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MF Blows Away 35mm


pensacolaphoto

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While this is old news, I just had to say it again. I just got back

three proof sheets of beach portraits taken with three MF cameras

(Fuji GL690, Rolleiflex 2.8D, Tele Rolleiflex). The clarity is

stunning. Why in the world am I using 35mm cameras?! I guess, choice

of lenses and mobility. Do you get such feelings when you use both

35mm and MF cameras?

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I'm with you Raid, and it's never old news.

 

Every time I look into my Hassy or Rollieflex viewfinders, I'm filled with joy. As you say: the clarity is stunning - the sharpness, the 3 dimensional impact....................

 

So, I recently bought my second Hassy body and another lens to fill a big gap - put them together and WOW. So I ran out the door and found something to shoot.

 

My only reason for using 135 format still is "different horses for different courses". My Leica M kit is also a wonderful experience but for very different purposes - mobility and different subject purposes. My EOS kit is limited to longer shooting and action stuff.

 

By the way I aslo shoot LF. In a similar way when I set up arrange my rear and front standards, WOW! That 4x5 image under a dark cloth is a thing of beauty - a great reward for all that effort! Enjoy!

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Does anyone here have current information on Xray problems and related issues for MF film and traveling by planes overseas? I recall reading somewhere a thread about such problems. Since inspection has been raised to another level, I wonder whether 120 film can get through Xray undamaged when scanned repeatedly. Maybe someone here can help me out.
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Raid, 35 mm has its place. Photomacrography is much easier with it than with 2x3. And until I run out of KM, I won't really do that much better closeup on 2x3 with, say, EPP.

 

But yes, other things equal, a 24x36 transparency looks pretty punk next to a 6x4.5 transparency. This from a friend who moved up from 35 mm to 645. A 6x4.5 transparency looks pretty punk next to a 2x3 one. This from the same friend, on seeing some of my work. 2x3 looks pretty punk next to 4x5. And so it goes. Bigger is better, but always has drawbacks.

 

Come to think of it, 35 mm has a slight cost advantage too. I'm not sure the added care in composition and exposure that larger formats tend to enforce always makes up for it.

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

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I use Hassleblad, obviously 6x6cm and the results are as you said highly superior to 35mm but as mentioned before 35mm has its place, faster, lighter, easier to setup and use and at a 20x30cm (max)print the difference is not all big. Shoot Efke 25 with a 35mm and you won't see the difference ....
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MF is another ballgame alltogether, need to setup your tripod, measure the light, spotmeter the light etc. this sequence of events will even lead to great quality using 35mm cameras.

I differentiate though I use my Hassleblad for "scenery" while my Fm3a is used in a combination of people shots and scenery, this also due to the liberally priced tilt and shifts, and the leica I use purely as a point and shoot "people camera" Although for pure "street" as modern day vocabulary calls it I find using the Hassleblad less inconspicuous than the leica, holding it at waist level with hyperfocal focussing ....

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Sheldon-

 

Please don't take this answer as a "smart-ass" comment; it's really not meant that way.

 

If you want turn-around on your time schedule, the best thing to do is to develop the film yourself. It's not hard. B&W is easiest, because the chemicals are used at near-room temperatures and you can be a bit sloppy with your process and still get excellent results.

 

But C-41 and E-6 can easily be done at home, and all it takes is a way to keep your chemicals at the right temperature (think of a cooler full of warm water holding your chemical bottles), more accurate timing of your procedures (which just takes being a bit more careful), and chemicals that you can pick up at a lot of brick-and-mortar shops and plenty of on-line shops. The equipment you'll need is dirt cheap, and the satisfaction of pulling out your negatives or transparencies when you know you've controlled the whole process from start to finish is a great feeling.

 

There seems to be a general feeling that B&W is so easy that a lot of people do it themselves, but color should be taken to a pro lab. I can tell you from personal experience that it just isn't so.

 

Be well.

Dave

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Dave, I've been thinking of developing my own E-6 for a while now, I always do my own B&W with good results. Can you be more specific on where to pick up/how to mix chemicals and either some detailed instructions or where to find them on-line? I've searched for "kits" on the net and haven't been very succesful and eventually lost interest due to what seemed like the sets being hard to get. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks, Bob.
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Shoot BW and develop the negative yourself. With a little practice you can get that down to about 30 minutes plus drying time (which you can speed up with a fan or hair dryer). Scan instead of enlarging and you've got a total turn-around of about 90 minutes.
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I must agree - I am a novice in any format - but I got a Mamiyaflex TLR about 3 moths ago (early model)

 

WOW! I love using it. I think the attraction is partly the negative size - but the other part (as it has been said before) is that it forces you to slow down and really think about what you are doing.

 

Long live film! Long live manual cameras!

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There used to be 35mm Kodak film in the ASA 32 variety (and Ilford had some ASA 50 stuff) that in B&W sort of made a print equal to that of a 2-1/4 neg. 6x6 cropped and a vertical 35mm neg are not that much different....
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>"Do you get such feelings when you use both 35mm and MF cameras?

 

Same here. Usually I shoot Leica M, but also have a Rolleiflex. I don't use it as often, but everytime I hang those big negs up to dry it puts a smile on my face.

 

feli

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<p>Raid, you'll have to carry your film, because it's likely to get fried if

you check it in. But you can't carry your film, because your bags will be

full of all the photographic gear you're carrying. No problem, because in

Nagoya (which I believe is your destination) they actually sell 120 film.

(Here, Nagoya somewhat resembles <a

href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00CEYC">Rome</a>.)

Yes, it may cost more than it costs in the Youess. Well, live with it: the

extra money you'll spend will be trivial compared with your other

expenses.</p><p>And when you've exposed it, you can have it developed

in Japan.</p><p>Meanwhile, the consensus among informed people

seems to be that the effect of X-rays on carry-on luggage is much less

than that of cosmic radiation when you're aloft. Google for details.</p>

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Hi Raid

 

On the effect of the carry on x-ray scanners. I have had film through the scanners six times on one trip, with no apparent ill effects.

 

The film was a mix of - Fuji NPH 400 colour neg, Fuji Velvia 100F, Fuju Provia 400F, and Ilford FP4+, and HP5+.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Steve

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