EDIT: Yes, I did copy tildes.net lovely theme for my personal site, and made sure to give attribution in the footer :) My new camera has completed it's long journey from Kiev, Ukraine to the U.S....
EDIT: Yes, I did copy tildes.net lovely theme for my personal site, and made sure to give attribution in the footer :)
My new camera has completed it's long journey from Kiev, Ukraine to the U.S.
I was able to take it out and shoot around the neighborhood with it the same day I got it, and I developed the film later that night.
I'm absolutely IN LOVE with this camera. I'd always used SLRs before, but I love this little rangefinder for it's super quiet shutter. That should enable me to start getting some candid street photography pictures. Honestly I think this is my new favorite general purpose camera.
I love those shots, the first two seem like they could be from ages ago and then you've got a mid-2000s Mustang under a ripped cover! Blew my mind expecting to see a Model T or and seeing such a...
I love those shots, the first two seem like they could be from ages ago and then you've got a mid-2000s Mustang under a ripped cover! Blew my mind expecting to see a Model T or and seeing such a new car comparatively. Won't lie that you've got me looking at eBay!
Quick question on film and development - where did you source the film and get it developed? As much as I'd love to buy one for the aesthetic, I don't have room for a dark room in my current abode and I'm not one to just buy something to sit on the shelf... It's gotta get used at least once or twice a year, ya know?
Ah, friend I'd love to share the good news of analog with you :) Many people don't realize you don't need a darkroom to develop film! Darkrooms are mostly for making prints of the negatives. Most...
Ah, friend I'd love to share the good news of analog with you :)
Many people don't realize you don't need a darkroom to develop film! Darkrooms are mostly for making prints of the negatives. Most photographers use a scanner to digitize the negatives rather than old school darkroom printing. The pictures I posted here were scanned using my phone's camera and a $15 light board from amazon.
I source my film and supplies from a local camera shop. I could get the stuff cheaper online, but I like supporting the local business. I develop film myself, it saves a ton of money. The equipment and supplies to get started really don't cost that much. In fact, you can even forgo most of the chemicals and use instant coffee to develop the black and white film.
If you don't want to learn developing, that's no problem. Most cities have at least one place to get film developed, and barring that you can mail it to a photo lab and they develop the film, scan the negatives with their high resolution scanners, and give you the pictures ready to share online.
As for a starting camera:
Film can be a little more challenging than digital, especially with older cameras like this. If you aren't familiar with using manual mode on a digital camera there will be a steep learning curve unless you buy a newer film camera that has an auto-mode (usually late 70's onward). This camera has no batteries at all, meaning that it doesn't measure the amount of light to get the correct exposure. I use an app on my phone as a light meter, then manually adjust all of the camera settings appropriately. If you've shot a digital camera in manual mode you'll be familiar with this, except that the ISO can't be changed (you buy film at whatever ISO you plan on shooting).
As you can probably tell, I love talking about this stuff, so if you have any questions or would like help/advice on giving film a try, definitely hit me up and I'm happy to help!
EDIT: Technically this camera does have a light meter built in that uses selenium, but selenium light meters decay over time and they are basically unusable on any camera old enough to have one.
EDIT:
Technically this camera does have a light meter built in that uses selenium, but selenium light meters decay over time and they are basically unusable on any camera old enough to have one.
I haven't touched a negative since 2008ish and, honestly, it never even crossed my mind that you could just scan the negatives. That makes so much sense! That said, space is really my main...
I haven't touched a negative since 2008ish and, honestly, it never even crossed my mind that you could just scan the negatives. That makes so much sense! That said, space is really my main constraint there so you've got me even more tempted with that information.
I do a lot of professional photography (never weddings though) so I'm pretty familiar with manual mode and keep a light meter app so I can double check settings across cameras. Though my wheelhouse is mainly Canons I always enjoy a challenge!
Do you source your cameras from anywhere special or just trawl eBay?
Awesome, you should feel right at home then. My wife and I used to be pro photographers (more her than I) and you'd be shocked how many people are offering to shoot weddings and high stakes events...
Awesome, you should feel right at home then.
My wife and I used to be pro photographers (more her than I) and you'd be shocked how many people are offering to shoot weddings and high stakes events without understanding the fundamentals.
If I'm looking for something specific I usually go to eBay. You can find the same cameras on Etsy for nearly triple the price. This was the one exception, Etsy was about 30 percent cheaper.
But the best place, in my opinion, is local sales. Garage sales, yard sales, flea markets, and other such places are fantastic places to treasure hunt. As far as money goes you'd be hard-pressed to find a better deal. The caveat, of course, is that it requires time and patience. But I enjoy that kind of thing anyway so it's a win win for me.
That's actually how I got my first darkroom enlarger. Those things are like 65+ pounds, so online wasn't an option. After about a year and a half of keeping an eye out I found one at a yard sale that the owner gave me for free. Before I came along they didn't even know what it was haha. They'd found it sitting in a barn.
Not OP, but for film and dev, look to see if there's a lab in your area! Luckily there's one in my neighborhood, and it feels great to support a small business. Plus their quality is top notch,...
