Sharpest 120 Folder?

[Donald Qualls]

Looks very nice and sharp! Which lens do you have on your Balda? I have one with the Tessar style Ennit 80mm f/2.8. Very sharp in the center, but I've found it can be quite soft towards the edges, even stopped down a bit. Wondering if one of the triplet options might not be sharper or if variation between cameras is the greater factor. Still takes great pictures and I love everything about the camera other than the soft corners.

My experience with an early post-War Zeiss 532/16 Super Ikonta B, mounted with f/2.8 80mm Tessar, is that f/2.8 is a little on the fast side for a Tessar, at least with a pre-War optical prescription like mine has. They might have improved things with better glasses by the 1950s, but I find mine is on the soft side up to about f/5.6.

 

[xya]

the sharpest folder is a rangefinder which has recently been CLA'd, with a stress on the A. most servicemen do a good CL but are lazy on the A.

by experiece I would second the iskras as being very sharp, the late ikontas III and IV and the tessars in general. and oh yes, the coated solinars.

 

[lobitar]

I read somewhere that people back in the day held their folders upside down, back pressed against the forehead, in order to stabilise them. I'm not sure whether that was a joke or real advice.

Now you mention it, I think I've seen this also many years ago. Also agree to the shake-proneness of the prewar Bessa, perhaps it's the slightly akward front-plate-mounted release.

 

[lobitar]

My experience with an early post-War Zeiss 532/16 Super Ikonta B, mounted with f/2.8 80mm Tessar, is that f/2.8 is a little on the fast side for a Tessar, at least with a pre-War optical prescription like mine has. They might have improved things with better glasses by the 1950s, but I find mine is on the soft side up to about f/5.6.

Yes, and especially the focus shift when stopping down from 2,8 is almost nonacceptable.

 

[Helge]

Now you mention it, I think I've seen this also many years ago. Also agree to the shake-proneness of the prewar Bessa, perhaps it's the slightly akward front-plate-mounted release.

Another possibility is using a tabletop tripod and rest one leg pressed against your sternum and the other two against your clavicula.
With a cable, halted breathing and careful observation of your subject, you will be able to use one 10th and 15th of a second.

 

[henryvk]

Another possibility is using a tabletop tripod and rest one leg pressed against your sternum and the other two against your clavicula.
With a cable, halted breathing and careful observation of your subject, you will be able to use one 10th and 15th of a second.

You can escalate this method by firmly tying the tripod to your upper body using either your belt or tension cords ;-)

 

[Helge]

You can escalate this method by firmly tying the tripod to your upper body using either your belt or tension cords ;-)

You could also just use wood screws.
Drastic, but worth it for the stability.

A bit like this:

 

[cliveh]

The above was not taken on a folder.

 

[BrianShaw]

The above was not taken on a folder.

Could have been. Who knows what they were using for stills on the movie set.

 

[Oldwino]

Could have been. Who knows what they were using for stills on the movie set.

 

[Oldwino]

My Agfa Isolette III with the Solinar (coated) 75/3.5 can match my Hasselblad 500/60mm, in good light. easier to handhold, too.

 

[MattKing]

Could have been. Who knows what they were using for stills on the movie set.

As we can see the photographer and his camera in the reflection, I think we can confirm that they didn't use a folder
....
on the movie set.

 

[Radost]

No, breath in and squeeze the shutter.

Incorrect. You must not been in the military,

 

[cliveh]

Incorrect. You must not been in the military,

True, I take pictures.

 

[Radost]

Best sharpest Folder:
Certo Six! By far.
Reasons: parallax corrected coupled range finder and and an amazing Carl Zeiss Tessar F2.8 80mm lens.
This is the only parallax corrected camera.

Number 2 Perlkeo 1,2 or E with Color Skopar F3.5 lens stopped a bit.

 

[Radost]

True, I take pictures.

Apparently you were taught wrong.

 

[Helge]

Best sharpest Folder:
Certo Six! By far.
Reasons: parallax corrected coupled range finder and and an amazing Carl Zeiss Tessar F2.8 80mm lens.
This is the only parallax corrected camera.

Number 2 Perlkeo 1,2 or E with Color Skopar F3.5 lens stopped a bit.

Parallax correction has nothing to do with it being sharp.
On the contrary. Moving the lens just to achieve approximate parallax parity, moves the lens out of the sweet spot slightly, just when you need the sweet spot the most for closeups with the shallower depth of field and chance of visible vignetting.

The whole way of unit focusing is also fraught with potential problems and compromise. It is very easy for the lens and film plane not to be parallel with the pantograph mechanism employed.

