Square Again

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Just a note on my latest photographic acquisitions. The camera and lens pictured are part of a kit recently given to me by a friend of some forty years standing, who I think is trying to declutter, but judging from conversation, this might be some stuff out, some stuff in: I know the feeling! It is a rather beautiful Rollei SLX 6x6cm medium format camera: they first appeared in the late 1970s, around the time I was a camera salesman, although I don't recall selling them at the time.

It's interesting to note that I was already intending to look for a medium (preferably square: my favourite aspect ratio for stills) format camera anyway, as I've not owned one since the early 1980s. I was considering a replacement for one of my favourites: the Mamiya C330 I owned in 1981 - the same model I'd used at Art College in the seventies; but then John came up with the offer of the Rollei, buckshee: something I couldn't possibly turn down!

The only thing remaining was the lack of a medium format enlarger to print from. Ordinarily, my preference in enlargers is restricted to two makes: Durst and DeVere, the latter for preference; but the resale values of their medium and large format models make them a tad impetuous a buy, so I scoured Ebay and found a nice example of a venerable old British-made marque: a Gamer; complete with a Wray (also British) lens: focal length measured in inches, natch! Simple and effective, and Wray lenses have always been good. One thing I will change though, is to wall mount it at my favoured working height, bolting it to the back wall of the studio.

All I need to sort now is the darkroom itself. I have a narrow space left that fits the bill at the far end of the studio: all I've got to do is empty it of the large quantity of junk therein, put an insulated ceiling up, finish the walls and build a door and frame to close it all up. Sounds like a project to me! I will of course post on progress as and when it occurs.


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