Family gathering - I'm shooting FP4 on my 120.

[Malcolm_Stewart]

I've organised a large family get-together with daughters and g-children for this coming weekend (I was 70 a few days ago), and whilst I expect we'll cover it on digital from my 5D to a variety of P&Ss, I've decided to take along a tripod, FP4 and one of my collection of working 120 cameras. Over the last few days I've been checking back on old family snaps from the 1930s, 1920s, 1910 era and earlier, including a self-portrait taken by my grandfather of him and his father in 1893. (Shutter tripped by pulling a string.) I now feel that there's something to be said for the formal family portrait where everybody is facing the camera, and trying to look their best! Generally speaking the quality from the film and a few tens of plate negatives has been more than adequate for family memory purposes, and Photoshop has allowed me to annotate the groups with names, before I pass on!

I can't decide between an Ikonta 521/16 with its f3.5 Opton Tessar but no DA, a Perkeo with f4.5 Vaskar in a Prontor S with DA or a Rolleicord Vb with f3.5 Xenar. I could attach an Autoknips to my Ikonta, but I expect the Rollei to command the most respect. In the recent past, snaps of me and group taken at previous gatherings on my 5D have been spoilt by
a) serious camera shake caused by young adult stabbing the shutter at ~1/50s. (My own shots were fine down to 1/15.)
b) centre spot AF accurately focused on item between me and partner, but it was 20 feet further away
c) fully auto AF (with ETTL flash and all AF spots active) focusing the camera on a near invisible but reflective item way behind our group

So I feel a more formal approach may pay dividends this time round!

[beejaybee]

a) serious camera shake caused by young adult stabbing the shutter at ~1/50s. (My own shots were fine down to 1/15.)
b) centre spot AF accurately focused on item between me and partner, but it was 20 feet further away
c) fully auto AF (with ETTL flash and all AF spots active) focusing the camera on a near invisible but reflective item way behind our group

(a) Tripod & self timer
(b) Set camera to manual focusing & pre-focus it yourself
(c) No experience with auto flash but suspect answer is as above.

The only "advantage" your film camera will have is forcing you to do the right thing! Of course you may wish to work on film for other reasons. I don't know the state of your cameras but I would expect to be able to get good results using a Rolleicord Vb - but not if I let an untrained young adult point & fire the shutter.

[Malcolm_Stewart]

Yes, putting the Rollei on a (weighted*) tripod and setting it myself, and then using the DA seems the best way. The Rollei Vb works well, and I've checked that its DA works. f11 should give decent coverage from side to side.

I'm thinking of covering most of the snaps using my 5D, but am now thinking of having at least a few on 120 film which, properly processed and archived, may survive longer than anything on digital. (I'm also thinking of printing some of the 5D group shots and then archiving these on film, just so that there's something of archival quality to leave behind!)

*I lost one camera and lens many years ago, when a gust of wind blew the tripod over.

[Adesw]

Whats wrong with putting the 5D in a heavy tripod, locking the settings, focusing and putting it on manual focus?

[PeteE]

You can't beat the Rollei at F11, just as sharp as a Hasselblad - but of course the 75mm Tessar may not be wide enough for a big group.

[beejaybee]

but of course the 75mm Tessar may not be wide enough for a big group.

You can always try moving back. (Or not feeding them first )

[Malcolm_Stewart]

You can always try moving back. (Or not feeding them first )

Which is what I did; and we had lunch after the photographs. Have yet to develop the film.

Apart from me bullying the 20+ of us into a group, I think all enjoyed our outing and lunch on the Peak Rail Palatine Dining Car. (From Rowsley South to Matlock & back, 3 times... ...once per course)

[Wheelu]

Sounds a very satisfactory way to take lunch!

I hope that your shots come out well.

I tried a similar thing a while ago (group photo, Rolleicord on tripod), but tried to be clever using fill in flash to balance the backlight. Got the exposure very wrong, the shots came out badly undercooked. Moral of the story, don't experiment when taking important photos.

[Larry Shone]

Just read thru all this,and I want to see those shots now! BTW whats a DA?

[Malcolm_Stewart]

Unfortunately, I've been very busy* since the middle of August, and I've not yet got round to either finishing the film on a few snaps of me and partner, or developing it without finishing it.

*Like today, I've been sorting out a serious leak on the output side of an upstairs WC. New territory for me, and the original installation being from the early 1980s I couldn't find precise instructions on the web! Fortunately I discovered the problem before the leak had penetrated to my kitchen ceiling. Yuk.

[GeoffC]

BTW whats a DA?

Delayed Action, AKA a Self Timer.

[Malcolm_Stewart]

Unfortunately, I've been very busy since the middle of August, and I've not yet got round to either finishing the film on a few snaps of me and partner, or developing it without finishing it.
...

Finally yesterday I finished the film with a few portraits, and processed the 120 FP4 Plus in Rodinal 1:25 for 8 minutes at 20°C (as per instructions). I'm glad I took 3 shots of the group, as #1 was quite soft (can't understand why), #2 didn't have me on it (I forgot that the DA on the Rollei self-cancels) and #3 was sharp and all 21 of us were on it. Most of us were looking at the camera when the DA fired the shutter.

Yesterday's portraits were taken in quite dull light, and turned out quite over-exposed. (The venerable Rollei's shutter was giving more like a 1/2s instead of the marked 1/8s.) FP4 is reasonably forgiving, and I've made some decent inkjet prints. Do I now clear the junk from my darkroom and do some wet prints?

A good exercise proving that skill and familiarity is just as necessary with the older cameras as with our modern gear. I was quite amazed at the dust spots which got scanned along with the negatives. My digital sensors are far cleaner.

[Benchista]

I was quite amazed at the dust spots which got scanned along with the negatives. My digital sensors are far cleaner.

Tell me about it!