Which Kit, What Film For Santa Fe?

[wgerrard]

Which of these setups would be more useful for New Mexico, mostly in and around Santa Fe? (I know... it all depends on me.)

First option: Bessa R4m with 21/4 Color Skopar, 28/1.9 Ultron, 50/1.5 Nokton

Second option: Leica M3, 50/1.5 Nokton, 90/4 Elmar collapsible.

I won't be hiking the back country. I'm more of the walkabout-in-town then sit-down-for-coffee type.

The Elmar is newly arrived and untested (SN# 1522693). The extension tube is a bit sluggish. The glass seems fine other than some dust. It came with the shade. (Big honkin' thing extended and wearing the shade, isn't it?)

I'm happier with the M3's viewfinder than the R4M's.

I like the Nokton and most shooting will be with it, regardless of camera.

I've put a third option -- Om-2N with Zuiko 35/2, 50/1.4 and 135/2.8 -- out of the running because I don't have a bag that can accommodate all three lenses. One is on order so I won't rush out and buy one.

Film: I'm thinking Ektar and some Provia 400H after sunset. What say you? Probably a roll or two of Tri-x, too, since I've only just dipped my toe in those waters.

 

[filmfan]

Too much gear can be a bad thing.

 

[Al Kaplan]

The Bessa with the 21. The built in meter is useful. Meter off the palm of your hand, which can be tilted to give both highlight and shadow readings. Either take B&W OR take color film. Very few people can "think B&W" and "think color" at the same time. Go to your local chain drugstore, K-mart, Walmart, whatever and try to find some four packs of Kodak 200 speed on sale (sometimes they're five packs for the same price.)

If you MUST shoot B&W and color at the same time meter the Tri-X at 200 and cut the development by a minute or two.

http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com

 

[Don Parsons]

Option #1 I would think.

Maybe Chris Crawford will see this thread, he used to live there.

I agree with the polarizer and a slower film. I'd shoot one film and change it to b&W digitally. I'd go with 100 speed, either Provia or Velvia or Reala. Get up early to get the early morning colors.

 

[tedwhite]

I agree with Don Parsons. I lived there briefly, and visited often. The old Spanish missions in the area seem to lend themselves to b&w film more-so than color. And you'll find the wider lenses more useful.

 

[uhligfd]

The key word - which you did not explain in your post - is "useful".

What does that mean? What do you want to photograph?

Decide that and the answer re gear/film will be obvious.

Same with your overall opulence in gear. All of it is not very different at all, one from the other. No LF, no MF, no P+S cameras, no pinhole, ... to dither on; just replications of one and the (almost) same kind of gear.

Given this, I can see your problem, but it is not with which of the similar gear you take or your film, but a (seemingly) personal inability to decide and rather replicate with little or no clear purpose ...

I am sorry, but that answers your questions in my mind, decisively.

Good luck deciding!

Only you can help yourself here!

 

[kxl]

Since your primary lens is the 50, then the obvious choice for a body is the M3. As you know, the R4M can be a pain when using a 50mm FL. OTOH, a 21mm FL would seem to be useful, so the R4M would come in handy.

So, my choice would be to bring those two 2 bodies and 2 lenses. This also gives you a back up just in case one fails.

I don't shoot color slides/film anymore (that's what digital is for), so I can't help you there. But if you do decide to shoot B&W, I'd recommend Plus-X (or Arista Premium 100) for your trip.

 

[Al Kaplan]

I can remember back in the sixties when a trip like tha might have involved taking a TLR such as an Autocord, Rollie, or Yashicamat, a meter, and ten rolls of 120 film, unless you were shooting for National Geographic. Odds are that two or three rolls didn't even get used. There you were with one camera, normal lens, planning on shooting about 100 negatives in total. We managed to get plenty of good pictures that way too.

Probably the best way to pick a lens and camera body for your trip, and I AM being serious about this, is to line up all the stuff in a row, pretend that you're ten years old, and go "Eenie, meanie, miney, moe...", and of course grab ten rolls of ONE kind of film. Flip a coin to decide color or B&W. Then go take pictures. Live with what you have.

 

[Austerby]

I can see your problem, but it is not with which of the similar gear you take or your film, but a (seemingly) personal inability to decide and rather replicate with little or no clear purpose ...

This is perceptive and completely sums up my own dilemma in such circumstances - which I am currently starting to resolve by reducing my stocks of both cameras and film types.

The more you know the less you need, as the aborigine's say - and they're quite right.

I think there's a lot to be said to the suggestions to randomly pick a selection from your current kit and then just work with that.

 

[Ducky]

Colors, except floral, tend to be muted. Plan for that.

 

[venchka]

Amen!

Amen!

A polarizer and Velvia. 🙂

Add some Astia for those times when natural, normal, neutral is in order.

All of which adds up to Take the Olympus and polarizers. I say this from recent experience with 4 rolls of Kodachrome through my M5s with weak skies and clouds.

New Mexico requires slide film and polarizers. Ektar 100 is a decent substitute for slide film. there is no substitute for a polarizer.

Bon voyage! I am tres envious. 😎

 

[andredossantos]

I'd bring the M3 w/ the Nokton, and the Bessa with either the 28mm or 21mm.

Two bodies and two lenses means minimal worrying about switching lenses. Also, you can load one camera with b&w and one with color. Personally, I _have_ to have both available when Im out shooting.

Since youll be travelling and likely shooting during the day in less than optimal light, I'd bring a lot of lower contrast color film. I like Portra 160NC personally. FP4 plus I find works well for b&w. Bring along some slide film for morning, evening shots. I love Provia 100f/400x and Ektachrome E100G.

