Olympus OM-2 and Ilford FP4

 My Olympus OM-2 has been a favourite camera of mine since I bought it in an estate sale a couple of years back. I have often spoken of my OM-1 being my dream camera since childhood, but the OM-2 comes a very close second. I had taken it out a few weeks back to use it during a recent walk around town, but it jammed and I couldn't get it to wind on nor release the shutter. This would make anyone tear their hair out, but as I don't have much left I sent it to my friend Pierro at PPP Cameras to get it repaired.

Pierro was the chap who serviced my OM-1 for a very reasonable price and I didn't hesitate in arranging for him to take a look at my poorly OM-2. Booking a repair at PPP Cameras is a very easy process, you simply fill out the form on his website giving your details and a brief description of the symptoms your poorly camera is exhibiting. Pierro then gives you a date when he will be able to fit it into his busy schedule and it's up to you to make sure it gets delivered in time for the appointment.

When the day of my appointment arrived Pierro sent me an email with his apppraisal of the problem and a price for the repair. Aparently some debris had got in to works and caused my OM-2 to jam. I told him I was happy for him to proceed and Pierro fixed my OM-2 for a very reasonable price. A few days later I received my OM-2 back via Royal Mail and it is working beautifully once again. All I had to do was load a roll of Ilford FP4 and head out for a photowalk.

I intended to shoot some behind the scenes photos for a photo challenge hosted by Jason Avery, the driving force behind #CameraChallenge on Twitter. The challenge involved taking B&W photos on the theme of "seasons" in week 1, developing the film in  week 2 and showing them in week 3. I had planned to use my Goodman Zone Z1 for the challenge with a few behind the scenes shots for good measure. That's not how it turned out for me.

For whatever reason, either my hamfistedness or just sheer bad luck, I made a right pigs ear of my first roll of Fomapan 400 for the challenge shot with my Z1. Light leaks were plentiful and I had 10 images I simply couldn't use. I was in trouble, but time was on my side and I headed out again a day or two later and made a concentrated effort to produce some medium format images for the challenge. I must have upset the Photography Gods as this roll of Fomapan 400 was even worse than my first attempt.

By the time I had developed the film is was too late to go out again and I resigned myself to having to give the challenge a miss. I was getting a bit fed up of failing and decided a change of cameras was in order to rediscover my mojo. I began emptying my camera bag out and sat beneath my dark cloth was my OM-2 with half a roll of exposed FP4. I had forgotten it was in my bag as I put all my thought into getting some results with the Z1. Was salvation at hand?

As it was developing week I cut the film out of my OM-2 and developed it in Kodak HC-110 dilution H and to my relief I had photos I could use for show and tell week. I scanned the film with my Ion Slides2PC scanner and I was a bit disappointed with the scans. They didn't look good at all. This challenge has seriously tested my patience so I changed tack and using my Pixl-Latr, an A5 led light pad and my smart phone, I tried again.

Never underestimate the value of a smart phone with a decent camera built in. My Nokia 5.3 not only took sharp images of my negatives, it retained a heck of a lot more detail than the 5mp camera in my Ion Slides2PC did. I soon had them processed with Affinity Photo and I was finally happy to share them with the film community on Twitter who also took part in #CameraChallenge.

Here are a few of my images shot with my OM-2 and Zuiko 28mm f/3.5 lens. I have placed them in an album on Flickr for you to see in full resolution via the link below. If you like my photos, I have a Ko-Fi account where you can support me and help me continue My Journey into Photography via the a link below. There's is also a link to Pierro's website, PPP Cameras where you can find decent cameras, lenses and accessories for sale and also the booking form should you wish to use his excellent service and repair skills.

This was a challenge that lived up to it's name in more ways than one for me, but was saved by my OM-2 that I forgot was in my bag. It has proven yet again that taking more than one camera out for a photowalk does pay off and that Pierro did a fine job of repairing my OM-2.  I hope you enjoy them.

Ilford FP4 - Olympus OM-2
Ko-Fi.com - Jim Graves
PPP Cameras

Getting Acquainted With My Goodman Zone Z1

After my recent rushing about to get my Frugal Film Project roll of Ilford HP5 shot and developed before March ended, I decided I needed to slow down. I have been putting things off that really needed my attention and I took the opportunity of a sunny weekend at the beginning of April to get acquainted with my Goodman Zone Z1.

