leicatwins Posted March 4, 2008 Share #1 Posted March 4, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, I have been a happy M8/24 Elmarit user for 6 months . If I have some spare money I will buy a Leica M analog body or a Bessa R version. My objective is to get another look at pics taken by Leica lens on film. I am curious since I know Leica lens is well known before for film body and I want to see its capability on films. I have no experience before in Leica film body. I only used a Maxxum 9 for a while before selling it again to finance another lens. Something bothering me now is how good is the results of films on Leica/Bessa body when processed in regular camera store (high-street shops) which provide fast processing service. I don't have a plan to have my own developing lab nor any skill in developing films. Is the regular camera processing store enough to give good results? I mean, just shoot and go to the store to get the images processed. Thanks for any advice. DJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 Hi leicatwins, Take a look here Interested in Leica film body, need opinion about the processing. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
DTD Posted March 4, 2008 Share #2 Posted March 4, 2008 A Leica film body and good lens is probably as good quality as 35mm can give. I think many people would say quality wise it's better than the current state of the Leica digital art. High street processing is very variable. I'd look for somewhere where they do the processing on site. But machine prints whilst good for checking composition etc. are never going to give you the ultimate quality. Another option might be to find a decent pro lab or use slide film. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted March 4, 2008 Share #3 Posted March 4, 2008 Much depends upon the quality of the lab that you would choose to use. If you choose to use a supermarket fujilab, then the quality (and care of your negs) can be very variable, as, in my experience, the operative has also got some dry-cleaning and ironing to do at the same time (Sainsburys, you know who you are) What you will find is that it is almost impossible to get anything other than jpg output from High Street scans. Even when I have asked, and paid for, high resolution scans, they still come as jpgs and not tiffs, with the resultant loss of quality. I have never been happy with the scans I have had done by this method, and refuse to pay £60 per roll, which is what the prolabs want for proper tiffs. If you want the very best quality, shoot slides and project through a Pradovit projector. Then you will see the difference between slides and digital. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticman Posted March 4, 2008 Share #4 Posted March 4, 2008 I really think this depends on what you need. I've shopped around most (of what's left) of the pro labs in Stockholm and I have to say the quality is extremely variable - and doesn't necessarily bear relation to price. On the other hand, for most purposes I'm pretty happy with what I get - but I've learned not to expect too much. For b&w I've been meaning to hire myself regular time at a darkroom... which someday I'll get around to actually doing. Really. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_n Posted March 4, 2008 Share #5 Posted March 4, 2008 As others have said, there is enormous variability. I just got some bad results back from an onsite quick processing lab where I have previously had very good results. Obviously there is (human) variation within just one lab, never mind between them. This was a wedding too so I was really ticked off. I've found a very good color processing lab here in Boston and found out that they will also develop B&W. After determining what soup they use I've bought film for the next wedding that looks great with that developer. The long-term plan is a wet darkroom in my house. I scan my own film BTW. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted March 4, 2008 Share #6 Posted March 4, 2008 Firstly I would say if you have an interest to use film then go ahead and buy a s/h M body (or the Bessa). As others have said, and is also my experience, lab quality varies too much to give you a straight answer. Also do you just want them to develop the film or make you prints as well? I assume you mean a typical 1 hour process and print service? I use film most of the time and take my C41 to Snappy Snaps who process and scan to CD in an hour. I use the CD as a 'contact print' or for the web, and re-scan/print specific images only. I'm about to start doing my own traditional B&W film processing - this is one area where you will definately see a difference to your M8, if you use silver halide B&W film. In summary - get your film body and experiment. Try out a local lab and see if you are happy with the results. Find a lab who does B&W and give that a try. Try slides too. If you buy a s/h Leica M body and find out that you don't like using film, you'll be able to sell it again without losing anything. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicatwins Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share #7 Posted March 4, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks, right now I just want to let the streetlabs, although I may find a pro one, to develop and print. I cannot afford the slide projector, it is very rare to find now and the Pradovit is very very expensive anyway. There is a good slide developer near my house, which I used to develop my slides. However, it is very hard to find a lab to print the slides. Perhaps, if I will buy a film body, I must also purchase a dedicated scanner. BTW, what resolution did you usually ask your lab to store in the CD? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted March 4, 2008 Share #8 Posted March 4, 2008 Decent slide projectors can be found s/h for very little money these days. I rarely use mine however - must do that sometime soon! As you say, its probably best to buy a scanner as well. As for the CD's they are usually relatively low res, good enough to print up to 6X4 or 5X7 but always in jpeg so you have lost some quality already. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
