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Listen To Your Mother


Michael Hiles

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Family dynamics.

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Thanks war- much appreciated. 

 

I was much surprised that none of the animals we encountered were disturbed by our Land Cruiser, with us in it. In this case our driver/guide saw a herd of elephants in the distance, and drove right into the field where they were heading. The elephants just wandered by the vehicle paying us no attention. They apparently were not disturbed by the vehicle and did not twig onto the fact - or maybe much care - that it contained us.

 

Specifically for this trip I bought a 200mm f4 Telyt. I very happily use a Visoflex II on my M2 (mainly) and M3. The kit is now old (and I'm getting there), but I love it. It turned out that the 200mm was ideal for the distances we were from animals due to our ability to drive up very close. Very occasionally a 135mm or a 280mm might have been useful, but not so much that I was interested in carrying them or having to change lenses in the middle of the savannah. Always XP2 developed in C41, if anyone cares. It is smooth, fine grained, very sharp, and quite forgiving.

Edited by Michael Hiles
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Classic image using classic equipment; very well done, indeed.

 

 

not only this, but the pic's title made me curious, - with best reason!

Thomas

 

Thanks to you both, very much. Sometimes titles can help generate a little interest - no bad thing.

 

Leica/Leitz view of things for many years was that for focal lengths up to 90 or 135, a rangefinder/viewfinder was optimal. For longer focal lengths and close ups, through-the-lens was best. Thus we had the M cameras and the related Visoflex system and lenses. I think they were right back then, and I still think so. I have an M2 and an M3, lenses 35mm, 50mm, 90mm, 125mm, 135mm, and 200mm, plus a Bellows II. There is very little I cannot do, and much I can do but don't want to. Unfortunately for Leica's sales goals, I haven't seen anything new that I want. And film continues to deliver EXACTLY what I want.

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Hi Michael, many thanks.

 

No table tripod in this case. We were in the back of a Toyota Land Cruiser with not much to lean against I pulled in my elbows and held my breath a little. The shutter speed was 1/250th at f4 and I squeezed the shutter carefully - and got lucky. The negative is a little thick - 1/500 would have been fine, and would have been a more precise exposure for the light level based on 200ASA (in my tests XP2's actual native sensitivity).

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Hello Michael,

 

Just out of curiosity, if you pick up  a roll of XP-2 with the little nubbin to your left and read the little squares left to right. First the top row & then the bottom row: How does it read ?

Example: White - Black - White - Black - White - Black

 

                 White - Black - White - Black - White - Black

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

Edited by Michael Geschlecht
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Hello Michael,

 

Just out of curiosity, if you pick up  a roll of XP-2 with the little nubbin to your left and read the little squares left to right. First the top row & then the bottom row: How does it read ?

 

Example: White - Black - White - Black - White - Black

 

                 White - Black - White - Black - White - Black

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

 

I hope I am getting this right (spindle to my left):

 

white - black - black - white - white - black

white- black- black - white - white - white

 

What does all this mean?

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Hello Michael,

 

Thank you.

 

Getting out my "magic decoder ring" which was published on page 8 of "Modern Photography" in the June issue of 1983. Which I made some small changes to. I have "read" the little "magic boxes". Here is what they say:

 

The film speed written on the BOX is ISO (ASA) 400 / DIN 27.

 

This is a 36 exposure roll.

 

Given normal film development as per the film speed written on the box: The film speed that gives the greatest latitude in terms of BOTH shadow detail & highlight detail is ISO (ASA) 200 / DIN 24.

 

There is a latitude of 2 stops of either underexposure or over exposure with the film in this box.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

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Hello Michael,

 

Thank you.

 

Getting out my "magic decoder ring" which was published on page 8 of "Modern Photography" in the June issue of 1983. Which I made some small changes to. I have "read" the little "magic boxes". Here is what they say:

 

The film speed written on the BOX is ISO (ASA) 400 / DIN 27.

