New Waist Level Viewfinder by ChinoTechs
Taking the Low Road: The Waist Level Viewfinder
While we were all thoroughly impressed by the ingenuity of ChinoTechs’ Laser Light Meter debut last year (Those that have got one), the brand clearly hasn’t been resting on its laurels. Fresh off the assembly line is this remarkably neat Waist Level Viewfinder—a device that encourages one to abandon the common eye-level crouch and, quite literally, take a shot from the hip. Naturally, the team at Chi generously provided a unit for our field-testing and review.
If your photographic style involves getting right down to the asphalt for those dramatic low-angle perspectives, you’ll know the score. It usually involves getting into a position where you’re simultaneously scraping your elbows and fielding concerned enquiries from passersby who genuinely believe you’ve just lost your keys (or maybe your mind). This little gadget is the elegant solution to that awkward crouch. It lets you capture those tough shots with absolute ease—as long as your focusing eye is still up to the job, that is.
I’m lucky enough to have a few cameras that offer the waist-level option straight out of the box. However, the true beauty of this gadget is its sheer portability. It’s a genuinely useful addition to the kit bag for those times I’m out with my regular, classic SLRs—the ones stubbornly stuck with the bog-standard eye-level view. It’s the perfect little ‘just in case’ item, ready to deploy the moment inspiration strikes for a ground-level perspective.
The specific model ChinoTech provided for testing is optimised for my 50mm and 35mm lenses, though it’s worth noting that they offer other configurations for the 28mm/40mm crowd.
Build Quality
On the hands-on front, the build quality is properly solid thanks to the all-metal casing. ChinoTech informs us that the internals feature “optical elements and 0.17mm Fresnel lenses.” Honestly? I’m not a lab coat kind of person, and I’ve got no idea what half of that means. The main takeaway is that it works brilliantly. However, a quick note to the pixel-peepers: don’t expect 100% composition accuracy. It’s a tool for seeing and framing, not for forensic precision.
The unit comes equipped with a flip-up sunshade (detachable, should you prefer a more minimalist profile) and a solid mount for slotting directly into your camera’s accessory shoe—it’s fully manoeuvrable, so finding the right angle is no faff. The view itself is notably bright and clear, which is great, but let’s be straight: it is physically small. If you routinely find yourself reaching for the reading glasses to make sense of a menu, then trust me, you’ll definitely need them to nail your focus here!
Accuracy
If pin-point composition accuracy is non-negotiable for your process, then a bit of practice is essential. Being a universal WLVF sitting above the lens mount, perfect framing is always going to require a small adjustment in expectation. To properly calibrate my eye and avoid any unnecessary expense, I did the sensible thing: I mounted the viewfinder onto my digital camera and ran initial tests using the 35mm and 50mm lenses. After all, why splash out on film and development when you’re just finding your footing?
50mm Test
I put a 50mm lens on the camera and tried that first. A mid shot, close and a wide.
Note: The image is naturally flipped through the viewfinder
35mm Test
I put a 35mm lens on the camera.
As my initial testing revealed, the WLVF isn’t bang on target straight out of the box, but it is more useful than just winging it. When I need a low-down shot, the old routine was either getting flat on my belly for accurate alignment (usually just to guarantee a straight horizon) or getting on my knees, pointing, and praying I had enough room in the frame to crop later. This device completely changes that. You might suggest a simple bubble level would do the trick, but honestly? That’s not really a comparison. With the WLVF, I can see the composition for myself, making it a far more intuitive and efficient process than relying on a tiny spirit level.
Final thought.
Personally, I see this as a genuinely useful little gadget to have permanently nestled in the kit bag if you frequently enjoy shooting from the waist and crave a bit more certainty than guesswork provides. While it doesn’t offer the promised land of 100% precision—which, being a universal accessory, was never really on the cards—it ensures your subject is firmly in the frame for street work, or that your low-down horizons are acceptably straight. Given the very solid build quality we discussed earlier, it certainly justifies its existence.
Now, it’s easy for me to recommend this, as the unit was sent for review. So, the crucial question: would I rush out to buy one tomorrow? Probably not. I’m fortunate enough to own cameras that allow me to remove the prism for waist-level shooting. However, if my regular SLRs lacked that capability, this WLVF would suddenly become an incredibly attractive and valuable addition to my setup.
If you want to see more go to ChinoTech Website https://chinotechs.com/sight-wlvf
Panoramic Photography with Lomography Horizon Camera
See the video here –
How I got to this
One memorable weekend, my friend Iain rolled into town, using the visit as a perfect excuse for a long-distance ride on his newly acquired Royal Enfield motorcycle. His journey was quite the trek, taking him from Coventry, through Portsmouth, and finally across the water to the Isle of Wight. Along with his riding gear, he brought a trio of cameras: the Pentax 17 I had lent him months before, a classic folding Ensign, and, most notably, a Lomography Horizon Panoramic camera. To my surprise, the Lomo was for me to try! That’s how this unique camera landed in my hands. It sat on my desk for a couple of weeks—a constant, visual reminder that I needed to stop admiring it and start shooting with it.
Limited Options
Despite its impressive 120∘ horizontal sweep, the Lomo Horizon is an exceptionally simple point-and-shoot experience. Its features are minimal, forcing you to embrace its simplicity.
- Lens: A 28mm INDUSTAR MC 8/28 (multi-coated) provides the wide, sharp base for your panoramas.
- Aperture: Fixed at f/8.
- Shutter Speeds: A strict choice between 1/60s (for daylight) and 1/2s (for low light).
