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Returning to film! Who uses what film and how do you scan it?

M

Michael_Stones

Member
Serge Berrut said:
I bought a used Tachihara about 18 months ago, learnt than film was still being used, shot my first image, and my god!!! it worked... Unfortunately, the 2nd, 3rd, 4rd were all blacks or white (but not black and white), because, I forgot to close the shutter, remove the dark slide, etc. A true amateur!

I looooove fiiiiiiilm!
Click to expand...

I did something similar on my first shoot with a used Horseman SW after years of using SLR cameras. Although there was no instruction manual, figuring out how to load 120 film, remove the dark slide, and focus inside a hyperfocal range were not too difficult. Then followed a happy half hour composing and taking pictures of a bay scene. With the roll finished, I took out the film, put the dark slide back in, but couldn't find the lens cap. My wife, now in gales of laughter, pointed to the lens from which I'd forgotten to remove it. A true amateur, too!

Digital may be the future of photography, but I suspect that film shooters have more fun.
 
E

Erie Patsellis

pro member
Asher,
I straddle both worlds, digital with a Fuji S2 (and the Wife's Canon S2IS for quick shots) and a Phase One scan back for the 4x5. For the product work that is 95% of my work, it's perfect, 9mp, with half competent upsampling will do a double truck easily, full page with no upsample. sharp as can be, without any need for PS tweaking, view camera movements, and huge photosites on the sensor, so high $ "digital" lenses aren't needed, in fact my Componons get most used for the scan back.

For scanning MF & LF film, I personally use a Umax Powerlook III that I've had for nearly a decade, works fine wet mounting, and for larger work, I have a Linotype Opal Ultra that will scan to 11x17. For 35mm, CVS or wally world.

erie
 
F

Frank Doorhof

Guest
I use a digital back for my MF cameras, 645AFD/II (soon III) and the RZ67 ProII when I shoot film and with the RZ67 I do this alot now (just got the camera) I scan with the V700 from Epson with a betterscanning tranny.

Quality is very good and seeing it's price I think it's a super solution for many.
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Frank Doorhof said:
I use a digital back for my MF cameras, 645AFD/II (soon III) and the RZ67 ProII when I shoot film and with the RZ67 I do this alot now (just got the camera) I scan with the V700 from Epson with a betterscanning tranny.

Quality is very good and seeing it's price I think it's a super solution for many.
Click to expand...
Tell us about the "betterScanning tranny" is this an oil mountain holder?

Asher
 
I

Ian L. Sitren

pro member
Film - Digital Workflow

This is just my workflow as I explained it on my blog a few posts back...

I am asked all the time about what I use for scanning film and processing because I am using much more film lately and love the results. Certainly for many assignments, digital is the choice and small format or medium format digital is a main part of my work too. But let me explain what I do for film...

Film after shot is dropped off or sent via Fedex to "The Icon" photo lab in Los Angeles. Icon is a top pro lab serving a great deal of the ad and commercial business in L.A. and more. According to my instructions, Icon processes the film and then roll scans the entire rolls to the size I request. Typically I have been using 10 megs per image. By the way, I am mostly shooting medium format 645 and some 35mm. The scans are then uploaded to my Icon hosted light-box called an Icon Box. From there I can view and download, as well as organize, rank, make notes and order other services from those images. Client viewing can also be set up and retouch notes can go back and forth. It is a very versatile system.

At that point if I need any larger scans I will then order drum scans at typically 50 megs. That is a size that will cover every commercial request I get, easily, as well as very large prints. Most of my individual prints are done by myself on a Canon ipf5000 large format printer.

Now that is my workflow for commercial ad work and such. Other services I use, for example, are Buckeye Color Labs for larger quantity printing or orders of event type photos. And I use PhotoShelter for viewing and delivery of digital imaging.

If you have any questions, please fell free to send me a note to SecondFocus@mac.com.
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Ian,

That's so decent of you to put this down for us. Yes, I must explore Icon. I'm still thinking of doing B&W film myself, using tray development for 8x10 and dunking for 4x5 since I have the tanks and holders that I did not give away.

Asher
 
I

Ian L. Sitren

pro member
Doing my own processing seems like it would be a luxury. I have to send it out or it would just never get done.

BW145960_1_062.jpg
 
D

David A. Goldfarb

New member
When I used to shoot performers' headshots, I'd always send the work out to a lab, because the processing was always standard, but personal work (which is most of what I do these days) I process myself (and, yeah, sometimes I get way behind).

If you can control the light and calibrate your system around what the lab produces, you've still got plenty of control over the image without doing your own processing. If you need developer controls for available light situations, you can still manipulate contrast through exposure and development by telling the lab to push or pull. If you wanted to use a certain developer for a particular effect, there are custom B&W labs that will do that as well.
 
