Banality, cliché, Praktica and Zap the dog

Rick_van_Nooij · August 9, 2011

It think I covered all the basis with that topic title....No wait, I forgot Industar-61 and Lucky 200 film.

These last two weeks I ran another roll of my large stock of Lucky 200 Color film through one of my Praktica MTL-50 cameras. I wanted to see what the film do with a sharp lens after seeing the results of the neutral Summitar. So I went for my Industar-61 L/Z-MC 2.8/50. I probably took a 1000 rad handling this Lanthanum containing glass. Brings a whole new meaning to "In Soviet Russia camera shoot you!" hehehe.

Luckily the gardens here are still in full bloom, eventhough the sun is rarely seen these days. The Macro-focus distance came in very handy.

So before I drop dead of radiation poisoning I better post some photos.

*Blinks "put on your rose-tinted glasses now" sign*

More Lady's Mantle / Lion's Claw with complimentary raindrops.

These grapes will probably get eaten by the blackbirds, magpies and crows before they reach maturity.

My favorite kind of bees; Boo-bees....ehrm....Bumblebees.

Cliché? Moi?! Nooooo?!

And finally: Zap. I don't think I can work with him as a model much longer. Whenever I pick up a camera he starts to bark at me.

He's still pretty sweet though. Dumb as an ox, but sweet.

Negative scans were at 2400dpi, generic color film settings in Vuescan.

I personally don't see much difference in the results between the I-61 and the Summitar in this case. I'm starting to suspect my scanner is on its last legs. And I still get a lot of specks on the negatives. I don't know if this is down to developing or quality control. I can't see the specks in examples posted by other people online, though that could be down to some post-process magic.

I think I'll invest in one of those little dedicated 35mm scanners in the near future.

Now, got another roll loaded in my Yashica TL-electro with Yashinon-DS 1.9/50. I hope I finally caught all the light leaks.

Cheers,

Rick

gnashings · August 9, 2011

I get the funny impression that Zap is pretty smart... he gets to be Zap, and do Zappy things regardless of his owner's grand designs:) his expressions kind of remind me of a certain blue dog at my feet right now... he has taken playing dumb to a fine art...

Dog talk aside, I love the look you get with this film, its almost pastel like. And the pictures are wonderful as always, I especially like the first two, and of course there is Zap:)

marc_rochkind · August 9, 2011

I like these, Rick.

I think with some PP sharpening and some of what in Lightroom is called "clarity" (local contrast enhancement) they

would appear much sharper.

User_502260 · August 9, 2011

I have one of these lenses and it seems pretty sharp. It took a long time to get from the seller in Russia.

gabor_szabo3 · August 9, 2011

Nice pics, Rick. A macro "normal" lens can be quite handy and versatile. I'm sure the Industar 61 is more than satisfactory in regards to sharpness. Scanned negs and resized-for-web files might not be doing the lens justice. Then again, all the post-processing and sharpening in the world can't improve a dog of a lens either ( no offense, Zap!)

Although you guys on CMC forum are tempting me into uncharted realms with FSU glass , I'll still hold out. I'll keep my Soviet camera memories to the time when there actually was a USSR and I was a happy, carefree kid with a new, smelly Zenit.

I think I'll get my feet wet with Chinese film first. I'll get some Lucky 120 B&W..... the color 35mm is still overpriced at $2+ a roll, if you ask me. I can get Fujicolor or Kodak Gold 36 exp rolls for less than that.

JDMvW · August 9, 2011

I like them fine just as they are.

"Play it Sam, if she can take it I can" Keep 'em coming.

And thanks for putting Zap in. :)

john_shriver · August 9, 2011

It's Thoriated glass that's radioactive, not Lanthanum. Lanthanum is what glass makers used to replace Thorium and get rid of the radioactivity.

I've got a Geiger counter, and an Industar 61-L/D, and it's not hot. (My early Summicron is hot, as is my RE GN Auto-Topcor 50/1.4.)

That Industar is sharp enough to cut you, however!

rick_drawbridge · August 9, 2011

Nice results from the Industar, Rick, and good to see Zap in fine fettle. More please, when you get the chance.

tony_lockerbie · August 9, 2011

Just proves that a bit of radioactivity really improves your photography! Maybe we should have a Rad shoot out to see who has the most radioactive glass. Keep up the good work.

michael_linn · August 9, 2011

Nice photos.

It's just alpha particle radiation, so if the film isn't fogged, you aren't either! Zap doesn't seem to be fogged.

Rick_van_Nooij · August 10, 2011

Thanks for the replies everyone,

I'm not actually too worried about radiation (unless it doesn't give you that third arm/eye/super power mutation). The Lanthanum used in the production of the lens is the stable element, not the much rarer radioactive isotope. I've read the radiation emitted from the Industar 61 is less then what you absorb out in the sunlight. Matt's classics states on the I-61 that one should worry more about the EM radiation from one's cell phone.

That said I've taken some exceptionally sharp pictures with Industar 61 before, just not with this film.

I'll see if I can capture Zap with the Yashica

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