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Writer / Marie @ NYIP
Photography / Martha Cooper, Jim Barthman, June Lang

Medium format Marie

'Medium format Marie' explains the basics of medium format photography and tries out the 'Seagull'.

Autumn in New York

Many professional photographers work exclusively with Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras either 35mm or digital models. But there are larger formats out there just waiting for photographers who for practical reasons or creative desire wish to work with a larger piece of film. NYI's Complete Course in Professional Photography provides students with information about medium format cameras that use 120- and 220-roll film, and the Course also includes an entire lesson on how to use a view camera, the big hood-over-the-head cameras that expose a single sheet of film (either 4"x5" or 8"x10") at a time.

The benefits of using a larger format camera include making an image with richer detail, creating a larger negative that can be easily retouched, and enjoying the challenge of working at a slower, more thoughtful pace.

Many editorial and advertising photographers use medium format cameras because of the incredible richness of the image. Many wedding photographers use medium format to give adequate detail to large group photos and to create negatives large enough for easy retouching using traditional (non-digital) retouching techniques.

The number of medium format cameras sold each year is much, much smaller than the number of SLRs or point-and-shoot models. While sales of those types of cameras are counted in units of millions, it is estimated that only around 25,000 professional-level medium format cameras are sold in the U.S. each year.

There are several reasons for this: medium format cameras aren't cheap, and they are built to last. The least expensive Pentax, Bronica, Mamiya, and Hasselblad camera bodies start in USD 1,000 to USD 2,000 range, [nyip_mediump1102.jpg] Rollei's start north of USD 2,500, and at the top of the heap is the Hasselblad 205-FCC just the body is more than USD 7,500! Almost all lenses for these cameras are in four figures as well. If you want to be a wedding pro with two bodies, three or four lenses, and a half-dozen backs and some other accessories, your investment can be well over USD 10,000, perhaps even double that if you go for the top shelf brands.

So, sadly, many photographers never even dabble in the medium format. This is a shame, and one that we're out to fix.

That's where Marie comes in. She's tough, she's a gear head, and she's taking her camera to the streets. We don't have advertisers to please, so Marie can write whatever she wants about each model she gets her hands on.

Now let's see what Marie has for us!

This month I'm hitting the road in an attempt to demystify medium format photography. I already know I love looking at other photographers' medium format negatives and the large prints made from those negatives, but would I love using a medium format camera myself? The negatives are large, easy to study, full of detail and produce beautiful enlargements. But the cameras are they heavy, awkward, difficult to use should I stick with 35mm? Is this format best for portraiture and nothing else? And what about cost? Do I really need the highest priced camera in this format to obtain a good print? According to some of the big boys, that's exactly what you need and their attitude indicates that I shouldn't think about even trying anything else. I have no patience with those guys, let them talk amongst themselves and bask in their own self-importance; I'm the kind of gal who has to find things out for herself and do it my way.

I borrowed an older Seagull 4A in order to introduce myself to the format. Some improvements and modifications have since been made since this model and they have recently come out with the 4A-107, which features a brighter improved 4-element "picture taking lens". The newer 4A-109 has the new 4-element lens plus a window above the viewfinder that shows your chosen exposure and aperture settings. But many of the camera's features are the same for most models. More on the differences later in this article.

The Seagulls, made by the Shanghai Seagull Camera Company, are twin lens reflex cameras (TLRs), designed along the lines of older models, the Yashicamat, Mamiya, and Rolleiflex. Seagulls have the classic style folding waist-level finder with a pop-up magnifier, manual focusing, manual film crank advance, and separate shutter speed and aperture levers. They take 120 roll film, which produces 12 2 " square negatives in the 6 x 6 format.

I took a look at the camera inside and out and quickly figured out what did what and that I didn't need to go to the Net to try to download an instruction manual. If you've ever used an all-manual camera before, and even if you haven't, this camera is pretty easy to operate.

Loading the camera was not that fast, but I didn't find it any more difficult than any other all-manual camera. There is an open/close release on the base, but until I realized that this release moved very freely back and forth, I was struggling with it. The procedure is basic - move the take up spool to the other side, load the new roll of film, thread the leader into the slot in the take up spool and crank to advance the film. I did have to reposition the spools a few times before they were in correctly. There are very clear markings to let you know how far to advance the film. When the film is loaded, you move the locking release back to close the camera. This took a few tries, as it doesn't close properly unless it's perfectly aligned, but once it was closed it stayed closed.

