New (to me) Rolleiflex 2.8 E

sreed2006 said:
(Big Snip....

And, since I have a nice film camera, I decided to process my own negatives, for the first time ever. Ilford HP5 Plus, hanging in the kitchen (toward the left side of the tree).

4354279297_a0a6c05457_o.jpg


I am saddened that working with film and film cameras is getting harder and harder. Today, I looked high and low for a changing bag for negatives, and could not find one for sale anywhere in the big city. Finding the developing chemicals on a shelf is still possible, but you really have to know where to look - and the selection is pretty limited.

But - I finally, finally processed my own B&W negatives, and while I didn't get it perfect, I did it! There's kinks and bends in the negatives here and there. Luckily, some of them look only partly destroyed. :)
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Hi,

Those negs don't look too bad for a first attempt. The frame spacing looks pretty good too, so the film transport seems to be working well.

You will have better luck getting a lot of your darkroom supplies online. I can recommend these three businesses;

Freestyle Photo in California

B&H Photo-Video in New York City

Adorama In New York City

I have dealt with all three with few, if any, problems.

I also have a 2.8E (older version) with the Schneider Xenotar. Incredible lens.


Hope this helps,

Mike
 
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Mike, thank you for the information.

I found out about Freestyle from reading posts on this forum, and ordered both C-41 and E-6 kits from them. They arrived last week. If I don't waste any chemicals, it will be cheaper to process my own than taking them in. The B&W developing has gone pretty well, so I thought I'd try my hand at the other processes, too.
 
sreed.
you should have no problems esp with C-41.
Couple of things to make it easier,
Get a digital thermometer, the cheap kind for checking if you have a temperature, they cost less than $5 and make life so much easier.
Use the sink as a temperature bath, it's surprising easy to keep a sink of water at 101.5-102 degrees just add hot or cold water by tap as needed. once you do that it's as easy as B+W.

BTW the Rick Olsen screen looks GREAT in my rolleiflex 2.8E, now its gone from being very dim to about the same or slightly brighter than the ikoflex and autocords. I'm sure a $200 screen is nicer still, but for the money (about 30-40$) I'm very happy with the improvement to my 2.8E.
 
ianstamatic - I have not opened the chemicals yet because I don't have enough exposed film ready to go. It has been so blasted hot here in Texas I thought about just doing the processing outside in the 105 degree heat and putting ice in the tub to cool it all down a little bit. That summer heat has also kept me from taking as many pictures as I would like to get out and take.

Thanks for the tips, especially the cheap thermometer. I was wondering where to get one that was accurate to less than 1 degree F, and you have the perfect solution.
 
I use an E2. It's been to Harry Fleanor 3 times in ten years for routine CLA. I shot hundreds of rolls between CLAs and use it for commissioned portraits, so I treat it well. Harry did a transport replacement on the last CLA. And the Maxwell screen, with the center split, which has been great but what Sanders said does make sense.
 
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AgentX said:
B&W brand-new filters from B&H photo are about $40 IIRC. They're not much.

Amazon sells caps and hoods via "Fotodiox" for cheap. I have the rigid hood and it's perfectly good. Can't vouch for the caps.

http://www.amazon.com/Finish-Biomet...TF8&s=electronics&qid=1287835712&sr=8-2-spell
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Thanks. I guess I was hoping for cheaper; since Bay I caps can be had 2-for-8.95 from heavystar, it makes $30 for a cap and $40 for hoods from Fotodiox seem dear. Guess I'll have to bite the bullet.
 
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