@lifeandmylens Shawn make sure that your rolls are nice n' tight when you seal them up. I had a Fuji GW690III which often gave me 'fat rolls' which is the description for when rolls are loose. Those will light leak. It's one reason I got rid of that Fuji - no matter how careful I was loading, I would occasionally get them. But not in any other camera I use.
My Rolleiflex GX is awesome - it hold the rolls so tight I never have to even think about it.
madNbad wrote:
Are you giving the backing paper a little tug before taping? It looks like the rolls have been a little loose allowing some light to leak in. Make sure the paper is tight.
The images look great! Keep at it because it's the only way to learn.
Thank you. I'm definitely learning a ton! Yes the rolls are very tight when I take them out and seal them. However I wonder how good the lick glue was on those rolls of film. So it very well could have just came unrolled a little bit in the box from shipping. That's my latest guess as to what happened. Will tape them from now on and ship in a padded mailer like usual.
Desmolicious wrote:
@lifeandmylens@ Shawn make sure that your rolls are nice n' tight when you seal them up. I had a Fuji GW690III which often gave me 'fat rolls' which is the description for when rolls are loose. Those will light leak. It's one reason I got rid of that Fuji - no matter how careful I was loading, I would occasionally get them. But not in any other camera I use.
My Rolleiflex GX is awesome - it hold the rolls so tight I never have to even think about it.
My very first roll from the Mamiya was "fat", but it was user error. Since then all my 120 have been tight. But I do think it's the glue / seal tape on the rolls that didn't hold.
Fred Miranda wrote:
I ordered the same film from them last week. Got some Portra 400 as well.
I have to say I learned a lot from this thread. Thanks Shawn for starting it. I'm seriously thinking about creating a forum dedicated to film photography!
Yeah! You can always merge the topics to this one right if it doesn't get the traction you want.
lifeandmylens wrote:
My very first roll from the Mamiya was "fat", but it was user error. Since then all my 120 have been tight. But I do think it's the glue / seal tape on the rolls that didn't hold.
Get some rubber bands. It'll keep the lab from fighting with tape.
I haven't tried it before and it'll still be a few months before I mix the first batch. I wanted to try it before it disappears. Adox XT-3 is supposed to be a good replacement. It's finding Adox is the hard part. I have three one liter bags of the Film Photography Project FPP-76 left. When they're gone I'll start with the Xtol.
I did some scanning tests today and have a few affordable product recommendations.
1) JJC Negative Digitizer with LED Light: This device replaces the Nikon ES-1, and it comes with a beneficial LED light. The LED light provides even and diffused illumination, preventing any unwanted flare. It's also powerful enough to maintain high shutter speeds. You can adjust the light intensity, and I typically use a medium setting to achieve shutter speeds of 1/250s with the lens stopped down.
2) TTartisan 60/2.8 APS-C: If you're on a budget, this 1:1 macro lens is an excellent choice. It's not prone to flaring, making it a good choice for this application. After testing it at various apertures, I found it to be sharp from the center to the corners at f/5.6 and performing optimally at f/7.1 (somewhere between f/5.6 and f/8). I've been using it on my 26MP Fuji camera body.
I've also tesetd the Laowa 65/2.8 2x macro lens. While it outperforms the TTartisan at wider apertures, I didn't see significant improvements at smaller apertures in macro shooting distances. I did notice a bit more flare with this lens, which might make it less suitable for digital film scanning. It's an excellent lens capable of 2:1 macro, but for this specific application, it might be a bit overkill, especially for 35mm negative film scans.
It's non sensible, but I get giddy every time I develop with XTOL. Cheap, easy, safe, and with careful storage longevity. It seems to tame the grain to my liking. HP5's grain seems soft with it compared to D76. Also love it for ACROSii and FP4.
Fred Miranda wrote:
I did some scanning tests today and have a few affordable product recommendations.
1) JJC Negative Digitizer with LED Light: This device replaces the Nikon ES-1, and it comes with a beneficial LED light. The LED light provides even and diffused illumination, preventing any unwanted flare. It's also powerful enough to maintain high shutter speeds. You can adjust the light intensity, and I typically use a medium setting to achieve shutter speeds of 1/250s with the lens stopped down.
2) TTartisan 60/2.8 APS-C: If you're on a budget, this 1:1 macro lens is an excellent choice. It's not prone to flaring, making it a good choice for this application. After testing it at various apertures, I found it to be sharp from the center to the corners at f/5.6 and performing optimally at f/7.1 (somewhere between f/5.6 and f/8). I've been using it on my 26MP Fuji camera body.
