last days of summer

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#353. Leica IIIc CV 35mm f2,5 LTM, BW400CN
 
Lynn - Great series, but you've misnamed this thread: you should have called it Seminar in How Film Renders Highlights — and you should have charged for admission. I love the "shooting in the light" highlights of #38:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2592909&postcount=38

BTW, I am no way a film bore and shoot with an M9-P and an MM. However, argue with myself that, for the dark, high-contrast look that I often like, the M-Monochrom is ideal — but then I see the luminosity of the highlights that I get with Tri-X in my M6 (which I shot with last week for the first time in 10 years) and realize that the MM, no matter how carefully I post-process, produces something duller in the highlights. That makes me want to sell my M9-P and MM and limit myself to film, although it's much more work. The lower resolution, or acuity if you will, doesn't bother me. I'll agonize over this for few more weeks and then decide.
 
thanks Nowhereman, yes I was very pleased with that shot. I am REALLY enjoying going back to film! There is nothing like it. I think my 6D would not have done nearly so good a job as the IIIc and film.
 
lyynb - how long since you went back to film? How and which scanner are you scanning with? How are you printing? Care to give some pointers on the process and travails of returning to film?

Two weeks ago I gave my Imacon Precision III scanner to a friend, but he couldn't get it running (problems is getting the SCSI interface and old FlexColor software working with new operating systems, both Mac and PC. I hope that I can get it working...I'll try an old Mac.

EDIT: Love #53 although to some people seagull pictures are as anathema as those of cats...
 
I started using film again a few years ago, but only started using it almost exclusively in the past 12 months. I was most fortunate and grateful to an RFF friend who gave me a large amount of short-dated and just-expired 35mm and 120 - which took away the "fear factor" of wasting money (and I then realised the fear was pointless; film is very cheap @AUD$6 a roll for Fomapan, and as little as AUD$7 for FP4+/HP5+ when it's on special). Also, buying the IIIc (a camera I'd long wanted) and an early Nikon F re-inspired me to shoot more film.

Once I started, I got hooked on the fun, and the look (much more authentic than digital IMO).

I scan with a V700, not the best scanner around but it will do MF and I can get quite reasonable results with 35mm if I flatten the negs under a pile of heavy books for 24hrs before scanning, and despite the cheap and nasty Epson film strip holder. I'm tempted to get some ANR glass inserts one day.

I'd been printing digital with an Epson 3880 on Canson Baryta (great paper!) but that printer is clogged and I can't afford to repair or replace it. I blush to say I haven't pulled my enlarger out yet, mainly because I don't have a darkroom and the laundry isn't big enough to swing a cat in. But I will. Soon.

The Imacons are great! A friend has one of the more recent Flextight models, he bought it new about 8yrs ago and the scans blow anything from my V700 out of the water. A huge leap in quality. But then he paid over AUD$20k for it. My dream scanner would be a drum scanner (have a look at Tsiklonaut's [Margus] photos, magnificent..) but wet printing is where I want to go/get back to. I've been saying that for 2yrs now.

I scan using Epson Scan software on an old Mac (it doesn't work on newer Macs for some reason) and adjust the histogram for each scan to give max DR and as broad a tonal separation as I can get. Then import to LR4 and adjust. Sometimes I use LR presets to help get the tones where I want - I can recommend FilmBot, which is freeware. Occasionally I use PhotoLooks, which I bought for digital work - it's software designed for movies/video that has been adapted for still photography workflow. The photo in post #38 was done in PhotoLooks.

The best advice I can give is to buy a brick of your favourite film, and go out and play with it without regard to any worries about cost. I use sunny 16 and a handheld Sekonic Twinmate L208 light meter, which I carry around my neck with the meter tucked in a pocket. Easy to grab and never gets dropped. Also shooting with one lens is kind of liberating, as you get used to seeing in that focal length and can concentrate on seeing photos rather than which lens to grab. The folders are good like that too.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
 
Keith said:
What happened to your DF Lynn?
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DF? Do you mean the Nikon F? It's crying out to be used! I don't own a DF (and it would be too big for my hands, I've handled one and would pass on it, despite the great sensor). The Canon 6D, otoh, is perfect for my grip. Very small for a ff DSLR (though not as small as Sony A7 series).
 
Lynn, this is a fantastic series, and great idea to post the images in a single thread!

Keith said:
I could have sworn you had a DF ... a senior moment obviously! :D
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Keith, maybe you're thinking of P. Lynn Miller? Another Sydneysider! Come to think of it, he hasn't visited RFF in quite a while.
 
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