Lomography Sprocket Rocket is Groovy

Ever wanted to do something different with film? Want to shoot sprockets? There are many ways of hacking a medium format camera or several DIY methods to get sprockets. Or, you can go easy and buy a Lomography Sprocket Rocket!

The Sprocket Rocket is a classic "toy" camera that is super simple to use. It's basically a point & shoot camera. Here it is:

There are plenty of technical reviews & how-to-load videos and write-ups so I won't go into this on blog. However, once you get the hang of it (which takes about 10 seconds) it's super easy.  I find the edges of the images are soft and there tends to be vignetting on some images...which is actually very cool and toy camera-like. 

Each image is a panorama exposing the entire piece of film. Therefore, the sprocket holes show up on the picture as black rectangles.  Each image on the negative is just over 3" about equivalent to approximately 2 normal 35mm frames. Therefore, a 24-count roll of 35mm film will give you approximately 12 images. I've found you get less than 1/2 of the number of images because the leader is a bit longer than with a normal 35mm camera.

There is a simple sunny / cloudy switch on the bottom of the lens, 2 distances to focus (0.6-1m & 1m-infinity). There is a switch for N (1/100 second) & B (bulb).  Once you get the hang of using the film advance indicator on top you are good to go. That's it. Like I said, point & shoot.  Oh yes, there is a hotshoe on the camera, but I've never used mine.

I use 100 speed film on bright days and 400 speed film on overcast.  That's the only variable I introduce.  

One tip, if possible develop & scan the film yourself if you have this flexibility.  Just makes things easier. I have NOT sent sprocket film out for developing at a lab, so honestly I don't know how well they do it. I'm sure you need to be very specific with the lab that it's panorama & with sprockets.

So if you've wanted to try sprockets, play with a toy camera, or do something different give a Sprocket Rocket a try.  I bought mine at the NYC Lomography store location while doing a street photography shoot. They cost about $90. They are also available online.

Here are some shots from mine.

Model Madeline with Kodak Portra 160

Red Building with Kodak Ektar 100

Downtown Indianapolis with Kodak Ektar 100

Indiana Corn with Kodak Ektar 100

Model Kristen with Film Ferrania P30

Another Try At Sprockets - My Thoughts on the Setup

My first go at shooting with sprockets on a Holga 120N was "quasi" successful.  It was a good test, but the quality was just OK.  Do I give up and hold my head low you ask?  Why no, lets give this another go.  Why you might ask?  Just like everything with my film photography...it's just for giggles.

OK, this time I've decided to use a Yashica 44.  I was given this camera by a friend and I've never shot it before.  The problem is that it uses 127 film.  Since I don't have any 127 film (medium format), I figured it would be a good candidate for SPROCKETS.  Right on.

OK, here's what I'm going to do based on a test I did tonight with some dead film.  It's probably more complicated than it's worth, but like I said above, it's just for fun.  Note, this is all going to be in a large black changing bag.  First, I'm going to open a cartridge of 35mm film & unwind it.  Next, I'll tape the film ends on both sides of a 127 spool (I bought one on eBay).  Next I'm going to roll one side onto the spool and while holding it in place put it in the camera and load the other spool in the receiver side.  Then I'll close it up.  Out of the bag I'm going to tape up all up to minimize light leaks.

OK, we'll see how this goes.  Once (if) done I'll let you know.

35mm Sprockets & A Holga

I've wanted to shoot 35mm film with sprockets in a 120 film camera for some time.  Finally, got around to it.  I like the look and had seen it done several times.  After researching how to do it, I decided to temporarily hack my Holga 120N.  Here is an earlier blog post on my DIY hack

Hacking My Holga To Shoot 35mm Film With Sprockets

I think I did it right, so I went out to shoot a roll of FujiColor Superia 400.  I shot in the daylight outdoors after a studio digital model test shoot.

Everything seemed to work A-OK.  I rerolled the film into the canister in a dark bag.  I then processed the film using C-41 chemistry purchased from the Film Photography Podcast Store. At the same time I developed a roll of C-41 shot in a normal 35mm film camera that I trusted as a development control.

Basically, it didn't work (the control did).  All of my shots were super soft (beyond normal Holga soft), and all were way under exposed.  I didn't get images on about 1/2 the 14 photos.  The others were dark and had colors hard to extract.  

My normal flatbed scanner used for 35mm film wouldn't work.  Therefore, I used a small light box with a DIY template and photographed the negatives with a Nikon D810 using a Nikkor 60mm Macro f/2.8 lens.  That part was fairly straight forward.  Here's the scanner bed hack

I then brought 3 images into Adobe Photoshop, reversed the image and played with the colors using curves & levels.  Each image was different with it's own unique look.  

Here are a couple more of the photos from around the studio.  One of model Gracie Be leaving the studio and one of a train passing by the back of my studio.

Come on, honestly, these images are sh*t, but you know what they are kind of cool.  It was a super fun experiment. I'm definitely going to give it a go again with a different camera.  Anyway, playing with / experimenting with film is a good Yin to my digital studio Yang.  Dig it.

I Have A Need, A Need For Sprockets

Recently I got the itch to shoot a roll of 35mm film with exposure all the way into the sprockets. Kind of a cool look, and I've never done it before.  Online I went to see how it could be done.  After reading a few blog posts, checking with Twitter friends, & watching a few videos I decided to give it a try by slightly hacking my Holga 120.

The Holga is a 120 sized film camera with limited / no controls.  It's simple so it's easy to mode & there were plenty of blog posts and videos on using one for sprockets.  OK, here we go I said.

My technique is to cut a plastic screw-top bottle cap in 1/2 and use it as the stabilizer for my 35mm roll, tape up the red window, and mode the receiving reel so the 35mm film doesn't slip around.  I also read up on how to advance the film using the Holga "clicks".

Here is what I finished last night in pictures

First, my camera and the split cap

Back open, and receiving spool removed

Gaffer tape handy and ready to tape over the red window so I don't get light leaks.  This is important since the 35mm film doesn't have backing paper like 120 film

Once side taped up

Inside too, why?  Well, why not

I didn't see this requirement on any of the blogs or videos (the recommendation is just to tape the film leader onto the spool).  However, I wanted to make a small channel the the film could wind in to keep film somewhat stable.

Bottle-cap jammed in.  The top one has the closed side facing down. The bottom side of the cap has the cut side facing out with the closed side down.  I taped the bottom side down, but didn't need to on the top 1/2.  It was snug.

The film fit perfectly between the 2 halves of the bottle-cap, and I cranked the film onto the receiving spool.  I closed the back, taped it shut (mainly because I had some gaffer's tape already cut off the roll) and cranked the film 42 clicks for the first shot.

 I've got a model shoot tomorrow in the studio and will bring this Sprocket Rocket with me.  After the shoot I play around with the roll.  I'll probably develop it pretty quickly and will followup.  The only challenge at this point is to figure out how to scan the film.  I'll deal with that later.

Camera fun