RolandRB
2010-03-20 16:07:24 UTC
Taking Sharp Photos Using a 6x9 Folding Camera
Author: Roland Rashleigh-Berry
Version: Draft 1.0
Date: 20 March 2010
Introduction
Those of you who still use film cameras might from time to time
consider the option of using a 6x9 folding camera. Here you have a
large film area (6cm x 9cm) with the associated possibility of
capturing a great deal of detail, combined with the convenience of
being able to fit the camera in a large pocket. Many people have tried
this but are disappointed with the results and give up on the idea.
There are good reasons why it is difficult to get good results but it
is possible if you follow some guidelines. These will be described
here.
Contact Prints
Folding cameras were fashionable at the time of black and white film
(that was not sensitive to red light) and prints were contact prints.
In other words, the black and white picture that was the end result
was made by shining light through the film negative onto photographic
paper. The final photo was the same size as the film area so these
folders were not designed with enlargement in mind. If you intend to
use a 6x9 folding camera then you probably will want to enlarge the
photo to show up the detail you wish to capture so you should realize
that you are going to make use of the camera beyond its design limits.
This means you need an exceptional folder that is capable of
enlargement. This is why nearly all attempts to use a 6x9 folder fail
at this first hurdle - the camera was not up to the task. Very few
are.
The Three Requirements
What is needed from a 6x9 folding camera to allow enlargements to be
made is a good lens, a fairly firm pressure plate to hold the film
flat and a firm "standard" such that when the camera is extended, the
lens is held rigidly in place. Assuming the camera is mechanically
sound then these are the three main requirements. This limits the
choice of camera and the only make of camera I am aware of that meets
these three criteria are the Zeiss 6x9 folding cameras with the Tessar
lens. There are other notable cameras, such as the Vöigtlander Bessa
camera with the Color Skopar lens or the better Heliar lens but in the
case of the Bessa II the standard that holds the lens in place often
has slack in it which causes blur when the photograph is taken an the
lens was never as sharp as the Tessar in any case, perhaps due to lack
of manufacturing precision rather than lens design. In fact the older
pre-WWII Tessar lenses designed for black and white film produce
better results than the Color Skopar designed for color film. This
could explain why Zeiss never felt the need to make folders with an
upgraded lens design to compete with its rivals (although the Tessar
lens was redesigned a few times over its history to improve its
performance).
The Zeiss 6x9 folding cameras
You will have to take it on trust from me that if you want to take
sharp photos capable of enlargement with a 6x9 folder then the only
sensible option is to use a Zeiss 6x9 folder. Deviation from this will
almost certainly result in failure. But apart from making sure the
Zeiss folder is in sound mechanical condition and the lens in good
condition, there are other guidelines that need to be followed.
Wind on just before taking the photo
You need the film to be as flat as possible. The film will be flattest
a few seconds just after being wound on so you should wind on just
before taking the photograph and wait just a few seconds for the film
to flatten further. If you delay taking the shot for whatever reason
then retighten the film by using the wind-on knob without actually
advancing the film.
Use f11 to f16
Even with taking care to ensure the film is flat, there is still some
unevenness in the film surface. You need to use a small enough
aperture to give you enough depth of focus to ensure the full surface
of the film receives a sharp image. This limits you to apertures
between f11 and f16 inclusive. Any fractional values between these
limits are of course possible.
Use 1/200th sec film speed or faster for hand-held shots
6x9 folding cameras are difficult to hold steady when taking the shot.
The focal length of the lens will typically be 105mm so to ensure a
reasonable chance of taking a sharp photo then you will have to use an
exposure time of 1/150th second or faster so you have to ensure that
this sort of shutter speed is available on whatever Zeiss camera you
choose. Most Compur shutters that many of the better Zeiss cameras
have will have a 1/150th sec or a 1/200th sec shutter speed available.
Note that most Compur shutters have an even faster speed such as
1/400th sec or 1/500th sec. The trouble is that to achieve these
speeds a stronger spring is used and this can create extra camera
shake that negates the speed advantage when taking hand-held shots.
Use a monopod
Even using the faster shutter speeds will not ensure all your pictures
are sharp. Even with a good technique, some of the shots will be
blurred due to camera shake. You will get much better results if you
can support the camera. A monopod will help enormously. This makes
carrying the camera less convenient but you might be carrying it as a
second camera and you might benefit from using a monopod for the
primary camera.