Not OP, but for film and dev, look to see if there's a lab in your area! Luckily there's one in my neighborhood, and it feels great to support a small business. Plus their quality is top notch, and if there is a problem, I can talk to a real person face to face.
BUT, if you don't have a local option, there are labs that will let you mail in your film for development and scanning. I've never used any myself, so I can't give any personal recommendations there. But I'd say do the usual online shopping around, comparing prices and any reviews/recommendations if you can find them.
For buying film online, B&H (NYC-based) and Freestyle Photo (LA-based) are two big camera stores that usually keep a good stock of film. And if you find a decent mail-in lab, there's a good chance they sell film as well!
B&H is one of my usual haunts. Their customer support is top notch, well, at least when you need invoices! I hadn't thought about mail in options though, I'll need to look into that. I'm sure my...
B&H is one of my usual haunts. Their customer support is top notch, well, at least when you need invoices!
I hadn't thought about mail in options though, I'll need to look into that. I'm sure my area has something like that but most of the shops around here are geared towards current high-end equipment.
Although, that'd probably also be a place to find a photo nerd who might have more info for me.
I used to work down the block from B&H, and boy was that hard on my wallet. Still buy a lot from there, but kinda glad I don't have that temptation anymore, lol.
I used to work down the block from B&H, and boy was that hard on my wallet. Still buy a lot from there, but kinda glad I don't have that temptation anymore, lol.
Soviet cameras are great! Usually you get good bang for your buck. And soviet lenses are super fun. Flawed in the sense that a lot of them produce optical artifacts that (in the past) were not...
Soviet cameras are great! Usually you get good bang for your buck. And soviet lenses are super fun. Flawed in the sense that a lot of them produce optical artifacts that (in the past) were not desired. But now those same characteristics are actually sought after for the "vibes."
I bought a Kiev-60 a couple of years ago. It's a medium format, 6x6, Pentacon Six clone, and as far as I was able to tell the most cost-effective interchangeable 6x6 system you can get. Plus there's a range of Carl Zeiss glass for it (made in the East German Jena factory). It's pretty clunky (its weight being the biggest drawback), and it's as bare-bones as it gets in terms of features, but I've really liked the results I've gotten from it! And I got a medium format camera for like $250, which is a steal.
I bought a Kiev 88 for around $150 a few years ago and it's been a wonderful camera! In fact, that was what led me to buy this Kiev 4. I heard a quote about Soviet cameras recently: "They have 90%...
I bought a Kiev 88 for around $150 a few years ago and it's been a wonderful camera! In fact, that was what led me to buy this Kiev 4. I heard a quote about Soviet cameras recently:
"They have 90% of the experience of a Leica/Hasselblad/whatever at 10% of the cost"
The other pictures I recently posted here were all taken with my "Hasselbladsky" :)
The Kiev-88 is sweet. In my opinion, that quote is being a tad generous to soviet cameras. My Kiev has its fair share of "quirks." And, though I appreciate it being built like a tank, it's really...
The Kiev-88 is sweet.
In my opinion, that quote is being a tad generous to soviet cameras. My Kiev has its fair share of "quirks." And, though I appreciate it being built like a tank, it's really fucking heavy to the point of me not bringing it out as often as I want. But I don't need a fancy camera body. Solid optics and sticking to photography fundamentals go way farther to helping me achieve the pictures I want to take than shooting with a Hassy.
Oh yeah, that is definitely said by over enthusiastic Soviet fans. Personally I love the quirks. They have character and make a great conversation piece 🙂
Oh yeah, that is definitely said by over enthusiastic Soviet fans. Personally I love the quirks. They have character and make a great conversation piece 🙂
EDIT: Yes, I did copy tildes.net lovely theme for my personal site, and made sure to give attribution in the footer :)
My new camera has completed it's long journey from Kiev, Ukraine to the U.S.
I was able to take it out and shoot around the neighborhood with it the same day I got it, and I developed the film later that night.
I'm absolutely IN LOVE with this camera. I'd always used SLRs before, but I love this little rangefinder for it's super quiet shutter. That should enable me to start getting some candid street photography pictures. Honestly I think this is my new favorite general purpose camera.
I love those shots, the first two seem like they could be from ages ago and then you've got a mid-2000s Mustang under a ripped cover! Blew my mind expecting to see a Model T or and seeing such a new car comparatively. Won't lie that you've got me looking at eBay!
Quick question on film and development - where did you source the film and get it developed? As much as I'd love to buy one for the aesthetic, I don't have room for a dark room in my current abode and I'm not one to just buy something to sit on the shelf... It's gotta get used at least once or twice a year, ya know?
Ah, friend I'd love to share the good news of analog with you :)
Many people don't realize you don't need a darkroom to develop film! Darkrooms are mostly for making prints of the negatives. Most photographers use a scanner to digitize the negatives rather than old school darkroom printing. The pictures I posted here were scanned using my phone's camera and a $15 light board from amazon.
I source my film and supplies from a local camera shop. I could get the stuff cheaper online, but I like supporting the local business. I develop film myself, it saves a ton of money. The equipment and supplies to get started really don't cost that much. In fact, you can even forgo most of the chemicals and use instant coffee to develop the black and white film.
