7 Frames - Phoenixsee

  • Where: Königssee
  • Camera: Rollei 35
  • Film: Harman Phoenix 200 (@125)
  • Scan: Nikon Super Coolscan 9000

My first roll of Harman Phoenix 200 shot at ISO 125 in my Rollei 35 at the Königssee in Berchtesgaden. While Phoenix is officially rated at ISO 200 by Harman, I heard that it technically should be rated at ISO 125. So that is why I shot it at that sensitivity. Another thing I saw on the web is, that lab scanning yields a strong red color cast because the film base is transparent instead of the usual orange used to minimize halation. Scanning and conversion at home are supposed to not suffer from this issue. I can confirm that from my experience after developing, scanning, and converting four rolls of Harman Phoenix 200. The colors straight out of the default conversion with Negative Lab Pro look subdued but pleasant. The grain makes images look a little fuzzy, but fine details like the name of the boat in the first image are still resolved.




6 Frames - Königssee

  • Where: Königssee
  • Camera: Leica R9
  • Lens: Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm f/2.8
  • Film: Adox CMS 20 II
  • Scan: Nikon Super Coolscan 9000

Nestled between several mountains from the Alps, the Königssee is a beautiful tourist destination in the Berchtesgadener Land. I used this trip to try my new Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm f/2.8 lens and two rolls of Adox CMS 20 II. The roll was developed in Adox Adotech IV as per the instructions on the bottle. Touted as the finest grain film available, I wondered what Adox CMS 20 II can do. It turns out the grain is nearly invisible at the resolution that my scanner is capable of. And the lens does exactly what it is supposed to do.


4 Frames - Kalimar Six Sixty

  • Where: A place somewhere in Bavaria.
  • Camera: Kalimar Six/Sixty
  • Lens: Kaligar 52mm f/3.5
  • Film: CatLabs X-Film 320
  • Scan: Nikon Super Coolscan 9000

The Kalimar Six/Sixty, the successor of the Soligor 66 and the Fujita 66 is an odd little fella. It looks like a TLR, but it is a SLR. I found it on the electronic bay and curiosity got the best of me. The Kaligar 52mm f/3.5 lens has a scratch on the rear lens element, but no issue is visible on the ground glass. Focusing looks like it does not go up to infinity, but according to my collimation efforts, this is an issue with the ground glass not sitting at the correct distance or the mirror sitting at the wrong angle. The images in this post are the result of two test rolls that I shot walking around the neighborhood. First impressions are disappointing if you expect the kind of quality that you get from a Rolleiflex TLR or a Hasselblad. The images are soft all around, getting worse towards the edges, and the lens vignettes heavily. Nonetheless, the softness has some charm to it and a different lens paired with the Kalimar might perform better.




2 Frames - Pacific Coast

  • Where: Highway 1, Pacific Coast, CA
  • Camera: Fuji GW690 III
  • Film: Kodak Ektar 100
  • Scan: Nikon Super Coolscan 9000

If you like driving, nice vistas and have to go from San Francisco to Los Angeles (or the other way around), take Highway 1 along the Pacific coast. During my last visit to California, I was exactly in that situation, but unfortunately, Highway 1 was closed for a stretch of about 1 or 2 miles. That meant I had to take a detour along Highway 101 and only got to take pictures at the Pacific coast close to the beginning and the end of my trip. The images in this post are representative of this disconnect from my favorite route to LA.



10 Frames - Griffith Observatory

  • Where: Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, CA
  • Camera: Fuji GW690 III
  • Film: CatLabs X-Film 100 Color, Kodak Portra 160
  • Scan: Nikon Super Coolscan 9000

The Griffith Observatory, perched on top of the Hollywood Hills next to Los Angeles, offers exhibits for stargazers and a great view of the iconic Hollywood sign and Los Angeles itself.

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