This reminds of me of my start in photography back in 1975. As a poor graduate student I had a Mamiya Sekor 500 35mm with 2.0 50mm lens and 135mm no-name lens that had a flare. Once in awhile I look back on some of the images that have survived and I quite like some of them more than my recent efforts with all the gear I could ever want and I’m sure more than I need. It is important for the creative self to have to struggle with limitations however they are imposed.
That shot with the +2 adapter and the flowers is superb, btw. I agree with regards to the focus. Letting things pitch out of focus at points sometimes totally works. And that's one case in point!
Thank you for this video. It's such a timely reminder for those of us who have become too reliant on auto everything modes and shooting multiple shots with bracketing. I like that you pointed out that this photo walk made you use your brain. Time that I do something similar.
I like the idea of changing the way we think!! I find myself to rigid often, your videos have helped me to explore images I passed over in the past! Thank you for the support!
Looks like a beautiful piece of glass produces nice images beautifully done sir be great to see what results Ektar produced looking at SQ-A at the moment to run along side my ETRS look forward to seeing more of this beautiful lens
Thanks for the video. There's always the temptation (for me at least) when going out, to load up with as much equipment as possible to cover every foreseeable situation. You've shown the paradox that boundaries are in fact liberating.
Love your images, Steve! Excellent video and I really like the exercise of shooting only with one lens that a person wouldn't normally use. You've inspired me to challenge myself with this.
Steve, that was great. You covered many aspects of photography and demonstrated your mastery of them. So many limits and challenges together, understanding them well, leveraging flexibility and creativity in the field, getting out of your norm, and having great results there on the light table. The tree silhouette is awesome. Lot of punch. Macros great too - make that long lens do the unexpected. Thoroughly enjoyable video.
Magnificent head, critical eye! You prove once again that desire provides motivation. I find your videos relaxing and your images soothing. Please force youself again and again for our benefit. Thanks David
reviewing some of your older videos, great idea. This past weekend, I got out my 250mm, medium format lens to photograph a barn silo, back in the woods, I couldn't walk too. I do have a nice 62mm Nikon 6T closeup lens, ill have to try. Thanks. KB
Thanks for sharing this video Steve. I’ve been thinking about getting a 250mm lens for mountain shots. I really liked the first image, it had a mystical feel to it.
I've never been to Blighty but I love the countryside, saw some ducks in the canal quietly paddling along to take shelter behind the foliage. It's not hard to understand why England produces men like Gerald Durrell and Richard Attenborough, to name just two famous naturalists. Our school principal, the late Rev. Robert Llewellyn, taught us to love the hills, jungles and instilled in us a taste for adventure but not, alas, photography, then a much neglected art in India, mainly due to the paucity (and expense) of decent equipment. I admire your collection of film cameras and your skill in using them. Wish you greater heights of achievement.
I don't think many photographers use close-up lenses these days. I don't often use them myself, but I always carry a set in my bag. They don't take up much room ... mind you, I don't have a behemoth of a camera in there, as well! Beautiful images, as always - thank you for sharing your work!
Another fun video! I'm so surprised you have not blown past 20k subscribers (or 100k, for that matter!). I am going to try and comment more, because I think engagement increases visibility, and everyone should be watching your videos, Steve. Thanks again for all your hard work.
Wish I would have found you when I was forming -- as a picture taker. But then, now I am a photographer. And I am committed to film. My community love my pictures. When I tell them they are from film, they look at me as if to say, so. They are correct. The joy that comes with film is all personnel. Thank you. I am an old walker from California. Every year for the past 35, excusing the Covid plagued epic, I have walked long-distance paths in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. I will this Fall go to Snowdonia. I have been there in the past but the weather made walking irrational. Because of your films, I will try again. And you are not to blame if it doesn't work again. I actually feel like I have been there without the jot and suffering. Off to develop some SineStill XX. It's not your fault. Jeff
Well done with the 250 Steve! Next up, we need to find you a copy of the 500mm f/8, a truly beast of a lens for the SQ (especially the version 2 "White Whale"). The 500 on a board-pod, shooting at a low angle produces some lovely looks, with a beautiful separation of subject to background. Wish I still had one. I still have my S-18 & S-36 extension tubes that couple quite well when shooting portraits with the 150 and 250, allowing a more "intimate" portrait session and a nice close crop. Thanks for keeping the film shooting alive!
I was looking at the 500mm a few years ago Stan when they were only about £200. I knew I’d probably only use it a handful of times so I decided to pass - foolishly 😕
Thanks once again for sharing your experience. I use the RB67 with the 90 and 50mm lens and have been hesitant in purchasing the 250 for fear of not being able to utilize it. But then again I thought the same thing about the 50 and have yet to remove it from the camera since it's purchase. This video was very helpful in helping me to decide to obtain one. It will be a substantial beast with the 250mm, eye level prism finder and the left hand grip. The perfect conversation starter.
Great video, great exercise and you got some really good shots. I think your Velvia into the sun turned out pretty good. Even better when one considers that film. Thanks!
I loaded some velvia in the Pentax 6x7 right as this global funk happened. I’ve been treating the roll like a rare bottle of whiskey and sipping on it a little at a time and only on special occasions. Now we’re into harsh summer light and it’s oppressively hot here in Florida, so motivation for anything outside is low. This has been a gentle kick in the backside to make me want to finish those last three frames.