- Format: Standard 35mm film, but shooting a huge 24×58mm panoramic frame.
- Focus: Fixed from 2m to Infinity.
- The Catch: There is no tripod mount! You’ll need steady hands and creative balancing if you want to use that slow 1/2s shutter speed.
When you advance the camera the front cover sweeps across the entire front giving you that panoramic shot.
Loading the camera
Loading the Horizon was, unexpectedly, the trickiest part of the process. I quickly discovered the internet is flooded with false or misleading information regarding the loading technique, which has resulted in many photographers ending up with poor negatives. Even the original rule book proved somewhat vague! Determined to avoid the dreaded blurred edges, I took a “duff” (scrap) roll of film and practiced the process repeatedly. My effort paid off when I shot my first real roll, the negatives came out perfectly, with edge-to-edge sharpness. Success! I loaded it right!
You have to feed the film under that fat roller. Not the thin silver roller. The fat one under it.
You then pull the film and feed it under the silver sprocket rod.
And then under the take-up spool, and feed the leader into the slit on the take-up spool. It helps to put a kink or bend in the end of the leader.
Feed the film onto the take-up spall half a turn and then you should be good to go. The film is now flush against the whole curvature of the film plane.
Close the back and then set the counter to ZERO and advance. This can be a bit tricky to get used to so I would advise to try all this with a duff roll of film. I used an old expired film that I know I would never shoot. I’ve used it for ages for tests such as this.
My first experience
You might assume the Lomo Horizon is built like cheap plastic, similar to a Holga. Think again. This camera is built surprisingly tough, with plastics that feel remarkably premium and solid in hand.
To manage my expectations and embrace the camera’s simplicity, I decided to keep my first shoot completely casual. I loaded a roll of Kodak TRI-X 400 (expired 2022) and simply walked to the local shops. I had no grand plan, just a spontaneous urge to point, shoot, and see the results. If the photos were bad, I wouldn’t be disappointed.
The day offered mid-overcast lighting after an earlier rain. The ISO 400 film speed was perfect for these conditions. Since I favor contrasty images, I deliberately composed shots that included bright white elements. My strategy was to slightly over-develop the film later, which would boost the highlights and deliver that punchy, contrasty look I love. For those shooting in full sun, remember that with its f/8 aperture and 1/60s speed, you could easily shoot a slower ISO 100 film.
Here are some images from my first shoot.
Reviewing my initial photographs provided a key insight into maximising the camera’s potential – the use of the Golden Ratio composition. The wide, sweeping 120∘ angle truly excels when you place something large and bold in the foreground, positioned to one side. This anchoring element allows the rest of the expansive scene to dramatically drift off toward the horizon. I saw this principle clearly in the photograph of the train station, and the portrait of the train driver reinforced this powerful compositional strategy.
So, with my next test, this time with Ilford Delta 400 I went to the farm to try this composition style out.
And these were taken with Dragon No1 film (100).
What about vertical?
I took a few vertical shots but I was far from happy with the outcome. They felt too skinny. I also noticed the curvature on the buildings and also on the bin in the middle photo.
Final thought
Did I enjoy shooting the Horizon? Absolutely! It offers a delightfully fun and no-fuss approach to photography, sharing a simple, freeing ethos similar to Pinhole or Holga cameras. Once the (correctly loaded!) film is secured, your only worries are composition and ambient light.
This brings us to the other shutter speed! A full half a second (1/2s). I tested this slow setting on a bench in a very dimly lit area, and the results were surprisingly good. However, heed this warning, if the lighting is even slightly too bright for 1/2s, you will quickly venture into severe overexposure territory. Use it judiciously, and ideally only in truly darker conditions. Unless you are shooting a 25 ISO film!
As my test shots show, the first long exposure (taken under the train station shelter) came out well, while the outdoor bench shot was naturally overexposed. I had to try, but honestly, I’m not sure how often I would use the 1/2s shutter speed in the future—especially since the camera lacks a tripod mount, making stabilisation a serious challenge.
Despite that minor limitation, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and have a few more specific scenes I want to capture before the camera goes back to Iain.
Panoramic Inspiration: Jeff Bridges and the Widelux
This journey brings to mind actor Jeff Bridges, an avid panoramic photographer who famously uses the similar Widelux camera. His work is undeniably excellent, but it’s important to remember that his online galleries are curated from decades of shooting. I imagine he has accumulated many “failures” over the years.
This highlights a crucial point. The Lomo Horizon is likely a brilliant camera for a long-term “Panoramic Project.” By committing to shooting countless rolls across many scenes and moments, you would eventually compile enough successful, captivating images for a truly interesting picture book. Extensive use allows you to consistently capture those fleeting good moments perfectly suited for the expansive panoramic format.
Alternatively, if you already have photography projects in progress using standard formats, adding a few sweeping panoramic pictures into the mix would instantly inject an intriguing new perspective and scale into your collection.
Thanks for bring it over Iain. And thanks for bringing the Pentax 17 back.
Voigtlander Bessa L with 12mm Lens
A new camera to my collection of 35mm film cameras, the Voigtlander Bessa L featuring the Ultra Wide Heliar 12mm f5.6 sLens. This has certainly put a cat amongst the pigeons with my compositions!
What is this camera?
The Voigtlander Bessa L isn’t a camera for everyone, and that’s precisely what makes it so special. At first glance, this 35mm film camera might seem a bit basic, which it is! A camera with no built-in viewfinder and no rangefinder. But this minimalist design is not a flaw. It’s a deliberate and brilliant choice by the manufacturer, Cosina, to create a versatile and remarkably lightweight body ideal for street, urban and event photography. And it’s hardly in your face!
