Vermeer 6x6, Handheld possible or not ?

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Apr 19, 2014

My sister bought me a Vermeer 6x6 f:170 camera. Its was suprise. I dont have a tripod and I dont want to put it to the road and take smurfs pictures.
Is it possible to use that camera handheld with 400H Fuji inside ? What is the purpose of that idiot shutter cost my sister around 80 euros in Paris !

Umut

ntenny · Apr 19, 2014

Well, f/170 is, what, seven stops smaller than f16? So in full sun your ASA 400 film would need, er, 1/4 second or so. I'm going to say no handholding.

Nice-looking cameras. I don't think they're much known in the States.

-NT

Chris Lange · Apr 19, 2014

Delta 3200 would be feasible handheld.

Edit: and rather beautiful given the pinhole aesthetic I should think.

Gerald C Koch · Apr 19, 2014

Try using a bean bag and a suitable horizontal surface. If you or a friend is handy with a needle and thread the leg of an old pair of jeans makes a good and durable bag.

NedL · Apr 19, 2014

Gerald C Koch said:
Try using a bean bag and a suitable horizontal surface. If you or a friend is handy with a needle and thread the leg of an old pair of jeans makes a good and durable bag.

This is very good advice!

I happen to like smurfs pictures , but instead of in a road you can put it next to a pond or a lake or a stream or angle it up to look at trees or clouds or buildings or statues or flowers or bridges or people... or put it on a fence post, a railing, atop a wall, a chair, a bench, the hood of a car, the side of a fountain, a picnic table a coffee table a pool table a card table a chessboard, balanced on a branch, bungee corded to just about anything...

Creativity about how to place a pinhole camera is part of the fun! Improvise! Handheld shots w/ intentional/unintentional motion can be very good too!

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Apr 20, 2014

Wonderful posts , I did improvised and put it on to our dinner table and took 3 sad morning light shots , one I was in. Some leaflet came from the box and it was 1 minutes exposure. Its like filming. I liked that much , I started to look for ABC Pyro developer and shangai film. I just stopped my self for next month and my Box Tengor 54/2 1928 and Vermeer and zeiss ikon nettar will be good companian.
I am thinking to contact print on ilford gallery with bulb light. Each camera is wonderful.

I have beliefs and ABC pyro have a specific unique tonal textural contribution to the pictures

John Koehrer · Apr 20, 2014

The beanbag is excellent. Other options are a table top tripod/gorilla pod. or a small clamp with tripod screw on it. Those were usually inexpensive.

TheToadMen · Apr 20, 2014

I've made some handheld pinhole images with an exposure of 40 seconds.
See:
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and
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So it is doable. But if don't want that, just let it rest on something: a bench, a wall, a car, ...
And put your finger under it at the front to point it upwards (a bit).
Just experiment, it is a beautiful camera.
And have fun!
Bert from Holland

Vermeer 6x6, Handheld possible or not ?

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