The Beast from the East

[JamesT]

No not that one, but rather a couple of shot fro a test roll through a Kiev 60, medium format SLR

The Devil's Punchbowl:

A root plate by a stream running into the River Ock.

[Phil]

I don't know if it's just me but the first has a very eerie/spooky feel to it 

[johntwo]

I've been into photography for many years but I have never come across your "Beast" before.  Looks interesting. Presumeably 6cm x 6cm.  I've just had the camera shown below refurbished (sorry about the stylised setting) and I am trying to source some 127 film - but it's as rare as proverbial hens teeth.  It's an AGFA Billy 0 and the lens is apparently as good as a 4 element Tessa.

 

[Korky]

I've never, ever heard the term 'root plate' before - interesting stuff.

Korky

[Clicker]

Fascinating stuff about these vintage cameras James  and John ...  Just been reading about the Kiev 60 ... I think i would have to train with some serious weights to lug that  around on a  hike ... .I see Ebay  have   lots of  these type of vintage  cameras   for sale ...Tempting stuff ...

[JamesT]

Thanks every one.

7 hours ago, John2 said:

I am trying to source some 127 film - but it's as rare as proverbial hens teeth

As far as I know the only current versions regularly available are ReraPan and ReraChrome. The first is a reasonably decent ISO100 black & white film, the latter a colour slide film and not very good at all from what I've seen.

Both are made by a Japanese tractor factory, and distributed by Maco. The supply is a bit patchy -- I think they make a batch and then wait for it to sell out. To my knowledge it can be obtained from MacoDirect as well as a number of UK suppliers. Nik & Trick are probably the most enthusiastic 127 suppliers in the UK, but SilverPrint and West End Cameras also list it. There is also occasionally cut-down HP5+ available as Pan400 from the same sources, but it seems to have been out of stock for a year or so.

It is also possible to cut 120 film down to 127 size, but my method only works for cameras like the Yashica 44 TLR that have calibrated advance mechanisms rather than using the red window. N&T do offer a service of cutting down any 120 film, but you need to supply a spool and backing paper.

7 hours ago, Korky said:

I've never, ever heard the term 'root plate' before - interesting stuff.

I think I saw it in one of Oliver Rackham's books. It's where a tree uproots rather than snapping off, and then continues to grow with the some of the roots above ground.

[johntwo]

Thanks James.  I have found one or two suppliers but as you suggest, they are currently all out of stock.  Nick and Trick claim to have been trying to contact the suppliers for three months without getting a response.

[JamesT]

1 hour ago, John2 said:

I have found one or two suppliers but as you suggest, they are currently all out of stock.

Might be worth checking Ebay, but beware some are very overpriced -- or have silly postage (from Japan or Australia for example).

[johntwo]

There are some on e-bay based in Germany.  £11 a roll plus £12 postage.  However, I have found the Japanese distributer's site and with the help of a Web translator, established that at current exchange rates, a roll would cost less than £8 or less if I bought more than one roll.  Might try them with an e-mail to see what postage would add.

[Ryewolf]

Thanks James for posting these, it's great to see these old cameras and film formats still be used.

[JamesT]

@Ryewolf -- actually I think this is the newest of my film cameras[*], it is a post-Soviet example from 1991. (The model continued in production until early this century, and indeed upgraded new old stock can still be obtained).

 

[*] I don't know the date of the Minolta.

[JamesT]

On 30/04/2018 at 18:07, John2 said:

Thanks James.  I have found one or two suppliers but as you suggest, they are currently all out of stock.  Nick and Trick claim to have been trying to contact the suppliers for three months without getting a response.

As of a few minutes ago at any rate, macodirect have it in stock, but if the claims on  http://127film.blogspot.com are correct it may be the last batch.

[johntwo]

51 minutes ago, JamesT said:

As of a few minutes ago at any rate, macodirect have it in stock, but if the claims on  http://127film.blogspot.com are correct it may be the last batch.

Thanks James.   What I wanted to do having had the camera refurbished, was to put it through its paces just out of interest.  Macro Direct do have some B/W Rollie 127 film in stock but by the time you have added postage and packing and then VAT (19%), two rolls of film would run out at just under 30 Euros.  I'm thinking about it ...hard.  It is still available in Japan at a lower price but.....................