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Back to basics: Return to Film - Need advice

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jmteno76

jmteno76

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After about 12 years, I am going to return to shooting film with a nearly 30 year old rangefinder (Minolta CLE). I love my nikon D700 but the it is heavy to carry all day (it feels like two tons after a 2 hour walk) - I want a small compact camera that gives high quality photos with DOF (the feeling of full frame, but without the weight) - Like the LX3 and it has taken some great shots (compared to my old LX1, it vast improvement).. But.. I want to go back to shooting film.. Maybe, it is just time for for a new adventure.

So - some advice

1. For those of you who shoot both, what are the big things that I should keep in mind when going from digital to film?

2. What online labs do you use? Do you do high resolution scans or just the standard scan?

3. What is your favorite film? and why?

Heading out to california - so I am going to take both a digital and the Minolta CLE - so this will be my test on whether it it time to return to basics - or did I just buy an expensive desk ornament..

Joan

--
Nikon D700, G1, LX3
http://www.pbase.com/joanteno
 
What a lovely little camera.
Now if only someone would make a digital version, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

As for film, I was shooting the slowest speed Ektar last time I shot film. Nice fine grain and great dynamic range. I even think Kodak have improved it since I last shot.

--

The greatest of mankind's criminals are those who delude themselves into thinking they have done 'the right thing.'
  • Rayna Butler
 
hi. i have recently gone back to film but i shoot both. what a pleasure film is though. i buy the film in bulk to cut down on cost and just get the negs developed now and scanem in. i still get prints done sometimes. i dont care that much about the film prints. what i like is the process of shooting film with a film camera. rude
 
I shoot both with a 5D, 450D and EOS 3, Olympus XA. I think that you will need a film scanner if you are to gain any real satisfaction from film. Labs are few and far between and printing is often from a low resolution scan. I use a Nikon Coolscan and mostly Fuji Pro160 as it scans well. To be frank most of my film shots are taken with my Olympus XA as it is an excellent small carry around camera which gives me FF and 21 megapixels when scanned. When I get it right it rivals the best from my 5D which is more than I can say for the G9 I had.
 
I'm slowly getting back into film. My motivation is b&w infrared, but I also got some Velvia and Astia. Getting film or lab acess is, at least here, not at all that problematic. For time being, I'll get processing with low scan...enventually I'll do
higher-end scans.

Maybe it's just me, but going from F2A to D700 is pretty much the same weight,
though the digi bulk is little more.

Leswick
 
Which film and what to do with it depends on what you want to do with the pictures.

Slide film is known for high resolution and superior color, but with a narrower dynamic range. It's probably your best choice if you want to make extremely large prints. Or have a slide show, I guess. The extra expense of high-resolution scanning is probably only worth it if you want to do manipulations on the digital files, and then make extremely large prints from that. And of course you can just hold on to the film and do that later, if you want.

Anyway, any slide film is good, Velvia 50 is the most well-regarded of them though, you might as well try that.

With negative film you're probably best off sticking to ISO 100 or ISO 200 films, unless there's some reason for going higher. I like Kodak 400 UC for ISO 400, and then at 800 or 1600 it doesn't really matter because they'll all make good small prints but are all less than ideal for a larger print, if that's your ultimate goal.

Personally I think any brand, even Kodak Gold from a 7-11, is excellent at ISO 100 or ISO 200. Fujifilm Reala 100 is a top choice, though.
 
jmteno76 said:
After about 12 years, I am going to return to shooting film with a
nearly 30 year old rangefinder (Minolta CLE). I love my nikon D700
but the it is heavy to carry all day (it feels like two tons after a
2 hour walk) - I want a small compact camera that gives high quality
photos with DOF (the feeling of full frame, but without the weight)
Click to expand...
Presumably you mean, 'with shallow DoF'...... ??
jmteno76 said:
Like the LX3 and it has taken some great shots (compared to my old
LX1, it vast improvement).. But.. I want to go back to shooting
film.. Maybe, it is just time for for a new adventure.

So - some advice

1. For those of you who shoot both, what are the big things that I
should keep in mind when going from digital to film?
Click to expand...
Most important..... DON'T open the camera back without rewinding the film FIRST.

And don't laugh, either. It is very easy to forget how necessary that is after shooting digital for a while.
--
Regards,
Baz
 
I came from film to digital so the process for you is just the other way around. First pick up a book on filters especially warming and cooling, film doesn’t have any in camera color temperature controls. (white balance) You’ll need to get a couple of filters and learn when to use them. You’ll have to develop an eye for exposure compensation as film cameras don’t have histograms.

I looked up your camera; it looks like a really cool camera, don’t break it.

I’ve shot lots of pro slide in the past but this new film from Kodak, Ektar 100 pro print looks like a real winner. It is as good as the best pro slide, but less expensive, and can be processed by a 1 hour photo store.