I really liked these images, particularly the silhouetted tree at sunrise ( a long winded title indeed ). I have been watching your videos probably since last Feb, March. You are definitely more Porter than Adams. These images you showed today display great talent in spotting pleasing compositions. Inspired by your efforts I am now inclined to take my Zeiss Hassleblad 250mm C out of retirement and have a go ( I may need a crane to lift it out the bag ). The 100mm and the 120mm Makro Planar are my favourites for a lot of subjects.
Steve, really enjoyed your challenge today! I believe u met the challenge with your well exposed shots with a fussy film...also great to see the vibrancy of the velvia; will be picking up a +1 for my Bronica EC.. as always take care and challenge yourself!
Beautiful images, Steve! The close-up images were exceptionally beautiful. I only recently picked up a 250mm for my Hassie and took it out for the first time this past week (but unlike you with other lenses too). One roll of film, Ektar, and found I used the 250mm more than the others because of the reach across portions of the lake, or for close-ups of detail. But being a chicken, I did bracket each time with a second shot "just in case" . Great video! Cheers!
No need to apologise for bracketing Robert, if I’d come across a great scene I would have done the same in a heartbeat - no point risking it to prove a point 😀
Nice video Steve and you’ve got some nice imagery also. This video is such a coincidence because I did the exact same thing several weeks ago. I’ve got a 350mm for my Blad which I don’t use very often and I went out purposely just to shoot with it. This lens has a massive piece of glass on the front and it’s own tripod mount! It puts a different spin on things because of it’s narrow angle of view. Enough about me, keep up the great work. Look forward to the next video. Kind Regards Alex.
The Tree? My kind of image and for me, the pick of the bunch - tobacco filter effect notwithstanding! Fixed focal length lenses really do make you change your way of looking for subjects.
I enjoyed this video. I like long lens landscape photography. I still have my mid 80's tobacco grad filter, I used to use it lots along with green and blue grads. I remember in the 80's how many effects filters were used.
I had a load of them too Richard and used to overdo it, I remember getting prints back in the 80’s where i’d graded the sky and the mini lab had delivered weird foreground colours to compensate 😕
Great video, as usual. I love working with fixed lenses because your composition, shoot position, etc. all have to be so calculated. It's a wonderfully cathartic process to shoot. 👍
I have four rolls left of Ektachrome 100 (before the discontinuation) -- one loaded in my Kodak Reflex II, three still in the box. I need to take some of them along when I'm out with my RB67, get them all exposed (maybe order in a few rolls of Velvia or new Ektachrome, 120 or 35mm), and then get an E-6 kit. It's only been 47 years since I processed chromes (it was E-4 then). Nice work finding compositions for that 250mm lens -- I've got one that length for my RB67. I'm not as much of a dedicated landscaper as you are, I think; I've shot with my 250 a couple times. One quibble: I'd call a 250 on 6x6 closer to 155 equivalent (3.12x normal), while on my RB67 it's very much equivalent to 135mm (2.7x the normal 90mm).
Haha. Steve I have a rather big lens too for my Mamiya 645s which is a whopping 500mm. Beautiful glass, but like carrying a tank in the bag. Very rarely gets an airing as I never no what to shoot with it. You vid though has given the impetus to give it another go. Cheers
Used Velvia historically but never really enjoyed the colour pallete. It does excel in colour! If you can find a suitable subject. Interesting choice of lens 😅
Walks like this is usually good to find some new shots and spark some creativity. Usually bring a 50mm, a few macro tubes and a old small flash thats connected with a cable for really close macro shots for my trips like these. Keep snapping!
Enjoyed that, thx. I always say: Wide angle lens for close quarters, telephotos for landscapes. But rules are just rules. Experimenting is the fun part.
Love your videos. No nonsense, just informative, well shot and entertaining! The square format is awesome and I love medium format. Glad to see you showing it off. Out of curiosity, What is your photography background? Keep up the good work.
Can't beat an early morning stroll along the canal Steve - especially if you take the camera for company. I often go out with just the one lens on an RB67 - too damn heavy otherwise. It has the advantage of bellows focusing, too. But I haven't shot slide film for years, even though there are a few rolls stashed in the freezer. Maybe it's time to dig 'em out. Your fault - HA! Take care my friend. Don't fall in!
Dear Steve, great video as always. I have the exact same setup, and looking at the video I was curious about your tripod head. Does it work well with your bronica with the 250?
I see your Bronica with 250mm and raise you a RB67 with a 250mm and the prism finder. Just carrying it to the car was pretty much all my cardio for the week.
Only in England can the green vegetation, shaded water and canal boats look wonderful before the sun is shining on them -- here everything seems much duller! But, I do have to say (again!) that I would be in my element even more, as the sunshine started to creep across the vegetation and water -- trying to capture the details in those highlights along with the details still in shadow. And yep -- the film would make a huge difference how well that worked out!
