The Texas Leica, Kodak Ektar 100, and the Beaches.
Kodak Ektar always delivers, even in a camera made by the same company that made Reala 100. Camera: Fujica GW690III, 90 F3.5 Fujion lens. Film: Kodak Ektar 100.
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Texas Leica, Catlabs XFilm 80 and the Beaches.
The Texas Leica was a novelty over March Break, now that I've revisited the camera a few months later I've decided if I need the 6x9 negative, I'll just borrow my brother's. I love the 6x6 crop and shooting with twin lens reflex cameras too much. That said, I'm not turning down an opportunity to run two rolls of Catlabs X Film 80 through the camera. Like before, the Texas Leica isn't heavy, just bulky, a rangefinder for The Hulk. Yup, the camera delivers. Camera: Fujica GW690III, 90 F3.5 Fujion Lens. Film: Catlabs X Film 80, HC110 B.
Another Look at Bergger Pancro 400 in 120
Bergger Pancro 400 is a two emulsion film, composed with silver bromide and silver iodide layers giving a super wide latitude. I've only shot one roll in 35mm, the tonality was gorgeous but on the grainy side. I have another roll to try out. Now in 120 Pancro 400 shines, especially on a sunny day when you're getting a 6x9 negative, I wish I brought some more with me to the beaches. Camera: Fujica GW690III, 90 F3.5 Fujion lens. Film: Bergger Pancro 400, HC 110 B.
Lomo Kino Berlin 400 in 120 Format.
Lomography is always out to do interesting stuff. They aren't the first company to re-spool motion picture film stock for still photography. They have whoever taken ORWO UN 54 and N74 and renamed them as Potsdam and Berlin. I've shot UN 54 it's a great 100 ISO black and white film, I've shot N74 under the Bergger BRF+400 name. What Lomography has done is make both films available in 120, and I had one roll of Berlin to shoot and it went through my brother's Texas Leica (yes kids, I want one, bad) and the results you see below. It's nice film but I found it has a tendency to develop newton rings while scanning, and this has only happened with this particualar emulsion. Nothing a little cloning can't fix. I processed in HC110 B, the results are pretty good. Now I do plan to try D76 with some rolls of Berlin in 35mm, we'll see. Is it worth $11 CAD a roll? Well, if you are looking for something a bit different, yes, you get a chance to shoot black and whi...
The Texas Leica, or the Official Name Fujica GW690II)
My brother and I have been serious about shooting film for a long time. We both have big camera collections which get used on different photography projects, and we're each other's worst enabler when it comes to gear acquisition, witness the early black Nikon F with the 640 serial number . Well I borrowed his Texas Leica during my stay in the Beaches on house and dog sitting duty back in early March. You know it's bad when you start researching the camera when you process the first roll you shot in it. The Fujica 690III was part of a family of medium format rangefinders ranging from 645 to well 6x9 and the camera gained it's nickname The Texas Leica due to a vague resemblance to a Leica M6 rangefinder on steroids. To me that's a bit inappropriate since the The Texas Leica is a fixed lens rangefinder with a leaf shutter. A Canon Canonet QL45 GIII exposed to gamma radiation becoming the black hulk is more accurate. What's fun about this camera, you have a fix...