Considering returning to b/w film

[Rolo]

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BTW, an 848 is worth over £3,000, maybe £4,500.  Bear that in mind when thinking of disposing of it.

 

Gary

[giganova]

I have returned to film two years ago after a 25+ year absence, and it's been such a joy and enrichment of my life!

 

With high-quality scanners (think Plustek) and film cameras available for little money, a hybrid workflow could give you the best of both worlds.

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[gwpics]

I have returned to film two years ago after a 25+ year absence, and it's been such a joy and enrichment of my life!

 

With high-quality scanners (think Plustek) and film cameras available for little money, a hybrid workflow could give you the best of both worlds.

 

 

I agree 100%, but there is still a firm place for digital in my world. Both have their homes.

 

Gerry

[LorenzoLandini]

Except for professional photographers (i.e. who makes a living out of photography), I would expect most of us do photography for the pleasure of doing it. If you enjoy developing your own film then do it, don't even think about it. It goes far beyond the cost saving of doing it yourself.

 

I shoot both film (35mm and 4x5) and digital (medium format) and I think there is room and benefits of both medium. 

 

Personally, and I could be wrong, I don't see a lot of value added and pleasure in developing my own film since a hybrid workflow allows me to make all the needed adjustment digitally while outsourcing the development to a lab for the sake of time, space, set up, etc. I do that for both 35mm and 4x5. Looking at my workflow, I see more value added in a drum scan (for any print larger than 11x14) than in developing my own film for instance. Or I would have more interest  / pleasure in doing my own contact prints than developing my own film, but I can see and understand why others may prefer developing their own film. 

[250swb]

 

Personally, and I could be wrong, I don't see a lot of value added and pleasure in developing my own film since a hybrid workflow allows me to make all the needed adjustment digitally while outsourcing the development to a lab for the sake of time, space, set up, etc. I do that for both 35mm and 4x5. Looking at my workflow, I see more value added in a drum scan (for any print larger than 11x14) than in developing my own film for instance.

 

There is a distinct advantage for photographers to develop their own film using a hybrid system. In the same way the Zone System was developed to adjust the negative from exposure to development so it suits the enlarger and paper, similarly the negative can be adjusted to suit the scanner. Scanners have their own DR, but being able to alter the development techniques in B&W you can create negatives that work with your scanner's DR, so not too contrasty, not too dense, etc. Of course a pro lab can alter the development of the film, but usually this is an expensive bespoke service, and nobody takes the same care as the owner of the negatives.

 

Steve

[tom0511]

I find this a very interesting thread.

When I once shot film and scanned (on Nikon and Miolta fil scanners) I found a few things to be difficult:

1) High resolution scans are very very big and take a lot of memory

2) not too easy to get the color right

3) I see advantage in self developping film, but I assume it takes quite some time to beceom good at it and to really gain advantages out of it.

[LorenzoLandini]

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There is a distinct advantage for photographers to develop their own film using a hybrid system. In the same way the Zone System was developed to adjust the negative from exposure to development so it suits the enlarger and paper, similarly the negative can be adjusted to suit the scanner. Scanners have their own DR, but being able to alter the development techniques in B&W you can create negatives that work with your scanner's DR, so not too contrasty, not too dense, etc. Of course a pro lab can alter the development of the film, but usually this is an expensive bespoke service, and nobody takes the same care as the owner of the negatives.

 

Steve

 

Steve - I don't disagree with you and if I was an experienced film developer I could have taken more advantage from developing my own film and perhaps reaching a different conclusion.

 

I was describing my own personal experience. Overall, given that I am late into the game of 4x5 (a few years and not a few decades as probably most of the other 4x5 photographers) I found more effective establishing a good relationship with a lab where they pay attention to details and adapt the developing, as needed and ..yes only to certain degree and by paying more..., than learning and doing it on my own with a lot of trials and errors. At the end of the day the lab knows way more than me the DR of their own drum scanner as well as their own paper and printing process. In my case, who is not a professional photographer, it's a four-hands process to achieve the result of my liking for a final print of 40x50 or larger. 

