New on film, any sugestions/tips?

[Armen]

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Hi all,

 

Just waiting to receive my new Leica MP and start with film. My last time with film was in the 90s when i was a teenager and i wasn't into photography....

Now i have a q2m and an M11.

 

Any sugestions or advises on what to do or not to do?

At this moment i have at home:

- Porta 800

- Gold 200

- UltraMax 400

- Ilford HP5

- Ektar 100

 

Lenses: 50mm summilux and Voigtlander 35mm 1.4 (on its way to home, havent received it yet)

 

Should i start my firsts test with an ultramax400?

Better at the bigining shoot at box speed?

 

I'm going to shoot outdoors but also interested in shoot familiy indoors (maybe not the best...).

 

Thanks for your point of view!

 

[frame-it]

14 minutes ago, Armen said:

Better at the bigining shoot at box speed?

yes in the beginning, later on you can experiment.

 

for all the other points, do what you like and have fun, there are no rules

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[hansvons]

As you are not dipping into analogue photography with a cheap SLR but invested in an MP, you are serious about it. Otherwise, I'd suggest starting with Gold 200, going to a local lab and having them scan your stuff as cheaply as possible and be done with it.

If I were you, I'd start with B&W and get a couple of rolls to get you familiar with analogue photography (you listed HP5, which is an excellent emulsion for beginners, I'd also suggest trying Delta 100, as it's a revelation in terms of resolution). I'd then get a beginner's film development kit (e.g. from Ilford) and do the film dev by myself. As you have an M11, you could then digitise your film using a film holder with a macro lens and experience the transformation of negative to positive while tinkering with your favourite editor. 

Why all that hassle? Because it's the only way to discover the depth of analogue photography. With that knowledge in your bag, you'll be able to leverage the advantage of film vs digital and asses when to use what. 

Colour analogue photography, on the other hand, isn't artistically as dependent on the development process as B&W, relying primarily on precise timing and temperature and using proper, non-exhausted chemistry. Often, thin negatives (grainy, colour shifts) result from too short dev time/exhausted developer and not missed exposure.  Only professional labs will ensure that their process matches precisely the C41 recipe and not save money by using a dying developer. It's vital to have such a partner. If not, C41 home development isn't rocket science and can be done with high precision by yourself.

Scanning is another step that can be outsourced or done at home on a high level without significant investments–if you have a digital camera and a macro lens.

 

 

Edited June 1, 2023 by hansvons

[frame-it]

 

 

[hansvons]

46 minutes ago, Armen said:

Better at the bigining shoot at box speed?

What frame-it said. However, colour negative benefits from half-stop overexposure across the board, which isn't overexposure as you'd have with digital in terms of blown highlights, but more of ensuring that the negative is fat. E.g. instead of selecting IE 800 for Portra 800 on the ISO dial, you would shoot it at IE 640 and so on.  In cinematography, rating colour film a tad lower is best practice, especially in high-contrast environments. 

[Anbaric]

I would just go with the UltraMax or Gold and commercial processing and scanning to start with. Switching back to film after maybe 25 years is enough to adjust to for the moment. You'll need to get used to things like a fixed ISO limiting the combinations of shutter speed and aperture you can use, the sort of processing the scans will need, and the simple mechanics of shooting film. With colour negative film, I would shoot at box speed but err on the side of overexposure, to which it's very tolerant (it's worth experimenting with this so you know the limits for a given film). Then pick another film depending on the light or the subject and compare your results with what you got with the first one.

[250swb]

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I agree with @Anbaric, use Ultramax and Gold and commercial scanning just to get you going. You can set up your M11 as a negative scanner later. And look at what other photographers are doing with colour film, find a way of working that you like and make it your own.

[Huss]

8 hours ago, Armen said:

Hi all,

 

Just waiting to receive my new Leica MP and start with film. My last time with film was in the 90s when i was a teenager and i wasn't into photography....

Now i have a q2m and an M11.

