I Dropped A 70 Year Old Camera On CONCRETE!
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- Опубликовано: 22 июн 2024
- Find out what happened when I dropped my Rolleiflex onto solid concrete. Will it ever shoot again?
I have never dropped a camera before, but I guess there's always a first time.
Will it live to shoot again, or is this the end of the road?
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Thanks for watching!
You should revisit this Rolliflex camera on your next video.
You could explain the film loading and functions of the camera.
You could explain the lens' focal length and aperture; how you set the iso for the film speed; how you focus the lens.
You could explain how you light-meter.
You could explain how you developed the b&w film.
It's just very interesting!
Brian Mickelboro is an absolute star he has repaired and serviced several Rollei cameras for me over the years. I also purchased a very early black Baby Rolleiflex from him complete with the original "coffin" case. I still have it plus a Grey Rolleiflex T and an SL66.
Brian also did a great job on my 2.8F!
There's plenty of scanning options out there, Nige. I started scanning my negs with a Pixl-Latr on a cheap A5 sized led light pad and my phone camera. Then I bought a macro lens for my Nikon DSLR and Valoi 35mm and medium format film holders. If you have a good digital camera, macro lens and tripod, that's half the battle won. I'm not saying my way is the best way, we all find our comfort zone with home scanning and I am happy with my set up.
So glad to hear your "disaster" was successfully resolved, Nigel!
I have a hunch your enthusiastic account of the shooting experience has already sent viewers to a well known auction site to peruse listings ;-)
Very glad you got the Rolleiflex fixed. A tragedy but with a happy ending.
Nigel, my oh my, so glad you've managed to find a specialist to fix this treasured TLR. I would have fallen into total dispair. Finding a true specialist in anything these days is nigh impossible. Glad it's all turned out well for you and the camera.
Regards Rob
I can't imagine your horror! I think I'd have cried. So glad to hear you got it fixed by a specialist. It really is a thing of beauty.
Glad you found a Proper repair person-These Rolli cameras are well built for certain. I have a 50s Style consumer version from a Thrift store with stuck gears. Glad this camera inspires you.
I can only try to imagine the feeling of your stomach dropping when that beautiful gem hit the concrete 😱.
Luckily it could be mended to its former glory 👍.
Enjoy this wonderful machine, sir!
I’m sorry to hear about your accident, Nigel, but I’m glad that you’re back in business!
I have the 3.5. When I got it, I just held it and stared at it. It was so beautiful and elegant. The craftsmanship and design are incredible. I need to use it more.
I'm glad you got your Rollei fixed up. I'd be absolutely sick if I dropped my Rolleiflex T. TLR cameras in general are just fun to use. Have fun with your Rollei!
Wow! Glad you were able to get it patched up, the images have SO much character to them
It's now back on top form, and has benefitted from a cla in the process!
I can sure understand your feelings! I've had accidents like that with my "Ham Radio" electronics. Once, many years ago, I dropped a $460. hand-held transceiver into a pool of water 💧! Really trashed that radio! But optics and photography gear are "Special"! I'd feel very bad too!
Although somewhat heartbreaking, the repair portion of this camera's story makes it more interesting.
I would venture to say that most of this camera's firmware is between your ears.
Exactly! That's exactly how I felt when I first used a large format groundglass. It pulls you in and there's nothing in any other system quite like it.
"Nothing between the photographer and the light..." Spot on, looking at a screen just doesn't compare.
The same thing is true in astronomy, (another money pit hobby) the trend today is a CCD camera and the operator watching a computer screen. There's absolutely no comparison with actually looking at the eyepiece of a telescope and seeing the light with your own eyes.
Wow ... nicest, inspiring episode. Que bueno. 😮
I would have died if I had dropped it . I am glad that you managed to get it repaired, it must have felt great to get it back again. As for scanning you have the ideal tool in the T3 . You can make a copy stand fairly cheaply ( I used some pipe and a bread board -there are plenty of diy videos online) then you just need something to hold the film flat and a backlight (phone screen perhaps). I found it was a fun project putting it all together.
