Is It Time To Ditch My MP Film?

[S.Rolf]

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I’m at a crossroad and need some opinions.

 I have an MP film camera and the M10 digital.

Since getting the M10 I haven’t used the MP at all.

The only reason I have at the moment for not getting rid of the MP is that I would like to dedicate it as my B&W camera.

All my once-local labs have dried up so my closest labs are now via mail which I have yet to try.  Hence another reason for me going digital.

This brings me to my question.

Is there any benefit in me developing the film via the old wet tank method and then scanning/importing into Lr and printing vs all digital?

 Thanks 

[benqui]

Yes it is! Developing b/w film is not so difficult and you have the process in your own hands. Scanning is another thing. There are many labs which can do it for you in a very good quality. Keep your MP, I am sure you would regret it sooner or later. Wait until your enthusiasm for the M10 (a beautiful camera) declines, the time for your MP will come...

[a.noctilux]

You may the only one to know if there is benefit or not.

For me, the film rendering even scanned is not possible to be duplicated with M10 or whatever digital sensor.

If you can see or want the film rendering, why not use film in parallel of your digital camera.

Film processing is part of fun to use film for me.

B&w processing is so easy and with Rondinax for example, need very little place and hardware to master.

 

[Matlock]

I still use film (mostly with my M6TTL and M7). I develop my B/W film and then scan it. As with all processing, dust can be the main problem, but with care the results are stunning. Keep your MP or you will regret it in years to come.

[indergaard]

I recently sold my black paint MP that I purchased new 5-6 years ago. I swore that I never would, but honestly, my freezer is full of film, and my scanner has been gathering dust, and for some reason I have rarely been impressed by how film renders in the last years. Even black and white film. And the process of developing, scanning, cloning dust and dealing with big tiff files and conversions takes so much time and energy that by the time I'm done with the pictures, I'm really done with them and don't want to do anything with them (print, export, upload, etc). I'd rather just use my M10-P or A7rIII.

Using many types of B&W and color film in the last 5 years has taught me a lot about film looks and characteristics and the differences between analog and digital though. Which makes it easy to create images that look identical to film if I so wish.

So my advice is that if you don't use your MP, I would sell it. $3000 is too much to just have sitting on the shelf. That's a nice vacation or photo trip or workshop. Or a really nice lens.

Now I just have to sell of a lot of film. I have tons of the original Fujifilm Acros 100 that expires in May 2020, which has been in the freezer for the last two years. And tons of HP5+ with varying expiry dates. I guess the Acros rolls should sell rather easily now that it is discontinued by Fujifilm.

Edited July 29, 2019 by indergaard

[Emtsoh]

The reasonable decision would be to sell your film MP. The wise (maybe) decision is to keep it. 

10-15 years ago, I used to have only digital cameras until I entered film photography through an MP and an M-A. Since then I shot, develop and scan film enjoying the process in every step.

You can keep the MP for BW film and use the M10 for all the rest.

(or you can always sell the MP and use the money for something else). 

[Matlock]

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Last week I exposed a roll of Konica Infrared  750nm 120 in my Rolleiflex. The film had been in the freezer with an expiry date of February 1991. Processed and scanned and it looks fine. I would say that I still do about 40% film in spite of my M10-D seeing a lot of use.

Edited July 29, 2019 by Matlock

[ckuwajima]

1 hour ago, benqui said:

Yes it is! Developing b/w film is not so difficult and you have the process in your own hands. Scanning is another thing. There are many labs which can do it for you in a very good quality. Keep your MP, I am sure you would regret it sooner or later. Wait until your enthusiasm for the M10 (a beautiful camera) declines, the time for your MP will come...

I am one of those who came back to analog, and I agree.

Developing may be relatively easy and satisfying, but scanning is a great PITA: requires dust free environment, a very good scanner and lots of time to learn and to just wait for the scan to complete. Many times the results are disappointing and this will happen for a long time, until you are able to learn how to tweak a clean environment, flatness of the film, scanner parameters, etc.

I am still adapting myself to this hybrid workflow, it is painful, but works for me.

I also recommend keeping your MP, because you may become bored with digital.

Edited July 29, 2019 by ckuwajima

[S.Rolf]

I think I need to put a finer point on my question.

Can I achieve the same results from a neg thats been scanned and inkjet printed as the traditional wet lab process in terms of B&W?

 

[ckuwajima]

It depends.

With my somewhat limited scanning gear and abilities, I am pretty sure traditional wet lab process is superior.

But in other hand there are those who drum scan their film and use digital tools to achieve better results...or may be not better, but different results. One example is Platon Antoniou.

