First roll of film for years!

Hi There

Blacklumix said:

I've always contended that Leica enthusiasts have an eye for the
unusual. You are no exception. Keep on shooting!

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You couldn't have said anything nicer - it was intended to apply a well deserved boot up the bum, but if they look unusual, then that's enough!

kind regards

--
Jono Slack
http://www.slack.co.uk

I just shot a roll for the first time in a while too to test my new noct. It was a pain trying to find a decent place to develop it though. All my favorite places have gone out of business.

Again, lovely images and for the naysayers, if you can't see the Leica difference, then you're either not looking hard enough or you're just fooling yourself in order to justify owning the mediocre mass produced stuff that you already have.

Are you getting the M8?

--

• s t e v e

“Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have someone click the shutter.” - Ansel Adams

Hi James

james vornov said:

Jono-

To me, that is the essence of the M camera. The rangefinder gives
you a broad view that includes areas outside the frame. The focus
mechanism keeps you engaged in the third dimension as well.

I find that the technological sophistication of a modern DSLR has
different advantages, but overall is not as engaging an experience.

Click to expand...

I think you hit the nail on the head - it's a different experience, and I'm cetainly not about to ditch my Dslr cameras - but I'm certainly going to learn how to make the most of this new beast.

kind regards

--
Jono Slack
http://www.slack.co.uk

Hi Karen

koo22 said:

I wouldn't worry, Jono, you haven't lost your touch, even though
it's film! I love the first shot and also the dog on the pathway,
they're all good really.

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Thank you!

koo22 said:

I've always thought you live in such a
picturesque place.

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Well, I like it, but it's pretty flat!

koo22 said:

Scanning is a pain, though, isn't it?

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Interesting - the last film I scanned was on a Nikon 5000 (I think) - whatever, it was a serious pain in the butt. We bought an Epson flat bed scanner recently, and the results are nearly as good, but the effort and irritation is almost non existant (being able to scan 24 negs at a time). If there are some real winners I can always revert to the dedicated scanner - but I printed some 24X16 shots from the flatbed yesterday, and they were just fine.

koo22 said:

The
excitement is building for this M8 as it gets closer. Funny,
there's something that reminds me of when I first found this place,
"back in the day" in the year 2000, same time of year...........and
we all just got brand new E10s, another digital first. We need a
few more old timers back here! Karen
--

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LOL - well, I think I'm more excited than I've been since the announcement of the E10.

kind regards
Jono Slack
http://www.slack.co.uk

HI Moris
Thank you for looking - I'm glad you liked the shots.

Well, I'm not sure that film answers any questions, it just puts a different slant on the answers!

As for blown highlights - that isn't necessary on any camera - it's a function of how you decide on exposure - dynamic range is never as good as your eyes, so something has to give; I know we're always encouraged to push the histogram to the right . . . . . . but it shouldn't be at the expense of blown highlights. Film won't solve that problem (and it may introduce many more).

Kind Regards

jono slack

moris said:

Hi,
Your photos are beautiful....it seems its worth trying with film.

I have a 1970 Miranda SLR camera still in working condition. I will
take more photos with it.

I use a Canon A610 digital camera for my daily photos. It takes
very good photos but blown out highlights is a problem.
How good is film with dynamic range, blown highlights? Does anybody
have an idea?

Thanks

Moris

Click to expand...

--
Jono Slack
http://www.slack.co.uk

HI Steve

swnyc said:

I just shot a roll for the first time in a while too to test my new
noct. It was a pain trying to find a decent place to develop it
though. All my favorite places have gone out of business.

Click to expand...

yes - there are some places around here, but they only really do C41. I'm jealous of your Noct though - it's going to have to wait until I'm SURE!

swnyc said:

Again, lovely images and for the naysayers, if you can't see the
Leica difference, then you're either not looking hard enough or
you're just fooling yourself in order to justify owning the
mediocre mass produced stuff that you already have.

Click to expand...

I think they have a certain 'something' as well - and I'm pleased not to have zapped all of it with my incompetent scanning and PP!

swnyc said:

Are you getting the M8?

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Yes - I thought I'd get some lenses in advance - hence the slip up on ebay to get the M6!

kind regards
Jono Slack
http://www.slack.co.uk

Jono Slack said:

I think you hit the nail on the head - it's a different experience,
and I'm cetainly not about to ditch my Dslr cameras - but I'm
certainly going to learn how to make the most of this new beast.

Click to expand...