Bright sunny weather
If your aim is to capture a lot of detail in color then you will
probably opt to use a slow film speed such as ISO 100. Using the
"Sunny 16 rule" then for subjects front-lit by the sun, at f16 the
exposure should be the inverse of the film speed. So at f16, using ISO
100 film, exposure should be 1/100th sec. But this is too slow for
hand-held shots with a 6x9 folder so the equivalent at f11 is to use a
1/200th sec film speed for ISO 100 film. So for taking sharp hand-held
shots using 100 speed film you are limited to sunny conditions with
your subject front-lit by the sun using an aperture of f11 and a
shutter speed of 1/200th second (1/150th sec is also good).
Focussing and Depth of Field
It is important to use the correct focal distance. If possible, you
should set the focus to the exact distance. If your subject is at
infinity for landscape shots then set the focus to infinity and not
some marking on the lens that is supposed to be good for all long
distances. These marking were only good for contact printing. If you
require some depth of field then do not use the markings on the lens
as your guide as again, these are for contact print size. For f11 you
should use the markings for two stops more open at least. Preferably
three. So for f11 use the d-o-f markings for f5.6 or f4 if you can get
away with it.
Conclusion
Follow the guidelines above and you will be able to take sharp photos
with your Zeiss 6x9 folder that are capable of enlargement of maybe up
to 8x. Viewing these images made with color slide film on a light
table and an 8x loupe can be very satisfying. I want to end with a few
practical tips on using these old cameras. If your camera has a red
window in the back that can not be covered using a twist knob then you
will have to use a piece of black insulating tape for this purpose
that you can peel back to see the film frame numbers. Winding on film
should always be done in subdued light otherwise the light that is
making the frame numbers visible will also fog the film. Folders have
poor light seals so you should aim to finish a roll within a few days
of starting it and between use the camera should be stored in a dark
place. If you intend to leave the roll unfinished for more than a week
then wind on an extra frame and waste that frame so that less light
leaks onto the last good frame you took. Old cameras will allow double
exposure so don't become so engrossed in the technicalities that you
forget to wind on the film before taking the shot.
Author: Roland Rashleigh-Berry
Version: Draft 1.0
Date: 20 March 2010
Introduction
Those of you who still use film cameras might from time to time
consider the option of using a 6x9 folding camera. Here you have a
large film area (6cm x 9cm) with the associated possibility of
capturing a great deal of detail, combined with the convenience of
being able to fit the camera in a large pocket. Many people have tried
this but are disappointed with the results and give up on the idea.
There are good reasons why it is difficult to get good results but it
is possible if you follow some guidelines. These will be described
here.
Contact Prints
Folding cameras were fashionable at the time of black and white film
(that was not sensitive to red light) and prints were contact prints.
In other words, the black and white picture that was the end result
was made by shining light through the film negative onto photographic
paper. The final photo was the same size as the film area so these
folders were not designed with enlargement in mind. If you intend to
use a 6x9 folding camera then you probably will want to enlarge the
photo to show up the detail you wish to capture so you should realize
that you are going to make use of the camera beyond its design limits.
This means you need an exceptional folder that is capable of
enlargement. This is why nearly all attempts to use a 6x9 folder fail
at this first hurdle - the camera was not up to the task. Very few
are.
The Three Requirements
What is needed from a 6x9 folding camera to allow enlargements to be
made is a good lens, a fairly firm pressure plate to hold the film
flat and a firm "standard" such that when the camera is extended, the
lens is held rigidly in place. Assuming the camera is mechanically
sound then these are the three main requirements. This limits the
choice of camera and the only make of camera I am aware of that meets
these three criteria are the Zeiss 6x9 folding cameras with the Tessar
lens. There are other notable cameras, such as the Vöigtlander Bessa
camera with the Color Skopar lens or the better Heliar lens but in the
case of the Bessa II the standard that holds the lens in place often
has slack in it which causes blur when the photograph is taken an the
lens was never as sharp as the Tessar in any case, perhaps due to lack
of manufacturing precision rather than lens design. In fact the older
pre-WWII Tessar lenses designed for black and white film produce
better results than the Color Skopar designed for color film. This
could explain why Zeiss never felt the need to make folders with an
upgraded lens design to compete with its rivals (although the Tessar
lens was redesigned a few times over its history to improve its
performance).
