ADOX Color Mission 200 - en ny färgfilm på marknaden!

Jag har just fått hem negativen från den nyframkallade filmen ADOX Color Mission 200, 135-36 som just har kommit ut på marknaden. Jag beställde den från Fotoimpex i Berlin, och fick leveransbeskedet att den skulle åter finnas i lager hos dom från ca. mitten mars. 

Det fick bli bl. a. lite bilder från stan (Östersund) och de här färgstarka damerna lät sig fotograferas, om än något motvilligt först. Vågar jag kalla bilden "Gatufoto"? Dvs. som min egen bildtitel, och inte kategorisering av motivet...Hoppas jag inte får "bildpolisen" på mig nu!

Jag upplever denna negativa färgfilm (framkallningsprocess C-41) som har lanserats med "buller och bång" av ADOX och Fotoimpex i Berlin (som vad jag förstår har ensamrätt på att sälja filmen)  att den har en ganska kraftig färgåtergivning, så hög lite väl färgmättnad och samtidigt låg exponeringstolerans - som ju betyder att man måste vara väldigt noga med exponeringen.

Bilderna tog jag med min Leica M4 bestyckad med vidvinkeln Super Angulon 21 mm f/3,4 - M4:an har ju ingen inbyggd exponeringsmätare, så jag mätte hela tiden ljuset med iPhone-appen Lux Meter. Men tydligen är den metoden inte tillräckligt precis, flera underexponerade bilder hade den höga brusfaktorn omkring 30 som indikator på filmens korn i jämförelse med t ex Kodak Portra 160 och/eller bilder tagna med iPhonens kamera som sällan överstiger värden på 10-12, dvs lågt i jämförelse med den här filmen. Bilden ovan som jag visar här har jag bildbehandlat ganska mycket i Photoshop, Camera Raw och Nik Collections Color Efex 4. 

Jag är medveten om att detta är en högst personlig "ovetenskaplig" bedömning - måhända andra kommer till bättre utlåtanden. Tyvärr finns ADOX Color Mission 200 f.n. bara konfektionerad för småbild 135-36 - jag hade gärna velat testa den på 120-spole också. 

I största allmänhet kommer jag säkert som tidigare att oftast fota digitalt när det gäller färgbilder, den analoga tekniken lämpar sig bäst för svartvitt i mitt fall, eftersom jag framkallar svartvit film själv och kan då styra framkallningen på helt annat sätt. Även om "hemframkallning" av färgfilm numera är betydligt enklare än förut vad jag förstår, så fortsätter jag nog att skicka iväg negativ färgfilm till något proffslabb för filmframkallningen!

Det vore intressant att ta del av andras erfarenheter av ADOX-filmen!

/B

My first WAXHOLM visit - in the winter!

Image # 1 The Waxholm Fortress, 16th Century, so far never conquered by Russians! 

I might be surprising you by writing this blog in the English language for a change - it is just to make it a more easily "digestive" for dear relatives and friends in other countries and continents... 

The subject for this essay is, as the headline indicates, that in the normally coldest and darkest season there, a spontaneous trip to the well-known seaside resort Waxholm happened to take place on the 16th of January this year 2022.

"Hm...why in the winter?", you probably think.
Well - the immediate answer is of course - "why not"?

I´ve never been there before - it was about time now, and to be guided there by the eminent "ZeroEight" Tommy Lyngborn who is my best photography- and  traveling buddy (in addition to have the chance to meet up there in Waxholm with yet another analogue-photo freak like Tommy and me - who actually lives out there in Waxholm!) was something I hadn’t expected to be that exiting as it actually was! 

Prospects were surprisingly good - although we did not experience the nice weather that we had in the City of Stockholm on the day before. Gray, overcast, a little chilly (almost freezing) and fairly windy, (i.e.  "the 1/50 bl 5,6 milde-Sweden-weather") and the Sunday started out by getting us out there to Waxholm by a steamer, one of the famous shipping vessels (practically a type of "commuter ships", which the Vaxholm ships today are - a classical passenger shipping line with an extensive and interesting history, going back probably a hundred years or more!!)  

