Shooting Film More

Now and then I like to take my film cameras out for a spin. These mechanical cameras have to be 'exercised' or they can crap out on you. Its like that with Stradivarius violins. You have to play them or they feel that they have no purpose and crap out. I'm serious.

When I had a mediocre scanner awhile back, I wasn't too happy with the image quality so I shot very little film. But couple of years ago, I got the Epson V750 with the wet mount tray, and boy am I happy with the results.

But I don't use the messy wet stuff. I just use a high-grade plate of glass to sandwich the film so it remains completely flat. I've done some tests and anything bigger than 35mm you'll have problems with getting unsharp scans due to film curvature. Even with the dedicated film holder, the film does not completely flatten. Sure, you get more contrast and dynamic range if you do the true wet mount, but wetting and drying negatives each time you scan doesn't jive with me too much. Call me lazy.

Hasselblad 500 CM, 80 2.8 CF. Kodak Portra 400

After a commercial assignment in DC, I just walked around the area with the Hassy and grabbed some shots. I've missed the loud 'cluck' of the mirror and the real effort of cranking the advance lever after each shot. The reflections from the building windows were bouncing all over the place here. I was waiting forever for somebody to peek out of the door but it didn't happen.

Hasselblad 500 CM, 80 2.8 CF. Kodak Portra 400

I was liking how the light was reflecting off the metal bars of the building. I tinted a bit in LightRoom. One of the things that I really like about the Hassy is the square format. Since both height and width are same it allows you to really play with the tilt to compose in the frame. I'm not saying that you can't tilt on a rectangular format, I do it regularly, but the square lends itself to it a bit more.

Hasselblad 500 CM, 80 2.8 CF. Kodak Portra 400

I was almost surprised to see this street almost devoid of cars. I don't know about you, but I don't like cars in my shots, unless the subject itself is the car.

Hasselblad 500 CM, 80 2.8 CF. Kodak Portra 400

It was a very slow Sunday. I waited for someone to walk by for good 10 minutes till this person walked in the frame. I wanted to play with the diagonal lines on the sidewalk with the vertical lines of the building.

Hasselblad 500 CM, 80 2.8 CF. Kodak Portra 400

A nice day to just stroll around with your trusty old companion. My other film cameras are now jealous.

Comments

Boston: B&W Architecture with Leica Q2M: From a Purist Perspective.

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Large Format ...Slight Return

Took out my Linhof 4x5 field camera out for a spin. Tripod, cable release, focusing cloth, loupe, lightmeter, and film holders! The gang's all here. Linhof Technica III, (circa 1940's) with Fujinon 150mm 5.6 a modern lens design. Bull Run Park near Manassas VA.The camera is wonderfully made with machined aluminum with German engineering. Like Butter. Working with a 4x5 is a whole different world. It takes long to set up and there are so many things that you can screw up. "Did I cock the shutter? check focus?, meter reading, dark slide out? lock the movements?... There are like 13 different steps that you have to make to take a picture. So why do it when I can just point my 5d and shoot in easy one two steps? Reasons may vary, but I do it because of the camera movements. The tilts, swings, shifts. These cameras were made so you can technically control how the image hits the film plane. You can achieve "technically perfect" images, whatever that means.

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