Why film?

[gwpics]

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Yes - I suppose better value for money: more mistakes, more learning! That said, I just saw your comment about getting an image published on the National Geographic website..so I guess we are worlds apart (if you pardon the pun) in ability :-)

 

 

Denys

 

I am 70 now. I first started shooting when I was 14-ish. It has taken me many thousands of crap images to get here. it is the old saying "I am getting better, and the more I practice the better I get". Try looking at mags outside of the photographic world to see what they are printing. Try Nat Geo, Vogue, GQ etc. etc. I look at literally hundreds of images every single day of my life. You will get there!!!

 

Gerry 

[Denys]

Denys

 

I am 70 now. I first started shooting when I was 14-ish. It has taken me many thousands of crap images to get here. it is the old saying "I am getting better, and the more I practice the better I get". Try looking at mags outside of the photographic world to see what they are printing. Try Nat Geo, Vogue, GQ etc. etc. I look at literally hundreds of images every single day of my life. You will get there!!!

 

Gerry 

 

 

Cheers Gerry. I'm a little behind you..so maybe some chance yet. I agree about looking at lots of images: avoiding mistakes rather than making them. I love the early Magnum inc stuff (although some / a lot of / most of HCB's work can carry the danger of "that's so good, why don't I just put the camera down?") I have also been to The National Portrait Gallery in London..and as soon as there is a National Landscape Gallery I shall be first in the queue (it always seemed a shame to me there isn't a gallery for people who turned the canvas long-side-down).

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[pridbor]

Well Gerry I'm 73 and I will never get to your level  but it doesn't matter as I can look at great photos for hours and enjoy them as I just did yours, I read the article too   stunning work!

 

But the real reason I write is that my uncle, who is 83, is about to sell his m7 and will probably be given a low price, and I have been trying to hold him off, as the Camara body is like new and so are all of his, four I think, lenses. 

 

So when I saw your work I was wondering if I should give him a good price for all his stuff and also start shooting some B/W which I did a bit of as a youngster. 

 

I do have a R3, bought in 1975, with also about 4 lenses, and a R4 which he gave me a few years ago, but then I had "moved on" to digital too.  But I hate having all this great equipment sitting around in a closet for no good reason but that I don't know where to buy film and have it developed etc.

 

Sorry for this long post but I often think about loading a film into my R cameras, albeit they do need new rubber gaskets which I have postponed doing for years!

 

I'm a sculptor and do understand your pre visualization "thing" as I have a similar relation to my stone in 3D visualization even before my first hammer blow. I didn't put in a website as I don't know the rules well enough to know if one can share date like this.

 

Thanks for your post!

 

Preben (Jensen) a Dane currently living in Switzerland and Utah

[gwpics]

Well Gerry I'm 73 and I will never get to your level  but it doesn't matter as I can look at great photos for hours and enjoy them as I just did yours, I read the article too   stunning work!

 

But the real reason I write is that my uncle, who is 83, is about to sell his m7 and will probably be given a low price, and I have been trying to hold him off, as the Camara body is like new and so are all of his, four I think, lenses. 

 

So when I saw your work I was wondering if I should give him a good price for all his stuff and also start shooting some B/W which I did a bit of as a youngster. 

 

I do have a R3, bought in 1975, with also about 4 lenses, and a R4 which he gave me a few years ago, but then I had "moved on" to digital too.  But I hate having all this great equipment sitting around in a closet for no good reason but that I don't know where to buy film and have it developed etc.

 

Sorry for this long post but I often think about loading a film into my R cameras, albeit they do need new rubber gaskets which I have postponed doing for years!

 

I'm a sculptor and do understand your pre visualization "thing" as I have a similar relation to my stone in 3D visualization even before my first hammer blow. I didn't put in a website as I don't know the rules well enough to know if one can share date like this.

 

Thanks for your post!

 

Preben (Jensen) a Dane currently living in Switzerland and Utah

 

 

Preben

 

You flatter me beyond my abilities, but thank you never the less. As for your Leica M7 possibility, then I guess only you can make the decision of whether you can buy it or not. A mint M7 with 3 lenses is certainly worth a few thousand euros all together, and it is therefore not an easy decision to make. As I have posted in my piece, film is easy to purchase through the Internet although I feel sure there must be stores in Switzerland or Utah that can help. If you are stuck try B & H in NYC. Personally I love Fuji Neopan 400CN because it is easy to get processed in any place that does colour film processing, and most will scan to disc if you don't have a scanner of sufficient quality.

 

Gerry

[colonel]

very nice. Neopan looks good, will give it a try

[pridbor]

Gerry, I do have a tech question for you, it's probably not specifically related to the M7 but to lenses as such.

 

Do you use some kind of filter on your lenses either specifically for B/W or ? I seem to recall an article which stated that if one didn't use a filter, and I would like to know which one if true, then one wouldn't get the "real" B/W effect, whatever the person was alluding to.