The Bessa L was first introduced in 1999 and was produced until 2003. It was the camera that kicked off the entire modern Voigtlander Bessa line, proving there was a market for high quality, affordable 35mm rangefinder cameras and lenses.
Despite its minimalist appearance and lack of a built-in viewfinder, the Bessa L is far from a simple light-tight box. It boasts several features that make it a highly functional and modern tool for film photography. The camera is fully mechanical and includes a bright and clear through-the-lens (TTL) light meter with a simple three-LED readout. Two LR44 batteries are required to power the meter but being fully mechanical it needs no batteries to shoot at all speeds.
Additionally, the camera is built around a sturdy metal die-cast chassis, giving it a solid, durable feel. The top plate, bottom plate and back door is plastic helping to keep its overall weight to a minimum. The above photo with the 12mm lens and viewfinder weigh just over 500g. It also features a reliable mechanical focal-plane shutter with speeds from 1 Second up to 1/2000th of a second as well as a Bulb mode for long exposure work and meters film speeds from 25-1600 ISO. The Bessa L uses a Leica Thread Mount (LTM M39) screw thread mount.
So the with the Bessa L having no rangefinder you’re into zone focusing and using the lens distance scale which is in Feet and Meters for this 12mm lens shown.
It also has a self timer, useful for those slower tripod moments where you don’t have a cable release.
You can purchase the specific viewfinder for whichever focal length lens you are using. In my case I have a 12mm viewfinder for a 12mm lens. I don’t need the viewfinder, however, it helps… a lot! And there is no hot shoe! You can see mine is taped over. That is for an extra snug fit for the viewfinder, however, there is a flash sync port on the side of the camera, which as you can see syncs at 1/125th.
Here are some of the other notable cameras in the Bessa range:
Voigtlander Bessa R (2000-2004): This was the Bessa L‘s popular sibling. It was a proper rangefinder camera with a built-in viewfinder and a coupled rangefinder for accurate focusing. It still used the Leica M39 Thread Mount (LTM), and was excellent value for photographers who wanted a full-featured rangefinder without the Leica price tag.
Voigtlander Bessa T (2001-2005): The Bessa T featured a rangefinder for focusing but no built-in viewfinder for composition. Instead, it had a high-magnification rangefinder for extremely accurate focusing. It also was the first Bessa to feature the Leica M-mount.
Voigtlander Bessa R2 (2002-2004): The Bessa R, and R2 featured a more robust metal body and, the Leica M-mount.
Voigtlander Bessa R2A / R3A / R4A (2004-2013): This generation introduced automatic exposure (Aperture-Priority) to the Bessa lineup and a viewfinder and they all had a different viewfinder magnifications tailored for various lens types.
My experience so far
Since I have been using this camera I must say it has been a joy to use. Nice and light for walking around the streets with and the metering system is accurate and easy to read. And it doesn’t look intimidating, in fact, I have had a few curious looks because of the viewfinder on top!
12mm Lens
I have two lenses for this camera. 12mm and 25mm. With viewfinders to match, however, I have yet to try the 25mm lens. I am more intrigued in the 12mm lens and seeing where it can fit with my photography! And I can tell you now. It’s not easy!
The 12mm viewfinder is incredibly accurate for composing which makes it much easier to compose than say shooting pinhole.
Walking around with this ultra wide mindset looking for objects and scenes to work a composition with. And I have found it a struggle, however, just remember. Shoot the shit out of it and enjoy! That way I may stumble upon a negative and think… eureka! I’ve found a sweet spot for a series.
Such as this small shop emergency exit. It would be pretty cool with a person sitting down at the back doing something. Or maybe a person adding to the wonderful wall art! This area is only about 2 meters wide by about 3 meters deep.
Tmax 100 push to 400
And if you have an ultra wide lens you just have to go into the church! Using a timer and a 1/4th exposure you can see me walking off in the background. I was amazed at how much detail I got in the shot, however, the viewfinder gives me pretty much an accurate composition idea. You just have to be conscious of your distorted edges.
Another here where I placed the camera on the ground. The closest distance is 1 ft. And here I am about 1ft away from the grate. You can see how accurate the viewfinder is.
It would be rude not to try a selfie! I couldn’t believe how wide this shot was. But notice one thing. There is hardly any distortion, centre and especially on the horizon!
Another photograph getting close to a fence. I purposely framed the near post out of the frame as that was bending through the viewfinder. It was the right decision.
And here I just had to visit the Donkeys! I was focused around 3 feet away. It wasn’t easy as the Donkey kept moving toward me and I was shooting from the hip. It was the best of a bad bunch!
This is where you can see the distortion as we creep up from the wall in the bottom right of the frame.
And again here. Notice the big tyre and how deformed it looks being over to the left of the frame.
What about people? Here is my Daughter, Jess, leaning out of my darkroom. I placed her here so I could close the aperture and make the background dark. Her arm sort of extends off out of the frame over on the left. And it does distort even though I was only a few feet away, however, it certainly has it’s uses in portrait photography for a certain, let’s say, interesting look!
But I think this is where this lens excels, or at least for me. Massive impact in the background and something dominating the foreground. This means for landscapes I need to do the same. I don’t think just a cornfield will look that interesting unless there is an object big and bold in the foreground. That could even be the corn itself.
And I tried that here. Just a normal field. What amazed me was the lack of distortion on the horizon, due the lenses Rectilinear design. Basically make sure your horizons are in the centre of the frame for minimal distortion. But it looks a bit bland, so I took another photograph using the field gate.