Being an old Hasselblad square shooter, plus having a 250mm lens, plus often shooting with Velvia 50, this was a pleasure to watch. One question - how did you meter? I noticed in one scene where you have a Sekonic hand meter which can meter either incident or spot (again, I also use that same meter). But, assuming that the Bronica also has a built-in meter which works, you could have used that. Or...did you rely on one or the other at different times, or even use both in tandem? Thanks. PS - I just discovered your channel, and have subscribed.
Thanks Michael. I don’t have a built in meter on the Bronica and rely entirely on the Sekonic in spot mode. Incident readings work well for close up subjects with slide film but I typically prefer a lot readings for greater accuracy.
What caused the blue coloring of the first shot and the purple color on the shot of the tree? My picks from the bunch are the two shots of the leaves. Thanks!
I had the Schneider Kreuznach variogon zoom lens on my SQAI . The biggest lens ever. In the Hasselblad mount these things cost a fortune now - I gave mine away!!!!!! Ouch. I am a big fan of tele landscapes - I use a 300 HC on y H5D - lovely depth and compression with beautiful rendering and a flatness you can't match elsewhere
I’ve looked at the Bronica zooms and walked (run) a mile. They are monsters. I had a modest telezoom for a Mamiya 645 and that was far too unwieldy too.
@@SteveONions Could not agree more. The one you have is perfect. And you do so manage to get the best out of it - I don't touch film now - but when I see your online material with the Bronny I realize I wasn't good enough in the 1st place!!!! Rock on
Thanks Carl. I’ve shot many rolls without any form of metering, especially with old 120 folders and black and white film. It isn’t so hard in good light but in dim light our eyes overestimate the brightness with the resulting under exposure.
i'm in love with my nikon f and carry it a lot doing walks like your videos. I keep the 180mm f2.8 on in case i see wildlife and carry a 35mm or 50mm in my pocket. i find myself doing what you did this video because i'm to lazy to change lenses:)
@@SteveONions the walks I go on are not like the walks you go on, weight isn't a big deal on a half mile walk on a paved trail. Up and down a mountain all day? Yeah, not happening with that setup
Morning Steve, when you selected the lens I fully expected to see you shooting it in a woods, but rated at 50 I would imagine the film might be a bit slow in a dark environment? I goes to show though that a lens is adaptable if in the right hands. I thought the 1st 2 images worked well & I also like the image at 8:18 Atb Alan
Lovely images Steve. Having had a Bronica S2A decades, this brought back memories of what a challenge and delight it was to shoot Kodachrome slide film with it. I believe I had a 150mm F/4 that worked well for close-ups and portraits. Do you have a 40mm? My favorite with slide film was the 40mm Nikkor F/4. As I recall great edge sharpness and I got some of my most stunning images with it at Expo 86' in Canada, Balloon races in New Mexico and some Japan images. The Nikkor 75mm f/2.8 was a great as well. And maybe you can comment on this Steve, It seems to me that even though, the technical quality of a Modern 35mm or even M4/3 camera is better, the images are just not as dramatic or moving as color transparency film with the Bronica images?
@airscrew1 Yes, I shot quite a bit of K64. from the early 80's to up to about 2000. I may have shot a few rolls of K25 in 120 but not sure Kodachrome - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodachrome Kodachrome 64 film in 120 format was discontinued in 1996. Kodachrome 25 was discontinued in 2002.
Thanks Jack, I have heard good things about the 40mm Nikkor but never seen one. I have the 40mm Zenzanon which is very good indeed, a lot better than the 50mm which is an under-performer in my eyes. In terms of quality v modern digital sensors it’s very subjective. Whilst the digital output is probably superior by most technical measures I prefer the look of 120 film which is what matters most. It’s hard to put into words but I find film to be more natural and somehow three dimensional although I think modern lenses are partly to blame when it comes to the hyper sharp digital look.
@@SteveONions I suspect you may be right about modern lenses Steve. And perhaps it's that digital sensors AA filters and processing while conspire to create a better image technically, they render details and tones differently than the human eye and brain, where film is closer. I've mentioned to serious photographers who shoot film but have never produced prints in a darkroom, that while the technical quality of digitally scanned film images is typically superior to what most of what even the pros of yesteryear could chemically print, digital scanning and printing produces an image many experience differently.
@airscrew1 I used to buy the Kodachrome 64 120 at a couple of photo supply stores in the U.S., as I recall it used to cost about $3.00 a roll and processing without mounts was about $4.00. Ektachrome 400 was pretty grainy and flat but E64 was pretty good, a bit more grain but nice skies and greens. I shot some Fujichrome 100-120 when I lived in Japan but never got comparable results to Kodachrome. Fuji seemed like a much inferior film on all levels, ugly skin tones low dynamic range and contrast, and a lot of grain. I recall my 35mm images with Kodachrome 25 were on a whole as good or better than the Fuji 120 slide images.
somehow missed this one! Great as ever. Using a 135mm lens for my 35mm. Same, limited viewpoint.We'll see? Only a few frames. I don't need to finish a roll. It can wait! Film is a slow thing! For me, anyway. Digital for quicker! Not Immediately either! Let's see later! Thanks..
