stockshas wrote:
Yes, that’s the one. Glad it worked well. If it starts getting streaky use distilled water.
Also Ektar 100 looks really nice on cloudy days which may be hard to find considering you are in California 😉
Sure thing! Thanks for the advice. I want to figure out the best film for different situations and purposes. Having two film cameras seems like a smart move.
Fred Miranda wrote:
One thing I learned. Ektar100 not so great on skintones.
As noted in another reply, it can be great -- but in indirect sunlight or on cloudy days. There's a useful article about it here with nice examples, and some good discussion in the comments.
This comment in particular: " What I found, and I should have really written this somewhere above, if you want the film to perform properly, you absolutely cannot shoot it in broad daylight/direct sun as you’d typically do with a 100 ISO film. Instead Ektar needs to be burned in cloudy, overcast, shade, dimmer conditions. When doing a color daylight shoot, I always pack both Portra and Ektar and only shoot the Ektar if the light “relaxes”. If you shoot it in harsh, direct sunlight, you get really unflattering skintones, weird rendering of blues. Reds don’t pop and there seems to be an emphasis on orange for some reason. Take your subject under a shady tree, however, and all this should clear right up!"
Fred Miranda wrote:
I'm new to this...Is Photo-Flo a fixer? I used it (1ml to 200ml water) and I didn't get any streaks on the negatives after it dried.
I've scanned all the images, and I'm thrilled with the results. The entire process went really well. It was my first time using NegativeLabPro, and I stuck to the default settings. I was a bit worried about my exposures because I shot with the M2 without a meter, but surprisingly, most of them turned out well exposed!
Photo Flo is basically soap. It’s the final step before hanging the film to dry. Its purpose is to keep water droplets from adhering to the film and causing spots. I normally draw about 1ml from the bottle add it to the tank and agitate a bit. Hang the film, then use my fingers to get most of the water off and finish with a couple of folded KimWipes.
Your first set of scans look very good!
Fred Miranda wrote:
Here are a few samples. NLP and LR default settings:
One thing I learned. Ektar100 not so great on skintones.
With NLP sometimes the default WB setting can mess things up - especially if your scene has a lot of sky in it. NLP will try to warm everything up. Select "NONE" and see the difference. Sometimes it is surprising how much better it looks! You can do the final WB adjustments in LR which I find much better anyway.
Very cool! You also may want to try the Fuji/Kodak 200 films. They are my go-to even though I also have Portra etc. The dirty little secret is that if you scan your own film, you can make it look however you want.
Being half the cost of Portra is very attractive.
Desmolicious wrote:
Very cool! You also may want to try the Fuji/Kodak 200 films. They are my go-to even though I also have Portra etc. The dirty little secret is that if you scan your own film, you can make it look however you want.
Being half the cost of Portra is very attractive.
Sure, got it. Here's a clearer version: Thanks! I'm searching for affordable film, and Fuji seems like a good choice. I got a 3-pack of Superia 400 for $18.99 at Walmart. Not sure if there's a better deal out there. How about we create a thread discussing film prices? Whenever we find a good deal, we can share it as an alert. What do you think?
lifeandmylens wrote:
Looks great Fred! You got a MP too?
My M2 is currently undergoing CLA at DAG, and that might take some time. However, I came across a great deal on a brand new MP BP from Lisse, Netherlands that I couldn't resist. Surprisingly, it was even more affordable than a used one available on the forum. I love both cameras, and I must say, the MP viewfinder is just as good as the M10 series.
Fred Miranda wrote:
Yes! My M2 went for CLA at DAG and that could take a while. There was a deal on a brand new MP BP from Lisse, Netherlands that I could not pass. It was cheaper than a used one on the boards here. I love both cameras but the MP viewfinder is just as good as the M10.
Congrats, sounds like a great deal…and a beautiful cam that matches your m10r BP.
Has anyone here had the 135 / 75 frame lines removed from their M? My MP BP is with Youxin now and am considering having him remove those frame lines. Aside from possible resale ding (maybe?), seems like an upgrade for a less cluttered VF?
lifeandmylens wrote:
Has anyone here had the 135 / 75 frame lines removed from their M? My MP BP is with Youxin now and am considering having him remove those frame lines. Aside from possible resale ding (maybe?), seems like an upgrade for a less cluttered VF?
The resale value might be uncertain because it depends on whether someone likes this camera setup. In my opinion, the Leica MP is a camera you can keep for a lifetime, unlike digital cameras where you might want to upgrade. If you don't use 75mm or 135mm lenses much, it could be a good choice. But for me, since I enjoy using 75mm lenses and occasionally use my 135mm f/4, I wouldn't go for this option.
lifeandmylens wrote:
Has anyone here had the 135 / 75 frame lines removed from their M? My MP BP is with Youxin now and am considering having him remove those frame lines. Aside from possible resale ding (maybe?), seems like an upgrade for a less cluttered VF?
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Fred Miranda wrote:
The resale value might be uncertain because it depends on whether someone likes this camera setup. In my opinion, the Leica MP is a camera you can keep for a lifetime, unlike digital cameras where you might want to upgrade. If you don't use 75mm or 135mm lenses much, it could be a good choice. But for me, since I enjoy using 75mm lenses and occasionally use my 135mm f/4, I wouldn't go for this option.
I have had the 135mm framelines removed from my M6, it is completely reversible, so unlikely resale will be affected much.
