Film Camera 2022 – 1 Moskva 5 – Results

July 15, 2022 by Howard Dale Posted in Black & White, Moskva 5 Leave a comment

As mentioned in the preceding post I had used this camera before but the results were pretty much a disaster. So how did I do this time?

I decided to walk down to nearby Sparta Cemetery to take the pictures. Generally speaking I was satisfied with the results. I only lost one frame, the very first one on the roll. I had loaded the camera some time ago and I knew when I came to use it that I’d lost that first frame, but I can’t remember why. The other 11 frames were decently exposed despite the fact that I couldn’t remember what film I’d put in the camera. I figured that it would be either ISO 100 or ISO 400 and decided to expose at ISO 200. It turned out that it was Kodak T-Max 100 but I guess there’s enough exposure latitude that even though I was one stop off it didn’t cause much of a problem. Focusing using the small rangefinder window was difficult, but the rangefinder seemed to work well.

There were a couple of issues with the camera, however. First, there were some scratches on some of the negatives. Nothing too drastic but still…There was also a slight light leak on some of the frames. But not all, which made me wonder if it was instead flare or some kind of reflection from something I was carrying. Again nothing too serious.

The worst thing about using this camera was definitely it’s ergonomics. I find it very difficult to hold. I just didn’t know where to put my hands. The focusing rings are right at the front of the bellows requiring me to hold the camera with one hand (already difficult for me) and try to focus using the other one. I suspect that the camera was designed to be used on a tripod, where with both hands free such adjustments would have been easier. The camera has separate viewfinder and rangefinder windows, which I suppose is about par for the course in cameras from this period. The rangefinder is particularly “squinty”. It works, but it’s hardly a pleasurable experience. I found framing subjects accurately using the viewfinder to be difficult, at least in 6×6 format (although when I used the camera before in 6×9 format I don’t recall that this was a problem.

I also find that I don’t instinctively relate to the 6×6 format – at least not at the moment. Maybe with more practice I could get more comfortable with it.

So at the end of the day I don’t see me using this camera very much. I could fix or live with the scratches and the light leak/flare, but I just don’t enjoy using it. So my quest to find a medium format camera that I would really enjoy using continues.

Film Camera 2022 – 1 Moskva 5

July 15, 2022 by Howard Dale Posted in Moskva 5 Leave a comment

I haven’t done any film photography for quite some time so I thought I’d start again. The camera I chose was the Moskva 5.

According to Camerapedia:

The Moskva-5 (MOCKBA-5 in cyrillic) is a medium format rangefinder folding camera made by KMZ and produced between 1956-60.

Its main difference from Moskva-4 is added selftimer.

Earlier models of the Moskva were copies of the Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C. Unlike earlier models, this model is a Zeiss Super Ikonta adapted form, rather than a clone and unlike the Super Ikonta, its solid top plate has a built-in rangefinder and a dual-format viewfinder. Moskva-5 is the latest model in a series of cameras Moskva brand. Main difference from Moskva-4 is added self timer. The Moskva-5 was undoubtedly designed as an expensive professional camera, and not as an amateur model. It was built in an age (1956–1960) when 35mm photography was already suppressing 120-film, and only professionals still insisted on using the larger format. Its dual-format characteristics, rangefinder and excellent lens and finish indicate professional use also. Apparently these cameras were used until very late (the 1980’s?) by Moscow street photographers.

There are 2 types and 2 sub-types of the Moskva-5.

The back of the camera showing the year of production (1958), two red windows for 6×6 and 6×9 numbering, the rangefinder window (left) and the separate viewfinder window (right). The symbol to the left of the serial number is the Krasnogorsk company logo.

Dual Format

Super Ikontas were made either for the 6×9 or 6×4.5 format. The Moskva-5 is a 6×6 and 6×9 camera. Since it has a fixed 105mm Industar lens, at 6×6 you have a mild tele at your disposal. To use the 6×6 size, you need to set the viewfinder to the square format. there is a lever to select the right window so you can see the numbering on the film back. The pressure plate does not need to be removed. The 6×9 red window is now blocked, so there’s no room for confusion.

