Those were the only shots I liked out of a roll of 12 shots from my Brownie Hawkeye Flash box camera. The rest were shot outdoors in mostly sunny conditions, but they looked underexposed by one to three stops. That is an unlikely outcome with any box camera loaded with 100-speed film as such conditions should actually result in slight overexposure.
Here is the problem:
The reason the two portrait negatives were closer to appropriate density is that I braced the camera on a tripod and shot with a cable release with a best-guess exposure in the neighborhood of a quarter second. So, the modified BHF got the job done well enough.
Once I've used up my last rolls of Acros I'll likely shoot TMAX 100 in my simple cameras most often. There are plenty of other choices still available, though, so still some room for experimentation.
I find myself also dealing with some other changes in the way I handle film. I recently refurbished an IMAC by cleaning it up and adding some memory. The computer has a very nice 21-inch display and it seems about as fast and responsive as my laptops running Windows 7, Window 10 and Linux Mint. I'm using the IMAC now for most of my on line activity, so that means I only have to turn on my old Windows XP desktop to scan negatives using PhotoShop and SilverFast. Down the line I'll probably have to look for a scanner and some software compatible with the IMAC. I'm currently taking a stab at learning to use the free GIMP photo editing program, but it has what seems like a nearly impenetrable user interface. Such is life, I guess.
7 comments:
I have a brick of Acros, two of Plus-X and one of Agfa APX100 in the freezer. After they're gone, I'll probably settle in using the 100 and 400 speed Tmax films as I like them both.
I find Photoshop easier to figure out than GIMP, and that's saying something.
TMAX works just fine with my MF camera with auto frame spacing. When I am using one of the box cameras, though, the frame numerals are very dim through the ruby windows and I often miss frames.
PhotoShop gave away CS2 on line for a short time and I've been very happy with using it on my old XP machine, even though I had to restore the system a couple times in the process of installation. Newer versions are insanely priced. I considered updating my SilverFast scanning software, but I didn't like the newer interface. Of course, nothing is cheap for the MAC.
Mike, as of March 2019, some of the Japanese eBay sellers are still listing Acros in 120 and 35mm and semi-reasonable prices. I recently bought a 3-pack of 135-36 exp. and the package came from Japan in only a week. It was dated late 2019, so definitely recent production. But I agree with your comment above that TMax 100 works quite well. Another option is Ilford Delta 100. For some reason, I really like the way it works in gloomy or wet conditions.
I've had some inconsistent results with my b&w processing lately, so my main focus for a while is going to be getting back on firm ground with fundamentals. I've ordered some 35mm TMAX and Tri-X along with a new bottle of HC-110. I also decided to get a new thermometer and, of course, I'll continue to use distilled water for mixing chemicals.
If you want a few rolls of expired ACROS 120, let me know. I can't stand the stuff and you can have it for free.
Many thanks for that kind offer. As much as I did like Acros I think I should probably just move on and learn to use something that is going to be available for a time.
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