Now!.. there is far more impact. It’s just unfortunate I got my finger in the way!
So, where now?
Well, I love the camera and I love the lens. I still have yet to try the 25mm lens, which I will do when I make a video on the channel. But for now I am trying to settle in with the 12mm lens.
I am not sure yet where this lens will take me. I think I am swaying more towards land and sea scapes with impressive foregrounds. Street Photography I can imagine is awesome, however, for real benefit you will need to be very close to your subject, which isn’t my style. But who knows until I take more street photos. I mean. Look at this Church photo. It’s ridiculously wide.
And this time I went up to the top of the multi story carpark for a photograph of the town square. Getting real close to the wire fence.
Oh go on then… one more hit and miss with Daphney!
Keep an eye out for the vlog coming soon guys!
Rog.
Harman release Phoenix II
In December 2023 Harman released their first colour film, Phoenix 200. They had a long drawn out campaign on social media in the months building up to the release which got the film community excited in anticipation! And when it landed it got a mixed bag of reviews with many loving what Harman had done.
Well, it’s the 16th July 2025 and they have just released Phoenix II and Harman sent me some rolls to test out. So I did! And I asked Harman to develop the films for me. And here are some of the scans from three rolls I sent in including a roll of original phoenix so I could compare.
See the SFLaB Video here
Eager to see how this new emulsion performed I set off with a Fuji 6×9 camera and for 35mm the Nikon F3. And from my results I wanted to see –
- Colour Vibrancy and Rendition
- Grain
- Sharpness
- Dynamic Range (Ratio between light and dark)
35mm
On a light overcast morning I went to the beach and purposely chose bland looking scenes. Colourful scenes come later.
So this was one of my first 35mm photographs. I knew the sands looked more browny sand and unless I am going colour-blind, to me this looks more of a hue of green. Harman scanned this no doubt on a default setting. And below is a screen grab from the GoPro I was using the make the YouTube Video.
After a bit of tweaking in Photoshop and I got a photograph I was pleased with. All I did here was highlighted the sands in the middle section and burned the bottom area. And a slight cooler temperature tweak to take the green away. (If it is green!).
I would be happy to print this photograph especially if I could manage the same in the darkroom.
Skin Tone
I took this photograph purely for skin tones. And I have tweaked it in Photoshop to get the colours I like and I am really happy the way this turned out.
Next is a photograph of beach huts with their reflection in a water hole. Again, I have tweaked this photograph to my own taste with a bit of de-saturation and exaggerating the highlights (dodging) the hut reflections.
Colour
Aiming for some colour now I spotted these vibrant red deck chairs. This photograph was pretty much straight from the scan. As are the rest of these photographs.
Coming away from the beach I went to the farm for some more colour. Just look at this blue tractor. It’s an amazing electric rendition of colour, the red Ford badge a bit more subtle. Just like the red deck chair.
Highlights
This is where things got tricky. The F3 it has an awesome metering system and I was shooting Aperture Priority. It was a bright day and I was hoping for better highlights. I’m not surprised I got little detail on the Black Lamb.
And back on the beach I couldn’t help but notice the bloom on the bright yellow sun umbrella, but again, check out those blues!
And I particularly like this photograph. It’s got that nostalgic colour film look with a hint of Phoenix quirkiness to it and the colours warm and vibrant.
So far the photographs above show the variance in vibrancy and I think the film mostly done a good job dealing with the bright scenes (and flat scenes). I noticed a difference in grain between the original Phoenix and this new version. The Phoenix II being a finer grain. Which will be welcoming to many.
6×9 120 Film
I was really excited to see my results from the Fuji 6×9 camera which I shot at the farm.
This haystack photograph was on Phoenix II, but I also shot the same scene on the original Phoenix and I noticed a big difference with the Phoenix II the clear winner.
Green!
And this farm scape below surprised me. The grass looks more green when in fact it was actually brown from the recent heatwave. The original Phoenix got this more precise. However, the Phoenix II wins on the finer grain!
And back to the cute Lambs. Still pretty bright on the highlights, but as I said it was a super bright sun!
And finally another surprise between the two films. Both 6×9. The first is the Phoenix II and I noticed how lush the greens were. Certainly not what I saw! And underneath is the original Phoenix which appears to get the greens more precise. Yet the sky appears correct on the Phoenix II.
Conclusion
When Harman released Phoenix I was one of the first to try it out and for all it’s – I wouldn’t say flaws, I would say it’s difference from other colour films, I actually liked it. What’s the point in shooting a colour film that is so good you can’t tell the difference between it and digital? And what’s the point in shooting a colour film that is just as good as another branded colour film? I liked Phoenix because of it being different. Crunchy, Grainy and quirky! And I am pleased to see Phoenix II has not lost that identity. To me it’s still quirky and crunchy but less grainy. That is, of course, from what I have seen from the two rolls I shot in the conditions available to me at the time.
So if you are into colour film photography grab a few rolls and see how you like it.
Leica Release NEW Film – MONOPAN 50
Leica has officially announced their first-ever “branded” 35mm film, the MONOPAN 50, to commemorate 100 years since the launch of the Leica I camera in 1925, which effectively pioneered the 35mm format.
What Leica Say
MONOPAN 50 is derived from “mono” (referencing their Monochrom digital cameras), “pan” (for its panchromatic properties, meaning sensitive to the full visible spectrum and beyond), and “50” for its ISO speed. It’s a black-and-white negative film with 36 exposures rated at ISO 50/18°.
Leica states this low sensitivity encourages a slower, more deliberate approach to photography and allows for shooting with wide apertures even in bright daylight, showcasing the “Leica bokeh.”
