raid
Dad Photographer
I was recently wondering how flash works with such a wide angle lens on the SWC.
Hasselblad SWC is cool
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raid
Dad Photographer
Richard,
I will then take along some film that is faster than my standard ISO 100. I may have some 3200 film.
Going through Xray with fast film seems to be like a gamble. Either your film stays OK or it does not. Do you use special pouches to shield the film or you just walk with the film through the Xray?
Could it be that not having any metal cartridges has some impact?
DavidKKHansen
Well-known
Shinya Arimoto uses a flash a lot on his SWC. His camera has been featured on Tokyo Camera Style often.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Same as with any other ultra-wide ... You either bounce to spread the light, or you work with the flash's hot spot.
G
rlouzan
Well-known
semrich
Well-known
Raid, I put all my camera gear in my backpack or small wheeled carry on bag and just put it on the belt through the security x-ray entering the airport and again on the belt through the x-ray after customs. In order to save on weight my HP5 is out of the box, out of the plastic container in a clear plastic bag. My 120 film is also out of the box or its plastic wrap. I guess it is a gamble, I've just never had any problems and any stress about getting hand inspection.
MikeL
Go Fish
Raid, I do the same as Richard. I put Neopan 1600 and Delta 3200 in a plastic bag, store it with my liquids plastic bag, and pull it out for hand-check before I go through the scanner. I haven't had a problem with them being checked in the airports (5-6 U.S., Tokyo, Heathrow) I've been to.
Here's another one without a hood. When I had an RFMx to check on flare, I didn't see much benefit of the hood on the CF lens when the sun was in different locations outside the frame. But it may help, and is just not noticeable on the ground glass.
Here's another one without a hood. When I had an RFMx to check on flare, I didn't see much benefit of the hood on the CF lens when the sun was in different locations outside the frame. But it may help, and is just not noticeable on the ground glass.
Levi Wedel
Member
Very nice choice, I hope you enjoy it! If I could have only one camera, the SWC would be it. I use it for nearly all of my work. Sometimes I use other cameras for a while, but I always return.
The trick I found to avoid that wide angle distortion look (which some like, but it's not my taste) is to always keep the camera near level and shoot objects either straight on or at slight angles or at 45 degrees (steeper angles create extreme perspective and look less real to me). If it's straight on, it had best be exactly straight on or the slight perspective distortion will make the shot look crooked.
My favorite part about the SWC is I just set it to F/16 and focus to 6m and then I don't have to worry about anything except pressing the shutter.
I have the ground glass and reflex viewfinder for critical work and I like it. I use a spare Hasselblad body hanging around my neck to swap between the film back and the glass holder.
Here are some of my favorite shots I've made with the SWC:
The trick I found to avoid that wide angle distortion look (which some like, but it's not my taste) is to always keep the camera near level and shoot objects either straight on or at slight angles or at 45 degrees (steeper angles create extreme perspective and look less real to me). If it's straight on, it had best be exactly straight on or the slight perspective distortion will make the shot look crooked.
My favorite part about the SWC is I just set it to F/16 and focus to 6m and then I don't have to worry about anything except pressing the shutter.
I have the ground glass and reflex viewfinder for critical work and I like it. I use a spare Hasselblad body hanging around my neck to swap between the film back and the glass holder.
Here are some of my favorite shots I've made with the SWC:
sleepyhead
Well-known
Levi, nice photos. The one with the small house sandwiched between the buildings is my favourite.
Levi Wedel
Member
Thank you, that house appeared to be a lone holdout between very long commercial buildings in a downtown area. I thought it had a nice character.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Great stuff, Levi!
The wide field and square format together give these photo a wonderful feeling of space and staging.
G
The wide field and square format together give these photo a wonderful feeling of space and staging.
G
raid
Dad Photographer
Thank you for these images, Levi.
Next, I need to use the SWC more often and I need to post some results to get feedback.
Next, I need to use the SWC more often and I need to post some results to get feedback.
Brunocstreet
Member
Great images Levi, specially that "Snacks and Drinks" store! Well done, I'm loving your SWC pictures..
robklurfield
eclipse
Read and look at this link to see about a Japanese photographer who makes extensive use of flash with his SWC.
http://arimotoshinya.com/archives/6974
http://arimotoshinya.com/archives/6974
Levi Wedel
Member
Thanks everyone
I found the extreme wide angle a bit hard to work with at first, but it became easier with experience. Particularly working with the viewfinder and not seeing the lower third of the image while framing took some time for me (I habitually look down first, then up). I really like how the extreme wide angle renders scale in an exaggerated way and can be used to make unexpected kinds of compositions:
untitled 0351_12 by Levi Wedel, on Flickr
untitled 0267_03 by Levi Wedel, on Flickr
untitled 0404_10 by Levi Wedel, on Flickr
untitled 0189_08 by Levi Wedel, on Flickr
untitled 0391_09 by Levi Wedel, on Flickr
untitled 0168_05 by Levi Wedel, on Flickr
I found the extreme wide angle a bit hard to work with at first, but it became easier with experience. Particularly working with the viewfinder and not seeing the lower third of the image while framing took some time for me (I habitually look down first, then up). I really like how the extreme wide angle renders scale in an exaggerated way and can be used to make unexpected kinds of compositions:
untitled 0351_12 by Levi Wedel, on Flickr
untitled 0267_03 by Levi Wedel, on Flickr
untitled 0404_10 by Levi Wedel, on Flickr
untitled 0189_08 by Levi Wedel, on Flickr
untitled 0391_09 by Levi Wedel, on Flickr
untitled 0168_05 by Levi Wedel, on Flickr
raid
Dad Photographer
I just got back from using the SWC at a fish market type store. I may have misjudged the DOF and distance settings in some hots, but this is much of the photography enjoyment.
sc_rufctr
Leica nuts
Some great images.
So what's the "modern" digital equivalent of the SWC?
So what's the "modern" digital equivalent of the SWC?
shanenoir
Established
Mamiya 7II probably-- Medium Format in a relatively compact body with fantastic lenses.... then scan the negatives!
As far as I know there aren't any 'relatively compact' digital MF cameras. I've seen photos of a Frankenstein Mamiya 7II that had been given a digital back, but that's not mass produced.
Levi Wedel
Member
There are no digital equivalents. The unique aspects of the SWC are its essentially zero distortion, giant DOF from the Biogon design, and massive field of view BOTH horizontally and vertically. As DSLRs and medium format digital are all rectangular or cropped, there are no lens/format combinations capable of this.
A digital back can be used, but there are problems with color casts, soft edges and focus issues, and I don't know of any full frame square digital backs that can be used. The problem is to duplicate the 38mm Biogon, the lens would have to sit mm from the sensor, and that means the angle of light at the edges becomes extreme and is difficult for a sensor to capture unless the sensor were customized with angled photosites.
It is much easier to just shoot a piece of film and scan it.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Yes.
The closest I've come is to fit a 15-18mm lens on the M9 and shoot for the center square of the frame, but the feel in use and the look of the images is very different. The SWC look and feel, the quality of the Biogon 38 on 6x6, is unique which is why I missed it so much.
G
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