FrankS
Registered User
How did the old-time photographers do it? I like using an f3.5 lens on my Leica IIIa. Yesterday I put a roll of ASA100 speed film in it. It's fine for outdoors, but I can't take any shots indoors. Too limiting!
ASA100 + f3.5 lens :(
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darkkavenger
Massimiliano Mortillaro
Maybe they were "pushing" the film ? 😕
wclavey
Established
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Now sit real still and smile...
GrAfFiT
Member
Flash maybe ?
Sonnar Brian
Established
They used a Summarit.
Pick up a "Leica Manual" by Morgan and Lester. The indoor, existing light shots, were taken with Summarit's. Before that, Summar's and Summitar's. ELmar is fine for outdoors and flash.
Tri-X was originally rated at ASA 200.
Pick up a "Leica Manual" by Morgan and Lester. The indoor, existing light shots, were taken with Summarit's. Before that, Summar's and Summitar's. ELmar is fine for outdoors and flash.
Tri-X was originally rated at ASA 200.
OldNick
Well-known
When I started out with my Leica IIIa and 3.5 Elmar, color was rated at ASA 10 and the most common B&W was Plus-X at ASA 50 or Super-X at ASA 100. You learned to use slow speeds indoors or pushed the development. I was lucky that my IIIa had been fitted with a synchronized flash unit by Leitz New York. That worked great if one planned ahead and had everything together.
Jim N.
Jim N.
aad
Not so new now.
And of course, setting the camera on the table..
JoeFriday
Agent Provacateur
the photographer had special clamps that they used to hold people's heads and arms steady during the exposure
N
Nikon Bob
Guest
Wide open with a very steady hand and really smooth shutter release. I usually use Kodak B&W CN rated at 200 with a yellow filter outdoors so it is really a 100 speed film and remove the filter indoors to shoot at 400. I guess that is the modern cure. I don't think you will loose all that much quality with today's modern films compared to the very slow speed film available when the camera/lens combo was new. Yes they must have had considerable skill/luck back then to get the results they with the film available.
Nikon Bob
Nikon Bob
VictorM.
Well-known
Not many 35mm users in the old days worked indoors.
W
wlewisiii
Guest
It does get dicey at times, but you learn to live within the limits. I've got a roll of Reala and a 50/3.5 for my CL right now. We'll see how the indoor stuff comes out 😱 I love it 😀
William
William
terrafirmanada
Well-known
I just got a Canon 28 3.5 and know what you mean. I have tried a couple inside, but I am breaking out the Tri-x next time. It is hard to hold still, much less get any of the little boogers in my life to calm down for that long of a shot. I am looking forward to longer motion blurred shots though (one of my main reasons for this lens).
dhartse
I own a camera
FrankS said:
Actually, this sounds like a good photo challenge! Maybe after the point-and-shoot challenge is over? I suspect a tripod and a cable release will figure into my solution.
Duane
Last edited:
FPjohn
Well-known
Leica guide
Leica guide
Hello:
The Leica Guide, 45tn Ed, WD Emanuel p21-
Holding a Leica
"Whenever possible, support your body against something solid such as a tree or wall, or prop up your arms on rails or a table or even your own knees when sitting on the ground."
yours
Frank
Leica guide
Hello:
The Leica Guide, 45tn Ed, WD Emanuel p21-
Holding a Leica
"Whenever possible, support your body against something solid such as a tree or wall, or prop up your arms on rails or a table or even your own knees when sitting on the ground."
yours
Frank
Zack
Screw RC
I often find the f/5.6 lens of my fuji limiting. but for color slides they look better if they are underexposed anyway. the table trick is really good for indoors (just set everything up then rest it on the table to make the exposure)
VinceC
Veteran
When I got back into film photography a year ago, I was surprised to discover that Ektar 25 had been long discontinued, because I was going to start off with it again. Had been a favorite ten years earlier. Used to shoot it indoors all the time, albeit with some fill/bounce flash.
Slower emulsions from the 1950s were a big reason fast lenses were so important back then. The f/1.4 lens gave you 2 2/3 stops over a 3.5 and opened up the indoors, albeit at marginal shutter speeds. The name Tri-X means there used to be a "double-x" and a "single-x". Also, old photo books are filled with people experimenting with pushing their emulsions up to the wild-eyed speeds of 400 and 800, but with gritty results.
I think most folks used tripods and/or a lot flash bulbs. Serious portraitists were expected to know how to use floods and bulbs. If you look at some of the classic Life magazine work of the 1940s and 50s, many photographers like Eugene Smith were highly skilled at making floods and flashbulbs look like available light.
Slower emulsions from the 1950s were a big reason fast lenses were so important back then. The f/1.4 lens gave you 2 2/3 stops over a 3.5 and opened up the indoors, albeit at marginal shutter speeds. The name Tri-X means there used to be a "double-x" and a "single-x". Also, old photo books are filled with people experimenting with pushing their emulsions up to the wild-eyed speeds of 400 and 800, but with gritty results.
I think most folks used tripods and/or a lot flash bulbs. Serious portraitists were expected to know how to use floods and bulbs. If you look at some of the classic Life magazine work of the 1940s and 50s, many photographers like Eugene Smith were highly skilled at making floods and flashbulbs look like available light.
pvdhaar
Peter
Frank, you really should try turning on the lights 😀FrankS said:
FrankS
Registered User
Thanks for all your posts.
I typically use HP5+ but bought some 100ASA ilford film in order to wrestle the max performance out of my gear. It was jsut an unlucky combination of 100 speed film in a body I like to use with the small collapsible Elmar or Elmarski lenses. Now I've learned not to do so.
I typically use HP5+ but bought some 100ASA ilford film in order to wrestle the max performance out of my gear. It was jsut an unlucky combination of 100 speed film in a body I like to use with the small collapsible Elmar or Elmarski lenses. Now I've learned not to do so.
lubitel
Well-known
I've shot a couple of rolls of Delta 3200 with my fed2 and i-22 combo in very low light situations. Was fun!
peterc
Heretic
I've been playing with ASA25 and ASA64 film recently ... wanna try some? 😀FrankS said:
Peter
