116 Cameras – Capturing Large Facet Ratio on a Shoestring

The usual facet ratio of 35mm movie is 1.5:1 (36mm x 24mm). In distinction, broad facet negatives vary as much as the extremely broad, and dear, Hasselblad XPan, with a facet ratio of 2.7:1. After all one might all the time crop a unfavorable to another facet ratio however that, in flip, raises different problems with decision and framing. So let’s low cost 35mm and transfer on to medium format. We might speak about giant format, however that has the potential to turn into too unwieldy.

Large facet medium format negs

The usual body sizes on 120 movie vary from 6 x 4.5 (56mm x 41,5mm),  to six x 9 (56mm x 84mm), with the identical facet ratio (1:1.5)  as commonplace 35mm negs, simply greater. However what if you wish to go even wider? For instance 6 x 12 (56mm x 118mm) which has a few 2.1:1 facet ratio.

There are alternatives, together with some that use an iPhone as a view finder or that will let you swap out the again for floor glass to facilitate correct framing and focussing. Some are 3D printed. Most require that you just add a lens utilizing the suitable lens cone. The associated fee is usually a bit a lot.  However there are different choices. A current 35mmc article coated one in A Few Frames Going Horizontal.

The 116 answer

First made in 1899, 116 movie was discontinued in 1984. Nominally 65mm x 110mm on 70mm-wide movie inventory, 116 movie is barely wider (5mm) than 120 movie launched two years later. Cameras designed for 116 movie (or 616) produced negs which are virtually as giant as 6 x 12 – as much as 2½” x 4¼” (65mm x 108mm). At full-frame on 70mm or 65mm movie, 116 yields a neg that may be preferrred for contact printing as a carte-de-visite.

With 120 movie loaded in a 116 digital camera, a picture may be as much as 56mm x 108mm the place the facet ratio is sort of 2:1 (1.92:1).

616 movie is simply 116 movie respooled on 616 spools which are the identical peak however smaller and thiner. Kodak’s ploy to extend market share, simply as 620 movie is merely 120 movie on a unique spool..

Above you’ll be able to see a comparability of body sizes on 135 and 120 movie in comparison with the usual 116 body. Every body is in panorama format, extending from the decrease left nook to the highest proper with lettering. A full 116 body is over twice the scale of a 6 x 6 body. On 120 movie, the body is sort of twice the scale.

Downside: Just one 116 full body negs on 120 movie slot in movie sleeves horizontally whereas two slot in vertical sleeves. 

Variations between 120/620 movie spools and 116 spools

There are a number of variations between the varied movie format spools:

• The holes within the ends of the 120, 620, 116 and 616 spools have a unique geometry that engages the take-up mechanism.
• 620 and 120 spools are the identical peak whereas a 620 spool has a thiner spindle and the ends have a smaller diameter. 
• 116 and 616 spools are taller than a 120/ 620 spool.
• 616 and 116 spools are the identical peak whereas a 616 spool has a thiner spindle and the ends have a smaller diameter. 
• The diameter of the ends of a 116 spool are wider than the ends of a 120 spool.

Since 120 movie spools is not going to slot in 116/616, there are hacks. It’s doable to make use of adapters for the take-up and provide spools that may transfer in live performance to fill within the hole. Fortuitously Camerhack has the FCK-116 movie adapter. The spacers are detachable and use steel to have interaction with the wind knob, guaranteeing longevity.

Whereas most hacks require attaching two adapters to the take-up and provide aspect, there are issues, which Denny Atkinson addresses by utilizing just one adapter on every. The picture above exhibits his hack for 116 and a remix for 616. Place one adapters on the highest (backside]) of every spool.

It’s also price contemplating the usage of a 116 spool for take-up. These are product of steel, so they’re sturdy and costly and will not all the time be included with the digital camera you purchase. Sadly you’ll both must respool when sending out for processing or develop the movie your self.

Digital camera Choices

116 field cameras are cumbersome and normally primitive with restricted apertures, shutter speeds and focus distances. Even the high-end Zeiss Field Tengor 56/2 has solely 3 apertures and three focus distances.

