E-6 in 120 format - worth it?

Roger Hicks said:
Once you've got over the 'Wow!' factor on the light-box, I am totally unconvinced of the advantages of going bigger than roll-film for trannies.
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You are talking about the wow-factor from the photographers viewpoint. For me it remains even after 25+ years of shooting MF and LF E-6. What I count on is that clients and other viewers never lose that wow-factor. In fact, for 99.9% of them it is not just 'wow', but 'Wow' or 'WOW'.
 
CuS said:
Still, I think I'm stopping at my local Penn camera today for some E-6 in 120. Pray for me :)
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You don't need prayers for this... just watch your exposure so you don't blow out highlights or get deep, dark, featureless shadows... just like any time you're shooting E-6. Remember to gasp loudly when you say "WOW"! :D
 
Yes, apart from the WOW factor, using slides is the only way to tell how good you really are with your exposure. You can get a decent print 2.5 stops out and think you are doing OK but really your D&P man has done it for you. No way with slides.

My favourite is Velvia 50.
 
You need to move to Los Angeles. I have multiple labs within easy driving distance that does 2 runs a day.

On second thought, please don't move here... we have too many people already :)
 
jplomley said:
Roger, with all due respect, I use my view camera for landscapes where I can take advantage of perspective control offered by tilts, swings, and shift. If I want to create a looming foreground, i will use a rear base tilt. If I want to put the viewer at eye level will tall Sequoia trees and negate convergence, i will tilt the bed and correct for parallel with the front and rear standards. You just don't have that sort of control with any other camera architecture. The biggest gain in quality is not so much due to the increase in film real estate, it is because you can optimize the plane of focus, thereby minimizing focus spread and requisite aperture for DOF. As such, you are not into diffraction limiting apertures. I think it's important to also keep in mind that 4x5 lenses are optimized for f/22, unlike 35mm and MF optics.

My smallest print size is 16x20 and I have compared my Mamiya 7 against my Arca Swiss using Rodenstock APO Sironar-S glass for these dimensions. When there are no gains to be had with re-orientation of the focus plane (i.e. lens and film in-parallel), there is only modest gain in sharpness in going 4x5, but the tonal range appears greater and there seems to be a greater overall sense of depth, an enhanced 3D rendering if you will. As soon as the optimal plane of focus is no longer parallel to both the lens and the film, then 4x5 leaves MF in the dust, and the difference becomes more obvious as the focus plane becomes increasingly obtuse from parallel.

And finally, I am not constrained to the roll of film I have in the camera. Using Readyloads or Quickloads, I can mix my film types for the scene at hand. Light is fading, no problem, out comes the Portra 400NC. Beautiful soft "glow" light within the latitude of chrome, out comes the Velvia 50. This, IMHO, is a huge advantage over MF.

Just my 2-cents from someone who shoots everyday with both systems.

~ Jeff
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Dear Jeff,

I would not argue with a word you say about movements (though of course you can use rollfilm view cameras, and I do).

Nor would I argue about big prints. I am sorry I did not make myself clearer: I was still referring to full-page or at most double-truck (double-page spread) repro. With very big prints, the advantages of 4x5 inch (which we agree are modest, but visible) will become more and more clear.

And for 'what you have in the camera', well, that's why I have three 6x7cm backs for my 'baby' Linhofs.

In other words, we are in very substantial agreement.

Cheers,

Roger
 
jplomley said:
Roger, with all due respect, I use my view camera for landscapes where I can take advantage of perspective control offered by tilts, swings, and shift.
~ Jeff
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But my Arca Swiss does not have any trouble having theese controls on MF film. Via a Linhoff 6x7 back. :)
 
E-6 in 120 format - question #2 - Mounted (if possible) or Unmounted

E-6 in 120 format - question #2 - Mounted (if possible) or Unmounted

I am about a picometer away from shooting my first E-6 rolls in my 6x6/6x9 folder and wanted to know whether or not to have the developed film mounted or not.

This is, of course, assuming that mounting is available for 120 film (in either 6x6 or 6x9).

I'm assuming unmounted is better for scanning.

Any opinions?

Thanks!
 
CuS said:
I am about a picometer away from shooting my first E-6 rolls in my 6x6/6x9 folder and wanted to know whether or not to have the developed film mounted or not.

This is, of course, assuming that mounting is available for 120 film (in either 6x6 or 6x9).

I'm assuming unmounted is better for scanning.

Any opinions?

Thanks!
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Not!

Few if any scanners accept mounted trannies, and mounting is only useful if you're planning on projecting, in which case you want good plastic mounts, not lab cardboard.

Cheers,

Roger
 
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I once saw an exhibit at the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid. It was presenting the work of the French architect Jean Nouvel and they were being projected with two 120 slide projectors. At the time, I didn't know 120 slides existed and the images on the wall completely blew my mind and I sat there for a good hour taking it all in. If you plan to shoot E-6 slides and have the luxury of owning 120 projectors, I say go for it.
 
Just don't start. Once you look at them big bright colorful slides on the light table (if you don't have one - most reputable labs do - use it) you'll have a problem. There's something magic about it - it makes even mediocre photos appear nice to you. Unless you're prepared for years of therapy, stay far far away. :)

As for the film I use - I used to like Velvia, but recently I'm very pleased with results I get from Astia - a little more forgiving and way better skin tones. You can get more saturation and contrast in PS, but the other way around is not always true...
 
Years ago they made "lantern slide" projectors and mounts for slides up to 3.25 X 4.25 inches. If you're lucky you might run across one in a thrift shop. Finding mounts mighht be a problem these days and glass mounts are best for keeping the film flat but the slides sure look great on screen.
 
CuS said:
I am about a picometer away from shooting my first E-6 rolls in my 6x6/6x9 folder and wanted to know whether or not to have the developed film mounted or not.

This is, of course, assuming that mounting is available for 120 film (in either 6x6 or 6x9).

I'm assuming unmounted is better for scanning.

Any opinions?

Thanks!
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I never mount any of my chromes, since I have no intention of projecting them. Cheap cardboard mounts leave paper spatter on the film and the rounded edges require significant cropping to return to a squared format.

/T
 
Expired Ektachrome 100 (very expired :) ):

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Worth it? o yeah... :)
 
it's worth to try. And it's a road you will never leave.
Really, the quality difference between 35mm and 6x6 is already big. Then i got the 6x9 gw rangefinder and shot some 220-size rolls of E100GX and E100G in it, and the level of details is really amazing.
My poor epson v700 scanner tries hard to get the most out of the slides but it's impossible. I really should get a medium format scanner for it.

As far as i know 6x9 slide mounts do not exist. 6x6 and 6x7 do. Having a 6x6 projector is not anymore a big investment, there are some ok ones to find second hand. 6x7 is a different story, there is a big price gap between them.
 
shadowfox: Does the magenta shadow come from the fact that it is expired?
I also see it once in a while in my slides that are short dated or expired.
 
In Virginia and mentioning Penn makes me think you are in Northern VA. You might want to try Dominion Camera in Falls Church. They develop all film up to 4x5 in house. I don't know how the cost compares to Penn. I know the folks at the Penn near Springfield Mall used to be knowledgable and friendly. I hear their store in Tysons is larger and has more older "stuff."
 
Pherdinand said:
shadowfox: Does the magenta shadow come from the fact that it is expired?
I also see it once in a while in my slides that are short dated or expired.
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Ferdinand, I wouldn't be surprised at all if that's the case, this film IIRC is from 2003 or something, so it's quite old. Never shot a fresh roll of E100 so, I can't say definitely :)

Now that I have Lightroom, I may try again to remove it.
 
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