Out and About with a roll of Ilford HP5

 During Keith's visit we managed an afternoon reminiscing about our childhood in Ormskirk, a market town in Lancashire where my wife, Jo and our friend Keith grew up. Keith wanted to see what changes the town had undergone in the years since he moved away and we decided to take our cameras and document those changes. I decided to take my Pentax K1000, fitted my Tamron Adaptall 2 28mm f/2.5 lens and loaded a roll of ilford HP5+ at box speed. It was an overcast day, but nothing Ilford's finest HP5+ can't handle.

It felt good to be back in Ormskirk as I also share some childhood memories with Keith. In the late 1970's and early 1980's I was a member of the Roscoe Scout Band based in the town. Each year there were Parades through the town to commemorate St George's Day in April and Rememberance Sunday in November.

Keith was a member of the Ormskirk Brass Band who led the parade and we only discovered that shared history when Jo and Keith got back in touch with each other a few years ago. Small world eh? Jo always spoke fondly of Keith and she said I would like him. She was right, he's a decent chap and we get on really well.

From our time on parade each year we could both navigate the town centre by the feel of the asphalt through the soles of our shoes. That was the first change we noticed as we stepped onto Church St. The town centre has been totally pedestrianised with the tarmac dug up and replaced with block paving. I remember being able to ride my motorcycle through the town center in 1984, but I would get a ticket for doing it on this day as it was Market Day.

Ormskirk has had a Market since it was granted a Royal Charter by Edward I in the late 13th century. Every Thursday and Saturday local farmers could sell their produce at the market, in recent times this has expanded to include all manner of goods from fresh food to clothing and footwear. The rise of the Supermarket chains over the last 40 years has reduced Ormskirk Market to a fraction of the size I remember it being when I was a kid, but there's still a good selection of stall holders who call Ormskirk Market their home.

Our next stop was Ormskirk Parish Church which gave the town its name. It comes from a norse name, Ormr and it is thought that Ormr became a christian and built the first Kirk (norse for church) on the hill in the 9th century. Over the centuries Ormrs Kirk has evolved to become Ormskirk It's also is a rare Church as it has a tower and a separate spire. Most Churches have one or the other, but there's three in England that have both and only Ormskirk has both at the same end of the building. We couldn't go inside as it was closed, but we did get to pay our repects to friends and family buried in the churchyard.

Last stop was Coronation Park where the bandstand is situated. Keith has a plan to photograph all the bandstands he has performed on and its good to see Ormskirk Bandstand in great condition. We had a wander around the pond where the resident ducks and geese were getting on with parenting this years new born ducklings and goslings before we wandered around to the Cenotaph.

Ormskirk Cenotaph was once situated in another part of town, outside the Comrades of the Great War club. The club closed several years ago, all the men and women from the town who served in WW1 have long since passed on and housing was built on the site. The Cenotaph was moved to Coronation Park where the Rememberance Sunday Parade still stops to pay respect to the fallen every year. We had a good afternoon wandering around and remembering old times and with our film shot, we headed home.

The following weekend I developed my roll of Ilford HP5+ in HC110 dilution B for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry. I scanned it with my Ion Slides2PC 35mm scanner and processed the images to remove dust spots and scratches with Affinity Photo 2.

Here's a few of my favourites from our afternoon in Ormskirk. It was good to be out on a photo walk with Keith again. Many things about Ormskirk haven't changed much, but the feel of the town centre is decidedly different despite that familiarity. At least we could still enjoy a drink in the oldest pub in town, the Buck I' th' Vine. It's a grade II listed building and well worth a visit. I have placed these photos and more in an album on Flickr you can visit using the link below and I hope you enjoy them.

Pentax K1000 - Ilford HP5

Frugal Film Project 2023 - July

In June I had to make the painful decision to withdraw my Agfa Isolette I from the Frugal Film Project 2023 because it is in desperate need of a rebuild. I was hopeful it would last the year, but sadly it just wasn't able to produce decent photos anymore. It left me with a dilemma, I didn't want to have to bail out of a project that has given me so much joy over the last couple of years, but what camera should I finish the project with? I decided it had to be another vintage folding camera and went hunting for a substitute. I didn't have to look far.