Thom Hogan has been saying for a few weeks that his test show no significant image quality differences between any of the current crop of 10 megapixel cameras. So body and system choice comes down to body ergonomics and features plus lenses (what you own and what the system offers). Similarly, the M8 will probably have similar image quality, but different lens choices and ergonomics.

For me, I capture different kinds of images with the M6 than with the DSLRs. Maybe not unexpected as they are very different tools.

Hi James

james vornov said:

Thom Hogan has been saying for a few weeks that his test show no
significant image quality differences between any of the current
crop of 10 megapixel cameras. So body and system choice comes down
to body ergonomics and features plus lenses (what you own and what
the system offers). Similarly, the M8 will probably have similar
image quality, but different lens choices and ergonomics.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure that you're right here - most of the other cameras with 10mp sensors have either the sony, or canon sensors, both of which use a heavy AA filter and subsequent noise reduction programs to reduce noise and increase high ISO performance (both at the expense of detail). The Kodak sensor in the Leica has no AA filter, as such, it's likely to be better geared to take advantage of the quality of the M mount lenses, which is becoming so obvious to me!

james vornov said:

For me, I capture different kinds of images with the M6 than with
the DSLRs. Maybe not unexpected as they are very different tools.

Click to expand...

Likewise, and I'm really enjoying the experience of shooting with the M6, out of date though it may be!

kind regards
--
Jono Slack
http://www.slack.co.uk

Jono howdy,

Strange you shooting film, I've just started shooting a few rolls myself. Even acquired a Corfield 6x7 wide camera with rise and fall. I'm enjoying it a lot, you forget how good this stuff is and joy of joys, sharp wideangle corners.

Kevin.

I'll second that. Film is much better at sunsets and general against the light photography.

Kevin.

I hope you're well

KAllen said:

Jono howdy,
Strange you shooting film, I've just started shooting a few rolls
myself.

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It's funny - maybe the M8 announcement has made everyone think aboutit. The chores of scanning don't seem quite so dreadful these days either!

KAllen said:

Even acquired a Corfield 6x7 wide camera with rise and
fall. I'm enjoying it a lot,

Click to expand...

I'm afraid that's all a bit too deliberate for me!

KAllen said:

you forget how good this stuff is and
joy of joys, sharp wideangle corners.

Click to expand...

Yes - sharp wideangle corners - wonderful - even the humble voigtlander 15 seems to manage it!

Best Wishes
--
Jono Slack
http://www.slack.co.uk

If you use the fluid mount version of the Epson flatbed scanner the results improve dramatically -

--
Woody

http://www.woodycampbell.com

Yeah I'm thinking the same about scanning also. Maybe before I had deadlines with it, now I just shoot film for the library and scan in the background as I process all those digi images.

Kevin.

HI Woody

Interesting - the review of the Epson 750 on that english scanner review site (can't remember the name) also said that fluid mounting was great for medium format - but he seemed to think that for 35mm it wasn't so helpful.

Mind you, I'd like that scanner, but I think I have to be sure that I'm shooting film enough to make the purchase price worthwhile.

Truth to tell, once you start using fluid mounting the word 'hassle' starts to creep back in to the discussion - my feeling is that if I can scan painlessly and still get a good quality A2 print - then if I find I really need something better, then I can get someone to do it professionally on a real scanner! (and pay for it).

if it takes me 2 hours to scan a roll of film, suddenly it's costing me £200 - and that isn't sensible (oh NO!).

kind regards

wwcampbell said:

If you use the fluid mount version of the Epson flatbed scanner the
results improve dramatically -

--
Woody

http://www.woodycampbell.com

Click to expand...

--
Jono Slack
http://www.slack.co.uk

Hi There

We have a separate machine set up with a scanner attached (the idea being that it's always ready, with a pile of old negatives next to it). I can do a preview, make changes to 24 negs at once, (10 minutes or so) then hit the scan button and come back 90 minutes later and import the results into Aperture - not a hassle. doesn't it slow things down in the background?

Incidentally - how are you getting on with Aperture - have you done the upgrade yet? I'm finding it a lot better (just the way it remembers what adjustment panels you had open from shot to shot is a big advantage).

kind regards
jono

KAllen said:

Yeah I'm thinking the same about scanning also. Maybe before I had
deadlines with it, now I just shoot film for the library and scan
in the background as I process all those digi images.

Kevin.

Click to expand...

--
Jono Slack
http://www.slack.co.uk

Aperture is brilliant and getting better, if only they could make DNG work all my Kodak could be added.

