[C&C] Flexaret Va TLR and Fomapan 100 - both Czech

[Bob van Sikorski]

I am back at film photography and here is my first testing resultst with my "new" camera.

Flexaret Va was manufactured in 1958-1961 i think, so it is very old. It was the last model with brighter focus lens (Anastigmat F3.0), later models were using same lenses (F3.5). First three shots were taken with Flexpar 0,33-0,5 close-up lenses. I got the camera for ~20 USD in fully working order with original Flexaret case. Flexpar costs me ~7 USD. Fomapan 100/120 cost right now i Czech republic ~2.60 USD.

My initial test was focused on camera itself, but also on Leningrad4 exposure meter (combined with sunny16 method). All result were adequate to my expectations and exposure setting. Here is one of them:

As Czech i must say one thing: i am proud on Foma company, because i started to love Fomapan 100 with this first roll (developed in ID11 1+1) ...

So ... what you think about my new camera and also about Fomapan 100. Are there many users of Foma products?

[Orio]

[Attila]

Flexaret is a well know quality camera, I had once. I sold it after test, film still in fridge

Foma is my favourite film I did try numerous one , but still Fomapan 100 is best to me , low priced with stunning result.

Images load terrible slow , please use built in upload instead of link from some free image site.

[Bob van Sikorski]

damn abload . a putted it all to my hosting, hope it will be ok (let me know, for future use).
and also thanks.

[Attila]

[Bob van Sikorski]

i will not start a new thread for this, but:

- same flexaret Va
- almost same location
- ilford HP5+ @ ~iso1600, developed in ID11 1+1



it seems that HP5+ is more difficult to scan with V500, so i was forced to use more postprocessing (contrast, unsharp masking) than with fomapan100. but this represents relatively ok the scene itself (the are some important details in snow, which i am not able to scan, but they will be visible at optical print on fomabrom, i hope).

[kansalliskala]

Nice pictures.

How is the camera ergonomically speaking?

[Bob van Sikorski]

well, there is no split-focusing screen, no fresnel lens, so pic in "viewfinder" is not that ok as with flexaret vii for example. but its stil very ok and small magnifying lens helps a lot. i might not be objective, because mirror in my flex Va is not in good shape (i was thought that its a dust problem, but after looking inside, i found that reflective layer on mirror is peeling off) - so probably with another flexaret from let say II to Va, you might have better experience (i have on way another flex II, so i will be able to say more in couple of days, i think)

[martinsmith99]

I prefer the HP5 shot, but this may be down to the post processing.