Guest MarcRF Posted August 26, 2012 Share #1 Posted August 26, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello there, since I'm new here I'd like to say a few words to my person before I'm going to frustrate you with my questions. So here we go... I'm 24, student and live in southern Germany. I've saved quite a lot of money with which I've bought a M6 TTL chrome and a brand new Summilux 50 asph chrome, which is my entry to the world of Leica. I learned photography when I was 11 with an old analoge Olympus with 35mm lens from my grandpa and I decided to go back to my roots before thinking about buying a digital Leica. So far the first two films went through easily... I won't talk about how fascinated I am about the product itself... that would take on huge dimensions Film Question Days when I shot film are gone by and I do not know much of these days anymore... of course how to treat them... What really bothers me is what film I should use. Since I got the 'Lux I think I'm not in need of extreme high ISO films. I want to shoot colour and B/W but mainly B/W. My local photo store sold me a 12 picture kodak film for testing the camera and at the moment I got a Kodak 200 in (lost the package, dont know exactly what it is...) and a moderate B/W film (Ilford FP4 PLUS 125). Depending on your recommendations I guess it's best to buy them online. Film Box Questions I've seen those fancy Fuji film boxes which fit 8 or 10 rolls. Are there any kind of these boxes available for shipping today? I searched for 2 hours and haven't found ANY:confused: Sorry for writing so much for you to read. I'm looking forward for your answers. Greetings Marc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 26, 2012 Posted August 26, 2012 Hi Guest MarcRF, Take a look here Newbie with questions regarding film selection. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
philipus Posted August 26, 2012 Share #2 Posted August 26, 2012 Since I got the 'Lux I think I'm not in need of extreme high ISO films. Welcome to the forum Marc. Why not just try various film? A roll doesn't cost much so it's easy to try out. We can all make suggestions but only you can decide for yourself. What films did you use in the past and why did you like them? Chances are they, or something similar, exist today. But i'm not sure what you mean by extreme high ISO films. I have several 1.4 lenses and find that I still need higher sensitivity films. It all depends on the circumstances and what you wish to achieve with your photo. Edit: yes buying online is a good idea. Usually cheaper. Nordfoto and Macodirekt are ok but there are many others. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MarcRF Posted August 26, 2012 Share #3 Posted August 26, 2012 well apparently... I don't know what I used... it's 10 years ago, at least. I think it was Kodak Gold but I didnt try out, because as a child I didnt really know there were differences I guess I thought in a digital way... larger aperture, no need for high ISO settings.. I heard when it comes to film the high ISO films are used for the effect of the "noise" they have... I asked because I thought there are certain brands or films that are being recommended for a general purpose use.. I shoot everything I find interesting and try to come up with the best composition possible... films I've heard of: Fuji Velvia (I got a X100 as a secondary camera which got a simulation for the colours) Kodak T-Max 100/400 Kodak Portra 160/400 the thing is it's really easy to get information regarding digital gear nowadays but for a "beginner" like me it's nearly impossible to find reliable sources for this glad I found the forum here so I can talk to you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalArts 99 Posted August 26, 2012 Share #4 Posted August 26, 2012 the thing is it's really easy to get information regarding digital gear nowadays but for a "beginner" like me it's nearly impossible to find reliable sources for this There is actually quite a bit of information about film on the web. And a lot of it is directed to beginners due to a 'retro' resurgence among younger people wanting to give film a try. Here is just a small sampling: I Still Shoot Film How to Choose a Film for Your Camera: 7 steps (with pictures) Photography Guide - How to choose a 35mm film for your camera I think most people here will suggest that you choose a film based on your end product (monitor viewing only, large prints, etc..) And to choose only a couple (or just one) and stick with it for a while. And I agree that it is usually a good idea to stick to one or two films at first and get to know them. There are several flavors of B+W film with 'standard' grain such as Kodak Tri-X, Ilford HP5, and Fuji Neopan 400. These are 'fast' enough for general use and yet not overly pronounced grain (which will appear in large prints but not with monitor viewing.) The 'tabular' grain films are Kodak TMax and Ilford Delta films. These have a less pronounced visible grain due to the grain structure. Color film is a bit more limited these days. There is positive film (E6 processing) and negative film (C-41) processing. Positive film is quite nice but is more difficult to expose properly, harder to find these days, and E-6 processing is not as common as it once was. If you want to produce both color and B+W images, you can use a color film and edit it into a monochrome file after scanning. I would choose a few films that are readily available (and still being produced) and which you can get processed easily. Experiment with them for a while. All modern films are quite good and the differences are relatively subtle. And just like ice cream, everyone will have their own personal favorite flavor. