I think I want to try shoot film...

[Dan Berke]

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I started film with a Pentax ME Super and a 50mm lens - I used Kodak 400BWCN which is a beautiful b&w film. It is a cheap way to get started......

 

However then the addiction. I do not think film is better than digital but I do think they are different; rather like vinyl and digital music.

 

I love the tonal range of film and the grain. It is very easy to process black and white and kodak tri x is my film of choice. The chemicals cost about £20 for a starter set and the process tank, thermometer, measuring equipment and dark bag (dark room not required) about another £40 - you process about 10 films for £20, possibly less if you buy larger chemicals.

 

I progressed to an M4 with a iphone light meter app and then an M6.

 

Enjoy the journey.

 

Dan

[jonnyboy]

Thanks for all the input guys I really appreciate it...

 

Having a good time with my new M4-2...I'm still on the first roll.

 

At the moment I'm loaded with Ilford HP5 Plus 400 BW...is it cool with it??

I have scheduled an holiday to New York for Christmas and I want to bring some rolls with me...should I get higer iso?

I'm using a light meter app at the moment...maybe is the dark winter of UK but iso400 force me to shot usually a 1/60th (I normally put my shutter between 125/250!) worried my pics will come out blurry:confused:

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[chrism]

1/60 should present no problems to a Leica as long as you know how to hold it properly, squeeze the shutter gently etc. Faster ISO? I'd say not, as there is really only Ilford Delta 3200 to go up to. If you have to do it, you can simply underexpose the HP5 (set your light meter app to an ISO of 640 or 800) and have it developed appropriately. Should you really get into all this you will discover one day about the magic of compensating developers that tolerate a fair bit of laxity about exposure ratings.

 

Chris

What? It's never too soon to start corrupting them with the magic of Diafine!

[otto.f]

At your age 1/15 with a 75mm is perfectly possible with any M

[Mijo]

1/60 should present no problems to a Leica as long as you know how to hold it properly, squeeze the shutter gently etc. Faster ISO? I'd say not, as there is really only Ilford Delta 3200 to go up to. If you have to do it, you can simply underexpose the HP5 (set your light meter app to an ISO of 640 or 800) and have it developed appropriately. Should you really get into all this you will discover one day about the magic of compensating developers that tolerate a fair bit of laxity about exposure ratings.

 

Chris

 

Do you have a recommendation for a developer when pushing ISO400 film? I've experimented with pushing 400 one or two stops and adjusting the developement time with D-76 but the results have been sub par. I prefer to pull Ilford 3200 and use Kodack TX developer (I believe that's what the darkroom has in addition to D-76). The pulled negatives look a little flat but it's easy to compenate with split filtering when I print.

[dfbldwn]

I read many disappointing review about the M5 it makes me feel slightly worried...I dont know did you guys own/owned one?

 

I've been shooting film since 1964, using Leica 35mm cameras (and others) since 1979. If you are starting out with film, I think the best possible combination would be to purchase an M5 and a light meter to use separately from the camera.

 

With the M5 you can set the shutter speed to an intermediate position between the shutter speeds marked on the shutter speed dial. By looking at the viewfinder you can see exactly (to within 1/2 to 1/3rd stop) what your actual shutter speed will be because of the meter matching design and display of shutter speeds in the viewfinder.

 

On the M6 you definitely could not do this, and I doubt that the M4, much less the M4-P could. Even if the M4 and/or M4-P could, until the M7 you had no idea of the resulting shutter speed when the shutter dial was set at an intermediate position.

 

You might be able to find an M5, with non-working light meter, for less money than an M4 or M4-P (they are more popular). The M5's size will give you better image quality because it's weight, in combination with Leica's marvelous braking and damping, will suppress shutter vibration well. This is a problem over and above camera shake, but seems rarely mentioned.

 

I suggest a separate lightmeter because, especially with the M6 and M7 I have used for decades, I end up using it anyway, in spite of the fact that both cameras have light metering. I get faster light metering with a Gossen Digisix than with a Leica film camera. It will also be a helpful learning tool when dealing with film and is far more discrete than poking a camera at somebody when all you want is to measure the light they're in, not take their picture.