I found a post on Instgram from the Vintage & Classic Camera Company, who are based here in the UK. They have a selection of vintage and classic cameras, lenses and accessories on their website and ebay stores and I wondered what they had in stock. I clicked the link to their website on their instagram profile and lo and behold, there was a Balda Baldax 6x4.5 folding camera in decent condition and at a price that was well within the budget for the project. You're dang right I hit the buy button.

A few days later my Balda Baldax folding camera arrived. First impressions were very favourable. It looks to be in great condition for a 90 year old camera. Yes, it was made in 1933, I checked. It has a 7.5 cm f/4.5 Vidanar lens and Compur Rim Set shutter with an f stop range of f/4.5 - f/22, shutter speeds from 1 second to 1/300th of a second and a socket for a cable release so I can use the timer and bulb. I found a user manual online and began my education.

With it being a 6cm x 4.5cm frame size it gives me 16 shots per standard roll of 120 medium format film and to keep track of where I am up to it has 2 frame count windows in the back. Why two windows? On the backing paper of 120 medium format film there are 3 sets of numbers. One set for 6x4.5, one for 6x6 and one for 6x9. The Baldax opens on the opposite side to my Agfa Isolette, which to me means I'm loading my film into the Baldax upside down and it doesn't use the numbers for 6x4.5.

It counts the frames using the 6x9 numbers on the backing paper. Simply wind the film using the winding wheel on the bottom of the camera until it shows the number 1 in the first red wndow, then take your shot. Then wind the film on until the number 1 shows in the second window and take your second shot. It takes a little getting used to, but once I get the hang of it I should be ok. I loaded a roll of Kentmere 400 medium format film and headed into town to see how it handles in the wild.

As my Baldax, henceforth known as "Baldy the Baldax", is a vintage 1930's camera, I needed a light meter. I took with me my trusty Gossen Trisix, a gift from my friend Owen. Despite it being a vintage 1960's Selenium light meter, it still works as it should and no batteries required.

I went to Wigan town centre to get my first roll of film in Baldy the Baldax started. I took a quick light reading with my Trisix. I set my shutter and aperture to give me a good exposure time to suit the light and set my focus to infinity.

The viewfinder is a simple small window and larger glass lens window "Newton Finder" style that was normal at the time this camera was born. Most cameras of the time had a simple arrangement of two frames, so the glass window was definitely a deluxe feature to help with composing shots.

I set about finding out how the camera performs. I visited old haunts and tried to find angles I haven't noticed before. Not the easiest task as I have photographed just about everything in the town centre over the last few years.

The first thing I love about this camera is the size, it's the same size as my Olympus 35RC and fits nicely in my pocket. I can travel light with it, camera in one pocket, light meter in the other. Nice! It certainly made a change from a messenger bag full of stuff I normally carry.

I have become accustomed to Compur shutters over the last couple of years. My Goodman Zone Z1 and my Agfa Isolette I both have a Compur shutter and that familiarity helped me get used to Baldy the Baldax pretty quickly. Most of my shots were at 1/100th of a second at f16 or 1/300th of a second at F8 thanks to the sunshine and it wasn't long before I had shot this months roll of Kentmere 400. I headed home feeling tired but happy with my exerience of learning to use my new camera.

I developed my film a day or two later using my favourite Kodak HC110 dilution B for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had my film hanging to dry in my bathroom. When using my Baldax I tried to remember to wind the film to the next frame after taking a shot, but on one occasion I had forgotten if I had or hadnt done that. I took a chance and wound the film on. After developing it I found out I had done it. D'Oh! That double wind on meant I only got 15 shots on this months roll of film. Oh well, lesson learned.

I scanned my film with my Nokia phone camera using a Pixl-Latr to hold it flat and an A5 light pad to illuminate the film. Editing was done with Affinity Photo 2 to remove dust spots and scratches and convert the negative images to positives. I am fairly happy with how it turned out, despite a couple of frames that suffered with light leaks. It is a 90 year old camera after all is said and done etc. I'm looking forward to shooting next months roll of Kentmere 400 in Baldy the Baldax, let's see what I can do with it.

