A good night out

It’s been a long time since i posted anything on my blog. Many things go through my head but the time’s always running out.

So, I got this new toy recently, a Mamiya 645Pro with a 45mm/2.8 lens, and I went to try it out. I loaded some Ilford Delta 400 rated at ISO 1250 with the plan to shoot at a outdoor concert in the evening. Last but not least, I wanted to try the new Spur Ultraspeed Vario which sounds promising for pushing and pulling film as well.

Not yet totally dark I started shooting trying out the fast shutter speed of the Mamiya 645Pro.

When KaLi a pretty cool rock band based in Regensburg came on to the stage, the real fun started and the audience finally had a chance to warm up. And yes, focusing was still OK.

Afterwards Sahara hit the stage. I wanted to see them since Nick Woodlands is part of the band. I’ve seen him before and liked his Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers style. It turned out that Sahara played a very different tune and I didn’t like it very much. I ended up taking some more images having difficulties focusing in the dark and walking off before they even finished playing. The audience, mostly old folk who’s been following Sahara for the past 40 years, seemed to enjoy it, though.

The Mamiya 645Pro is fun to use. I’ve used other 645 format cameras but like this one the most, by far. A Pentax 645N with autofocus and all the goodies died on me and I don’t want to pay for revitalizing measures. I also got a Fuji GS645 but don’t really enjoy the handling. The Mamiya 645Pro gives me the right feeling and releasing the shutter feels good. It’s not easy to focus when it’s dark. maybe I can find a different screen for more focusing convenience.

Maybe some words about the Spur Ultraspeed Vario. It seems to do its job for pushing Delta 400 to 1250. I’m not totally sure how to meter a scene like this. It’s certainly dark and some details in the shadows can be sacrificed. Yet, I find it quite confusing, taking the readings, setting the camera and taking the picture.

Camera: Mamiya 645 Pro

Lens: Mamiya 45mm/2.8

Film: Ilford Delta 400 rated at ISO1250

Developer: Spur Ultraspeed Vario (two component developer, datasheet)