WPPD 2017 in Ann Arbor

The Ondu pinhole cameras - Kat's 6x6, and my 6x9

Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day was held on April 30, and this year a bunch of us got together in Ann Arbor instead of some other location.  Given the weather, we made a good choice.  Last year we met in Fostoria, OH, which turned out great. This year, it was a gloomy, cold, and then rainy day. Despite that, I felt we made the best of it, as we met on the University of Michigan campus. There is no lack of possibilities using pinhole cameras there.   I used my ONDU 6x9 pinhole camera for the first time, and realized that partway through the first roll, I had loaded the film on the wrong side, as the film spool should be loaded on the right side, not the traditional left side.  Therefore, the frame numbers will be proper for 8 6x9 images. Duh.  I should have realized that by looking at the arrows on the top of the camera.  With that out of the way, everything worked fine and I feel I got some good images.  Tim and Kat were also there, and always have been stalwart pinhole day attendees.

Since it was graduation weekend, we saw quite a few UM grads there, especially around the Carl Milles fountain.  From there, we went over to Nickels arcade, and then over to Regents Plaza.  I have always wanted to photograph the cube while it was rotating, and the pinhole camera surprised me with the result.

From there, we went over to the UM Law Quadrangle and got some shots in, at least until it started to sprinkle.
After that, we headed home!

The rotating cube.

and.. now for the pinhole result.

Inside Nickels Arcade 

Carl Milles fountain. About a 20 second exposure.

one last video...

The Argoflex E and 120 film

Argus (located right here in Ann Arbor, MI) started producing a twins lens reflex camera before WWII, and the first model was the Argoflex E (1940-42).   It is a Bakelite-bodied camera with gear-coupled taking and viewing lenses, and actually very similar to  the Voigtlander Focusing Brilliant TLR.  The Argoflex E can use 620 and 120 film in the pre-war model, which can be easily distinguished from the post-war version by the presence of a small spindle knob on the upper left side of the earlier camera.  The post-war  version merely has a circular piece of trim in the same spot.   Film is wound with the advance knob on the right side, and you look through the red window (which has a turnable shield) to watch the film advance.

The Argoflex E has a 75mm f/4.5 Varex Anastigmat lens (uncoated in pre-war version).  The shutter speeds are 1/10 – 1/200, sec, plus B and T.  Apertures range from f/4.5-f/18.  There is a place to screw in a remote release on the rim of the shutter housing.    The viewing lens features a depth of field scale that you can view from above.

The post-war Argoflex E (1946-1948) can also use 120 film, contrary to Henry Gambino's assertion in Argomania. Of course, with Argus always tweaking things, it's possible that some cameras made later in the cycle do not accept 120 in the supply side of the camera.  The post-war Argoflex E also has a coated lens, which should help with flare.

The Argoflex E does not have double-exposure prevention, so it can be used to make multiple exposures.  For some, that may make it a very ideal TLR.

What about other Argoflex models?
After Argus shelved  the Argoflex II and replaced it with the Argoflex EM (1948) and EF (1948-1951), these metal-bodied cameras took only 620 film, and 120 film spools cannot be used in them.

The later Argoflexes do not have coupled taking and viewing lenses, and except for the Argus Super 75 and the Argus 40, do not have adjustments except for “Instant” and “Time.”  None of these models can use 120 film rolls.

So, the Argoflex E is certainly still a usable camera, and since it readily accepts 120 film, it's worth a try.  Some things to look for and to be aware of, though.  Number one is the reflex mirror, which is now  over 70 years old, and may be de-silvering or corroded, or just very dusty, depending on where the camera was kept all this time.  In other words, the image in the viewfinder will not be as bright as that of a Rollei or a Yashicamat.   The shutters appear to be fairly dependable, but remember that these are old cameras, so they could be sluggish.  The lenses may also need cleaning if they are hazy.  In addition, the lack of coated lenses will probably give you less-contrast in the image. One remedy would be to find a UV filter that can slip in place over the taking lens (there is no threaded filter ring). The Argoflex E is certainly as better camera than the Kodak reflex cameras, all of which require 620 film.