Have a good trip!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Santa Fe is an awesome place for street photography, with the tourists and the crowds hanging out on the Santa Fe plaza. I did a lot of street photo work there using an Olympus OM-4T and 35mm f2 and 50mm f1.8 lenses.

When I lived there, the city sponsored free concerts with local bands several evenings a week on the Plaza. Those were great street photo opportunities! Lots of interesting people.

Something else that was a cool thing to photograph was the weekly antiwar protest that was held every Friday from noon to 1pm at the corner of Saint Francis Drive and Cerillos Road. Those are Santa Fe's two busiest streets. Your hotel will probably be on Cerillos Road on the southwest side of town, where most of the hotels, shopping centers, and fast food places are. You get downtown by taking Cerillos road, so you'll pass the protest, if they still have them.

If you want to photograph buildings, you'll want a wider lens. Santa Fe's historic downtown area is cramped, with narrow windy streets. The city was laid out in 1610! The buildings tend to be small inside too.

If you can get out of Santa Fe, check out the town of Cerrillos, locaed about 20 miles south of Santa Fe on NM-14. Say hi to Mary Mora if you go, she owns the bar in Cerrillos. She was 91 yrs old last time I saw her; I hope she is still around!

I miss New Mexico, a lot.

 

[shadowfox]

One of your options (any of them are fine).

And one medium format. No need to spend a lot, a cheap and small TLR or folder will suffice. There are a *lot* of textures in Santa Fe to capture and nothing like a six-inch tall negative can show it off.

 

[Jaans]

Chris, who am I to judge but that 1st photo is fantastic. Its great that moment you captured along with a dreamy rendition. I have always been a fan of Bruno Barbey's 'The Italians' and that photo is similar in style but with your own authorship. I really like how the subject is free of background clutter and there is a nice gradual tonal scale.

If I may be so bold, what was your choice of developer and film for that shot?

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Chris, who am I to judge but that 1st photo is fantastic. Its great that moment you captured along with a dreamy rendition. I have always been a fan of Bruno Barbey's 'The Italians' and that photo is similar in style but with your own authorship. I really like how the subject is free of background clutter and there is a nice gradual tonal scale.

If I may be so bold, what was your choice of developer and film for that shot?

Thanks for the compiment 🙂

The little girl on the skateboard was shot on Kodak T400CN, one of the C-41 process black and white films. Had it processed at a photo lab in Santa Fe. I usually use traditional films and develop myself, but that was shot right after I moved out to Santa Fe and I hadn't unpacked my developing equipment yet, so I used the C-41 stuff. Its good film, I just like doing my own processing.

The pic was made with an Olympus 35mm f2 lens on my OM-4T. I actually shot a couple of that kid before her mom yelled at me. Mom, Dad, and the kid all had dreadlocks!

Here's al three. The baby with no pants in the background of the third image was the skateboarder's little brother.

 

[Al Patterson]

Hmm. I'm craving some Green Chilies right about now. I need to get to "The Shed" next time I'm in New Mexico.

But "The Range Cafe" in ABQ is a hoot. Almost regular food, but with a NM twist. And the gas range motif cracks me up...

 

[Jaans]

Chris: thanks for sharing that information as well as the additional two photos. It is interesting to see how the third photo evolved in sequence.

I have shot that same film once or twice and have always been impressed with its quality. So, thanks again for sharing!

 

[Trius]

Kodachrome is great in New Mexico.

If you shoot colour neg, I'd go for a lower contrast film. Not that the colours of the scenes aren't muted, but you can get harsh shadows in NM light, and too high contrast will, IMO, ruin a photo in that area. YMMV.

 

[wgerrard]

Sigh.... No one responded until I was on the plane back from New Mexico.😉

I took Ektar and the M3 with a 50/2 Summicron collapsible and a 90/4 Elmar collapsible. Purely an emotional decision: All three are brand new to me. If I'd been entirely rational, I'd have taken the Olympus, and that polarizer.

My first impression of Santa Fe on arriving around noon on Saturday was, Man, this place is packed with tourists! Wall-to-wall people on the sidewalks. Have to admit I was taken aback by the commercialization of the area adjacent to the plaza. Hard to take pictures without including other people taking pictures. (Damn people with cameras are everywhere!😉) Lots of people with phones and digitals obviously straining to see their LCD screens against the sun. More than a few with big DSLR's and big long lenses standing on one side of the plaza taking shots of something on the other side.

More seriously, I'm not that interested in taking pictures of people on the street, so their primary role was to get in the way of what I did want to shoot. Happily, tourist density was down on Sunday and Monday.

The sky was cloudless, bright blue, and the sun hot and strong. This summer's monsoon apparently went AWOL.

Took an outing to the ruins at Bandelier, but had managed to bang up a knee in a nasty, stupid, fall that morning, so didn't do anything but hobble about on the trail.

Also drove the "High Road" to Taos. It's a great little trip, especially for someone with no previous exposure to the high desert of the southwest. (Saw an "Elk Crossing" sign, but, alas, no elk.) The changes in vegetation and climate due to altitude are obvious. Not as striking, to my eye, however, as the drive between Sedona and Flagstaff in Arizona, or parts of the drive from Phoenix to Payson.

Yes, the colors are muted, and the light brown of adobe dominates.

Chris: Wasn't there on Friday, but saw no notices or other evidence of a war protest. Overheard someone say that retail space downtown leases for $30,000 and up per month. Ads slapped on telephone poles hawked condos starting at $840k. This is no cheap little city.