M

Mike Shimwell

New member
Film and scanning - old topic, but

Sorry to raise this topic that is already covered in some detail here, but before I leap in too deep there are a couple of questions it qould be really helpful if anyone can answer authoritatively:)

- Is it possible to scan MF (6 by 7) and LF (5 by 4) using a scanner such as the epson v700 or 750 to a standard that will allow me to produce 'richer' single frame prints than from a 5D or 1Ds3?

- How does this hold up when I want to put 35mm film in the scanner - i.e. how would HP5 or FP4 look using usch a scanner.

- How would the 35mm results change if I used a dedicated film scanner such as the lower end Nikon (LS V?)

Any other thoughts on multi format scanning and possible print sizes.

Thanks

Mike.
 
T

Tim Mimpriss

New member
I seem to have caught the bug too. Just found a Mamiya 7II with 80mm lens. Out came the spotmeter and monopod: fewer exposures, more care. Waiting to see the results of the first film. Since I have no MF scanner at present, I sent it to the local D&P store, but I shall process the next film myself.

Now for a scanner.

Tim
 
S

Serge Berrut

New member
That is great. I am sure you will enjoy.
Myself I am doing my shots as follows:
60% LF 4x5in
15% landscape 617
20% MF
and...5% Nikon D300
No kidding!
 
D

doug anderson

New member
Getting Rid of Film Cameras

I was in a camera store the other day and the guy behind the counter told me that major corporations were no longer even making film cameras.

This is a major disappointment, because I'd hoped to sell/trade in mine for digital equipment.

Anybody know where I can get rid of film cameras?

Nikon FM2, Nikon F5, Mamiya 645, Mamiya 6/7, Contax G1 and G2.

Assorted lenses, also.
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
That's impressive! such a soft and warm looking fellow but those muscles are amazing ly defined. So is he posing with the muscles isometrically contracted? Or do those muscles look like that just with guy standing around?

Properly drum-scanned, that would have many more shades in the blacks and dark grays.

Asher
 
I

Ian L. Sitren

pro member
That will certainly be one from that shoot that will get drum scanned.

The entire shoot was done on medium format with Tri-X. Sean, the bodybuilder, is a veteran of many shoots including with me and was really surprised about film this time. I shot seven rolls of 220 and Sean told me he is used to most photographers shooting 2000 - 4000 frames in a day, digital of course.

And bodybuilders have an autonomic response that tightens their muscles whenever a camera is pointed in their direction. They can't help it.
 
E

Erie Patsellis

pro member
For me, at least in the hobby side of my photography, processing and scanning MF in house works well for me, as well as for some of my architectural work as well. Using my Powerlook III, I can consistently get scans that look like:
Scan-080831-0007.jpg

just as a test scan, I need to wet scan it this weekend.
 
E

Erie Patsellis

pro member
I forgot to mention, the film was processed in my Wing Lynch (that sit's in my kitchen). After being charged almost $15 a roll to have 120 C41 film processed and proofed, I bought the W-L Pro6 ($150), chemistry (less than $100, bleach gets regenerated and reused, bringing per roll cost to about $1.50 a roll) and in about 3-4 weeks, it paid for itself.

I can also do quick proofs at the studio, we have a Frontier 370 and a SP2000 scanner, all I can say is that 6"x7" proofs sure do look nice, not to mention printing a 8"x10" proof sheet of the entire roll for reference. All at a cost of about .34 per 8x10 unit, including paper and chemistry, or under $1.50 per roll for proofs and index sheet, for a total cost of about $3 a roll. My studio partner is even considering doing some of his portrait work on MF film, as he really liked the feel of film with some subjects.

It will be nice to finally be able to shoot 4x5 and 8x10 color negative film again, and not have to worry about shipping exposed film, etc. Not to mention the creative cross processing abilities, etc. Here's my first attempt at xprocessing E100GX, exposed at an EI of 100:
2.jpg
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Erie Patsellis said:
This picture shows the flower at its transition to becoming a set of seeds ready to be dispersed. I'm not sure of the identity of the flowers. Is the center just the remnants of the stigmas and stamens. They look like miniature flowers still! I like the fact that you have chosen this stage as mostly we look past anything not with perfect full blooms.

It will be nice to finally be able to shoot 4x5 and 8x10 color negative film again, and not have to worry about shipping exposed film, etc. Not to mention the creative cross processing abilities, etc. Here's my first attempt at xprocessing E100GX, exposed at an EI of 100:
2.jpg
Click to expand...
Erie,

where are you located? I'd love to see your home built LF cameras! I'm also intrigued by your sink processing system. Is it very temp dependent? Are you ready to risk LF film?

Asher
 
I

Ian L. Sitren

pro member
Another film shot

This is on Tri-X pushed 2 stops. Again on the Mamiya 645AFDII and the 80mm 2.8 lens. Roll scanned at processing at under 10 megs. This is cropped to about 60 - 70% of the total image size.

smBW155503_2_2_Kodak_320TXP-063.jpg
 
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