I have placed a link to the Vintage & Classic Camera Company below, I am very happy with their service and the accuracy of their description of Baldy. A 90 year old camera is being used again and long may it continue. Here's a few favourites from my July roll of Kentmere 400 and I have placed the entire 15 shot roll in my Frugal Film Project 2023 album on Flickr you can visit using the link below.  I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2023 - July
Vintage & Classic Camera Company

Nikon D80 with 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses

 In 2006 Nikon released on sale the D80, a mid level enthusiast DSLR with a 10.2 megapixel APS-C CCD sensor. A what sensor? An APS-C CCD sensor, that's what. Before CMOS sensors became the cheaper alternative for manufacturers, every camera had a CCD sensor. Be it a compact pocket point and shoot digital, a phone camera or a DSLR, the CCD sensor was the only option available. APS-C refers to the size of the sensor. There's a link below explaining the size of an APS-C sensor in relation to a Full Frame sensor.

What's the difference between CCD and CMOS sensors?

This is where I need help from an excellent article I found on PetaPixel.com that explains this better than I can. Basically it's down to how each type of sensor captures light and converts it to an electric signal. The processor in the camera then decodes it to display an image on the screen on the back of the camera. Click the link below for a more in depth explanation.

The Nikon D80 was one of the last Nikon DSLR's to have a CCD sensor before Nikon made the move to CMOS sensors that gave their cameras live view and video capability. It was only a matter of time before CMOS sensors became cheaper to make. Canon were leading the charge to CMOS sensors when it released the Canon EOS-1DS in 2002.

Once Nikon caught up and released the D3 and D700, both with with live view capability in 2007, and the later D3-S with HD video capability in 2009, the long established battle of the heavyweights continued.The Nikon D90 holds the distinction of being the very first DSLR to have HD video capability.

In the Nikon range of DSLR's the D80 was aimed at enthusiasts who have a fairly good grasp of photography, but didn't have the money for a semi professional level D200 or a professional level D2. It was also above the entry level D40 that was designed to give a beginner the tools to begin their photographic odyssey.

The lenses I bought alongside my D80 are the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G II DX VR kit lens and the 55-200mm f/4-5.6 G ED VR. Both lenses have the focus motor built into the lens body and both have a Vibration Reduction system that is very good at forgiving old farts like me who have shaky hands and dodgy eyesight. It means you can use lower shutter speeds and still get decent quality sharp images. This is great for a beginner and is pretty much standard in todays mirrorless cameras.

The 18-55mm DX kit lens gives roughly the same field of view on an APS-C crop sensor as a 24-70mm on a full frame camera, the combo of choice for professionals. The 55-200mm DX lens gives you roughly the equivalent field of view on an APS-C crop sensor as a 70-300mm lens on a full frame camera. The focal range of 18mm on the wide end and 200mm on the long end is just about all you need for most photos you wish to take. The camera has a built in flash too.

I went for a wander around the local countryside and used both lenses to give you an idea of what this kit is capable of. I shot in RAW, but you can very easily shoot high quality JPEGs which is selected using the settings menu built into the camera. I also used Manual mode but there are also Aperture and Shutter Priority modes plus a Program mode for more advanced users, i.e. those who read the manual.

There are also a selection of Scene modes to choose from. Depending upon the type of photography you are doing you can choose Full Auto, Day time, Night time, Sports, Macro, Landscape and Portrait. Select the one that matches your conditions and the camera will choose the appropriate settings for you. All you have to do is frame your shot and release the shutter.

The proof is in the photos as to what that 10 megapixel CCD sensor gives to this camera. I was able to capture great quality images that needed very little editing with Affinity Photo 2 to bring the Raw files to life. I went a little deeper into some of them just to see what I could do with each image and I'm very happy with my results.

