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Post by GeneW on Jul 3, 2006 20:48:28 GMT -5
On Sat, June 24, a group of Toronto-area rangefinder enthusiasts met at The Harp pub in Port Credit for some tall tales, equipment ogling, and a photo session. The light in the pub was dim. These exposures were all taken at 1/15 @ f/2, handheld -- the edge of my ability to handhold. Leica M2, M-Hexanon 50/2, Neopan 400, Rodinal 1:50 Earl  Peter, Guy  Guy, Edward  Nancy, Dave  I developed the film last night and scanned it today. It felt good to be doing B&W film again! Gene |
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Post by Randy on Jul 3, 2006 23:05:01 GMT -5
Very nice Gene. Looks like a good group.
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PeterW
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Post by PeterW on Jul 4, 2006 4:32:01 GMT -5
I like these a lot, Gene. It's my sort of photography, and IMHO looks best in B&W, but maybve that's just nostalgia. Your steadiness at 1/15 sec is really very good.
I can 'usually' manage 1/15 sec handheld with a rangefinder with about a 60% success. The highest success rate I've had was with a Yashica Minister, leaf shutter of course. That camera is so darn smooth to use it's almost not true.
Recently I took some shots at 1/15 with my Canon T70 which is the smoothest SLR I've yet tried. I also shot a few at 1/8, but unless I had my left shoulder braced against something, or my elbow resting on a table, the results were a bit dismal.
I see you developed in Rodinal. I haven't used this for a long time as I always seemed to get negs that looked a shade 'gritty' (not grainy). I shall have to give it another try. I like the tone range you got.
Peter W
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Post by GeneW on Jul 4, 2006 6:07:25 GMT -5
Randy, Peter, thanks for looking and commenting!
Peter, I think the main reason I was able to squeeze out 1/15 was the weight of the Leica. They're surprisingly hefty cameras for their size and I think the weight helps steady them. The shutter is also very smooth. I'm not sure if I could have held quite as steady with my Canonet. With SLR, the lowest I can go is 1/30. Maybe 1/15 with a wide-angle lens.
I quite like Rodinal with Neopan 400 and Tri-X. It's grainy but sharp. I don't like the combo of Rodinal and HP5+ however -- the grain becomes really obtrusive. HP5+ and HC-110, for me, is a very nice match with tight grain and nice tonality.
Do you still print B&W in your darkroom, Peter? These days I develop my film then scan it.
Gene
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PeterW
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Post by PeterW on Jul 4, 2006 8:49:01 GMT -5
Hi Gene,
Not any more, I'm sorry to say. When my wife died some 10 years ago my son and daughter in law came to live with me, and despite having a large Victorian house the darkroom had to go as the family increased. So like you I scan all my negs.
Nowadays I develop my own B&W, but drop colour neg into my local processors. He charges £2.99 a roll for process only, and he's excellent. Nowadays I can't be bothered to set up temperature baths to develop C41, but B&W is a lot more forgiving if you play with time as well as temp.
I used to develop and print all my own stuff, including colour neg, but not E6. Since I've retired from contributing colour to magazines I don't shoot colour transparencies - in any case they all want digital now.
Thanks for your comments on my street market shots. I love that type of photography. Probably nostalgia for the old magazines like Life, Picture Post and Illustrated with top-notch feature photojournalists.
Regards,
Peter W
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Post by kiev4a on Jul 4, 2006 15:00:46 GMT -5
Gene:
I'm impressed. I don't think I could ever handhold at 1/15--unless I was holding a camera attached to a tripod:)
Like you guys it's been a long time since I have been in a darkroom. Develop B&W using a changing bag to load the film and get my color neg procesed (neg only) for $2.25 a roll at Wallgreen. Ussually use D-76 1:1 but occasionally will used a highly diluted HC-110. Almost always Tri-X (bulk loaded).