 

This is a 36 exposure roll.

 

Given normal film development as per the film speed written on the box: The film speed that gives the greatest latitude in terms of BOTH shadow detail & highlight detail is ISO (ASA) 200 / DIN 24.

 

There is a latitude of 2 stops of either underexposure or over exposure with the film in this box.

 

Hi Michael – very many thanks, and very interesting.

 

I am inclined to listen to manufacturers – they don’t set up their customers to fail.

 

I have also listened to Ansel Adams and Fred Picker. I have done their recommended test that identifies the ASA that produces a density of 0.1 (above film base+fog) for something that has a Zone I reflectance. The idea is meter a smooth flat surface (maybe a grey card). The reading will try to produce a grey representing 18% reflectance (zone V). Then close down 4 stops to produce Zone I. Make exposures at a range of ASAs that make sense (say 400, 320, 250, 200, 160, 125, 100 for XP2), process normally (manufacturer’s recommendation), and identify the exposure that has produce closest to the 0.1 density. This is your personal ASA for that film. My test (repeated more than once) shows XP2 to be 200 ASA for my purposes. One important objective is to assure that there is detail in the shadows (Zone I to IV). Very interesting what Ilford has to say – matches my experience 100%.

 

One strong reason I like the film is that it is forgiving. As Ilford says, you will get pretty good and usable negatives exposing for ASAs between 50 and 800. So, if I am off by up to 2 stops either way from a carefully metered exposure, I am still likely to have a quite decent negative, even if not totally optimal. For me in practice it means that I don’t often need a meter – just my (long) experience and some brief thought.

 

I don’t worry much about the Zone System, except to keep the principles in mind. When I have time to meter, I use a Soligor 1 degree spot meter and make sure that my exposure will keep the highlights at about Zone IX and hopefully the shadows around Zone II or III for some differentiated detail. This will generally produce a close-to-optimal negative. A quick trick recommended by Fred Picker was to place the brightest part of the scene on Zone IX, and let the shadows fall where they may. Result – a rich negative with no blown highlights.

 

This stuff is all much simpler than is seems on paper - I just do this stuff and totally ignore the surrounding noise. It lets me concentrate on where to point the camera and when to press the button - that's the real challenge.

 

I am sure this is more than you wanted to read – but your explanation above was most enlightening (and encouraging). Thanks again.

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Hello Michael,

 

I basically do the same thing that you do except that I don't process my own & I use the "magic decoder ring" I wrote about when I am determining film speed with a new film. It has virtually always been correct.

 

Metering, as you describe it, is actually reasonably simple in reality. I do pretty much the same.

 

Do you have any other films that you would like to have "magically decoded"?

Best Regards,

 

Michael

Edited by Michael Geschlecht
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Hello Michael,

 

I basically do the same thing that you do except that I don't process my own & I use the "magic decoder ring" I wrote about when I am determining film speed with a new film. It has virtually always been correct.

 

Metering, as you describe it, is actually reasonably simple in reality. I do pretty much the same.

 

Do you have any other films that you would like to have "magically decoded"?

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

 

Thanks Michael. I would be interested to know about Delta 100 and Delta 400 - but I don't a roll of either around the homestead. I fact I have used XP2 pretty much exclusively since around the Coolidge Administration. The Delta films with Spur developer sound interesting, but I may never get there. :)

 

M.

Edited by Michael Hiles
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Hello Michael,

 

I need to know the color scheme in the 12 little boxes. 6 on top. 6 below. With the cartridge held with the little "nubbin" to the left.

 

I would put the "magic decoder ring" diagram in this Thread if I were more capable with a computer. But I am not.

 

If you would like to PM me @ my avatar to the left I would be glad to mail you a copy which you could then put here.

 

Otherwise, if you have some other films like:      W - W - B - B - B - W

                                                                            W - B - B - W - B - B

 

Or any other, just ask.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

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