 

 I'm both considering buying my uncle's M7 and resurrect my R3/R4 and have spent quite some time researching where to get film and have it developed and have basically found what I was looking for, except for the Neopan 400 you are recommending! Seems like it's not available in the US even from Fuji directly, but the 100 is. Any source here in Europe where I am for yet a short while?

 

Thanks for your time

 

Preben

[ravenstor]

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Gerry, I do have a tech question for you, it's probably not specifically related to the M7 but to lenses as such.

 

Do you use some kind of filter on your lenses either specifically for B/W or ? I seem to recall an article which stated that if one didn't use a filter, and I would like to know which one if true, then one wouldn't get the "real" B/W effect, whatever the person was alluding to.

 

 I'm both considering buying my uncle's M7 and resurrect my R3/R4 and have spent quite some time researching where to get film and have it developed and have basically found what I was looking for, except for the Neopan 400 you are recommending! Seems like it's not available in the US even from Fuji directly, but the 100 is. Any source here in Europe where I am for yet a short while?

 

Thanks for your time

 

Preben

 

you can get that film at Silverprint in London it appears  http://shop.silverprint.co.uk/Fuji-Neopan-400-CN/products/189/

[gwpics]

you can get that film at Silverprint in London it appears  http://shop.silverprint.co.uk/Fuji-Neopan-400-CN/products/189/

 

 

Gerry, I do have a tech question for you, it's probably not specifically related to the M7 but to lenses as such.

 

Do you use some kind of filter on your lenses either specifically for B/W or ? I seem to recall an article which stated that if one didn't use a filter, and I would like to know which one if true, then one wouldn't get the "real" B/W effect, whatever the person was alluding to.

 

 I'm both considering buying my uncle's M7 and resurrect my R3/R4 and have spent quite some time researching where to get film and have it developed and have basically found what I was looking for, except for the Neopan 400 you are recommending! Seems like it's not available in the US even from Fuji directly, but the 100 is. Any source here in Europe where I am for yet a short while?

 

Thanks for your time

 

Preben

 

Preben

 

Thank you for your interest. Personally I do not use any filters on my lenses for any purpose preferring to any adjustments with Lightroom and its' various plug-ins.

 

I cannot find Fuji Neopan 400CN listed on any US sites, but Ilford X-Pro2 is somewhat similar and is available through Adormama. I buy through Calumet here in the UK and here is a link to it on their site. They have branches in various European countries and are the cheapest I have found, although it is available through other outlets online and better camera stores. As a matter of interest both the Ilford film and the Fuji film are coated in the same plant here in the UK, but are different formulations. I am not sure if Ilford have a coating plant in the US or whether they ship from the UK.

 

Get back to me either here or through email if you want any further help.

 

Best wishes,

 

Gerry

Edited July 6, 2016 by gwpics

[gwpics]

you can get that film at Silverprint in London it appears  http://shop.silverprint.co.uk/Fuji-Neopan-400-CN/products/189/

 

As a matter of interest Silverpoint have relocated from London to the south coast and are now in Parkstone, Dorset. They are about 25% more expensive than Calumet though.

Edited July 6, 2016 by gwpics

[Suede]

Preben

 

Thank you for your interest. Personally I do not use any filters on my lenses for any purpose preferring to any adjustments with Lightroom and its' various plug-ins.

 

I cannot find Fuji Neopan 400CN listed on any US sites, but Ilford X-Pro2 is somewhat similar and is available through Adormama. I buy through Calumet here in the UK and here is a link to it on their site. They have branches in various European countries and are the cheapest I have found, although it is available through other outlets online and better camera stores. As a matter of interest both the Ilford film and the Fuji film are coated in the same plant here in the UK, but are different formulations. I am not sure if Ilford have a coating plant in the US or whether they ship from the UK.

 

Get back to me either here or through email if you want any further help.

 

Best wishes,

 

Gerry

 

Hi all

 

For Ilford XP-2 you could give Fotoimpex in Berlin a try. They have an online store:  https://www.fotoimpex.de/shopen/films/ilford-xp-2-super-13536.html and I found them to be quite good.

[Suede]

Thank you for the article and link to it, Gerry. It resonates with me. I've been along a similar path with coming back to film – but I haven't burnt my bridges with digital altogether yet since I'm clinging on to a D700. I hang on to it more to save myself the heartburn of receiving a pittance for a reasonably good unit (just about 10k shots) than anything else. Besides, I can use all my old Nikkor lenses on it.

 

Back around 2001-02, I was bitten by the limited autonomy of camera batteries on a trip to Ladakh wherein I was left stranded with 3 drained batteries, nowhere to recharge them and surrounded by magical landscapes!

 

I returned to NZ (where I then lived) and promptly bought a Nikon FM3a and 45/2.8 pancake. The set still serves me faithfully, among others, that are not battery-dependent. 

 

 

[gwpics]

Hi all

 

For Ilford XP-2 you could give Fotoimpex in Berlin a try. They have an online store:  https://www.fotoimpex.de/shopen/films/ilford-xp-2-super-13536.html and I found them to be quite good.