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MarcRF Posted August 27, 2012 Share #5 Posted August 27, 2012 Thanks a lot. I was just searching for German sites (doh google...) and I didn't find a lot there... I've ordered a few to test out: Kodak Ektar 100 (ordered 5) Kodak Portra 400 (ordered 3) and bought a cheap colour film with ASA 200 just to test the quality and compare it to the more expensive kodaks and for B/W Ilford FP4 Plus 125 (ordered 10, I like the sample pictures I found on the net quite... my local store told me it's a goodie) Ilford HP5 Plus 400 (ordered 5) Kodak TMax 100 (just 1 to get the order into the range where they ship for free.. and to have something to test) I think I'll fire these through and if it really suits me I'll start developing them by myself, probably even rolling them... might be some trial and error but the money I save is a lot... more to be put into the piggybank for the M9 Again... thank you very much for your help:) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipus Posted August 27, 2012 Share #6 Posted August 27, 2012 Kodak Ektar 100 (ordered 5) Kodak Portra 400 (ordered 3) and bought a cheap colour film with ASA 200 just to test the quality and compare it to the more expensive kodaks and for B/W Ilford FP4 Plus 125 (ordered 10, I like the sample pictures I found on the net quite... my local store told me it's a goodie) Ilford HP5 Plus 400 (ordered 5) Kodak TMax 100 (just 1 to get the order into the range where they ship for free.. and to have something to test) Those are very good choices, Marc. I wouldn't exclude Tri-X, though. Looks a bit different than T-Max (partly due to the different grain structure) and has a bit of character. Agfa APX100 is also very nice. I see you've not included any slide film. Velvia 50, pushed to 100, has been my staple slide film since for ever. But it costs a lot, some 9,50€/roll or thereabouts. I still like it a lot but have also discovered that Agfa Precisa 100 is a very nice slide film, which also gives saturated colours (not everyone's cup of gin, I know). And Precisa is dirt cheap, usually less than 4€/roll. Some people stick religiously to certain films, others prefer some but take whatever comes along, yet others don't care which film they use. I'm in the middle category. In addition to Tri-X, Velvia and Precisa, I usually buy Portra (virtually only 400, which I expose from EI200-EI1600 depending on the need) and Ektar (which has a somewhat narrower exposure latitude, akin to - but certainly not like - slide film). I have recently found that rebranded Konica (sold here in Holland by Hema) works very well too with little discernable differences (at least based on my workflow). When I buy Kodak Gold 200 on occasion because I've run out I'm also happy with the results of that consumer film. The cheaper Fuji negative films are also really good. Plus, of course, post-processing allows changing the "look" pretty much limitlessly. In that vein, consider the Color Perfect plugin for Photoshop. To me, being very general here, the main difference between consumer and "pro" films is how long they last. As I understand it (though someone more knowledgeable than I please correct this), because the colour balance of film is affected by the time it is spend unexposed, pro films are intended to have a correct (if that's the term) colour balance when at the time of purchase so that they can be shot soon thereafter. Consumer films are colour balance-wise not yet fully "ripe" which is normally not a problem because they tend to spend time on shop shelves before being bought and so ripen there. Good luck with the photography Philip Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MarcRF Posted August 27, 2012 Share #7 Posted August 27, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks for the help philipus I didnt find the Tri-X in the shop I bought these but I'm gonna definitely give it a try once I'm through with the ones I ordered I think if I like certain results I'm gonna stick to them.. simple as that. Theres also a very cheap (1.15€ per roll or 4 rolls for 3.75€) film in a drug store in Germany.. also bought and mentioned in the last post, let's see how much it differs to the kodak ones.. I'm so excited about the whole thing of using films so thanks for the support Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwinThomas Posted August 27, 2012 Share #8 Posted August 27, 2012 Sorry no info on film, but I spotted this the other day, maybe what you need unfortunately not in production as yet JapanCameraHunter Film Cases | Japan Camera Hunter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MarcRF Posted August 27, 2012 Share #9 Posted August 27, 2012 Ye I've spotted that too but it can't just be one guy producing it... there have to be loads of these because I think Fuji once produced them regularly... Anyway thanks for reminding me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwinThomas Posted August 27, 2012 Share #10 Posted August 27, 2012 Ye I've spotted that too but it can't just be one guy producing it... there have to be loads of these because I think Fuji once produced them regularly... Anyway thanks for reminding me Yes if you read the post he said the Fujifilm box is no longer made and he is making his own version, which he will be selling soon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MarcRF Posted August 27, 2012 Share #11 Posted August 27, 2012 but you can't even find used boxes for sale anywhere. and all those analog-internet stores never even heard of such things sadly... guess I'll have to wait and look at the price tag of camera hunter boxes.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiMPLiFY Posted August 28, 2012 Share #12 Posted August 28, 2012 This is a fun place to hang out and learn. Have Fun! Film Photography Project | An Internet Radio Show & On-Line Resource for Film Shooters Worldwide Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted August 28, 2012 Share #13 Posted August 28, 2012 I have recently found that rebranded Konica (sold here in Holland by Hema) works very well too with little discernable differences (at least based on my workflow). Philip Hi Philip, Any more information on this film? Is it called 'Hema' ? I have quite a few rolls of Konica C41 in the freezer. It's nice film, rather saturated colours but nice skin tones and converts to B&W well too. I didn't realise it was still available. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipus Posted August 29, 2012 Share #14 Posted August 29, 2012 Hi James Hema is the name of the shop, or chain actually. I've been trying to figure out if it really is Konica or Fuji. This tool reports Fuji as manufacturer (see also here and here). The edge of the film says 400N CH25 H48 in case that helps. I also like the colours (first one 8,5cm/2 Nikkor, second one 50 Summilux Asph). 6.95€ for three rolls (in a shop) isn't bad. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/186524-newbie-with-questions-regarding-film-selection/?do=findComment&comment=2099211'>More sharing options...