I’m hoping to get a Nikon Coolscan 5000 ED.

Good luck,
Chris

PS: If you’re coming to the LA area be sure to check out Samy’s Camera store in LA. You’ll love all the old film cameras and lenses.
 
Whats up with all of these "I'm returning to film" proclaimations around here lately?

You say you have a D700 and it is too heavy?

My film cameras are all heavier than your D700 . . .



And why even bother returning to film if you are asking us about using cheap online film processing . . . how is that any advantage over digital?

I could see it if you were into doing your own darkroom work and you just wanted to have the fun of being in the darkroom and making your own prints.

But just shooting film for the sake of shooting film and mailing it off to some cheap online film lab for scans . . . this just doesn't make any sense.

I shot film full time professionally for over 25 years, did ALL of my own darkroom work, and have absolutely no desire to ever return to film.

I loved the film process and really do miss it, but I just don't see any advantage at all of shooting film over digital anymore.

Unless I get back into B&W photography, which is the only aspect of photography I feel digital isn't as good as film (unless we are talking about large format film over APS-C sensored DSLR's, of course).

And personally, I just don't see how shooting 35mm film and scanning it is going to be any better than what you'll get from your D700.

Especially if you shoot RAW with the D700 . . . which should get you that Photoshop fix that most film scanning fans seem to crave.

But let us know how this works out . . .

--
J. D.
Colorado



Remember . . . always keep your receipt, the box, and EVERYTHING that came in it!
 
I still shoot film, and love the colour/tonality of the latest Kodak Ektar 100 film. In terms of producing images with that 'real' believable 3D look, this film really is as good as (or better than!) good full-frame digital. I was always a Fuji Reala man, but Ektar is now the best colour print film you can buy - in my opinion.

BUT - scanning is VERY important. Typical lab scans blow highlight detail and exaggerate contrast to produce a punchy-looking result. To get the best from 35mm film, you need a top class scanner like the Konica/Minolta 5400/II (discontinued) or Nikon's Coolscan 5000. Don't be misled by those who tell you a good flatbed scanner (like Epson's V700 or V750 Pro) is comparable - the difference is VERY noticeable.

I myself have a K/M 5400/II, and actually find 35mm film scanned on this to have superior colour and DR to medium format scanned on my Epson's V750 Pro flatbed - though the MF results would beat 35mm if scanned on something better. So - don't underestimate the importance of a good dedicated 35mm film scanner!

One last point; scanning with a proper dedicated 35mm scanner, you'll find it easier to get good results faster, with minimal pre/post-processing. The K/M 5400/II is incredibly good at giving you correct colour and tonality from the basic pre-scan, only needing a slight tweak to make it perfect. In comparison, the Epson V750 Pro is much less good, meaning you need to spend lots of time with film colour profiles and other adjustments to get something that looks correct. This turns film scanning into a REAL chore.

J M Hughes
 
Thanks for all your comments - they are very helpful.

My reason for returning to small, lightweight range finder (the Minolta CLE) is my desire to get full frame quality, but without the weight of the D 700 for business travel. It is not practical to carry the D700, but there are times when it is nice to just pull out a compact camera to get a shot.

The suggestions for film and the needs of a good scanner is very much appreciated. My next step is to look at scanners. I was thinking of a strategy of getting low resolution scans and then for the picture that I really like either doing my own scan or having a local lab do a high resolution scan.

My current goal is to understand this new tool with the goal of using film when it makes sense, but continue to use digital for the majority of the time.

Again appreciate your time and advice.

Joan
--
Nikon D700, G1, LX3
http://www.pbase.com/joanteno
 
Hey the picture of the F1 brought me back to the good old days. It was my last film camera which I sold when starting to use digital in 1998.

Used it from 1983 to 1998 and it worked flawless during that time.
--
Denis de Gannes
 
What films you use depends on your preferences, unlike digital your results (to a certain degree) are chosen with your choice of film.

Here is my advice.

If you like fine grain and punchy colours try Ektar 100 if you like more natural colour Portra 160NC or Fuji Reala.

For B&W try Ilford XP2 or the Kodak equivalent both can be processed by your local minilab essentially have very fine grain with smooth tonal graduations.
I have used XP2 at 50 ISO then 800ISO on concurrent frames which may be useful.

If you need slides then Kodachrome is lovely even if it takes 2-3 weeks to process Astia is also nice for natural skin tones.

If you shoot landscapes rather than people and like colours that bite Velvia 100F is a good choice.

I deliberately haven't mentioned conventional mono films because that is a whole new can of worms..

Your CLE is a great camera, and one that will give you results that can equal any camera of its size and type, not sure it is a truly pocketable camera like the Rollei 35 but I'm sure you'll love it.
Mark
 
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