 

With film, it's more successful if you know your film's dynamic range. Testing is the best, but for a starting point, look up "DX encoding" in Wikipedia and use the DX Code on your film canister to learn the exposure range from highlight to shadow where you will still have visible detail with the film you're using.

 

Finally, the most important thing is deciding how you (not some guy on the internet) want your pictures to look. For example, I discovered quite by accident that my favorite B/W look was Tri-X (TX400) exposed by metering at ISO 800 on shadows for which I wanted at least a minimum of detail (not totally blocked), then letting Dwayne's Photo process it. They never push film. I would not recommend temperature control in a personal darkroom on my worst enemy.

 

G'luck,

dave

Edited December 4, 2014 by dfbldwn
exposed [by metering]

[chrism]

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Do you have a recommendation for a developer when pushing ISO400 film? I've experimented with pushing 400 one or two stops and adjusting the developement time with D-76 but the results have been sub par. I prefer to pull Ilford 3200 and use Kodack TX developer (I believe that's what the darkroom has in addition to D-76). The pulled negatives look a little flat but it's easy to compenate with split filtering when I print.

 

When I use Diafine, I expose HP5 at 640 and Tri-X at 800-1000. The HP5 has the least grain as a result. But, Diafine makes for flat negatives that are wonderful for scanning, but less good for wet printing, so bear that in mind.

 

Chris

[jonnyboy]

BUGGER!! I just finished my first roll...rewind it all and i open the baseplate....and realized it wasnt completely rolled!! argh!!

I thought I felt the film finishing to wind....pf, is the entire roll gonna be damaged?!

[Bill Livingston]

 

You are probably fine...

 

The first sound you hear (and the change in feel) when winding a film back is the leader disengaging from the take up spool. If you keep winding you will (very soon after) hear a second, rasping sound, which is the folded over leader end being wound back into the cassette.

 

Even if you stop at the first sound, most, and more likely, all, of your exposed film will be safe inside the film cassette.

 

In fact, I always used to wind back to that first point when I did my own developing so that it was easier to pull the film out and wind it in to my spirals... Much easier than opening a cassette. So I expect all is well.

 

(However, if, when you opened your camera, there was film wound round your take up spool a few times and all the way back across the shutter and back to the cassette... You're screwed... Just put it down to experience and use that roll to practice winding on and then winding back...).

 

Good luck... You will not have been the only person to have done this over the years...

Edited December 6, 2014 by Livingston
Syntax

[250swb]

Keep winding, you want the film all the way inside the cassette, so even after you hear a noise or feel the tension slacken keep going just to be sure. As for what is ruined, it will only be the bit outside the cassette however much that is.

 

Steve

[gbealnz]

While I can see where the "leave the leader sticking out" advocates are coming from, I work differently.

I always wind the leader completely in, always.

Reasons? One is the issue you found yourself with, "was it far enough in, or not"?

The other is that if I have more than one roll in front of me, anything with the leader wound in is ready for processing, and anything with the leader out is unused. Simple, and in the heat of the moment as fool-proof as this game can be.

Gary

[jonnyboy]

 

You are probably fine...

 

The first sound you hear (and the change in feel) when winding a film back is the leader disengaging from the take up spool. If you keep winding you will (very soon after) hear a second, rasping sound, which is the folded over leader end being wound back into the cassette.

 

Even if you stop at the first sound, most, and more likely, all, of your exposed film will be safe inside the film cassette.

 

In fact, I always used to wind back to that first point when I did my own developing so that it was easier to pull the film out and wind it in to my spirals... Much easier than opening a cassette. So I expect all is well.

 

(However, if, when you opened your camera, there was film wound round your take up spool a few times and all the way back across the shutter and back to the cassette... You're screwed... Just put it down to experience and use that roll to practice winding on and then winding back...).

 

Good luck... You will not have been the only person to have done this over the years...

 

 

Hopefully the film was safe...if not, as you said, I will take the lesson! However there were 5-6 pics I was really looking forward to see!!

If it's wasted I will definitely use it to practice, good shout!

[CalArts 99]

While I can see where the "leave the leader sticking out" advocates are coming from, I work differently.

I always wind the leader completely in, always.

