Vintage Queensland with the Agfa Isolette

One or another piece of my vintage camera collection always follows my trips. This time I selected the Agfa Isolette, made in Germany somewhere 1951-1954, with a 85mm/F4.5 Agnar lens. Surprisingly the images are quite sharp (at least in comparison to the other vintage cameras I was playing with before). It offers more flexibility than the box, since it have an aperture range from 4.5 to 32 and shutter speeds 1/25, 1/50, 1/200 and B. Its sensitive to flare!
Anyway, I am always happy to bump into a subject or scene that gives that vintage look as well. Here we go: Isolette + Shanghai GP3 100 bw + locations in Blackwater and Miles (Yes, I admit, tourist spots).

Camera Collection: Agfa Synchro Box

What a simple tool ! A box (guess how the name was created) which contains the most simple camera tech (after pinhole) to make pictures. Produced (this model) by Agfa somewhere 1949 to 1958 the camera was the average joe's affordable camera (before single-use-throw-away, alias delvelop cameras were born). Now in 2007 my box still dont need any service (what to fix?) or batteries (there aren't any) besides a de-dusting of the simple lens.One test image on a chinese Lucky100 SHD bw film. If I am in the nostalgic mood I will do some more shootings with the box. Btw, it goes with F11 and 1/30s. Either you dont enlarge your images or you use a tripod !Have a look at BoxCameras.com for more boxes and historical more accurate data.

I love the dreamy, slightly blurry effect. No Photoshop required.

And for anyone keen to read the manual, here you go...

Shanghai GP3

OK, before I delight you with the panoramas from Australia, I still owe you results from the GP3 testfilm (link) . I used it with a Voigtländer Bessa (6x9). Please note the sharp centre area and the rather blurry rest of the image. I have no explanation yet for the funny dots (see enlargement). The film has an OK grain (less than Lucky 100), but is similar sensitive to scratches like the Lucky100 SHD (link).

Expectations

Yes, I am back from Queensland ! A very interesting, but long trip, managed to drive 3.700km with the campervan from Brisbane to Townsville and back. I must admit, I did far less panoramas than I thought I would do. It has something to do with expectations ?! Earlier this year we traveled through South Australia (a very short 5 day excursion from Adelaide to the Flinders Ranges) and I didnt expect to do lots of panoramic works there, the opposite happened ! Now I thought in Queensland, the 2 weeks time and with the flexibility of the van can do lots of panoramas... also the opposite happened ! Maybe a bit too ambitious with the driving time and didnt take the early (5.30pm) sunset into consideration. The distances are huge and there are less subjects (I found less!) than in SA. I am always looking for ruins (like the early settlement houses), a shack or rusty car, but the only things we were passing for 100's km were trees and trees. Also need to add that I run into that non-standard-tourist subjects more or less randomly and hardly find a suitable scene in an outdoor museum or "follow-the-tourist-route-sign" place. Anyway it was a great experience and I am looking forward to explore more of Australia soon. One thing I experienced one more time: (Panorama) Photography is about learning, endurance and patience, thats wonderful, there is always a next step to do, a new experience to be made along the way !
I bought a book from Peter Ilk (for my panorama bookshelf) in Townsville ("Australia - Images of a timeless land").
Now its time to work on the backlog and to wait eagerly for the films (about 5 rolls 120 and 5 rolls 135). More soon at this place.

Heading to Australia

Finally another real panoramic trip. We are heading for 2 weeks to Queensland Australia with a campervan. The panorama will be right outside the window. Should be bit easier to get up early morning. So for the next 3 weeks you wont find any updates here, but hopefully lots of panoramas after we return. 2 panoramas from the last trip to South Australia earlier this year as appetizer.

Zhouzhuang Panorama

The village near Suzhou, about 2 hours drive from Shanghai, is also known as the "Venice of the Orient" or "Venice of the East". The torturous and bumpy busride to that place reveals a full flavor tourist trap. There are definitely some very nice and old-looking spots between the old houses and waterways, but there is a high density of shops selling all kind of tourist stuff that make you ask yourself "Why the heck would I want to buy that ?". Btw, on the ride there you see villages that are much more appealing for a shooting in bw, but anyway I want to share some panoramas made with XPan, I was straying around too long without the trusty and pinsharp hassi in my pocket.