Image #2 A modern "Waxholmsbåt" - this is m/s Nämdö, they all have names that directly refer to the this part of the Stockholm archipelage

I started out with the train trip to Stockholm on the early Friday morning in January - the Östersund weather had been stable and fine for a few days, not much snow, so I thought that walking down to our railway station in Östersund would be easy, not having to have a full arctic winter outfit since I was going to travel light this time - pandemic and all. So a light rucksack and the aircraft-cabin bagage-sized wheeled suitcase would be quite enough.

Image # 3 Not yet really awake on the train...

Getting up that morning at 4:00 a.m., I looked through the window and saw that 6-8" of fresh snow had fallen - "no, I won´t rearrange my baggage...it couldn´t be that bad to walk downhill to the station even if it has snowed some".  I actually had to carry all my luggage - the snow was too deep and mushy for the small suitcase with wheels I have, but I got there to the train in time - however not quite effortless!!

Image #4 "We up here in Jämtland are so used to snow, that some snow on walkways are always a "walk-in-the-park..." This is the place where I live...the photo was taken through my living room window.

I arrived in Stockholm C towards noon - a nice trip, very few other travellers most probably because of Covid restrictions...a face mask was recommended, only every other seat was bookable, but no hugging or close contact with strangers etc was allowed. Fine with me! I never was much for hugging strangers anyway!

Image #5   Rödabergsbrinken, the small local street (inserted view) where my aunt lives in a small but comfortable flat, and the bigger picture is a part of the neighborhood "Vasastan" which has always been very attractive to live in...

Rumour has it, that high up in one of the two towers, the famous Zlatan Ibrahimowicz had one of his apartments - the price level for a high class penthouse up there is assumed to be about 70 million SEK! 

As soon as I arrived, I took the Subway to "the Red Mountains", i.e. in the Vasastan quarters, where my aunt Agda has her apartment. A perfect location for this senior citizen´s somewhat suspicious adventures (me), occurring repeatedly in our Capital - "Auntie" Agda has access to a small single bedroom guest flat, at a very attractive price - and that alternative to a hotel room is always very comfortable and practical for me, as well as it is nice for her to now and then have her nephew visiting nearby for a couple of days.

She is in good health, knows that part of Stockholm well, and she is since many years very active and successful with her genealogy research - our ancestry both in Sweden and overseas , and then we can easily "indulge" in some of our common interests. Her baking skills have also really impressed me several times! Not the least to mention, her the delicious "Apfelstrudel",  the Austrian dessert speciality served warm with vanilla sauce as you well know. 

Image #6 My "Landlady" for the weekend - Auntie Agda, who is very dear to me - and a great "Apfelstrudel" baker! This photo was taken with my old artifact camera - "the one I tried to sell to Tristin",  see Image # 16 below!

Image #7 Another famous view over Stockholm, from "Söders höjder" overlooking the water.

My plans for the Friday were, as agreed with Tommy L, who also is the classic car magazine “MG Bulletin” editor, were that he would pick me up with his car and then we would first drop off my recent "acquisition", the TLR Ikoflex camera at Jonas´s workshop in Sumpan for a CLA service. The photo distance adjustment wheel was somewhat jammed, and might need some professional attention. Quickly said and done - Jonas Vikström is a great analogue camera technician to be helped by.

Further north then by car, to Järfälla half an hour away, where I especially looked forward to meet up with a "long lost friend", Per , with whom I haven´t had any contact with for about 40 years. We were close "study buddies" for 3-4  years during the early 70´s at the Umeå University up north - and we both had a particular interest in classic sports cars - his "cup of tea" was the 356 Porsche series, and my favourite car was the magnificent Alfa Romeo.

Image #8  An old analogue photo - taken in Skellefteå early in the spring 1977, when we both had the opportunity to "pose" with our dream cars side by side. The JP wheel rims on my Alfa 2000 GTV 1973 is not that great looking, but the original wheel rims had tyres with spikes for icy and snowy roads on at the time. Per´s Porsche 356 SC 1965 was apparently newly washed and waxed and obviously shines somewhat brighter than my Alfa! Especially the Bertone GTV line - of which I later came to own several models, was the best at that time in my youth.