Hahaha, almighty LensZilla. Have one for GS-1 (PG 250/5.6). Hefty piece of optics. I like it for portraiture but sometimes it is just a bit too dark. I do not mean f/5.6 is bad for pictures but in dimmer light sometimes it is hard to focus. When there is less light on ground glass split prism goes dark and it makes focusing quite hard (DOF on 6x7 is shallow so it takes no prisonieers). Even with good prismfinder it is sometimes hard.
Yes indeed, on the 6x7 that really is a beast. I have a Beattie screen on my SQ so no split prism focus but in return it is a bit brighter than the standard one.
Usually I use only the 80mm in the medium format. I've got the 80 and the teleconverter 2x so I can shot at 160mm. If I want a zoom I can do it with my enlarger in the darkroom. The negative is so large! I can use the 50mm enlarger lens and to have a big enlargement without the weight of the telephoto in my bag.
I used to meet up for photo-walks with a couple of mates and we took it in turns to set a challenge. One that worked really well was to ditch the digital kit and use 35mm film cameras with just one roll of film and a 50mm standard lens. The results were really interesting.
I frequently take a single lens when I go for a walk. Many times a 50mm but occasionally a 20mm or a 100mm once in a long while. It’s a very valuable exercise.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video.The image @3:50 is wonderful. Eagerly awaiting your other escapades.
Thanks Rick, plenty more to come 🙂
This reminds of me of my start in photography back in 1975. As a poor graduate student I had a Mamiya Sekor 500 35mm with 2.0 50mm lens and 135mm no-name lens that had a flare. Once in awhile I look back on some of the images that have survived and I quite like some of them more than my recent efforts with all the gear I could ever want and I’m sure more than I need.
It is important for the creative self to have to struggle with limitations however they are imposed.
That shot with the +2 adapter and the flowers is superb, btw. I agree with regards to the focus. Letting things pitch out of focus at points sometimes totally works. And that's one case in point!
Thank you, I’m not averse to a shallow plane of focus, that’s how our own vision works after all 🙂
Thank you very much for the video, and quite beautiful pictures.
Many thanks!
I love the ambient bird sounds on these canal videos.
They are the beat soundtrack Curtis 👍
Another of your great videos, Steve; thanks!
Thanks Roy 👍
Thank you for this video. It's such a timely reminder for those of us who have become too reliant on auto everything modes and shooting multiple shots with bracketing. I like that you pointed out that this photo walk made you use your brain. Time that I do something similar.
Thanks Kwok.
Fabulous. I pushed the like button at 409 and there were not any negatives. Rightfully so! Keep going mate.
Thank you Benedikt, I’ll definitely keep on 🙂
enjoyed much the video and the photos are superb! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it Andreas.
I like the idea of changing the way we think!! I find myself to rigid often, your videos have helped me to explore images I passed over in the past! Thank you for the support!
Thanks David.
You have one thing I've never had - a good eye for photos. You did an amazing job with the gear you chose for the day. Thanks for sharing the video!
Thanks Miley, having a preview app really helps too 🙂
You'll get the eye. Study the old Masters. :-)
Perfect set steve especially the tree
Thanks David 👍
Nice video Steve, really enjoyed it.
Thanks Paul.
Looks like a beautiful piece of glass produces nice images beautifully done sir be great to see what results Ektar produced looking at SQ-A at the moment to run along side my ETRS look forward to seeing more of this beautiful lens
Thanks for the video. There's always the temptation (for me at least) when going out, to load up with as much equipment as possible to cover every foreseeable situation. You've shown the paradox that boundaries are in fact liberating.
Very true Julian, and too much weight pretty soon gets me down and I lose inspiration - it’s hard to be creative when you’re exhausted.
Love your images, Steve! Excellent video and I really like the exercise of shooting only with one lens that a person wouldn't normally use. You've inspired me to challenge myself with this.
Glad it helped Terry, next time I should buy the 500mm Zenzanon, now that would be challenging.
Steve that last shot directly into the sun ...brilliant, so nice 👍
Thank you John 🙂
Steve, that was great. You covered many aspects of photography and demonstrated your mastery of them. So many limits and challenges together, understanding them well, leveraging flexibility and creativity in the field, getting out of your norm, and having great results there on the light table. The tree silhouette is awesome. Lot of punch. Macros great too - make that long lens do the unexpected. Thoroughly enjoyable video.
Thanks Mike, it’s helped me think more about that focal length and I think I need to carry it more often.
Your video came through right when needed Steve with excellent content as usual. A piece of sanity
Thanks Brian.
Magnificent head, critical eye! You prove once again that desire provides motivation. I find your videos relaxing and your images soothing. Please force youself again and again for our benefit. Thanks David
Thank you so much David 😀
Great video Steve! I always enjoy watching your superb made videos and the photos you come up with. Thumbs up!
Glad you like them Miguel.
Great Post
Thank You
reviewing some of your older videos, great idea. This past weekend, I got out my 250mm, medium format lens to photograph a barn silo, back in the woods, I couldn't walk too. I do have a nice 62mm Nikon 6T closeup lens, ill have to try. Thanks. KB
Hope it goes well Ken.
@@SteveONions Thanks Steve, it will ill follow your tips.👍
Really enjoyed that video Steve! That backlit tree shot is awesome!
Thanks Davy, I need to shoot more ‘impossible’ shots 😀
Great way to keep things fresh, Steve. Your videos are gorgeous and always captivating. All the best!