Wikipedia about ZhouZhuang

Panorama Camera Collection: Fotoquelle Panorama

Another 1$ camera from my panoramic gear collection. This model with fix focus, fix aperture (1/11) and fix exposure (1/100) was distributed by Fotoquelle in Germany but must have been produced by another company. The box shows an english description but the manual is in german, added by Quelle. Unfortunately the box doesnt show any clue of its origin.

I like the description of the features printed on the box.
The wide angle optical lens 25mm focus free angle is wider one time than 35mm focus.
Excuse me, what ? Of course the lens is optical, but one time wider than 35mm focus ? I didnt know focus comes with a focal length.
DX coded film.
huh ? its a plastic camera without battery, but with fix aperture and shuttertime, DX is useful as a third leg for this camera.
24 or 26 films actually take 24 or 36 exposures.
Really ? Thats wonderful ! I never thought so.

I took it to the usual "1$-camera-with-1$-bw-china-film-and-5$-development-test". Sorry, not convincing, it definitely cant compete with the Ansco panorama camera ! Here some results. I will refrain from further shooting with it.
And if someone really needs the manual in german, here you go..

Shanghai Photo Shopping

Another trip to Shanghai last week allowed me to hang out at Xing Guang Shopping Center (you remember - link) and hunt for bargains. Finally I got my hands on the 120 black and white film Shanghai GP3 for a price of about 60 ct Euro a roll.

I am not expecting too much in terms of fine grain and so on, but if it shows similar results like the ERA film, then I am happy. I will ipdate you with the results as usual. Maybe I will give it a try in the Agfa Box !

The other bargain I made: A tripod. Not that I really need a 5th tripod, but the quality is amazing for 30 Euro. It looks like a copy of Gitzo tripods with the same features and look, just 5..10 times cheaper. I cant judge the longterm quality, but I will work with it to find out. And it came with a bag, my real Gitzo didnt !
So, in case you pass by Shanghai, dont miss the chance to drop by ! It is an advantage to have a Chinese talking friend, it is rather hard to communicate in english, or just very basic conversation. You wont discuss the latest abberation of wideangle lenses :-)

1 year later

I just realized that I started this blogs one year ago (27th June 2006, link). 88 Posts later, its time to celebrate ! What an endurance ! Time to show another picture of myself (shot by my wife Angeline, no tripod, so its only me)

Thanks for reading my 2 cents and come back to follow me on my little panoramic journey.

From DMZ with Love

A short visit to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone!), a strange place between North and South-Kora. Advertised as a very tense experience by the tour operator transporting busloads of tourists (South Korea citizens are not allowed to visit the DMZ btw). It is still the neutral zone between the 2 (1?) countries but somehow converted into a attraction. I didnt feel the espionage like tense atmosphere !

Freedom Bridge
(Bridge to the DMZ, not to North Korea, even people behave like
at the former wall between east and west germany)

Dorasan Station
(South Korea expect the border to be opened, sooner or later, so
they provide a full infrastructure on their side inclusive a
full working train station (to nowhere now, but to Pyeonyang later,
whenever that gonna happen)

View to Northkorea

From the viewpoint that allows a sneak into the north, unfortunately
they dont allow to bring the camera behind the "photo line" to avoid take pictures
from the supersecret stuff there (on the southern side).
Hey secret agent folks, did you have a look at Google Earth yet ?

Tunnel Entrance

The plastic thing looks somehow like the that guy running the
show on the northern side ....

OK, no more panoramas from Korea. Anyway no more pictures left.
In case you dont understand the title,
remember the early 007 movie ?

Noblex goes Seoul

Finally some turning panoramas from Seoul made with the Noblex. I need to admit its my favorite camera at the moment. Thats changing from time to time, but most of the time the Noblex and the Ansco are currently my trusty companions .