 

I used to always try to leave the leader out because rolling the film directly out of the cassette onto a stainless steel reel makes life easier (as was already mentioned by another poster.) But eventually found it's really just too bothersome and inefficient (especially with the reversed curl from the Leica and having to open the rear door to flatten the film and pull it out of the camera, etc., also using the Nikon F3 with MD-4, etc..) Those cheap little metal film leader retrievers work fine and I wind completely and just pull out the leader before developing instead. And no, they don't scratch the film since they only go into the cassette as far as the leader's end. Anyway, all commercial labs do the same thing but just with a larger version.

[CalArts 99]

Hopefully the film was safe...if not, as you said, I will take the lesson! However there were 5-6 pics I was really looking forward to see!!

If it's wasted I will definitely use it to practice, good shout!

 

I'm sure you'll be fine since there are several frames (36mm across) already exposed to light from loading then also blank from winding on, etc..

[jonnyboy]

Really hope so!! I'm ordering like 10-15 rolls on eBay just to get ready for my NY trip at the end of the month....I wanna shoot all black and white is Ilford HP5 Plus 400 my best weapon??

Also, what would be the best for some shots at night?

 

I found a Voigtlander 25mm for really cheap (150£) tempted to buy it for some nice city-landscape....just a bit worried about the F4 aperture :confused: Anyone had the chance to try it?

 

Thanks

[Stealth3kpl]

I've got that little Voigt 25 f4 and it's a cracking little lens. F4 will be fine during the day. If you're shooting your HP5+ at 250 iso (as may do), setting your shutter to 1/1000 will mean you will shoot at f8 in bright sunshine, or 1/500 at f4 (or 1/250 @5.6 etc) if it's overcast.

 

Note, the lens isn't rangefinder coupled so you will need to guess distance (which isn't a problem because a good range is covered even wide open). There's a useful divot in the focus movement at 1m and 3m so you don't really need to look at the lens when setting distance.

 

I used my 35 and 50 almost exclusively, whilst in NY.......and everywhere else for that matter. Useful to have that tiny lens along for the ride as it's about the weight of a credit card and fits in wallet ;-)

Pete

Edited December 8, 2014 by Stealth3kpl

[CalArts 99]

I'm ordering like 10-15 rolls on eBay

 

btw, I do realize and completely understand that film costs are always going to be an issue for everyone (myself included.) But I'd just like to point out that buying from individuals on eBay (i.e., film that's been sold once already and/or is out of date; any film that's already been counted as sold by the manufacturer), might not be the best practice in respect to keeping film alive. We should always try to buy fresh film from authorized resellers (and which you may have very well done; there are several 'real' film vendors who sell directly on eBay.)

 

Help keep film alive and healthy by always buying fresh stock.

[jonnyboy]

I've got that little Voigt 25 f4 and it's a cracking little lens. F4 will be fine during the day. If you're shooting your HP5+ at 250 iso (as may do), setting your shutter to 1/1000 will mean you will shoot at f8 in bright sunshine, or 1/500 at f4 (or 1/250 @5.6 etc) if it's overcast.

 

Note, the lens isn't rangefinder coupled so you will need to guess distance (which isn't a problem because a good range is covered even wide open). There's a useful divot in the focus movement at 1m and 3m so you don't really need to look at the lens when setting distance.

 

I used my 35 and 50 almost exclusively, whilst in NY.......and everywhere else for that matter. Useful to have that tiny lens along for the ride as it's about the weight of a credit card and fits in wallet ;-)

Pete

 

 

 

Brilliant!

 

 

 

Oh yeah I'm buying the roll from an authorized seller it's not such a big saving getting it on eBay to be honest, it's just that 5-10£ in totale when you buy a stock....

[jonnyboy]

Quick question: I'm going to develop the first roll today...somehow I feel I underexposed the shots a bit, is there any chance to compensate that during the developing? Sorry if the question is silly I'm just a real newbie with film

I think I will go to Snappy Snaps which is some sort of franchise here in UK, hopefully they alright....

I also bought a Weston Master V for metering...that will help for my next rolls

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[plasticman]

I'm a total newbie also, but afaik that would be the same as if you effectively 'pushed' the exposures(?) A pro lab would be able to develop by pushing to compensate, but I don't think Snappy Snaps will know what you're talking about