There is a film advance winding crank on the right side of the camera. I wound the crank until the number 1 was visible in a small window above the lever. Now I was ready to start photographing.

If I was going to get a big square picture from whatever I shot, why not have a big square subject for my first try? This isn't necessary of course. Your choice of subject matter doesn't have to result in a big square in the end, but you certainly have more cropping choices with a square. Vertical and horizontal decisions don't have to be made. A square is a square. But for the first roll of film I wanted big square pictures so where should I go? Times Square of course - the crossroads of the world, the most fabulous Square of them all.

I grabbed the Seagull that I'd loaded with Fuji 800 color negative film, slung it around my neck, and headed out to Times Square on a Saturday night. If you live in New York, you already realize before leaving your apartment, that the crowds of people on Broadway might just drive you to drink and you may give up, take a detour and end up heading over to the Film Center Cafe for a martini instead. But this night was perfect - a medium-sized crowd and gorgeous autumn weather one of those evenings when New Yorkers want to scream out loud "I love New York" and really mean it.

If I had gone out a bit earlier, I might have caught that dramatic twilight purple/blue color in the sky that would have added a nice sense of depth, but I think the black sky worked well for this Times Square photo.

I flipped up the hood on the Seagull, looked down into the camera and started composing shots as I walked. The focusing knob is on the left side and is easy to see and use. The black and white marks are very legible and there's a red mark to show your focusing. There is also a depth-of-field inset in metric distances. I don't have great eyesight and I was floundering a bit trying to focus until I flipped up the magnifier and brought the camera closer to my eye. Then it was easy to see the split-image focusing. The ground glass surface of the viewing screen is fairly bright. There is also a circle surrounding the split image, which is supposed to assist with focusing. I didn't find this helpful. Once I had sharp focus, I popped the magnifier back down. I looked through the "sports finder" which is a viewing square found by pushing around on the hood until it locks down. If you've pre-focused and you're following a sporting event, you can then put the camera up to your eye and use the camera this way. I didn't really try this out, but it does appear that it might be an asset for sports or action.

As I took my first photo in Times Square, I heard a question in my ear - "Is that a Brownie? My Dad had one like that". Later on I was asked if the camera was a Rollei and then a Chinese man saw the Chinese characters on the camera and gave me two thumbs up. Okay, so this camera draws a bit of attention but on the other hand, it goes the other way too. I love street photography, but I've always felt uncomfortable when holding my 35mm SLR up to my eye, pointing it directly at someone and rather obviously taking their picture. Often the photograph I saw and wanted to take was no longer there when my subject realized my obvious move. With the Seagull, I found that looking down into the hood was much less obtrusive. People seemed more interested in the camera design than they did in the fact that I was pointing the camera in their direction. Also, the shutter is fairly quiet due to the leaf shutter system so you don't get that resounding "click" when you take a picture.

With this model, manual aperture and shutter speeds are adjusted by sliding levers, found on the front of the camera, up and down. The levers were a bit sticky and I had to slide all the way up or down and then back again to where I wanted to be. The first time I did this I thought I might break the sliders. It's a bit annoying to have to flip the camera up so that you can see the numbers on the front, but you get used to it. I found that you have to slow down a bit overall when using this camera. Note: The newest model 109 has dials to adjust your settings and a window in the viewfinder indicating the settings you've chosen, so you no longer have to flip the camera up to set your aperture and shutter speeds.

All of my Times Square and Central Park shots would have benefited from a tripod. Along with the obvious reasons, it isn't that easy to get used to holding the camera straight. Most of the camera's functions were easily understood, but one aspect of this camera is rather difficult to adjust to. The image you see when you look down into the hood is reversed. Moving the camera back and forth and up and down to find your best shot can be a dizzying experience. You have to adjust your brain to this and it isn't easy. I never did quite get used to it, although it got a bit easier with the second roll of film. Perhaps I should have made a pit stop for that martini.

When you've finished up your roll of film and do keep in mind you only get 12 shots with this camera you wind the crank until you feel that the film is all the way onto the take up spool. Then open up the camera with that open/close release on the base and take out your roll. As always, take the film out in subdued light, fold over the tab, lick it and stick it.

