qruyk12
Established
I am just going to start using 800, 1600 and 3200 speed BW and C41 film stock. My question, with these higher speed films should I be using my 35 f2 asph and 90mm apo or will my photos look better with older 50's vintage lenses?
a little puzzled and not too many threads on this topic.
a little puzzled and not too many threads on this topic.
payasam
a.k.a. Mukul Dube
A better lens gives better photos. Older lenses, though, may give results that you like. Better is not always more likeable, and vice versa.
mfogiel
Veteran
You should use the 21/3.4 Super Angulon - it is great with B&W...
Pickett Wilson
Veteran
Really fast film is inherently less sharp, so it likely won't matter what lens you use. Probably waisting all that resolution on them. Older lenses with lots of aberrations may even be better.
Debusti Paolo
Well-known
I think you'd use an old camera,lenses,handheld meter,filters, and film....(/like tri x.)
MCTuomey
Veteran
marek, lovely highlights, especially along such rich blacks. well-exposed and developed, to say the least.
kermaier
Well-known
You should use the 21/3.4 Super Angulon - it is great with B&W...
Nice picture! The frame is well composed in terms of large elements, and completely filled with interesting details to look at. The latter quality, especially is something I'm finding difficult to achieve with very wide angle lenses.
As to the OP's question -- isn't the SA 21/3.4 an extremely high-resolution lens?
Ari
Last edited:
Turtle
Veteran
OK, here goes:
If you are shooting a film at its true speed and it is a low contrast film, shooting a modern modern lens will give a bit more contrast if you desire it.
The higher the speed of a film the lower the contrast, as long as it is rated at its true speed.
The true speed of Delta 3200 is about 1000-1200, Neopan 1600 about 500-640 etc for ME with my devs and technique.
If you are pushing a film beyond the true speed in your dev combo, this will result in lost shadows and stretched highlights i.e. high contrast negs
Modern lenses reduce effective film speed because they are low on flare. Older lenses with less effective coatings are higher on flare i.e. light bouncing about inside the lens and spilling into the shady areas and helping to increase exposure in the shadows. Modern lenses will therefore produce therefore darker shadows for the same given exposure. If you expose more to open up those shadows with a modern lens, you get hotter highlights.
Therefore:
Shooting a modern lens on a low contrast film in a low contrast situation would help you out by maximising the contrast on the neg and preventing flat contrast on the neg.
Shooting a modern high contrast lens with high contrast film or on high contrast situations may lead to high contrast negs that are hard to print
Shooting an old lens when you are pushing film beyond its true speed or in high contrast settings will assist in opening shadows and controlling highlights.
However:
None of this really matters. Get used to your lenses, films, developers etc and adjust film speed and development to get the neg contrast you need.
If you are shooting a film at its true speed and it is a low contrast film, shooting a modern modern lens will give a bit more contrast if you desire it.
The higher the speed of a film the lower the contrast, as long as it is rated at its true speed.
The true speed of Delta 3200 is about 1000-1200, Neopan 1600 about 500-640 etc for ME with my devs and technique.
If you are pushing a film beyond the true speed in your dev combo, this will result in lost shadows and stretched highlights i.e. high contrast negs
Modern lenses reduce effective film speed because they are low on flare. Older lenses with less effective coatings are higher on flare i.e. light bouncing about inside the lens and spilling into the shady areas and helping to increase exposure in the shadows. Modern lenses will therefore produce therefore darker shadows for the same given exposure. If you expose more to open up those shadows with a modern lens, you get hotter highlights.
Therefore:
Shooting a modern lens on a low contrast film in a low contrast situation would help you out by maximising the contrast on the neg and preventing flat contrast on the neg.
Shooting a modern high contrast lens with high contrast film or on high contrast situations may lead to high contrast negs that are hard to print
Shooting an old lens when you are pushing film beyond its true speed or in high contrast settings will assist in opening shadows and controlling highlights.
However:
None of this really matters. Get used to your lenses, films, developers etc and adjust film speed and development to get the neg contrast you need.
maddoc
... likes film again.
Actually, I wouldn't care to much about the lens choice. It mostly depends on the light of the scene and the way you develop your films.
aizan
Veteran
resolution is generally not the only benefit of newer lenses.
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
My experience, and I use A LOT of TMAX 3200, is that good lenses look better and bad lenses look bad on any film, even ones like Tmax 3200 that are not that sharp. I've shot 20 rolls of Tmax 3200 in the last 4 months!
Chuck Albertson
Well-known
What Chris said. I use the 35 and 90 lenses you mentioned a lot, and get really good results with TMZ, much better detail than you'd expect with a film of that speed.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
A lot depends on what you want, too.
Cheers,
R.
Cheers,
R.
JPSuisse
Well-known
Mfogiel: this is completely off the subject. But I would love to just walk around with you for a day... I imagine you have the camera ALWAYS ready! And like the picture in this post, I like so many of your pics!!!
JP
JP