Film Friday’s

Brian — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:05:10 +0000

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all gearing up for a relaxing weekend. Here’s a quick selection for all our film nerds.

Mamiya C330 Professional 80mm/2.8 Mamiya-Sekor – Portra 400NC: Self-Developed (North Georgia Mountains)

Ansco Super Speedex 75mm/3.4 Agfa Solinar – Portra 400NC: Self-Developed (New York City, NY)

Holga 120 CFN - Portra 400VC: Self-Developed (Atlanta, GA)

Film Friday’s: Light Meter

Brian — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 02:17:54 +0000

So, one of the first things I struggled with in the beginning, when we really started to use our antique cameras pretty heavily, was the fact that more times then not you’ll find that none of them really have a good, reliable light meter. They’re pretty rare on cameras manufactured before the 1950′s, and even the few that did have them, today it’s pretty much good for just a rough estimation at best. The batteries they used are really no longer considered “safe” (or widely available), the connections became corroded over time, and the sensors just really didn’t have the lifespan that the bodies are proving to have.

That being said, for the first few outings we would pack up the cameras, thaw a few fresh rolls out of the fridge, grab our trusty Sekonic L-358 Flash Master, and be on our way. This was all well and good, but lugging that meter around was kind of a turn-off and got a little awkward with a camera around your neck, lens cap in your hand, the big light meter, etc… We needed something else. There were smaller, older style stand-alone meters, but that still meant carrying around another piece of equipment. Then came the A-Ha moment…

We were turned on to a little app for the iPhone called “Pocket Light Meter” by Nuwaste Studios.

This thing is amazing, plain and simple. You already carry your phone with you, so there’s no extra equipment to carry, it’s no-frills and is surprisingly accurate. It allows you to basically expose the scene the way you like on your screen, hit the “hold” button, and it calculates exact aperture and shutter speeds for you! If you don’t want to shoot at 2.8, fine, roll it to 5.6 and it will change the shutter speed on the fly. Want to expose for the highlights instead? Great, tap on the highlight area, get it looking the way you want, and then hit hold; now you’re calculations will reflect your on-screen image. We’ve been using this thing on EVERY shoot with every film camera we own, and it is downright invaluable. Here’s your Friday goods all metered with the ”Pocket Light Meter“.

We’d love to see some of your shots if you want to share in the comments. Now, have a great weekend, and get out there and shoot!!!

Pentacon Six TL 80mm/2.8 Zeiss Biometar – 400NC Stock: Self-Developed (North Hollywood, CA)

Ansco Super Speedex 75mm/3.4 Agfa Solinar – Portra 400NC: Self-Developed (New York City, NY)

Mamiya C330 Professional 80mm/2.8 Mamiya-Sekor – Portra 400NC: Self-Developed (North Georgia Mountains)

Mai&Bri Photography » Medium Format

Film Friday’s

Film Friday’s: Light Meter