Thanks Timothy 😊
Thanks for sharing this video Steve. I’ve been thinking about getting a 250mm lens for mountain shots. I really liked the first image, it had a mystical feel to it.
Thanks Stephen, I’m making space in the bag for the 250mm now, just in case.
I've never been to Blighty but I love the countryside, saw some ducks in the canal quietly paddling along to take shelter behind the foliage. It's not hard to understand why England produces men like Gerald Durrell and Richard Attenborough, to name just two famous naturalists. Our school principal, the late Rev. Robert Llewellyn, taught us to love the hills, jungles and instilled in us a taste for adventure but not, alas, photography, then a much neglected art in India, mainly due to the paucity (and expense) of decent equipment. I admire your collection of film cameras and your skill in using them. Wish you greater heights of achievement.
Thank you Subroto, all the best for 2021 and I hope it is a good photographic year for you.
As always, an excellent and inspiring film!
Many thanks!
definitely good to challenge yourself once in a while!
Always so nice to watcvh your video, i have to say !
Thanks for all the good content
Thank you 😊
I don't think many photographers use close-up lenses these days. I don't often use them myself, but I always carry a set in my bag. They don't take up much room ... mind you, I don't have a behemoth of a camera in there, as well! Beautiful images, as always - thank you for sharing your work!
Thank you. I find they come in useful on the odd occasion but given their size there’s no reason not to carry one 🙂
It’s great to break out of our comfort zone sometimes! Nice work!
Thanks.
Thanks Donald.
Another great video. I think the shot of the tree into the sun was my favorite.
Thanks John, that was my least favourite. 😀
Excellent video! Constraints are often useful for finding a fresh perspective. Well done.
They are indeed Joshua, the trickier the equipment the harder I need to try.
Another fun video! I'm so surprised you have not blown past 20k subscribers (or 100k, for that matter!). I am going to try and comment more, because I think engagement increases visibility, and everyone should be watching your videos, Steve. Thanks again for all your hard work.
Thank you, every little helps 👍😊
Steve, a very successful day. What fantastic images you made!
Thank you Andrew. 👍
Great video Steve. A good challenge and well executed. Keep them coming.
Will do Phillip 👍
Lovely early morning light. Especially like your third shot, Steve, of the foliage. Your composition is spot on.
Thank you 😊
Great video Steve thanks for sharing
You’re welcome Isaias.
Wish I would have found you when I was forming -- as a picture taker. But then, now I am a photographer. And I am committed to film. My community love my pictures. When I tell them they are from film, they look at me as if to say, so. They are correct. The joy that comes with film is all personnel. Thank you.
I am an old walker from California. Every year for the past 35, excusing the Covid plagued epic, I have walked long-distance paths in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. I will this Fall go to Snowdonia. I have been there in the past but the weather made walking irrational. Because of your films, I will try again. And you are not to blame if it doesn't work again. I actually feel like I have been there without the jot and suffering.
Off to develop some SineStill XX. It's not your fault.
Jeff
Hope you have a more successful trip to Snowdonia this time Jeff, the weather is often challenging but worth the effort.
nice video, my favorite image was the closeup of the flower, really looks like a portrait to me and I do enjoy shallow depth of field
Loved the flower shot! I have a 180mm macro that is great for that kind of thing.
Thanks Mark, I need to use the 250mm more.
Well done with the 250 Steve! Next up, we need to find you a copy of the 500mm f/8, a truly beast of a lens for the SQ (especially the version 2 "White Whale"). The 500 on a board-pod, shooting at a low angle produces some lovely looks, with a beautiful separation of subject to background. Wish I still had one. I still have my S-18 & S-36 extension tubes that couple quite well when shooting
portraits with the 150 and 250, allowing a more "intimate" portrait session and a nice close crop. Thanks for keeping the film shooting alive!
I was looking at the 500mm a few years ago Stan when they were only about £200. I knew I’d probably only use it a handful of times so I decided to pass - foolishly 😕
@@SteveONions Yep, our hindsight is usually 20/20. All the best, sir!
Thanks once again for sharing your experience. I use the RB67 with the 90 and 50mm lens and have been hesitant in purchasing the 250 for fear of not being able to utilize it. But then again I thought the same thing about the 50 and have yet to remove it from the camera since it's purchase. This video was very helpful in helping me to decide to obtain one. It will be a substantial beast with the 250mm, eye level prism finder and the left hand grip. The perfect conversation starter.
They’re well worth owning Peter but I imagine the Mamiya version will be a substantial item. Probably buy it with a small trolley too 🙂
Great video, great exercise and you got some really good shots. I think your Velvia into the sun turned out pretty good. Even better when one considers that film. Thanks!
Thanks Erich, I was surprised the last one came out at all 🙂
Great video Steve!
Thanks Chris.
I loaded some velvia in the Pentax 6x7 right as this global funk happened. I’ve been treating the roll like a rare bottle of whiskey and sipping on it a little at a time and only on special occasions. Now we’re into harsh summer light and it’s oppressively hot here in Florida, so motivation for anything outside is low. This has been a gentle kick in the backside to make me want to finish those last three frames.