-kk- Posted March 4, 2008 Share #9 Posted March 4, 2008 Im finding that its becoming more and more expensive to develop E-6 films anywhere. Long term, i would love to have a darkroom setup at home, but right now, Im seriously considering using only C41 films eg XP2 etc, or use colour films but print them in monotone (never tried this but will give it a go with the next colour roll). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnastovall Posted March 4, 2008 Share #10 Posted March 4, 2008 If you stick with B&W just get a scanner like the Nikon CoolScans and process your own film. You don't need a darkroom. You can load developing reels in a changing bag and then do everything in full light. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianv Posted March 4, 2008 Share #11 Posted March 4, 2008 A lot will depend on the particular lab that you use. If you do not like one lab or film, there are many to choose from. I get good results from Kodak processing; and you can see the difference between a Collapsible Summicron and P&S in the 5x7 prints. Enough so that my friends at work can look at a picture on the desk and ask "What camera did you use for that". If your price range is around a Bessa R2a or R3a, you could also look at a user condition M3 or M2. If you like wides, go with the M2. 50mm and up- The M3. I have the M3, M2, and R2. The viewfinder on the M3 is the best. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Sprow Posted March 5, 2008 Share #12 Posted March 5, 2008 I (semi-pro) use an M8 and an M7. This is a great combination since both cameras have identical metering, shutter dial rotation direction etc. I usually have B&W film in the M7 and use the M8 for color work but when used for color the M7 is filled with slide film. For processing I make scans from an Epson V500 (cheap and easy) and then for the very best I have a local pro lab scan them on an Imacon machine. When using Velvia 50 in the M7, these scans produce beautiful 13x20's. Also, the M7 in addition to being a great machine on it's own, works when I am low on battery power for the M8 (I often work away from AC or DC power). Of course, the M7 is also "full frame" all on its own! Best of luck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicatwins Posted March 5, 2008 Author Share #13 Posted March 5, 2008 I am just curious abouth the variability issue. Is that C41 becoming standard process in every lab and everytime I went to the digital lab I see that big machine to process practically everything from processing negatives to prints. I thought everything is processed like "mass production" to generate standard quality of photo images from film. What is your opinion on C41 process, is it suitable for the Leica standard? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted March 5, 2008 Share #14 Posted March 5, 2008 With the C41 process, while your film might be inserted into a big off-white machine, you don't know how skilled the operative is, whether the chemicals are at the right temperature, how exhausted the chemicals are, etc. When labs were running through scores of films per day, everything was more consistent. If you find one that's only doing only a few, you can't be sure of everything. If you shoot E6, and send it away for processing, chances are that, given the small number of labs processing E6 now, yours will be done in a batch with others. This is good. I have a 20 x 30 print from a Coolscan V scan of a Kodak Supra negative in the landing in my house. It looks fabulous, so IMHO there's, no need to pay daft money for Imacon scans for most purposes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_n Posted March 5, 2008 Share #15 Posted March 5, 2008 Andy your comment about the volume is a good point. I think ultimately those of us who want the highest quality will have to develop ourselves, at least in B&W. I now have a complete kit here to do that, it's finding the time that will be the issue... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted March 9, 2008 Share #16 Posted March 9, 2008 The imaging chain is strong as the weakest link. Consumer processing is the weak link. I have had a darkroom for 50 years now and usually am disappointed with commercial processing. I have had good luck with pro labs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe 90 Posted March 9, 2008 Share #17 Posted March 9, 2008 Try and make it as simple for the lab as possible, at least for starters. Give them what they see most of. I get Fuji Z200 print film from Lidl for under 1 euro for a 36 shot roll. I give it the supermarket for processing! The supermarket forward to Germany for developing and printing. I can see some quality difference in a print taken with a nice Leica lens vs a quality P&S, even on a tiny cheapest format print. Results are very consistent for that film with them. I use the local pro lab for Slides and 120. They have a minimum order, but work out cheaper than the supermarket for C41 developing if I don't want prints. Never used them for that. Will try and see with a test roll of Fuji tomorrow. I have been using film for just over a year now, so never having shot Kodachrome before, I have bought some 64 and 200, and note that Dwaynes Photo in the US scan at low res for $4 a roll, they sell and develop K14 really cheaply, and charge shipping at cost only. Being the only place that develop K14 Kodachrome, they must see a lot of it. They also sell 400X for less than I can buy it in Switzerland. Film is just so much fun. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted March 9, 2008 Share #18 Posted March 9, 2008 It's when I read threads like this that I realise how fortunate I am. My local Sainsburys (a mile away) has a minilab/drycleaners. Today, I dropped a film off at 13:00. Develop only, cut to disc. I went and did my shopping, and dropped into Starbucks. 40 minutes later I received a text to say my film was ready. Develop, disc, index print, all for £4.99. I started using them after giving up on all the rest of the high street developers. Decent results, too... Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Regards, Bill ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/46977-interested-in-leica-film-body-need-opinion-about-the-processing/?do=findComment&comment=505808'>More sharing options...
peterv Posted March 12, 2008 Share #19 Posted March 12, 2008 Interesting, Bill, I kind of do the same at a place called HEMA in the Netherlands. €2,95 for one hour developing. And a good, mostly dust and scratch free job. In the past I've had some bad experiences with pro-labs. Expensive, treated like a @*$# if you don't come there everyday, and scratched film. So I agree with everyone above. It all depends... Question: In what resolution are your negatives/slides scanned? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted March 12, 2008 Share #20 Posted March 12, 2008 Question: In what resolution are your negatives/slides scanned? They come out as 6-7mb (ish) files, 1840x1232pixels. That's ample for proofing and for web use. Anything I intend to do anything worthwhile with, I rescan myself. Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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