cassel
Well-known
I would send you a couple of rolls of the 127-sized Kodak Gold 200 for free! I have a decent sized stash of the stuff - expired but well stored - I shoot it at 100 and it is pretty good. Send me a PM if you are interested.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Many thanks for the offer -- I tried to send you a PM, but I got a message saying that your 'message quota had been exceeded'. So unfortunately until this new website gets sorted out I can't send a PM.
cassel
Well-known
No problem - we will figure something out - I will set a couple of rolls aside for you. I will check my "Message Quota" as well!
Vince Lupo
Whatever
I checked my ‘messages’ and it seemed to have stored every message I ever sent and received (despite my having deleted them long ago!). I cleared them all from my archive.
Nokton48
Veteran
One bit of good news -- I had an issue with trying to find the right kind of light trap 'felt' for my glass plate holders, and mostly I'd been scavenging good vintage felt from other plate holders that I wasn't using. Well I finally found a source for new felt and it's exactly as the old felt. A place called Decorative Fabrics Direct has it -- it's Mohair Velvet fabric that's used for upholstery and it's perfect. Nice thing is that I can buy a 3"x8" sample for $2.75 shipped. They don't offer it in black, but they have a 'Pomegranate' that's exactly the same as the red that was used in some of the vintage plate holders. Very relieved to have found this source at an inexpensive price!
Well Thanks again for the MOHAIR sample Vince. 3"x8' is quite a bit. How did that stuff I sent you work out? Did it light tight your gizmo sufficently?
MOHAIR is hard to find and EXPENSIVE. Most people have no idea what Mohair is and does. I think it is the realio dealio when retrapping old plate holders. I have fifty Makina holders and about a dozen of them needed retrapping. Good dead of winter project.
Looks like you are finding your groove with your Erma....
Well Thanks again for the MOHAIR sample Vince. 3"x8' is quite a bit. How did that stuff I sent you work out? Did it light tight your gizmo sufficently?
MOHAIR is hard to find and EXPENSIVE. Most people have no idea what Mohair is and does. I think it is the realio dealio when retrapping old plate holders. I have fifty Makina holders and about a dozen of them needed retrapping. Good dead of winter project.
Looks like you are finding your groove with your Erma....
Vince Lupo
Whatever
One bit of good news -- I had an issue with trying to find the right kind of light trap 'felt' for my glass plate holders, and mostly I'd been scavenging good vintage felt from other plate holders that I wasn't using. Well I finally found a source for new felt and it's exactly as the old felt. A place called Decorative Fabrics Direct has it -- it's Mohair Velvet fabric that's used for upholstery and it's perfect. Nice thing is that I can buy a 3"x8" sample for $2.75 shipped. They don't offer it in black, but they have a 'Pomegranate' that's exactly the same as the red that was used in some of the vintage plate holders. Very relieved to have found this source at an inexpensive price!
Well Thanks again for the MOHAIR sample Vince. 3"x8' is quite a bit. How did that stuff I sent you work out? Did it light tight your gizmo sufficently?
MOHAIR is hard to find and EXPENSIVE. Most people have no idea what Mohair is and does. I think it is the realio dealio when retrapping old plate holders. I have fifty Makina holders and about a dozen of them needed retrapping. Good dead of winter project.
Looks like you are finding your groove with your Erma....
Your piece did work out okay, though I did have to put a piece of matboard underneath it to build up the thickness. That stuff I just got is real mohair, so for $2.75 for a 3"x8" piece, it's a super deal for us (I just ordered two more pieces of it).
Vince Lupo
Whatever
I just thought of another thing you could use for your bellows -- JoAnn Fabrics sells these sheets of dense felt/flocking, which is made from recycled plastic bottles. The sheets are 9"x12" and the name of it is Kunin Felt. Look at kuninfelt.com and you should be able to see it there.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
My PM finally went through!
Retro-Grouch
Veteran
I'm investing in mohair futures. Sadly, a lot of Angora goats are going to spend the winter naked and shivering in the cold because of Vince's post.
rfaspen
[insert pithy phrase here]
I happen to have a JoAnn fabrics in my town. Will be stopping by during my errand run tomorrow.
Thanks much for the tip!
Vince Lupo
Whatever
I’m confident that once the goats realize that it’s in the service of the Ermanox, they’ll gladly make the sacrifice
Vince Lupo
Whatever
As much as I find cutting down 120 film to 127 size a big butt-pain, it certainly does make things a bit more economical than shooting glass plates exclusively (though of course it's hard to match the aesthetics of images from glass plates). Even Rerapan at $13 a roll isn't completely hateful, though I much prefer shooting with the cut-down Pan F. It seems that Pan F and the Ermanox are a great combination.
Ermanox and 127 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
We're planning a road trip later on this month and I think rather than taking any digital camera, I might just take the Ermanox on its own.
**BTW if anyone has a stash of metal 127 spools they'd be willing to part with, please let me know!**
Ermanox and 127 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
We're planning a road trip later on this month and I think rather than taking any digital camera, I might just take the Ermanox on its own.
