New to MF - New to forum - which way to go...

birket · Jan 5, 2013

It's nice to have everything working though. Anyway, I will wait and see.

Does anyone use metering apps on iPhones?

nycphotography · Jan 5, 2013

birket said:
nycphotography said:

Whats missing from the discussion so far is "what kinds of pictures to you envision yourself taking in MF"?

Studio? Models? Products? Street? Travel? Landscapes?

Tell us a scenario, a 5 to 7 sentence story maybe, of how YOU visualize shooting and processing and using the results.

It makes a big difference, I think, in what direction you go.

Click to expand...

A good question and something I forgot to include in my initial post.

photography to me is a bit like my taste in music - eclectic. I like strong, geometric compositions. I like to capture the texture of architecture - the materiality and structure. I like portrait shots - nothing formal or studio. Really just shots of my friends and family - candid rather than posed, though my daughter likes to pose sometimes. I like to go for walks in the woods and find interesting patterns in nature - creepers climbing up old trees for example. Traditional landscape is not something I have had much experience of, but I would like to push further. I like our dramatic, intensely chaotic British skies.

I am quite skilled in photoshop and I like to boost the contrast in my shots, probably more so than some would advise. Initially, I would imagine I would have a lab develop and scan my shots. I need to research the type of film to buy. I would imagine I will be shooting mainly black and white.
does this help?

Well... kinda.

I have a Contax 645, a Hassy 6x6, and a 4x5 view camera, and a full color and b&w darkroom... all stored in boxes and not used since... 2003 I think. Yep, in 2003, I moved and built my 3rd darkroom, and in 2004 I moved again and haven't put one together since.

I'm just thinking... unless you're almost immediately going to start processing and printing your own b&w film, I really don't see much point in film any more. It's heart breaking, but true, at least for me.

For color, especially, a D800 + Photoshop just smokes everything I ever could? would? have done w/ film and the darkroom, even in MF, and probably even in 4x5.

And the only point of b&w film to me, would be Ilford Delta 100 for your MF, and Kodak TMAX 3200 for 35mm. Small film, embrace the grain. Large film, go for the detail and contrast.

I do miss certain things about film, that's for sure. But I don't miss having to process it before I even know what I got.

Maybe as a more experienced photographer, I'd be more confident in that now... but honestly, digital changed everything about how I work. It's my polaroid back and my final negative, all rolled into one. It's pretty much turned into my light meter too. I very seldom bother w/ the meter any more, I just bracket off 5 shots and check the histograms, then adjust the fill and accent lights based on the now free polaroids.

I guess I'd suggest that you start w/ Delta 100. Get a film can, some ilford developer and fixer, a water tub and thermometer, and start out processing your own film from jump. Why?

Because once it's developed you can print it or someone else can print it. Over and over. But getting that negative developed to its fullest potential is something you only get one shot at.

The labs all use replenishment on their developer, and it's never optimized for perfection, it's always optimized for economics. Even the pro labs. Plus, they don't know what you're trying to optimized in your development. Detail? then dilute developer and longer time. Contrast? then stronger developer and less time. But the pro labs have one formula that aims at the middle.

There's a book... geez it's been forever... um... Ilford.... Darkroom something or other. I'd strongly recommend it. Very technical. And any more, if you aren't very technical about it, there's little point in film.

And don't forget to ENJOY it. There's no other reason to bother with it in 2013

EDIT: Found the book.. out of print of course, but available used.

birket · Jan 11, 2013

nycphotography said:
Well... kinda.

I have a Contax 645, a Hassy 6x6, and a 4x5 view camera, and a full color and b&w darkroom... all stored in boxes and not used since... 2003 I think. Yep, in 2003, I moved and built my 3rd darkroom, and in 2004 I moved again and haven't put one together since.

I'm just thinking... unless you're almost immediately going to start processing and printing your own b&w film, I really don't see much point in film any more. It's heart breaking, but true, at least for me.

For color, especially, a D800 + Photoshop just smokes everything I ever could? would? have done w/ film and the darkroom, even in MF, and probably even in 4x5.

And the only point of b&w film to me, would be Ilford Delta 100 for your MF, and Kodak TMAX 3200 for 35mm. Small film, embrace the grain. Large film, go for the detail and contrast.

I do miss certain things about film, that's for sure. But I don't miss having to process it before I even know what I got.

Maybe as a more experienced photographer, I'd be more confident in that now... but honestly, digital changed everything about how I work. It's my polaroid back and my final negative, all rolled into one. It's pretty much turned into my light meter too. I very seldom bother w/ the meter any more, I just bracket off 5 shots and check the histograms, then adjust the fill and accent lights based on the now free polaroids.

I guess I'd suggest that you start w/ Delta 100. Get a film can, some ilford developer and fixer, a water tub and thermometer, and start out processing your own film from jump. Why?

Because once it's developed you can print it or someone else can print it. Over and over. But getting that negative developed to its fullest potential is something you only get one shot at.

The labs all use replenishment on their developer, and it's never optimized for perfection, it's always optimized for economics. Even the pro labs. Plus, they don't know what you're trying to optimized in your development. Detail? then dilute developer and longer time. Contrast? then stronger developer and less time. But the pro labs have one formula that aims at the middle.

There's a book... geez it's been forever... um... Ilford.... Darkroom something or other. I'd strongly recommend it. Very technical. And any more, if you aren't very technical about it, there's little point in film.

And don't forget to ENJOY it. There's no other reason to bother with it in 2013

EDIT: Found the book.. out of print of course, but available used.

All fair points, but the reason I am interested in having a play with MF is not because I think it will be better or easier than digital. It is purely for fun. See what happens. Create a different look. Experiment.

I may look into home developing at some point, but at the moment, that's a step too far for me. I need to get my hands on the camera and have a mess around. Stick a roll of film through it. Get it developed by a lab (yes, I know, it ain't gonna be perfect!). If I like the experience, I may take things further.

Will look out for the book.

Helen B · Jan 11, 2013

Although I have some nice digital cameras I still prefer to do most of my personal work with film, and use it in a few formats between 35 mm and 10-8. I even re-bought a Mamiya Press Universal system recently after selling the original set I had had from the late 70s to 2002 - it takes two of my favorite formats: 6x9 on 120/220 and 3-1/4 x 4-1/4 instant (with full coverage of that format). Aside from my work as a professional, photography is primarily an art to me, so I have no problem with any intangible or irrational aspects of my personal choices. If you want to shoot with film, go for it.

Film quality now is generally the best it has ever been. We have more post-processing possibilities for film-originated images than ever - digital has added more than it has taken away from film.

Although it is probably better for most people to develop their own film, particularly silver-image B&W, it's not necessary for all people, all of the time. Replenished, well agitated developers aren't all-round bad, and they can be better in some ways than diluted developers (as you dilute a developer it tends to become more grainy, with higher acutance/sharpness - you don't always want that). I would rather use film and have a lab develop it than not use film at all.

It may be worth starting with a colour neg film of medium (400) or fast (800) speed. Scanned colour film is great for B&W, colour neg has very low graininess, and it is versatile. You don't have to worry about development at a lab being 'inferior'. The extra speed over 100 can be very helpful, and you can always use it at 100 or 200 (with normal development).