Californication ( Cheap as Chips)

[Chris Dodkin]

Film has been shot, and scanned, and the results are in!

Here's the camera - Canonet 28, 35mm rangefinder from the early/mid 70s.

The lens is a fixed 40mm f/2.8 Canon lens. It has fully programmed auto exposure with shutter speeds from 1/30 to 1/600 (shown by the meter's needle in the viewfinder), and manual control of f-stops for flash (f2.8-f16).

The film speed range for auto exposure is from 25 to 400 ASA. It uses a Copal leaf shutter and has a coupled rangefinder. It was made in Taiwan (Canon switched production from Japan to save $$$).

It has a great idea for a light meter - A CdS photo cell above the lens within the filter ring, so when you put on a filter, the auto exposure is automatically adjusted for that filter - neat!

The camera needed cleaning, but other than that it worked just fine - the meter still worked!

I used expired Ilford Pan-F (50 ASA) - Thanks to Pete for the suggestion - And had it developed and scanned at the local 'pro imaging' place in Carlsbad (North Coast Photographic).

I held a yellow (2K) filter in front of the lens to assist in the tonality of the images.

Here are my 3 frames, illustrating my new home - California:

Lifeguard Station 29 - Carlsbad State Beach

20th Century City - Century City, Los Angeles.

Palms Towards The Sun - Early morning in Costa Mesa.


All three shots were taken on the same day, as I drove around SoCal for work.

All in all a very pleasant experience, and I'm loving the scans I get from the Pan-F film.

The camera was challenging, because I had to actually think about everything before each shot - shutter speed and consequently aperture and DOF - Focusing (I failed to focus at all on 3 out of the 36 frames!) - Composition through the viewfinder with potential parallax errors - No review on the camera back (I found myself automatically looking at the back of the camera to confirm the shots I'd taken).

The fixed lens was also a challenge, and at 40mm was a narrower field of view than the 24mm I'm used to using at the moment on the DSLR.

I enjoyed it so much I bought a second, higher grade Canonet, the GIII QL17 - and will be trying that out in the near future.

 

[Brian Moore]

Three very nice images, Chris. I find #1 especially striking. (Lifeguard tower 29 I'm talking about.) Very nice indeed!

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Thanks Brian - I got a couple of good shots of the lifeguard station, but figured I'd mix it up a little, and just use one in the final image set of three.

 

[Dan Cattermole]

For thuck sakes Christopher!! I've just got my camera for the challenge....... These shots are FANTASIC!!!! I might as well chuck mine in the bin! Blown Away.!!!!! :0

 

[Dave Moss]

Was thinking the same Dan why did I bother lol(at least i made a profit) Great shots Chris

 

[Dan Cattermole]

Haha! I keep coming back to have a look at them.... Lol.
Got to up the game on this challenge guys! Lol.

 

[Pete Askew]

These are superb Chris. Framing and exposure just right for the subjects. Pan F looking its best and controlling the contrast nicely. And, more importantly, a photographer delighted with the outcome. As for a favourite: I'm torn between the cityscape and the palm trees. I'm not keen on the angle of the composition of the lifeguard tower - I would love to see a more 'conventional' representation of it though as I really love the tones and lighting.

All-in-all a stunning set.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Thanks chaps - I'm really happy with the way they came out, but it was all pretty random on the day, in reality.

I was in point and shoot mode, and the shots presented themselves during the day without any great planning on my part. I just decided to take the camera in case I saw something.

I spotted the palms as I pulled into a mall in Costa Mesa to get my early morning Starbucks on the drive up to LA. The sun was just up, and I figured the silhouette might look cool, and that it would be an unusual view for the British contingent on RPF.

The cityscape was taken from the reception area of Irell & Manella LLP (Big law firm in LA) - My tech team were there turning-up their new Cisco phone system, and as I waited in reception I spotted this view from the windows. I held the camera lens onto the window glass (which had a strong tint), lined up the nearest building and set the focus for infinity, and hoped! The receptionist gave me a hard stare!

The final shots of the day were back at the beach near home, and were a rush to get the last rays of the sun, and then get the film up the road to the dev lab before they closed for the day.

Pete - I was torn on the lifeguard tower as well - although I really like the final shot I used.

I did have this one, which I liked, but wondered if folks would 'get it', as not everyone has seen a lifeguard tower before and it was a bit abstract.

 

[Pete Askew]

Well, it might have felt random but it turned out pretty well. And I do prefer the more abstract version. It's funny though, although the railing etc are the only part truly in focus my eye is drawn to the horizon and I keep looking at the clouds there. I think that is helped by the horizon falling just at the centre of the platform. I find a definite line of up the steps, rail then horizon. What about anyone else? Do you read it in a similar way?

What is that in the bottom LH corner though?

Do you know what developer the lab used? My guess is it was done by hand.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

I think bottom LH corner is someone paddling in the ocean Pete - that or a great white shark!

Funny, wife and son #1 prefer this shot as well

No idea what they used to process the film - I'll phone and ask

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Pete, they said it's Clayton FS 76 chemicals.

Clayton F76 Fine Grain Film Developer Liquid - 1 Gal 11 0717 B&H

Machine dev - equipment run-down from their website:

North Coast Photographic Services

The scans were done on this:

Noritsu QSS-3212:

The award-winning QSS-32 Series delivers a powerful combination of superior performance and outstanding flexibility. QSS-32 Series Minilabs provide some of the best productivity numbers in the industry and are backed by Noritsu’s world-class service and support.

Produce up to 1,620* prints per hour for exceptional productivity
High-speed processor for enhanced workflow and shortened processing time
State-of-the-art 300 dpi Laser Printing System
LED light source delivers fast high-quality film scans with virtually no maintenance required
Produce jumbo panorama prints up to 30.5 x 91.4 cm (12 x 36 in.)
Automatic dust and scratch correction
Digital ICE™ technology enables you to automatically remove dust, fingerprints, and scratches on scanned film, turning flawed images into beautiful, blemish-free prints

Some nice kit they have there!

 

[Davie Hudson]

outstanding work

 

[Pete Askew]

AH yes, I see it now. I didn't have the right scale in mind. So it's a person or a 2m tall seagull!! Maybe the one that's been eating at Ruby's Diner!!

Thanks Chris. Don't know the dev but I guess it is based on one of the standards.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Pete - being California, I suspect the dev is some environmentally friendly version - we don't allow 'proper' chemical here, just stuff that won't harm flipper and his friends

Same for paint, car wax, furniture polish etc etc

 

[Paul Lange]

Wonderful stuff Chris, I'm now left wondering what the hell am I going to do for mine now. Surprised you didn't go 16:9 on the last. Is cropping allowed under the rules, I cant remember.

 

[Brian Moore]

Wait,..."Digital Ice", I have that in my scanner. I gotta try it!

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Paul - no croppage allowed - otherwise I'd have been straight to 16:9

 

[Darren Turner]

brilliant write up & pics chris sounds like you had great fun, my cam arrives tomorrow & i cant wait.

 

[Darren Bradley]

Chris, you've convinced me with all this B&W business! I love your shots - I think the palm trees are my favorite.

 

[Ben Jennings]

Love the shots Chris, really like the tones you have in them. I can only hope my Canonet shots turn out as nice as yours. They are lovely camera's too which a bonus, I think I will be doing the same as you and picking up a newer model, mine's an original and as such the selenium meter has died which is a shame.

By the way, just to make you feel better, you're not the only one who checks the back of the camera to see what the shot looks like. I do it constantly and then laugh out loud at my own stupidity.