I've also tesetd the Laowa 65/2.8 2x macro lens. While it outperforms the TTartisan at wider apertures, I didn't see significant improvements at smaller apertures in macro shooting distances. I did notice a bit more flare with this lens, which might make it less suitable for digital film scanning. It's an excellent lens capable of 2:1 macro, but for this specific application, it might be a bit overkill, especially for 35mm negative film scans....Show more →
I was thinking of starting a thread on this to get a sense of what FMers are using. I use a Fuji XE-2, ext tubes and either 35cron(120, 4x5) , 50 cron(35mm). I want to start using my SL2-S and I am wondering what would be the best macro focal length to address all formats. Seems like 60mm would work. Similar to 35 on Fuji, but maybe can get close enough to cover 35mm without wasting sensor.
Keahi08 wrote:
It's non sensible, but I get giddy every time I develop with XTOL. Cheap, easy, safe, and with careful storage longevity. It seems to tame the grain to my liking. HP5's grain seems soft with it compared to D76. Also love it for ACROSii and FP4.
I have a bunch of Tri-X in the refrigerator and just bought twenty rolls of HP5+. After using Rodinal for the last year, any grain will seem soft!
madNbad wrote:
I have a bunch of Tri-X in the refrigerator and just bought twenty rolls of HP5+. After using Rodinal for the last year, any grain will seem soft!
Do you always keep in film in the fridge? or freezer?
Fred Miranda wrote:
Do you always keep in film in the fridge? or freezer?
First off, I’m a single format user, just buying 35mm film. I love the larger formats but am trying to use the gear I have and not accumulate more. I normally have between twenty and fifty rolls on hand, not really enough to freeze, plus I use it on a regular basis. When I reach a certain point, either I’ll buy more of what I have been using or buy twenty rolls of the next film I want to try. I’ve been through the stocking up phase with film in the freezer and have taken a few trips down the bulk loading path, even preparing for a 400 foot roll of 5222 but changed my mind. At this time, I’m happy with Tri-X. The HP5+ may become the replacement being less expensive. The next challenge will be once I mix the Xtol. When I retuned to home development in 2018, I started with HC-110. I’ve used Rodinal for the last year and tried Ilfotec HC but didn’t like it. Those are all long lived developers. Xtol put the onus on me to expose enough roll’s every week to use it within six months.
Keahi08 wrote:
I was thinking of starting a thread on this to get a sense of what FMers are using. I use a Fuji XE-2, ext tubes and either 35cron(120, 4x5) , 50 cron(35mm). I want to start using my SL2-S and I am wondering what would be the best macro focal length to address all formats. Seems like 60mm would work. Similar to 35 on Fuji, but maybe can get close enough to cover 35mm without wasting sensor.
Keahi08 wrote:
I was thinking of starting a thread on this to get a sense of what FMers are using. I use a Fuji XE-2, ext tubes and either 35cron(120, 4x5) , 50 cron(35mm). I want to start using my SL2-S and I am wondering what would be the best macro focal length to address all formats. Seems like 60mm would work. Similar to 35 on Fuji, but maybe can get close enough to cover 35mm without wasting sensor.
Here's my scanning setup. It took a few years to assemble and there were a lot of other things I tried but they all lead here:
Sony A7II, FE90 2.8G Macro, Negative Supply Pro Riser with a few modifications, Pro Carrier 135, 5X7 Lightsource Pro 95 CRI, Tether Tools micro USB-C to USB-C.
I can scan a roll of thirty six exposures in about five minutes.
Fred Miranda wrote:
Do you always keep in film in the fridge? or freezer?
I'm obviously super new to this whole thing, but I researched it and decided to keep the bulk of the film in the fridge. I leave 2-3 rolls out of each stock in my camera cabinet.
lifeandmylens wrote:
I'm obviously super new to this whole thing, but I researched it and decided to keep the bulk of the film in the fridge. I leave 2-3 rolls out of each stock in my camera cabinet.
Hopefully, they'll keep making it as long as we're buying it.
madNbad wrote:
Here's my scanning setup. It took a few years to assemble and there were a lot of other things I tried but they all lead here:
Sony A7II, FE90 2.8G Macro, Negative Supply Pro Riser with a few modifications, Pro Carrier 135, 5X7 Lightsource Pro 95 CRI, Tether Tools micro USB-C to USB-C.
I can scan a roll of thirty six exposures in about five minutes.