I'm only scanning two at a time, that's all the 6x7's you can load in the Nikon. I could mount loads on the drum scanner but it's to much hassle. I have a G3 here I could use just for scanning, when I get 5 mins I will set it up as a scanning station, I could also run the drum off it as well, it has a SCSI card that works with it.
I thought you were going the M8 route? is that as well as the film Leica?

I have spent years trying to need what a Leica does, I love the whole philosophy behind them, I love the feel and the way they work, but they don't fit in with what I have to shoot.

I'm so tempted with a Linhof 612 and a few lenses, if I can figure out why I want one I might convince myself not to buy one.

Cheers,

Kevin.

Hi Kevin

KAllen said:

Aperture is brilliant and getting better, if only they could make
DNG work all my Kodak could be added.

Click to expand...

yes - really dumb isn't it, but it's hard to tell whether it's a problem with Apple, or with the DNG format itself (I read somewhere that the demosaicing algorythmn is always going to be camera specific). it's going to be an issue for me when the M8 appears.

KAllen said:

I'm only scanning two at a time, that's all the 6x7's you can load
in the Nikon. I could mount loads on the drum scanner but it's to
much hassle. I have a G3 here I could use just for scanning, when
I get 5 mins I will set it up as a scanning station, I could also
run the drum off it as well, it has a SCSI card that works with it.

Click to expand...

It took me ages to get around to setting the machine up - but it's good now - all I need is a better scanner (I rather fancy an Epson 750).

KAllen said:

I thought you were going the M8 route? is that as well as the film
Leica?

Click to expand...

Yeah, well, it was an impulse buy on ebay - I have an M8 on order, and thought I should get some secondhand lenses before the rush commences, and then I saw this nice clean M6ttl . . . . you know how it is!

KAllen said:

I have spent years trying to need what a Leica does, I love the
whole philosophy behind them, I love the feel and the way they
work, but they don't fit in with what I have to shoot.

Click to expand...

Well, I wanted one as a kick up the backside - things were getting easy, and like you, I had always fancied one. What's more interesting, is that after a 5 year gap, the digital years have certainly taught me a lot, and these films are much better.

more interestingly, with the first two films I had 2 shots out of focus and 1 with incorrect exposure - going back to manual focus and exposure really doesn't seem to be much of an issue - after all, one always checks focus and exposure . . . . . doesn't one ;-)

KAllen said:

I'm so tempted with a Linhof 612 and a few lenses, if I can figure
out why I want one I might convince myself not to buy one.

Click to expand...

Sounds like you're right up for making a mistake like the one I just made!

kind regards

--
Jono Slack
http://www.slack.co.uk

Don't go the Epson scanner route, not much point in having Leica lenses then scanning on an Epson. Get a film scanner.

Kevin.

Hi Kevin

I have just been reading your thread and see that you advise against the Epson V750 Pro Scanner. I'm in the process of trying to decide between this and the Nikon 9000ED. I started a separate discussion asking people for their experiences and suggestions regarding film scanners--perhaps you could check it out and let me know what you think. I am so close to purchasing the 750. I was going to wait until PhotoPlus in NYC during November before I finally decided, but basically I think I've made my mind up and just need to get it and start learning how to handle it. Please read the comparisson test that I posted in one of the threads and let me know if it meets with your experience.

C.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1038&message=20355590
--
http://www.mealey.com
http://www.leica-m8.com
http://www.photo.net/photodb/user?user_id=334788

Hi Kevin

I've done my comparisons (and looked at others with respect to the Nikon scanners and the newer Epsons). The Nikon one's show so little improvement that it really isn't worth the hugely increased effort.

Now if we're talking an Imacon scanner - I'd give my eye teeth for one . . . . . but not £7000!

Have you used one of the recent Epson scanners? I've been doing some A2 test prints from Leica shots, and they pass the Silas eye test (with his 23 year old eyes) with flying colours.

I can always pay someone else to do it 'properly' if I've got that killer shot that needs to be bigger.

Basically, what I'm saying is that NONE of the cheaper scanners produce perfect results as far as I can see, and most of them require a great deal of your time to work with, the Epson ones have the virtue of scanning lot of pictures unattended, and that really is a great advantage, and easily outweighs the very small resolution advantages I can see using a dedicated film scanner.

kind regards

KAllen said:

Don't go the Epson scanner route, not much point in having Leica
lenses then scanning on an Epson. Get a film scanner.

Kevin.

Click to expand...

--
Jono Slack
http://www.slack.co.uk