The soviets answer to the panaramic camera.

I have a twitter feed, Photomi7ch, during the middle part of last year. I
started to see references in my feed to a camera call FT2. My first thought was
they were talking about Nikon's Nikkormat FT2 as it was the only camera I knew of by this designation but the tweets did not make sense. I had some
how missed part of the plot.

 It was a wired sensation to note that the internet search suggested what I
stated above. In among all the Nikon references was a single mention of a
Russian camera call the FT2 panoramic things were starting to make sense.

On further investigation there is a whole world of soviet cameras that I was not
aware of. Obviously I knew that the eastern block produced cameras but not
such a plethora, the most well known being Zenit, Zorky and Prakticar The
dismisive way people treat these cameras from the soviet era in general is
unfounded. They are well made in what could be called an agricultural way and
do the job simply in comparison to the finesse of western offerings. I think
we spend to much time comparing and not enough time using them to there
best. It is a hang up of an art form that requires tech to produce the art work.
Loosing sight of what is important. The photograph.

The FT2 was produced between 1958 and 65 producing 16,000 of them during
that time. They made two main models series 1 and 2 the difference between
them was a leaver on the base plate that allow you to adjust a spring that
calibrated the shutter speed.

 The FT2 is a swing lens panorama camera with a fixed length 50mm f/5
industar. The turret moves from right to left traversing the image across a
curved film plan. The shutter speeds are set by the positioning of two brake
leavers on the top of the body. This allows the lens to swing at 1/60,
1/100,1/200 and 1/400 of a second. These are set independently of the film
advance. Uses 35mm film set for use with 36 exposure canister's. This gives
the user twelve exposures of 110 mm long.

 

Now we know what the box does, what is it like? It has a substantial feel to it
weighing in at 643 grams empty. It is a flattened cube measuring approx
120mm long, 85mm wide and 50mm deep with a simple fold up view finder.
When you are looking down at the top of the camera in both hands it reminds
me of those wind up cine cameras . A definite feel of purpose when being used.

The camera has been sitting around for sometime waiting for me to come up
with a plan of action. It is not straight forward to use film wise. It comes with
four special film containers that you have to load with film. That cannot be
loaded from a bulk film loader. As the canisters have a different wind on
connection.

 

 

I decided to play it safe and unreel a loaded film. I say safe it was a very out
dated roll of Agfa APX 100. I came at it from the point of view that if I balls it
up completely it would not matter so much as if it had been fresh film stock. In
a blacked out darkroom I transferred the film into the FT2 film canister's. It

went surprisingly well including the loading of them into the camera still in
complete black out. By doing this you dont not loose a frame to daylight which
would suggest thriteen frames insead of tweleve.

With the camerachallenge fast approching I was ready to take part camera
check, black and white film check, topic season.
It was a birght early morning with the sun not that high off the top of the ridge
at south common with some wonderful mottle cloud against a blue sky. As
suggested I used the camera hand held, pointed it in the direction of scene I
wanted to capture and pressed the shutter button. In the blink of an eye the
lens had traversed a 120 degrees of view clonk I don't know what I was
expecting but was a little disapointed with the action.

It takes three and a half turns of the winder to pull the next frame into place. I
noticed straght away that it felt like the film was slipping, that maybe the spool
was not holding the film firmly enough? Now't I can do so carried on.

 
Before I new it the film was finished.

To the darkroom, it was a little bit of a struggle to relice the back from the
body of the camera. Apart from that the rest went smoothly. Three quaters of an hour later the wet film was hanging up drying.

 I had nine good looking negatives I think that maybe the three and a half turns
was to much and the slipping did not help. Next time I will allow for it. Under
the cercumstances it was a good result.

 I have always enjoyed the panoramic format of image making. It is more in
tune with the way we see the world but more detailed.

 

Techinal data:

Agfa APX 100 developed at box speed in HC110 for 6 mins 1+37. 

Pictures and article are the Copyright Mitch Fusco 2023 

 

 

 
 

 

Picture post, Personaly processed slide film.

 Developed using the Fuji Hunt chrome 6 kit.

 

 

These were scanned using a flat bed scanner.

All the slide film used is Fuji Provia, RMS 120

Cameras used Bronica SQAi 6x6 negatives, Zero Pinhole multi format 6x9, Praktica MTL3.

 

All images are the copyright of Mitch Fusco 2022

E6 processing? youve got to be cracked!

Processed using Fuji Hunt chrome 6

 

Who's idea was it to process E6 film? I think the COVID 19 vaccine and lock down has addled my brain. Before we were trounced by COVID a friend had a stash of out dated slide film that he wanted to off load for a consideration. I considered, the films became mine. 

Fuji Hunt chrome 6, out of the box.

