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First pics from 1922 Welta
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:02 pm    Post subject: First pics from 1922 Welta Reply with quote
Using the Rada rollfilm back, I put a roll of Fuji 400 through the camera, but the results were a bit crap. There's a lot of veiling flare from the unshielded front element, and I also decided to experiment with stand development in D76. Not a good idea to combine faults.
On the bright side, the shutter and aperture work as they should and the exposures were all quite ok with no light leaks. I was a bit concerned about darkslide leaks, as the rollfilm back isn't a great fit at one end.
What follows are just quick and dirty proof-of-working, nothing special, indeed, pretty awful. Also, PS has decided, for some odd reason, to darken everything as it reduces for web use. I will shove another couple of rolls through before I risk using big film in this, but it's a start.







Gate 100% crop showing horrible grain from stand dev. I probably left it too long and there was peculiar banding on some of the frames. I think I'll try some Rodinal.


PostPosted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I did tryZeiss Ikon Novar Anastigmat from these years result wasn't better at all. I think this is common result with cameras before 1930.


PostPosted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well, I'm curious to see how good it can get. I'm fairly sure this camera wasn't particularly cheap in its day and I've seen some excellent pics from 1910 Kodaks with cheaper lenses than this.
A hood will take care of the flare to a huge degree and some 100 or 50ISO film in a fine grain developer will help too.
It's been fun using it too.


PostPosted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Farside wrote:
Well, I'm curious to see how good it can get. I'm fairly sure this camera wasn't particularly cheap in its day and I've seen some excellent pics from 1910 Kodaks with cheaper lenses than this.
A hood will take care of the flare to a huge degree and some 100 or 50ISO film in a fine grain developer will help too.
It's been fun using it too.


Let we see, I hope this will perform well too.


PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 12:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The exposures are right on! I'm betting that with the proper film and processing, the camera is going to show some BEAUTIFUL results.

These are very encouraging from the "exposure" point of view.

Can't wait to see what you get from 120!


PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 12:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Heh. The first two shots were tripod-mounted, but today I was using it as a point and shoot. A very slow p&s admittedly, but it was a blast.
I look forward to getting some 9x12 in it.


PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 1:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The results look promising - there isn't that 'common man' mass production lens look at all in these. I think you'll end up getting a bunch of great images yet.

Stand developing with D76? Shocked Tell me how!


PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 8:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I like the grainy look Rolling Eyes


PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 11:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nesster wrote:
The results look promising - there isn't that 'common man' mass production lens look at all in these. I think you'll end up getting a bunch of great images yet.

I agree. There's a great deal of IQ waiting to be unlocked when I get it right. I can find very little info on early Weltas and who or what would have ordered one with this lens.

Quote:

Stand developing with D76? Shocked Tell me how!

Stock diluted 1+3 and stood for an hour. I accidentally over-fixed by several minutes, so that probably contributed to the mess. At the bottom of several frames was a horizontal band which intruded into the inter-frame space, this might be the 'bromide drag' I'd read of. By all accounts Rodinal is better for this type of development, but several have said they've not run into trouble using D76. Probably it is do-able with a bit more exactitude, but the whole thing about stand dev that appeals is the non time critical application of it - just fill it and forget it for an hour. Perhaps 1+4,5, or 6 might be worth trying.
I'll try again, but the next film will be more conventionally processed to cut out variables.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 5:26 am    Post subject: Re: First pics from 1922 Welta Reply with quote
Farside wrote:
...There's a lot of veiling flare from the unshielded front element...On the bright side, the shutter and aperture work as they should and the exposures were all quite ok with no light leaks...Gate 100% crop showing horrible grain...


I love the grainy look of the crop of the gate. Smile

I have some old "folders" (Kodak, Voigtlander) without their lens-hoods and find that you can get good images without flare if you can position yourself so that some object (building, verandah, tree) shades the lens.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'ts wonderful to see old cameras coming back into life thanks to the efforts of people from this forum.

I like very much the results, Dave! (Even with the grain).

Congrats for such a nice work!

Regards,

Jes.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 7:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Is that a large format camera, Dave?


PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Orio wrote:
Is that a large format camera, Dave?

Yes, it's a 9x12cm. I have a couple of sheet film holders and some film inserts now, so I'll be getting some Foma or Shanghai film for it.
I also discovered the Kodak Series VI native thread is a very close fit, but not quite. However, the S VI base can be hot-glued in place (easily reversible) to take a hood easily enough.

@Jesito.
Cheers, Jes. I'm on a mission to get most or all of them working. The most recent acquisition is a Kodak 3A which will take 120 rollfilm for a 6x14cm panorama.

@Banjo
I usually try that, it's become second nature to shield the lens, going back decades, but more often than not, the shot doesn't lend itself to a shaded position.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 3:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Is the lens dusty? These old lenses often need a cleaning. And you may have to repaint the bellows insides to regain contrast - it should be matte black, but it usually is not any more on cameras that old.

Besides, the Trioplan is really stretching its limits at 3.5 - that must have been the equivalent to the noisy night shot modes on digitals, to be used in a emergency only. To get full performance out of that lens, you'll have to stop down to f/8 or more.

Sevo


PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 11:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sevo wrote:
Is the lens dusty? These old lenses often need a cleaning. And you may have to repaint the bellows insides to regain contrast - it should be matte black, but it usually is not any more on cameras that old.

Must check that, thanks for the tip.

Quote:

Besides, the Trioplan is really stretching its limits at 3.5 - that must have been the equivalent to the noisy night shot modes on digitals, to be used in a emergency only. To get full performance out of that lens, you'll have to stop down to f/8 or more.

I've shot all at f:12.5, which is the smallest aperture on this lens. The scale focus seems reasonably accurate too, but it let me down badly on a relatively close shot of 2m distance, close-focusing like a bandit.
That was after checking with a tape measure the scale with the GG before I ever put a film in it.
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