I'm so glad, you love the Rolleiflex so much, that you had it repaired. Yes the mechanics do not love to hit anything hard. I found not only you but several videos on the tube said it is slow picture taking with the Rolleiflex. In the days, when this was a press camera, especially the crank was a feature to speed up photographs. Many press journalists used it for daily shooting. It was fast compared to graflex or similar. The difference you try to point out is that you really see the picture on the screen. The picture appears on the screen you are watching, like in a large format camera. In cameras with viewfinders the pictures appears in your eye only, even if you are using an slr which has a screen but than again you don't look at the screen with naked eye. There were some 35mm slr with interchangeable finders and with fold finders but these screens are much smaller. sixbysix is a wonderful screen to look at and the ergonomics of the rolleiflex is great, does fit my hands so well, the square is saving from the decision of horizontal and vertical. When I used to shoot the Rolleiflex on jazz concerts and other occasions i sometimes held the camera upside down over my head to shoot above the heads, something with digital cameras you can do easy but it was good fun back in the eighties and gave me some fine slides of ella fitzgerald and benny goodman.
keep up the spirit and motivate everybody to shoot film.
50 years ago I bought a mamiya C220 and loved to walk around doing my Ansel Adams impression and really enjoyed using it but I sadly sold it
A couple of years ago I found a almost mint C33 and it has brought back those memories of when I was younger
You are about it being pure photography the only thing purer would be large format imaging
I scan my negatives with my fuji xt20 and a vintage minolta 50mm macro and get perfect results I think your problem is the expired film I can buy new ilford hp5 film for under $7 I feel if I'm going to invet the time in taking the pictures and developing it I shouldn't be cheap on the film it's not more than a Starbucks latte😊
Great video Nigel. I shoot a lot of medium format so know a bit about it. The cheapest way to scan for you would be to use your A7 with a macro lens and take multiple shots of the negative then stitch them in post. Otherwise you're losing most of the resolution.
The downside of that is that the files are big and your computer might not like it.
Another tip would be to use it with flash. You can get a bracket to mount the camera and flash. The beauty of the leaf shutter is that you don't need to worry about sync speed. A shutter release cable is a good thing to have too.
If you use it in a busy area you will have no shortage of people that love the camera and want their portrait taken. It's uncanny in the way that it will draw people to it.
That 'new camera effect' you mentioned actually was a 'new lens effect' for me. Moving from Nikon DSLR to Sony A7 opened the door to adapting vintage lenses. It's a lot of fun to recondition and shoot these Pancolars and Takumars I've purchased recently, but the real 'new lens effect' came from my Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon f4 / 20 mm. A truly stunning lens, very sharp, hardly any distortion, only downside to me: it's mostly impossible to walk the streets and keep a low visual profile in street photography with that huge front element. On the other hand, it's always fun to chat with other photographers who notice it and approach me regarding that lens when we meet in the streets.
What a nightmare, but glad it turned out well eventually. Beautiful images, such great focus you got.
I had the same problem with my Nikkormat after 18 years of flawless working: the repairer (very experienced with Nikon Cameras) had to buy an old Nikkormat to strip some parts and took several months. Usually on Ebay you find very cheap cameras ONLY FOR PARTS
That thumbnail is so 2021, but it still works 😅
Reminds me of when I had a Rolleiflex T many years ago. I was taking some wedding portrait photos with it for my friend on the steps of state Parliament. Camera was on a tripod. There was a professional photographer taking photos of another wedding at the same location. He asked whether I could move my camera so that it doesn't intrude into his camera's field of view. I obliged but didn't pay attention to the balance of the tripod on the steps and the camera and tripod toppled down the steps. The camera smashed into several pieces and I thought for sure it was a write-off. The main impact was luckily on the lens hood which was badly deformed. I managed to put back together the the top viewfinder, there were a few scratches on the case and the focusing ring was probably not as smooth as originally, but to my surprise, it seemed to work perfectly fine.
I'd like to see pics of the negatives. Easy enough to lay them on a light box used for viewing transparencies.
It would help to discern whether you also are having problems with your home developing. Larger negs might need aeration in the agitation.
My God man ; head down into concrete , Damn ... that is rough but the hood took the blow and cushioned the rest of the body so that is good and finding the expert and servicing / parts incredible blessings. She is a sharp looking Rollei ♥
Reminds of the time I took my Auto-Takumar 35mm F2.3 out for the first time in Manchester and dropped it whilst changing lenses. I felt sick but remarkably it survived with nothing more than a dent to the filter thread. Kinda lost my enthusiasm for taking any more photos for the rest of that day.
I can imagine how you felt when it happened. It happened to me to drop a TLR, fortunately not of such a good brand, but I realized how delicate they are. I'm glad you managed to fix it. I have a similar experience with TLR photography. There is something magical about seeing the world through this viewfinder. It looks completely different than in other cameras. Or maybe SLR cameras without a prism, but with a focusing screen (but a good one, for example like Exakta).
Interesting.
On the Rolliflex, what is the focal length and maximum aperture?
I have the same style of camera, but mine is a Seagull - a Chinese knockoff.
In the early 2000's, Seagull updated the lens to four elements from the previous three elements.