**BTW if anyone has a stash of metal 127 spools they'd be willing to part with, please let me know!**
Vince Lupo
Whatever
From this morning's nature walk. Ilford Pan F 127.
Near Hammonds Ferry1 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
Near Hammonds Ferry2 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
Near Hammonds Ferry1 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
Near Hammonds Ferry2 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Two more on 127 film.
Near Hammonds Ferry3 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
Near Hammonds Ferry4 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
There was a short discussion on the Ermanox FB page regarding the wisdom of using cameras that take odd-sized format film, like 127 (and I suppose by extension, glass plates). Why go through all the trouble of either spending exorbitant amounts of money on specially-rolled films like 127 or cutting down perfectly good 120 film to fit, when you could simply take pictures (being the whole point of this endeavour in the first place) with cameras that use more readily available and less expensive film? I mean why indeed!
It's a good question and not one for which I necessarily had a good answer. Is it a foolish waste of time and money? Should we all just be using cameras that take 35mm and 120 film? Or better still -- our digital cameras??? I'd be curious to know what drives this need/desire/attraction to use these odd cameras rather than using something that's much much less of a hassle.
Near Hammonds Ferry3 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
Near Hammonds Ferry4 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
There was a short discussion on the Ermanox FB page regarding the wisdom of using cameras that take odd-sized format film, like 127 (and I suppose by extension, glass plates). Why go through all the trouble of either spending exorbitant amounts of money on specially-rolled films like 127 or cutting down perfectly good 120 film to fit, when you could simply take pictures (being the whole point of this endeavour in the first place) with cameras that use more readily available and less expensive film? I mean why indeed!
It's a good question and not one for which I necessarily had a good answer. Is it a foolish waste of time and money? Should we all just be using cameras that take 35mm and 120 film? Or better still -- our digital cameras??? I'd be curious to know what drives this need/desire/attraction to use these odd cameras rather than using something that's much much less of a hassle.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
For me, I like the learning and cognitive process of using 'different' cameras. Using something like an Ermanox, a Kodak Retina IIc/IIIc, a Polaroid SX-70 or derivative model, even a Hasselblad or Minox, one has to learn the medium and think through the picture taking process with some deliberation and attention rather than just whirling a couple of knobs or relying upon auto focus and auto exposure to fill in the technical requirements. It slows you down, it makes you look at what you're doing, what you're photographing, and make decisions a priori rather than post facto.
There's a place for the fast ease and efficiency of a modern digital or film camera too, but it's not the only place to be in Photography either as art or in documentary work. All kinds of different places are there in the domain, it's up to you to decide which to be in, when, why, and to enjoy the effort in achieving what you want to do.
—
I'm liking what you're showing with the Ermanox, Vince. Such an interesting camera and lens, and lovely qualities in these photos! Inspiring!
G
There's a place for the fast ease and efficiency of a modern digital or film camera too, but it's not the only place to be in Photography either as art or in documentary work. All kinds of different places are there in the domain, it's up to you to decide which to be in, when, why, and to enjoy the effort in achieving what you want to do.
—
I'm liking what you're showing with the Ermanox, Vince. Such an interesting camera and lens, and lovely qualities in these photos! Inspiring!
G
Retro-Grouch
Veteran
Well, one can analyze and rationalize endlessly over this question; I do as well, unfortunately. But in the end, it gives you pleasure, you can afford it, and no one is getting hurt (except possibly those poor Angora goats). And in addition, you also happen to make some great images in the process. Don't overthink, and don't listen to the nay-sayers.
The people who are most inclined to laugh at another's dreams are most often the people who have given up on their own.
The people who are most inclined to laugh at another's dreams are most often the people who have given up on their own.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
I do appreciate both of your thoughts on the matter, Sometimes I do wonder why I put myself through this weird effort, when I could take photos (perhaps better ones!) through a much easier process. Almost like I need to have this self-imposed struggle for some reason, not sure why.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
When those thoughts start to surface in my head, I pull out one of my digital cameras and enjoy making photographs that way for a time. Eventually, I start moving back to wanting to see what some other use of my 'oddball' film camera would do, pull it out, and then I lock in on how much fun it is to "make things harder" again for a time. For me, it's a see-saw, an oscillating whirl of what means fun vs what means too much of a PITA... LOL! I've given up on the why of it, just enjoy it for what it is and what I can make happen with these different tools.
G
Retro-Grouch
Veteran
How boring things would be if we had no boundaries to push against!
JeffS7444
Well-known
We are an unexpected new audience for these old cameras, and I think it's safe to say that they have different meanings for us which would surprise their designers!
When I photograph with a Zenit SLR, I think on one hand that it's makers weren't entirely wrong in thinking that a camera offering shutter speeds of B plus 1/30th-1/500th sec should be perfectly adequate for almost everybody. But at the same time, I think it symbolizes much that was wrong too: It was a top-down approach in which someone decided what consumers "should" want, and ultimately the only way they could sell them for hard currencies was on the basis of price.