The Leica course

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Originally posted by Mick Parry:
I am genuinely pleased that I own a M6 and I suggest you all go out and buy one.

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No thanks, I'm not keen to downgrade...

Regards
Steve

Steve

Ah yes I forgot....you like carting some old medium format around......I like street photography where you have to think on your feet and compose straight away.

Still it's a free world.

Regards

Mick

Patrick

That would be preaching to the converted.

The purpose of this particular posting is two fold.

1. To encourage the several other Leica M6 owners, who frequent this forum, to enroll on the course.

2. To encourage those such as you to buy a M6.

Regards

Mick

Mick,

What film do you shoot and what do you do with it after you've shot it?

Joe

Joe

I shoot with Kodak gold 200.

I send it to a local lab.

I gets good results.

The Leica staff were totally divided over what type of film to use.......it ranged from 100 up to 400.

I have just run out of film and I buy in bulk. What film do you use ?

Regards

Mick

Mick,

I don't mean to sound rude, but if you shoot Kodak Gold 200 and send it to the local lab for processing, why even bother with a Leica? It's akin to having a big-boy hi-fi system and playing nothing but scratchy department store LPs and crappy reissue CDs.

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What film do you use ?

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For colour slide, I mainly shoot the various Fujichromes -- Astia (for people pix), Provia 100F (for general shots) and Provia 400F (for low-light pix). When I want super-saturated colours, I tend to shoot Fujichrome Velvia, but I've recently tried Ektachrome 100VS and have had good results with it for the effect I intended -- painterly, over-the-top colour.

For B&W slide, it seems the only choice is Agfa Scala. I've recently bought a five-roll brick of Scala and once I've shot a roll or two I'll let you know what I think.

For colour print, I mainly shoot Fuji NPS (160-speed film) and Fuji NPH (400-speed film). To be honest, I rarely shoot colour print film and others would be in a much better position to comment.

For B&W that can be processed at a local lab (C-41 process), Kodak Porta 400BW gives me consistently good results and a nice tonal range.

Vuk and Ron T are the guys to ask about traditional B&W films like Tri-X, Plus-X, T-Max, the Ilford Deltas, the Fuji Neopans...

Joe

[This message was edited by Joe Petrik on WEDNESDAY 25 June 2003 at 17:09.]

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Originally posted by Joe Petrik:

For B&W slide, it seems the only choice is Agfa Scala. I've recently bought a five-roll brick of Scala and once I've shot a roll or two I'll let you know what I think.

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I'll be interested to hear how you get on. I've 10 rolls of Scala in the fridge that I've been meaning to try out.

Regards
Steve
P.S. Provia 100F is my normal slide film and Astia my normal portrait slide film. I've pretty much stopped using Velvia these days. For colour prints I've never been a big fan of NPH or NPS so I mainly stick to Reala. There are loads of B&W print films I like but Ilford Delta is probably tops.

Regards
Steve

quote:

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Originally posted by Joe Petrik:
I don't mean to sound rude, but if you shoot Kodak Gold 200 and send it to the local lab for processing, why even bother with a Leica?

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I couldn't agree more (although I'd say it's akin to having a big boy system attached to Bose speakers). Perhaps Mick should trade his M6 for a cardboard Kodak disposable.

Mick,

"I like street photography where you have to think on your feet and compose straight away"

If you are going to do Leica style street photography then the only film to use is Tri-X -- an old fashioed contrasty 400 speed B&W film which is a bit grainy but with a lovely smooth even grain that looks great.

You can buy it at online at 7 Day Shop for £1.49 + VAT or at Calumet on Wardour St. Soho for a little bit more. See http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_1_101_1012_10125&products_id=6196

It looks like this:



Matthew

Steve,

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I'll be interested to hear how you get on. I've 10 rolls of Scala in the fridge that I've been meaning to try out.

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I'll be sure to post something once I've tried it, but, for what it's worth, Agfa Scala gets a ringing endorsement from Vuk. (He says it edges out even Tri-X for tonality, and tonality is Tri-X's bailiwick.)

Here's a Vuk Scala pic, probably taken with an M6 and 90mm Elmarit. If that pic is any indication, I have to say that Scala's tonality looks pretty damn good to me. But, to be honest, Matthew's excellent shot has every bit the tonality.

Joe

But the Scala (presumably) has zlich grain and can be printed bigger more easily.

Matthew

Matthew,

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But the Scala (presumably) has zlich grain and can be printed bigger more easily.

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Very likely. Not only is Scala one stop slower than Tri-X (200 vs 400 ISO), it's a newer emulsion, so presumably finer grained than an equivalent speed older-tech film.

Shouldn't we be discussing this elsewhere? ;-)

Joe

Mick,

What did you feel that you got out of the course?

a. Knowledge?
b. Inspiration?
c. The chance to play with more M kit?
d. All of the above?

Have you considered courses at Duckspool or Inversnaid?

Steve,

quote:

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P.S. Provia 100F is my normal slide film and Astia my normal portrait slide film. I've pretty much stopped using Velvia these days.

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Did you know that Fuji will soon be releasing Astia 100F and Velvia 100F?

Joe

Joe said "Shouldn't we be discussing this elsewhere?"

