Camera Talk

Once, this Super-Isolette was my only MF camera, but I have forgotten it a bit lately because of those TLR things.

It was high time for a roll (HP5+ in home-made D-76). I took the camera to the Bella Vista dock area, which these days is a cemetery of old abandoned fishing vessels. A recent Leica anniversary presentation had a lot of shots in this very same area, probably because it is easy to make it look like the 1930s.





This is a central area crop, about 1/4 of the negative area. Who needs telephotos?



An abandoned buoy has drifted to this area, to rust into oblivion.



The Solinar lens is quite useful at these apertures (below f/5.6). I got a few annoying scratches in the film - must clean those film rollers!

Julio, those are nice. Do you like how the camera handles? And do you like its size?

I really like how sharp these shots are.

Makes Digital cry.

Mike, the handling is very good for a folder. It weights a lot less than a TLR and is very compact, although not really pocket-size.

Winding is completely automated, the camera detects beginning of film and counts the frames; yet, shutter must be loaded manually. The RF is very crisp and it snaps in focus (I was testing this in the first image), To me, this is just like the 120 Retina that Kodak forgot to build.

There are only two things that I do not like about the Super-Isolette. One is the EV system, it locks aperture and shutter speed and you have to move a small lever to allow you to set them independently; no big deal, but annoying. The other is that you must set focus to infinity in order to close the folder (just like the Retinas). But the lens compensates for everything!

Thanks Larry, I like film, maybe you could tell.

Very nice, Julio!

You just need to get a jacket with bigger pockets! Great shots of the waterfront, Julio.

PF

Oh and get a new hat I found out that people think that you are more artistic and professional if you get one.
Elroy 3 by Larry D, on Flickr

I now will have time to start shooting film and anything else again. I have an old AGFA folder that needs to be used. And with this new hat I will get people to look.

Those are fine photos of the dock and vessels. They show what the 6x6 folder can do. It's hard to beat the 6x6 format especially when it's joined to a fine lens. Kodak may have come close to that with the Duo 620 (645 format) from the Nagel factory in Stuttgart. I can't think of any folder that they made in 6x6 format, though.