Sentimental M

Dear friends, any comments on the color images I posted on the Lombok/Gili series? Those are scanned by a commercial lab, a bit too contrasty and sharp for my taste, in other words, not how I would scan them personally.
Any thoughts and constructive criticism will be much appreciated.
 
jwicaksana said:
Dear friends, any comments on the color images I posted on the Lombok/Gili series? Those are scanned by a commercial lab, a bit too contrasty and sharp for my taste, in other words, not how I would scan them personally.
Any thoughts and constructive criticism will be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

They look to me like Fuji Frontier scans. I personally never liked what comes from the Frontier, even despite any skill of the operator. They always seem too 'crunchy' looking and they tend to compress the tonal range of the film, which defeats one of the reasons for using film in the first place. Plus they never seem very sharp. I find them fine for record keeping of the images but I would never attempt to print from them. But maybe that's just me. Others might think differently.
 
maddoc said:
The M6 has redesigned VF/RF assembly to facilitate meter readout via LEDs in the lower part of the VF. This design change caused the M6 VF to be slightly more prone to flare compared to the M4-P (I had two M6 classic, three M4-P, one M4-2, three M4 so know the differences a little from experience). Another difference is the size of the frame-lines, optimized for closer focal distances in the latest M4-P and M6 (and later M cameras). Finally, later M6 don`t have the "key" in the base-plate to open IXMOO film canisters, a feature I would really miss. Finally, the zinc-cast top-plate of the M6 was obviously not without problems, many top-plates of M6 series cameras show signs of pit-corrosion, rather ugly, IMO.
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When did the M4-P go to the zinc plates? Was it just at the end of production? I've seen only two M6 plates that were bubbled and I think those were early versions. I've had three M6 bodies over the years (all were Solms and none were Wetzlar built) and luckily none ever had issues, but I don't think it's that common except perhaps in certain climates (?) I live in a semi-arid Mediterranean and don't have climate issues... and especially with lens fungus and such.

I do notice the frame line differences, and prefer the ones in the M4 over the M6. But in reality there's not a real world (working) difference for me in the end; nothing that keeps me from working, etc..

You must have a lot invested in film canisters 🙂
 
VertovSvilova said:
They look to me like Fuji Frontier scans. I personally never liked what comes from the Frontier, even despite any skill of the operator. They always seem too 'crunchy' looking and they tend to compress the tonal range of the film, which defeats one of the reasons for using film in the first place. Plus they never seem very sharp. I find them fine for record keeping of the images but I would never attempt to print from them. But maybe that's just me. Others might think differently.
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You are right Sir, these are Frontier scans. The highlights are blown harshly and I had to work hard to expand the tonal range during post production. Sharpness wise, they are sharp on grain level, if you get what I mean. The grain became very apparent but the details are not there. I will try to warm up my scanner and do a comparison scan. Thanks again for your comments.

VertovSvilova said:
When did the M4-P go to the zinc plates? Was it just at the end of production? I've seen only two M6 plates that were bubbled and I think those were early versions. I've had three M6 bodies over the years (all were Solms and none were Wetzlar built) and luckily none ever had issues, but I don't think it's that common except perhaps in certain climates (?) I live in a semi-arid Mediterranean and don't have climate issues... and especially with lens fungus and such.

I do notice the frame line differences, and prefer the ones in the M4 over the M6. But in reality there's not a real world (working) difference for me in the end; nothing that keeps me from working, etc..

You must have a lot invested in film canisters 🙂
Click to expand...
What I know is that M4-Ps with RF window flush to the body uses zinc top, and the recessed window is brass top. Mine is brass.
We'll just wait for Doc to confirm and add some more. 😉
 
jwicaksana said:
What I know is that M4-Ps with RF window flush to the body uses zinc top, and the recessed window is brass top. Mine is brass.
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I normally don't really like the aesthetics of the M4-P which has maybe kept me from considering one. But your M4-P is truly an exception. It's very good looking.
 



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Top one is lab scan with Fuji Frontier system, of course I would lean towards operator's error to produce such awful scan. From what I've seen, both Frontier and Noritsu scans are the standard for professionals, especially coming from serious labs that offer personal colour profile on their customer's scans.
This was processed by a lab that charged me 3 bucks for their high res scan, and that was the result. I cannot seriously expect anything near pro level for that price, and this also serve as a reminder that film is never about getting it quick and cheap. 😛
 
After some business trips which were largely unphotogenic and tight in schedule, I have some rolls developed, and here shown two lovely boys, my friend's sons at a friend's wedding. Off topic but my friends are either having kids or getting married, so :bang: 😛









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You seem to have a gift for metering. All the photos posted (with the exception of the underexposed one) were done under challenging conditions. Good job!

BTW, I'm one of those who burn incense in the M4 altar. By sheer luck (or stupidity) I came to own one M4 and one M4-P within less than six months. I'm smitten with the M4, but the M4-P is such a pleasant camera to work with...

Mine still has the red dot, it's all in black (the cosmetics are surprisingly good for a camera its age), and I fitted it with a 28mm Ultron lens (unlike the M4-2, the M4-P had framelines for a 28mm lens). Let me show you a sample of what these two can do together...

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SolaresLarrave said:
You seem to have a gift for metering. All the photos posted (with the exception of the underexposed one) were done under challenging conditions. Good job!

BTW, I'm one of those who burn incense in the M4 altar. By sheer luck (or stupidity) I came to own one M4 and one M4-P within less than six months. I'm smitten with the M4, but the M4-P is such a pleasant camera to work with...

Mine still has the red dot, it's all in black (the cosmetics are surprisingly good for a camera its age), and I fitted it with a 28mm Ultron lens (unlike the M4-2, the M4-P had framelines for a 28mm lens). Let me show you a sample of what these two can do together...
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Hi Francisco, thanks for your kind words. 😱
M4 and M4-P are two different cameras according to some people, one represents the peak of mechanical (some say artistic) achievement of Leica and the other is tough, no nonsense working camera. I enjoy the M4-P very much, and every 35mm purchase after was just out of curiosity, but never looking for that magic pill that made my pictures better.

Speaking about frame lines, I often take my M4-P and one SLR to go shooting, often with 35 or 50 lens on the SLR, and while on paper should create similar angle/approach, I can only say that my pictures look different. The Nokton 40 brings 50 frame lines, but on film it is closer to 35mm. So inherently my framings are 'looser' with the Leica. Looser with framing, and metering. Sometimes I worry but I try to let myself be pleasantly surprised by the results.

I have heard nice things about Ultron 28. And how accurate is the frame lines on the M4-P? Which one is yours, the 1.9 or the 2 version?
 

Same formula as above, exposure was maybe 1/60 f/2 judging by how things look. This way of shooting is really liberating. Don't worry too much about exposure and just shoot, aim for developing method with most dynamic range and scan accordingly.
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Tried cross processing for the first time, Fuji Superia 200 in Rodinal. Negative looked really dense, I had a hard time seeing the border between frames. Scanning made them visible, but I kinda like it so I leave it like this:
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