Reds Posted January 29, 2015 Share #1  Posted January 29, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) I did a 20s style shoot last weekend.  I wanted to get as close as poss to that old hollywood look, here were my thoughts on planning the shot.  Not having any suitable fresnels I could power up on location, I just took a single hard light source, which was an 18cm reflector with a grid in it. The other consideration was the format. Knowing that most of those Hurrell era pics were taken on large format - I took the biggest I have which is a 6x7 Mamiya and shot some Ilford Delta, with a 110mm f/2.8  I also took the M240 & Nocti - thinking that if I shot wide open, it might come close to the look of MF. I think it did pretty well! Maybe that's a small part of what the Leica 'look' is for 35mm? I don't know... thought I'd post it up here for you chaps to ponder!  So here's two shots. One from the Mamiya/110mm & the other on the M240/Nocti.  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/240439-going-for-a-medium-format-look-with-a-nocti/?do=findComment&comment=2755009'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 29, 2015 Posted January 29, 2015 Hi Reds, Take a look here Going for a Medium Format Look with a Nocti. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
dugby Posted January 29, 2015 Share #2 Â Posted January 29, 2015 Very nice.... Â The DOF of the Nocti wide open seems more than a 50 Lux ...at 1.4 ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted January 29, 2015 Share #3 Â Posted January 29, 2015 A nice idea, and two good photo's, but to be brutally honest I much prefer the photograph made with the Mamiya, the contrast and richness seem a step above the M240. Â Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reds Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share #4 Â Posted January 29, 2015 I don't think it's too far off myself. Nocti is the first shot btw, and the Mamiya is the 2nd. Â The detail & richness of tones in her coat in the 2nd shot are outstanding, even with my crappy old Epson 4490 scanner. Â I would have like to have seen what the MM could do, but it's off in Solms for calibration at the moment. Mind you - critical focusing using live view would have been missed! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Livingston Posted January 29, 2015 Share #5 Â Posted January 29, 2015 I'm impressed, I thought the first shot was the Mamiya and the second shot the 240... Â The lighting and composition of the first shot seems more in tune with the era, maybe that was what fooled us... well, me. I can see now that the other commentators didn't actually specify their preference... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reds Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share #6  Posted January 29, 2015 Thanks Bill. I cropped it to a 6x7 aspect ratio (obviously), to match that of the RZ67. Still wondering what a shot from the MM would have looked like  I had a 6-stop ND on the Leica to get anywhere near being able to shoot wide open in the day time, and a 3-stop on the RZ. The M made a very good 'polaroid' and light meter ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugby Posted January 29, 2015 Share #7 Â Posted January 29, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Do you have any 645DF or 645ZD images to compare with the M240 ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
semi-ambivalent Posted January 29, 2015 Share #8 Â Posted January 29, 2015 "Medium format look" is a bit of a misnomer of course. The smaller format can get the compression of the focal length of the larger but not the angle of view, or the angle of view but not the compression. Tones are another matter and are available to any format, within some constraints like grain or as long as you're not comparing, say 8x10 to Minox 16, enlarged to the same size print. Â I guessed the second print to be MF but the angle on the columns had changed. The trees looked closer to me. But it was just a guess. Nice shots. Â s-a Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reds Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share #9 Â Posted January 29, 2015 Dugby - no I only have the RZ67. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted January 29, 2015 Share #10 Â Posted January 29, 2015 "Medium format look" is a bit of a misnomer of course. The smaller format can get the compression of the focal length of the larger but not the angle of view, or the angle of view but not the compression. Â Yes, totally agree. The look of medium and large format IMO comes from using lenses of a certain focal length for a given angle of view (and the consequent spatial relationship of the various elements in the frame) than it does from depth of field. The latter will only take you so far using 35mm and it never really looks like a larger format. It's one of the reasons why I'm not entirely convinced by the look you get from the Leica S. It has gobs of resolution and sharpness but little of the "look" you get from a larger format like 6x7. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted January 29, 2015 Share #11  Posted January 29, 2015 I'm impressed, I thought the first shot was the Mamiya and the second shot the 240... The lighting and composition of the first shot seems more in tune with the era, maybe that was what fooled us... well, me. I can see now that the other commentators didn't actually specify their preference... That's what I thought, too. I like the lower contrast of the first. The rich tones of the second are impressive. I like the pose in the first, too. Phew, am I the only one who feels it's hot in here?  Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedi996sps Posted January 29, 2015 Share #12 Â Posted January 29, 2015 Thanks for sharing. i keep going from one to the other and back again, they both look fabulous to me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reds Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share #13 Â Posted January 29, 2015 I do get your points about angle of view & compression etc. But I felt that some lenses.... well the Nocti specifically, can get close to the 'feel' of it. It's only an approximation, of both the MF & 1920s look - but I think they're in the ballpark. (not withstanding the lighting, where a fresnel would have been ideal). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith (M) Posted January 29, 2015 Share #14 Â Posted January 29, 2015 Tonality-wise I had guessed the first image to be the Mamiya. In the second shot I find the harder/brighter light on the model's face to be a distraction, taking the eye away from the rich textures and tones of her coat etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reds Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share #15 Â Posted January 29, 2015 you're supposed to be looking at her face though, which is why it's brighter but if your eye goes to other details and back again, to my mind - the picture is working ! ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted January 29, 2015 Share #16 Â Posted January 29, 2015 Oh, yes, she's got a face. Lordy lordy,...those legs.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted January 29, 2015 Share #17 Â Posted January 29, 2015 you're supposed to be looking at her face though, which is why it's brighter but if your eye goes to other details and back again, to my mind - the picture is working ! ;-) Â Here is a tip offered for free, old Hollywood photographs were not about looking at anything other than the person in the photograph, that was the point about black backgrounds or narrow depth of field. Â Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reds Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share #18 Â Posted January 29, 2015 What sort of tips do I get if I pay ? ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted January 29, 2015 Share #19  Posted January 29, 2015 What sort of tips do I get if I pay ? ;-)  I'll tell you what secret words to put into Google in order to see some old Hollywood photo's.  Steve  Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reds Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share #20 Â Posted January 29, 2015 Ha! I do actually have some Arri hotlights for those types of shots in the studio, but we were all working on location with a theme on Sat and it was nice to be able to experiment I do love shooting the Mamiya. If only there was a 'full frame' digital sensor for it. (And I win the lottery). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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