Vintage Voigtlander snaps vintage photos!

[eartweeker]

News at 11!! Doi. I guess I should've figured- but I would like some definition, some contrast to start with- I can go vintage easy enough in Photo Shop. This camera seems to be interested in catching every air molecule in-between! Any thoughts? Is it lens haze? It looks nice & clean. bellows leak? I did the flashlight thing. No leaks.
Ilford 125 SP home developed with Ilford S- scanned at work on finest setting-
600 X 600 dpi
A Konica Minolta muti-use copier/ scan/ fax
I'm hoping its the scanner.

[KoNickon]

It looks more out of focus than anything else.

[kuzano]

running low on the battery apparently, and the autofocus seems to be malfunctioning. It's a prewar Bessa, and I cannot, for the life of me, find the battery compartment. So, I guess when the battery finally dies, I am just going to have to settle for out of focus shots. One of the saving graces seems to be that it's malfunctioning on the side of infinity, so if I just shoot landscapes, some portion of the picture will be in focus. I guess that's OK. (I think the battery also runs the Autoexposure, since the exposure seems to be a little off over time).

Anyone have a manual that shows where the battery compartment is and the type of battery? My factory manual does not seem to cover that function of the camera.

[eartweeker]

I might have an extra charging cable for you somewhere...

[VictorM.]

Looks like the focus needs adjusting and the film may need more development (contrast). Also, folders often won't focus accurately at both the closest distance and the mid- to far-distances.

[bsdunek]

Looks like a combination of an uncoated lens and, as VictorM said, the film needs more development to increase contrast.

[rogue_designer]

agreed on the development - the contrast between the frame numbers and the film edge look as low contrast as the image - and that shouldn't be the case.

[eartweeker]

Ilford is recommending 9.5 minutes at 1:14 for their 125 (from their website) what should I add? 1-2 minutes??
Thanks

[1948nikon]

Ilford is recommending 9.5 minutes at 1:14 for their 125 (from their website) what should I add? 1-2 minutes??
Thanks

Judging by the contrast of the frame number and the overall image it is a little low in contrast and not that much underdeveloped as you can still see plenty of details in the image.

I know you said that you developed the film yourself but did you print this yourself or send out to a lab. This film should print up fine on higher contrast paper . Bromide paper is usually graded 1-2-3-4 or from soft medium hard or extra hard. Soft being low contrast and extra hard being stark black and white.

If your paper is the Multigrade type you can increase or decrese contrast with the dedicated set of filters.

Hope this helps.

[1948nikon]

See the thumbnails for the equivalent difference of printing on harder paper.

[eartweeker]

Nice. no I develope the negs in my bathroom & bring to work & scan them- tweek in PhotoShop best I can- but I seem to start with this overall not contrasty hazy neg. & force to get to a sharp contrast.

[Leigh Youdale]

Out of focus and underdeveloped - or did the dog just lick the lens?

[1948nikon]

Nice. no I develope the negs in my bathroom & bring to work & scan them- tweek in PhotoShop best I can- but I seem to start with this overall not contrasty hazy neg. & force to get to a sharp contrast.
Run me through your process.
Temp of dev?

Stop bath or rinse?

Fixing time and temp?

Washing etc?

The detail appears to be in the negs so development seems correct, just this lack of contrast which I am thinking is caused by chemicl fog.

Drastic variations between dev and fix can cause this among other steps in the process.

[FallisPhoto]

News at 11!! Doi. I guess I should've figured- but I would like some definition, some contrast to start with- I can go vintage easy enough in Photo Shop. This camera seems to be interested in catching every air molecule in-between! Any thoughts? Is it lens haze? It looks nice & clean. bellows leak? I did the flashlight thing. No leaks.
Ilford 125 SP home developed with Ilford S- scanned at work on finest setting-
600 X 600 dpi
A Konica Minolta muti-use copier/ scan/ fax
I'm hoping its the scanner.

What do the negatives look like?

[rogue_designer]

scanning problems sounds like it could be part of the problem - ie. not having a clean black and white point. That would give you very flat scans.

But honestly there are so many things it *could* be - without being there to see for ourselves, it's a bit tricky to diagnose.

[eartweeker]

Run me through your process.
Temp of dev?

Stop bath or rinse?

Fixing time and temp?

Washing etc?

The detail appears to be in the negs so development seems correct, just this lack of contrast which I am thinking is caused by chemicl fog.

Drastic variations between dev and fix can cause this among other steps in the process.