The Seagull four element camera was an improvement, but never as nice as a Rolliflex.
I tripod mounted it several times and took photos at Yellowstone National Park.
The images were blown up to 24x24" and maintained details nicely.
It was an enjoyable learning experience. I still have the camera, but haven't it taken out in years - maybe it's time!
Cheers from USA
I have had numerous problems with camera straps and have come to the conclusion that they are one of the worst things you can have on your camera. I have removed them from every one of my cameras. They catch on things, ripping the camera out of your hand, they can break (as you discovered), and you can often forget you have a camera around your neck and do things that are untoward to your precious device.
The Epson Perfection V500 will just handle the 6 cm x 6 cm negatives if you position them correctly on the glass. It's an older scanner, but, unlike other computer technology, scanners don't seem to have advanced much, so the old scanner (I bought mine in 2008) isn't out-of-date. There is also a later V600, selling for a little more, used. I don't use the supplied negative holder, but lay the negative on the flatbed, with a piece of glass on it if the negative is curled. For transparencies, the V500 uses a light in the scanner lid, which passes down the negative as the flatbed scans it. The V700 and above scanners will scan much wider negatives than the V500/600.
"You're literally shooting from the hip". What a lovely way of describing the way you manipulate this beautiful camera. So pleased that your traumatic event had a happy outcome. Really enjoyable video, and I thought your pictures were really interesting.
I've been using a Mamiya C330 for about 6 months now and love it but it is HUGE! I recently picked up an inexpensive Meopta Flexaret 6 and was stunned by the beauty of the images. The one negative I'd say is that the viewfinder is not as bright as I'd like.
all great videos, ive learnt allot , thankyou
Nigel: these are sharp , I have an MX-EVS with the 10 blade aperture , and she is a TESSAR 75mm 3.5 " honey " , your camera is beautiful compared to my 75 TESSAR , I need a tune up on mine also though the lenses are spectacular. My BIG Rollei is the 55mm F4 DISTAGON Wide Rollei , it is heavier , but my God ...that is a sharp gracious lens. Love ROLLEI ♥
Oh man! Glad to hear that you were able to get it repaired though. I've always been leery of those old leather straps. So thankful it wasn't damaged worse than it was. I never understood the appeal of the Rolleiflex until I shot one. They're an amazing work of art in and of themselves. Have fun continuing to shoot with yours.
I dropped my Nikon F on the floor once…the floor broke, the Nikon kept shooting…😬
The first camera I bought in Vietnam as son as I could was a Yashica 635 a twin reflex trying 2 B a Rolleiflex.
I get amazing results scanning my negatives with my Fujifilm X-T30 and a cheap TTArtisan 40mm F2.8 Macro Lens. I mount this to a Copy Stand I got from E-Bay for around £75, but you could use a tripod. I use this same stand with my Intrepid enlarger to do darkroom prints. To hold and illuminate the negs I use the Intrepid, but before that I had a JJC digitiser that worked OK. My results with the Macro lens are so sharp they are indistinguishable from digital when scanning 120 film or recently some Fuji Acros II on 35mm with virtually no grain. Also developing in XTol or Rodinal helps with the sharpness. I noticed you have a lot of dust on your negs, run the shower first to take the dust out of the air, before you hang them to dry. I also use a ZeroWater filter jug for the final rinse to avoid water marks. Hope this helps someone.
I've done a bit of XP2 super in B&W chems (both id11 and 510 pyro), people will say "you're doing it wrong", but the results are great. A tripod and a macro lens works well for me. I do have a fancy advancer (the valoi), but have also just used a sheet of glass and an cheap lightpad (that's how I scan 4x5), just make sure you keep the ambient light down (wrapping something around the end of the lens, like those american "can cooler" things, can really help, I use an old bit of neoprene from a cable tidy thing and use a bit of velcro
At least with 120 you only have those 12 shots per roll, which is a bit less back breaking
Plustek scanners for 120 film are very expensive if you can find them. I recently picked up an Epson V600 Perfection flatbed that does a great job on my 120 negatives. You can also pick up a used CanoScan 9000F Mk 2 for even less money that has some excellent reviews.
Thanks N, very nice camera and story. I hope your factory-trained technician has some apprentices!
Actor Matthew Modine brought a Rolleiflex to the set of _Full Metal Jacket_ and Stanley Kubrick noticed at once: "What are you doing with that old piece of junk?" (I'm sure Kubrick was only half-serious.) Soon after, he gave Matthew one of his SLRs. "Here, try this," he said.