We both, Tommy and I, were very welcome home to Per that Friday in January - I had managed to reconnect with Per just a few weeks earlier, and it turned out to be a very pleasant reunion. It is some magnificent two-car garage he has now, of course two different 356 series Porsches - adjacent to his house, including a very useful greasing-pit for a serious classic auto enthusiast!

Image #9 Something really out of the ordinary - the Porsche 356 Carrera (1958) type 547/1 engine - now overhauled and ready to be inserted! 

Image #10 Basically the same type 547/1 engine that I photographed 1976, but slightly dismantled or prepared for storage - then it also was a magnificient piece of equipment even for an Bertone italian car freak like me!  

That was about all that day - Tommy dropped me off in the city centre near Auntie´s address, and on entering her cosy flat, dinner was already on the table and the wine bottle opened when I entered! 

Image #11 A refreshing Saturday mid-day walk downtown through Vasaparken - its skating grounds is amazingly popular and pleasant to watch!

A good night´s sleep in the guest flat - in the other building, and then a Saturday with lots of sun and fresh air!
Another old friend from my home town, and also the Umeå University, had the initial "vernissage" of his photo exhibition in the famous Jazz Club "Fasching" in Stockholm´s City centre - he exposed a great collection of his own jazz photography in that club´s premises .

Picture #12 The exhibition "Curator" and "Exhibition General" Kenth together with another admirer visiting  

Over 80 images, most of them black & white, of various jazz musicians that he had portrayed. Lovely! And a glass of champagne on this opening day while I was trying to get a sublime feel if his photography style now is the same as back then 1970 - and his photos were certainly much appreciated. Awesome!

Image #13 The photo exhibition covering one of the walls in the famous jazz club "Fasching"

The exhibitor Kent Wångklev was also, like me, a Canon enthusiast back in the days - at the end of the 60´s he had the Canon FL lens system, I chose the new Canon FD lens system at the beginning of the 70´s. I have blogged about that earlier,  here on Fs. (www.fotosidan.se) if you recall.

Alright, then Tommy and I discussed what to do on the Sunday - and his idea that "why not make a winter expedition out to Waxholm?" OK - fine with me!

Waxholm is a right famous spot in Sweden - my immediate associations when hearing the name Waxholm was, that the fleet of ships covering a large part of the Stockholm archipelage not only for working people but also for leisure and tourism, is quite unique in its own way - the lyrics of the song "Waxholm Ettan" rings a bell in my mind right away. The well built old steamers here, like our own m/s Thomée and s/s Östersund, (built and "inaugurated" the same year 1875) always interest me, since such vessels then were so important for the infrastructure back then in the middle of the 19th century - also up here in Storsjön, and are well known to Jämtar/Norrlänningar... 

We got off early that Sunday morning, I took the Subway out to Slussen, and met up with Tommy there. Tickets were bought, and even a SL card would well be accepted also for the boat fare.

Image # 14 The Stockholm Subway, the "T-Banan" Green Line end station "Slussen"

Off we sailed, and while waiting on the quay at Slussen for the ship to be ready for boarding, the two apparently far travelled girls ahead of us on the quay, had waited longer, and were very nice to talk to.  A mother and her daughter, from Florida,  that were going up to Nordkap to see the Nordic Lights, "Aurora Borealis" and discover more of Sweden as well as Norway. Of course, one can hardly expect to see the Nordic Lights in the summer up there, so it seemed perfectly reasonable to do such a trip in December.

Image #15 Waiting to get on board and the ship´s departure - a dull rainy day with weak photo light...hence the lack of sharpness 

They had a lot of luggage, but seemed to manage that quite well without any help from nearby standing male "porters". Tommy and I didn´t ask - which we probably should have done, but at least I got the immediate impression that they were quite capable of handling their luggage themselves!