This kit cost me just shy of £200 from a popular retailer here in the UK and I got some warranty with it too in case it decides to play up over the next few months. You don't need the best and latest cameras to get good photos. As my friend Mike Browne says "Cameras don't take great pictures, you do!" Dont dismiss the older equipment out there as there are bargains to be had that, with a little thought and care, you can indeed take great pictures with.

It might be a while before I get to use this kit again as it is going out on loan to my middle Granddaughter who has expressed an interest in photography. My eldest Granddaughter already nailed my Nikon D90 for her college course, which she is enjoying immensely. There's no way either of them are getting their mitts on my D700 or my D610, a chap has to have some toys to play with you know. Here's a few of my favourites shot with my Nikon D80 Kit and I have placed them and more in an album on Flickr for you to view full size. I hope you enjoy them.

Nikon D80 Flickr Album
What are the differences between CCD and CMOS Sensors? PetaPixel.com
APS-C sensor

Adox CHS 100 II

 In May 2023 when my friend Keith Sharples paid us a visit, we decided on doing a film swap. I gave him a few rolls from my stash that he hadn't used before and he gave me a couple of rolls from his stash. One of the rolls he gave me was ADOX CHS 100 II, a film I have only ever used once before during his previous visit in 2022. I enjoyed the experience, but never got around to shooting more of it. I decided to make amends for that on my way home from a recent visit to my daughter in Yorkshire.

Train journeys are often boring and I wanted to break up the monotony so I loaded my roll of ADOX CHS 100 II into my Olympus OM-2 and found some time between trains to take a few shots near Oxford Road Railway Station in Manchester. We enjoyed a prolonged period of sunny weather here during spring and early summer, a 100 iso film was the ideal choice for a sunny afternoon in Manchester. I had half an hour to wait for my train home and took a walk outside.

The Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is a magnificent piece of architecture and I took a few shots of it from a few angles outside the station and at the crossroads where the Palace Theatre also got my attention, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was enjoying a run at the theatre. Musicals aren't my thing, but the Palace Theatre has been enjoying good attendances as the home of Musicals in the city. Having a hotel across the street and a railway station right next door helps with that, I'm sure.

After a quick stop at a shop to buy a drink and some treats for my dog, I made my way back to the station. I took a couple of photos of the sculpture that stands right outside Oxford Road Station before I had to head back onto the platform to catch my train. I didn't have long to wait and was soon on my way home to Wigan.

That was it for the time being as I wasn't feeling inspired to go out, travel tires me out and it takes me a few days to recover enough to go out again. Fortunately the weather was forecast to stay sunny for a few more days and I was able to get out for a walk around my local countryside during bright midsummer evening and I tried something different.

I have a Sun 80-200mm f/4.5 lens for my Olympus cameras that I haven't used for a while, it came with my OM-2 when I bought it a couple of years ago. I fitted it to my OM-2 and set about capturing long shots. I explored my favourite power line compositions and a tree I had shot in winter for the Lucid project. I was also able to capture long distance shots across the corn field and down the hill with tall buildings in the background brought closer with lens compression. It didn't take long to finish the roll and, having shot my film, I headed home.

A couple of days later I developed my roll of ADOX CHS II in HC110 dilution B (1+31) for 6 minutes at 21.5 celcius. It was the closest I could get my developer to the optimum temperature courtesy of the sunny weather. Thankfully HC110 is a forgiving developer and works just fine a couple of degrees either side of its optimum 20 celcius. I was soon done and the negs were hung to dry in my bathroom. Later that evening I scanned my film with my trusty Ion Slides2PC 35mm scanner and removed any dust spots and scratches with Affinity Photo 2.

I am very pleased with this roll of ADOX CHS 100 II film. I shot it on two separate days in conditions that were ideal for a 100 speed film and I'm impressed enough to want to use more of it. ADOX is owned by Fotoimpex, a German film and developing chemistry retailer based in Berlin and the brand it uses for all its own film and chemistry including the legendary Rodinal, which it now owns. Here are a few of my favourites from this film and as always I have placed them and more in an album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

ADOX CHS 100 II