35mm cameras that would be great that I'd be willing to part with. Both are older Fully manual Canon FD mount cameras. I have an AE-1 and 2 FTbs. I'll shoot you a PM in the morning. I'm currently walking my 2 month old around trying to get him to sleep.

I'll second starting with 35mm as well. Everything is just easier to find, and film is a bit cheaper. The class is likely going to have all of the supplies adapted to 3mm anyways. Reels, enlargers, enlarger lenses and film holders etc.
 
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Agree with recos for 35mm. Plus keep it simple and as current as possible. Examine carefully, since repairs could be costly if not impossible! Enjoy!
 
A 35mm camera, fully manual or automated, will work very well for you in the class you described. Larger format cameras are cool but as previously stated, weights and costs rise significantly.

Good luck with your hunt.
 
Thank you all for the feedback and thank you Edcculus for the generous offer. I already had a bead on several locally.

I pulled the trigger on 2 vintage cameras.

1) A very clean Canon AE1 program body with 3 almost as clean lenses. All functions seem to be working.

2) A Yashica MAT LM from a retired photographer. He advertised it on Craigslist saying for parts or rebuild as the film advance did not work. I sat down with him at my office and he went over the camera and we talked for a couple of hours. Well the film advance seems to be working. Everything else seems to be working.

I'm buying film tomorrow. We'll see about this

I am really really excited about the Yashica. Like a kid in a candy store kind of excited. I am neutral plus on the Canon.

$28838875122_0c8b03612b_o.jpg$28911530766_43120ac190_o.jpg
 

Legion

Staff member
Cool. That will be a fun camera to play with. I always had a hankering for a little Rollei TLR, but it is one of the few cameras I never owned. That is probably why. :lol:
 
Have fun. A whole new world and that first print coming up in the developer is the closest thing to magic, for me at least.

I miss the darkroom.
 
The AE1 Program is a truly superb camera. Canon sold them by the millions. In the early 1980's Canon abandoned the FD mount in favour of the EOS. The result is that there are untold numbers of superb orphaned FD lenses and accessories out there to be had for next to nothing.

It doesn't hurt that the AE1 Program is also one of the more beautiful classic 35 mm cameras out there.
 
I am seriously considering taking a black and white / studio class at my local community college. (Sinclair Community College)

An introduction to the art and technique of black and white photography. Photographic shooting, processing and printing are stressed. Students to supply their own adjustable camera, (35mm or 120) film and print paper. Six studio hours per week.

I don't have a film camera!

I really would be interested in a vintage medium format that may be adaptable to 120??? (is that possible?) Any advice on what type of camera, sources and pricing and suitability for an adult (meaning mature not xxx!!!) student that is actually somehow already making money from photos.

Thanks in advance for any input you can provide.

Doug
Medium format is with the use of 120. 120 refers to the size of the film roll which is used in medium format cameras. Just to complicate things 120 roll can also be used with different frame sizes, even 35mm if you camera will allow this.

Generally speaking you will notice better results with 120 than 35mm, both in negative and print quality. You mentioned about receiving the Yashica LM. I have a couple of models of this camera all with the super sharp Yashinon lens. Personally I could not recommend a better starting camera than this, though film is not cheap. Less number of frames compared to 35mm. That said it's a much more fun camera to use. I have had some stunning results from Fujifilm Neopan 100 Acros black and white 120 roll film.

35mm is also good to use, and if you are on a tight budget I would suggest sticking to this at the start as the film is much cheaper and mistakes are not so upsetting and costly.

Sounds like you are doing OK, have fun! And do post up your results. :thumbup:
 
When does your class start?

Will you be learning wet process darkroom work?

You will be impressed with the Yashica. Good glass.

Did you get a light meter? You're going to need one for your med format camera (unless you are very good or lucky with your speed/aperture settings). Now that film has gone the way of the dinosaur, good quality meters can be had for a song. Luna pro or a Minolta or a Honeywell spot meter are the ones you want to find

If you find you like med format wet process, keep an eye out for a med format roll back holder for 4x5 and get yourself a nice wood field camera. That way you can still use med format 120 and move into 4x5 sheet film later on.
 
Thank you everyone for the suggestions and support. The Yashica got back burnered as the film advance doesn't work very often. I don't think it is something that is going to improve on its own or over time.

My search continued and I have landed on a Mamiya C3. The first roll film I shot with no attempt at metering, just an uneducated guess.
It was not bright out. I guestimated f2.8 ISO 100 film and 1/30, 1/15 of a second or so. Hand held while sitting uncomfortably on concrete shoving the camera in my dog's unnapreciative face... Some exposure issues... some dust issues... a fair amount of focus issues. Focus full daylight seems to be a lot better. I have yet to see those results though.

I have since removed the lens assembly (how cool is it that this has interchangeable lenses and can do it while loaded... at least theoretically.) and wiped down the rear side of the lens element. Also the protective / uv filter that came with it needs replaced.

Got a lot of dust dusty underexposed and missed focus shots in the first roll. I enjoyed it a lot more than my dog did.

Film developed and scanned by Dodd. jpg scan at 2002 x 2000 pixels. I imported to light room and cropped to 1x1 ratio on all then exported. The sharpen high for screen button was still selected from previous export. No other edits.

update edit... blah blah blah. I only like the last two shots.



$---_0378.jpg$---_0379.jpg$---_0380.jpg$---_0382.jpg$---_0385.jpg
 
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Hey Turtle.. class starts the 19th.
Wet class.
I shot a roll with the recently learned Sunny 16 rule supplemented with an iPhone light meter app. I have yet to see the results.
They will include a Batmobile replica from a Shriners cruise in car show.
 

Legion

Staff member
Cool. I think a C3 will probably be a more useful camera than the Yashica.

If it is like my C330, which is a later model of the same thing, the focusing screens are interchangeable. You might be able to track a screen down with a split prism, which makes focusing easier. That's what I did.

And FWIW, the dust is coming from when the film is hanging to dry. If you need to you can wash the film again, and make sure it dries somewhere dust free.
 
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