stoem

Maybe you should ask a cinematographer (sp)

Film motion picture photography has been around for 100 + years. The technology has evolved to a very high form. A friend of mine (a film school graduate) told me that the cameras that they use in motion pictures are very advanced, like a electronic brain but geared toward the film process. You also have to consider the budgets for a major motion picture they have the best of equipment and processing at their disposal. An amatuer or semi-pro still photographer shooting weddings or graduation pictures doesn't have the technology infrastructure that cinematographer has. I have looked at motion picture film (a 35mm Hollywood release), each frame looks like a normal slide but its compressed or it looks like it is narrower than it should be. I was thinking this is a technique in conjunction with a low ASA makes those huge projections look so sharp.I have no idea though it just my guess.

E-Bay. Lots of online photo stores selling bricks of film. Just watch your shipping charges. (Bulk loading is the cheapest way to go especially if you get used film cartridges from your local photo labs, but it has its downfalls: scratched film, dust, time consuming)

This makes me proud to use Ilford products. You have to love a business that is dedicated to the preservation of an art form and not just making a huge profit. I hope they do well.

I second the Fuji NPH 400.

Depending on the output of your lights? Watts or Guide #

You might go with Fuji NPS 160.

These are film made especially for portraits very nice skin tones and natural looking colors. Great stuff. Any dedicated photo store or lab should have these films in a stock. At the lab I use they keep it in a fridge, so you have to ask them for it. (Its not on display.) Good luck.

I have a bulk roll from 2001 thats still okay. It was kept in the freezer. I do notice a slight magenta cast to the slides. I scan my slides, its easy to correct the color in photoshop.

If you scan it as color film you will get a sepia toned image. (the film has a brownish orange tint) At least thats what my epson perfection scanner did when I scanned some 400CN as color film. I kinda liked the way they looked and I kept them brown. I would say try it both ways and see which one suites your taste.

Does the N70 have a multiple exposure mode? If so, maybe you accidently hit a wrong button in custom mode. Not hard to do with all the bells and whistles on the newer cameras. If not maybe your motordrive is going bad.

In the US that is. I forgot about Midwest Photo its about 40 minutes from my house. Duh

 

Thanks

Could anybody tell me the best place to order bulk film online? I am

looking for 100 ft of Tri-X or HP5. I have checked e-bay, Nobodys

selling what I want for a reasonable price right now.

Kodak 400TX or 320Txp developed in D76...

When I first got started in darkroom work, the store I bought some Tri-X 400 Pan. The salesman at the photo store recommended it. When I developed and printed my first photos, I was blown away by how great the photos looked. Keep in mind I didn't really know what I was doing, just following instructions out of a book from the library. I would say Tri-X or 400TX is a very forgiving film, great for the beginner. It can handle alot of over or under exposure and different development times. I also think it really gives you that "classic" old black and white look. Keep in mind it is a bit on the grainy side but the tones and contrast are great IMO. Tri-X is what got me hooked

on B&W film, it gave me instant gratification(although there might have been some beginners luck involved = )

I bought 100 ft of Velvia 50 EXP 2001 (freezer kept) this fall. My shots turned okay. Hell I paid $50.00 for mine, I thought I got a decent deal. I would snag up those rolls , just make sure they have been stored in a freezer or fridge.

Did you develop the negatives yourself or have a lab process them?

If you developed yourself what developer did you use?

The excess grain is probably from over development or agitation, but could be something beyond my grasp. I have used Tri-X alot and the only time I had that sort of grain was when I push processed or did a semi-stand development. Then again I like some grain in my photos, thats part of the reason I use Tri-X.

How is a laptop going to be faster and more accurate than an old school projector? Are your photos originally slides or digital photos?

I would say if your originals are slides stick with an old projector, thats what slide film was made for, projection. That will give you your highest photo quality I would think. If you made slides from digital photos why use slides.. if you have digital photo files. Slides don't scan with the same quality as the projection image, of course there are certain variables: scanner quality, the exposure of the slide film, your digital projector etc.. If you are doing a powerpoint presentation, you might want to scan your images to make things easier..of course you may have some slides that won't be exactly as you want them. I suppose it depends on how important image quality is to your presentation. I am sure some others on here will have some ideas of their own.

Here is an example. They arent great scans but you get the idea.<div></div>

I used Portra 160NC for close up shots of fall leaves. I was very happy with the colors. Very nice bright oranges and greens... Not the bold colors of Velvia, but very unique.

I would complain and insist they make it right. I had some 120 slide film processed at my local lab. There machine pulled the emulsion off a few spots on the film. I refused to pay for it till they fixed is. The store sent the slides back to the pro lab and they touched up emulsion. Very decent job. The important thing is that they know there is a problem with their equipment.

Jon- Thats one of the first 120 negatives I ever scanned, I have since fixed that problem. Probably notthe best example. That scan just happened to be handy.=)

Your shots look like they are underexposed. What did you set your meter at? What developer did you use? How long did you develop? Your shots look very flat, could be different things. Maybe you accidently set your camera to manual mode causing underexposure. Give us more info on your process?<div></div>

They just discontinued Time-zero film for the SX-70 a couple of months ago also. I find it hard to believe that no one is buying these materials. If you go to Polaroids web site they have all these amazing artist displayed who use polaroid film and it seems like they want to promote polaroid work, but they turn around and discontinue making some of their most popular film????? Must be a money issue.

You have the right idea about saving money for sure!

I have bought expired film on e-bay with good results.

THere is plenty to choose from nowadays, anywhere from a couple of expired rolls to bulk film lots with 100s of rolls of film. Somethings you want to think about: Film degrades when exposed to heat (especially color), buy film that has been kept in the fridge or freezer (normally the seller will note this, if they dont ask) Expired film depending on how old it is, will probably be a little grainy and colors might shift. I bought an expired 100 ft roll of freezer kept Ektachrome 100 off e-bay (exp date 09/1994) and I love the results I've had. It may have a little grain but the colors are very nice. Good luck and have fun!!! There maybe a day where you won't be able to find any inexpensive film. I say nows the time to shoot film = )

http://www.cloneachrome.com/

I never have my slides mounted, they scan just fine in strips in my Dimage scanner. I would buy some plastic negative sleeves used for archiving your negs in binders. Cut your slides in to 5 or 6 frames and place them in the sleeves. Lay a heavy book or books on them to press them flat. Let them sit for a few days they should flatten enough for a decent scan...

Thanks for the replies. I will try keep it simple with my scans. Of course I might not be exposing my slides correctly or maybe my monitor is screwy??

I haven't had any of my slides mounted. I just scan the slides in the negative carrier like negative film.(On the Perfection 3200) The slide scans look horrible, the colors are always way off and there is a severe loss of sharpness. It might be I am not using the 3200 scanner properly, I have used Silverfast software and Vuescan. Neither has given me the results I wanted from my slides.THats why I thought I would try another scanner. Though my negatives scan fine on the 3200.

Can anyone here recommend a scanner that scans slides with decent

quality? I have an Epson Perfection 3200 flatbed that scans negatives

just fine. It just doesn't do my slides any justice! I know that drum

scans give the best quality with slides, but I don't have $10,000

laying around. I am looking for something in the $500-600 price range

(used or new). Thanks