Y'know, I was thinking about how some people in this thread complaining about some Velvia being greenish. Back in the days when we all shot film for commercial jobs, we would test every emulsion for color balance, which would bounce around from batch to batch. We would then use Wratten CC (color compensation) filters to balance the film. I pretty much stopped doing that when I started drum scanning somewhere around 1998, when it became apparent that it was easier to fix minor color problems in the scan or later in Photoshop. You still have to watch the contrast with Velvia, and skintones are not its forté, but it's great for landscape.
Totally agreed Peter. I have gone through thousands and thousands rolls of the old Velvia 50 in the past as I used it exclusively for architecture projects. It is very easy to remove the green cast in PP as you say. However, I personally prefer to keep it as the film signature, and for most subjects, it is not disturbing. I didn't shoot much with the new Velvia 50 but I feel that the green cast, while still there, is even less objectionable.
i really appreciate looking at all your images and reading your commentary. thinking about shooting thousands and thousands of rolls of film, like Edward mentioned...wow!
Edward, I am not confident that this is what you had in mind ???
Hi Joanlvh, I see that you are keeping the full color information in your b/w scans. Imo, it would be better to desaturate the colors if you want to keep it in RGB (like I do) or just convert to monochrome. Just a little suggestion, I hope you don't mind.
I'm using an app on my phone for exposure. It works surprisingly well. Focusing is very accurate and I usually put a lot of care into getting it perfect. The only lens I have is the 110 2.8, but RZ lenses are starting to pop up on craigslist for real real cheap so I might try to pick up another one in the near future.
Jewced wrote:
I'm using an app on my phone for exposure. It works surprisingly well. Focusing is very accurate and I usually put a lot of care into getting it perfect. The only lens I have is the 110 2.8, but RZ lenses are starting to pop up on craigslist for real real cheap so I might try to pick up another one in the near future.
The RZ viewfinder and focusing screen is really amazing. It's really easy even when shooting wide open to really nail focus. The last portraits I shot with mine were tight head shots shot with the 210mm APO at f/4.5 and the focus was exactly on the lashes. No guessing like trying to focus a "modern" 35mm digital camera.
Don't know about the light meter apps, but after more than forty years of manual light meters starting with a prehistoric Weston Master III, the best meter I have ever used is the Minolta Flash Meter VI, which has reflected, incident, flash and spot. Ergonomically, it beats the hell out of any other handheld meter I've ever seen. Just feels better in your hand. Can't say enough good about the Minolta. The RZ metering prism, on the other hand, is mediocre at best. I have one but would never use it for anything beyond a very rough approximation.
Here's an older RZ shot of fall color in the Eastern Sierras. Convict Lake just south of Mammoth. RZ. 50mm lens. Portra 160 NC, drum scanned on a Howtek. Or David Lindley shot on EPN and an RB back (you can tell from the border) on an RZ.
