Vinny does Shelton, Washington, with Kodak Panatomic-X (Abandoned Films 05d)

Vinny at his best

Vinny, my Little Voigtländer Vito BL camera, does not get out often. Long-term readers may remember he insisted that I take him to the big city of Jackson, Mississippi, in 2021. Well, Vinny was restless and again called out, "Take me to a city."  

This Vito BL has a 50mm ƒ/3.5 Color Skopar lens, Voigtländer's superb 1950s reformulation of the classic 4-element Tessar design. This one is fully coated and unit focus, meaning, the entire lens moves rather than just the first element. And I have genuine Voigtländer 32mm color filters. The shutter speeds are reasonably correct despite the Prontor shutter having not been overhauled. The selenium light meter does respond to light but is non-linear and unusable, so I use a separate Gossen hand-held meter. 

My Buffalo, New York, friend had sent me a roll of 35mm Kodak Panatomic-X film. The last rolls I used in Mississippi and Louisiana were grainy and a bit fogged. Was this one better? Was it the last roll on earth? What could be a better use of Panatomic-X than to photograph urban decay with Vinny? I decided to expose this roll at exposure index (IE) of 20, so that required a tripod to stabilize the camera. Using a tripod makes you slow down and frame each picture carefully. 

We set off to Shelton, Washington, one April day (2025) with mixed sun and cloud. It was dry, a treat after a soggy March. Well, any day with Panatomic-X is a treat!

Coming in to town from the west, you drive along West Railroad Avenue. Years ago, the Simpson Lumber Company operated lumber trains along this route.  An old rail yard is overgrown, but you still see track. Someone has mowed the fields. 

Riverside Manor is a mobile home park at the west end of West Coda Street. The wooden bridge crosses Goldsborough Creek. 

Near the bridge, some dudes came out of a house with a dog and multiple cats. They admired my 44 year old car. One guy showed me his fixer-upper BMW M3. He said he formerly raced it. Then, some kids came across the bridge and spent some time looking at my car. They asked if they could look inside. They were friendly and even more cheerful when I showed them the engine compartment.

The old rail line crosses Goldsborough Creek at South 9th Street. A fellow from the house to the left came to talk. He thought the City planned to convert the former rail line into a rail trail. He said he could not afford to pay for water, so he went down to the creek to get water to flush the toilet. 

This handsome brick commercial building is on South 2nd Street. Some of the former glass show windows have been covered with plywood. But wait! What is that in the overgrown lot to the north?

Ah-ha! This building is protected by guard flamingoes. I will not mess with them.

Rail yard off South 1st Street (1/4 sec. ƒ/11, medium yellow filter)

Storage tank, Grove Street (light yellow filter)

Chicken to go, South 1st Street (1/4 ƒ/8, light yellow filter)

South 1st Street (1/4 ƒ/8 light yellow filter)

Alley parallel to Railroad Avenue (Fuji Presto 400 film, 50mm ƒ/2 Pentax-A lens)

Vinny did well on his outing to the big city of Shelton. I certainly cannot complain about the results from his Color-Skopar lens. It is a classic 4-element optic of Tessar design. Of course, using a tripod let me set the lens at its optimum apertures of ƒ/5.6, ƒ/8, or ƒ/11 and set the shutter speed as needed. I measured the light with a Gossen Luna Pro Digital meter, mostly on incident mode. This tends to be foolproof on days with soft light.  

This roll of Panatomic-X looked good, with no obvious fog but more grain than when it was fresh. Northeast Photographic in Bath, Maine, developed the film in Xtol. I scanned the negatives with a Nikon CoolScan 5000ED film scanner. The last picture of the alley was on Fuji Presto 400 film.

That you all for reading along.

Kodak T400CN Film in Greece - Success! (Abandoned Films 13b)

Film Background

Dear Readers, I tried it again. The previous roll of long-expired Kodak T400CN film was only partly successful. But this time, it worked.

T400CN was a black and white film designed to be developed in C-41 chemistry, the same as popular color print films. The big advantage for me is that if I scan the film with my Nikon Coolscan 5000ED scanner, the digital ICE infrared function cleans scratches and dust. It is so effective, it seems like magic. But this only works with films that use dye clouds, meaning color print film or black and white films like the T400CN. The ICE will not work with regular black and white films, like Tri-X. I like traditional silver-based film, but the extra step of cleaning dust flecks adds a lot of extra time in front of a Photoshop screen. 