It’s not because of incompetence or cheapness that most of the other folders use front cell focusing.
It’s truly often the best compromise for this type of camera.

 

[Donald Qualls]

As we can see the photographer and his camera in the reflection, I think we can confirm that they didn't use a folder
....
on the movie set.

Actually, I looked as closely as my screen would allow, and as nearly as I can tell, that's a selfie. The other astronaut in the reflection is cradling something that looks like a 1960s vintage compact video camera; both hands are visible and neither is holding anything with a lens pointed at the main subject. We can see a reflection of the subject's right hand, holding that glossy cylindrical object, as well -- but no reflection of his left hand, leading to the conclusion it was either a selfie or a frame from a tripod mounted video camera.

Parallax correction has nothing to do with it being sharp.
On the contrary. Moving the lens just to achieve approximate parallax parity moves the lens out of the sweet spot slightly just when you need the sweet spot the most for closeups with the shallower depth of field and chance of visible vignetting.

Parallax correction of viewfinder is generally done by moving the framing mask in the viewfinder. The lens is fixed relative to the frame gate (aside from focus movement, of course). What parallax correction does is let the photographer frame without having to think about how much to offset the viewfinder framing.

 

[Helge]

Actually, I looked as closely as my screen would allow, and as nearly as I can tell, that's a selfie. The other astronaut in the reflection is cradling something that looks like a 1960s vintage compact video camera; both hands are visible and neither is holding anything with a lens pointed at the main subject. We can see a reflection of the subject's right hand, holding that glossy cylindrical object, as well -- but no reflection of his left hand, leading to the conclusion it was either a selfie or a frame from a tripod mounted video camera.



Parallax correction of viewfinder is generally done by moving the framing mask in the viewfinder. The lens is fixed relative to the frame gate (aside from focus movement, of course). What parallax correction does is let the photographer frame without having to think about how much to offset the viewfinder framing.

It’s clearly the astronaut in the reflection taking the shot. The lens of the breast camera is aimed squarely at the subject.

And yeah, isn’t that what parallax always is? Still has very little of anything to do with sharpness.
As said, it’s probably harming sharpness if anything, in the Certo 6 implementation.

Fascinating that the film doesn’t seem to have much anti halation going on in the moonshot.

 

[Donald Qualls]

It’s clearly the astronaut in the reflection taking the shot. The lens of the breast camera is aimed squarely at the subject.

Resolution's too low to be certain, at least in that recompressed crop. It's probably obvious in the original negative, with magnification.

Are you saying the Certo 6 compensates parallax by moving the lens? I don't know why anyone would design a camera to do that, when moving the Albada mask or similar in the viewfinder is both simpler and doesn't affect optical performance.

 

[Grim Tuesday]

Are you saying the Certo 6 compensates parallax by moving the lens? I don't know why anyone would design a camera to do that, when moving the Albada mask or similar in the viewfinder is both simpler and doesn't affect optical performance.

Yes it's an insane design, but that's how it works. Helge is correct that at close focus, the lens is not centered on the frame. Nevertheless, the Certo 6 is by far the sharpest folder I've ever shot as well.

 

[xya]

Yes it's an insane design, but that's how it works. Helge is correct that at close focus, the lens is not centered on the frame. Nevertheless, the Certo 6 is by far the sharpest folder I've ever shot as well.

the lens is kind of tilted at close focus and it works well. I had one, but I was not specially impressed by the sharpness of that lens. it was certainly good, but not better than some others...

 

[Radost]

the lens is kind of tilted at close focus and it works well. I had one, but I was not specially impressed by the sharpness of that lens. it was certainly good, but not better than some others...

My Tessar F2.8 on the certo six is the sharpest "best micro contrast and resolution" camera I own. Only the fuji GW 6x9 beats it. But honestly if somebody crops those pictures 6x6 it would be hard to say which is which.

 

[Helge]

My Tessar F2.8 on the certo six is the sharpest "best micro contrast and resolution" camera I own. Only the fuji GW 6x9 beats it. But honestly if somebody crops those pictures 6x6 it would be hard to say which is which.

There is no technical test or double blind test that indicates that the Certo Six Jena Tessar is anything special. Not bad. But nothing out of the ordinary for a Tessar type.

 

[Radost]

There is no technical test or double blind test that indicates that the Certo Six Jena Tessar is anything special. Not bad. But nothing out of the ordinary for a Tessar type.

It looks noticeably better than both color skopars on my perkeo II ans E