The Zeiss 6x9 folding cameras
You will have to take it on trust from me that if you want to take
sharp photos capable of enlargement with a 6x9 folder then the only
sensible option is to use a Zeiss 6x9 folder. Deviation from this will
almost certainly result in failure. But apart from making sure the
Zeiss folder is in sound mechanical condition and the lens in good
condition, there are other guidelines that need to be followed.
Wind on just before taking the photo
You need the film to be as flat as possible. The film will be flattest
a few seconds just after being wound on so you should wind on just
before taking the photograph and wait just a few seconds for the film
to flatten further. If you delay taking the shot for whatever reason
then retighten the film by using the wind-on knob without actually
advancing the film.
Use f11 to f16
Even with taking care to ensure the film is flat, there is still some
unevenness in the film surface. You need to use a small enough
aperture to give you enough depth of focus to ensure the full surface
of the film receives a sharp image. This limits you to apertures
between f11 and f16 inclusive. Any fractional values between these
limits are of course possible.
Use 1/200th sec film speed or faster for hand-held shots
6x9 folding cameras are difficult to hold steady when taking the shot.
The focal length of the lens will typically be 105mm so to ensure a
reasonable chance of taking a sharp photo then you will have to use an
exposure time of 1/150th second or faster so you have to ensure that
this sort of shutter speed is available on whatever Zeiss camera you
choose. Most Compur shutters that many of the better Zeiss cameras
have will have a 1/150th sec or a 1/200th sec shutter speed available.
Note that most Compur shutters have an even faster speed such as
1/400th sec or 1/500th sec. The trouble is that to achieve these
speeds a stronger spring is used and this can create extra camera
shake that negates the speed advantage when taking hand-held shots.
Use a monopod
Even using the faster shutter speeds will not ensure all your pictures
are sharp. Even with a good technique, some of the shots will be
blurred due to camera shake. You will get much better results if you
can support the camera. A monopod will help enormously. This makes
carrying the camera less convenient but you might be carrying it as a
second camera and you might benefit from using a monopod for the
primary camera.
Bright sunny weather
If your aim is to capture a lot of detail in color then you will
probably opt to use a slow film speed such as ISO 100. Using the
"Sunny 16 rule" then for subjects front-lit by the sun, at f16 the
exposure should be the inverse of the film speed. So at f16, using ISO
100 film, exposure should be 1/100th sec. But this is too slow for
hand-held shots with a 6x9 folder so the equivalent at f11 is to use a
1/200th sec film speed for ISO 100 film. So for taking sharp hand-held
shots using 100 speed film you are limited to sunny conditions with
your subject front-lit by the sun using an aperture of f11 and a
shutter speed of 1/200th second (1/150th sec is also good).
Focussing and Depth of Field
It is important to use the correct focal distance. If possible, you
should set the focus to the exact distance. If your subject is at
infinity for landscape shots then set the focus to infinity and not
some marking on the lens that is supposed to be good for all long
distances. These marking were only good for contact printing. If you
require some depth of field then do not use the markings on the lens
as your guide as again, these are for contact print size. For f11 you
should use the markings for two stops more open at least. Preferably
three. So for f11 use the d-o-f markings for f5.6 or f4 if you can get
away with it.
Conclusion
Follow the guidelines above and you will be able to take sharp photos
with your Zeiss 6x9 folder that are capable of enlargement of maybe up
to 8x. Viewing these images made with color slide film on a light
table and an 8x loupe can be very satisfying. I want to end with a few
practical tips on using these old cameras. If your camera has a red
window in the back that can not be covered using a twist knob then you
will have to use a piece of black insulating tape for this purpose
that you can peel back to see the film frame numbers. Winding on film
should always be done in subdued light otherwise the light that is
making the frame numbers visible will also fog the film. Folders have
poor light seals so you should aim to finish a roll within a few days
of starting it and between use the camera should be stored in a dark
place. If you intend to leave the roll unfinished for more than a week
then wind on an extra frame and waste that frame so that less light
leaks onto the last good frame you took. Old cameras will allow double
exposure so don't become so engrossed in the technicalities that you
forget to wind on the film before taking the shot.