For some time now I have been deliberating on whether to purchase a camera to enable me to venture into the genre of medium format photography, you may ask why?
Well, as a predominantly landscape photographer medium format brings great detail in to your images and it would broaden my understanding of photography.
BUT, there is always a BUT.!
The cost of equipment is extraordinary expensive, and would mean a change of, or addition too my current equipment.
Ultimately this deliberation was ended as it would be far to expansive to justify the switch.
Putting this idea to the back of my mind, some weeks later I stumbled across a video on YouTube where a photographer had purchased a vintage 120mm film camera and was using this to take photographs. I quickly latched onto this, and began watching more video's on the subject and began researching film medium format photography and cameras on the internet.
Peoples opinions of medium format film photography appeared positive, but recognising that there are elements of the process that need to be considered, these are: slow photography, time taken to send and receive your films from the developers, images require prints to view the images etc.
I was surprised to learn that developers can now develop your negatives, then scan them and send you a digital file of the images, now this got my attention.
Next on the agenda, how much are the consumables and what is their availability?
Film is readily available in different forms, ISO speeds and manufacturers, I was amazed at the choice that is available these days, my line of thought was that in this digital world, film production would have suffered, but this does not appear so.
The costs of the films are reasonable too, 120mm black and white negative film of 12 exposures costing around the £5 mark.
Developing costs for a roll of 120mm B+W film are around the £7 mark, and the same again to scan the negatives that produces a digital image, these can then be posted to you on a DVD, sent attached to a e-mail, or downloaded from a storage source.
So total cost for one film of B+W 120mm film with 12 exposures is £5 (film cost) £7 (development cost) and £7 (scanning cost), so for around £20 you could have 12 images on your computer.
Then I need to factor in the timescales, these being:
1: Send the film off to the developers, allow 2 days postage,
2: Development and scanning time, say 7 working days,
3: Total time from sending out to receiving your images will be approximately 9 working days (unto 14 days total)
The next option is to assess the most cost effective way to process the films, for colour films I would always use a developing/scanning provider due to the complexity and accuracy required to develop these, but for B+W films I can develop my own images, B+W developing is something that I have done many years ago in the mid 1980's, so this would not hold any concerns for me I was pleased to find that it is basically the same process now as then, using a development tank, chemicals, and a changing bag. BUT, what about the costs, well if I shoot the odd film here and there, it is a no brainer, using a developing/scanning provider is the way to go, however if a end up shooting many films then the rolls are reversed and the home developing is the method of choice.
Some would say that this is an expensive and slow process to take 12 photographs, and in all honestly I would agree, but I am not planning this adventure for cheapness and speed of viewing the images, it is about relating to how things used to be done, understanding the process of years gone by, engaging in the accuracy of film photography, the excitement of receiving your images from the developers!!
So, that is the consumable side of film photography sorted, now what about a camera!!! Again the cost of a high end film camera are extortionate, many hundreds, if not thousands of pounds.
Here we go again I'm thinking, I slowly get to understand that there are alternative cameras out there, and in a varying degree of functionality. I discount the high end, high value equipment, and concentrate on the older less known brands, which turns out there is equipment available within my budget and that will produce good quality medium format images.
I particular get drawn to the Mamiya range of Twin Lens Reflex cameras, these were well made, high quality pieces of equipment in their day, simple to operate, totally mechanical, no electronics, no light meter, but they produced very high quality images. I began looking at prices and availability, again the price range varied substantially. Lots of these cameras are for sale from abroad, but there are serious risks when buying from such a location, and possible UK customs costs, so again I discounted these markets.
Then one day out of the blue a Mamiya C220 Professional F camera with additional lenses appeared for sale on a local internet selling site, contact was made with the seller, who informed me the camera belong to his farther who had purchased it some years ago to use, this did not happen and unfortunately he passed away, the camera was left to his son, but he had never used it, and probably would never use it, so he was selling it in the hope that someone would get some benefit out of it.
I inspected the camera the best I could, it was clean, in good condition, the bellows looked good, the lenses looked clean with no fungus of dust showing. So, the deal was done I was now the proud owner of a Mamiya TLR camera with three lenses.
Once I got the camera home, I proceeded to give it a good clean and inspection. Minor issues were found such as the light blocking foam had dissolved away on some areas of the camera.
The 80mm f.2.8 lens was in great condition with only the lens glass requiring a good clean, but the other two lenses had issues, the 250mm f5.6 lens "f" ring did not indent as you turned it, it just glided around its full range without being held at each f stop indent, and the 55mm f 2.8 lens had a sticking shutter mechanism.
I found a photography repairer/service engineer, agreed a price and have sent these off to be serviced, I am eagerly awaiting their return.
The focusing screen on the Mamiya camera was very dirty, so this was cleaned, whilst improving the view through this, it then became apparent that this was quite badly marked, probably from previous cleaning. I manged to find a supplier of new focusing screens from a man in America, so this has been ordered and awaiting delivery.
I was now at the stage where a film could be used and exposed, so off I went to the local harbour and proceeded to shoot off 12 exposures. These have now been sent off for developing and I am excitedly waiting for their return to see if the camera does
work OK with no faults.
Below is a short video showing the Mamiya C220 Professional F camera that I have acquired.