What was especially impressive, was that the daughter, who couldn´t be older than in her early twenties, is a professional civil pilot flying passengers all over the North American continent! Awesome!  

We talked during most of the sea voyage out to Waxholm, and I just had to show my recently acquired Zeiss Super Ikonta 531,  note that the image below looks like I am trying to sell them my old artefact camera!

Picture # 16 Tristin (in full awe!) over the features and the provenience of my old camera! (Smart phone photo by Tommy L)

Now, they showed a true interest in what we told the about Stockholm and how to get to Sigtuna by bus/train or similarly. I receommended them, for travelling up to Nordkap, that to use the Norwegian Hurtigrutten´s great possibilities in Norway and travel along the coast instead of inland by train in Norway, but the travel cost on that shipping line might be fairly high.

I myself have in fact done such a cruise, from Harstad (southbound) to Trondheim via Lofoten islands, so I felt I could well recommend them to cruise with Hurtigrutten northbound up there from Bergen on the Norwegian south coast. The present off-season could even mean lower cruise prices, I thought. 

Image #17 Not many people on the quay this morning - in the background the historically important fortress of Waxholm. 

Well arrived in Waxholm after about one and a half hour sailing, the girls headed off to a part out there that I did not know about, a short ferry distance to another nearby island, I believe. We wished them good luck and a safe onward journey - hoping that parts of their huge luggage would be successfully air freighted back to Florida for their travel conveniance.  

Tommy and I walked around the harbor area of Waxholm - we both took a few pictures (analogue!) across the water, of a comparatively small island opposite of the quay, where the famous big fortress of Waxholm rises. In the year 1548 the first part for protection of the  inlet to Stockholm was finished, and successively there were other extensions added. During the year 1833 a total reconstruction was begun, that led to the present shape of the fortress. Since year 1548 it has been situated there intact, and is one of the few Scandinavian castles that the Russian forces never have been capable to conquer or surpass, not ever, during the more than 500 years of history!)  

However, towards noon we were both very thirsty, hungry and somewhat frozen, so we decided then to have lunch somewhere nice - "Hamnkrogen" seemed to suit us fine. A large draft beer to start with, then a Hamburger plate for Tommy and the classical Swedish Meatballs with a cream sauce for me, it all tasted very good indeed.

Image #18 At last - that beer and the food in addition, was exactly what we needed then!

At the same time we also rang our friend Sigvard Eklund (another fotosidan.se member and analogue photo enthusiast) as promised, who lives permanently in such an interesting environment. I had called him on the phone the day before, to hear if it would be possible for him to meet up with us on the Sunday..."Certainly" he said. "Give me a call some time after 12 - then I´ll catch up with you"... he said. This was also the very first time we met, both for Tommy and me, and thanks to the Fotosidan membership we thought the we probably would have the about the same taste for b/w photography! 

Image #19 This was a very good place - "Hamnkrogen" is definitely no "greasy spoon"...delicious food to reasonable prices!

Yes, by the time we got to the coffe after the luncheon meal, Sigvard turned up at the pub and also had a cup of coffee with us. That was actually the very first time him and me met IRL, so that was about time! He is also a photography enthusiast, owning the same type of camera as  Tommy (Yashica 4G) and my Ikoflex - a twin lens mirror reflex, analogue camera for 120-spool sized film.   He and Tommy told me that visiting Waxholm in the summer is an entirely different thing - jammed with people - lots of life, tourists, yacht owners, sailors and much more to see and enjoy. 

Image #20 Me and Sigvard, enjoying our coffee

After lunch it started to rain - and Sigvard drove us around the tiny centre of Waxholm, to give us a glimpse of the idyllic scenery there and the narrow streets with old but well maintained houses. Must be a real treat to live there in the summer!!

Image #21 The Waxholm City Hall, analog (probably the worst picture in this blog!)

The thing is, that I´m not quite comfortable yet with the special viewer of that camera - I have to rely partly on my experience of focal length and lens angle width - which nevertheless was a complete failure for especially this picture. The least you can expect of a photographer who is trying to portray a certain building, is that the whole building is visible on his final picture. Which I sadly did not manage this time!