You’ve really made that roll last, mine rarely sit in the camera for more than 24hrs.
Exciting pictures and many were good. Have a Nikkor 500 for my 4x5, so it must be tried on something similar.
Nice lens 🙂
I really liked these images, particularly the silhouetted tree at sunrise ( a long winded title indeed ). I have been watching your videos probably since last Feb, March. You are definitely more Porter than Adams. These images you showed today display great talent in spotting pleasing compositions. Inspired by your efforts I am now inclined to take my Zeiss Hassleblad 250mm C out of retirement and have a go ( I may need a crane to lift it out the bag ). The 100mm and the 120mm Makro Planar are my favourites for a lot of subjects.
I used to have the 250 C for my 501cm but never used it as much as I should have. I often went with a x2 on the 150 Sonnar instead.
Steve, very nice set of gorgeous images. I even like the under exposure.
Thanks Michael.
Steve, really enjoyed your challenge today! I believe u met the challenge with your well exposed shots with a fussy film...also great to see the vibrancy of the velvia; will be picking up a +1 for my Bronica EC.. as always take care and challenge yourself!
Thanks Randy, the +1 is definitely the beat option, especially with the 80mm.
Beautiful images, Steve! The close-up images were exceptionally beautiful. I only recently picked up a 250mm for my Hassie and took it out for the first time this past week (but unlike you with other lenses too). One roll of film, Ektar, and found I used the 250mm more than the others because of the reach across portions of the lake, or for close-ups of detail. But being a chicken, I did bracket each time with a second shot "just in case" . Great video! Cheers!
No need to apologise for bracketing Robert, if I’d come across a great scene I would have done the same in a heartbeat - no point risking it to prove a point 😀
Nice video Steve and you’ve got some nice imagery also. This video is such a coincidence because I did the exact same thing several weeks ago. I’ve got a 350mm for my Blad which I don’t use very often and I went out purposely just to shoot with it. This lens has a massive piece of glass on the front and it’s own tripod mount! It puts a different spin on things because of it’s narrow angle of view. Enough about me, keep up the great work. Look forward to the next video. Kind Regards Alex.
Brownie points for you Alex, the 350mm is another step up in size and I’d need to get the 500mm to match you 🙂
You made some very nice shots, similar to the stuff Ilike to take photos of. Thanks for Sharing this video. Reinhold
Thanks Reinhold.
I read the title as "Long lens landscapes - Punishing myself" xD
If only more people had read it thus, I’d have had a lot more views by now 😊
The Tree? My kind of image and for me, the pick of the bunch - tobacco filter effect notwithstanding! Fixed focal length lenses really do make you change your way of looking for subjects.
Thanks Alan.
I enjoyed this video. I like long lens landscape photography. I still have my mid 80's tobacco grad filter, I used to use it lots along with green and blue grads. I remember in the 80's how many effects filters were used.
I had a load of them too Richard and used to overdo it, I remember getting prints back in the 80’s where i’d graded the sky and the mini lab had delivered weird foreground colours to compensate 😕
Great video, as usual. I love working with fixed lenses because your composition, shoot position, etc. all have to be so calculated. It's a wonderfully cathartic process to shoot. 👍
Totally agree 😊
You are a brilliant!!!
😀
I have four rolls left of Ektachrome 100 (before the discontinuation) -- one loaded in my Kodak Reflex II, three still in the box. I need to take some of them along when I'm out with my RB67, get them all exposed (maybe order in a few rolls of Velvia or new Ektachrome, 120 or 35mm), and then get an E-6 kit. It's only been 47 years since I processed chromes (it was E-4 then).
Nice work finding compositions for that 250mm lens -- I've got one that length for my RB67. I'm not as much of a dedicated landscaper as you are, I think; I've shot with my 250 a couple times. One quibble: I'd call a 250 on 6x6 closer to 155 equivalent (3.12x normal), while on my RB67 it's very much equivalent to 135mm (2.7x the normal 90mm).
Definitely get those rolls shot and developed, the processed hasn’t changed either - not often you can say that!
Lovely images, I am a big fan of long lenses. ;-)
Thanks Isabel, I’d always pick short telephoto over wideangle any day.
Hmmmm. Got me thinking there Steve.......Might give it a go!
colour from this lens and film is really nice
It is indeed Adam, I've started carrying more often now.
Always enjoy your Vlogs. I cannot add or take away from the comments made 👍
Thanks as always Eltin 👍
Haha. Steve I have a rather big lens too for my Mamiya 645s which is a whopping 500mm. Beautiful glass, but like carrying a tank in the bag. Very rarely gets an airing as I never no what to shoot with it. You vid though has given the impetus to give it another go. Cheers
Well worth trying Julian, probably close to the car though 🙂
Used Velvia historically but never really enjoyed the colour pallete.
It does excel in colour! If you can find a suitable subject.
Interesting choice of lens 😅
Thanks Stuart. Velvia isn’t my first choice either (much prefer Provia) but there is no denying those colours.
Walks like this is usually good to find some new shots and spark some creativity.
Usually bring a 50mm, a few macro tubes and a old small flash thats connected with a cable for really close macro shots for my trips like these.
Keep snapping!