[Nick_S]

Ilford XP2 Super film, being chromogenic, allows relatively straightforward scanning with infrared dust removal that cannot be used with silver halide based films. You could try some rolls of this film in your MP, send them off to a lab and see whether you like the results. The tonal curve and long shoulder of the images would be hard to emulate with digital manipulation of M10 files.

On the subject of wet lab processes versus a hybrid scanning workflow, I saw many examples of each from negatives on the same films in the recent Martin Jenkinson retrospective exhibition in Sheffield. The results of both processes were impressive, though the detail in the large prints from the scanned negatives surprised me:

http://www.rps.org/news/2018/november/who-we-are-photographs-by-martin-jenkinson

Edited July 29, 2019 by Nick_S

[lykaman]

Store your MP for a few months then see how you feel. I kept my R6.2 & M6 for nearly a year before I sold them.. I still yearn for the Wind On Lever, but we must go forward... L

[Jeff S]

1 hour ago, S.Rolf said:

I think I need to put a finer point on my question.

Can I achieve the same results from a neg thats been scanned and inkjet printed as the traditional wet lab process in terms of B&W?

 

Silver prints and inkjet prints are different; either can be good or bad, depending on you and a myriad variables. But there can be something special about a superb silver print of a worthy pic that is well displayed.

Jeff

[S.Rolf]

Can you explain what a “silver print” is bs inkjet?

[earleygallery]

1 minute ago, S.Rolf said:

Can you explain what a “silver print” is bs inkjet?

Perhaps if you don't understand 'silver print' then you don't need to worry about seeing any differences between inkjet and traditional B&W prints.

Silver prints are made with traditional photo paper, processed in chemicals like film.

I would suggest that you should bear in mind that with a B&W negative you have the choice to scan/inkjet or view on a computer, or make traditional prints. Best of all worlds.

[S.Rolf]

33 minutes ago, earleygallery said:

Perhaps if you don't understand 'silver print' then you don't need to worry about seeing any differences between inkjet and traditional B&W prints.

Silver prints are made with traditional photo paper, processed in chemicals like film.

I would suggest that you should bear in mind that with a B&W negative you have the choice to scan/inkjet or view on a computer, or make traditional prints. Best of all worlds.

Now I understand.

I thought you were referring to a special inkjet printer paper.

I’ve done color and it was an expensive royal PITA.

Getting back into a wet lab environment was something I was trying to avoid.  However, I would do it if the benefits were there.

Edited July 29, 2019 by S.Rolf

[TomB_tx]

I go through cycles where I use mainly M9 & M10, but then the call of mechanical cameras hits and I enjoy shooting film for a while. I collect interesting “user” cameras (mid-roll on a Contax IIA now), and shoot mainly B&W, process in a spare bathroom with a changing bag, and usually just batch-scan and view on PC, but can still use my enlarger if something special pops out.

However, just finished a roll of Porta 400 in my M6, had it processed and scanned by Dwayne’s, and there is something about the film images that still grabs me more than digital; and I still enjoy shooting film more.

Also been shooting 120 (and even 127) MF more lately, and love the look from the larger negatives. 

When digital gets to feeling more like a (convenient) rut, film can wake you up again - if you keep a nice film camera handy.

[DickieT]

My M10-D makes me a lot happier than my 240MP (sold) and so it chips into the share of film that I shoot. I like the sensation of shooting film and everything that comes with it - develop, scan and print. 

Different times in life, circumstances to shoot and desired outcome determine if I shoot film or digital. Without a crystal ball to know what is in the future, I hang to my MP and M6 and suggest you do the same

[S.Rolf]

1 hour ago, DickieT said:

My M10-D makes me a lot happier than my 240MP (sold) and so it chips into the share of film that I shoot. I like the sensation of shooting film and everything that comes with it - develop, scan and print. 

Different times in life, circumstances to shoot and desired outcome determine if I shoot film or digital. Without a crystal ball to know what is in the future, I hang to my MP and M6 and suggest you do the same

I agree and will hang onto it.

 Thanks 

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[S.Rolf]

6 hours ago, TomB_tx said:

I go through cycles where I use mainly M9 & M10, but then the call of mechanical cameras hits and I enjoy shooting film for a while. I collect interesting “user” cameras (mid-roll on a Contax IIA now), and shoot mainly B&W, process in a spare bathroom with a changing bag, and usually just batch-scan and view on PC, but can still use my enlarger if something special pops out.

However, just finished a roll of Porta 400 in my M6, had it processed and scanned by Dwayne’s, and there is something about the film images that still grabs me more than digital; and I still enjoy shooting film more.

Also been shooting 120 (and even 127) MF more lately, and love the look from the larger negatives. 

When digital gets to feeling more like a (convenient) rut, film can wake you up again - if you keep a nice film camera handy.

Where is Dwayne's?

Is this it?

https://www.dwaynesphoto.com/

Edited July 30, 2019 by S.Rolf