This film was originally rated at exposure index of 400. For the previous roll, I used 100 because of the age. But the negatives were desperately thin. Come to find out, the laboratory at Evergreen College probably made a mistake with timing or chemical mixture. Regardless, I decided to use EI = 50 in Greece. The film went to Northeast Photographic in Bath, Maine, and came back rich and full tone. It is fine-grained and high resolution.  

Here are some examples from Messolonghi in western Greece from October of 2024. Click any picture to see the frame at 2400 pixels wide.

Messolonghi

Salt production (Leica M2, 90mm ƒ/4 Elmar lens, deep yellow filter)

Salt mountain (50mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

Messolonghi is surrounded by shallow lagoons used for salt production and fish farming. Hellenic Saltworks S.A. fills lagoons with salt water and then lets them dry over time. They pile the salt into these impressive mountains for final drying.  

Chapel wall at Etoliko, surrounded by salt lagoons (90mm ƒ/4 Elmar lens)

Unused municipal office next to the Garden of Heroes (35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

Tourlida village with wood cottages supported on stilts (21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss ZM Biogon lens)

Traditional fishing boat, Klisova Lagoon (90mm ƒ/4 Elmar lens)

All in all, I am pleased. I will use my remaining rolls of T400CN at EI=50. It is a bit slow but quite manageable in normal daylight (but maybe not for a gloomy winter day in Olympia, Washington). Stand by for more examples in the future.

Athens in 1964 with an Instamatic 500 Camera

2024 New Year Note

Dear Readers, welcome to 2024. Thank you all for your support. In the upcoming year, look for a mixture of new material and more treasures (garbage?) from my archives. I also want to scan more of my father's negatives. My New Year's resolution is to sort through much of this old material and purge. 

Resolution 2: Don't buy more cameras. But a friend said he would send me his Mamiya RB67.....  (And I keep hearing a Leica IIIG calling me.)

Resolution 3: Use some of the film in my freezer before buying any more new film. The 120 Panatomic-X is 35 years old. It responds perfectly so far, but its life is finite. 

The Kodak Instamatic 500

Kodak Instamatic 500 camera (photo source unknown)

My dad always took pictures. So when I was in elementary school, I wanted a camera, too. My childhood friend had an Instamatic 100 and, later, the 104 (the 4 meant it could accept flashcubes). 

In the early 1960s, Instamatics and the associated type 126 film cartridge were Eastman Kodak's marketing marvel, an astonishing sales success worldwide. Kodak introduced the one-piece film cartridge in 1963. The cameras were easy to use. Many casual photographers had endless trouble loading 35mm film into a camera, but the one-piece 126 cassette solved that complexity. All a user needed to do was place the plastic film cassette into the camera and close the back. Most Instamatics were simple cameras with a fixed aperture, but some had early-vintage auto exposure. Some even has a hand-wind spring motor to advance the film. 

Kodak sold 126 film until the early 2000s. Their last Instamatic camera was the X-15F in 1988. Mike Eckman has written a detailed summary of the film and its history. He also summarized ways to load  35mm film into recycled or brand new 126 cartridges. 

I did not know anything about cameras, so an Instamatic seemed like the logical path. I saved my allowance and, with help from the parents, requested a Kodak Instamatic 500 camera. A relative bought one in Germany and brought it home to Greece.

From The Bulletin, August 14, 1965

Unlike most of the simple box versions, the 500 let you focus manually and had a built-in Gossen selenium light meter. The 45mm ƒ/2.8 Xenar lens was a modern coated 4-element Tessar type. Mike Eckman wrote a detailed review of the Instamatic 500 and its history, so I will not try to repeat details here. On Instamatic standards, the 500 was capable of decent negatives or slides.

I did not know what I was doing, but the instruction manual said look at the distance scale and turn the aperture scale until the light meter needle pointer was in the middle of the bar in the viewfinder. Simple even for a youngster. Here are some 1964 examples from Greece. The film was probably Verichrome Pan (which I used and liked in 2021 in 120 format). 

Athens view west from Lycabettus Hill

In the 1960s, Athens was growing furiously. Elegant turn of the century townhouses were being torn down and replaced with rectangle concrete apartment buildings of no architectural merit. Now, some 60 years later, they look like tired nondescript apartment buildings with inadequate elevators, bathrooms, and electrical supply. My 1964 photograph shows the ugly constriction.

Athens view south from Lycabettus Hill

To the south, the scene is about the same. The stadium in the middle is the site of the 1896 Olympic Games revival. The suburb beyond is Nea Smyrni, an area settled by Greek refugees from Anatolia after the disasterous 1923 war and the subsequent exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey (i.e., forced ethnic cleansing).  