It was a mix of Fujichrome Sensia 100 35mm and MS 100/1000, some Provia 100f in120 format all from the early years of the millennium. He stated he did not know if they were any good because they had not been kept in a fridge. I told him no worries. 

 

I thought I would have some fun with this film because of the dubious nature of the storage. With no particular plan or theme I went a snapping before I new it I had used nearly a dozen rolls mainly 120 format. Some with my Pinhole camera but mainly the Bronica SQAi. 

 

Some of the film to be developed.

After a little research I found that there were a number of E6 processing kits the trouble was the one I would have liked to use was out of stock at a number of suppliers due to the lock down. I settled on the Fuji hunt Chrome 6X processing kit, I say settled did not have much choice. With hind sight this may have been a good choice. 

 

 

I received it really quickly from AG Photographic thanks guys. I opened the box to be presented with seven bottles of chemicals in different sizes and 7 pages of instructions I was not expecting that. It deflated my enthusiasm some what.

 

New bottles for litre dilution.

 

I should own up to the fact that I have never been that interested in developing my own slide film hence my comments at the beginning with the kit sitting in front of me I suppose I better get to grips with it. I read the instructions a couple of times chucked them back in the box and kicked it in to the darkroom. 

 

Some many month later I pulled the instruction out of the box again this time with a determination to get some film processed, about time! The first thing to note is once the bottles have been opened the first developer, reversal bath, pre bleach 2, colour developer last a max of six weeks. Which is a bit of a bummer what is also a bummer is this kit will make 5 litres of each chemical that is 35 litres in total, with a darkroom as small as mine that is a none starter I do not have the space to store it. you guessed it kicked back into the darkroom. If this carries on for to much longer maybe I should take up football instead. 

Instructions.

A few more month later I have got to grips with the instructions found a man on the bay that has supplied me with eight individual litre bottles and caps for roughly the same in pounds. I have also recalculated the chemical quantities to make a litre of each. I’m dancing in the rain now. 

 

Having watched E6 processing on the tube you are lead to assume that it will be straight forward the truth is that approaching this for the first time there are a whole load of pit falls that can beset this notion. Without mentioning some of these you cannot be prepared for them. For example: chemicals that started out at the right temperature are not when you come to use them, you cannot get the Dev tank lid sit properly allowing it to leak, you forget what comes next. 

 

 

What follows is the methodology and ideas to negate some of the pit falls during the procedure. 

 

Hot water holding tray.

You can but it is not necessary to have a water heater or some form of temperature control unit. I maintained the required levels by using boiling, hot and cold water. You will need about an hour and a half to process the film [s] if using hot/boiling water method. 

 

There are nine steps in the processing of slide film, two lots of temperature and two sets of agitation with total darkness and daylight sections Ooooh! my head is spinning just writing this. To keep things straight and more free flowing I produced an idiot list for reference. Numbering each step with the corresponding number on the bottle for easy recognition. 

 

Hot water tempering bowl with boiling water jug.

OK! let the fun begin, Just so you know I processed all the film at box speed. The first part of the development should be done in total darkness when I read this I though you must be having a giraffe can you imagine all the trouble you can get yourself into bearing in mind there are four steps to this bit alone two of which are washes. Needless to say I took a punt and did it all in daylight this turned out to be a very shroud move. 

 

I had three baths of water, two hot, one to initially heat all the chemicals bring them almost to temp and the other as a tempering bath where I put the developing tank, jug of hot water and the bottles of chemicals I was about to use to bring them up to using temperature if need be. Checked with a thermometer. The cold water bath was for those that exceeded the needed heat. 

Fuji Provia

The [1] first developer gurgled into the developing tank at 38 degrees I filled it until I could see the liquid in the center hole put the lid on, tapped the tank several times to remove any air bubbles, inverted it 8 times in the first 15 secs putting it back in the tempering tank then inverting twice every 30 seconds. For the 7 minute Dev time.

 

When the time was up I poured the Dev back in the tank. There followed two, minute washes now this is where the jug of hot water in the tempering bowl comes into play. They have the same agitation as the developer. Once you have used the water it is a good idea to refill the jug with boiling to help keep the water of the tempering bowl stable. At the same time this is happening the [2] Reversal 2 bath needs to be brought up to temperature which should be between 33 to 39 degrees. 

 

Pinhole double exposures Fuji Prova

The reversal bath went in for 2 mins tap the tank with one inversion at the start. Trouble struck, I could not get the lid to seal while mucking about, I forgot to put the [3] Colour developer in the tempering bath to bring it up to 38 degrees. It is important to get this spot on. There was a 2 minute delay in pouring in the developer it takes roughly 1 min per degree for the boiling water to bring a litre up to temperature.

