Culver City Street Photos w/ Fuji Rangefinders

[divewizard]

My forté in photography is underwater photos like this recent set. But I wanted to try my hand at some street photography in downtown Culver City, California with my Fuji Rangefinders. I shot three rolls of 120 over two days. The first roll I shot was some Acros 100 in my Fujica GW690 with an orange O(G) filter. I metered the shots with a my Pentax Digital Spot meter with a O(G) filter on it. On a few shots I did not get time to meter and just guessed the exposure and shot.

©2011 Chris Grossman

 

[divewizard]

More with the first roll of Acros 100

©2011 Chris Grossman

 

[divewizard]

The next time I went out I took the Fujica GW690 again, but this time with a roll of Ilford HP5+ and a yellow filter. I attached my Gossen Digisix meter to the top of the camera and set this ISO to 200 to compensate for the filter.

©2011 Chris Grossman

 

[divewizard]

After the HP5, I returned a few hours later now armed with my Fuji GA645zi and a roll of Provia 400x.

©2011 Chris Grossman

 

[divewizard]

More with the GA645zi and the roll of Provia 400x.

All of the images above were developed and scanned by NCPS.

©2011 Chris Grossman

 

[visionners]

Stunning work ! you rock man !

 

[RobVinc]

Great shots!

 

[Paolo Bonello]

What time of day was it? the first few b+w shots look like you were out in difficult midday sun going by the shadows. The colour shots really shine IMO but they also look like more favourable light. They are all incredibly sharp and nicely composed.

I'm lusting for a fuji rangefinder now!

 

[divewizard]

The first set of shots (GW690 and Acros 100) was midday on Saturday April 16, 2011. The second set (GW690 and HP5+) was midday on Sunday April 17, 2011. The third set (GA645ZI and Provia 400) was late afternoon on Sunday April 17, 2011.

I mailed the photos to NCPS on Sunday Evening and got them back yesterday, Friday April 22, 2011. I also sent two rolls to PCV at the same time on Sunday April 17. They were shot with a Pentax 6x7 SLR. I expect them back next week since from LA to Carlsbad is one day in the mail, but LA to Austin to 2-4 days each way.

 

[ssmc]

Very nice! Considering you used an orange or yellow filter, the macro-contrast of the Fuji 90mm lens looks quite moderate, but with lots of fine detail, which is a combination I really like - I am not into the ultra-contrasty, "film-noir-crime-scene" look. The chrome plating on the outdoor heaters just looks beautiful!

I've had my eye on a GF670II or III for a while as a (relatively) inexpensive way into MF, but their size (and to a lesser extent, weight) keeps holding me back. I read so many comments in the forums about "clown cameras" and so on I just dunno whether I'd end up leaving it behind because of the attention it might attract (I'm not really into "street shooting" but I still don't want to have people staring at me). How do you find people react when walking around with the GW690?

Regards
Scott

 

[kuzano]

Why 670 vs 690

Why 670 vs 690

Very nice! Considering you used an orange or yellow filter, the macro-contrast of the Fuji 90mm lens looks quite moderate, but with lots of fine detail, which is a combination I really like - I am not into the ultra-contrasty, "film-noir-crime-scene" look. The chrome plating on the outdoor heaters just looks beautiful!

I've had my eye on a GF670II or III for a while as a (relatively) inexpensive way into MF, but their size (and to a lesser extent, weight) keeps holding me back. I read so many comments in the forums about "clown cameras" and so on I just dunno whether I'd end up leaving it behind because of the attention it might attract (I'm not really into "street shooting" but I still don't want to have people staring at me). How do you find people react when walking around with the GW690?

Regards
Scott

The Fuji rangefinder bodies for 6X7 and 6X9 are identical in size and weight. The frame opening and transport mechanism is the only difference. The only thing you gain (or lose as I see it), with the GW670 is one frame per roll. Otherwize the camera is the same.

The gains on 6X9 are:
2cm longer neg/slide
Can crop down if need be
You can Stitch two 6X9 neg/slides together for a 6X17 pano

As much as I have known that 6X7 is considered a more usable "normal" frame size, when it comes time to lay the money down, I just can't give up that much larger frame size.

As far as the size, there is no camera that kicks out a 6X7 frame that is much smaller than the Fuji rangefinders. Not even the GF670 folder is that much smaller when you get them side by side. If the size of the camera is an issue, you must look at 645. Then you only get a frame 2.7 times greater than 35mm. With the 6X9 the frame is 4.7 times the 35mm frame.

There is a lot less paranoia out there about carrying an obvious camera vs a "sneaky" rangefinder or P&S. Are you really all that conderned about packing the camera that gets the results you want.

Where's the commitment?

 

[ssmc]

The Fuji rangefinder bodies for 6X7 and 6X9 are identical in size and weight. The frame opening and transport mechanism is the only difference. The only thing you gain (or lose as I see it), with the GW670 is one frame per roll. Otherwize the camera is the same.

The gains on 6X9 are:
2cm longer neg/slide
Can crop down if need be
You can Stitch two 6X9 neg/slides together for a 6X17 pano

As much as I have known that 6X7 is considered a more usable "normal" frame size, when it comes time to lay the money down, I just can't give up that much larger frame size.

As far as the size, there is no camera that kicks out a 6X7 frame that is much smaller than the Fuji rangefinders. Not even the GF670 folder is that much smaller when you get them side by side. If the size of the camera is an issue, you must look at 645. Then you only get a frame 2.7 times greater than 35mm. With the 6X9 the frame is 4.7 times the 35mm frame.

There is a lot less paranoia out there about carrying an obvious camera vs a "sneaky" rangefinder or P&S. Are you really all that conderned about packing the camera that gets the results you want.

Where's the commitment?

Yeah I should have been more specific - I knew the 670/680/690 were the same size, I just meant cameras of that size in general. You're right about obvious vs "sneaky" though - now that I think about it I pretty much get ignored carrying the D700 (though I only have small primes on it, not a 70-200VR). If I was going to take the plunge into medium format I sould definitely skip 645 (no offense anyone!) and go the whole hog to 6x7 (or maybe 6x9).

I'm curious about one thing though - when stitching scanned film, what software do you use? What are the results like compared to stitched digital? I do a fair bit of stitching with my DSLRs and even an A630 compact using CS3 and get very nice the results but I've never tried it with film scans - I thought the grain might not stitch/blend properly.

Thx,
Scott

 

[divewizard]

visionners, RobVinc, Paolo Bonello, & ssmc,
Thank you for the compliments!

Chris

 

[divewizard]

I just got back my XP2 from Precision Camera. It took an additional week round trip, but that is almost all postal travel time.

This one was shot a week before the previous photos with my GW690, Ilford XP2, and a yellow filter.

©2011 Chris Grossman