6×9 Medium format Images

To start this page I am putting photos from a number of sources together. These may split later when more images arrive.

As I said elsewhere I bought on Ebay a Kodak Brownie 620 Model C for about £15. I respooled two 120 size films on to 620 spindles and took them to Australia with me. Below are some of the results. The exposure settings for the Brownie are fixed and are approximately 1/40th second with f/11.

  • The Olgas (1) Brownie 6x9Left: Early on our trip we went round the Great Ocean Road. Our first stop was in Lorne and waking very early one morning I went out before sunrise. I caught this image (amongst others)
    Exposed on Ilford Delta 400 using Brownie 620. Printed on 8 x 10 glossy.
    Right: We visited Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the Olgas. This image of the Olgas is one of many.
    Exposed on Ilford Delta 100 using Brownie 620. Printed on 8 x 10 glossy.
  • South of Legume (1) Brownie 6x9Left: Towards the end of our visit we stayed at a place called Killarney in Queensland. We went out on a trip into New South Wales south of Legume towards Stanthorpe. This scene presented itself and is so typical of the area. Cattle country – pasture but with the inevitable gum trees as a backdrop. This image was taken holding an R25A filter in front of the lens.
    Exposed on Ilford Delta 100 using Brownie 620. Printed on 8 x 10 glossy.
    Right: In May 2017 I took my recently acquired Brownie 620 with me to Lesvos. This picture is across the sea front at Petra, taken from the jetty. I have to say these older cameras do create some interest from spectators.
    Exposed on Ilford Delta 100 film using Brownie 620 Model C. Printed on 8 x 10 glossy.
  • One of three prints I made of this view of Airlee Beach in Queensland, Australia. Taken with the Brownie 620 on Ilford Delta 100 film. Printed on Ilford MGIV pearl finish. I printed at 3 settings, 6s at f/11; 6s at f/16; 9s at f/16. Of the three I liked this the best which is 6s at f/16. The focus on the enlarger could be sharpened a little if I ever print this again.

The photos above are a dream to work with. the larger negative is just so much better than the 35mm stuff but the Brownie offers no control over exposure. So I hunted around for a 6×9 format camera. I came across a number of Fuji GW690 models a lot coming from Japan but a few for sale in England on Ebay. I bought one. I loaded a film and exposed it. Here are some of the initial results.

  • St Mary's (1) GW690 6x9The Angel (1) GW690 6x9Left: a photo of St Mary’s Church, Langdon Hills, Essex. I chose this because I wanted a contrasty image. The detail is good.
    Exposed on Fuji Acros 100 film for 1/125s at f/5.6 using Fuji GW690. Printed on 8 x 10 glossy.
    Right: An image of the Angel pub in Broomfield, Essex. This photo was also made available to my art group for an exercise on monochrome painting. I wanted the contrasty image for effect.
    Exposed on Fuji Acros 100 film for 1/250s at f/4.0. Printed on 8 x 10 glossy.
  • Right: Closer to home and looking across towards the river Thames this teasle imposed its existence upon the image. One of two taken to test out the camera, one focussing on the background, one focussing on the teasle.
    Exposed for 1/125th at f/8.0 on Fuji 100 Acros film using Fuji GW690 III camera. Printed on 8 x 10 glossy.

July 2018 saw us return to Lesvos. This time armed with the Fuji 690 and not the Kodak Brownie.