As a last step, the 6×6 mask has to be inserted. The camera locks right into its holes. Close the camera and you’re ready to shoot.

Operation

The Moment 24c is a leaf shutter with speeds of B, 1 to 1/250s. To fire it, the film needs to be transported or the release button will be blocked, indicated by a red window on the top plate. The shutter isn’t set by advancing the film; it has to be cocked at the lens by a lever. To take a picture, press the button on the left of the camera top. The button on the right is for unlocking the front plate when the camera is collapsed. Before folding the camera, you shouldn’t forget to push down the lever with the glass window.

Specifications

Lens: Industar-24 (И-24) 110mm f/3.5 four elements in three groups
Aperture: f/3.5 – f/32 setting: lever and scale on the lens
Focus range: 1.5-15m + inf
Focusing: by a thumb lever, fixed onto the lens-shutter barrel plate,rotates wedge-shaped prisms in its window, turning the knob to focus rotates the glass, thus adjusts the rangefinder images that must be matched, the rangefinder window on the middle of the top plate sees this prisms apparatus window directly, (prisms assembly is rotatable 180 degrees to the right for the bellows closing) with no mechanical linkage between the lens and the body. Focusing is possibleby directly rotating the front lens element also.
Shutter: Moment-24S (Mомент-24C) leaf shutter, speeds 1-1/250 +B; setting ring and scale on the lens-shutter barrel
Cocking lever: on the lens-shutter barrel, not depends the winding
Shutter release: left side of the top plate, beside the winding knob, releasing is also possible by a knob on the right front side of the struts. To fire the shutter, the film needs to be transported, if not, the release button will be blocked, a double exposure locking mechanismindicated by a small window beside the winding knob, before winding it is white and the shutter release is blocked and after winding it is red and shutter release works
Winding knob: left side of the top plate
Viewfinder:coupled rangefinder and dual-format separate viewfinder for larger field of view, separate windows and eye-pieces. The two rangefinder windows are 6.5 cm apart (very long) for accurate focusing. Frame view changes according to the frame size adjustment lever that points the engravings, a square (6×6) and a rectangle (6×9), on the right of the top plate, this thumb lever moves a sliding frame in the viewfinder
Memory dial: on the winding knob, you can set three film types, and with each film type, four film speeds : (in cyrilic) Tsvetnaya (colour film): 22, 32, 45, 65 GOST, Panchrom (b/w film): 32, 45, 65, 90, Izopanch (b/w film): 32, 45, 65, 90
Bellows opening button: on the right of the top plate; closing: simultaneously pressing to the two struts’ back arms
Flash PC socket: X sync, on the shutter
Self timer: knob on top of the shutter
Back cover: removable, a lever in it for controlling 6×6 and 6×9 frame red window’s lids, opens by a latch on the right side of the camera
Two red window on the back cover w/ built in lids, right lower side one is for 6×9
Engravings in the back cover: Сделано в СССР (Sdelano v SSSR = Made in USSR)
Engravings on the top plate: Mockba -5 (hand writing style), and on the back of the top plate: KMZ logo and the serial number
Serial no. the first two digit show the production year
Leather hand grip
Two tripod sockets, 3/8″, on the bottom plate and on the front cover
Body: made by injection molding, weight: 867g

According to the serial number this particular camera was made in 1957, which makes it nearly as old as I am. I used it once before, but because of my lack of familiarity with the camera I messed everything up (See: Film Camera 2019/10 Moskva 5 – Results for the whole sorry story). On that occasion I used the camera in 6×9 format. This time I decided to try it in 6×6 format.

For a more thorough review see here.