 

I also still shoot a lot of 4x5 color slides for which the above doesn't apply. In this case the color rendition after the scanning is perhaps even more relevant and often time consuming than exploiting the full DR of the scanner. 

 

To "tom0511", yes I second all your comments, files of high resolution scans are very big and they may crash even good computers. Achieving a good color rendition takes time and patience and I agree with your third comments as described above. 

 

 

Cheers, 

Lorenzo 

[williamgm]

I would second what Gary said regarding the Imacon scanner. Although I never owned one, the local Hasselblad rep let me borrow one for a few extended periods (professionally, I used a lot of Hasselblad equipment at the time). I used a variety of scanners and the Imacon was by far the best; it should be possible to get it working again (with a service, if required) and the value of these scanners is such that (if necessary) it may even be worth buying an older Mac computer to use with it, though I think the 848 had Firewire and maybe even USB connectors (the ones I borrowed were only SCSI).

 

Geoff

[gsgary]

What are you waiting for? You have the lenses, you have a good scanner. I'm not sure what you're expecting to find by comparing your scans to M246 files files, though. Put that thing out of your mind and enjoy the process.

And post your shots in the best thread on Leica forum "I Love Film"

[Paulus]

Years ago had the full film setup with dark room, etc.  Been awhile.  Now after enjoying the monochrome digital 246, thinking about repurchasing a film M.  Loved my M6 cameras, btw.  Miss them. So my questions are, do most of you do your own film processing and use a scanner?  I have an Imacon Flextight  scanner, haven't turned on in over 10 years hoping still works.  Any advice would be appreciated.  

Developped my last rolls of film two days ago. Buy a nice camera. It's easy to combine the two cameras. It feels great also!

[Paulus]

If you have the money, I would buy this one:

 

http://www.marktplaats.nl/a/audio-tv-en-foto/videocamera-s-analoog/a1065935247-tweedehands-leica-analoge-camera-mp-blackpaint.html?c=d97e27c274e75147b4afd0f5eb58c81b&previousPage=lr&pos=1&casData=mnFqcdN6DfAAAAFWros4f95AYOe5ougDbHzJxjf3lLYXTYUWqzCWLW1atODzFPP21EHpTBDKgEleXNichCOBZVeP7f1E8fEeXBmuu4ZDg8sMtXhJR98Xp6V5cusb90RIXnke6n1qnf8d9Ea9t00K-OgPalWO_UP0Ocn2fUXtxIWFotjIOzRiItHkAO6Qz1MBwhxdVMDqjCuHWUHOXY6ECHwvKSfvPJHAKWqkuuBIBue9xtjZClMfgB-NC1dJNglpE-Iv86aye9oU7FkXYITf_komwp52hxBKsTK9P_ufqb8

[pico]

something like a Canon QL III rangefinder can be had for not much and will produce excellent results.

That is the truth. Buy two. They are affordable.

 

My first camera was a rangefinder, a Petri 7S. After all these years with the Leicas

(lots of them), I am not unhappy with the results of that inexpensive camera. The

picture is more important than resolution, fidelity, all that crap.

 

Of course, the Petri died a shutter death in three years, and the Leicas are still

healthy - at a premium cost.

 

http://www.digoliardi.net/bicycle_196.gif

Petri during my first year.

I'm sorry I burned the pics of my GF.

 

Oh wait, here is one: http://www.digoliardi.net/carol_c.jpg

Edited August 21, 2016 by pico

[sls]

I use a Q and MM version 1. My wife always prefers the the b/w from the MM. Well, what a surprise, so do I.

 

My son (aged 19) uses film mostly, a Bessa 2M I got him in the Leica store in Bangkok (more a museum than a shop). Have an Epson scanner at home.

 

I bought an M7 on impulse last week ... the beginning of a beautiful relationship I feel.