Ilford S at 1:14 mix 68 degrees/ 9.5 minutes (invert & shake every 2-3 minutes)
Ilfostop 10 seconds (probably more as it takes 5 secs. to pour out!)
Fix 3 minutes at 68 degrees (invert & shake once) also an Ilford product.
Water rinse 5-10 minutes
Drops of photoflo at the end- hang up

Negs look like they are hazy- atmospheric/ & printed on linen fabric!
Initially I thought i was too rough with the negative -spooling onto the reels this time I was very careful- spooled right from the paper backing- but I still feed against my finger tips- sorting the neg onto the spool. Does anyone/ everyone use those cotton gloves?



Also- there is a lighted rocker switch in the bathroom-(darkroom) but I lean around a tile wall so it is not in the direct path of my operations.
Thanks for your help
Tim

[eartweeker]

Out of focus and underdeveloped - or did the dog just lick the lens?


Talk about coated/ uncoated lens' !!

Ha

[MRohlfing]

running low on the battery apparently, and the autofocus seems to be malfunctioning. It's a prewar Bessa, and I cannot, for the life of me, find the battery compartment. So, I guess when the battery finally dies, I am just going to have to settle for out of focus shots.

Do not bother looking for the battery. Just test the shutter, if it works and the times are approximately correct, the battery is okay!

My mother bought her Bessa in 1949 and until she sold it in the late seventies, she had never changed the battery!!

Michael

[eartweeker]

ah the days before planned obsolesense!

[1948nikon]

Ilford S at 1:14 mix 68 degrees/ 9.5 minutes (invert & shake every 2-3 minutes)
Ilfostop 10 seconds (probably more as it takes 5 secs. to pour out!)
Fix 3 minutes at 68 degrees (invert & shake once) also an Ilford product.
Water rinse 5-10 minutes
Drops of photoflo at the end- hang up

Negs look like they are hazy- atmospheric/ & printed on linen fabric!
Initially I thought i was too rough with the negative -spooling onto the reels this time I was very careful- spooled right from the paper backing- but I still feed against my finger tips- sorting the neg onto the spool. Does anyone/ everyone use those cotton gloves?



Also- there is a lighted rocker switch in the bathroom-(darkroom) but I lean around a tile wall so it is not in the direct path of my operations.
Thanks for your help
Tim

All your processing technique seems to be ok except I would do a 20- 30 sec rinse of clean water between the stop bath and fixer. Also advise checking time on the Ilford fixer that you are using . Paper I usually fix for 2-3 minutes and film around ten minutes. Also check that the fixer is the one with a hardener built in. The one without hardener is usually for paper.

You also mention about the light switch indicator this is a potential area for fogging as most b and w films are panchromatic and are sensetive to wide bandwith of light wavelength.

GOLDEN RULE 1--- THE FILM SHOULD BE LOADED INTO THE TANK IN PITCH
BLACKNESS.

GOLDEN RULE 2---BUY A DARKROOM CHANGING BAG.

Don,t worry about the comments relating to sharpness lets get the development side done first.

Keep shooting.

[rhmcelroy55]

Not trying to flame anyone but am I missing an inside joke here? I may be totally out to lunch here but to the best of my knowledge there never was a battery in the pre-war Voigtlander Bessa. It is a scale-focus manual camera with no exposure meter. Given that, why would it need a battery?

[MRohlfing]

... there never was a battery in the pre-war Voigtlander Bessa.

Now you tell me?? It's too late! I have disassembled my Bessa completely in my desperate search for the battery! :D

Michael

[rogue_designer]

Not trying to flame anyone but am I missing an inside joke here? I may be totally out to lunch here but to the best of my knowledge there never was a battery in the pre-war Voigtlander Bessa. It is a scale-focus manual camera with no exposure meter. Given that, why would it need a battery?

Yes - it was a joke someone was making.

[eartweeker]

All your processing technique seems to be ok except I would do a 20- 30 sec rinse of clean water between the stop bath and fixer. Also advise checking time on the Ilford fixer that you are using . Paper I usually fix for 2-3 minutes and film around ten minutes. Also check that the fixer is the one with a hardener built in. The one without hardener is usually for paper.

You also mention about the light switch indicator this is a potential area for fogging as most b and w films are panchromatic and are sensetive to wide bandwith of light wavelength.

GOLDEN RULE 1--- THE FILM SHOULD BE LOADED INTO THE TANK IN PITCH
BLACKNESS.

GOLDEN RULE 2---BUY A DARKROOM CHANGING BAG.

Don,t worry about the comments relating to sharpness lets get the development side done first.

Keep shooting.

I will check for hardener in the fixer and tape over the light switches. I did a few focusing zone tests- measuring with a tape measure to a sign to pick out the letters & camera on a tripod to test the bellows focus system.
Thanks for your suggestions I will try them all- let you know!