New World Record price for a Camera

June 13, 2022 by Howard Dale Posted in Camera Collecting, Cameras Leave a comment

“The serial production of the Leitz Camera, or Leica for short, the world’s first 35mm camera, is considered a milestone of modern photography. Before the first cameras were available in the mid-1920s, Ernst Leitz produced around 23 models of the prototype 0 series in 1923 and 1924. One of these rare cameras – the 0-series no. 105 – has now been sold at the 40th Leitz Photographica Auction for a price of € 14.4 million (about $15 million) including buyers premium. The 105 has thus broken the world record for the most expensive camera of all times.

Number 105 belonged to Oskar Barnack, who had designed the “Liliput camera” shortly before the First World War. It was the prototype of the Leica and thus also the prototype of the 35 mm camera per se. Barnack captured numerous motifs from his family life with the 0 series No. 105. He used the experience he gained in the process in the further development of the camera and its subsequent models. Barnack’s name is engraved on the top of the viewfinder of no.105.

…

The historical significance of the camera and its direct connection to Barnack were reflected in its pre-determined estimate of 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 euros. “To put these numbers into perspective: The most expensive camera in the world to date – also a 0-series, serial number 122 – was sold at the 32nd Leitz Photographica Auction in 2018 for 2.4 million euros including buyers premium,” said Alexander Sedlak, Managing Director of Leica Camera Classics, an Austrian subsidiary of Leica Camera AG. Leitz Photographica Auction operates under the umbrella of Leica Camera Classics.

“We are fully specialised in historical cameras and accessories. It was therefore a special pleasure for us to be able to auction Oskar Barnack’s personal camera, a prototype of the camera generation that laid the foundation for modern photography in the mid-1920s, as part of our anniversary auction,” said Sedlak. The intangible value – the historical significance – of 0 series no.105 goes far beyond the sum of € 14.4 million for which this camera was ultimately sold. Nevertheless, the world record sum proves the continuous trend of the last few years: “The prices are rising – the interest in vintage cameras is greater than ever before.” (Leica)

The picture above is not of the actual camera. Rather it’s a photograph of a replica introduced by Leica in the year 2,000. Out of production now for some time it can be found used for around a mere $2,000.

An old digital camera

January 23, 2022 by Howard Dale Posted in Panasonic Lumix ZS3 Leave a comment

I was assembling these pictures for another purpose when I realized that I had never done a full post on this camera: A Panasonic Lumix ZS-3.

I had bought a Panasonic Lumix LX-3 in 2010. I really liked it and it had a nice 24-60mm lens, but I felt I needed something with more reach, so I purchased this Lumix ZS-3 with its 25–300 mm lens. I was still comparatively new to digital cameras at the time and didn’t realize that both of these cameras (and particularly this one, which has an even smaller sensor than the LX-3) have a very small sensor and all of the problems with image quality that come with that. Still if you work within its limitations you can get some decent pictures and I really liked the small size and long zoom range.

Woman running through fountains at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, 2010.

Goslings, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Pleasantville, NY, 2010.

Birds nest and stained glass. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Sleepy Hollow, NY, 2011.

Iguana. Some Caribbean Island (I forget which), 2011.

Beach Scene – Turks and Caicos Islands, 2011.

Spider. Scarborough Station, Briarcliff Manor, NY, 2010.

It served me well for a couple of years until I swapped it for a an Olympus Pen-F. For a complete review see here.

Another new (used) camera: Fujifilm X-E1

October 26, 2021 by Howard Dale Posted in Camera Collection, Fujifilm X-E1 Leave a comment

In an earlier post I noted that I had started collect older digital cameras. Over time this has led to the acquisition of Canon EOS 5D; a Nikon D80; a couple of Micro 4/3 cameras – Lumix GF-1 and Olympus OM-D E-M10. I used to own a Fujifilm HS-10, which I didn’t like and eventually gave away. But I’d never used a Fujifilm X series camera. After waiting a while I found an X-E1 with a 35mm f1.4 lens for a very good price (the camera/lens combination cost less than the cost of the lens alone so the body was essentially free).