Back in February I wrote about my good fortune at winning the camera in a giveaway hosted by PetaPixel.com and Dora Goodman Cameras and then allowed myself to get distracted by other shiny things. I really must get that looked in to. Anyway, on the first Saturday of April I loaded a roll of Fomapan 400 into the RB67 Pro S film back on my Goodman Zone Z1, grabbed my tripod and headed off to the local countryside to see what I could do with it.

This was a whole new experience for me. I am used to shooting 35mm with my only foray into medium format being 6x6 with my Agfa Isolette 1 and I would soon find out just how out of my depth I had plunged. My first mistake was thinking that I could use my skills as a 35mm photographer to shoot reasonable photos from the start. I was wrong! The Schneider-Kreuznach 90mm f/8 Super Angulon lens is built for large format photography, specifically 5x7 and 8x10. I soon learned I needed to think like a large format photographer.

My first roll of film through it wasn't my finest attempt at learning a new skill. I was using the wrong apertures, wrong shutter speeds and I completely failed to nail the focus on more than one or two. The focus screen was a little tricky to get used to and I have acquired a dark cloth from a very nice man named Dan to help rectify that. I wasn't expecting miracles, but I really need to get the method dialled in to give me the best chance at producing reasonable images. Fortunately for me the weather was decent in the first half of April and I was able to shoot a few rolls in my Z1 to get it figured out.

I needed to use them too as I made just about every rookie mistake, including forgetting to take the dark slide out when it was time to release the shutter. D'oh! Also I am so used to using f/8 and f/11 to get a decent depth of field for my 35mm shots, I didn't think about it and made a right pigs ear of the depth of field on my first roll. I learned that f/11 on my 35mm cameras is equivalent to f/45 on the Schneider. All I can say is thank the deity of your choosing that Fomapan film is cheap.

I decided to re-shoot a couple of compositions to compare with my previous attempts and shot a couple of others that I hadn't bothered with previously. Nothing special, I just needed to get my head around the Schneider lens and shutter. I also took my Vivitar 45 light meter to get my exposure right. I was using the meter on my cell phone on that first roll and wanted to do something different, it was a good excuse to take as much electrickery out of my day as possible.

Complicated electronic 35mm cameras I can do without thinking, this "simple" camera is making me think a lot more about the art of photography. It sounds crazy, but unless I get each step right I won't produce anything worth showing. We take so many things for granted with the cameras we love to use that It requires a serious change in the way we go about our photography when we strip it back to basics. This is one hell of a learning curve!

Until I got my Z1 I never fully appreciated the joy that large format photographers get from using the most basic of techniques to create their images. My Goodman Zone Z1 is medium format, but it does have large format at it's heart with the superb Schneider-Kreuznach 90mm f/8 Super Angulon. You can also fit Mamiya press lenses to the Z1 too, there is a list of lenses that can be used on the Z1 on the Dora Goodman website.

The Goodman Zone Z1 is a pleasure to use. It's taking me a little time to figure it out and with more practice I know I will be able to produce better quality images. If this blog hits the spot and has you wondering about buying one, you can buy one ready made from Dora Goodman or buy the parts and build your own. You will find all the details on doragoodman.com

Here's a few images from my early attempts and I have put them in an album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. If you enjoy my content please consider supporting me through my Ko-Fi account via the link below. Every donation helps me continue my journey into photography and share the joy I get from taking photographs with the world. I hope you enjoy them.

Goodman Zone Z1 Flickr Album
Ko-fi.com - Jim Graves

DubbleFilm Daily Black and White film

 My friend Keith Sharples gave me some film for Christmas, but that's not the only time he has sent a parcel through the post. A few months ago he sent me a roll of Dubblefilm Daily 400 Black and White to get my take on it. Alas it took me a while to get around to using this unexpected gift, but recently I managed to shoot it on a walk around my local area. My camera of choice was my Olympus OM-1 with three Zuiko lenses. A 50mm f/1.4, 28mm f/3.5 and 135mm f/3.5.