Leica emphasizes its “ultra-fine grain” and “exceptional resolution” of up to 280 line pairs per millimeter. This is marketed as being perfect for large-format prints and detailed scans, and for maximising the optical performance of Leica lenses. It boasts “super-panchromatic sensitisation” extending up to 780nm, which makes it suitable for infrared photography when paired with appropriate filters. It’s also noted to work well with yellow, orange, and green filters for contrast control and can be developed with all standard black-and-white developers.
It will be available in four distinctive, retro-style packaging designs, paying homage to Leica’s heritage and Leica explicitly states the film is “Produced in Germany.”
Well this sounds exciting!
A Leica Film Lab?
I think we can quite confidently say that Leica have not set up a film manufacturing lab in Germany and have approached an already popular facility to make this film. And when I think of film manufacturers in Germany I think ADOX.
But hang on…
- 280 line pairs per millimeter
- Super-panchromatic sensitisation extending up to 780nm
- ISO 50
Sound familiar?
There is another film that ADOX make called HR-50. A film I love! That too has up to 280 line pairs per millimeter and sensitisation extending up to 780nm.
So have Leica approached ADOX and asked them to make an emulsion for them based on similar technical specs as HR-50 or IS IT HR-50?
I do hope a “NEW” emulsion has been developed, somehow, by Leica ( and whoever the lab is). But already speculation online is pointing to ADOX HR-50.
Which could be a good thing! If it is.
ADOX HR-50 is a truly brilliant emulsion. I love it. The new film shooters and those that don’t follow the communities will take a punt on this new Leica Film and get to experience HR-50. Even if they don’t realise it. I’m not sure that HR-50 is that popular so hopefully, if it is HR-50, then Leica has possibly saved this film from extinction.
So with all that said we will just have to wait and see when Leica release the film in August and I for one will be buying a roll to compare with the HR-50 I have in the fridge. Even though I will not enjoy passing a few quid onto Leica for the fancy packaging and name – if it turns out to be HR-50.
The film was released on June 18, 2025, and will be available worldwide from August 21, 2025, at Leica Stores and authorised retailers. The recommended retail price is £10.00 / €12.00 / $10.00 per roll.
HR-50 IMAGES
So whilst we are all “Speculating” no one knows for sure. and here some recent examples of photographs I shot with HR-50. A film worth trying!
A Pinhole system for the creative!
MANIA MFZ System by Ralph Man
Ralph Man from Germany contacted me and asked if I would like to try his pinhole camera system and after biting his arm off he kindly sent me a nice little set up that would confuse the hell out of me and at the same time intrigue me too! I’ve never seen a pinhole camera with three pinholes before. That said I’ve never seen a pinhole camera that offers different focal lengths before either! But here it is and after a bit of practice and a heap of expired 120 films I started to get used to it as well as see its potential as a wonderfully creative pinhole camera system!
Watch the video
In a nut shell!
What Ralph Man sent me was a pinhole camera with three different front panels, 6×6 TSP, 6×12 TSP and a standard pinhole panel as well as two different focal length blocks giving me the option to shoot 35mm, 55mm and 75mm. So far I have only experimented with the standard 35mm.
So with this set up I can shoot 6×6, 6×12 and 6×17 and all at three different focal lengths. But he also included two more front pinhole panels for shooting what Ralph Man calls “TSP”. Which stands for Twin Shot Panorama. Basically I can shoot a wide scene split over two frames using the two outer pinholes on the board.
Pretty clever too! And it’s simple once you get into it. Simply compose your scene, take one photograph with the far left pinhole, advance to the next frame and take another photograph using the far right pinhole and you should end up with a “TSP”. Like this. Two 6×6 photographs side by side.
I think I need to be a bit more creative with this feature going forward but for practice I was pleased with the results. It worked!! And I can also do this with 6×12 also using the 6×12 pinhole TSP board. That would produce a panoramic split with dimensions of approximately 6×24. Impressive if you can print that big and frame it.
What Ralph Mann says
“The Mania MFZ (Multiformat Zoom) is the first modular and fully compatible pinhole camera system. It offers a variety of film formats: from 6×6, 6×12 and 6×17 cm (with 120 roll film) up to 4×5 inches. You can also vary the hole aperture distance (comparable to the focal length of lens cameras) in 20 mm steps from 35 mm to 135 mm (theoretically to infinity). This allows you to influence the angle and perspective of your images in a targeted manner.
In addition, you can equip the camera with various front panels, which allow additional functions such as shifting or twin shot panoramas (TSP). All modules and intermediate frames are fixed with magnets and can be easily replaced. The rear panels and plan film cassette brackets are also held magnetically, so you can change them quickly and easily.
A special feature: With the 4×5 inch back you can use special screws and rubber bands (included) to even use old flat film cassettes or the LomoGraflock 4×5 Instax Back to take Fuji Instax instant photos, for example.
The combination possibilities are almost unlimited: You can decide whether you photograph wide-angled with stronger vignetting or prefer a longer focal length and less vignetting. The shifting and TSP functions can also be used flexibly to create impressive panoramas or equalised architectural shots.”
Format Inserts
These are the format inserts that were included in my package. 6×6 and 6×12.
My results
I had a mixed bag of results and I used expired film that I certainly wouldn’t use on anything important as expired film is always a lottery. But for testing cameras it’s ideal! I went through five 120 rolls of film testing this camera and I think I am now ready to load a fresh roll of 120 film for some serious results!
Portrait!
