qvsm Posted January 14, 2011 Share #1 Posted January 14, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I've been using an M8 for some time and now acquired an M7 - as I've come to much enjoy film again - its very satisfying! I hoped to get some advice on film choices. I'm considering making the M7 my primary camera for a trip to Morocco in two months, which will be the first time in many years I'll be using film over digital. I'd ideally take advantage of the richness in colour there, both in Marrakesh and the Atlas mountains/villages, so wanted to ask what film (neg/slides) you would suggest for such a trip - slides are also fine. Lens will be a 50mm Summilux ASPH and a 35mm Summicron ASPH. Would be great to get some advice - as I'm now back to a new comer in terms of film. Hopefully it wont appear to be a redundant or odd question. I'll be happy to post pics on my return Thanks in advance Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 14, 2011 Posted January 14, 2011 Hi qvsm, Take a look here Film choice help. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
bill Posted January 14, 2011 Share #2 Posted January 14, 2011 Kodak 160 NC or VC - and have a bloody good time. Oh, and I would also take some 400CN for moody portraits and street shots. Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgray Posted January 14, 2011 Share #3 Posted January 14, 2011 Really depends on what you like. I'd personally take a load of B&W film and some Portra 400 for color. If you like more contrast, saturation, and finer grain, slide film might be the way to go. Color films that seem to be real popular with people: Color neg: Ektar 100 Portra 400 Fuji 400H Slide: Velvia 50 Kodak E100G of E100VS Provia 400X Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted January 14, 2011 Share #4 Posted January 14, 2011 I'd also vote for Portras 160NC and (the new) 400. Once back I'd get them developed and scanned onto a CD at a pro lab. Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
italy74 Posted January 14, 2011 Share #5 Posted January 14, 2011 Ciao and congrats for the purchase, you make some of us really envying. Let me share with you some considerations I have already done about my (future) trip(s) to Ethiopia. First of all, I too decided to go there with only a film camera, both for security purposes and also to travel light. In my case, not having a M's or an Ikon, my choice went for the Nikon FM3A and a bunch of prime lenses. About film, I'd go there with only one film - but it depends on how long you think to stay there. I entirely sticked with the new Portra 400. Again, it's MY choice, due to the fact that all the images I saw about that area are SO lively and colourful that it would be a pity hiding local reality behind a b/w roll, whatever it is. Thus, colour. Then, I went for the Portra 400 but other choices I might have done could have been: Negatives: Kodak Ektar 100 / Kodak Portra 160 NC for full day shots and portraits Slides: Fuji Velvia 50 and Kodak E100G (for landscapes and portraits, be careful that Velvia and E100G have a completely different colour rendition and purpose!) B/W: Hard catch here. My PJ soul would suggest the timeless Kodak Tri-X, the inside portraiter would go with the BW400CN (not a true B/W but a very nice film for portraits of kids and women) However, overall I'll use the new 400 and eventually put a ND filter or a polarizer to use wider apertures during the day. Just for the files this is the kit I set (sorry for mentioning Nikon in a Leica forum, but that's it) 1) Nikon FM3A 2) Nikkor AIS 28-50 F/3.5 3) Nikkor AIS 50 F/1.8 4) Nikkor AIS 105 F/2.5 5? ) Nikkor AIS 75-150 F/3.5 or AIS 200 F/4 - I might even leave them both at home, Since I go there twice I'll decide during the first, shorter, trip what I could miss more later. Flash SB-22s. very nice and pocketable. For a RF kit (I don't have yet) I'd chose an M6 0.85x or an Ikon plus the 35 F/2 biogon and the 90 summarit, I think such lens is way too misunderstood. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hiles Posted January 14, 2011 Share #6 Posted January 14, 2011 Whatever film you decide on, try it out in a variety of situations well before you go. Trusting your trip's pictures to someone else's advice is folly. Test for your satisfaction for the colour rendering, film speed (is it best at the speed on the box? or some other speed?), and processing (either you or your chosen lab). Leave nothing to chance, and listen to advice - don't rely on it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
qvsm Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share #7 Posted January 14, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Many thanks for the advice I've already been through Ektar 100, Velvia 50, Kodak 200/400, Reala 100 and B&Ws such as HP5 and XP2. So far love the look of Ektar 100 and the punch from Velvia slides is beautiful but not suitable all the time. Good shout on the ND filter, I'd be using the 50mm Summilux most of the time. Plenty to try then - I'll get buying and shooting Understand its entirely subjective, I'll supply a few pictures from a recent trip over the weekend, to give an idea of the type of shooting I enjoy most. Thanks once again for the help Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlesL Posted January 15, 2011 Share #8 Posted January 15, 2011 Search Flickr using Morocco and specific film name, like Astia (film pulls up too much digital stuff). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted January 15, 2011 Share #9 Posted January 15, 2011 Search Flickr using Morocco and specific film name, like Astia (film pulls up too much digital stuff). Indeed. OP, purchasing film in Morocco or nearby is crazy expensive, if that is a concern of yours. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
