Technical - Black and White photography

Classical Cameras

The cameras pictured above, are not the secret to producing fine photographs, although it does help a little at times, to have the right lens in your hands. I must be honest though, and say that my fascination with these beautiful objects, is as much as a possessor, or collector, of fine instruments, as much as the images they capture.
One cannot fail to appreciate the joy in using, as well as owning, these beautiful classic cameras.

Most of my earlier photographs were taken with 35 mm SLR cameras; a Minolta SRT 100, (in the 80's), followed by a Nikon 801s, (in the 1990's.)

I moved into medium format, in1998, with the purchase of a Mamiya RB67, c1970
.........I have since acquired:
Rolleiflex 6002, c1986 with Distagon 50/4, Rollei 80/2.8
Rolleiflex 3.5E, c1958 with Xenotar 75/3.5, (5 element.)
Rolleicord III, c.1951 with Xenar 75/3.5

Linhof Baby Technika, c1954, 6.5 x9 format, with 6x7 Rollex back, (new).

Fujica GS645w, c1983, with 45mm f5.6

Carl Zeiss Super Ikonta III, Tessar, c1955
Carl Zeiss Ikonta M, 524/16, Tessar, c1954
Carl Zeiss Nettar, c1952
Agfa Isolette 11, c1957

Here are my current 35mm cameras:
Leica IIIc, c1946
Leica II, (Black Paint), c1935
Leica Standard, c1938
Leica LTM lenses:
Cron 50/2 collapsable c1956,
Red Scale Elmar 50/3.5 c1954,
Nickel Elmar 50/3.5, c.1935, (original lens on my Black Paint Leica II.)
(and VC lenses: 28/3.5, and 35/2.5 pancake.)

Nikon F, c1965, Standard Prism.
Nikkor Lenses:
28/3.5, 35/2.8, 45/2.8 Pancake, 50/1.8, 105/2.5.

Exakta Varex IIa, c1958
Agfa Ambi-Silette, c1957, with 35mm, 50mm, 90mm lens,

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"I have since traded my Mamiya RB for a Linhof Technika 6x9"

Now isn't this a thing of beauty?

(See Linhof item at bottom of page, and this link to the Baby Linhof cut-film procedure)

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My Enlarger:
A Durst M805, ....not that I needed another enlarger, but I acquired this fabulous machine, for only the equiv of US$160, when a local Studio went fully digital, (excellent condition, still a current model retails at US$2400.)
It has a beautifully made negative carrier (6x9 capacity), and I've since acquired the top, (Anti-Newton), and bottom, (plain), glasses from Durst in Italy. Although I find I only use the top glass only.
(Glass carriers being essential for 120 film, due to "curly film" focus errors.)

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Linhof Technika 6x9

After operating the baby Linhof for a few months, with a good deal of testing and evaluation, I can begin to understand better, some of the advantages of "Field camera" photography.
I had initially expected to be using a roll-film back, and not going down the cut-film route, but the opposite has applied, and all my work has involved double dark slides and pieces of cut-film. But, there-in lies a problem since I have been unable to source "cut-film" in the required 6.5 x 9cm size, (this is one of the few disadvantages of the geographical isolation of New Zealand).
So, I set about converting 4"x5" cut-film into two usable pieces for the 6.5cm x 9cm Linhof Double Dark Slides. I find the system works well, so as an aid to anybody suffering the same "non availability" issue as myself, I have put together a short tutorial on the technique required to split the larger pieces of film, see "Linhof Cut-Film".
I develop this film in an old Patterson tank, originally designed for up to 120 roll film, but since the cut film is very slightly wider, >1mm, I needed to pack-out the gap between the spirals. I am able to fit up to six pieces of 6.5 x 9cm within the spiral.

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