Guest MarcRF Posted September 15, 2012 Share #15 Posted September 15, 2012 Hello again, I've been quite busy shooting and well... I got a bit addicted to trying new films. Although I've just tried cheap films yet because I want to get used to my Leica first before doing more expensive films, I've bought quite a bit of a selection of films... I'll note em down Black & White: Ilford PanF+ 50 Rollei Retro 80 (ordered, arriving soon) Agfa APX 100 Kodak TMax 100 Ilford FP4+ 125 Ilford HP5+ 400 Kodak Tri-X 400 (ordered, arriving soon) Kodak TMax 3200 (ordered, arriving soon) Colour/Slide: Fuji Velvia 50 (ordered, arriving soon) Kodak Ektar 100 Fuji Provia F100 (ordered, arriving soon) Paradies 200 (cheap drugstore film for testing) Fuji Superia 200 Kodak Portra 400 I guess that quantity and variety leaves me perfectly happy till December at least thanks again for the help Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StS Posted September 16, 2012 Share #16 Posted September 16, 2012 (...) I usually buy Portra (virtually only 400, which I expose from EI200-EI1600 depending on the need) (...) Just out of curiosity - you have Portra 400 pushed to, say 800 rather than taking Portra 800? Sure, the 800 is still the old version, but my lab is rather wary to push C41 film and specifically doesn't like to push more than one stop. Stefan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipus Posted September 17, 2012 Share #17 Posted September 17, 2012 Hi Stefan I don't mind that the 800 is the old version actually but for me the sweet spot ISO-wise is the 400 which is versatile. While I have on occasion exposed one and the same roll as described and developed at box speed and received useable results, I prefer shooting at 400 to reduce the grain which is otherwise quite dominant at least with my Coolscan. Cheers Philip Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulus Posted September 23, 2012 Share #18 Posted September 23, 2012 Hello there, since I'm new here I'd like to say a few words to my person before I'm going to frustrate you with my questions. So here we go... I'm 24, student and live in southern Germany. I've saved quite a lot of money with which I've bought a M6 TTL chrome and a brand new Summilux 50 asph chrome, which is my entry to the world of Leica. I learned photography when I was 11 with an old analoge Olympus with 35mm lens from my grandpa and I decided to go back to my roots before thinking about buying a digital Leica. So far the first two films went through easily... I won't talk about how fascinated I am about the product itself... that would take on huge dimensions Film Question Days when I shot film are gone by and I do not know much of these days anymore... of course how to treat them... What really bothers me is what film I should use. Since I got the 'Lux I think I'm not in need of extreme high ISO films. I want to shoot colour and B/W but mainly B/W. My local photo store sold me a 12 picture kodak film for testing the camera and at the moment I got a Kodak 200 in (lost the package, dont know exactly what it is...) and a moderate B/W film (Ilford FP4 PLUS 125). Depending on your recommendations I guess it's best to buy them online. Film Box Questions I've seen those fancy Fuji film boxes which fit 8 or 10 rolls. Are there any kind of these boxes available for shipping today? I searched for 2 hours and haven't found ANY:confused: Sorry for writing so much for you to read. I'm looking forward for your answers. Greetings Marc you have as much as you want in two days here: Amazon.de: tmax 400 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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