The camera is old, so is me the owner - the camera (Tessar 7 cm f3.5) lens was manufactured i Germany in April 1936 - many years before I even could hold a camera safely. But I am confident that I will cope with the viewer in due course, an also always remember to tilt the camera vertically for landscape views! Why? The negative size is 4.5 x 6 centimeters, enabling 16 frames on a 120 size spool - standing! 

Later that afternoon, we boarded the ship back to Stockholm City, and I took the Subway back to Auntie and Tommy returned home to his flat in Kärrtorp. I had some shopping to do during the following Monday, and late that afternoon I railed back to Östersund on the evening train. The summary of this "Big City Stockholm" weekend trip was perfect in nearly all aspects - only the poor b/w Street Photography during the dull weather on the Sunday in Waxholm was maybe a disappointment but can always be justified by the old saying "there is no bad weather - only unsuitable clothing (and too low film sensitivity for any artifact camera)" 

I have now developed the negatives taken - fine, good b/w technical quality in some cases but no real surprises - my initial digital photo of the fortress was perhaps one of the best (digital) pictures I took that weekend.

Tips/recommendations/corrections concerning e.g. facts in my blog are gladly received by me - your comments are most welcome as usual!!

Au revoir...!

/B

Reviderad analog regelbok!

Signalens innebörd uppifrån och ner -

Överst: Fota på bara, i synnerhet när himlen är blå och molnen behöver accentueras!

Mittre: Vänta - detta kan du fixa i Photoshop lika bra!

Nedre: Stanna och tänk efter - tids nog blir du också mera erfaren!

/B (filterfreaken från norr) 

Nostalgi-tripp (än en gång..!)

Förstasidan med utdrag ur sortimentet (varför inte i färg? - var Canons kameror inte avsedda för färg, dia eller negativ färgfilm?) Jag reflekterade nog inte på det då 1971, men nu frågar jag mig det - men tydligen var det ändå inget dåligt reklamgrepp - Canon har ju sedan läge tillhört dom stora "drakarna"på småbild, vid sidan av Leica, Nikon, Konica,  Contax osv.

Den rekommenderade prislistan, så ut så här, på andra sidan av reklambladet:

"F. Grushandlaren Göte Borg" (Expressens dåtida "korrespondent"?) hade visst myntat uttrycket "Det var bättre förr, ju förr dess bättre..." och med anledning därav så kom jag att tänka på att nånstans skulle jag väl ha ett dokument som skulle kunna vara intressant att visa här på Fs-bloggen - dvs Canons svartvita A3 reklamblad från våren 1971 - dvs. gott och väl 50 år sedan.

Den analoga fototekniken och -utrustningen verkar öka starkt numera i popularitet och intresse, och jag själv har (nästan) bara bra minnen av Canon - vad jag tänker på är ju inte kamerans fel vad som hände midsommarveckan 1999...jag orsakade själv att min Canon FTb, trogen fäljeslagare sedan knappt tre decennier for i backen vid Cliffs of Moher på Irlands atlantkust och kamerahuset sprack!

Objektivet jag hade på då, ett FDn 70-150 telezoom blev snett i fattningen men linserna verkade ha klarat fallet! Jag skulle passera en låg stenmur - kanske bara ca 40 cm hög, och muren hade ju en öppning ca 2 meter längre till höger, men lite bråttom och uppenbarligen hade jag överskattat min egen förmåga att snabbt passera muren. Straffet lät ju inte vänta på sig när kameran for i backen samtidigt som jag snubblade och bara gjorde en halvdan passage av "murj..eln..."!

Halva den semesterresa var ju därmed ett "debacle"!  Jag upptäckte nog inte sprickan i kamerahuset direkt, bara att objektivet fortfarande satt på, lite konstigt snett men hade inte lossnat från kamerahuset helt. Men att min trogna följeslagare var trasig, riktigt illa däran, insåg jag bittert så småningom. Brorsan som ju var med på resan, såg inte vad som hände tror jag, men han hade ju sin APS-kamera i gott skick.