Sounds like a good setup 👍
I‘ve got a Nikkor T*-ED 360 recently，and that is quite a long lens for me. Really can't wait to give a shot😁. Nice video👍
T series are true telephoto lenses requiring short bellows extension. Enjoy this rare lens.
Enjoyed that, thx.
I always say: Wide angle lens for close quarters, telephotos for landscapes.
But rules are just rules. Experimenting is the fun part.
Thanks Lars.
I love it :-)
Oh yeah -- your video shots are just as artistic and striking as your photos -- really!
Love your videos. No nonsense, just informative, well shot and entertaining! The square format is awesome and I love medium format. Glad to see you showing it off. Out of curiosity, What is your photography background? Keep up the good work.
Thanks Jonathan. I have no photographic training, just a happy amateur 🙂
Makes two of us!
Can't beat an early morning stroll along the canal Steve - especially if you take the camera for company. I often go out with just the one lens on an RB67 - too damn heavy otherwise. It has the advantage of bellows focusing, too. But I haven't shot slide film for years, even though there are a few rolls stashed in the freezer. Maybe it's time to dig 'em out. Your fault - HA! Take care my friend. Don't fall in!
Thanks Ray, I need to be on commission from the film manufacturers and brownie points to you for lugging the RB67 into the countryside 🙂
I would like to try the zoom Variogon for Bronicas.
I’d need a Sherpa to carry them for me 🙂
Dear Steve, great video as always. I have the exact same setup, and looking at the video I was curious about your tripod head. Does it work well with your bronica with the 250?
It does, plenty strong enough.
Nice video as always. Can you make a video whit the 40mm zenzanon?
Possibly!
I see your Bronica with 250mm and raise you a RB67 with a 250mm and the prism finder. Just carrying it to the car was pretty much all my cardio for the week.
You win Robert, I’d need to buy the 500mm Zenzanon to raise you 😀
Only in England can the green vegetation, shaded water and canal boats look wonderful before the sun is shining on them -- here everything seems much duller! But, I do have to say (again!) that I would be in my element even more, as the sunshine started to creep across the vegetation and water -- trying to capture the details in those highlights along with the details still in shadow. And yep -- the film would make a huge difference how well that worked out!
I do like the light before sunrise, it is softer and warmer, once the direct light strikes a scene I seem to lose interest 🙂
Being an old Hasselblad square shooter, plus having a 250mm lens, plus often shooting with Velvia 50, this was a pleasure to watch.
One question - how did you meter? I noticed in one scene where you have a Sekonic hand meter which can meter either incident or spot (again, I also use that same meter). But, assuming that the Bronica also has a built-in meter which works, you could have used that. Or...did you rely on one or the other at different times, or even use both in tandem? Thanks. PS - I just discovered your channel, and have subscribed.
Thanks Michael. I don’t have a built in meter on the Bronica and rely entirely on the Sekonic in spot mode. Incident readings work well for close up subjects with slide film but I typically prefer a lot readings for greater accuracy.
Nice one Robin
What caused the blue coloring of the first shot and the purple color on the shot of the tree? My picks from the bunch are the two shots of the leaves. Thanks!
Thanks Scott. The sight overexposed has definitely shifted to an odd colour in that one 🙂
I had the Schneider Kreuznach variogon zoom lens on my SQAI . The biggest lens ever. In the Hasselblad mount these things cost a fortune now - I gave mine away!!!!!! Ouch. I am a big fan of tele landscapes - I use a 300 HC on y H5D - lovely depth and compression with beautiful rendering and a flatness you can't match elsewhere
I’ve looked at the Bronica zooms and walked (run) a mile. They are monsters. I had a modest telezoom for a Mamiya 645 and that was far too unwieldy too.
@@SteveONions Could not agree more. The one you have is perfect. And you do so manage to get the best out of it - I don't touch film now - but when I see your online material with the Bronny I realize I wasn't good enough in the 1st place!!!! Rock on
Another great video Steve, have you ever shot a roll of 120 just using the Sunny 16 rule instead of a light meter?
Thanks Carl. I’ve shot many rolls without any form of metering, especially with old 120 folders and black and white film. It isn’t so hard in good light but in dim light our eyes overestimate the brightness with the resulting under exposure.
@@SteveONions Thanks Steve, it might make a fun video though :)
i'm in love with my nikon f and carry it a lot doing walks like your videos. I keep the 180mm f2.8 on in case i see wildlife and carry a 35mm or 50mm in my pocket. i find myself doing what you did this video because i'm to lazy to change lenses:)
Nice lens Chris, quite a beast to carry I imagine.
@@SteveONions the walks I go on are not like the walks you go on, weight isn't a big deal on a half mile walk on a paved trail. Up and down a mountain all day? Yeah, not happening with that setup
Is it me or do the trees at 8:10 have a purplish cast?
They do 😊
Steve, working digitally, what do you scan your 35mm and MF negs with
Hi Martin. I often scan everything with an old Epson v700 (all formats) but for high quality 35mm I use a Minolta Elite 5400.
Morning Steve, when you selected the lens I fully expected to see you shooting it in a woods, but rated at 50 I would imagine the film might be a bit slow in a dark environment? I goes to show though that a lens is adaptable if in the right hands. I thought the 1st 2 images worked well & I also like the image at 8:18 Atb Alan
Thanks Alan, it was surprisingly bright that morning so I had no problem with exposure times thankfully.
