Iskra Photos

[Jeremy]

Haven't been able to get into the darkroom to enlarge these, but wanted to share some neg scans from my 6x6 Russian Iskra (75mm f/3.5 Tessar lens). It's a fun camera that has been accompanying me to school and these shots are all off of the first two rolls. I've started parking on different streets as I walk to school and photographing the stoops that interest me. There are another 3 or 4 rolls of these to be developed!

All are Iskra 6x6 Rangefinder with Foma400 (Arista.edu Ultra) @ 200 in HC-110. The exposures on all of these shots were just guessed, but I started carrying an incident meter with me for the 3rd roll.

First image off of the camera:

Second negative, which Cara took of me... I swear she's a better photographer than I am AND she makes a much better model! Definitely not fair

This third image is later that evening at Cara's apartment while she was checking her email. If I remember correctly this was just guessed to be 1 sec @ f/3.5 (the slowest other than B on the camera and wide open)... oh, yeah, ALL of these images are hand-held. It takes a humongous tripod screw and I don't have an adaptor yet.

Lunch with my friend Travis resulted in this shot before we left. Probably one of my favorites off of the roll as it captures him in a moment of thought as we were having one of our "deep" conversations on random philosophies.

Here we start with some of the stoop shots

Finally, an old car for Jim Galli

I'm very much liking the "look" of the old, uncoated Tessar, but since the lens seems to be a little low contrast and so I might look for a yellow filter to adapt onto the end of this puppy.

Just thought I would share.

 

[highpeak]

I like the look too. You have to make few prints from the negatives. I like the "Travis" shot too.

 

[Mark Pope]

Nice shot of Travis. I like '401' and the Buick too.
Good stuff!

 

[abeku]

Nice shot of Travis. I like '401' and the Buick too.
Good stuff!

Ditto!

 

[jimgalli]

Great stuff Jeremy. You knew I'd like the Buick Are you also a Don Normark fan? (Chavez Ravine) Talk about uncoated tessar's.

 

[Jeremy]

Are you also a Don Normark fan? (Chavez Ravine) Talk about uncoated tessar's.

Yes, I remember seeing his portfolio in Lenswork a number of issues back and really loved the look.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Jeremy- congrats on the new toy. Another vote for the portrait of Travis being a winner. I also like the very first "stoop" in the series.

 

[gnashings]

Congrats - the Buick photo really stands out in my opinion. The vintage car in not so great a shape thing has been done to death, so getting a stand out image with that idea really says something about the photographer - way to go!

Peter

 

[Kerik]

I just want to know what the tat says. And where's your Blue October tattoo?? (BTW, Travis and the Buick are my faves). I have a Super Ikonta IV with the 75mm Tessar. LOVE that camera...

 

[Jeremy]

I just want to know what the tat says. And where's your Blue October tattoo?? (BTW, Travis and the Buick are my faves). I have a Super Ikonta IV with the 75mm Tessar. LOVE that camera...

da mi basia mille

From a poem by Catullus which was the first thing I translated 100% correctly. Haha, if I had more money I would be getting more tattoos, but alas.... I'm thinking articulated skeleton and muscles on my left shoulder/bicep for the next one.

Had a Super Ikonta f/2.8 with 80mm lens, but couldn't abide by the tiny viewfinder. The cheaper Iskra has a better viewfinder in my opinion (did I mention the cheaper part?).

 

[Jeremy]

Had another break at work and scanned in 2 more images which might be worth looking at in the darkroom when school ends.

 

[papagene]

Jeremy... Love that Buick!
It sure is easy to tell that you are havin' fun with this camera.

gene

 

[jonnyboy]

I did something similar when I worked at University of Penn years ago. Used a Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex IIa with Tessar, shooting the *wildlife* and frat houses. If you are really interested in using filters and a lens hood with the Iskra (I own a couple of 'em, too, LOVE 'em), you can fit a Series V retaining ring and attach filters and lens hoods. However, I would suggest getting a Series V to Series VI step-up ring and using Series VI accessories, instead. BTW, the Iskra lens is coated, however, your particular model may have had the coating on the front element "cleaned" clear off. God knows what some Soviet photogs did to their lenses back when these cameras were made. In any case, you got a far larger number of really good shots with your camera than I did with the first few rolls in mine. I liked the Travis shot the most, great expression!

Jon

 

[Foto Ludens]

cool stuff, Jeremy

 

[b1ltr1te]

Great set of photos, Jeremy. I've got an Iskra too, and love it. Only thing is the little rangefinder viewer scratches the hell out of my glasses every time! Oh well. Did yours come with the leather case? The bottom screws onto that mount reducing it to whatever size my tripod screw happens to be. Just and FYI.

Have fun!

 

[P C Headland]

Glad you're enjoying your Iskra - I love my two.

As Jon said, the Iskra's lens should be coated.

As for filters, you can try and find 33mm screw in filters, or go the series filter route. I found the Series 5 adapter screw thread to be not quite the same pitch, so be careful if you go this route.

The best option is to get a Series VI 1-3/8in / 35mm push on adapter.

 

[Ed_Davor]

Just a little trivia, if anyone does not know:

*did you know that in russian (and croatian and similar languages) Iskra means spark?

 

[matti]

Yes, it is coated. It is quite difficult to check you Iskra lens, as the shutter doesn't work without film in the camera. But if you fire the shutter from under the front of the lens at the b-setting you can see if it is fogged. I cleaned a hazy lens of my grandfathers old Voightländer Bessa 6x9 and it made a huge difference on contrast. I will soon take apart my Iskra lens to clean some dust in there.

(there was a url link here which no longer exists) is a picture I took with my Iskra II:
/matti

 

[jonnyboy]

Glad you're enjoying your Iskra - I love my two.

As Jon said, the Iskra's lens should be coated.

As for filters, you can try and find 33mm screw in filters, or go the series filter route. I found the Series 5 adapter screw thread to be not quite the same pitch, so be careful if you go this route.

The best option is to get a Series VI 1-3/8in / 35mm push on adapter.

AHHH, yeah. It can be a bit tricky to fit the screw threads of a Series V adaptor, normally. However, the pitches on retaining rings seem to vary a good deal from maker to maker, unlike the step-up rings I have (most of which are Kodak). Ednalite retaining rings are a bit odd-fitting to most other brands' adaptor rings. I have a number of no-name rings that don't seem to fit anything despite being labeled for Series V. So, there is a bit of variability and you need to check these things out sometimes to avoid disappointment and rising blood pressure. BTW, a retaining ring comes in two flavors-- one type is a finishing retainer with no threads on the "front" side, the other has the Series thread on the side facing away from the camera to allow the use of a lens hood or attaching a step-up adaptor. Whichever way you go, enjoy the Iskra.

Jon

 

[Russ Young]

some very strong work, Jeremy. Obviously you and this camera can sync well. The bokeh in the backgrounds of "Travis" and "Private Drive..." seems pretty nice for a Tessar design.
Russ

 

[Richard Kelham]

Just a little trivia, if anyone does not know:

*did you know that in russian (and croatian and similar languages) Iskra means spark?

'sfunny, I always thought the Russian for spark was Iszvestia – like the newspaper.



Richard

 

[Ray Heath]

great images Jeremy, some minor camera shake at slow shutters, but these show you have the most important ingredient for good imaging, a great 'eye', technique you can learn and refine as you go

 

[kjsphoto]

Jeremy,

The Travis shot is excellent as is the buick! WOW!

Congrats on the new toy...

 

[removed account4]

hi jeremy

looks like you are cookin' with gas now

cool stuff!
john