The Fujifilm X-E1 came out in 2013 and features:

16MP X-Trans CMOS sensor
ISO 200-6400, 100 – 25600 expanded (JPEG only)
2.36M dot OLED electronic viewfinder
Same control layout as X-Pro1, including top-plate shutter speed and exposure compensation dials
2.8″ 460k-dot LCD
Built-in pop-up flash
Full HD movie recording with built-in stereo microphone
2.5mm stereo microphone socket
Compatibility with wired remote control units (via either the USB port or mic socket)
Available in silver or black

A contemporary DP Review article concludes:

“Conclusion – Pros

Unique camera design makes you want to take pictures
Excellent JPEGs, little need to shoot raw most of the time
Reliable metering and AWB systems, good color (with choice of ‘film modes’)
Dials for exposure controls allow for easy check of settings by glancing at the top deck, particularly with prime lenses
Impressive image quality at all ISO settings – good resolution and low noise
Built-in flash is handy for fill lighting in a pinch
Film-simulations offer quick access to different color modes and black and white filters
Use of electronic viewfinder simplifies interface while maintaining most important features
Quick menu gives fast access to most digital controls not covered by dials or buttons
Built-in level helps when capturing landscapes
Various bracketing modes are easy to set via the Drive button
Relatively quiet shutter
Excellent available prime lenses

Conclusion – Cons (my reaction in parentheses)

Built-in level isn’t always as accurate as we’d like
Relatively slow AF makes photographing children more difficult (Agree, but I mostly take pictures of things that don’t move)
Framerates in continuous shooting mode aren’t completely consistent (Have not observed this)
Camera disables RAW shooting without warning in some bracketing modes (Have not observed this either)
Relatively low-resolution rear LCD compared to some peers (It’s good enough for me)
Panorama mode can result in visible banding in plain tones (Don’t often use panorama mode)
Auto ISO often chooses too slow a shutter speed (specifically problematic with the longer primes) (Yes, but easy to work around)
Minimal control available in video mode (Don’t shoot video)
Continuous drive mode saves files with a different name, sorting them to the bottom (Don’t even understand what this means
Large and chunky build won’t suit everyone (It does suit me though)

Overall Conclusion

There’s a lot to be said for form as well as function and there’s no question the Fujifilm X-series cameras elicit a certain response from those of us who enjoy both photography and well-built gadgets. What’s great about the X-series cameras and lenses is they don’t just look like old photographic tools, they integrate digital and analog controls very successfully. Also, the old-style analog dials are really excellent ways of helping conceptualize things like shutter speed and aperture, the two main elements of photography one has to understand to use cameras effectively.

Those who already understand the concepts generally have no trouble understanding numbers on an LCD, but those who are learning can benefit from seeing the numbers laid out in a linear fashion; and the truth is I still find it helpful to turn a dial to adjust aperture, as I can do with the X-E1. For beginners, having that dial wrapped around the lens completely differentiates it from the body-bound shutter speed dial.

When using one of the XF prime lenses, the main photographic interface elements are right up front and visible, in the form of physical dials. Photography students would do well to secure a prime lens for this reason (as well as others).

Kit lens users will have to pay attention to the numbers on the LCD.

But that’s not all Fujifilm did right with the X-series cameras. Their simple button arrangements also make accessing common functions convenient. Important functions like Drive mode, Exposure, and Autofocus are dedicated to three buttons left of the LCD – a good position to adjust each setting. At first having a button for Drive mode seemed unnatural compared to a dial, but Fujifilm’s inclusion of fast access to bracketing modes made those even more useful. The Quick Menu allows access to almost all the other important adjustments the average still photographer will want to make, including things like ISO, resolution, and aspect ratio. Only one analog control needs fixing: the somewhat loose Exposure Compensation dial, which can be rotated accidentally, both in the hand and when being carried around or put in and taken out of a camera bag.

Of course, the elephant in the room is video. Although the X-E1’s design philosophy is based around giving you all the direct manual control you could ever need, this does not apply to video, which overall seems as much of an afterthought as it is in the X-Pro 1 and X100. For now, the X-series is simply not competitive with its peers in terms of video functionality.

