[Leica] OT: lens shutters suck

[afirkin at afirkin.com (afirkin at afirkin.com)]

> Just got back 3 rolls of MF film from the lab in Barcelona, shot with my
> Fuji 6x9. Of the 24 pictures in total, 14 are blank frames. And no, I did
> not accidentally photograph the inside of my camera bag this many times,
> since I follow the standard Leica RF practice of not advancing the film
> before putting the camera in the bag. I guess the lens shutter is
> sticking, i.e. not opening about half the time. Given that I only paid
> $300 for this camera, the fact that it has turned into a paperweight is
> annoying but not devastating. But it does mean that I am on the lookout
> for a reliable 6x7 or 6x9 MF outfit.
>
> Or I should just stop this film foolishness and get on with life in the
> 21st century.

Hi Nathan, I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open, having just arrived in
the USA today, but this comment 'perked' me up. I am here in Carmel about
to start a workshop in the darkroom with John Sexton. To do this, I
prepared by taking film in the X pan to Kenya and also to the Mono lake
workshop I attended a few weeks back. Then when I got home I dusted off
the darkroom (pleasingly the dust was the least of my troubles) and began
processing.

Having given my Jobo away, I only had the CPE to keep the temperature
right, and that died half way through: I can't complain, I bought it in
the early 80's, but I did 'regret' giving the ATL 3 away -- I will never
buy another and it took me so long to get it BUT I have been convinced
that if I'm to work in the darkroom than constant agitation is not ideal
for film processing and that paper is better processed in trays -- less
'trauma' for the fibre based paper in some ways, though I soon found my
'sloppy' habits led to stains and creases on the edges.

For the first time in 20 years, the darkroom smelt of chemicals and I
realized what others here have complained about: the Jobo sat under a
strong exhaust and I never 'smelt' anything.

I 'labored' for 5 days and produced about 30 prints, 10 of which I had to
choose to take to the workshop. They were 'ok' but I was using Grade 4.5
to 5 for almost all the prints: I think the films were all fogged. The
spectrometer tells me the base celluloid is one whole zone above the
density I used to have on the Ilford film a few years ago. Now it was not
'pristine' new film, but it was not terribly old by my standards, and has
been fridged so I'm pretty sure it was the 'scanners'. (ISO 80 and 250
BTW).

Then I started the Kenyan films: I was very excited about these. African
panoramas. The first one I printed (after processing all 6 rolls and
contact printing) had strange densities that I had 'tried' to ignore on
the contact sheet, hoping it was the plastic I used to hold hte film flat
BUT no. The next shot (almost identical) was also 'scarred'. I immediately
blamed my processing: did I agitate enough? BUT the more I looked at them
the less I was convinced. This 35mm film is of course in small metal
containers, they were 'bunched' together in the handluggage and there is a
potential weak point where the felt stops light, but not X rays, so this
could explain why the patterns were somewhat irregular: I really don't
think my processing would have scarred across the film like this: the 120
rolls did not have the same pattern, so once again I think the entire
project was ruined by radiation. Helen asked me if I could 'rescue' any
and I said "maybe, if I scanned them and 'patched' them up in PS" but in
the end why have film and digitize it when you can use digital capture in
the first place.

So if this is true then you cannot carry film when you travel by air, and
this is my major interest in photography. If I cannot use film on my
travels I will soon lose any skills I have.

I rang a friend last week before come to the USA and he just said: "you
should think about getting one of those new digital camera things". I will
enjoy the darkroom workshop, but there is a sword hanging over the
darkroom and the thread holding it is very thin!!

Perhaps I need to GROW UP ;-)

That became longer than I expected, but kept me awake!!!

Alastair