Now available: the first two videos in the workshop series!

The best part of developing your own film is when you open the tank, and see the images on the negative. It’s like magic!

Yes, I believe my Hasselblad’s film back was leaking light from the dark slide seal, which is such a common failure that a guy on eBay sells a kit to fix it. It turns out the seal was completely missing when I took mine apart to fix it. It’s all back together now, and I have a roll in it to test it out. Fingers crossed …

I’ve been told that it doesn’t take very long to get used to a waist-level finder’s reversed view, FWIW.

Back on topic, I did what I will now call the “Ming” yesterday. A friend recently loaned me his Ricoh GR1, complete with belt case, and I went out walking with the GR1 on the hip, and a 500C/M with a prism finder and 80/2.8 on a sling strap. In his 2nd video, Ming walks around with his D800E on a shoulder strap, a Billingham (?) bag, and his GR on a belt case. Depending on what perspective he wanted, he’d shoot with one or the other. But it was distressing to see how practical that setup was, as he could use either camera very quickly, and that made wearing a belt case now acceptable. I can also see why he likes the GR so much, based on how easily he appeared to use it.

So of course, I had to try it out. Besides the weight of the 500 (springy straps only save your shoulders from the gravity of Victor’s black brick for only so long), this setup works remarkably well for me, too. But off to the outdoors before the sun sets, and only with the Hasselblad today!

No way! You’ve now elevated the belt case from faux pas to essential photographic tool! OK, now I’m really leaving.

So I learned a few things today:

1. Loading 135 onto Patterson reels is actually not that hard: did it the first time in the dark with no practice roll. It might actually be easier than 120.
2. But since competence is conserved, don’t wear a watch with glowing numerals into your darkroom! Fortunately, I noticed it just as I started pulling the 135 spool out of its can, and only suffered a couple of spots on the top edge of the sprockets on the first few frames.
3. 135 frames are so small and cute! And long. Holy cow, 36 exposures makes for a long thing to hang up.
4. Half-pressing your 500C/M’s shutter button does not activate its exposure meter or autofocus. Instead it activates its “accidentally expose and waste a frame” feature. Grr, stupid DSLR habits.
5. Never ever stand develop film shot at box rating: most things turn out overexposed. (For the dilution and time I used.)

BTW Ming, I’ve seen people claim that they’ve developed 2 rolls of 120 on one reel, as it turns out that there is enough space to spool 2 of them on there. After loading the first, gently grab the film and rotate it along the same direction until it reaches the center, and then load the 2nd roll onto the reel. I haven’t been brave enough to try it yet.

Since starting, I’ve never been that into neck straps. I have almost everything on wrist straps; or no straps and barehanded carry. Either, or. The only cameras I had on a neck strap were: the D7000 [gone for glass]; the F2 [“Cromagnon”]. Cromagnon is literally a wrecking ball if you put it straight around your neck and let the centrifugal force do what it does. Seriously dangerous to bend over without using an arm to dampen Cromagnon’s swing [which defeats the “hands free” purpose of a neck strap]. Just slinging it over a shoulder while you walk also ends up being an SAS exercise in pain management—recall that scene in Rocky where he batters the ribs of a skinned side of heifer, now put a set of knuckle dusters on him: that’s what shouldering and walking Cromagnon is like. I’ve basically given up on the neck strap, but the Cro’s too heavy and wouldn’t suit a wrist strap. So I’m going to try a week of manly bare hand carry and see how we go.

I’ve hand carried my D3 since day one, and won’t have it any other way. Completely strapless. This is a man’s camera! That camera is my sidekick. When I take it, I take it everywhere. I even sit it down next to me as I work. I don’t think anything I’ve ever saved for and bought in my life has meant as much to me as this camera [or costed me as much]. I don’t find it too heavy either. I mean it is a heavy camera; I just don’t find it a problem. Quite like it actually. I think I’m on a real “heavy is good! kick at the moment. I do make sure, though, when it’s D3 day, it’s a day where I don’t need my hands. In fact, now I mention that, I guess my gestalt is “every bit of everything I’ll need, phones, wallets, pens, paper, books, bumpf, etc., etc., gets squared away and goes in a bag—I want both hands totally free for holding my camera [and no straps].” So rather than stowing my camera away to have hands free. I stow luggage away, to have hands full, of camera. I guess when I go out to shoot, I’m going to shoot—I don’t think about convenience that much. I may change.

I don’t intend to strap up the Zenza Bronica SQ [Charles Bronson] either. I’m handholding it; but the used store where I found it, wrapped it in bubble wrap and put it in a thick brown paper bag with handles for me [of course no boxes or anything for something of this vintage, at that price]. On the carry back, I thought: actually, this might be a good way to transport Bronson when I’m out and about, bubble wrap and a small carrier bag. It’s not very fashionable or “photographer like,” perhaps, but definitely works. Run for the hills if it rains I guess.

But oh, come on, fast draw belt holsters? LAPPING THAT UP. I notice a lot of our forces now holster their small arms flush on the chest; it looks quite a convenient way to draw a pistol—might work for a small fixed lens camera like the GR or the A. Though, actually, they don’t have much of a handle to grab for in a movement like that. Maybe one of those “ARE YOU…? WHO ARE YOU TALKIN’ TO!?” ejector wrist holsters like DeNiro had in TAXI DRIVER. Imagine that. Guy mulling about in a scene, baggy military jacket on, with one slightly lumpy sleeve, the decisive moment materializes, guy suddenly jerks a wrist and a GR shoots out the sleeve and blam! Another one for the folio, etc.

It’s funny, I happened upon MT’s blog researching DRFs in February, or so, but the very first blog.mingthein.com photo I saw was Ming, seen from the neck down, with a ‘blad on a shoulder strap. Can’t find the post again now… I don’t think it was a review. Needless to say, the classic “me in the mirror” shot even looked classy when MT did it.
[why do we all go for those?]