Re: [Leica] 35mm versus 120

["Roland Smith" <roland@dnai.com>]

Friends with a lot of experience in medium format have told me that one of
the strong points for a Rolleiflex TLR is that its film system is one of the
best for keeping the film flat.   Can anyone out there confirm this?

Roland Smith

- ----- Original Message -----
From: Henning J. Wulff <henningw@archiphoto.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2000 10:51 AM
Subject: RE: [Leica] 35mm versus 120


> At 10:03 AM -0500 3/19/00, Austin Franklin wrote:
> >That makes NO sense.  I know dozens of VERY experienced MF shooters, as
> >well as I am certainly one, and I do nothing 'special' to 'keep my film
> >flat'.
> >
> >What, exactly, do 'experienced MF shooters' DO to supposedly keep the
film
> >flat?
> >
> >Just as a note, THE bible on Hasselblad photography, called "The
Hasselblad
> >Manual" only references 'film flatness' in ONE statement on matching the
> >backs with the inserts.  If this were truly a problem, and if
'experienced
> >MF shooters' actually did 1) have a problem with film flatness, and 2)
> >actually did something about it, it would be mentioned in this book.
>
> I have been shooting MF and LF for a while, and film flatness is
definitely
> an issue for me. If I've left film in a Hasselblad back for a day or more,
> I won't shoot on the next frame, as the center will be focussed on more
> distant objects than the edges (I've seen this a number of times).
> Similarly on Mamiya 645 backs, Graflex 6x whatever backs for 4x5, Horseman
> 6x12 and others of the same transport design. Also Noblex 150 series.
> Calumet C2 backs and Sinar Vario backs don't have this problem, and I can
> use every frame, but the C2 back is never consistent, and obviously has
> some other problems. The Mamiya 6 seems to have the best film flatness (or
> best matched to lenses) of any MF camera I use. In 4x5, vacuum backs are
> used for exacting copy work for a very good reason. Point the camera down,
> and the film sags. Fortunately, for most of my work the emphasis is on
> keeping 4x5 film dead vertical. Shooting at f/11 to f/32 also helps. In
> 8x10, I've had the film fall out of the holder in the camera when taking
> shots looking down when shooting from equipment that vibrated every few
> minutes! Talk about film sag!
>
> Soooo... In MF, with most cameras I try to finish the roll fairly
> expeditiously, and wind on the last frame or two rather than save it for
> the next day. I'll take shots on the Mamiya 6 with film that has been left
> in the camera, but if critical and at wide openings, I'll still wind on to
> the next frame. The Sinar Vario back I don't have anymore - good riddance!
>
> As for "The Hasselblad Manual" (mine is the second edition), Wildi does
not
> necessarily seem like the type of author that would bring up a subject
like
> film flatness. As in many books of this type, and this certainly includes
> many about Leica, it is more an extended instruction manual that doesn't
> probe a systems weaknesses.
>
>    *            Henning J. Wulff
>   /|\      Wulff Photography & Design
>  /###\   mailto:henningw@archiphoto.com
>  |[ ]|     http://www.archiphoto.com
>