Half-Frame Happiness

[GeneW]

I just developed my first roll of film from the Fujica Half I picked up for $30. It's my first half-frame experience and it fulfilled what I was hoping for: relatively sharp images that are also very grainy.





Film: APX100, Developer: Rodinal 1:50

More Fujica Half shots here: www.flickr.com/photos/cdnphoto/sets/72157604089871476/show/

Gene

[olroy2044]

Gene: These are actually the first 1/2 frame shots I've seen, to my knowledge. I like 'em! Really wanted one of the little Oly's at one time. Roy

[GeneW]

Thanks Roy. Half frame is like adding a new type of brush for an artist. Gives a different look and effect. Now I'm beginning to think in terms of an Olympus Pen-F ! :-)

Gene

[Deleted]

Gene:

You might want to try D-71 1:1 which gets good sharpness without accentuating the grain. I always liked it better than Microdal, which IMO softened negatives too much.

Wayne

[GeneW]

I've used D-76 1:1 many times over the years and it's always a great recommendation. These days I use HC-110 as my D-76 style developer. The grain, sharpness, and tonality are very close.

With my half frame I actually want the grain to stand out, which is why I used Rodinal. In the right images grain does the same kind of thing to me a good blues rift can. It just feels right.

Gene

[Deleted]

HC-110 has more "snap" than D-76. Believe it or not, I've never used Rodinal.

[olroy2044]

Pen-F! That's the one. Couldn't remember what it was called. Dark ages, dontcha know! ;D

[Just Plain Curt]

You could also pick up a newer Konica Samurai if you really need half frame. I've heard good things about them just too plasticky for me. I really like the grain in the second photo, looks right to me.

[GeneW]

weirdcollector said:

You could also pick up a newer Konica Samurai if you really need half frame. I've heard good things about them just too plasticky for me. I really like the grain in the second photo, looks right to me.

Curt, I just saw one for the first time yesterday when I was browsing the auction site. Weird looking -- I thought it was a video camera. It might work a treat but I'm not taken with the design.

The design that does grab me is the Olympus Pen-F. If I ever find one at a reasonable price, I'll be terribly tempted.

Gene

[mickeyobe]

Gene,

The grain is very appropriate and attractive in these pictures.
However, I would prefer the bridge/lighthouse photo sans grain.

Mickey

[GeneW]

mickeyobe said:

The grain is very appropriate and attractive in these pictures.
However, I would prefer the bridge/lighthouse photo sans grain.

Mickey, thanks for looking! You're quite right that the half frame doesn't work for every kind of subject. That's why some day I'd love a DSLR with a FF sensor. Maybe in five years or so they'll be commonplace and affordable.

Gene

[Just Plain Curt]

Thanks Stephen, I should have recognised the Yashica Samurai not Konica. OOOps, LOL. P.S. My original Konica Autoreflex does both full and half frame with one SLR. My Universal Mercury does half frame as well.

[Reiska]

Half format was the first then came 110, Kodak Disk, APS ... or what was the order?
The first Konica Auto-Reflex (later Autoreflex) has also a switch to turn on the half format mode.

On this page I have Samurai 4 Instruction Manual for downloading.
[url=http://www.thecamerasite.net/02_Rangefinders/Pages/yasamurai.htm#culture
]Yashica Samurai[/url]

For Minolta fans, Minolta Repo half format



Olympus Pen EES (nothing to compare with Pen F)

[PeterW]

Strange that we all call it half-frame. 18x24mm is the original frame size of 35mm cine film. We should, perhaps, call 36x24mm double-frame ??

PeterW