Lucky SHD100, Fujica STX-1, X-Fujinon 1.6/55 DM

[iangreenhalgh1]

Developed in Rodinal 1:25 for 9 mins at 20C.

Pretty annoyed with these results, the lens has some grease on one side of the front element, I took the front element group out and it's not possible to take it apart to get at the rear of the front element. How the grease got there is a mystery to me and it has ruined an otherwise mint lens. Where the grease is, the image is soft and glowy, it ruined most of the roll.

The development was a success, so annoyed about the damn lens, the camera works perfectly though.


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[Orio]

You got fantastic shades of gray from this film/developer combination.
I actually like the soft glow effect caused by the grease. It looks so much classier than the
cheesy photoshop filters.
The grease on the front element can have dropped from the blades, or from the helicoid.
Or, from an awkward relubing tentative of a previous user of the lens.
Don't know how expensive the lens is, if it's not financially worth to have it fixed, you can keep
it for soft focus use, like portraits, flowers, it really does better than any filter real or software.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Cheers Orio, this Lucky SHD100 is good film, it works well in Rodinal. I did the first roll 1:100 for 60mins, stand dev and it came out nice but lower contrast.

This series has had PP, I first used NIK dfine to reduce grain (which was already low) then NIK Output Sharpener with the local contrast and structure settings turned up, on some I also increased contrast a bit.

I don't have any Lucky left, I just bought 3 rolls to try, I would use it again, although I think I prefer Ilford FP4 and I just bought 20 rolls of Fomapan 100 as Atilla swears by it.

On the grease, it can't have come from relubing or the aperture as the rest of the front block is perfect, and the block is glued together so how it got inside is beyond me, it's like finger grease, but there is no fingerprint. I am sure it would easily clean off, but I don't see any way to open the front block after removing it from the lens.

I like the Fujica STX-1, I have 1.9/50 and 2.2/55 lenses as well so will try them both on this camera. I have a feeling I may end up selling them and the camera though because I'm so impressed with my Hexanons on film and don't want to keep anything inferior, would rather turn it into money to spend on either the few Hexanons I'm missing (100mm, 85mm, 85mm) or maybe some Zeiss.

[Orio]

[iangreenhalgh1]

Oh no, it is grease for sure, definitely not separation, I can see it clearly, it looks just like finger grease. I suppose it could have leaked in from the front. You can just about see it on this pic:

[David]

Do you mean the area on the right side? I'd second Orio. I have a CPL filter that's separated and it looks almost identical to that.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Yes, but it's 100% not separation, I can see it's a greasy substance, just like finger grease.

[ForenSeil]

The effect is really cool!
Maybe the soft glow is not only caused by grease but also by the "Aura"-effect which is caused by the missing anti halation layer of the film

I think I will also order some rolls of this film and try it with Contax G Biogon T* to check if this effect is caused by the film - I bet at least partially yes.

[Katastrofo]

4 and 8 are my faves, very nice set, Ian!

[iangreenhalgh1]

Cheers guys.

I will order some more Lucky some time, but I have a load of Fomapan and Ilford to work my way through first, and I just hand loaded a dozen rolls of Kodak Vision2 250D so I'm good for film for the time being at least.

[martinsmith99]

I'd ebay it as spares or repairs and get another as it looks a good lens.

I'm not keen on the film though as it looks like blacks are blocking a bit. If you like this film, I doubt you'll like Fomapan as it's very different.

[Orio]

[iangreenhalgh1]

Yes, I did indeed, I like high contrast for most BW subjects.

Some unprocessed ones:


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[Orio]

[iangreenhalgh1]