oldwino
Well-known
I'm constantly going through a re-examination of my photography. Lately, it's been about "how" I like to photograph - which lenses suit me best, which cameras get the best results. Here's what I've found:
1. I seem to do better with SLRs rather than Rangefinders. Which is funny, as I have shot with some sort of Leica RF almost exclusively for the past 4-5 years. But the fairly recent purchase of a Nikon FM3a has shown me how much I enjoy that shooting experience, and I like the results better than what I am getting from the M2 at the moment. Maybe it's just the change of working method, or the added benefits of SLRs (closer focusing is one big advantage), or the fact that the lenses are very good AND very cheap (at least compared to the M-mount lenses).
2. I much prefer C-41 to ECN-2. I do all my own film processing and scanning, and C-41 is...just....better.
3. Rodinal is king. The ease of use, the ease with which you can adjust contrast, grain, etc is just amazing. I've chased other B&W developers down many pathways, but Rodinal is home.
4. The Ricoh GRIII is a pretty amazing camera. I know i'm very late to this party, but jeez, what a great concept this camera is. Snapshot photography, once the raison d'etre of the Leica, is fully realized in this little camera. No fiddling, no choosing which lens, which film, which whatever...just shoot. Leica almost did this with the X2, but gave up on it.
5. The Rolleiflex is amazing too. I can't get over how lovely the Schneider lens on my E3 renders. The mechanics are superb. The details on the camera are wonderful, right down to the font used on the frame counter. Such a pleasure to use.
Anyway, what has everyone else been up to during the RFF changeover?
1. I seem to do better with SLRs rather than Rangefinders. Which is funny, as I have shot with some sort of Leica RF almost exclusively for the past 4-5 years. But the fairly recent purchase of a Nikon FM3a has shown me how much I enjoy that shooting experience, and I like the results better than what I am getting from the M2 at the moment. Maybe it's just the change of working method, or the added benefits of SLRs (closer focusing is one big advantage), or the fact that the lenses are very good AND very cheap (at least compared to the M-mount lenses).
2. I much prefer C-41 to ECN-2. I do all my own film processing and scanning, and C-41 is...just....better.
3. Rodinal is king. The ease of use, the ease with which you can adjust contrast, grain, etc is just amazing. I've chased other B&W developers down many pathways, but Rodinal is home.
4. The Ricoh GRIII is a pretty amazing camera. I know i'm very late to this party, but jeez, what a great concept this camera is. Snapshot photography, once the raison d'etre of the Leica, is fully realized in this little camera. No fiddling, no choosing which lens, which film, which whatever...just shoot. Leica almost did this with the X2, but gave up on it.
5. The Rolleiflex is amazing too. I can't get over how lovely the Schneider lens on my E3 renders. The mechanics are superb. The details on the camera are wonderful, right down to the font used on the frame counter. Such a pleasure to use.
Anyway, what has everyone else been up to during the RFF changeover?