What seemed like a weeks wait the colour developer went in for 6 mins, tap the tank several times to remove air bubbles from the film invert 7 to 8 times in the first 15 seconds and then twice every 30 secs. Placing it back in the tempering bath.

 

While we wait for the developer to do its trick I should mention safety. I found this processes a lot messier than black and white developing. It is a good idea to wear gloves and a plastic pinny which turned out to be a good call on my part as I spilled some of it down me. The room needs to be well ventilated although the chemicals are not that pungent they give off a lot of vapor due to the heat. 

 

Fuji Provia showing light damage

[4]Pre-Bleach 2 went in for 2 mins at 33-39 degrees, it was about in the middle temp wise, several tank taps, invert once and back into tempering tank.

Another glitch again I forgot to put the Bleach into the tempering tank fortunately I only needed to raise the temperature to 33 degrees plus just a short delay.

With the [5] Bleach at 35 degrees it was poured in for 7 mins tank tapped to clear bubbles, inverted 8 times in first 15 sec and the twice every 30 sec. 

 

 

This is turning into an epic, I understand why people batch develop their slide film it is a long haul to what I’m used to. I keep forgetting but you can fit two rolls of 120 film on the same reel and with a tank that can take two reels at once this is a big saving in time.

Now it is time to [6] Fix for 4 mins at 33-39 degrees, tap tank, invert 8 times in the first 15 seconds and then twice every 30 secs. This time I had remembered to put the fix in the tempering tank so when it was poured in it was about 37 degrees. A quick word about contamination it is inevitable as you go a long the process that the dregs of the previous stage will adulterate what come next it is only a problem if it go’s against the flow e.g. fix into bleach. 

Fuji Provia a frame from damaged film

Finally the Wash, it is for me as I do not use wash aid it is suggested that you wash in running water for 6 mins I chose to to use six changes of water with twenty four inversion with a minute stand between each. By using this method I saved 5 liters of water that I could reuse to flush the bog. I’m pleased that is over I felt like I have been on a marathon and I’ve only got ten more to do. It has got to be time for a cup of tea before I share the results.

Ah! just what the doc ordered. with all that has gone on with getting the film processed, you would think that the results would be a total shambles. I’m astonished at how good they are, colour saturation is spot on with no over development.

 

 

The results:

Eight rolls of slide film were developed it took over all about five hours over three days. All of them were spot on with the development. Of the three rolls of 35mm one roll had nowt on it half of it being clear the other black I think this is a camera fault and not processing as the other two roll were perfect. The rolls of 120 were all developed correctly with good colour saturation but suffered from camera problems in being over and under exposed and One of the film back had a light leak.

My initial thoughts on this process is never again it took a lot longer than I would have liked. Now that sometime has passed my thoughts have moved on to never say never. 

 

 For more slide pictures click this link Picture post personally processed 

All words and images in this article are the copyright of Mitch Fusco 2022

 

 

Beyond infinity? Not quite.

 

I have had an idea running around in the back of my mind for ages that's not quite right there is a lot going on in my mind creatively speaking it is a bit like watching those lottery balls bouncing about in the mixing chamber. When all of a sudden one drops into the rack then another. That is what happened with this project.

I shell explain, sometime ago I was introduced to Hiroshi Sugimoto's work in-particular his book named Architecture. I have a soft spot for well made images of buildings, the pictures that had come to my notice made me curious enough to get a copy of said. What I did not know was that all the photographs had been made using an old large format camera set to twice infinity giving the images a soft tonal look. They had enthralled my imagination.  

Now to the second ball in my lottery of creativity. I can say that I do not have an effervescent attitude toward camera kit. I buy what I need to do a job and get on with it. That is until I saw an article on mirror lenses a long time ago. Ever since I have wanted one.

A while back that want had been stated with the purchase of a rather wonderfully designed lens by Tamura Uhyoe founder of the Tamron lens company. When this mirror lens was introduced it was a ground breaking design making it lighter and smaller. It was that cutting edge that some of the major players in the photograph industry came to Tamron to produce there lenses.

The lens I'm taking about is the Tamron adaptal 2 SP 500 mm mirror. I was surprised when I purchased it how little money they wanted for it in almost mint condition. It just go's to show how silly we are just because it has not got an OE name on it, it is classed as second rate. Which in this case is missed placed as Tamron are responsible for making OE kit for Cannon and Nikon because of there lens designs were ahead of anything the major manufactures were producing.

I have never had a lens of this size before so spent time getting to know what it could do on a camera without film loaded. One of the first things I notice was that it needs to be mounted on a tripod as it magnified the slightest movement. The other is that it is set to an aperture of F8 meaning that the shutter speeds would become very slow as the level of light reduced. 

