What camera? What film?

[AndyC]

Hi,

A long post, but hoping for some advice.

I'm going to do voluntary work in an orphanage in Belarus in ten days, and I'm having a bit of a gear dilemma.

It's my fourth or fifth visit, and I've always shot a mixture of film and digital, but this year I'll be shooting portraits for a book and hopefully, an exhibition. Next year will be the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, so the intention is to raise awareness, and possibly even a bit of money for the charity I work with.

I want to go 100% film, and will be printing for the exhibition in a community darkroom I use. The book will be done digitally, probably through Blurb, so the film will be professionally scanned.

My dilemma is, do I go for 35mm with a Nikon FM3a and 50mm f1.4, or do I take my Voigtlander Bessa III. I prefer printing 6 x 6, but would have to take different films to cover outdoors, indoors in the evenings, and everything in between. The Bessa has a relatively slow lens, and a maximum shutter speed of 500th of a second, compared with the fast lens and much faster shutter of the Nikon.

I use Ilford film, so I think I could get away with my standard film, HP5+, with the Nikon, but would need FP4+, HP5+, and Delta 3200 in 120.

I'm not worried about visible grain, and would be quite happy with Delta 3200 or pushed HP5, but would love some advice from more experienced photographers - go with the heart and take the Bessa, or go with the head and take the Nikon?

Many thanks,

Andy

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I'd use the Nikon. The Bessa doesn't focus close enough to do close portraits, especially of children, and I personally would take a couple of lenses. The 50, an 85mm, and a 35 and/or 28mm. You won't need the wide lenses for your project, but you may see something you want to shoot there when you get there.

Are you doing headshot portraits, or environmental portraits showing the kids' environment? If headshots only, an 85mm lens would be nice because it isolates the subject from the background better. For environmental portraits, the 50 or maybe even a 35mm would be best.

 

[AndyC]

Thanks for the quick reply Chris.

It will be environmental portraits, some small groups. Everyone wants to pose when they see a camera come out, so it takes a while to start getting natural stuff.

I considered Ilford XP2 as an alternative with either camera, but I'm not quite sure what it looks like when pushed or under-exposed, as there's no actual grain. The advantage is the latitude and a £6 a roll saving on processing and scanning in either format.

Andy

 

[Doug]

With XP2 there may be no "grain" but there are the equivalent of dye clouds, so you can get a grainy looking effect. It does not suffer underexposure gracefully, but relishes a bit of overexposure. So I set the meter to 200 or 250 to bring up some extra detail and richness in the shadows and a smooth overall look. This is where I think it's at its best, and not just XP2 but other/color neg films as well.

While Ilford claims usable higher ISO, and it does work ok, you'll want to test it yourself to see where to stop.
Edit: I'll add that if you get the lab to do push development for you, a one-stop push adds a lot of contrast, so best with flat light.

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

My dilemma is, do I go for 35mm with a Nikon FM3a and 50mm f1.4, or do I take my Voigtlander Bessa III.

I'm curious why you don't just take both? They fulfil different roles, and as you've indicated, you'd have use for both...

 

[zauhar]

Xp2 is wonderful in low light. Check it yourself, shoot in similar lighting environment you expect to encounter in your project work .

Randy

 

[mfogiel]

Go with Bessa III and take a light tripod and a yellow-green filter ( 2 stops). If you need to shoot in bright light, put the filter on, if you need to shoot in the dark, put the camera on the tripod, or even a monopod. With a leaf lens you could probably go down to 1/8th on a monopod if you are careful.
As to the film, use Tri X or HP5 and develop in Diafine - if you scan, you will get usable shots in the EI range 125-1000 easily.
BTW, disregard the advice about XP2, it is an EI 125 film in reality.

 

[leicapixie]

An exciting venture.
Basic rule is keep it simple.
Shooting towards exhibition and book is not simple.
Logistics.
120 film =12/10 exposures.
35mm film=36 exposures.
Depth of field, workable on 35mm, a pain in 120.
The larger the print, the less depth of field..
Remember depth of field scales good for a 5x7" print..
Film, stay with no more than 2 kinds..
HP-5 cause it dries flat.
Ilford FP-4, similar.
Scans are easier, if that's the way you are going.
I simply adore Medium format.
I have not shot it professionally for about 20 years..
In short decide how the images should appear in exhibition and book.
Then decide the easiest way to do it.
Not with your heart but plain logic.
Nikon and a few lenses, but don't get crazy in various angles, makes for non-cohesive look.:bang:
Personally i would well consider digital, unless everything available for analog.
Make it easy, makes it fun.😀

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Nikon. Leave slow to operate MF for film+digital. Since you are doing right thing and going film only, take less fidelity and much more accurate camera.

