It's Official - I got my Ikon today...

[fixbones]

Akiralx, which ones were taken with the sonnar wide open?

I am contemplating a sonnar myself but was wondering how it would handle shooting with the aperture wide open. I rarely, if ever shoot portraits. Only landscapes and streetwork....so most pics will be shot more than 1m away anyways.

 

[DRabbit]

I think they look GOOD Akiralx! Contrast is a matter of taste, but I like them a lot!

I haven't gotten over the lab yet so my first roll is still sitting here waiting to go. B&W that's in cam for me to develop is done yet... but I do have all my supplies and am ready!

 

[Quinn Porter]

One thing that surprised me was how noisy and high contrast they were

Your average lab doesn't make the best scans. Most will apply an auto-levels to your scans to set white and black points. Further, the white and black points are often set to clip at both ends. Last, a tone curve is usually applied to bump up contrast. The lab is trying to create a scan that you will be happy with "as is". The assumption is you won't be doing any processing yourself. If you scan your own negs, you will find plenty of lattitude with HP5.

 

[Paddy C]

I've had mixed results when getting scans from the shop I get my film developed at (and they are a fairly pro place, not high-end but concerned about film). So I gave up. It's the same when you get prints—they will be high contrast and not necessarily a good indication of what you captured on your neg.

Scan it yourself to evaluate it properly.

 

[akiralx]

Akiralx, which ones were taken with the sonnar wide open?

I am contemplating a sonnar myself but was wondering how it would handle shooting with the aperture wide open. I rarely, if ever shoot portraits. Only landscapes and streetwork....so most pics will be shot more than 1m away anyways.

The chess ones were all shot with the 50mm C Sonnar wideopen. The entire series is here:

http://alexandjustine.smugmug.com/gallery/7994505_wwTTL#519246385_8pDLQ

The Sonnar is a tad 'dreamy' wideopen but very sharp stopped down (that's the theory anyway, as you probably know), unlike the Summilux-ASPH, which I also have and am trying on the Ikon now.

 

[akiralx]

Your average lab doesn't make the best scans. Most will apply an auto-levels to your scans to set white and black points. Further, the white and black points are often set to clip at both ends. Last, a tone curve is usually applied to bump up contrast. The lab is trying to create a scan that you will be happy with "as is". The assumption is you won't be doing any processing yourself. If you scan your own negs, you will find plenty of lattitude with HP5.

Thanks, Amy - I do like these after looking at them for a while (if chess can't look OK in black and white, what can?). I think they convey the slightly grim surroundings that these matches take place in.

But I agree that they may have boosted the contrast as in the last one above the wall is almost blown out. Reducing the contrast -25 in PP doesn't make much difference.

I don't have a scanner so am relying on others to do it. This scan was done by Ilford who I thought might be at least above average.

 

[DRabbit]

Hi Akiralx,

I posted some results over in the film and developing forum if you wish to see... I posted them over there because a lot of the nice folks around here convinced me I could develop myself (and they were right!)...

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73573

 

[Michael Markey]

Akiralx,

I use HP5 and have Ilford do the processing but find the result a little soft.I would like something with more contrast . I thought it was the film but I much prefer the look of your shots so maybe it is the lens. I use a VC 40 SC for most of the BW stuff.
Mike