qvsm Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share #10 Posted January 15, 2011 Thanks Had a good search on flickr - problem is choosing the right one! There are at least 3 film types that I very much like the look of. Will try experimenting here first - but at questionable value since the conditions and environment are very different. Ektar and E100G are favourites at the moment. Velvia would be fantastic but hard to use if taking a single body. A few sample shots I enjoyed taking in Bali - a trip I did middle of last year, however not with my M8. A bit unorganised as I've just uploaded them for for this thread. Bali - a set on Flickr Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Black Posted January 16, 2011 Share #11 Posted January 16, 2011 Would like to take the train on this one... I also have the same story, do not want to take the M8 with me because i will be in places with no eletricity, So i choose a M6 (christmas present to myself ) and mine olympus xa I have some Fuji superia 100 and kodak Elite chrome, what is the opinion about those that you guys have ? And for the xa i was thinking in some bw, and would like tho have some advice on that ? wich one ? wich speed ? Because i will be in a place where the sun is very harsh and last time i was in a similar situation i did had some highly contrasted negatives Im not so at ease with film, so if my questions look naif, its because i am Thank you in advance for all the kind answers ps- with the M8 i always had the IR filter, that helped protecting the lens At the moment i have no filter when i use the M6,went to a store and they told me, not to buy one, takes quality out of your lens, What you think ? by a protective filter ? which kind ? Thanks again Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybob Posted January 16, 2011 Share #12 Posted January 16, 2011 If it were my trip, and I were bringing just color film, I would bring Ektar 100 and E200 to push. If I wanted all chromes, I would bring E100G instead of the Ektar, but that Ektar's pretty nice. Jay Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootinglulu Posted January 16, 2011 Share #13 Posted January 16, 2011 I love the look of the 'Superior 400' here..by Fish http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/people/159474-her-house.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
qvsm Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share #14 Posted January 16, 2011 I do like Ektar I must admit. Got almost too much to try now! Thats the great thing about film, so much to try and learn. Commented on that series by Fish, I do like the look of that film too. Interesting routing through flickr, Fuji and Kodak appear to have quite separate followings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZDavid Posted January 17, 2011 Share #15 Posted January 17, 2011 Ektar 100 is good, quite saturated. I still really like the look of slide film. E100G is a good all-round fine grain film, while Fuji Astia 100F has incredibly fine, almost invisible grain and a very good tonal range, but is more neutral. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.henry Posted January 17, 2011 Share #16 Posted January 17, 2011 I went to Morocco last year and just shot film. You'll have a blast there, and the photo opportunities are great. I can't recommend Chefchaouen enough. A great little town that is entirely blue. As for film, in color I shot a mix of Fuji Provia 100F and Velvia 100; probably 75% weighted towards Provia. In black and white, I shot a mixture of Ilford PanF, Fuji Acros, and Fuji Neopan; the Neopan was usually pushed to 1600 and shot at night. You can see some examples of my Morocco photos at my website (still under development, but almost done): Pixels and Grain | Photography Site Have a great time! Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpsawin Posted January 17, 2011 Share #17 Posted January 17, 2011 Another consideration: The intensity/color/attributes of light in Moroco are probably significantly different than those in London. I live in Seattle and on my first trip to New Orleans loaded up with a mix of color films (chromes & neg's.) that I knew to work well...he in the Pacific Northwest. I was absolutley unprepared for how different the light was in N.O.. It was much brighter and intense and the angle was much different (duh...further south). As it turned out I could hardly shoot any of the 400 ISO stuff. Just a thought, but I would error toward slower emulsions to give yourself plenty of shooting options. Best regards, Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
qvsm Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share #18 Posted January 17, 2011 Bob I think that's a very valid point and anticipating taking only 100-160 for day film. And yes, dark and gloomy (and least this time of year) does present a very different environment! Jeff that's a superb set! Very much enjoyed it thanks. Fantastic colours - are the scans doctored or straight from the film? Particularly the blue walls, interested to know what shots were Provia and Velvia if you can spare the detail. Feel like I've got my work cut out for march Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted January 17, 2011 Share #19 Posted January 17, 2011 You can see some examples of my Morocco photos at my website Pixels and Grain | Photography Site Jeff Superb images, Jeff Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.henry Posted January 18, 2011 Share #20 Posted January 18, 2011 Pete, Leicasnapper, Thanks for the kind words. This thread is actually the first time I've posted links to any of my photos--until now I've just kept them for myself. But, in order to improve I need to share and get feedback from others. One of the things that I'm working on this week is adding details of each picture to the website. But, in answer to your question on how much post production I did, the answer is very little other than white balance, cropping, and some highlight recovery after scanning the film (Nikon 5000). All of the color shots, except the window with red flowers, were Provia 100F. The window with red flowers was Velvia 100. Black and white shots were Fuji Acros for day time, and Neopan 400 pushed to 1600 (with a VC 35mm f1.2 lens) at night. The blues in Chefchaouen really were that blue. It was overcast while I was there, so that helped keep them from being washed out by the harsh sunlight that you'll experience in Morocco. I found that carrying one camera loaded with color slide film, and another with B&W film worked very well. I usually had one in my hand and the other over my shoulder. For what it's worth, I also took a 4x5 camera, and shot mainly Velvia with it--will post those pictures later this week. In hindsight, and in preparation for Egypt in April, I'll leave the 4x5 at home and take my (new to me) Mamiya 7ii and two lenses. If you have any questions about traveling in Morocco, where to stay, what to visit, etc, shoot me a PM. Cheers, Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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