In distinction, 116 folders are extra transportable, light-weight and have extra options.  This 35mmc article on the Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 demonstrates the benefits of a medium format 6 x 9. Some folders are “pocketable”, offered the pockets are robust, broad and deep. Although these have downsides too. They’re scale focusing so you might want to both use an exterior rangefinder or guess the space. Then there’s the fastened focal size lens, the small good finder and the inevitable parallax errors. Most cameras require you to set the main focus to infinity earlier than closing, whereas others will let you change the main focus with the digital camera shut.

Evaluating a pair of 116 Cameras

I’ve made pictures with two 116 cameras, that are in contrast beneath. Whereas there are a lot of 116 cameras within the wild, these two cameras have totally different options (affordances) that change the expertise and reveal a few of the hurdles and obstacles you may face utilizing this sort of digital camera.

Each cameras above have B and T settings for the leaf shutter. The Kodak Kodex leaf shutter is comparatively easy with solely two shutter speeds (1/25 and 1/50) whereas the Compur on the Voigtländer has a full vary of speeds between 1s and 1/100s and an extra 1/250s pace. Closest give attention to the Kodak is 2m and 1,5m on the Voigtländer. Whereas the Kodak makes use of the US system for f/stops which vary from 6.3 to 45, the Voigtländer makes use of commonplace f/stops ranging 4.5 to 25. Though the Kodak can solely be closed with the main focus at infinity, the Voigtländer may be prefocused when shut. Each cameras are barely heavier than the physique of a Nikon F3.

Utilizing a 116 digital camera

Advancing utilizing 120 movie

There are a pair methods to advance 120 movie.

You possibly can, after all, use the body home windows, However there could also be gentle leaks utilizing trendy movie because the colored body home windows work with orthochromatic however not panchromatic movie. The Kodak body window light to an orange. To minimise gentle leaks cowl the body home windows, reveal them solely in subdued gentle after which cowl. However that is tough.

Fairly than utilizing body home windows, tape them and use half turns (180°) of the advance knob to advance. For full body (108mm broad) use 15 half turns to advance to the primary body after which 5 turns to advance to the the remaining 5 frames for a complete of 6 frames.

Your mileage could fluctuate. Take into account sacrificing a 120 roll to find out if this works along with your digital camera. 

I take advantage of half turns since I began that means and a tech smashed the body home windows on the Kodak when placing it down on the counter, rendering the home windows ineffective.

Trace: To keep away from double exposures, think about advancing to the following body instantly after making a picture.

Framing

There one or two methods to border the picture in 116 folders.

Viewfinder. Use the good finder which rotates 1 / 4 flip, permitting vertical and horizontal framing, albeit tough.  The picture is reversed (left/proper), like a TLR in portrait. All 116 folders have this framing technique.

Body set. Some cameras have a body set (aka sports activities finder) for extra correct framing, along with the good finder. A body set is steel. Some just like the Voigtländer Inos ii have inserts that popup to indicate solely half (65mm x 65mm) of the total body, used when a body masks is inserted to scale back the picture dimension. Whereas the Kodak doesn’t have a body set, the Voigtländer body masks reduces the picture to the sq., which corresponds to the central space of the panorama and portrait frames.

A Couple of photographs

Remaining Ideas

116 Folders provide an reasonably priced various to many different choices for creating broad facet pictures yielding comparatively giant frames on 120 movie in a comparatively compact and lightweight package deal.

The widescreen format is each intriguing and cinematic. As compared, 6 x 9 pictures simply appear to be bigger variations of 35mm (1,5:1). In distinction, sq. format (6 x 6 or 1:1) and 645 (3:4) are alternate options to the usual 35mm facet ratio. Codecs at the very least as broad as 1.75:1 can appear extra fascinating and positively present a wider body.

There’s additionally the “much less is extra” issue. I favor the self-discipline of fewer pictures per roll on medium format in comparison with the 36 on 35mm movie. Going wider than 6×9 yields even fewer pictures. On 120 movie, 116 cameras at full body yield 6 frames fairly than 8  (6 x 9), 12 (6 x 6) or 16 (6 x 4,5) frames.

General, in case you are keen on capturing broad facet ratio pictures, and perhaps even benefit from the enjoyable of capturing with cameras that many may think about out of date, a 116 digital camera can present numerous enjoyment!