Athens view east

This is the view towards Mount Hymmetus. Today, the urban sprawl extends a lot further up the slopes.  The American Embassy is the modern white building with columns in the center just beyond the green slope. Bauhaus architect Walter Gropius designed the chancery building, which was completed in 1961. I recall when you could drive right up to the building and enter the basement garage. Now, it is surrounded by tall walls and the sidewalks have truck bomb concrete barriers. The concrete ramp in the foreground is part of the ramp for a funicular. 

S.S. Hanseatic in Piraeus

A trip to see ships in Piraeus was always a treat. This was the S.S. Hanseatic of the Hamburg-Atlantic Line. Built in 1930, this was formerly the Empress of Scotland steamship. The Hamburg-Atlantic Line bought it and extensively rebuilt it, replacing her three funnels with two modern style funnels. Note the open lifeboats, a deadly way to save passengers in case of an evacuation on the open Atlantic ocean. In 1964, passengers still crossed The Atlantic via ocean liner, but the Boeing 707 airliner was in the process of crushing the traditional cross-ocean passenger ship business. 

Unknown sports car near Mount Pendeli

Update: a reader from Germany wrote that this sports car is an Auto Union 1000 Sp roadster (3 cylinders, two-stroke, front wheel drive).

Picnic somewhere near Mount Pendeli

Family friends invited me to a picnic. The stove with all the smoke was a clever Israeli folding camp stove that burned crushed newspaper. I do not know if it could handle the heat of wood or charcoal. Sitting on the rocky soil on newspaper does not look too comfortable. 

My mom and two cousins somewhere near the sea

A typical Sunday outing was to go to a taverna by the sea and eat. The adults hung about and talked, while the children were bored and ran around. Note the poofy hair in classic 1964 style.

Sitting around at a taverna

Yes indeed, here are the adults sitting around at the taverna. The kid looks bored. Don't forget the high-heeled shoes for the Sunday casual outing.

This ends out short look back at 1964 through a Kodak Instamatic 500 camera. As you can see, for internet display, the quality is quite acceptable. I could not find any companies that sell new 126 film, but some adapter kits exist to reload perforated 135 film into 126 cartridges. The Film Photography Project may be trying to reintroduce 126, but I have not kept up with their progress. 

I used my 500 for about 5 years and then progressed to a Nikkormat FTn camera in December of 1968. This was a much more sophisticated camera and used the dreaded "complicated" 135 cartridges. The Instamatic stayed in a drawer until a friend borrowed it to use while rock climbing. It disappeared at some stage, but I did not plan to use it again. If you have an Instamatic at home, buy a reloaded 126 cassette and test it - have some 1960s fun.

Kodak Plus-X, Another Expired Film Treasure (Abandoned Films 10)

 

Oh oh, trouble. I experimented with another famous discontinued film. I had not used Kodak Plus-X since the 1980s or maybe the 1990s. My photography friend, Jim Grey, sent me two rolls and said go forth and photograph. How could I resist! I loaded the first roll in my Pentax Spotmatic F and rated it at exposure index (EI) = 100. 

Kodak's Plus-X was a staple of black and white photography in the USA for decades during the mid-20th century (1954-2011). Kodak finally replaced it with TMax 100. Kodak claimed TMax 100 would do everything that Plus-X could and could also replace their famous Panatomic-X film. Well, maybe. But many old-time photographers mourned the loss of the traditional cubic grain films and turned to Ilford for its FP4 Plus and Pan F films. But let us drop that controversy for now.  

Here are some Plus-X examples from around Vicksburg, Mississippi. I used my new/old Pentax Spotmatic F camera (see my previous article).

Former gas station/store on Warrenton Road (28mm ƒ/3.5 SMC Takumar lens)

Monroe Street view south (135mm ƒ/3.5 lens)

Green Street (55mm ƒ/1.8 SMC lens, yellow filter)

Rough apartment on Bowmar Avenue (55mm ƒ/1.8 SMC lens, yellow filter)

Washington Street view south (55mm ƒ/1.8 SMC Takumar lens)

Furniture in the woods, Johnson Street

Unfortunately, this is a common disposal method for old furniture here. It's a shame, because River City Rescue will pick up old items and sell them at their store.

728 Johnson Street (no longer extant)

This was a basic 1950s or 1960s house clad with asbestos siding. I opened the door, and a homeless fellow was sleeping inside.

