the problem of having a second M....

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Kahnlund

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Since I went back to only shooting analog I have been feeling that I sometimes miss the possibility of shooting b&w and colour at the same time (not the same pics but on the same trip so to say...)
A couple of weeks ago I won a decent M2 on an auction, So I now have a second body that I can use for colour film.
So to the "problem"....
I think it wold be smarter to shoot color with my MP as it has metering and then use the new M2 for b&w work, but then on the other hand I mainly shoot b&w and then I would prefer to use my MP as my main camera and the M2 as more of an "back up color thing" So the question is, can you shoot color film (negativ, as ektar) without metering and get decent exposure with for example sunny 16 (which I have'nt tried yet...)

Any input on how you are doing this would be appreciated!

Thanks!
/Matt.
 
from what i know and seen, C41 (color negative) film is the easiest to meter and shoot.
totally forgivable. especially when you are overexposing.
plus, you can meter on the pavement with your MP and set the M2 with that light and ready to go.
 
"Sunny 16" is only as good as your sense of light. Practice, practice, practice. We're not always going to be in a spot where the subject is evenly lit. That said, I find color negative film pretty forgiving. Except Ektar. Kinda like slide film. If you have a small hand held meter bring it along. I use a Sekonic L-208. Small and handy. Use something like that with your M2. Or if you have an iPhone. Use a light meter app. =)
 
Thanks,
Yes ofcourse I can use the MP as Meter, but knowing myself when walking around I will not be patient enough to first meter with one camera and then bring up the other one for taking the pic. also to do this fast enough and not lose the subject might be a problem....
How good are these Iphone aps, any one compared therm to a real meter?
Any film recommendations for forgiving C41, Porta?

Thanks!
 
iPhone app Light Meter is as good as a real one. But, why meter every shot with your MP? Should suffice to only meter when light changes. Metering the pavement is good, pretty close to 18% grey. Or meter the palm of your hand, the lightness of that is even more consistent. But, only meter new lighting situations and remember the setting, that saves a lot of time.
 
I pretty much have substituted my Seconic L-208 with the (free) Iphone "Light Meter" appli and it works well enough for E6 color-slide film in daylight. Actually, the Iphone apply is more precise than the Seconic since you see exactly the metered area on the screen and can judge for example how much (large ?) percentage of shadow or dark areas should be included in your measurement.

That sad, after some time with your M2 you might not like the LEDs in your MP VF anymore ... 😉
 
Use only the M2 for a couple of weeks, Matt. You'll get used to it quickly.

Then take both cameras out, use them for different films, different lenses, color vs. B+W, etc.
 
I shot Kodachrome and Ektachrome in my M2 from 1960 through 1997, until I got my M6. Now I shoot B&W in the M2 and color in the M6 and MP, exactly as you suggest. I recommend you get a nice light meter to use with the M2.
 
Yes, I alreday like the M2 a lot, it a clean and a wonderful camera to use!
Who knows, maybe I will end up prefering the M2....🙂
anyway, I think for now that I will stick with colour film in the M2 and use my Iphone/MP as metering and then we will see how it goes...
Going for a trip to Paris in a couple of weeks, will try the setup then.
Thanks for all quick replies!
 
low contrast film?

low contrast film?

Roger Hicks said:
Ektar 100 is the most demanding colour negative material I have ever encountered:

http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/reviews kodak ektar 100.html

Anything other colour neg, yes, in your situation I'd cheerfully guess exposures. But not Ektar. Can you not live with Portra 400?
Cheers,

R.
Click to expand...

Yes, I was actually thinking of trying some other color film anyway,
want to get something with less contrast, more vintage kind of look to it... I have read other threads here and it sounds like Porta 400 NC is the thing to get... but now that one is out of production and out of stock everywhere I have looked....
How is the Porta 160NC, same thing but with less grain?

Thanks!
/Matt.
 
Matt,

In case you can't find Portra: I shoot simple Kodacolor in my M2 and M3 and results turn out real good.