 

 

I did not suggest other outlets because I believe XP-2 is pretty widely available in the USA where I think Preben is located ( or he says he is on his profile).

 

Gerry

[Suede]

I did not suggest other outlets because I believe XP-2 is pretty widely available in the USA where I think Preben is located ( or he says he is on his profile).

 

Gerry

 

I'm probably not paying enough attention. I thought I read in one of Preben's posts where he says something like "Any source here in Europe..."

I could be wrong. No worries either way 

[gwpics]

I'm probably not paying enough attention. I thought I read in one of Preben's posts where he says something like "Any source here in Europe..."

I could be wrong. No worries either way 

 

 

You did which is why I suggested Calumet. Preben, where do you live?

 

Gerry

[mikej]

I'm lucky enough to be retiring soon and I look forward to having more time for photography. Coming off of a failed iMac and a failed backup hard drive in the last month, I take great comfort that my source materials (negatives) are safely tucked away awaiting future use. Not ones and zeroes, but a nice physical object that isn't dependent on the electronic format du jour. Sure I shoot digital snaps for convenience, but there is something to be said for film storage. Thanks for your article, and cheers!

Mike

[gwpics]

Sure I shoot digital snaps for convenience, but there is something to be said for film storage. Thanks for your article, and cheers!

Mike

 

 

Mike

 

Of course you are right that there is nothing quite like the hard copy, and I am currently (slowly) trolling back through my old b&w negatives which are of varying quality. I also find it interesting that the photographs of mine which have recently been selected by National Geographic for their website are film images, so there must be something in the quality of the film image (particularly when combined with Leica lenses). However I also feel that the digital image has a very firm place and for many things (e.g. high iso work) I would not want to be without my digital body.

 

Thanks for commenting.

 

Gerry

[Doc Henry]

Gerry interesting article and link.Thanks.

For your post :

"I first switched to C-41 b&w film back around the mid-90s when I had some film affected by x-rays on a flight, and decided that I would get my film processed before I bought it home"

You have now antiXray bag for airport sold by Domke

https://www.amazon.com/Domke-711-15B-Large-Filmguard-Black/dp/B00009USZ5

For choice of film you have this thread if you have time to watch :

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/205842-i-like-filmopen-thread/page-926

I let now my two digital M in my bag after 5 years in digital and don't use them, "failure" in the rendering and "flat" image

I use now film in color or b&w is more beautiful. I develop myself b&w , color (C41 soon E6) for good work and I also print in b&w with my Focomat enlarger. Print is nicer than scan and on inkjet printer (it needs a computer and software)

Gerry one question pictures on your link are shot with what film ? Nice street photos pictures !

I love Kodak TX or Ilford HP5 for b&w and Kodak Portra or Fuji for color.

For cam I have a M7 is one of the "faster camera" as said Gerard Depardon and the MP who is very fine cam too.

I reached "triggers syndrome"* with digital.What tranquility now with film (I now have time to compose and frame my photos) and no stress for dusts or cracks on sensor , no banding , no moiré, no "cutting" edges on image  etc.... 

Cheers

Henry

* or "triggers inflation"

Edited July 14, 2016 by Doc Henry

[gwpics]

Henry

 

Thank you for commenting on my post. As I have said earlier I really don't want to get back into home processing so the simple answer for me is to use a C41 process b&w film such as Fuji Neopan 400CN, and this is what my 'New Forest Pony Sales' project was shot on, and the images selected by National Geographic editors were taken on, so it is my film of choice now. I have been given 5 rolls of Ilford XP2 Super so I will try that soon, but when I tried many years ago I did not like it. The other images on my blog are on a variety of films because many are from much older negatives.

 

I cannot agree with your comments about images from the Leica M9 which I have. I can get very good b&w from the .dng files using LR. I am also very happy with my work on an inkjet printer and produce exhibition prints that way using a Canon printer. The thing with 'conventional' printing is that it is difficult to get consistent results from one print to another whereas with the inkjet I know pretty much that print #100 is going to be the same as print #1.

 

Thank you for the links, I will take a look at them later today.

 

Kindest regards

 

Gerry

Edited July 14, 2016 by gwpics

[Doc Henry]

Thanks Gerry for your post.

Print with inkjet printer and print with enlarger , not the same process (simple deposit of ink on paper) 

and what pleasure in doing print yourself at home.

I have also a CCD M9 and M8 and when you conversed in b&w sometimes you have "banding" not the case

with film because it's grain and not pixels (who needs software)

Best

Henry

Edited July 14, 2016 by Doc Henry

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[colonel]

Home development is a beautiful process if you have the space and time, however I think scanning on development is good enough for me

then running through my Plustek for a any particular photo I want to take further in quality

 

Although its a faux-pas to talk about "convenience here" with respect to film. Its a perfectly respectable position and also easier for the beginner.

 

and of course the negatives are still around if you want to have it professionally enlarged for those gallery prints

 

I also like the "B&W process in C41" films as they are cost and process effective if one does not even do B&W processing at home like me ....