I was on my way home from a trip into the town centre when I shot my roll of Dubblefilm 400. I was finding things I would have normally walked past without noticing had I not been carrying my camera. A flight of steps caught my eye, as did a shadow on a wall under a railway bridge and the shadow of some fencing on the pavement. I also took some photo's of a couple of buildings, old and new, and possibly my last winter shots of some local trees as they are starting to wake up from their winter slumber.

Whilst the compositions are nothing special, I realised that I had not taken many photo's of the trees in my neighbourhood for a while. I think I will have to make amends this year, I like the display of colour the trees give us through the year with their spring blossom, bright green summer foliage and golden hues in the autumn. Most compositions I shot were done using my favourite 400 speed film settings, 1/250th - f/11 and, though it is working perfectly, I didn't use the meter on my OM-1 at all. The sky was bright and clear so I used sunny 16. It's always good to test my memory and read the light using my Mk 1 eyeballs.

I developed the roll later that evening using Kodak HC-110 dilution B and the time that the good folks at Dubblefilm had printed on the inside of the box for that developer. I was very pleased to see a nicely developed roll of film as I took it out of the tank and hung it to dry for a couple of hours in my bathroom. I scanned it using my Ion Slides2PC 35mm scanner and gave them a quick tidy up to remove dust spots and scratches in Affinity Photo.

I have no idea what emulsion the folks at Dubblefilm acquired to brand as their daily Black and White film, there is no markings on the edges of the film to denote batch number, frame numbers or the name of the manufacturer. However, I do know it produces decent results and was glad to finally find out how this film performs. It wont be the last time I use it. Here's a few of the photo's I shot that day and I have placed them and more in an album on my Flickr account you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

I have a Ko-Fi account. I wont lie, the rising cost of living is affecting everyone, including me. If you enjoy my blog and my photos, please consider donating £3 using the Ko-Fi link below to help me get my beloved Pentax SP500 serviced at the end of the year. Your support is very much appreciated.

DubbleFilm Daily Flickr
Ko-Fi.com/Jim Graves

Frugal Film Project 2022 - March

Procrastination. That's been the word of the month for me this March. I have been putting off my March roll of Ilford HP5 so much that I almost missed it. I have been concentrating on other things, important family stuff mixed with my childlike excitement at buying a camera and shooting a few rolls of film with it. I gave myself a much need kick up the backside, loaded a roll of HP5 into my Pentax SP500, set it to box speed and headed into town.

I don't usually like taking photos under pressure, but I only have myself to blame for it. An hour or so wandering around Wigan town centre gave me a chance to clear my head a bit and concentrate. I kept to familiar locations and tried a couple of compositions I had recently shot in worse light than the last day of March provided me with. I was able to set my Lydith lens at f/11, focus at infinity and just played with the shutter speed on my bargain basement Spotmatic. It was mostly a 1/250th at F/11 day, but a few needed a slower speed which is no problem at all for my SP500.

I visited the Market and the Galleries, a very depressing sight as it closes down for good soon. I can no longer go upstairs to get shots from the balconies, the escalator is switched off and has been fenced off to stop people using it. The shops are all shuttered and the the only thing left is to turn the lights off and lock the doors.

I needed a happier location and had a wander to the main shopping street where I grabbed another couple of shots before heading to the Parish Church and The Old Courts to see what the shadows were like. I managed a couple of compositions there and headed towards the college for my last few shots before coming home. I developed my roll of HP5 in Kodak HC-110 dilution B for 5 minutes and hung it to dry in my bathroom with 4 hours to spare. That was just enough time to dry and scan it into my PC with my Ion Slides2PC scanner before April was upon us.

Considering I had left it until the last minute I didn't do so bad to be honest. I know there's a lot of shots that folks have seen before, but I did get a few shots where the Photography Gods smiled on me and presented me with interesting light and shadows. They also had a good laugh too as we had light flurries of snow in between glorious sunshine. Yep, definitely seasonal weather, all four of them on the same day. I love living in Wigan.

Here are a few photos from my Frugal Film Project March roll of Ilford HP5+. As always I have put them and more in my Frugal Film Project 2022 album on Flickr that you can visit using the link below. If you like my work and want to support me, please consider making a donation using my Ko-Fi link below. Thank you to Jim Grey and Billy Sandford for your support, it is very much appreciated. Every donation helps me buy film so I can continue my photography journey and share the joy I get from taking photographs with the world. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2022
Ko-Fi.com - Jim Graves