If you scan your negatives, I recommend importing them to LightRoom and apply a preset to lower contrast and saturation to your liking. This can be a batch job and will only take minutes.

Kodacolor is grainier than Portra though, so you'd best stay with 200. Paris in summer time will easily deliver 250@5.6 light during daytime, even more in direct sunlight.

EDIT: added a color sample of Kodacolor 200. Watch the reds though, they tend to get too hard.
041109-Kodacolor200-2.jpg
 
Last edited:
Colour neg film generally has latitude of 2 stops under and 3 stops over (although for really good pics you want to be within a stop), so"sunny 16" is just fine. Look at all those 126 instamatics which always fire at 1/100 and f/8!

My understanding is that colour neg film is inherently sharper than colour slide film, and slide film only came out sharper in the old days because you didn;tlose any further quality by printing it through an enlarger. In these days of scanning and digital printing (all big photo labs now use this), there is no advantage to slide film unless you want to project the images. Even colour management with neg film is now sorted with test targets etc.
 
I tried a similar setup and didn't get it to work for me. The cameras were too disimilar, and I couldn't figure out which film to put in which body. My new strategy: my second body has to be the same as my primary so it doesn't matter 🙂
 
I would like to find a film that needs as little work in Ligtroom/photo shop as possible... One of the main reasons for giving up on digital was that I got tired of all after work and the enormous amount of pictures that I some how managed to take.... Ofcourse there is still some work now as I have to scan all negs....but I can live with that.
With regards to B&W film, I will stick to it as I have a small lab in my basement for developing and printing.
So I just have to find a neg color film that is to my liking and that is forgiving when it comes to exposure and easy to scan... might not be an easy task ;-)
 
if you can estimate exposure properly with b&w, then stick those c4 rolls in the M2 and go for it 🙂 I have been shooting meterless with my M4 exclusively with colour with great results. of course one time or another i will under/overexpose a shot or two, but never enough to compromise a photo.

the new portra 400 from what i have been reading seems like an outstanding film, though i havent found it so far. I've been using fuji superia 800 quite often lately, as I mostly shoot in low light situations, but even during the day i can have good exposures, 1/1000 and f16 will do the job. it's quite versatile. though an iso 400 film grain delivers better iq for sure.
 
Last edited:
Kahnlund said:
Since I went back to only shooting analog I have been feeling that I sometimes miss the possibility of shooting b&w and colour at the same time (not the same pics but on the same trip so to say...)
A couple of weeks ago I won a decent M2 on an auction, So I now have a second body that I can use for colour film.
So to the "problem"....
I think it wold be smarter to shoot color with my MP as it has metering and then use the new M2 for b&w work, but then on the other hand I mainly shoot b&w and then I would prefer to use my MP as my main camera and the M2 as more of an "back up color thing" So the question is, can you shoot color film (negativ, as ektar) without metering and get decent exposure with for example sunny 16 (which I have'nt tried yet...)

Any input on how you are doing this would be appreciated!

Thanks!
/Matt.
Click to expand...

A good way to learn the light is to get a hand-held meter in your pocket (even when you aren't carrying a camera) and check it at different times of day and during different lighting conditions. It doesn't take long to learn (more or less) what settings to use for the conditions. Sunny 16 works for the obvious conditions; bright sun. For hazy conditions, or thin overcast, I halve the shutter speed. For regular overcast conditions, I halve it yet again. This covers most of my outdoor shooting situations. If I am shooting in shadows (under the trees on an overcast day) I'll halve the shutter speed yet again, so my shutter speeds vary from 1/500 to 1/60, using the same aperture. If I want to maintain a higher shutter speed, I simply halve the aperture setting. I usually shoot Portra color film (on the rare occasions I shoot color), and and so far I've gotten good results, even when my "metering" is a bit off.

I carry 2 Leicas not because I like to shoot color and black and white simultaneously, but because I can use a different lens on each camera; one camera wears a normal lens, the other a wide angle. I find it faster to change cameras than to change 2 lenses on a single camera.
 
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