  • Two pictures here taken from the Jetty in Petra, on the left looking east and on the right looking west, both were exposed on Rollei RPX100 film. Looking East exposed for 1/500sec at f/5.6 with 90mm lens and UV filter. Printed on Ilford Multigrade 8 x 10 glossy exposed for 6 sec at f/8.
    Looking West exposed for 1/500sec at f/8.0 with 90mm lens and UV filter. Printed on Ilford Multigrade 8 x 10 exposed at f/8 for 6 seconds. The picture on the right really does make the sea front look as if the photo was taken some decade ago. Checking out the cars will tell you different.
  • Two very different images here, again both exposed on Rollei RPX100 film. On the left the Apostles Church in Petra. This church is tucked away in a very secluded shady patch of ground. Exposed for 1/125sec at f/8 with 90mm lens and UV filter. Printed on Ilford Multigrade Pearl 8 x 10, exposed for 6sec at f/8.
    On the right a view across to Petra from Lafionas. Exposed for 1/250sec at f/3.5 with 90mm lens and R25A + UV filter. Printed on Pearl paper 8 x 10, exposed for 4 sec at f/8. This picture was taken to try to capture the cloud and to see the enhancement from the red filter.
  • Looking towards Stipsi from Nakellis studios (Stipsi is the other side of the hill) I took this shot. Again to capture the cloud. Heavily cropped from the negative. Next time I might try to focus on the flowers in the foreground. Exposed for 1/250s at f/4 with 90mm lens using R25A and UV filters. Printed on glossy exposed for 6s at f/8.
    On the right a prickly pear cactus. I decided to take a walk to Avlaki, in the heat. Not the wisest thing to do. I did a sketch from the viewing point taverna and a couple of shots across towards Molyvos. On the way back I saw this cactus and thought why not. I will try another print to try to increase the contrast. Exposed 1/250s at f/5.6 with 90mm lens and R25A and UV filters. Printed on glossy exposed for 6s at f/8.
  • Two pictures from the same negative. The scene is the Gulf of Kalloni where we stopped at Ancient Phyrra for breakfast on our arrival in Lesvos. This view looks over the Gulf, the town is behind the headland on the right of the picture – about 5 kilometres away. I have been caught up this week on a debate over which developer to use for prints. Nothing seemed to me to be conclusive so I experimented. The film was shot on Rollei Retro 80s film at 1/500s at f/5.6 with 90mm lens and only a UV filter. Both prints were exposed for 6s at f/8 onto Ilford MGIV paper (pearl finish). Both were developed in the tray for the recommended time 1.5m for Multigrade (MG) and 2m for PQ Universal (PQ). The only difference is that the image on the left was developed in MG and the one on the right in PQ. I won’t say one is better than the other – you make up your own mind – but for me the more contrasty picture achieved with PQ seems preferable.

A few more shots taken with the Fuji GW690 when I was still learning its peculiarities. I don’t only put successes on this website, sometimes failures are just as interesting. Being used to cameras that auto expose and auto focus I have to remember to set these. Only sometimes I forget. See comments below.

  • Firstly some shots around Hanworth in Norfolk, UK. We went for a pre-prandial walk and I saw this scene. The wind was blowing the tall weeds in the hedgerow. It is a little out of focus but the wind blown stalks are apparent. The flare bottom left is an issue I had with a partially rolled film which caught some extraneous light. It somehow adds a little je ne c’est pas to the shot. Exposed for 1/30s at f/8 with 90mm lens and no filter. Printed on Ilford MGIV Pearl finish, developed in Ilford PQ after exposure for 6s at f/11.
    On the right another out of focus shot at Hanworth. I really did not notice the lack of focus until I enlarged it but then… Exposed on Ilford Pan F 50 ISO for 1/30s at f/8 with 90mm lens. Printed on Ilford MGIV Pearl after exposure for 6s at f/11. Developed in Ilford PQ.
  • On the left once again Hanworth Common. This dead tree just had to be shot. Exposed on Ilford Pan F 50 for 1/30s at f/8 with 90mm lens. This is the best of four prints I made. This one was printed in Ilford MGIV pearl and exposed for 8s at f/16, developed in Ilford PQ. Exposing for print was always going to be difficult given the big contrast from top to bottom as I wanted detail of the base of the tree against the background. I think it works here.
    On the right a view of Pitsea Creek, Basildon from Wat Tyler Country Park. The picture would benefit from the use of a polarising filter but I didn’t have one for this camera when I took this shot. Given the mud either side of the river was wet I don’t know how much difference the filter would have made but it would be worth considering. Exposed on Rollei Retro 80s for 1/500s at f/5.6, 90-mm lens and UV filter. Printed on Ilford MGIV pearl finish. Exposed for 8s at f/11, developed in Ilford PQ.