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Post by John Parry on Jul 4, 2006 16:08:39 GMT -5
Nice, nice, nice Gene
How great to have a team of unselfconscious people able to totally ignore your efforts. These shots are rock steady. Well done.
I have a friend who used to be a well known sculptor and became a builder (who knows?), who had the same attitude. Would sit in his normal seat, acting as normal and refusing to pose as I took his picture. That ended when I caught him off-balance looking wide-eyed towards the camera. Even that would have been OK, but on the same shot he was sat next to a fireplace post decorated with horse brasses. The angle of the shot caught it perfectly - he seemed to be wearing a huge dangly ear-ring. He made me promise never to show it to anybody.
No. I couldn't.
LOL
Regards - John
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Post by GeneW on Jul 4, 2006 16:33:10 GMT -5
Wayne, John, thanks! These folks are all keen photographers and we've met up a few times before so we're comfortable with having each other's cams pointed at us. Yes, changing bag for me too for my B&W. I take c-41 col films to a local store with a processing machine. I found a place in Toronto that will process the film and scan to CD for $2.99. John, are you sure you can't show us that photo?  Gene |
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Post by John Parry on Jul 4, 2006 17:07:34 GMT -5
Come on Gene - we're supposed to be ethical on here!
I couldn't possibly!
John
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Post by byuphoto on Jul 4, 2006 17:31:34 GMT -5
excellent and good to see you back to the B&W. As soon as I get over this intestinal flu I will send you that NRC and some Maco 100 to try. I too used to have a full darkroom but now load my film in a dark bathroom, develop and scan. I have my color developed only for $2 a roll at a local pro shop. I use D76 and HC110
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Jul 4, 2006 18:52:29 GMT -5
Since this seems to be confession time. I too have a fully equiped darkroom in which I used to do B&W negs and prints and Cibachrome. It hasn't been used for almost 3 years. I used to shoot slides almost exclusively and a little B&W. Both were ASA 100. Now, when I use film, it is usually Fuji or Kodak colour neg. at 400 ASA. And then on to the scanner and PhotoShop. Mostly now I am digitalized. The "Doors" competition has moved me to overcome my inertia and return, for a while at least, to helping boost the price of silver. Since I am not much of a drinker, I can't provide any interior pub shots but perhaps this will overcome my deficiency.  Mickey |
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Post by kiev4a on Jul 4, 2006 22:57:45 GMT -5
It's strange. Twenty or 30 years ago I considered anyone who shot 35mm color neg. A rank amateur. Now that's basically all I shoot besides B&W. A lot more neg films to choose from now (at least in the short term) and as a long time Tri-X shooter I love the latitude neg film has over slides.
Mickey: What camera lens and film did you use for the Canada Malting shot?
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Jul 5, 2006 0:12:43 GMT -5
Wayne,
Camera; Fujifilm 3800.
Lens; Fujinon Zoom f2.8/30mm to f6.3/36mm.
Film; XD Picture Card 512 that holds over 400 images when set for best quality. Really quite miraculous but just not as satisfying as my T90 or Exacta VX2a.
Yes, Wayne the latitude of today's colour neg film is remarkable. It is difficult to make a poorly exposed picture. But, when rendered in B&W, can it produce those beautiful, rich shadow areas that Gene's pictures have?
Mickey
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Post by kamera on Jul 5, 2006 15:20:20 GMT -5
Good indoor shots and well exposed with the available light. From the expression on peoples' faces, all were having a good time.
Thanks for sharing...but there was one shot I miss in the bunch and would like to have seen.
A group pic of everyone hoisting a glass to a toast. But...who would have taken the pic!?
Ron Head
Kalamazoo, MI
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Post by GeneW on Jul 5, 2006 18:20:53 GMT -5
Mickey, with malting facilities like that, no wonder we enjoy our brews so much! LOL
Ron, thanks. We arrived at different times so we missed the traditional 'cheers!' shot.
Gene
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