Lovely images Steve. Having had a Bronica S2A decades, this brought back memories of what a challenge and delight it was to shoot Kodachrome slide film with it. I believe I had a 150mm F/4 that worked well for close-ups and portraits. Do you have a 40mm?
My favorite with slide film was the 40mm Nikkor F/4. As I recall great edge sharpness and I got some of my most stunning images with it at Expo 86' in Canada, Balloon races in New Mexico and some Japan images. The Nikkor 75mm f/2.8 was a great as well.
And maybe you can comment on this Steve, It seems to me that even though, the technical quality of a Modern 35mm or even M4/3 camera is better, the images are just not as dramatic or moving as color transparency film with the Bronica images?
@airscrew1 Yes, I shot quite a bit of K64. from the early 80's to up to about 2000. I may have shot a few rolls of K25 in 120 but not sure
Kodachrome - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodachrome
Kodachrome 64 film in 120 format was discontinued in 1996. Kodachrome 25 was discontinued in 2002.
Thanks Jack, I have heard good things about the 40mm Nikkor but never seen one. I have the 40mm Zenzanon which is very good indeed, a lot better than the 50mm which is an under-performer in my eyes.
In terms of quality v modern digital sensors it’s very subjective. Whilst the digital output is probably superior by most technical measures I prefer the look of 120 film which is what matters most. It’s hard to put into words but I find film to be more natural and somehow three dimensional although I think modern lenses are partly to blame when it comes to the hyper sharp digital look.
@@SteveONions I suspect you may be right about modern lenses Steve. And perhaps it's that digital sensors AA filters and processing while conspire to create a better image technically, they render details and tones differently than the human eye and brain, where film is closer. I've mentioned to serious photographers who shoot film but have never produced prints in a darkroom, that while the technical quality of digitally scanned film images is typically superior to what most of what even the pros of yesteryear could chemically print, digital scanning and printing produces an image many experience differently.
@airscrew1 I used to buy the Kodachrome 64 120 at a couple of photo supply stores in the U.S., as I recall it used to cost about $3.00 a roll and processing without mounts was about $4.00. Ektachrome 400 was pretty grainy and flat but E64 was pretty good, a bit more grain but nice skies and greens. I shot some Fujichrome 100-120 when I lived in Japan but never got comparable results to Kodachrome. Fuji seemed like a much inferior film on all levels, ugly skin tones low dynamic range and contrast, and a lot of grain. I recall my 35mm images with Kodachrome 25 were on a whole as good or better than the Fuji 120 slide images.
The photo at 9:01, superb
Thanks Nelson.
Hello ! What tripod are you using ?
Thank you and your videos are great. Keep it up :)
It's a Velbon GEO E643D Benjamin.
somehow missed this one! Great as ever. Using a 135mm lens for my 35mm. Same, limited viewpoint.We'll see? Only a few frames. I don't need to finish a roll. It can wait! Film is a slow thing! For me, anyway. Digital for quicker! Not Immediately either! Let's see later! Thanks..
That was really good work, with excellent, but oh so finicky film.
This is the SQ? My bronicas have sat unused for quite awhile now. Love them though.
The tree! Simples ;^)
Hahaha, almighty LensZilla. Have one for GS-1 (PG 250/5.6). Hefty piece of optics. I like it for portraiture but sometimes it is just a bit too dark. I do not mean f/5.6 is bad for pictures but in dimmer light sometimes it is hard to focus. When there is less light on ground glass split prism goes dark and it makes focusing quite hard (DOF on 6x7 is shallow so it takes no prisonieers). Even with good prismfinder it is sometimes hard.
Yes indeed, on the 6x7 that really is a beast. I have a Beattie screen on my SQ so no split prism focus but in return it is a bit brighter than the standard one.
Have you ever tried the 135W panoramic back for your bronica?
I haven’t Janne, I did own the standard 135 back but never used it. The panoramic version is quite expensive now sadly 🙁
@@SteveONions Yeah it's rare and pricy. You can get the whole camera with lens for the same price the 135w back is.
Usually I use only the 80mm in the medium format. I've got the 80 and the teleconverter 2x so I can shot at 160mm. If I want a zoom I can do it with my enlarger in the darkroom. The negative is so large! I can use the 50mm enlarger lens and to have a big enlargement without the weight of the telephoto in my bag.
I’ve found the 150mm S lens very light and compact, quite similar to the x2 converter if I’m honest.
I used to meet up for photo-walks with a couple of mates and we took it in turns to set a challenge. One that worked really well was to ditch the digital kit and use 35mm film cameras with just one roll of film and a 50mm standard lens. The results were really interesting.
I still love my 50mm lens equivalents Keith, taking fixed lens cameras is a great learning exercise.
I frequently take a single lens when I go for a walk. Many times a 50mm but occasionally a 20mm or a 100mm once in a long while. It’s a very valuable exercise.
Telephoto lens compression works wonderfully for landscapes. Think in layers and shapes.
I always prefer short tele’s to wideangles Ryan when working in my local landscape. They isolate and remove unnecessary clutter.