First Roll - Bronica SQ-Ai

[Rob MacKillop]

Despite losing the first two shots due to not understanding the Mirror Lock Up process (and subsequently being advised not to use it) the rest of the shots were not bad at all. Here are three that I like - not perfect, but for a first time out, not awful. It's a 6x6 format camera. It came with a PS 80mm 2.4 lens, and I fed it with some Ilford FP4 120 film. I scanned them myself, then did minimal tweaking in Lightroom 6, then took out a few dots of dust and a couple of small scratches in Elements 11. I'm pleased with the results, and have learned a few things about the camera.

1. Botanic Gardens




2. Dead Flowers - we like dead flowers here...





3. Botanics again

 

[Brian Moore]

we like dead flowers here

Is that why The Stones are coming to town?

I love the OOF in the images, particularly in 1 and 2. That camera/lens combo looks very capable indeed.

How bulky/heavy is the camera compared to your Mamiya?

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Cheers, Brian. I'd guess about half the weight of the RB67, which is a relief. The 80mm lens is excellent. I could do with a spot meter, as one shot in particular totally failed. It was a statue of Buddha in white, with the sun shining on it, surrounded by dark trees/leaves. My light meter couldn't cope with it. Consequently the Buddha is far too enlightened, so to speak. I'll upload it later (a student is about to arrive) and if anyone has any advice on how to meter for such a shot, I'd be happy to hear from them.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Student running late...so here's the overblown shot...

 

[Brian Moore]

Its easy to troubleshoot in retrospect but here goes anyway: If I were faced with the same shot, knowing that my meter would take an average reading which would blow Buddha away, I would attempt a Sunny 16 read of the situation. With FP4 I'd set my shutter speed at the ISO reciprocal of 1/125 (or nearest equivalent) and then adjust my aperture based on the distinctness of the shadows cast.

I don't see any shadows to speak of other than the little bit of shade on the plinth and that looks quite indistinct. (I'm guessing you were shooting in something akin to Scottish cloudshine.) I would think I would get away with an aperture of f8. Maybe 5.6 if the ambient light was actually duller than the image looks. I'd guess that combo (1/125 at f8 or 5.6) would render a half decent image of the statue, though I would expect the tree trunk to be quite dark.

Well,...that's what I would do. Other RPFrs may think otherwise.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Ah. I've just remembered I took notes This was f8 and and 8th of a second. It was a very bright day, but I was under shade, which looked much darker than it looks here. My light meter only records incident light, so I should have gone up to Buddha and pointed back at the camera, which I didn't do. I'll have to start using the dreich 11 rule (a term you coined, I think, Brian)!

 

[Brian Moore]

dreich 11 rule

Hahaha. Don't remember if I coined that phrase but whoever did was brilliant! Wait,...yeah must have been me.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

It was! I laughed my head off when I read it.

 

[Pete Askew]

That first shot is simply brilliant. I love the combination of shallow DoF and busy detail.

And I always enjoy your dead flowers shots - is there any connection between you spending a fair bit of time wandering around cemeteries and having vases of dead flowers in the house?

I often simply meter off the grass near the scene as it gives a reasonable estimation of 18% grey.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Thanks, Pete. I really like that first one too. It came out exactly as I imagined it should.

Good tip re the grass. I'll remember that.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

As for the dead flowers...