The Hoff – Rolls 7 & 8 Come Fly with Me

Here is the latest instalment on my continuing progress learning to use my Hasselblad 2000fcw (“The Hoff”)

For this update I shot a roll of Rollei RPX 400 and a roll of Portra 800. I was visiting a museum close to me, The Gatwick Aviation Museum. I had not visited before.

First thing you might notice is yes I have a second A12 back that I purchased. One of the advantages of a system like this is that I can now switch between films. This one came with a plastic bit stuck on the back which is frankly a bit ugly but it has a slot to hold the dark slide which is very handy.

A couple of updates from last time:

• The lens hood I purchased, which did not fit, was apparently for older lenses so I need to be a bit mindful buying my next one.
• When I first purchased The Hoff I expected to want a Prism Finder and I got to try one. I actually found it too heavy and cumbersome compared to the waist level view so for now that idea is parked
• The screen going dark when I wound the shutter crank is apparently because of some kind of depth of field view and I need to change a switch on the lens. I have yet to try this, but will give it a go.

So what have I learnt this time:

Firstly to make sure when I set the shutter speed, it clicks in place. If you shoot and it has not quite clicked, the shutter locks and you will not be able to get another picture until you click it correctly onto the setting. You end up with something like this

Second thing I have learnt is that having two backs, to remember what film I have loaded. I had the Portra 800 back loaded, but realised, luckily in time that I had the orange filter on the lens, thus removed it. I had however forgotten that on my lighter meter I has set it to compensate for the filter (1 stop) and I was already planning to shoot the Portra rated at 400.

I think the third and main thing was in regard to focal length. I have the 80mm lens which I believe is roughly equivalent to 50mm in 35mm. A lot of the museum was indoors and quite close quarters. Thus a wider lens might have worked better in some instances. I was thinking about this afterwards. My initial thought was do I need to buy a wider lens. But on reflection I feel this was the wrong way to think of things. The answer should not be what am I missing and need to buy, but more what do I have that is most suitable. This was a visit that I would have been better taking my Olympus OM1n camera with the various lenses I have for it. It would have been much more practical. Thought and preparation before going out should have been better by me.

Anyway enough waffling. Here are some of the images. There was an issue with the backing paper on the Rollei film, hence the look of it. I am pretty meh about these images, but that’s OK as I have learned more again for my continuing journey with The Hoff and that sometimes The Hoff should stay at home.

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First try with Rollei Ortho 25

I purchased this film on a whim as it was sitting staring at me in a shop. I quite often like to try a current film stock that I have not shot before.

At ISO 25 it had been sitting in my draw at work for a number of months due to London’s grey rainy days coupled with the fact I was feeling too lazy to drag along a tripod.

So last Friday I knew I had sometime free time at lunchtime and the weather was particularly bright so I thought I would finally give it a go. The challenge I had was that I needed to finish all 36 exposures that lunchtime as I was out that evening with the camera and it needed to be loaded with a film for night shooting (Kodak Vision 500T in case you were interested)

Thus out I ventured. The camera was the Olympus OM1n with either the 50mm 1.8 or 28mm 2.8 being used for shots. There was no filter for the reason that at ISO 25 I needed all the light I could get. All shots are handheld with the OM and unless I specifically want blur I don’t tend to shoot under speeds of 1/60 without a tripod.

I really like the results I got with this film, it reminds a bit of the Washi S but with a bit more control. I will definitely shoot some more of this including in 120. One interesting thing to note is that this was Rollei Ortho 25, there is a Rollei Ortho 25 Plus also, which through my completely unscientific research and assumptions I think is a newer version.

Anyway enough of my wittering, here are some of the images (lab developed and scanned, some tweaks in Snapseed).

This building is near my office, here is an interesting fact (for some) it was recently used for filming the latest Mission Impossible film and is the one Tom Cruise damaged his ankle on jumping across the roof. He was back here the other weekend filming those scenes again.

Then I ventured further along Victoria Embankment

From here I went to the gardens at the Inns of the courts to capture the trees

And finally I stopped at the Dragon, this particular marker is where you cross from the City of Westminster into the City of London (I may be wrong in my specific description here). The Dragon markers are dotted across the City of London (this is the business district in London) and face out from the City so you know when you are entering the City of London.

It was also my signal, time to head back to the office.