The camera has tripod plate threads for portrait and landscape so you can get creative with tall images such as these two I tried in 6×12.
6×12 Panorama
Either way these panorama shots look great, landscape or portrait. On the right subject of course.
6×6 Format.
This has to be my favourite format. I love square prints in square frames so I am very comfortable with 6×6.
6×17 super wide
I can’t even begin to think where this size would fit into any of my photography! Maybe on a bright day at a festival would look good? I say bright day as I’d want an exposure of half a second max for people motion. Just be prepared to take a lot of film! You only get 4 photographs from a 120 roll.
Sharpness and Vignetting
Of course being a pinhole camera we lose sharpness and certain pinholes give a varied amount of vignetting. That said I found my photographs to be a good sharpness for pinhole photographs so the quality of the engineered pinhole inside the boards are of decent quality. By using the telephoto boards (55mm and 75mm) you would naturally lose the vignetting but I have yet to try those boards.
But it is what it is. We expect that pinhole look with it’s ultra wide field of view, vignetting and slightly soft look.
Conclusion
What a fantastic camera system. If you love pinhole photography this camera gives more variety to be creative. And it’s well made too from solid oak and looks great. The looks I got when I was out shooting with the camera was quite funny. I am sure people thought I was some sort of dinosaur architect measuring the roads!
Ralph Man has also included a groove on the bottom of the pinhole boards for you to use filters which also comes with little magnetic pegs to secure the filter in place.
My only one gripe really, which is actually a concern, is the lack of a tensioner inside the film compartment which you find in almost every 120 classic camera. This ensures the film is being pressed against the spool as you are rewinding the film so that when you take the film out it is not slack with no light seeping into the film.
You can see the example here that is used by Ranica Pinhole Cameras. Which is something I mentioned to Ranica when they sent me their very first pinhole to try.
But overall the camera is impressive and brings a whole new world of creativity to the pinhole enthusiast.
You can see more information at Ralph Mans website https://maniapinhole.com
Kentmere 200. Any good? Let’s see!
Harman sent me a couple of rolls of their new line up in the Kentmere range of Black and White films. Kentmere 200. And this new film will be exciting news for many Kentmere lovers!
I was excited to see how this new film would perform and there is no better way to test a film than to get out there and shoot it in your normal environment and see how you like the results. Here’s a Chicken!
But before all that you need to find your perfect overall development happy medium or you’ll end up shooting some great photos, perfectly exposed, only to mess it all up in the development.
See the Video
So I needed to find this out before I went out on location.
Development Tests
With only two rolls of film and an intentional video to make for the SFLaB channel I needed to make sure I developed my film right. I chose Ilford ID-11 for my developer. And I already knew I was going to be dunking the film in it at 1 part to 1 part. I just needed to find the right time, or near enough!
Over develop and I run into highlight problems. Under develop and I get negatives that are thin and hard to print. But if I get my times at least near enough then I know these films are pretty forgiving and I’ll get printable negs. And that’s all I am after.
At this time I had no data sheet from Harman. But even so, I would only use that as a guide and still experiment. I’ve since seen the data sheet and I wasn’t too far off!
So using my rotary processor from Filmomat I started off at 10.5 minutes. I took a few photographs of my Wife’s Aunty, Uncle and Cousin and then cut the film from the camera and developed the shots I took.
Straight away I could see the negatives were dense. But surprisingly recoverable. But I needed to take time off. So I decided to knock off Two minutes. You can see the highlights stretching.
This time, at 8.5mins I got better negatives but still I could see they were denser than I would like.
With now only one and a half rolls left I settled with just seven minutes development time. And I was elated when I saw the negatives. They looked perfect. For me at least!
7 Minutes!
When I scanned the negatives I was surprised to see the images had a good tonal range, sharp and fine grain too! I say surprised because I’ve always compared standard films to Ilford FP4. I shoot FP4 mostly. And I’ve never seen Kentmere 100 or 400 come nowhere close. But with Kentmere 200, I think I’d be hard pushed to tell the difference side by side. Maybe for another video I can do a comparison?
And if it IS as good as Ilford FP4 it could well be a cheaper alternative!
When I shoot FP4 I often shoot it at box speed for my scapes and often push it to 400 for my street. Even 800! Can I push Kentmere 200 to 400 or even 800? That waits to be seen. I will need to grab some more rolls and delve deeper.
But for now Kentmere 200 has left a good impression. And even though I have only made scans so far I know from the negatives that darkroom prints will be good too.
I’m not one for delving deep into a films dynamic range, grain and sharpness with vigorous testing. As I said, I’ll shoot the film in various conditions, for my normal photography taste, and I can visually see if it is a film I can use.
And I’ve shot probably every film out there. To be honest I think most films have a place for creative photography. Even those crazy contrast micro film films. Copex Rapid comes to mind! I’ve used this film where I’ve wanted super contrast for creative reasons.
So if I stumble across an unusual film I’ll always give it a go and put it in a pigeon hole for a possible certain look I may need for any particular photoshoot. Even Harman Red. When that came out a few weeks back many were quick to label it as gimmicky or just plain awful. There are those that are happy to throw rocks at a new film on the market and there are those that are willing to get out and give it a go to find its potential. If any.
Coming back to this new film from Harman, which I believe will be rolled out in 120 and also 4×5 I think it’s excellent news for Kentmere fans and the film community as a whole. Film is still being pumped out for us film nuts to enjoy.
M42 100mm f2.8 Bokeh Lens
Another lens from China
Here is the “Bubble Bokeh” 100mm f2.8 lens from TT Artisan. And what an interesting lens it is too!