733 Johnson Street (no longer extant)

Many early 20th century houses in Vicksburg were built on steep hillsides. The roads ran along the top of the ridges, and cottages had their front doors at street level. The backs were perched over the slope, supported by wood posts. These lots can not be redeveloped once the house is condemned and torn down. This results in Vicksburg becoming less densely developed over time. But yet the city still needs to maintain roads and utilities. Therefore, maintenance remain high but is supported by fewer properties that generate property tax revenue. 

Delta, Louisiana, from the road on the main stem Mississippi River levee. 35mm ƒ/3.5 Super-Takumar lens, yellow filter.

Summary. Plus-X was a refined traditional cubic-grain film. Fuji Acros, my normal 100 film, looks different and is finer grain. But I would not hesitate to use Plus-X if I wanted a mid-speed emulsion. I wish it were still available fresh. Ilford's FP-4, which is current, is probably similar to Plus-X. I last used FP-4 in the 1980s and need to try it again.  

Appendix

This is a 1948 (I think) Kodak data chart for three of their popular 35mm black and white films. At that time, Kodak rated Plus-X with and exposure index of 50. Later (in the 1960s?), when the ASA standard became the normal method of rating film speeds, most films abruptly doubled their exposure index. This  looked convenient, but many old-time photographers continued to give their film extra exposure to ensure that there would be image information in deep shadows. 

In the Olympics with a Film Treasure: Kodak Gold 100 (Abandoned Films 07b)

Years ago, you could buy Kodak's Gold 100 color negative film almost everywhere. When I needed a color film that always produced excellent prints, Gold 100 was my usual choice. For the ultimate resolution in 35mm, I used the famous Kodak Ektar 25 (also long discontinued), but the 100 was more versatile and easier to use. Late in its life, Kodak relabeled it as Bright Sun 100, but I think it was the same Gold 100. 

As long-term readers know, I have a weakness in experimenting with older films. With some checking on eBay, I found a 4-pack of Bright Sun/Gold 100 (both names on the same package - not confusing at all) that expired in 2004, near the end of production for this film. The seller claimed it had been in room temperature all its life. It was certainly worth an experiment.

Here are some examples from the Olympic Peninsula in the grand Pacific Northwest. During my July trip there, I loaded a roll in my little Voigtländer Vito BL camera with its remarkably capable 50mm ƒ/3.5 Color Skopar lens and took snapshots. Please click any picture to expand.

Wishkah Blue Artists Studio, Hoquiam, Washington 

I photographed the little studio in 2022. This year, it looked a bit more forlorn. I am not sure how active it is.

Waiting to get moving, Hwy 101, Humptuips

Pizza Grill, Route 101, Lake Quinault

Lake Quinault is a gorgeous elongated lake in the west edge of the Olympic Mountains. I photographed the old Kestner-Quigley homestead farm near the lake in 2022. 

Sunsets West Co-op, Clallam Bay (with polarizing filter)

We stopped here en route to Neah Bay and bought some nuts and dried fruits. The food options in the far northwest of the Olympic Peninsula are rather limited.

Fixer-upper house, Woodland Avenue, Neah Bay

Tall house, Bay View Drive, Neah Bay

Red house, Bay View Drive, Neah Bay

Native Grounds and breakfast stop, Neah Bay

We stayed two nights in Neah Bay. It is a quiet little town on the Makah Reservation in Clallam County. From town, it is a short drive to Cape Flattery, the furthest point west on continental USA (excluding, of course, the Hawaiian Islands and Alaska, where Sarah Palin* could see Russia). At Cape Flattery, we saw some new birds for us, the Pigeon guillemot and Pelagic cormorant. And in town, we saw the Glaucous-winged gull. 

The Gold 100 experiment was a success. It is probably lower contrast than when new. I definitely like this version better than the new Gold 200, which is too grainy for my tastes. The 100 looks similar in resolution to the contemporary Portra 160, which I will probably use in the future once my 3 remaining rolls of Gold 100 run out. Maybe Kodak can reintroduce it (we can hope). My little Vito BL camera, with its 50mm ƒ/3.5 Color-Skopar lens, performed well, as usual. 

In the future, I will post a series of Gold 100 frames from the 1990s in New York City. Stand by.

* Sarah Palin was a former Alaska governor. She was a genuine ding-a-ling and doomed John McCain's presidential hopes. How does the R party generate these brash goofballs and then champion them? Is it a political death wish?