Balda Baldax Pic (Finally!)

[dazedgonebye]

Well, the first roll revelaled that the rangefinder was way off...and I very nearly blew this second roll entirely.

This was only my 3rd roll to develop myself and the first using Barry's 2 bath formula. I blew most of the roll by failing to install the little black tube in the patterson reel, therefore fogging all but three frames.

Balda Baldax, 1/250, f2.8, Ilford pan f plus, two bath developer
As a bonus, this verifies that my rangefinder is accurate. Nice narrow dof and spot on the cross as intended.

 

[NickTrop]

Well, the first roll revelaled that the rangefinder was way off...and I very nearly blew this second roll entirely.

This was only my 3rd roll to develop myself and the first using Barry's 2 bath formula. I blew most of the roll by failing to install the little black tube in the patterson reel, therefore fogging all but three frames.

Balda Baldax, 1/250, f2.8, Ilford pan f plus, two bath developer
As a bonus, this verifies that my rangefinder is accurate. Nice narrow dof and spot on the cross as intended.

This photo is gorgeous. Love the look of the old folder lenses. Not to get iinto a digital vs film war, but it's photos like this that draw me to the old classic cameras and film. Great pic, this is one you should frame.

 

[charjohncarter]

I love 120 small cameras, but maintenance is murder. I didn't really get if the RF was off or not. The one you showed looks great. I drive by one of those memorials every Friday, I'm too shy to stop. You've given me courage. Right now, I have a very obscure folder (6x6) apart trying to smooth out the focusing. I'll post if I ever get any photos. Consider yourself lucky, with only 3 rolls to get it right. My wife will be in AZ next month, keep an eye out for her and her friend: two obsessive compulsive women that like shopping.

 

[dazedgonebye]

Nick,
I couldn't agree more. This is exactly the type of shot that keeps me loving film. It just feels right.

John,
The Balda is cool in that the rangefinder adjustment is easy to get to and it actually works. This is my 5th folder. I have an Iskra that can give great results, but has a hard to pin down leak somewhere.
One more good thing about the balda is the 40.5mm filter threads. I had to use a 4x ND filter to get to f2.8 for this shot.
As far as the memorial shots...just stop and shoot them. I've done probably 25 or more.
I can't help with the wife/shopping thing. Lots of that to be done here. Careful, one trip to the Biltmore Fashion Center can break a man.

 

[NickTrop]

I have an Iskra that can give great results, but has a hard to pin down leak somewhere.

My Iskra did this too. However, I got really lucky and managed to fix it recently, somehow. I'm thrilled because I love this camera! The light leak left a solid vertical overexposed strip about 1/4 inch on the left side of a few prints on every roll - same position, so I knew it wasn't the bellows. I "reinforced" all the suspect points with black electrical tape (specifically that rectangular piece that juts out on the right side of the camera as you face the camera), I foamed the back "door", and what I think actually "did it", is I shove a tiny piece of folded cardboard from a match book cover in the space between the camera and the pull-down lever that opens the camera door. I "think" a tiny bit of light was getting in there somehow and overexposing the film where it rests on the left spool before it's exposed. That's the theory anyway.

 

[pschauss]

Nick,

Can you post a picture showing where you inserted the cardboard?

Thanks,

 

[kuzano]

What lens on your Balda...

What lens on your Balda...

I didn't catch this in the posts. My balda is the Balda Baldix with the Enna Werk Munchen at 3.5 maximum aperture. Uncoupled rangefinder.

I had a Hapo Balda which was identical to my Baldix. The Baldax must be when they coupled the rangefinder, but still wonder what lens mfr.

 

[dazedgonebye]

I didn't catch this in the posts. My balda is the Balda Baldix with the Enna Werk Munchen at 3.5 maximum aperture. Uncoupled rangefinder.

I had a Hapo Balda which was identical to my Baldix. The Baldax must be when they coupled the rangefinder, but still wonder what lens mfr.

Yes, the baldax has a coupled rangefinder. Quite a few different lenses were available. This one has a 4 element Enna f2.8 lens. I believe your Enna is 4 element too.
I have a baldix as well, with a 3 element f4.5 lens.

 

[charjohncarter]

Steve,

I did this with a non-folder, and it worked. It would be easier with a folder than a 35mm camera. I put a flash light inside the camera (on). Went into a dark room waited for my eyes to come around and found the leak. I also on another camera put tape all around the camera and then removed it piece by piece after a few frames (outside in sun, shouldn't be a problem in AZ). This worked too. On this camera it was the film identifier window.