I mentioned my brief experiment using a roll of expired film --- Fuji Velvia 50 transparency--- here on the Leica poetics blog. Though the results were pretty ordinary, if not largely disappointing, I've decided to continue with the expired film experiment.
I've been gifted with more expired Velvia 50 in both 35mm and 120 formats. I had hoped to use the Rolleifex 6006 for the 120 film, but it is not working, despite a newly packed battery. The electronics are the problem by all accounts, and it needs to go overseas to be repaired as nobody in Australia is willing to, or capable of repairing it. That's expensive, so I will continue the experiment in the short term with the expired 35mm Velvia 50.
I recently acquired, courtesy of Brett Rogers in Moleswoth, Tasmania, a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super SLR camera with a standard 50mm Tessar lens, leaf shutter and coupled selenium light meter, along with filters, lenshood and a camera bag plus the loan of 35mm and 85mm lenses to use with the 35mm Velvia 50. The Zeiss Ikon Contaflex SLR, which was manufactured by Zeiss-Ikon AG in Stuttgart, West Germany between the years 1959 and 1962, is what's known as a vintage camera. Mike Eckman has a very informative account of the post war history of both the Contaflex and the Zeiss-Ikon company. Zeiss today is a high end lens manufacturer.
This history indicates that I have stepped back into the subculture of collectors and vintage cameras with its nostalgia, archives, museum and memories --- often to the extent of living off its remembered inheritance and history. It is a step back into past times so as to use a quality vintage, mechanical camera in the present with expired film. This requires that you have access to skilled technicians, like Brett Rogers, who have the knowledge and expertise to repair these antique cameras, restore them back to life, then to look after and service them with tender loving care.
So the experiment will start with the expired 35mm Velvia 50 and the old world Zeiss-Ikon Contaflex SLR. This will be take a while to kickstart as the Contaflex is yet to arrive, the film needs to be exposed, then developed by a lab and scanned by me. I'll post the images on this blog, even though it lacks a photo gallery facility or plugin.
The two photos on this post are from the original roll of expired Velvia 50 that were made with a Leica M4-P rangefinder. Looking at them I can see that the film needs to be rated at 32 instead of 50 ASA so as to increase the shadow detail. They provide a starting point. The photos in the next post will be those made with the Contaflex.
Read more