If you don't want to learn developing, that's no problem. Most cities have at least one place to get film developed, and barring that you can mail it to a photo lab and they develop the film, scan the negatives with their high resolution scanners, and give you the pictures ready to share online.
As for a starting camera:
Film can be a little more challenging than digital, especially with older cameras like this. If you aren't familiar with using manual mode on a digital camera there will be a steep learning curve unless you buy a newer film camera that has an auto-mode (usually late 70's onward). This camera has no batteries at all, meaning that it doesn't measure the amount of light to get the correct exposure. I use an app on my phone as a light meter, then manually adjust all of the camera settings appropriately. If you've shot a digital camera in manual mode you'll be familiar with this, except that the ISO can't be changed (you buy film at whatever ISO you plan on shooting).
As you can probably tell, I love talking about this stuff, so if you have any questions or would like help/advice on giving film a try, definitely hit me up and I'm happy to help!
EDIT:
Technically this camera does have a light meter built in that uses selenium, but selenium light meters decay over time and they are basically unusable on any camera old enough to have one.
I haven't touched a negative since 2008ish and, honestly, it never even crossed my mind that you could just scan the negatives. That makes so much sense! That said, space is really my main constraint there so you've got me even more tempted with that information.
I do a lot of professional photography (never weddings though) so I'm pretty familiar with manual mode and keep a light meter app so I can double check settings across cameras. Though my wheelhouse is mainly Canons I always enjoy a challenge!
Do you source your cameras from anywhere special or just trawl eBay?
Awesome, you should feel right at home then.
My wife and I used to be pro photographers (more her than I) and you'd be shocked how many people are offering to shoot weddings and high stakes events without understanding the fundamentals.
If I'm looking for something specific I usually go to eBay. You can find the same cameras on Etsy for nearly triple the price. This was the one exception, Etsy was about 30 percent cheaper.
But the best place, in my opinion, is local sales. Garage sales, yard sales, flea markets, and other such places are fantastic places to treasure hunt. As far as money goes you'd be hard-pressed to find a better deal. The caveat, of course, is that it requires time and patience. But I enjoy that kind of thing anyway so it's a win win for me.
That's actually how I got my first darkroom enlarger. Those things are like 65+ pounds, so online wasn't an option. After about a year and a half of keeping an eye out I found one at a yard sale that the owner gave me for free. Before I came along they didn't even know what it was haha. They'd found it sitting in a barn.
Not OP, but for film and dev, look to see if there's a lab in your area! Luckily there's one in my neighborhood, and it feels great to support a small business. Plus their quality is top notch, and if there is a problem, I can talk to a real person face to face.
BUT, if you don't have a local option, there are labs that will let you mail in your film for development and scanning. I've never used any myself, so I can't give any personal recommendations there. But I'd say do the usual online shopping around, comparing prices and any reviews/recommendations if you can find them.
For buying film online, B&H (NYC-based) and Freestyle Photo (LA-based) are two big camera stores that usually keep a good stock of film. And if you find a decent mail-in lab, there's a good chance they sell film as well!
B&H is one of my usual haunts. Their customer support is top notch, well, at least when you need invoices!
I hadn't thought about mail in options though, I'll need to look into that. I'm sure my area has something like that but most of the shops around here are geared towards current high-end equipment.
Although, that'd probably also be a place to find a photo nerd who might have more info for me.
I used to work down the block from B&H, and boy was that hard on my wallet. Still buy a lot from there, but kinda glad I don't have that temptation anymore, lol.
Soviet cameras are great! Usually you get good bang for your buck. And soviet lenses are super fun. Flawed in the sense that a lot of them produce optical artifacts that (in the past) were not desired. But now those same characteristics are actually sought after for the "vibes."
I bought a Kiev-60 a couple of years ago. It's a medium format, 6x6, Pentacon Six clone, and as far as I was able to tell the most cost-effective interchangeable 6x6 system you can get. Plus there's a range of Carl Zeiss glass for it (made in the East German Jena factory). It's pretty clunky (its weight being the biggest drawback), and it's as bare-bones as it gets in terms of features, but I've really liked the results I've gotten from it! And I got a medium format camera for like $250, which is a steal.
I bought a Kiev 88 for around $150 a few years ago and it's been a wonderful camera! In fact, that was what led me to buy this Kiev 4. I heard a quote about Soviet cameras recently:
"They have 90% of the experience of a Leica/Hasselblad/whatever at 10% of the cost"
The other pictures I recently posted here were all taken with my "Hasselbladsky" :)
The Kiev-88 is sweet.
In my opinion, that quote is being a tad generous to soviet cameras. My Kiev has its fair share of "quirks." And, though I appreciate it being built like a tank, it's really fucking heavy to the point of me not bringing it out as often as I want. But I don't need a fancy camera body. Solid optics and sticking to photography fundamentals go way farther to helping me achieve the pictures I want to take than shooting with a Hassy.
Oh yeah, that is definitely said by over enthusiastic Soviet fans. Personally I love the quirks. They have character and make a great conversation piece 🙂