Pictures of You

Well… it is wet again today. Which somewhat curtailed my work! On the upside I did get a message back to say that my tyre insurance was paying out for the pucture, which means my full set is not quite so expensive as it was! With the 20% discount for doing all 4 it has been almost reasonable!

So I decided that the best course of action was to say yes to a very, very cheap Bronica. It’s a bit tired, but my plan is to convert it to run 35mm film in panoramic format - so making it a cut price kinda XPan. The negatives aren’t quite as long, unfortunately, but it should let me play with some interesting emulsions in a panoramic format! I found a 40mm lens in a sale too, which was also a very good price - particularly as it looks to be in really good condition, and a conversion kit to change the 35mm film back into a panoramic back - the actual “real” ones of these are selling for absolutely stupid money! There is a 120 back as well, and both (I think) have dark slides, so I can shoot in 645 as well as 35mm - and the lens is about equivalent to a 24mm which is my happy place generally speaking.

Lets hope it all works! If not, at least it is cheap!

This was all fuelled by my resubscribing to the Darkroom again for another year! I love my 6×9 and the pano beast too… but running them can be expensive! Something a little cheaper sounds like just the thing, and hopefully I will get around to shooting a load more film soon!

I desperately want an actual XPan, and possibly an M Mount rangefinder of some description (maybe a Leica… maybe something a bit cheaper!). The darkroom is a bit of a sanctuary against my own brain goblins and I should get in there more often! Hopefully once the schools go back I will be able to find a bit of time here and there again….

5th August 2026