Should you buy one?  I would say it depends on the condition of the camera and of course, the price.  While not as complex or as well engineered as cameras from the 50s - 70s, it can  produce sharp images when stopped down.  Depending on the lens condition, wide-open quality will vary.  The reflex mirror's age will also produce a dimmer image in the viewfinder, but using the pop-up magnifier may help with focus.  I would not pay more than $40 for one.

On  February 6, the A3C3 met up at Matthaei Botanical gardens.  I shot a roll of Ilford Delta 100 in the Argoflex E, and developed it in D76, 1:1.   Overall, my light-meter estimation worked pretty well, and the images came out better than expected. Here are a few.

Is the Holga Factory Closing?

Last night I saw a post on the A3C3 Facebook page, telling us that the Holga factory in China had closed  and whatever stock retailers had would be it.  Shocking!  Freestyle Photo has a page up that indicated this is the case, and it's not April Fool's Day.  So, if this is true, it comes as a complete surprise.  Holga has been the mainstay of toy camera users for nearly 20 years, and has been producing 35mm to 120 wide-format pinhole Holgas, twin-lens Holgas, etc.  Still very basic plastic cameras, and probably cost a fraction to make compared to the selling price. I found this Wall Street Journal article on the Holga factory, which is quite interesting.  Hand-assembled.  Maybe they cost more to make than I thought. In doing some searches, I found this blog, which showcased some of my work from 2012!

After reading the FB post, I went online to Amazon and bought a spare for $31.  I'll leave that one in the box until I actually need to use it. The plain old Holga 120N -- my favorite.  You may love this article I found from 2012.

So, stock up while you can.  In 2002, I paid $15 for a Holga, and now they are over $30 each.   You can also buy a true bargain, the Debonair Camera from the FPP store for the very reasonable price of $19.99.

UPDATE:  It's official. Phone call to Freestyle confirms closing of Holga.

What a Weekend! The FPP Comes to Ann Arbor.

Many months ago, Mike Raso of the Film Photography Project asked me if I thought Ann Arbor would be a good spot to hold a one-day photowalk, and if the Ann Arbor Area Crappy Camera Club would be interested in assisting/participating.  I immediately said "Yes!"  I knew that people would love photographing here, and the added attraction of the Argus Museum would be another plus.  So, we made the plans, Leslie Lazenby  and I got together and coordinated  the schedule, and hoped for the best.  Nearly 60 people pre-registered for the FPP Ann Arbor PhotoWalk, which was held on October 3.
On Friday, Oct. 2, Mike Raso met me downtown for lunch, and that evening, Leslie, Mike, and I stuffed the goody bags for the attendees and firmed up what we would be doing the next day.  Saturday dawned chilly, windy, and a possibility of rain.  Undaunted, photographers started showing up at our rendezvous point at CameraMall before 9:30 am.  Desmond, Craig, and Christy were there to greet us with hot coffee, doughnuts, water, apples, granola bars, and more.  People were thrilled to have a real camera store to shop at and come in from the cool weather, and the place really had a vibe going.

Eventually, we split into several smaller groups, led by A3C3 members, and headed around the campus area and downtown to show off our town and get people shooting away.  Film cameras were clicking, from Dianas to Hasselblads.  It was a fun group of people-- some coming from as far away as California, Vancouver, North Carolina, Tennessee, Ontario, Minnesota, and New Jersey.  The participants were in good spirits the entire day, and while the weather got us damp, nobody complained.
After we split up for lunch, we then reassembled at 2:30 at our second rendezvous, the Argus Museum.  It is the ONLY camera museum that is in the same building where the cameras were once made.  Cheryl Chidester and her volunteers had cider and doughnuts and other treats ready for the group.  There is a new exhibit in the gallery called "Alchemy" featuring a lot of cyanotype work which I highly recommend.  Everyone was eager for the group photo, followed by the FPP gear give-away.
Some great items were given away: (view the event here)