[gwpics]

I use a Q and MM version 1. My wife always prefers the the b/w from the MM. Well, what a surprise, so do I.

 

My son (aged 19) uses film mostly, a Bessa 2M I got him in the Leica store in Bangkok (more a museum than a shop). Have an Epson scanner at home.

 

I bought an M7 on impulse last week ... the beginning of a beautiful relationship I feel.

 

I bought my M7 a little while back, and although I don't use it a lot I love the 'feel' of the images when I do. I am shooting C41 process b&w film in it and I then scan the resulting negatives. Never regretted the purchase and really don't want to get into the whole darkroom thing again.

 

I feel sure you will love your new plaything!

 

Gerry

[corallus]

For me, shooting film is about the experience.  When I made the transition to film from digital I was very obsessive about megapixel comparisons and I used the high res characteristics of film to justify my decision (like I needed justification).

 

But, honestly, now I really don't care about megapixels.  As a matter of fact, it's been very freeing to get off the megapixel / upgrade train.  I can change the sensor in my camera anytime by changing the film.  If I want a bigger enlargement, I pickup my Pentax 67 medium format camera instead of my M3 (though it's not as fun!).

 

I look forward to the development process almost as much as the shooting process.  It's a stress relieving experience.  I don't know why it feels that way...it just does...for me anyway.  I like being able to come home, drop into my cave and spend 20-30 min processing my film.  I never thought I would, but I've found that I really enjoy that time.

 

The investment in equipment for developing BW film is pretty minimal.  For a basic Paterson SuperSystem 4 tank with two reels, you're talking $30.  A changing bag will run you between $10-20.  There are many different developer concentrates that will last you a good long time depending on how many rolls you shoot and then they vary from ridiculously cheap to more costly (but not expensive).  Stop and fixer are reusable so bottles of concentrate go a long way and are cheap.  Film will cost you by the roll, of course.

 

This isn't a knock on the digital process - I still scan and post process my film.  I've just really come to enjoy the hands-on process of film shooting and development.  And that's got nothing to do with megapixels.

 

Regards.

 

 

[sls]

I gave up I'm counting megapixels when I was still using big Canon 6 or 7 years ago. I bought a little Sony RX100 mk3 recently for my son and it has a much larger 20mp sensor - and fits in your trouser back pocket.

 

Yesterday I did quite a severe crop of an image taken with my M Monochrom Typ 220 and a 50 Cron and printed it A3. The detail captured is simply astonishing. It amazes me Every time. I do wonder if these new 50mp sensors will be able to get close converting from RGB.

 

I have an Epson v800 and have ordered a v700 35mm holder without the plastic, as the plastic does cause fringing. I use it for scanning old negs. It will be getting a lot more use, I suspect.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ianman]

... my M7 is getting a lot of work for projects like this which was shot entirely on the M7 using Fuji Neopan 400CN film and a 35mm Summarit lens. 

 

 

Wow ! What a set of beautiful photographs !!

[gwpics]

Wow ! What a set of beautiful photographs !!

 

 

That is very kind of you to say so, and I really appreciate your comments. One of the images (the title one) has been published on the National Geographic web site in a piece on national parks.

 

Thanks again,

 

Gerry

[Paul Verrips]

In 2014 i returned to shooting BW film and sold my M9.
I use M7, M4 and M2 for BW film and love the film workflow. I started home development and build my own darkroom. Shooting film has an advantage of shooting less and enjoying photography more. So the argument of spending more time with the filmprocess is not as i feel it. I feel i become more and more engaged to the complete process and above all, the silver print is the ultimate result. 

In darkroom processing you can also automate thing with a paper processing machine and an Heiland Splitgrade module, if thats what you look for.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[sblitz]

That is very kind of you to say so, and I really appreciate your comments. One of the images (the title one) has been published on the National Geographic web site in a piece on national parks.

 

Thanks again,

 

Gerry

 

I second that, beautiful shots!