Sunday, June 17, 2012

Voitlander Vito BL: dltphoto

So my photography enthusiasm came from somewhere, we all have a story. I originally assumed I walked into it  due to interests in Art etc... at school/college and that my eldest brother bought me my first REAL camera, but alas I have become the person from whom  helped create me. We all have someone important at sometime we lose from our lives, some are lucky enough to have a full life time with them. Others, like my family, aren't quite so fortunate to grow old with and share our successes. I am extremely grateful for all my years with my father. He was my rock, my mentor and apparently my muse.
Today, I am lucky enough to have some of his belongings, things which some people inherit and really have no use for then discard, since they are valueless and useless to them. For me these items are the building block for how my biggest interest began, his cameras!
Since I really share these glory pieces with my brothers they realise the only person whom can really use them is me. An honour which I gladly accept.
Initially I was assuming they would wonder into the camera vault section of my mothers museum back in the UK, but instead they were not scheduled pieces for that. Hoorah for me.
Thanks to a recent visit from eldest brother I now have two of  Dads, more well-used 35mm cameras. Classics!

First up for testing to check that they still work is the Voitlander Vito BL. Originally marketed sometime around the mid 1950's. This particular model did have the benefit of a metering system for more accurate exposure, alas this is no longer functioning but that is a minor issue, since I have other more modern cameras with light meters I can use for reference.
Having had so many years experience with film cameras in different light situations I feel I am fairly confident with judging exposure close enough for the forgivingness ( if that's really a word) of film. Basically un-like an SLR or DSLR, you have to focus by distance only, you can look through the viewfinder but the focus wont change, you have to rely on your sense of distance.... (eeek. no auto focus. hahahah)
Enough with the boring chit chat, how about some images!!!!















 Some of you might read this and really not give a crap about the images, they are not really anything wildly creative. The spoils of Photoshop do not reign on these. This are film scans and have been left untouched to retain some of the purity of this classic art form, back when my dad would use these he would have received prints back in an envelope of which he had no control over the final outcome.
What astounds me is that this mechanical item is 50 years old and it still capable of performing the way it did all those years ago when it was created.How many items have you bought recently that are going to work in 50 years, I bet not too many!
 Now I hear you all asking, I bet hes only showing us the ones he didn't screw up... which is somewhat correct, I had a bunch of badies.. some of which I cant explain and some which I totally screwed up on...it happens.
Probably my old man wasn't using that camera as an art tool, he probably used it to record life. His life! He  used it at the scout events and family events he shared with people he enjoyed and loved. I never recall seeing 8x10s of artsy old building with brilliant cloudy skies in my house when I was a child, probably such images would have cost to much to produce for the average English family. I am sure he took snaps of landscapes but probably not with wild aspirations of creating a master piece.
The camera he had was capable of creating some interesting exposures. My more create from this first test roll are below, using the more than capable F2.8 aperture






Just so you know, the few Odd ball shots that came out, I am still working out as to why!



 the first three look they over exposed too much, maybe the shutter didnt release back quick enough

 These two have classic light fogging characteristics, but seem odd since i never had too much sunlight... whatever, its a 60 year old camera!!! The bulk of them are great!

Happy Fathers Day to me!!!


3 comments:

Wallace said...

Great read and images Duncan. Quite a few keepers too considering what you are up againts.

DLT said...

what would i be up against??

Wallace said...

You would be up against the lack of focus, It's so easy to forget to do that with this camera. The unknown of the accuracy of the shutter and the general lack of do over you have with film.

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