 

Any sugestions or advises on what to do or not to do?

At this moment i have at home:

- Porta 800

- Gold 200

- UltraMax 400

- Ilford HP5

- Ektar 100

 

Lenses: 50mm summilux and Voigtlander 35mm 1.4 (on its way to home, havent received it yet)

 

Should i start my firsts test with an ultramax400?

Better at the bigining shoot at box speed?

 

I'm going to shoot outdoors but also interested in shoot familiy indoors (maybe not the best...).

 

Thanks for your point of view!

 

Hey Armen!

Where are you located?  We can then suggest labs etc.  All the films you are using are excellent. 

[Pangur Ban]

Shoot black and white and home develop (it's easy). Buy some 510-pyro and expose for the shadows. Produce well-exposed negatives that hold the detail so you can tweak in post-processing/darkroom.

[Ko.Fe.]

If you want to explore film for real, develop at home. BW is easiest, C-41 is not complicated as well. With bulk loading you could do, say twelve frames to get to results earlier  

But main thing, do not leave f1.4 lenses wide open if outside. 

[spydrxx]

Mostly enjoy shooting...it isn't rocket science, but with negative films (B&W or color) expose or the shadows rather than highlights; should you decide to try positive film, expose for the highlights. It sounds almost too simple to be true, but it is a great starting point. I concur with previous posters to eventually process your own B&W negatives, but if you have the funds and a good lab that step can come later as you become more engaged with film. Now get to it😁

[Armen]

Ey! Thanks for all your comments and sugestions!

 

learned a few things, now it will be time to practice!

 

it is important to store the rolls in the fridge? Or just if we are in hot summer temperatures?

[Armen]

4 hours ago, Huss said:

Hey Armen!

Where are you located?  We can then suggest labs etc.  All the films you are using are excellent. 

I’m in Andorra, so… no lab or at least one that i have to check.

my other best option is Barcelona.

i think i’m going to start with labs and later will try to do it by myself.

first i want to get used with the camera and the films.

 

step by step!

[250swb]

43 minutes ago, Armen said:

it is important to store the rolls in the fridge? Or just if we are in hot summer temperatures?

No, only if you bought so much film that you can't use it all within two or three years. It is a good idea to refrigerate film if only on the basis that you buy a stock of film and then change your preference for a different film before the 'use by' date. Photographers can then start to get a build up of different films all with different 'use by' dates so the easy option is to put them in the fridge for safe keeping.

[Jewl]

If you‘d like to be a bit more flexible I‘d rather suggest to go with faster films! I struggled a lot with the Kodak Gold 200 as when you are on the run the full day, it might get complicated if the light gets less and you cannot easily just switch to another roll etc. back and forth. On a sunny bright day if you know you will finish the roll, sure then slower films are fine!

the only thing is that faster films are way more expensive per roll! Kodak Gold is quite a good option if you want to keep the costs at least a little lower 😉 

[tedd]

What made you want to shoot film? Without answering this first it is impossible to suggest anything, as it is such a broad topic and everyone shoots film for different reasons. 

[Fotoklaus]

vor 11 Stunden schrieb Armen:

I’m in Andorra, so… no lab or at least one that i have to check.

my other best option is Barcelona.

i think i’m going to start with labs and later will try to do it by myself.

first i want to get used with the camera and the films.

 

step by step!

Read the Manual for loading the film properly into your Leica. It is a bit different than in other camers which most people are used to.

It is one of the most asked topics 🙂 But if you follow the manual exactly its very easy and safe. And also very quick after a few rolls.

The lightmeter in your MP is very much center weighted, almost a spotmeter. Remember that when setting the camera up.

[Mikep996]

Frankly, I'd suggest you start out with BW, developing it at home.  There are fairly inexpensive scanners available if you want to go that route.  Shoot/process the BW for a while to get a good feel for it and then, if still interested, try color film.  Personally, I only shoot BW film and do all my own processing, including darkroom printing.  Color, for me, is digital's domain.