My Ermanox Journey

Vince Lupo said:
Many thanks Godfrey - the Ermanoxes are definitely challenging me every day, which I appreciate. Only bad thing is that my 907x is being neglected.
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Ah; my 907x is on its way home from Hasselblad USA. One of the body's electrical contacts launched itself into na-na land the last time I removed the back to use it on my 500CM. On close examination, the pin's guide hole was slightly off angle. I sent it in saying that I didn't know whether this was a warrantable defect or not. They chose to call it a warranty defect and did the repair with no charge.

That bad pin guide hole is possibly the answer to the intermittent problem of the back misbehaving that I've had with the 907x since I got it ...

G
 
Doing my best Erich Salomon imitation last night at an indoor event, minus the tuxedo.


At Evening Fundraiser1 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr


At Evening Fundraiser2 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr

Shot with the modified Graflex 120 back, Ilford HP5 Plus pushed to 1600, 1/20th at f/2 with the 100/2 lens. I 'guesstimated' focus for the photos and all handheld -- most of the shots weren't in focus but I had a couple that were okay. I'm going to have to double-check the distance scale to see if I have it right -- of course shooting wide open at f/2, the depth-of-field is minuscule, but I was hoping I would have had better luck with the focus. Good news is that the negs all looked good, exposure-wise, and no frame overlapping, no light leaks.
 
Vince Lupo said:
Think I might have room for a third one 🙂


The Ermanox Kid of Gettysburg by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
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"Hi, I'm Vince, and I'm an Ermanox addict!"

A few nights ago, on The Auction Site (speaking of addiction...) I saw an Ermanox from a Polish seller. For about 3 nanoseconds, I had a thought that I could join the club. Then I saw the price, and that was before any the no-doubt-necessary restoration work. I quickly decided to leave that one for Vince!
 
Retro-Grouch said:
"Hi, I'm Vince, and I'm an Ermanox addict!"

A few nights ago, on The Auction Site (speaking of addiction...) I saw an Ermanox from a Polish seller. For about 3 nanoseconds, I had a thought that I could join the club. Then I saw the price, and that was before any the no-doubt-necessary restoration work. I quickly decided to leave that one for Vince!
Click to expand...

Well I think if I had six or seven Ermanoxes, that might constitute an 'addiction', at least in my book. Two is just, well, two. Heck we have two cars -- I must have a car addiction as well 🙂

Seriously though, I'm actually glad I have these two different Ermanoxes -- one is 'early' with the 100/2 lens and the Newton finder, the other is 'late' with the 85/1.8 lens and the Albada finder. So I think they cover different bases.

If I were to call myself anything when it comes to these cameras, I think I prefer the word ‘dedicated’.
 
I had a nice little surprise this afternoon - photojournalist David Burnett commented on one of my ‘Evening Fundraiser’ photos on FB today. I had to double-check to make sure it was the David Burnett I thought it was, sure enough yup!
 
You are getting really good with inside shoots. But as you say, if this is HP5 pushed to 1600... how did Herr Salomon manage to do his plates?? I've just received a small book about him and I understand sometimes he used a tripod and cable release. But anyway... he used dry plates! Which was the normal or top speed of dry plates in the 20's? Now the top spedd are Jason Lane 25 ASA... and at least for my experience... they don't like much pushing...
 
The shot of Riley is much, much more than "sorta kinda." I think it's stunning! Very different from your usual style, less controlled. On a few occasions, I've made images that were so different from my usual style that I didn't know what to make of them, or if they were even any good at all. Months or years later, I'd then find myself regularly making successful images in exactly the style of that puzzling original image. I have a somewhat hokey theory that it's your subconscious trying to make "suggestions" for a potential new path to follow.
In any case, I love the idea of color with the Ermanox. I wonder if either of yours ever held Autochrome plates. Now, there's a process to revive!
 
Retro-Grouch said:
The shot of Riley is much, much more than "sorta kinda." I think it's stunning! Very different from your usual style, less controlled. On a few occasions, I've made images that were so different from my usual style that I didn't know what to make of them, or if they were even any good at all. Months or years later, I'd then find myself regularly making successful images in exactly the style of that puzzling original image. I have a somewhat hokey theory that it's your subconscious trying to make "suggestions" for a potential new path to follow.
In any case, I love the idea of color with the Ermanox. I wonder if either of yours ever held Autochrome plates. Now, there's a process to revive!
Click to expand...

Many thank you's indeed! I'm still having issues with my adapted 120 back (light leak at the dark slide 'felt') and hopefully I've now fixed it (it made its presence known in brighter light). As much as I don't mind these 'happy accidents', ideally I'd like to have more than one per roll, so hopefully I'll get a bit better batting average now that I think I've fixed the issue.

I don't know about Autochromes and if it was possible to shoot them with the Ermanox, but I like the idea of those trichromy shots that dourbalistar here at RFF has been doing. Very intriguing. Having said that, I'd like to shoot more colour shots and now having the ability to process them at home makes life a bit easier.

A couple more from Sunday's walk -- sorry for posting all these 'nature' shots, but honestly I don't find myself at evening/indoor events very often, so I'm just using the Ermanoxes as 'regular' cameras.

With Ilford Pan F 127.


Levering by Vince Lupo, on Flickr


High Water Mark by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
 
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