Monday, February 10, 2014

Graflex Speed Graphic


The Graflex Speed Graphic was a camera produced in the United States and took sheet film.  It focused using a bellows system.  It was a popular choice for news media at the time of its production.


Camera Itself:
The Speed Graphic is a very deliberate camera to use. It can be shot hand held, but is probably best used on a tripod.  It can be quite compact when closed up, meaning the front optics are rolled back into the body of the camera and the ground glass viewfinder is closed.


When looking through the ground glass in at the rear of the camera, you will notice that the images look upside down and backwards.

Another interesting feature is that the camera has 2 methods of setting exposure.  We will get into that in more detail in the exposure control section below.

Exposure Controls:


There is no built in light meter, so you'll have to use a dedicated light meter or bring along a camera with a meter built in.  I've been using the Lightmeter app for Android on my Motorola Moto X with good results.

The aperture ranges between f/4.5 and f/32 on the Kodak Ektar 101mm lens and is located around the bottom of the front standard.  

The shutter speed dial is around the top part of the lens and are T(trip shutter release once to open leaf shutter, trip the release again to close it) and B (bulb mode - trip and hold the shutter release down to keep the shutter open until you release it) and the following faster shutter speeds: 1 sec through 1/400th of a second.











Now, there is also a second method of setting the exposure with the Speed Graphic.  If you happen to have a lens board inserted that does not have a shutter or the shutter in the lens is broken, you can  use the rear curtain shutter mechanism.  Another reason for use is that some lenses, like the Kodak I have attached to this camera, top out at a max shutter speed of 1/400th.  The rear curtain shutter can go all the way up to 1/1000th.  This is accomplished by a series of dials on the side of the camera body.  Numbers from 1-6 on the tensioner knob (at the bottom) and the setting knob (at the top) determine the exposure.  On the front drop down panel in the inside, there is a chart that tells you how to set the proper settings.   Between the tensioner and the setting knob, is the release.


Focusing:
Focusing is accomplished by turning the lower knobs on the camera body that move the lens assembly back and forth and expose the bellows.
The large viewfinder makes the real time focusing fast and easy.  The issue comes into play when wanting to take an exposure.   The ground glass sits behind where the film sheet holder sits, so once you are ready to take an exposure - you lose your real time ability to focus.  Framing can still be accomplished as this unit also has a set of viewfinders on the top to aid in that.



Film:
It takes sheet film.  I do not know how to deal with this kind of film, so I will not be testing it.  I might, however, use an instant back from a Diana f+ camera to test it out in the future.  That is if I can find a way to do that effectively without damage to the camera.


Usage and Personal Thoughts:
This is a beautiful camera and one that I would love to use, but with my lack of knowledge of the type of film it uses, I'll just admire it and use it as a reminder of a venerable, old tool that colleagues from the past have used to grab some iconic images.  Speed Graphics were used in the media through the 1940's and 1950's and photographers using them even won Pulitzer's with them.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Vintage Camera Product Shoot

Mamiya C33 TLR Medium Format Film Camera
Ah, yes...the product shot.  Generally when you here "product photography" you think of all those online catalogs or books you get in the mail.  Perfectly lit items, shown in all their glory.  Which is great, and they should be as we want our clients products to be shown in their splendor and glory.

Kodak Signet 35 Rangefinder - 35mm Film Camera
Creative Process:
For this shoot, we decided to try something a little different.  Using something we first heard from Joe McNally, "don't light everything" and the old adage that sometimes less is more.  Only one light is employed for these images.  We thought this would be an interesting way to shoot these vintage cameras to show their character.

The way the light is positioned allows us to show the textures of the materials the cameras are made of and the macro lens allowed us to get up close and personal with the details of the cameras.

We also thought it an interesting idea to shoot these cameras, some of which date back to 1931 with the newest digital SLR that Nikon makes right now, the Nikon Df.

Yashica Lynx 5000E Rangefinder 35mm Film Camera

Yahsica Lynx 5000E Meter Switch

Location:
Home Studio

Gear:
Nikon Df
Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro
Nikon SB-26 Speed Light
1/8" Grid
White Reflectors x 2
Light Stand
C-Stand With Boom Arm
Justin Clamp
Umbrella Adapter
Radio Popper JrX

Voigtlander Brilliant TLR Medium Format Film Camera

Voigtlander Brillaint Lens CloseUp
EXIF Info:
1/200th, ISO 100, f/8-f/16
Speedlight at 1/16th power

Graflex Speed Graphic Medium Format Film Camera Lens CloseUp

Mamiya C33 Lens CloseUp with Shutter and Aperture Controls
Lighting Setup:
One light on the boom arm of the C-stand in front and above the subjects. 
The reflectors are used as the background and surface - using the white side of the reflectors.


Post Processing:
Very minimal.  We shot the images with the standard picture control.  So, we used Lightroom to add some contrast and clarity.