If you want to see the video I made on the lens then here it is. And scroll down as I go over the photographs I shot using the lens.
Straight into the “Bubble Bokeh” effect. Here it is. Sort of! I found it hard to find the ideal situations to achieve this effect. And the above was looking over a stream at some water grass shimmering in the sunlight. Here is the scene.
So there are two elements to make the photo work. A background that is shimmering very brightly and a subject in the foreground so you can focus close on the foreground subject, shooting wide open at f2.8 and a distance between the two enough to throw the background into oblivion out of focus!
Another example. This is close up on a car with another car in the background. Again, at f2.8.
And another with a Holly bush shimmering in the background and some tree moss in the foreground.
But I will be brutally honest. I don’t think this is for me. But I do think you could get some amazing night time city scapes. And for the price of the lens, less than £200, I wanted to see how it performs normally without the Bubble Bokeh effect. And it didn’t disappoint!
I shot these with apertures of f8, 11 and 16. This is where I wanted to see the quality of the lens.
Build Quality
You won’t be disappointed in the build quality either. It feels good with a full metal contraction, three elements in three groups and 13 aperture bladed. And the focusing is nice and smooth with a clicked aperture selector and the lens is small and compact too!
You can read more on the lens on the TT Artisan Website.
- f2.8 – f22
- Closest distance is 3 feet
- 13 Aperture Blades
- 3 elements in 3 groups
- Full Metal Body
- Fits M42 Mount and also M Mount
- Focal Length 100mm
- Filter Size 49mm
- Weight is 307g
- Clickable Aperture Change
Uses
I can see this lens fitting into some of my photography especially portraits! And I will take advantage of the Bubble Bokeh if I stumble across an opportunity but I wouldn’t go looking for it with a model. My usual lens for woodland is a 50mm, 55mm and a 28mm. So using a 100mm in the woods I did find myself thinking more about my compositions. Street photography also! It’s not an intrusive looking lens and could make for some interesting stealth compositions! And if you are into macro photography I am sure you can get even closer with extension tubes! I didn’t try this. Usually I reverse a 50mm lens on an extension tube. Whatever your photography subject I am sure you would find a 100mm lens useful and the price is the start of this lenses attraction. Less than £150 for a brand new M42 Screw fit lens.
And here are a couple of photographs I took with a Canon 6D DSLR camera. You can see the quality is very good.
Working Hands Project
As photographers there is often a project or ten that come to mind. For me this started in Bahrain when I visited a pottery. I took a couple of photos of the pottery mans hands and thought it would make for a good project.
Another I took with this project in mind. I guess I can keep this project in mind wherever I go. I don’t need to plan anything. Just take the photographs when the opportunity arrises. And recently I had my car wheels refurbished and so I thought it would be a good opportunity to get a few more of these photographs in my collection! Of course I asked for permission!
The wheels took nearly three days to complete an I was there all the way with a Nikon FM3a and two rolls of Kodak P3200 which I was shooting at 800. And I used 510 Pyro for developing at 13 minutes in a rotary processor. I also took three lenses. a 28mm, 55mm Micro and an 85mm. All Nikon.
But, here is the thing I noticed. I was short of options. I had either hands on an alloy wheel or hands on an alloy wheel! And sometimes with gloves on too! Sounds easy. but it really wasn’t. So I resorted to changing the plan slightly and shooting a bit wider. That way I could tell more of a story in the photograph. Such as the one below. Just by pulling back I could get more in the shot in way of machinery and character. It’s not what I was intentionally after but it’s better than a load of repetitive photographs.
Now it wasn’t the best lighting inside this workshop. I found that out on the first day! So I decided to take a small Olympus T20 Flash with me, just to fill some light on the subject. I knew it would create a hard shadow sometimes but that doesn’t other me at all. If anything it adds to the drama.
And above we can see Josh pulling tyre valves. You can see how the flash creates that shadow on the wall. It’s harmless. But also notice the gloves! I can’t ask these guys to take gloves off so really my hands working idea goes out the window! Nonetheless I still felt I was getting some good work photographs.
My film choice was a no brainer. I had two rolls of P3200 in the fridge, which was out of date by a couple of years. I didn’t want to shoot that at 3200. That would have been grainy! So 800 or at a push 1600 would be best. I could have chosen Ilford HP5 and pushed that to 800 but I have a feeling that would have been grainier than the P3200 at 800! But none of this mattered in the end as I was using flash.
Then it was time for a few creative photographs. I particularly liked the strip lights above so I took a few photographs with the 28mm lens to incorporate some strip lights.
Going forward I think it’s a good project to stick with and one that I don’t even need to plan for. Whenever I am out and about and see an opportunity then I can take it. Although I might come across as a bit of an odd ball asking some random person if I can take a photograph of their hands! This is how to ask..
“Hello! I hope you don’t mind me asking. I am a Photographer and I have a fetish for peoples hands! Would you mind If I take a photograph of your hands”. I may have to work on that.
Or you could turn it into a complete planned project and list occupations you think would work best and approach those places of work or leisure. I would say the harder the work the better for hands that look unusual. Like our local farmer! His hands are like leather!
“New” Film. Dragon No1 Film.
New Arrival?
The arrival of yet another rebranded film can elicit drastically different reactions. On one side, there’s a weariness, a longing for the familiar era of 1980s film photography, making the thought of further changes unwelcome. On the other, a sense of opportunity arises, with the question “What other films are out there to try?” finally finding a potential answer.
Svema NK2-SH. This was a film I’d never encountered before. It took the initiative of two dedicated individuals, venturing into the realm of obscure films and giving them a visual makeover (complete with, perhaps, a dragon or two if that’s your thing), for it to even come to my attention.