There is a self-timer on the opposite side of the shutter release that allows a delay of between 8 and 12 seconds. I didn't try this. Nor did I try any cool streaky pics of taxi taillights with the B setting or any double exposures. There is also a hot shoe on the side and a standard flash synch and while I didn't try the flash functions, I should have. Several of my photographs would have benefited from some fill flash. I read later that you can also use filters with the Seagulls by adding step-up rings and with the 107 or 109 you just push a button on the winding crank in order to do multiple exposure shots. I also noticed that Adorama Camera had a telephoto lens set listed on their site for use with the Seagulls.

I did not find that any of my photos taken with the Seagull were razor sharp. I have read reviews from other Seagull owners that are to the contrary, but this could be a determining factor for some potential users. The 107, with its 4-element lens, hopefully shows an improvement in this area. The camera has no metering system so an exposure meter is required unless you're an experienced photographer. Still, there's always the sunny 16 rule and outdoor shots on a sunny day should be no problem even without a meter.

Speaking of outdoor shots on a sunny day, back to that Autumn in New York perfection no, not that ghastly film with Richard Gere and Winona Ryder rather, the New York Vernon Duke wrote about in the wonderful tune performed by Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday and many others.

Autumn in New York

Autumn in New York
Why does it seem so inviting?
Autumn in New York
It spells the thrill of first knighting

Glittering crowds and shimmering clouds
In canyons of steel
They're making me feel I'm home

Thank you, Mr. Duke, for those beautiful words. While I don't quite get that first-knighting phrase, the rest of it fits like a glove.

It was on one of those bright, sunny, glorious, birds chirping, kids laughing, lovers smooching, dogs frolicking, beautiful days so welcome after a few days of rain that I took the Seagull to Central Park. The trees were still pretty green, but the weather was terrific. A storm the night before had riled up the lake making it a rainbow of colors. As I was looking through the viewfinder of the Seagull, studying the contrast and shadows on the terrace steps, this beautiful bride walked up the steps past me. And on my way to Strawberry Fields I came across this jazz quartet playing some cool music for people enjoying the beautiful day. I should have stuck around long enough to catch their names, but next time I'm in the park I'll search them out and give them a copy of the photograph I took of them.

Getting back to the Seagull - the latest top of the line model, the 109, has a street price of about USD 300, making the camera inexpensive compared to the other brands out there, and if you want a new camera to start with medium format, this would be a good choice. You can add the 1.5x telephoto lens set for about USD 65. The older 4B model, still available new, costs around USD 150 and with this model you can use an insert for 6.45cm and get 16 shots. But with the 4B as with all other models except the 107 and the 109, you get the 3-element lens.

As far as I know, the Shanghai Camera Company is the only company still manufacturing TLRs, but you can easily find used TLRs like Mamiyas or Yashicamats for somewhere around the same price. With the Mamiyas you can use interchangeable lenses. Still, there are benefits to buying a new camera with a warranty. If you're considering making this purchase, take a trip to your camera store and try out the Seagull. You won't know whether you're going to like it until you actually handle it. I thoroughly enjoyed using it. I wore the Seagull around my neck all day long in Central Park, putting it back in my tote bag only after I'd run out of film, and I didn't need to apply Ben Gay to any sore neck muscles. Reloading wasn't as time consuming or as annoying as I had feared and I got some nice photographs. Studying my big square negatives and contact sheets was a joy and when I gave the borrowed Seagull back to its owner, I missing having it around. Maybe Santa will bring me one; I put the 109 on my Christmas list.

The features

4A-107 Features

• Produces 12 2 " x 2 " exposures on 120 film
• Taking lens - 75mm f/3.5 to f/22 4-elements in 3 groups
• Viewing lens 75mm f/2.8
• Shutter speeds 1 sec. To 1/300th plus B
• Accepts mechanical cable release
• Self timer with 8 12 second delay
• Accessory Hot Shoe with "X" flash contact at all shutter speeds, plus PC socket
• Folding waist level viewing with pop up magnifier
• Manual focusing
• Manual film winding
• 1/4" standard tripod mount
• Shutter release lock
• Weight 2.04 lbs

4A-109 same features

• plus shutter and aperture dials instead of levers
• plus a window showing your settings

Note: All of the photos used in this medium format series will be scanned with an Epson 2450 Photo Scanner.

Reprinted with kind permission from the New York Institute of Photography web site at nyip.com

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