NYC with film, 120

robert blu

robert blu

quiet photographer
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My wife and me are planning a week in New York beginning of April. The main purpose of the trip is not to make photo but to visit, enjoy, experience this city.

But of course loving photography both of us we will take photos.

My wife will have her dsrl for her family-docu style photos, which is positive because I can be free to focus my energies on my art works ;) (just kidding with myself a little!).

I plan to bring my Zeiss Super Ikonta with a 10/12 Ilford xp2 films (I know, silver based film would be the way but I have some problems with developing by now) plus the small Leica x1 for situation with difficult light (inside buildings or similar, where higher iso are necessary).

Some of my photographer friends say this is a bad idea (still shooting film?) but I would like to ear any comments from people living or knowing New York.

Thanks, robert

PS: not sure if I had to post this in the travel or 120 rf forum, this seems me appropriate.
 
I would just take a decent small camera (or two), and forget about impractical and slow 6x6 or only marginally better than smartphone digitals. A Leica or ZI with a fast 28mm lens would be a must, then I also never move anywhere without a 50mm.
 
I think your original idea is a good one. Your wife has your back covered with her 10 lbs of DSLR gear. So, you're free to experiment.

The Zeiss Super Ikontas are compact to transport, and actually very fast shooting. Preset aperture and shutter speed settings. Then unfold, cock shutter, focus and shoot. You can shoot fairly fast with those things when underway. They automatically set up the next frame, without having to look at a red window to find the next frame. So, film winding is as fast as you can twist the knob and camera (in opposite directions) together.

I've done it before with a Super Ikonta B in downtown Toronto. You can do it in NYC.
 
Take the 120. When you see the images you'll be glad you did. I'm always glad I took film on holidays when I see everyone elses images. Most people take digital. Rise above them.
Pete
 
I used to carry a Super Ikonta III around London, nothing impractical about it other than the film loading, IMHO. I found it very fast to use, smaller and a lighter than a Leica with a 6x6 negative at the end of it.
 
Thank you all for comments, I'm not yet so familiar with the Super Ikonta which was a Christmas present from my wife, more details here but I'm practicing a lot in these days!
robert
 
Your plan sounds good. You've jumped the first hurdle -that your wife will make the compulsory documentary shots.

My 2 cents: just make sure you shoot enough rolls with the Ikonta to master it BEFORE you get to NYC. NYC can be so exciting and fast-paced, you want to be very comfortable and ready with your gear when you see a nice shot unfold in front of your eyes. I've missed a lot of great shots when traveling, simply because I had not mastered the gear first.
 
I live in NY and I usually shoot film. Just yesterday I shot one roll of black white with my Rolleicord. First warm day, nice shots of the skyline from across the river.
I used to have a Super Ikonta B with an 80mm 2.8 Opton Tessar lens. I loved that camera. The lens was very sharp with a nice bokeh and quite fast for a medium format camera. The only thing I did not like was that I could shoot only 11 pictures per roll with that model.
I think you should bring you medium format camera to NY, absolutely.
The Ikonta is very portable. You can buy film quite easily here if you run out.
New York is great in black and white. Since you are coming in Spring I would consider using also some nice color slides.
Enjoy your vacation.
 
I took 4 cameras to Rome, M6 and M9, Bessa III and Rolleiflex. Generally I prefer the photos I took with the film cameras using Tri-X, Portra 800, and Ektachrome VS100. I carried the M9 and a different film camera each day.
 
Seconding what others have said above, more important than what camera you bring is to know how it works and be well practiced with it. I wouldn't want to miss a rare opportunity due to not knowing how to work my kit properly, whether a Super Ikonta or a new super-electronic digital. Anyway, I've walked about NY with a pre-war Voigtlander Bessa RF, at night. It has worse ergonomics than my Super Ikonta (531/2 model) and a dim, squinty RF. So if that was possible, you should have an easy :) time with your 6x6 Z-I.

--Dave
 
Use what is most comfortable for you... nobody else can answer that for you. Sounds like you have the right set-up for you. Go for it.
 
Excellent photos NY Dan, bravo! Yes, practicing and knowing the camera is essential, I practice almost daily. Positive point is that I have small hands which makes easier to work the controls on the camera. Not yet used to work with an external light meter but I'm actually taking photos in different light situation (full sun, shadows, mixed...) and environment (urban, country, suburbs, interiors) to have a better idea how the combination camera/film work.
Thanks again to all who gave me his thoughts.
robert
 
As others have already said, and if your Wife's dslr has a wider field of view available than your ZI 6x6 that would also suit many urban landscape shots. For where I don't need to capture a fast-moving subject, or take quickly-available family-docu shots, I prefer the calm, one-shot, set-up for, and results from, 120 film :).
 
Less than two weeks, it seems the temperature in NYC is quite low...Now the question is: 100 or 400 iso? I recently tried Delta 100 and not bad, when correctly exposed...but xp2 is easier to scan...
robert
 
robert blu said:
Less than two weeks, it seems the temperature in NYC is quite low...Now the question is: 100 or 400 iso? robert
Click to expand...

Robert, to decide you have to go no further than HCB. I found this out for myself and then came across his words -- I paraphrase -- "I shoot at 125th between 5.6 and f/8 in the shade" This was with 400 Tri X. So, go with 400 (I do). On the shady side of the street you will be at f/8 - a bit darker street closer to 5.6, and on a brighter area f/8 250th. I carry a yellow filter or an ND for when I'm on the sunny side of street -- 250th f/11.5. I sometimes use a Pentax digital spot, but more often the Light Meter app for my iphone -- why? Because I can not only get an exposure but see the result of that exposure, and buy selecting the measuring area I can see how a certain exposure looks in a given area. Maybe they will make this app in black and white some day :) And if I take a reflected reading with my Rolleiflex meter off the wall as I'm walking on a shady street, that is usually very accurate - but basically I'm at 5.6 - 8 1/125 or 11.5 1/250 with yellow filter. With 120 f/stops like 11.5 still render nicely. If I were shooting 35, then I might want one camera with a slower ISO or just carry an nd.
 
Take whatever camera you enjoy most using and leave it at that. Also a comfortable bag to carry it in. New York is a walking town and these days, safe as heck. You can buy film here if the type you bring isn't right.
 
NYC can be very beautiful and atmospheric, especially early, and the way light travels down streets (canyons?) and gets cut off can be very graphic. Take some long shots, most people don't.

And try to get high. on a balcony!

120 and 400 ISO for everything, leave all the other junke at home.
 
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