Questions from a beginner on film and CLE

[zwarte_kat]

Hi everybody!
This is my first post. I recently got myself a CLE. Before that I owned an M8 and I still have a GH1, but film is just much more fun somehow! And the CLE is a great little camera.

After getting back my first roll in scanned files (ektar100) I am overall very content at the amount of shots that were at least usable.

Here are a few though that I thought were weak (see attachments).
BTW how can I make them appear right here, can I link to flickr?

"Boat" seems a bit underexposed, and "couple2 and "kiteMan" seem to have blown out highlights or something. The were shot on a bright day in the park, how can I prevent these hard highlights? With a filter? Any tips/advice/pointers are more than welcome. Also I had them scanned in quite cheaply. Would it make a difference on print or a better quality scan?

Another question:
Does it matter where I have my negatives developed? Or is this the same process everywhere? I know print and scan quality differ from place to place, I am just talking about the negatives.

Also, it has been mentioned that I shouldn't leave the camera overnight with a cocked shutter. Is there a way to check if it is? I mean, without cocking it or taking a picture?

Here are some of the other shots after some shopping and cropping:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23276156@N03/

I hope you guys have a moment to help a beginner like me on his way! I would be very grateful!
CHEERS

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

hi. welcome. The CLE is a great camera. I have the cousin, the CL. I won't comment on your pictures except that they look very nice. Regarding your question:" Does it matter where I have my negatives developed? Or is this the same process everywhere? I know print and scan quality differ from place to place, I am just talking about the negatives." Yes. Most definitely. In my opinion, labs with high traffic are usually quite experienced and their chemicals are fresh due to the high turnover. Some labs are more professional than other commercial labs. Having said this, nothing beats developing the film by yourself, because you get to pair the film and developer chemicals. cheers! raytoei

 

[batterytypehah!]

Hi, and welcome.

I don't have a CL or CLE but I just refreshed my memory over at Cameraquest (http://www.cameraquest.com/cle.htm).

The boat picture is clearly underexposed. Were you using manual or auto mode? If auto, the camera should have done much better than that. It's not a particularly difficult scene and the CLE's system was pretty sophisticated. The article says dust can cause exposure problems on the CLE, so check into that.

The other two pictures are normal, I think. The light just wasn't great (too harsh). Strong sunlight is not good for portraits, that's why you always see assistants with reflectors and flashes at pro photo shoots. In the kite man photo, you're also shooting almost against the sun. Overcast skies give much better light.

Where to develop: There was a time when, as you say, the C41 process was practically the same everywhere. Nowadays, as raytoei mentioned, it's harder to find a lab that's still busy and properly maintains the equipment and chemicals. Let us know where you live (Netherlands?) and you'll get some recommendations. If you're interested in black and white, home developing (negatives only) is relatively easy and cheap, and you don't need a real darkroom.

Link to photos: Yes, you can link to Flickr, or your gallery here at RFF, or anywhere else on the web. Use the button that has the little "hills and sunset" scene and paste the URL of your picture into the dialog box that comes up.

 

[gilpen123]

Please remember that CLE does not have AE lock. If you point the camera then recompose you will lose the exposure of your subject. Specially bad for backlit subjects or extreme contrast. If this is the case do what Ken Rockwell does, meter the subject remember the exposure then switch to manual and use that exposure. Generally exposure is very good on even lighting situations. Here is an example of turning the exposure to manual after I metered the subject.

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[zwarte_kat]

Wow, it has been a year ago since I posted this thread. I thought I already thanked you guys in this post, but maybe I forgot, or maybe I closed the window without submitting my text, which I ALWAYS do.
Anyway thank you. i could use your info quite well, but I soon stopped shooting after that and went to digital (also because of my work). I shot a few shots now and then but not much. But lately I've been shooting like crazy and reading this forum a lot. Will post again soon, because I still have many questions! I love the CLE!
So Cheers!