 It was while playing around with the lens that a kernel of an idea came to mind. I clocked that the depth of field was very narrow and that as it came into or out of focus the light started to circle. It is a consequence of using a dished mirror to compress the focal length. This took my mind back to Hiroshi Sugimoto's book of double infinity Well! I could not do that with this lens but could do something a long the line of out of focus. I have to say it is counter intuitive to purposely not fully focus or over focus a lens especially one as good as this.

With the project formed I wanted to get the camera loaded with film, to start experimenting. I was stopped in my tracks slightly as to what speed film to use seeing as a tripod was necessary then a slow speed film would be the obvious choice or would it? With shutter speeds being the regulators of light in this case it would mean that in some cases the under, over focused images may become blurred with movement. Not something I really wanted.

What only took seconds in my mind to decide on is taking far longer to write I'll cut this short, I opted for 200 ISO As chance would have it I have no film rated at this speed typical! Push a 100 ISO or pull a 400?

Bill hooks! I'll pull some 400, I have some Kentmere 400 I have not used before lets pull the boat right out and fall over the side with a sink or swim attitude to the whole thing. You are going to be in big trouble if the propeller fall off and the trial does not work but that is what it is for.

Some weeks later I'm pleased to say that part of the evaluation has worked I have some negatives hanging up to dry. Lots of little oblongs with varying amounts of contrast on show. While we wait I should tell you that they were developed using HC110 B mix for 4 minutes and not the 3.5 suggested I don't like half minutes so round the time up.

The one thing that concerns me is a while ago I pulled a roll of Bergger Pancro 400 down to 125 ISO and found it a little on the grainy side compared to box speed. My expectation is for Kentmere not to be the same.

I have been itching to expose another film but have restrained myself until I have some prints to look at. I'm pleased I did. Although some of the photographs worked others have not. Partly because of subject matter but also focus. There is a very fine point of focus that the circles of light are most prominent.

If you are thinking that this article has ended a bit abruptly it has the project is on going I was hoping to have shown you how the results looked in colour, the picture below explains all. 

35 mm Slide film Fuji Prova  

Technical Data:  

Scanned from Ilford multigrade gloss RC photographs. Film Kentmere 400 exposed at 200 ISO developed in HC110 B. 

Update 9 September:

This project is on going and a part two to this article is being worked on. I have moved the light sensitivity of the film up to 400 with the use of Kentmere 400 and Bergger Pano 400 to improve the shutter speeds. 

 

All words and images are the copy right of Mitch Fusco all rights reserved 2022.

 

Street Photography Project Part 2

 As the sun crests the ridge of south common the valley of Lincoln is bathed in a bright warm light, it is a wonderful way to start a walk of discovery into the city. My route takes me across a bridge of a long forgotten disused and derelict railway line, Now claimed by nature and rubbish. I zip through the fast moving traffic on the main and up a twitten into the peacefulness of the back to backs.

I have the Bronica SQAi with 80mm lens in hand it is loaded with a roll of 35mm Kentmere 100 it will be exposed at box. The day is bright, the light meter is tell me the apertures will be sufficiently small to give good depth of field. Two firsts in one go the film and the streets.  

These street are a warren of terraced houses Presenting the walker with views and insights of the city that most miss. Giving the walk a sense of adventure and revaluation at what maybe round the next corner. The sun slants in across the roof tops casting long shadows with crisp sharp edges leading the eye this way and that. Making it look more picturesque than it is. The streets are scattered with the detritus of living and communities that have lost pride in there surrounding not helped by councils that have a despotic and petty attitude to those that live here.

My head is on a swivel as I hunt for interesting insights to the city. Although the camera is fitted with an 80mm lens which is considered a wide angle for medium format it acts as a standard lens with 35mm bringing the subjects closer than expected. I have modified the focusing screen so when I look down I can see at a glance whether a composition will work. With a subject that has had such a loose remit to start with I have noticed the images are randomly falling into different themes care of my subconscious. The allure of this is that you are never stuck for a good picture.

Some people would say that I'm a traditionalist for using black and white film for this project I'm inclined to disagree because I am not of that ilk. It has become clear that the project has defined itself its about the harsh realities of living in a city that is dominated by a university culture and tourism that only monochrome can convey a more abstract grittiness and beauty all rolled into one. 

If I am honest this project was all about getting out and about with the camera a way of shacking off the restraints of lock down. To break a stay at home attitude before it became a problem. I had not realized that my subconscious had an agenda. 

In case you missed the first part of the street photography project here is a link Street P1

Technical data:

All the images used were scanned from photographs using flat bed scanner. Printed on ilford multigrade paper RC gloss.

Film used 120 6 x 6 negative film used FP4+ at box, Fomapan 100 at box. 35mm Kentmere 100 at box for the last picture.

All words and pictures are the copyright of Mitch Fusco 2022 all rights reserved.