Bill Smith's Photography

 Snow didn't really arrive until Boxing Day, most of December looked like extended November, I haven't shot much medium format since I moved to Toronto from Oakville two years ago, and I haven't shot with a Rolleicord for a long while. I forgot how nice Scheider glass is, speaking of which, I got a 2.8 C Rolleiflex with the Schneider Xenotar lens at the spring Toronto Camera Club fundraising sale for an amazing price.  As of writing I'm waiting for some Bay III accesories before I head out and run a test roll through it. In the mean time, we have my Rolleicord Vb results. I used Ilford HP5 becuase the light was pretty low in the sky and sunset was late afternoon.  I plan to shoot more 120 this year, the results are too nice.  Camera: Rolleicord Vb, 75 F3.5 Schneider Xenar Lens.  Film: Ilford HP5 400, Ilfotec HC 1+31. 

I had a scare with my Rolleicord IV, back in early March I took it in with me to Toronto for the afternoon before an event I was going to. It was a classic early March day in Toronto, which could be summed up as shitty, as in soggy wet cement coloured skies, and a windchill somewhere around -10c when you'are expecting milder temperatures. My Rolleicord acted up, skipping a frame and almost overlapping another.  After my March Break in the Beaches, I resolved to test the camera out when the temperatures warmed up. I popped in a roll of Arista EDU Ultra 200 which is made by Foma. It's a relatively cheap and cheerful film and a cousin to the Fomapan Creative 200, an emulsion that polarizes Foma fans.  There are no frame spacing issues above freezing with my Rolleicord IV and that's a great relief. Bear in mind the camera in question was made in 1954. I just have to use it more often.  Camera: Rolleicord IV, 75 f3.5 Schneider Xenar lens.  Film: Arista E...