mframes

This blog isn’t about reviews. It never has been. It has always and only ever been about me posting my camera photos out here on the web for folks to see. I’m not showcasing my photos. That has never been my intention. I just like sharing them on my own platform where I control the server and own all the data and nobody else gets in the way. In the last year or so, I’ve developed a really deep enjoyment in moving from using a digital SLR to analogue. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy digital any more – far from it. But analogue film is different, and it feels different, and it makes me take a totally different approach to my photography. It’s tangible. It’s fiddly. It’s ‘old school’. It can be difficult. It can be prone to mistakes. There is no delete and re-shoot – just re-shoot. It costs me money to develop the exposed film. But it is so rewarding knowing that I’ve made the silver-oxide react and a picture has resulted from that. There is no getting away from the fact that doing some things the ‘old fashioned way’ really is the best way, in my opinion. Using film isn’t for everyone. I get that. I just know that I’ve found something that I have a real passion for.  And like I wrote somewhere on here a while ago, life moves too fast these days – having something that forces you to slow down and take things at a much more steady pace is no bad thing.

I’m the proud owner of two classic 35mm film SLR cameras – an Olympus OM-1 and a Nikon FM2n. I adore them and enjoy using them tremendously. I have posted photos taken with them on here and will continue to do so for a long time to come I hope. Last month, I felt that familiar little pang of curiosity creep in again, this time about two words: medium format. I knew what it was, but that was about it. I wanted to learn more. After liking what I read, I was at the decision point about buying a medium format film camera. As I like travelling and getting out and about with my camera (whichever it is) I knew that it had to be a compact-ish type. I wanted to go medium format for the sheer amount of detail that seems unsurpassed in all but the most crazy expensive, high-end digital cameras available today. There were a few options, but not many. A Rangefinder rather than TLR or some other acronym I’d yet to learn. A what? 120 film? Only ten or twelve exposures per roll of film? And the film has backing paper and doesn’t come in a roll to protect it and keep the light out? Really? But the allure of unparalleled clarity and detail in addition to using wonderful emulsion yielding a massive negative, much larger than 35mm format, was so very exciting. I wanted to go there. To the place only frequented by professional photographers in years gone by. And so I started my search for a rangefinder medium format camera that was compact and which had excellent optics (of course). You soon learn that the world of Medium Format is filled with superb cameras – a lot of them big, bulky and not much fun to carry around in a back pack or over your shoulder for a whole day. After a while, the choice seemed clear and my search was over. It was between the Plaubel Makina 670 and the Mamiya 7. And I bought the Makina 670. When it arrived and I managed to load my first roll of 120 film, I knew it would be the beginning of something very special…

I’m writing this having finished my first roll of Fuji Pro 400H 120 film and having about three exposures left in another roll. Typically, after our amazing UK summer – which has made for some lovely evenings – the rain and Yorkshire grey has made a return, but with luck, will be vanquished soon leaving some more lovely evenings before the nights draw in. But even then, it will be Autumn then Winter and we as photographers know the light is superb at that time of year which is very exciting. Anyway, so I will have shot two rolls of a lovely colour emulsion in less than perfect light but still – I am excited about receiving the scans back so I’m determined to get out tomorrow, finish the second roll and drop them off at my local camera shop for developing (very lucky to have that nearby).

Oh yes, so the review that’s not a review… Well here it is:

Yes – those are bellows. The lens retracts and collapses into the body, making the camera about 5cm deep front to back – thinner than most SLR bodies with their lens on. Super good for travel. The lens is one of the things this camera is renown for. Amazingly sharp. It’s a fixed (ie not interchangeable) 80mm lens which has a maximum aperture of f/2.8 and is made by Nikon. The aperture and shutter speed are set on thin dials on the front of the lens. Aperture adjustment is not stepped so you have complete and smooth control between f/2.8 and f/22, and you can rotate both together to obtain the same overall exposure. Shutter speed maxes out at 1/500 sec. Turning the large single dial on the top focuses the lens by moving the scissors which extend or retract the bellows, and depressing the button in the middle of the dial activates the shutter release. The Makina supports using 120 or 220 film (selected using a button on the top – not forgetting to change the pressure plate inside the body to match). The internal spot meter is activated using a button on the back. Through the rangefinder is, as Ray Larose wrote, “quirky as hell”. Coming from an SLR world it was indeed very strange. Rotating the dial on the top of the camera enables you to align the images in the centre of the rangefinder (quite tricky in low light) to get your subject in focus. The camera weighs 1345g. The body is made of brass and is build like a tank.

The Makina creates 6×7 negatives on either 120 or 220 film. In comparison to 35mm (a.k.a. ‘full frame’) this is quite huge. Here’s a comparison chart.

I’ve already found that 6×7 is a really nice aspect ratio to use when framing a composition with the Makina. It feels very natural. I’ve always kind of shied away from shooting portrait with my DSLR or 35mm cameras because it just seems too narrow and too tall. I suppose if the composition is suitable then it would work – I’ve just never felt like it has really worked for me. But 6×7 in portrait is great, and despite not yet having any ‘proof’ that it works for me, I know that using the Makina for portrait compositions will open a few doors for me and definitely make me consider shooting portrait when I would have otherwise never done so.

In the hand the Makina feels good and well balanced. I’m still getting used to it and so will probably adjust how I hold it when out and about shooting, etc. But I like it. A lot. Two very important things to remember:

1/ The Makina is a ‘double wind’ / ‘double stroke’ camera. That is, you need to advance the film twice between exposing shots.

2/ You must set the focusing dial to infinity before collapsing the bellows. Not doing so will shorten the life of this precious beauty.

I’m really intrigued to see what my first medium format photos will be like. I’ll be sure to post some here, although I can’t promise another write up like this one. I’ll be back to my bad post titles, minimal info and single photo per post :-D

Sporting a beautiful Hawkesmill Borough strap.

Last night was the first test-drive of going out and about at sunset with the Makina. The moon was nicely lit too.

My adventure with analogue photography just keeps getting better.

I am privileged to have been able to obtain this camera. Between it, my OM-1 and FM2n, my joy of photography knows no bounds.

To be continued…maybe… :-D