Probably. I have a new lens -- my Ultron is an uneconmic repair (its a rare but known fault apparently) and I scuttled around looking for a good pre-ASPH Summicron 35/2 but the going rather seems to be £500+ so I went for another Voigtlander -- although the smaller 35/2.5 Color-Skopar as its cheaper and much smaller then the Ultron and unless you are a wide-open into the sun sort of character not much different (apparently). As 5.6 is about wide open as I ever seem to shoot the smaller lens looked a better bet. Plus its got one of those nifty focusing levers and I've been practiscing focusing at 1m, 1.5 and 3m without looking all day.

BTW There is a new Voigtlander 35/1.2 Nokton as well now. They really are very good at coming up with new products.

Brother's wedding on Friday (hence the rush) and currently deciding if I should take just the Bessa + 35, 50 and 75 or take the Nikon along for back up as well.

Matthew

Chaps

I shall buy some of the films you recommended.

I bought the Gold 200 in bulk about six months ago and have just used up the last roll,

Ian

I when on this course because it was run by Brian Bower who is a well known author on Leica.

The course was fine and I can go on from here by myself. I have never heard of the courses you mentioned.

Regards

Mick

Matthew,

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I have a new lens -- my Ultron is an uneconmic repair (its a rare but known fault apparently)...

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Shouldn't a known fault be covered by the manufacturer?

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Brother's wedding on Friday (hence the rush) and currently deciding if I should take just the Bessa + 35, 50 and 75 or take the Nikon along for back up as well.

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You must be in a rush. You seem to have no time to type even the two-letter possessive pronoun my. ;-)

Take the Nikon. It's smart to have a back-up and you might need to use TTL flash, something Nikon's pretty good at.

Joe

On Kodak Gold.

The real key to Gold is not in its capabilities, which are modest, but in the fact that (a) it is readily available in most countries in the world, (b) it tends to survive in less optimal conditions, such as the local grocery, without too much degredation, and (c) almost any lab in the world can produce a consistent result with it. The same cannot be said for many other films, some of which require constant calibration of developing machine channels to realise their potential.

Personally, I never use Gold. For me, I buy in bulk and it's mainly Velvia for MF, Kodachrome 25 for 35mm slide work (or Velvia or Provia F). For B&W it used to be Delta, but I'm exploring the new Tri-X, developing in Rodinal.

John

TC '..'
"Girl, you thought he was a man, but he was a Muffin..."

quote:

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Originally posted by Top Cat:
but I'm exploring the new Tri-X, developing in Rodinal.

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I'm not sure about the new Tri-X but the old one, when developed in Rodinal, was pleasantly grainy.

Regards
Steve

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Everyone who owns a camera should read this

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Last week I booked a 2 hour slot at the Ansel Adams Archive at the Center for Creative Photography in ASU in Tucson, we were able to select 6 folios to look at of aproximately 60 prints in all from a selection of about 30000 prints.

We then had two hours to look at them, enjoy them, discuss them with the archive guy (who had worked with Ansel Adams) etc - a most enjoyable experience.

If you are passing thru Tucson it is a very worthwhile experience.

Also on the same trip we visited the Andrew Smiths Gallery in Santa Fe where they had a several original AAs on view starting at about $18000 (which helped to put a price on what we saw at the AA Archive)

Derek

<<Have you checked your PTs today>>

Mark - re your proof viewing process.

I have at a couple of friends/relations weddings taken along my laptop and printer along with my toy digital camera and produced mounted A4 prints of the "happy couple" for the guests to sign during the reception.

Tends to impress the happy couple and a few of the non technologically aware guests - however it tends not to impress the pro....

a case of crap immediately is more impressive than perfection in a weeks time <g>

Derek

<<Have you checked your PTs today>>

"Shouldn't a known fault be covered by the manufacturer?"

Yes but not if you bought it secondhand. The original owner should have taken it back and would have got a brand new one free. Instead he had some kind of bodge repair done and sold it on and it started to fall apart in my possession.

This is all partly supposition. I was talking about it to a dealer in St James' (Robert Kaplan) who is very knowledgeable and has great mint s/h stock but is incredibly expensive.

"Take the Nikon. It's smart to have a back-up and you might need to use TTL flash, something Nikon's pretty good at"

Flash is the obvious point although I suspect I will only be taking pictures during the day and getting drunk in the evening.

ejt said "assuming your brother is going to have a professional to cover the wedding, I suggest that you just relax and enjoy the event"

I have done "social reportage" type photographs of two weddings (one family one friends) and now get asked to do the same by other people. I seem to have made a rod for my own back and have three to do this Summer. To be honest though taking pictures is more enjoyable than strained conversations with obscure relatives I've not seen for 10 years.

There will be someone doing the formal pictures.

"I'm not sure about the new Tri-X but the old one, when developed in Rodinal, was pleasantly grainy"

IIRC New Tri-X is to al lintents and purposes identical but works better in a wider range of chemistrys including the new TMAX ones that most labs use for kodak films

Matthew

Matthew,
That rather good b&w photograph you posted yeaterday was it taken inside Leadenhall Market in the City of London by any chance?

Roy

Roy -- Its some arcade of Old Bond St. Mayfair. There are quite a few of them around there (Burlington Arcade next to the Royal Acadmey for example) and the ones in the city are very similar so probabyl contemporary.

Matthew

Mick,

I know of Brian Bower's work well. The courses to which I alluded, are run at these residential centres.

Most of the guest photographers are as well known in their fields as Brian is in his. The advantage being that you can listen to the lectures in the morning, go out and put into practise in the afternoon, have supper and develop the film and see the results in the evening ready to critique and learn.

Web sites enclosed if you're interested

http://www.duckspool.com/

http://www.inversnaidphoto.com/

Just a thought