First photos from a Conway Deluxe box camera
May 6, 2024After fixing the Conway Deluxe box camera at the beginning of the year, I shot and developed a roll of B&W Fomapan to test the camera last month. The Conway Deluxe shoots 120mm film in 6x9 format, yielding a total of 8 precious frames.
THE DEVELOPING PROCESS
Before getting into the pictures, I feel it’s important to elaborate on the chemicals and film I used.
I used a fresh roll of 120mm Fomapan 400 ISO film to test the camera. I bought this film as it was cheaper than Ilford and I didn’t want to spend a lot on knowing if this camera even worked.
I chose 400 ISO film as the Conway Deluxe does not have any manual controls to expose the image. The shutter on this camera is said to be around 1/30 of a second. This is a slow shutter speed. With no aperture to control depth, I opted for 400 ISO film so that at least everything in the frame would be sharp. I shot a bunch of basic pictures - indoors and outdoors - to see how it affected depth of field and how this camera would expose for two distinct lighting situations.
I have developed B&W film rolls at home since many years now. My kitchen counter turns into a darkroom and this is my basic setup.
A bottle of Ilfosol liquid developer was used to develop this roll.
However, this time I noticed that the Ilfosol developer had turned into a dark brown liquid after lying unused for a couple of years. I was worried that the roll may not get properly developed but it was rik I was willing to take. To my delight, the chemicals worked just fine. Developing a single roll of 120 film requires around 600 ml of developer and fixer. I prepared the developer in a 1:9 ratio and washed the negative for the recommended time of 8 minutes and 30 seconds. The Rapid Fixer was diluted in a 1:4 ratio and the film was fixed for a little over 5 minutes. All standard developing times for standard B&W film - nothing out of the ordinary here.
THE SCANNING PROCESS
The developed roll was scanned in a very basic way using my Canon 7D and a 50mm lens on tripod, pointed down at my handmade cedar lightbox. These scans are not sharp but are enough to give a basic idea of how the camera exposed the film. Once I have developed a few more rolls, I will be sending a batch of films to my person in Bombay for high quality scans using a drum scanner.
RESULTS ON FILM
Compared to Ilford HP5 (my regular film), I noticed Fomapan negatives are quite thin after developing. This film also has a thick green layer which dissolves in the developer, making the solution a radioactive green colour when finished. Nothing to worry here, this is normal with Fomapan films.
6x9 is a large negative - best suited for printing enlargements - and is fantastic if you’re shooting landscapes and panoramic views. The Conway Deluxe is my second camera in this aspect ratio. My go-to camera for 6x9 shooting is my trusted Zeiss Ikon folding rangefinder.
Below are the 8 frames from the Conway Deluxe. Do note that these are unedited, inverted images with no retouching or adjustments done.
THE SHOOTING EXPERIENCE
Shooting on the ’50s era Conway Deluxe is a very basic affair. There are no exposure controls. The camera has separate vertical and horizontal viewfinders to frame in both orientations, which helps in framing. The viewfinder itself is a bit dodgy and it’s best to keep the subject in the centre of the frame, which does not help if you want to shoot creative angles or subject placement.
The lens is not sharp as well so images have a hazy, almost mystical feel. Even with 400 ISO film, the camera tends to underexpose when shooting indoors. In bright sunlight directly hitting the subject, the camera performs fine and negatives have decent contrast.
More than 70 years ago, the Conway Deluxe was sold to amateurs and families who wished to experience the thrill of photography and not worry about technical details. In 2024, it is more of an amusing and endearing piece of vintage tech.
However, it was fun shooting on the Conway Deluxe since I had never used a box camera before. Taking pictures is a bit rudimentary but the camera’s simplicity is a charming experience too.
Would I use the Conway Deluxe camera to shoot any serious projects in 2024? I highly doubt it. As I am progressing in my field, I need utmost control on the image making process, and this is the Conway Deluxe’s biggest drawback. It’s a fun, hobby camera. Maybe someday I’ll pass a roll of Portra and see how that film performs under the Conway’s limiting specs. Just for fun, though.