Low Tech Wonders - A Little Fun with the FPP Debonair

Sometimes I just want to have a little photographic fun. I want to drop all pretense and concern about the technical aspects of photography, and shoot. I suppose I still (kind of) think about composition, but that's about all I control when I shoot my "Debonair" 6x4.5 medium format toy camera from the Film Photography Project (FPP).

 

(Click Here) to check out the awesome Debonair, a <$20 real film real toy camera on the FPP website.

 

Here are some shots I took on an outing to a local farm to pick strawberries with my family last year (it took a while to finish the roll and send it off to The Darkroom).

 

All of these were shot on expired Konica Centurian film, which judging by the name should be good for 100 years, right? I love the vignetting you get with the cheap plastic lens. It's actually kind of sharp in the center, but that falls away very quickly. Theses are pretty much out-of-camera scans, with only cropping in Lightroom.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Low Tech Wonder - the Debonair from the Film Photography Project

 

The Plastic Filmtastic Debonair from the Film Photography Project

Image Source: http://filmphotographyproject.com/store/fpp-plastic-filmtastic-120-debonair-camera

 

I've gotten hooked on a podcast from the Film Photography Project (FPP). It's a regular audio podcast put together by a group of friends in Findlay, Ohio. Part comedy, part film photography infocast, these guys keep it light and interesting.

 

(Click Here) for information on the podcast.

 

They also have an online store, with great pricing and availability on film. In fact, their Kodak film prices match the big New York warehouses. I like to support FPP.

 

(Click Here) to go to the FPP store.

 

While you're looking through the store, you may notice the "Plastic Filmtastic Debonair." An all-plastic medium format (120 film) camera, the Debonair is reminiscent of a Holga. With its fixed "Super lens," which is a 60mm f8 (no f-stop adjustment available), the Debonair shoots vertical (portrait) orientation 6x4.5 cm images. You get 16 images per roll of 120. Shot spacing is accomplished through a red window in the camera back, so you'll need to put some black tape over that if you use high speed film. The shutter speed is fixed somewhere around 1/100 sec on the sunny setting. There's also a cloudy setting that seems to be close to the same, maybe 1/60 sec. The lens has three focus settings - close, medium, far.

 

This camera allows you (forces you) to put your mind on seeing images, rather than technical settings. Composition becomes king. Sharpness is out the window, of course.

 

Most importantly, the Debonair costs $19.99. It's worth at least $19.99, maybe even $20.00.

 

Here are some images from my first roll of film through the Debonair, shot on Konica Centuria 100 print film, which expired in 2006.

 

 

 

Plastic Filmtastic Debonair Images, by Reed A. George

 

Obviously, I didn't spend any time post-processing these. I did increase the exposure a little after scanning them, but that's it. I think iso 200 film would be better for daylight pictures.

 

As usual, I used my favorite processing house for these, The Darkroom.

 

(Click Here) to check out The Darkroom. They process 35mm and 120 film for $10 per roll, including putting scans online for you. I'm a dedicated customer. You can print out a prepaid mailing label, or they'll send you a prepaid envelope if you contact them. I have sent them a lot of film, and always been happy with the results.

 

So, spend $20 with the good people at FPP and get yourself a Debonair. See what forgetting about f-stops, shutter speeds, and focusing points can do for your creative side!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com