So here is a “Newly Packaged” film on the market. Dragon No1 Film. They call it their No.1 Film because they have a few more different films available. I guess thats a good way of branding your films without wasting too much time thinking of a funky name for them. And they make it no secret that it is rebranded.
This film is FRESH stock. Fresh Svema NK2-SH. A film that is already rebranded by a couple of companies and Dragon approached me and sent me a roll of their No.1 film to try out. And I liked it that much I decided to show the SFLaB YouTube Subscribers recently in a video.
Svema NK2-SH was originally a motion picture emulsion. But these days the same emulsion has been placed on photographic film so don’t expect to see the traditional motion picture sprocket holes.
To be honest, Svema NK2-SH was a film I’d never heard of, and I’m quite certain it would have remained that way had it not been for the team at Dragon. My conversations with them over the past year regarding darkroom printing have built a level of trust that made me willing to give this unfamiliar film a shot. And if you’re wondering what the letters and numbers relate to, well, Svema is a manufacturing plant in Ukraine. And I had an interesting comment on the video regarding.
Svema NK-2SH (Свема НК-2Ш). NK-2 was produced by Tasma [Та́сма (rus. ТАтарские Светочувствительные МАтериалы and tat. тасма́ — ribbon)], while NK-2SH – Shostkinsk chemical plant (Шосткинский химический комбинат), this is the main Svema factory located in Shostka, Ukraine. NK stands for “negative kinofilm”. “2” is sensitivity (there were 4, while №2 was most popular 90 ISO). To confuse you more, there was also KN-2 (КН-2 – кинонегатив, rus. kinonegativ, i.e. film negative but the ISO of this one was 32).
And it is confusing too when you read the films and cameras from that side of the world. So thanks for that @Sedokun on YouTube.
What’s it like?
I only had one roll to experiment with. And when you have one roll you don’t want to mess things up. I’m not talking about the shoot. Moreover I’m talking about the development. I used some of the film sparingly to make a few development tests before I spent time shooting photographs. I used ID-11 at 1 part to 1 part on my rotary processor and I ended up with a time of 8.5 Minutes at 20°. I only tested for the leader density. You can see the tests I did on the video.
For my first roll of Svema NK2-SH, I opted for a portrait study to evaluate its skin tone reproduction. My niece kindly agreed to model in the sunny back garden, providing the perfect opportunity to shoot in both direct light and diffused shade (where a scrim played a vital role in softening potential under-eye, cheekbone, and neck shadows). Once I had a few portraits in the bag, I carefully removed the film from the camera and moved on to the development stage.
This was in shade and I must admit I was stunned at the tonality, contrast and very very fine grain! I didn’t shoot the film at box speed. For some reason I decided to shoot it at 50ISO and overexpose. The negatives did look a bit heavy with the extra exposure but as you can see easily manageable. I scanned these into photoshop and adjusted the contrast levels. Exactly the same what I would do in the darkroom with contrast filters, this being a contrast 5.
And this was in sunlight using a scrim (diffuser).
The fine grain makes this film perfect for smooth looking portraits. Which got me thinking of other uses. Street, Scapes, Still Life.
So with the rest of the film I went for a walk down the farm. I like the farm for testing new films and gear. There is so much there to study and it’s only a short walk from my home.
What immediately struck me about this film is its contrast, which I find very pleasing. I’ve never been drawn to the “how many tones can we capture?” approach to photography. Give me deep, rich blacks and clean, bright whites – like in this image – and I’m happy. This first roll of Svema NK2-SH definitely offers that kind of contrast.
For me I need to see how a film looks on paper as I am often in the darkroom making prints. And it didn’t disappoint either. I had to split grade this print to tame the highlights a bit.
Where can you buy this film?
While Dragon is my point of introduction to Svema NK2-SH, a quick search online will show that they aren’t the only ones making it available. You’ll find a few different suppliers, often with varying price points. As for rebranding films, the work that Dragon and others like them put in deserves recognition. They’re not just reselling film. They’re going through the considerable effort of finding these unique emulsions, putting them through testing, creating appealing packaging, and then carefully hand-spooling them onto reusable cassettes. It’s a significant undertaking, and in my case, it was Dragon’s efforts that brought this film to my attention.
The downside.
This journey with Svema NK2-SH has a familiar echo of my past love affair with ORWO UN54. I fell hard for that film, buying those big 100ft rolls and feeling like I’d truly mastered the entire process from shooting to printing. But as so often happens, availability dwindled. And that’s the inherent risk with these rediscovered films. You might stumble upon a gem, a film that truly resonates with your style, only to face the possibility of it disappearing down the line. When ORWO UN54 became harder to source, I inevitably returned to my steadfast companion, Ilford FP4.
Information
- DragonFilm NO. I is a highly distinctive, fine-grained ISO 100 Black and White cinematic film producing a strong and distinctive image, manufactured in Ukraine
- As the film base is quite thin, slightly more care is needed to load the film. As the film is very sensitive and prone to light piping, so loading and changing the film should always be done in a subdued light.
- Please note that this film is not suitable for automatic camera’s and does not have a DX code on the film canister.
- The film has a PET base, and although quite thin, tends to dry flatter than many other films meaning scanning these negatives at home is a breeze!
- The film can be pulled to ISO 25 through to pushing it to ISO 320 with great results.
- 135/35mm Format
- Black and White
- ISO 100 Recommended, ISO 25 to ISO 320
- 24 Exposures
- Fine Grain
- PET Base
