проявитель

This picture is rather special. It's about Western "Pride and Prejudice". Because not only the camera is an old Russian, the 1940 Fotokor, with an old bakelite light-filter for ortho-emulsion, but the film is developed in Soviet developer. Nice and dry, easy-to-solve stuff, decades young. Great.

Altweiber 2012

Soooo gemütlich in der Strassenbahn, man plaudert, nimmt vielleicht schon ein Schlückchen, zeigt etwas mehr als sonst. Es nieselt - hat jemand das bemerkt? Und dass der uralte Fomapan in meiner Yashica 635 nur nach hinten guckt ist mir völlig egal.

I cannot tell you how old this Fomapan is: no box. Her sensitivity went backwards, if you know what I mean. Beneath all that fog (and maybe radioactive ink?) is the carnival in Düsseldorf.

Spring is in the air...

Well, not yet. Definitely no "Elfstedentocht", but the kids are still having fun at the ice-rinks in my street. Pleasant subject for the
 ± 1963 Plus X Prof, and the gruesome details are on my flickr photostream erwinruys ( the link has disappeared, not only on this blog...) but looking up I saw this balloon, hey! Cold up there?

The 1950 Agifold anastigmat on F8, 1/60

Назначение Иркутск

Nice weather to test a Svema refill in the tiny Kiev: -5° and rather sunny. The nature in my back-garden is a bit overcrowded, but we're here to test cameras, not to write poetry. And it's a nice morning walk. More Irkutsk? Look below! Больше Иркутск? Смотри внизу! And our other blog / и наш другой блог: http://destinationirkutsk.blogspot.com/

Nostalgia

While I was developing my "Siberian" film, the doorbell rang and there was my neighbour with a cute little map full of AGFA-papersamples. Real prints on real paper; Lupex, Brovira, Record Rapid, Portriga. Those were the days... Thanks, Jos!

Siberian film? For the Russian stuff you'll have to go to my new blog: http://destinationirkutsk.blogspot.com/

1955 смена

"Stalin's Volkswagen" is a very nice, simple camera for "the people". Lubitel-like shutter B - 1/200, Argus-like counter, diaphragm 4,5 - 16.
You need two cassettes because there is no rewind, and you'll have to respool because it's all upside-down (hùh?)
I still had some 1987 Agfaortho 25, rockhard, but the Смена performed very well.
And she is rather elegant!

The explanation for these "strange" upsidedown cassettes: In the USSR it was quite normal to develop at home, everybody did that! You just refilled your cassettes. It's also the reason why the developing times are printed on the film boxes! DIY in optima forma. So hats off for the Товарищы!