Nice video! Still waiting for my Perkeo II to arrive. Thanks for the pointers about using glasses, I also got an external rangefinder, but I'll also bring my laser meter to check if it is accurate. I do believe lens flair is an issue from what I have read.
I would persevere with the Perkeo. I have a few folding cameras, and the Perkeo is always my go to 6x6. I also have the 35mm Voigtlander Vito B which I think is superb. The f3.5 Color Skopar is the one to go for. They usually sell for £30-£50.
Ooh now that’s interesting. I was looking at the Vito cameras as well. I’m fascinated by the folding cameras, I must admit. I guess the Minox 35mm ( my other cancers video, currently) fits that niche for me, but I may well take a punt and grab myself a Vito in the new year.
There are a few things to consider here. First of all do not use AI sharpen. It was never designed to work with film, in particular B&W film. I don't know how it works, but since it does a pretty good job on digital files, I could guess that it somehow retrieves the EXIF information from the file and then uses that information to do what it does. It has never worked satisfactorily on my B&W scans, and those were very high quality scans out of Nikon Coolscan ED scanners ( it actually does nothing or very little on 35mm scans from my Coolscan ED scanner but to exaggerate the grain, or in some cases causes havoc with jagged artefacts around high contrast detail ). Second is to make sure you have no light leaks. The lens is another issue. Do not expect these old lenses to perform like the modern ones. They are soft wide open, rather dreamy due to under correction, but do sharpen up three stops down but never in a modern way. The rendering is rather different so your choice of film and developers matters. I prefer slightly higher contrast films with these cameras, or pushing HP5 Plus or TMY-2 to 1600. I once commented on a post of one photographer, for whom I have do respect, that there was no point spending £600.00 on a Bessa II just because it had a Color Heliar lens and a rangefinder, as he was singing the praises of his camera and advising people to go and find one of those. Well he didn't like it,, he is a Yorkshire man and opinionated and I am from Manchester. I stick to my point of view that if you buy one these old folders, then accept them for what they are and use them with their weak points in mind. They will reward you. As for Minox, they are indeed a gem of a camera when they work, sadly they seldom do. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Nice video! Still waiting for my Perkeo II to arrive. Thanks for the pointers about using glasses, I also got an external rangefinder, but I'll also bring my laser meter to check if it is accurate. I do believe lens flair is an issue from what I have read.
I would persevere with the Perkeo. I have a few folding cameras, and the Perkeo is always my go to 6x6. I also have the 35mm Voigtlander Vito B which I think is superb. The f3.5 Color Skopar is the one to go for. They usually sell for £30-£50.
Ooh now that’s interesting. I was looking at the Vito cameras as well. I’m fascinated by the folding cameras, I must admit.
I guess the Minox 35mm ( my other cancers video, currently) fits that niche for me, but I may well take a punt and grab myself a Vito in the new year.
There are a few things to consider here. First of all do not use AI sharpen. It was never designed to work with film, in particular B&W film. I don't know how it works, but since it does a pretty good job on digital files, I could guess that it somehow retrieves the EXIF information from the file and then uses that information to do what it does. It has never worked satisfactorily on my B&W scans, and those were very high quality scans out of Nikon Coolscan ED scanners ( it actually does nothing or very little on 35mm scans from my Coolscan ED scanner but to exaggerate the grain, or in some cases causes havoc with jagged artefacts around high contrast detail ). Second is to make sure you have no light leaks. The lens is another issue. Do not expect these old lenses to perform like the modern ones. They are soft wide open, rather dreamy due to under correction, but do sharpen up three stops down but never in a modern way. The rendering is rather different so your choice of film and developers matters. I prefer slightly higher contrast films with these cameras, or pushing HP5 Plus or TMY-2 to 1600. I once commented on a post of one photographer, for whom I have do respect, that there was no point spending £600.00 on a Bessa II just because it had a Color Heliar lens and a rangefinder, as he was singing the praises of his camera and advising people to go and find one of those. Well he didn't like it,, he is a Yorkshire man and opinionated and I am from Manchester. I stick to my point of view that if you buy one these old folders, then accept them for what they are and use them with their weak points in mind. They will reward you. As for Minox, they are indeed a gem of a camera when they work, sadly they seldom do. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
your light leak was dead center. Cover the red window on the back of the camera when you are not winding, or use ortho.