I just read your title of the post and without starting the video I would say you only had a minor scratch on the Rolleiflex. They were manufacture very well, rugged construction!!Now I will watch the video.
Have a nice time with the recovered Rollei
Hello Nigel, I can imagine how you felt on this mishap. I' happy you have the camera repaired now!! A similar thing happened to me with a Canon AF35ML in my room. The camera dropped on my carpet. Only the plastic of the flash shattered, otherwise the camera is ok thankfully. I have an older one, defective, which I can canibalize for the spare parts. Best wishes, Ralf
Glad that your camera is back in action. I use an Epson 800 flatbed scanner. It has templates for 35mm, 120 and 4x5 negatives as well. It is fairly expensive; but it works really well.
Yikes! Too bad it wasn't a Yashicaflex. Happens to everyone. Once I was in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and for some reason my Nikon FTn was not hanging from my neck or shoulder after I sat down, but in my lap. Of course, I stood up. You can guess the result on that marble floor. Dented the corner of the bottom plate, but the FTn shrugged it off and kept working like a champ for years to come. As for cases, I've never liked them. They just get in the way.
Glad you got it repaired who develops your film ???
I added a Agfa Isolette recently and love using it. I only get 12 frames per roll so I have to be very picky in terms of shots but it has revitalised my interest in film photography. Those 6cm x 6cm negatives have bags of detail. I've been shooting 120 Kentmere Pan 100. I scan my own negatives but I've been struggling using the standard 120 holder in the Epson V600. My negatives always have a bowing type curl so its really hard to clamp them down perfectly flat. This means my negatives are not in focus at the centre. I've purchased a third party holder which should be with me soon. I'll only be able to scan two negatives at a time but it looks like it clamps the negatives down flat rather than holding them by the edges of the negative. Anyway, good to see you got your camera repaired 👍
Yes, the curling makes it difficult to use the supplied Epson plastic holders. As I noted in my other comment, I use the V500 (old hardware still going strong), and just lay the negative right on the flatbed glass, with another piece of glass on the negative to hold it down. I even weight the top glass with something else if the curl is strong enough. Doing it this way, it's only practical to scan one negative at a time.
Another note: I noticed a haze on my Epson's flatbed glass, and saw it referred to as caused by "off-gassing," i.e., the plastic giving off gasses over the years. The web page where I read that pointed out where the screws are, so I was able to get the glass off and clean it. Anyone using on older scanner should be aware of this.
Do you remember the cheap as chips (at the time) Russian Lubitel 166, that was my student days dabble into 120, brilliant lens on that thing but compared to that, the Rollei looks like a Rolls Royce. What will we do once the old timer masters of their craft die out? I think the modern world on that front is largely a bit clueless.
I feel you. The only drop I've ever done was my FX3 and 14mm GM. The sound of used Honda Civic money hitting concrete stopped my heart 😢
I couldn't imagine dropping something out of production and way less supported. I'd literally die
Every photographer's nightmare, Nigel, fortunately you were able to find someone with the skills and spare parts to be able to fix it.
i scan my negatives using my Epson Perfection V600 Photo flat bed scanner and just use the Epson bundled software, the results are second to none, as good as, if not better than, lab scans. I recommend this scanner whokeheartedly.
👏
I had a camera strap break, it changed my life.
Fungi love leather!
My condolences sir. I think everyone drops a piece of photographic equipment once.. key word “once”. Years ago I taught television production and placed high emphasis on securing cameras to tripods, telling students to lift the camera and tripods by the camera so if anything wasn’t connected properly, the tripod would be the only thing to fall. That said, I never trust camera straps - especially old leather ones, until I know their weaknesses. I can only imagine how you felt at the time!
I've always disliked ever ready cases and never trusted the straps, no matter how sound they appeared. If I dropped my Autocord, it would be a case of sackcloth and ashes, with much weeping and wailing.
Watch Vivian Maier's photos taken on the same Rolleiflex 6x6 camera back in the 1950s and 1960s and you will experience the full potential of this camera and how good it is.
What a heart attack. To drop a camera that you just received! I'm glad that it could be repaired and even improved! Would it be appropriate to share the repair tech's contact info? Such a rare bird to find.
Are you sure you didn't let David Hancock hold that camera when it was dropped?
Dropped a Graflex once. That was bad enough. I’d have cried if I dropped a Rolleiflex.
Using an old Helios bellows and light box will produce excellent 'scans' from negs. Far superior to using a flatbed scanner. I used a Canon FD 50mm lens with a M42 / FD adapter for mine. Here's an example - plenty more on RUclips ruclips.net/video/bVbD45FYmCQ/видео.html
And what happen ? Did You damage concrete ?