Adventures in Lo-Fi (photo-centric)

This thread is to document some low tech cameras I am exploring -- something new for me. I am looking for images with "character" -- but not too much character. ;-)
I am interested in exploring the boundary between low tech and more modern lens designs, so expect some photos made with better cameras than Holga & company. For that reason, I am not sure my thread should be in the "Lo-Fi" forum -- maybe "Medium Format" would be more appropriate?

First up is an all-plastic "Debonair" which I got, brand new, from Film Photography Project. The camera is made in Hong Kong and may or may not share some DNA with Holga??

The Debonair shoots 6x4.5cm negatives on 120 roll film. As you can see, lots of vignetting. What you can't see are the scratches made by the camera, the worst ones which I cloned out. This is Ilford SFX 200 develped in Kodak D-76.

The lens is plastic, 60mm focal length with a fixed f8 aperture and primative zone focusing. The camera does offer two shutter speeds -- 1/60 and 1/100 -- which is a big deal! Many of the older cameras I have been looking at are limited to something like 1/30-1/40th sec, which is definitely tripod territory for me. I also appreciated getting 15 shots on a 120 roll. What I did not like: cheesy plastic construction that feels like it wants to break, closest focusing distance is not that close (about 5 feet?), imprecise viewfinder.

These were shot with an Agfa Clack, also on Ilford SFX 200.

The Agfa Clack was made in Germany from 1954–65. It takes 8 photos per roll of 120 film (6x9 cm). The single-element meniscus lens has a focal length of 95mm. Some variations offered two apertures, but this one has only f11. In sunny conditions a small yellow filter can be rotated into the light path of this camera; on other versions, the lever rotates in a smaller aperture.

Rather than the usual flat pressure plate, the Agfa Clack supports the film in a curved path which compliments the curved field of focus produced by the simple meniscus lens. This reduces vignetting and distortion in the corners. I think the negatives from the Agafa Clack are almost too good to be called lo-fi.

The Clack is part metal, part plastic. It feels much more substantial than the Debonare. The Clack's shutter speed is said to be around 1/35th sec. so I used a tripod. With one shutter speed and one aperture (two if you count the internal yellow filter), it would be probably best to choose ISO 100 film or slower for sunny days, and faster film for overcast days. I have some push-on filters ordered so I can load faster ISO film, and then use the filter factors for more exposure control under sunny conditions.

A modern day Diana with a film-saving 6x45 format. I bet the Debonair has fewer light leaks!

runswithsizzers said:

Agfa Clack

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Low tech but high quality. There's not much fault with the lens. Is the film plane curved on that one like a similar-looking Ansco camera (can't recall what they called it)? (oops - missed the answer somehow) -- I think it's the same camera.

xkaes said:

A modern day Diana with a film-saving 6x45 format. I bet the Debonair has fewer light leaks!

Click to expand...

I was surprised (and relieved) to not notice any light leaks from the Debonair.

I do like some of the "lo-fi look" -- but not light leaks, and not scratched film. Also, I feel like some part of the frame should be not totally blurred.

Great pictures from the Clack. I love them.

By default, the FPP Debonair film path is not smooth enough and scratches films. You can feel rough edges with your finger and get rid of them by gently filing the plastic. Even if it is 90% plastic, I find it pretty study compared to a Diana (and some Diana clones are even worse in this matter that the original Diana).

These two are from the Rolleicord V, Cinestill XX, under overcast sky. I have stretched a veil of sheer nylon mesh (aka pantyhose) over the front of the lens. If not stretched pretty thin, I think the effect is too strong, and these are a bit too much. If any direct sunlight falls on the nylon, the image gets totally blown out. Because it is difficult hold the stretched fabric in position while operating the camera, I need to modify a UV filter to hold the fabric tight and which also allows the use of a lens shade.

I have some cheap filters ordered so I can play with gluing / smearing stuff on them (don't want to mess with the precious Rollei brand filters).

I tried lo-fi photography, but everything I tried just turned out to be too good, for example Lubitels.
I've got pinhole to work on occasion but it kind of goes too far the other way.
So, I've settled on classic and historic lenses for large format photography.