Jag lämnade in filmen där i den lilla stan vi hade vårt Bed & Breakfast (där våran "Landlady" på begäran sjöng "the Rose of Tralee" så vackert för sina gäster), och jag skulle få hämta den framkallade negativa färgfilmen hos snabbframkallaren några timmar senare. Vad som i övrigt hände där sedan har jag nog mestadels förträngt eller rentav bra glömt , förutom att t ex att den golftid brorsan hade bokat på golfbanan vid stranden av Atlanten infann sig ungefär samtidigt som ett rejält oväder med kraftigt regn och blåst...efter den golfrundan var han RIKTIGT blöt, blötare än så har jag nog inte sett honom, varken före eller efter den resan! HAn vred ur sina strumpor som säkert gott och väl innehöll en pint regnvatten då. Den formen av "primitivt jordbruk" (golf alltså) har jag aldrig dugt till, däremot kan väl mitt eget tillkortakommande med kameran anses vara en annan form därav. Eller hur?

Nu äntligen, leder denna långrandiga ingress mig fram till saken: Canons reklamblad och svenska prislista från tiden långt före Irlandsresan: Produktsortiment 1971 och den tillhörande rekommenderade prislistan…var det olika utbud av t.ex objektiv i olika länder? Jag kan se nu att den 35:a jag köpte var den billigaste - och korta telet 105 mm f2,8 verkade också prisvärt. Foto Posé i Östersund var den fotoaffär av dom 3-4 liknande affärer som fanns att välja på, och då och där hos dom slog jag till! Jag vet att jag fick delbetala, så det var också ett argument för Canon!

”Köpeavtal” (kvittot fick jag väl inte förrän jag fullgjort min del av avtalet, antar jag)  från 9 Juli 71 - en handpenning på tvåhundra spänn, med överenskommen slutbetalning i augusti så var kameran min! Tveklöst en riktig högtidsdag , och början på ett livslångt ensidigt ”kärleksförhållande”? Tänk om jag hade valt Nikkormat med motsvarande objektivkombination i stället? Hade jag varit Nikotinist idag (’no pun intended’) ? Närå, jag började sluta röka 1998 , och det är nog mycket möjligt att Canon inte hade varit mitt kameramärke om den fotoaffär som förordade Nikon hade godtagit samma stuk på delbetalning. Jag tror uppriktigt att Canon och Nikon i stort har varit ungefär lika bra, skillnaderna var nog mest bara en fråga om tycke och smak…

Jag såg just på eBay, i en annons där för det dyraste objektivet i svenska riktprislistan, nämligen FD 55/1,2 AL (asfärisk, för ("Cine” - biograffilm?)  i eBay-annonsen, och den är nu prissatt till knappt SEK 81000:-, jfr 1971 drygt 4000:-  Sällsynt glugg nu som då, antar jag!

Såna här jämförelser mellan nu och då, hur intressant är det - kanske inte särskilt stort, men för oss gamla analoga  ”bakåtsträvare” så grottar vi nog gärna ner i sånt här… i alla fall jag. Icke desto mindre är fotografi, både digitalt och analogt fortfarande ett stort intresse och min mest givande hobby , trots att den digitala tekniken har utvecklats så snabbt. År 2003, dvs två år innan jag blev medlem på Fotosidan så trodde jag inte att de digitala kamerorna skulle kunna bli bättre än de beprövade analoga, sett till objektivens skärpa och kontrast mm. 

Så fel jag hade - men jag har ju de senaste 4-5 åren har återupptagit det bästa av det analoga vid sidan av digitalfoto  - ett annat sätt att fotografera och ta bilder - bl a klart långsammare  serietagningsförmåga men "slow photography" som passar mig bra numera ! 

Jag återkommer när jag har nåt nytt att förtälja med avseende på min bästa hobby!

Ha det bra - och  ”be careful out there” som polisen i den amerikanska TV serien på 70-talet ofta sa! till sina medarbetare…

/B