It won't be the camera's fault - first roll results.

pbromaghin · Sep 11, 2015

I just got back the first roll put through my new Zeiss Ikonta 523/16, CLA'd by Paul Ebel. This is Delta 400, but 100-125 iso might work better as the top shutter speed is 1/300. It feels remarkably stable. These were all hand-held, and the cat pic was at 1/30 sec. If I make bad pictures with this thing, it won't be the camera's fault.

Sirius Glass · Sep 11, 2015

That really sucks if you can no longer blame your photographic equipment. That means that you will just have to pull your own weight and continue composing and exposing correctly. Now it is up to you to produce great results. Hang in there.

frank · Sep 11, 2015

Golf course landscape is stunning!

pbromaghin · Sep 11, 2015

frank said:
Golf course landscape is stunning!

It's one of the most beautiful spots I've ever seen. The shot is looking southwest from the southern end of Daniel's Ridge, in Castle Pines, CO. From this spot, the entire Rocky Mountains lay out before you in layer after layer of fading blue. You can see from Pike's Peak to the south to Long's Peak to the north - almost 100 miles apart. A couple hundred feet below, the Sanctuary golf club has 2 members - the owner and his wife. It is open only to their personal guests and to charity events. He built it because he got pissed at the big exclusive club next door when they wouldn't make the clubhouse handicapped compliant after his wife was injured in a plane crash. The several-hundred-acre bison enclosure is just across the road.

jimjm · Sep 11, 2015

Really nice results! I especially like the composition and the slightly OOF background in your first shot.

What lens does it have? I have a pre-war Super Ikonta 532-16 with a 2.8/Tessar, but I have to take care in some lighting situations as the lens is uncoated. Your results look great.

The Zeiss folders are really well-built and a lot of fun to use.

pbromaghin · Sep 11, 2015

Jimjm- Thank you for the compliment. That pic was made possible by the DOF scale on the lens - which my older 521/16 doesn't have. With aperture at f/22 and distance of 2 meters, it showed acceptable focus from 1.2 to 5 meters, so it was really easy to get that bull into focus as he approached. I just wish I had had the presence of mind to get the shot before he moved into my shadow, but it's very rare that the herd is ever that close to the fence and I was pretty excited.

It's a 4.5 Novar lens, and since it's from around 1952-53 it's coated. You can see how well behaved it is with the sun (intentionally) shining on it in the golf course pic, as well as in some other non-keepers.

gone · Sep 11, 2015

Were these sharpened by chance. They look much sharper than the shots from the camera I once owned like yours.

pbromaghin · Sep 11, 2015

momus said:
Were these sharpened by chance. They look much sharper than the shots from the camera I once owned like yours.

Not that I know of. But you never really know what the lab people will do. With the exception of the cat, these were all done with a Mark I Eyeball light meter. I did try to over expose a little to get shadow detail, and the bison shots were even more over exposed because of 1/300 limit in the extremely bright conditions. The scans came back looking very overexposed, more so, I thought, than the negs look on a light table. I did lower the highlights to simulate pre-flashing of paper and increased the middle contrast and those might have given the effect you are seeing. I really don't like the resolution of the scans and will not be printing from them, but will re-scan myself, or print in my darkroom if it ever gets built. The negs really do look surprisingly sharp on the light table, sharper than the previous 521/16 Novar, and almost equal to the Mamiya tlr blue dot 80mm, heresy that may be.

pbromaghin · Sep 12, 2015

Poor MeeMee. She's the best cat we've had in 30 years. When we brought her home from the shelter, she just walked in, reconnoitered the perimeter, and took over the house. Feed Mee now. Pet Mee now. Hip dysplasia and kidney disease are limiting her life span. Steroids are doing a lot of good, but causing hair loss. We really hope she's not in much pain.

pbromaghin · Sep 13, 2015

I just checked again, and the blown-out skies in the lab scans were not right. There is plenty of detail in the highlights on a light table with a loupe. I have had this trouble with this lab before. Their scans just seem to be way too bright.

pbromaghin · Oct 16, 2015

2nd Roll

It likes Velvia, too. The light leak in the tree happened when the film did not wind off tight enough at the end.

jmccl@yahoo.com · Oct 17, 2015

pbromaghin said:
I just checked again, and the blown-out skies in the lab scans were not right. There is plenty of detail in the highlights on a light table with a loupe. I have had this trouble with this lab before. Their scans just seem to be way too bright.

Not sure which lab you use. I use www.thedarkroom.com

It won't be the camera's fault - first roll results.

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