• Nikkormat 35mm Outfit
• 50mm / 28mm / 75-200mm lens
• Maxxum 7000 35mm Outfit
• 35 - 80mm / 70-300mm lens
• Contax 137 35mm Outfit
• 50mm f1.9 / 35-135mm / 80-210mm
• Canon FTb 35mm Outfit
• 50mm f1.4 / 24mm f2 / 100-300mm Zoom
• Nikon EM 35mm Outfit
• 30-80mm / 80-205mm lens
• Argus C3 "The Brick" w/ orig booklet
• Lomo LC-A
• Argus A-Four
• Zenit 122K w/ 50mm f2 lens
• Zenit 412LS w/ 50mm f2 lens
• Nikon FM10 w/ 35-105mm lens
• Olympus 35SP Rangefinder Camera
• Fed 4 35mm Camera
• Fed 5 35mm Camera
• Canon QL17
• Praktika LTL3 w/ 50mm f1.8 lens
• Seagull 4A 120 TLR
• YashicaMat 120 TLR
• Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Flash, Bantam, and Jiffy-620.
• various photo books
• big bag of film
• Ensign 120 6x9 cm box camera

photo by Tom Nighswander

We hung around until 5, when the museum had to close.  We then met again at 8 pm, and I led another photowalk for night photography.  The wind had died down, so it actually was pretty good weather.  20 or so folks were on the night walk, and we meandered our way downtown, often being asked by people "is there someone famous nearby?"  I guess our tripods and cameras gave us the look of a bunch of paparazzi!  There is lots of neon downtown, and I think people really enjoyed seeing our town at night.  It was a lively Saturday evening, for sure. We ended up at The Old Town for beer and food, ending our evening.  It was a nice finish to an amazing day.

Sunday was the day when Matt, Mike, Leslie and I set up for recording FPP podcast episodes at my house.  We worked from 10 until 8, and I have no idea how many episodes or parts of episodes we did, but I know my brain was fried by the end of the day!  It was a lot of fun, though, and I look forward to hearing Mike's well-crafted edits later on.  

One thing I had reinforced by the FPP AAPW -- film shooters are a diverse and fun bunch.  We have an amazing community, and I think the FPP has facilitated and broadened the appeal of using film.  It was no surprise to me that everyone had fun, and I could tell by the conversations going on around me that people really enjoyed the cameraderie  (excuse the pun) that the FPP has created.

I thank Mike Raso and Leslie Lazenby for their hard work to make this event happen. Also, special thanks to:

Camera Mall

The Argus Museum

Ultrafine Online

The Darkroom

(Obviously, the FPP Store)

the A3C3 volunteers (Tom, Patti, Adrienne, Heather, Tim)

A Look at the Konica TC-X

Sometime last fall, I found a nice example of the  Konica TC-X SLR, which appeared in 1983.  It has been termed the first "all plastic-bodied SLR" and was manufactured by Cosina for Konica.  The one I purchased came with a gaudy Konica strap, which certainly is attention-getting!  The TC-X is typical of Konica's autoreflex line of cameras in that it features shutter priority operation, and much like the Autorflex TC it replaced, the shutter speeds range from 1/8 to 1/1000 sec., + B.  While the camera does offer DX-code reading to set the ISO, it can also be manually set for a range of 50 to 1600.  The on-off switch on the top deck next to the film winding lever is easy to use, and the shutter button has a threaded recess for a cable release.  There is a self-timer switch on the front of the camera.   That's pretty much it for features.  Oh, and it has a very plastic body.  I suspect it has a pentamirror rather than a pentaprism, as the image through the viewfinder is nowhere near as nice as that found on an Autoreflex T.   However, it does have a split image circle at the center microprism, which does aid in focus.

So far, I have only shot a roll of expired Tmax-100 which I recently developed.  The exposures look good, and with the 40mm 1.8 lens as pictured, the combo makes for a very light, fairly compact SLR.  The body uses 1 AAA battery for the metering and auto-exposure.  If power fails, you can still use the camera manually by setting the aperture and shutter speeds independently.

Like all the Konicas that I have used, the shutter-priority operation is an acquired taste.  I prefer aperture-priority, but it's not a big deal making the adjustment.  The Konica glass is very good, and the body very cheap.  I see no reason why this would not make a pretty good camera for street photography.  It takes up little space, and ought to give good results.

All of the images that follow were taken during the A3C3 photo meetup in Clinton, MI last November.