As impressive as the Hybrid Viewfinder is on the other cameras in the X-series, the X-E1’s electronic viewfinder is excellent. Compared to the X-Pro 1’s finder in electronic mode, the X-E1 offers a better and higher-resolution image, but of course it can’t pull of the X-Pro 1’s impressive trick of switching to an optical view for those times when you want a literal ‘window’ on the world in front of your lens. The X-E1’s EVF cannot replace the X-Pro 1’s OVF but if you don’t really need or want an optical finder, the X-E1 is clearly a better choice than the X-Pro 1, thanks to its superior EVF and lower overall cost.

Optics

Arguably, it was very important that the X-E1, being the first ‘prosumer’ offering in the X-series, could be coupled with a zoom lens, and fortunately the new 18-55mm F2.8-4 R lens performs very well. Although pricey compared to typical ‘kit’ options, the higher cost is justified by very good optical performance, and solid image stabilization, with an unusually fast maximum aperture.

In addition to the 18-55, the X-E1 owner can also mount any of Fujifilm’s high quality XF prime lenses, the 18mm, 35mm, and 60mm, and now the new 14mm as well. After using all of them, I settled on the 35mm for most of my shots; its 53mm equivalence was just about right for most of my favorite subjects.

The built-in flash, while handy, produces the typical harsh frontal illumination we like to avoid. However, we liked the (undocumented) ability to bend back the flash to bounce light off the ceiling for a slightly more natural look, especially when shooting interior portraits.

Image Quality

Image quality is where the X-E1 shines, turning out JPEG images with extremely low noise, even at its highest ISO setting of 25,600. Contrast can be a little low in default JPEGs but this can be tweaked, although switching to Velvia film mode pumps contrast and color a little too much for most situations.

Shooting in Raw mode gives you a lot of control over brightness and color adjustments post-capture (as well as noise and sharpness) but X-E1 buyers should be aware that Silkypix, which is bundled with the X-E1, is one of the least enjoyable raw-conversion platforms out there, despite being very capable. Fortunately, after shaky beginnings, third-party raw support is finally pretty robust, with both Capture One and Adobe offering good support, closing the gap between the X-E1 and its conventional bayer-pattern competition when it comes to shooting and processing raw files.

If you’re a user of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4, or Photoshop CS6 and you haven’t already downloaded the release candidate of Adobe Camera Raw 7.4, we suggest you do so immediately.

It’s also worth noting that as we’ve come to expect from Fujifilm’s X-series, the X-E1’s built-in raw converter is excellent, offering all of the essential tonal and color adjustments that make shooting raw so useful, and delivering JPEGs that match in-camera JPEGs in terms of quality. The recent emergence of robust third-party raw support makes the X-E1 even more attractive, since it effectively makes it less of a risk. If you buy an X-E1, you don’t need worry that its raw files won’t fit into your usual workflow, which fundamentally alters the camera’s value proposition, and indeed that of the X-system as a whole. Both the significantly improved third party raw support and the development of lenses like the new 18-55mm zoom signal the maturation of the X-system for enthusiasts, and we can’t wait to see what comes next.

The Final Word

Overall, we really enjoyed shooting with the Fujifilm X-E1, and I’m very pleased with the images I got out of it. The camera crashed on occasion (it wouldn’t be a new X-series camera if it didn’t have some bugs…), leaving buttons unresponsive, and focus and exposure sometimes delivered odd results, but powering off usually cleared the error.

Ultimately, the Fujifilm X-E1 is a great little camera with a unique, retro design aesthetic, which works with a slowly growing selection of impressive lenses, and brings home images from both bright and dark places that rival some pretty heavy hitters. From the simple slab-sided design to Fujifilm’s enthusiast-friendly control logic, the X-E1 is tuned for the enthusiast photographer who likes straightforward controls and a no-nonsense emphasis on still photography. As such, despite it’s sub-par movie mode and less than stellar autofocus performance, it earns our coveted gold award, by a whisker.”

Below some pictures taken with this camera/lens combination during my first outing with it walking around my neighborhood.