God bless you for what you are doing.

 

[Rikard]

The Nikon with one lens, a 35 or a 50. One film, Tri-X or HP5. One lens and one film will give you a more consistent look and you don't have to fret about choices and just focus on shooting.
35mm over medium format will enable you to shoot more and to get more shots in focus.

Maybe also bring a bunch of disposable cameras to give away to the kids to play with and combine their shots with your own in the exhibition / book.

 

[AndyC]

Thank you all for your replies.

I'm currently working nights, so haven't been ignoring you, but to wake up to this is fantastic.

Unfortunately, a tripod is not an option - I'm there to play with the kids and try to set a positive example to the staff. There are over two hundred disabled kids living there, so when three or four British volunteers turn up, it all gets a bit wild. A camera on a tripod would have a very short life expectancy.

I normally develop film myself, but will be using a pro lab to develop and scan, which is hugely bumping up the cost.

I have used digital on previous visits, including a Fuji X10 which may make it into the bag this year, a Canon DSLR, and an M8 which is no longer with me. I have some photos on Flickr which might give an idea of what I've managed to shoot before on digital, and the mixed light involved.

www.flickr.com/photos/andyc1977/sets

The added pressure is I need to order the film online in the next couple of days to be sure it'll get here in time.

Any more advice or tips very welcome,

Andy

 

[farlymac]

You're gonna need a back-up, so for film I'd go with the Nikon (for flexibility), and bring your digicam along too, preferably the Canon.

With the Canon you'll still have that SLR workflow going, and the capacity to change your set-up on the fly if some other photo opportunity comes along. And using the 35mm 36 exposure rolls will mean less stoppage for film changes than with the Bessa, along with quicker reloads.

PF

 

[AndyC]

Well, I've ordered forty rolls of 120 XP2, fingers crossed they'll be here for Friday.

I've also just bought a Domko lead lined film bag, as last year my new Billingham took six passes through Manchester airport's scanner due to the presence of an unrecognised object. Yep, a Voigtlander Bessa 667!

 

[leicapixie]

A lead lined bag will be the red flag to security!
Ages ago, used a lead lined bag which resulted in 6 passes,
at security, from my home country..
I showed them the bag, the films were then, sans bag, scanned twice more..
Carry film out of boxes in clear plastic bag.
Ask for hand search, but doubt it will happen in UK.
XP is a gear monotone film, but not like real BW.
If you want the BW look, one ought to work with silver film, not dyes.(My opinion).
Digital in my experience, a better solution, than C-41.
Suggest you reconsider.
A lot of time and effort, don't start cutting corners..
A small personal book of one of my trips, to family, was all P/S
digital. It was easy to edit, create a nice look and a mix of color and some monotones, BW and sepia.

 

[David Hughes]

Just a point, in your shoes I'd also take a small P&S. The reason being that serious/big cameras alter peoples' behaviour and yet P&S's are ignored. (Why?) Also you can hide them in your pocket quickly and whip them out again quickly for a grab shot.

Regards, David

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

Carry film out of boxes in clear plastic bag.
Ask for hand search, but doubt it will happen in UK.

This is what I've been doing recently without any problems (travelling through Sydney Int., KLIA, HK, Singapore and Helsinki). Being polite and prepared helps...

 

[benji77]

Take the Bessa 670 + Delta 100 + Delta 400.

 

[Peter_S]

Take the Bessa AND the Nikon with one lens. Two reasons: 1) back-up; 2) different films/ISOs at hand.

The Bessa III is awesome (and MF the way to go if possible), but the slow lens on the one and the slow shutter on the other do limit it a bit. I would personally, from my gear stash, use a Bessa III and Contax T3 (also for what David said and have fast AF-capability) - which would equal your Bessa III and Nikon w/35mm.

Good luck - seems like a great project.

 

[John Bragg]

Good luck with this project Andy. I would choose the Nikon and HP5+ and develop it myself even if farming out the scanning. I am picky about how my film is developed.

 

[AndyC]

Well, as promised, here's the first picture I've uploaded.

I'm very pleased with the pictures I've ended up with, but would love to hear your thoughts.


AC260815142413-09 by Andy C, on Flickr