Commie camera portraits

Gordon Coale

Gordon Coale

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Oct 12, 2004
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I've been figuring out how to use the tilt-all back on my Mamiya Super 23 by doing some product photography with my FEDs. (Is using my Super 23 as a view camera rangefinder abuse?) I shot them with hot lights and Fuji NPl, which is a tungsten color film, but decided to make them black and white. I have the first one set up with both my 50s. This is the Industar 50.
 
Those turrets are big, aren't they? I have one made by a company called Optimus and it has a diopter wheel on the back that goes from -4 to +4. It also has a ring with a distance scale in both meters and feet to adjust the angle for parallex correction. Pretty amazing piece of gear.
 
Gordon, fab shots!

How did you take them? What is that background? How about the flash?
 
Beautiful work, Gordon. What size film do you use in a Mamiya Super 23? Does it use sheet film or roll film?

Gene
 
Really nice 'portraits,' with excellent tone and detail sharpness throughout.

I hope you're thinking of using them in some kind of online gallery, ideally with technical specs and maybe a few sample photos from each camera/lens!

If you're looking for ways to enhance this kind of photo even more, here's an idea with which you may want to experiment: work with some small white fill cards, placed just outside the image area and positioned so that they are reflected in glass areas of the camera, such as the lens, viewfinder window, etc. By experimenting with placement of the cards, you can get nice, even reflections that help define the shape of the glass. (I picked up this trick photographing food, which also has a lot of shiny spots that look better if you give them something to reflect.)

But these are still really nice photos as they are. Everybody who has tried to sell something on eBay knows it's really hard to get such a good photo of a camera, with all the engraving sharp and good detail in both the black leatherette and chrome parts!
 
I have a ground glass back for my Mamiyas which can take cut film holders but I remove the the ground glass back after composing and put on the 6x9 (2.25 x 3.25 inches) roll film back. I used one Lowel Tota-light (continuous hot light) on the left and a piece of foam-core on the right as a reflector. I used Fuji NPL which is color film balanced for tungsten. I just desaturated in Photoshop.

These are sort of a work in progress. Getting everything in focus is tricky. There is still one spot that's a little soft. I've been playing around with backgrounds (I have some proper seamless paper on the way) and learning lighting.

jlw -- Thanks for the tips. I will look into that. I have been thinking of an online gallery. I hadn't thought of specs and pics but that's a great idea. That will take some time but I will work towards that. I do plan on doing this with all my cameras.
 
Wow, you are really getting great results. Very nice and clean looking FEDs. Your photos make a good case for getting a larger format camera.

Bob
 
Joe -- Yup! The one with the Jupiter 12. Actually it's started to do the skipping picture bit again but without jamming the film this time. I think I'm going to send it to Oleg at OK photocameras for repair and CLA.
 
When it gets back from Oleg (and I will send my other FED and Zorki eventually) it will work as well as it looks. And then I will look into replacing the vulcanite with leather. I love shooting it!
 
Very nice portraits! I have been trying to not buy any more cameras but now that I can really see how handsome the fed2s are:rolleyes: .
The portriat project is a good idea and will get very interesting when it's time to get a picture OF the Mamiya.
Looking forward to more photos!
Rob
 
Taking pictures of the Mamiya will be a little more difficult since I'm taking these pictures with the Mamiya. The Mamiya protraits will have to wait until I can get a view camera with swings and tilts. It will happen.
 
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