lamefrog
Well-known
Isn't that March 21st ?
In any case, I'm in .
Sorry to have missed the big Feb gear extravaganza .
Also very interested in Cal 's experience with the MM , from the perspective of a hardcore film shooter. I used the MM every day for 2 weeks from sunrise to sunlight during my Feb trip and I'm still unsure about how to expose. Film seems a lot more predictable.
Philippe
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Philippe,
I originally thought that I would be in way over my head, but Leica really did build the perfect digital camera that seems especially made for me. I did not get overtaken by complexity like I thought I would. Very rapidly I was able to explore the cameras controls and understood how to use the histogram and clipping indicators to my advantage.
In film I basically meter off the back of my hand and use it like a grey card. I set up the clipping indicators for 1% and 99% and have learned to make exposures that minimize clipping on both ends, but particularly to the right.
Also know that although I still manually perform exposure that I use the camera in "Auto" and use the "exposure lock" to set my shutter speed. For me its like shooting a M7 or Nikon F3: its just faster to use "exposure lock" than manually set the shutter speed dial.
Since the Monochrom is a digital camera I was able to get instant feedback on my exposure choices. The Histogram is a great-great tool. Even on the small LCD screen that some people complain about I can judge my exposure. Basically you can't print what's not there. That's where the clipping indicators tell you the limits of the exposure.
For me the Monochrom is rather intuitive, but with instant feedback and a histogram exposure has become easier.
BTW I still love film, and I will continue to shoot crazy amounts, meaning as much as I can. The Monochrom is an exploration into another medium and will lead me to shooting even more. I already love this camera.
Yes the March Meet-Up is on the 24th. PM me if you want to discuss this more.
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
GEAR ALERT: I found a Nikon F3 HP in "Demo" condition for $150.00 at Adorama. Included a never-ready case. Been hunting for a while for a second F3 because the truth be told is that I prefer carrying two cameras rather than change lenses. Also learned that the Nikon DK-17M magnifier (1.2X) made for Nikon DSLR's retrofits onto a Nikon F3 HP. The HP Vf'er with a DK-17M offers 100% magnification and for me requires little or no scanning even though I wear glasses. With my 28/2.8 AIS gone is the vague focus of shooting a wide on a SLR.
Anyways today KEH offers only one Nikon F3. Yesterday they had a few, and at Adorama the pickings have become very slim. Yesterday I got very-very lucky. Even the original foam seals are fresh.
Cal
Anyways today KEH offers only one Nikon F3. Yesterday they had a few, and at Adorama the pickings have become very slim. Yesterday I got very-very lucky. Even the original foam seals are fresh.
Cal
Range-rover
Mentor
Wow, Lately Adorama has some great stuff for used cameras at great prices
enjoy your new F3.
Range
enjoy your new F3.
Range
Damn Cal, being couped up inside has made your GAS stronger these days!
JMQ
Well-known
Cal, people are going to as pissed off about your F3 as your M4. Congrats on the buy.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
At heart, I'm just a lazy slacker who doesn't like to change lenses and would rather carry either two Leicas or two Nikon F3's. Also in medium format I sometimes carry a Rollie 3.5F and a Plaubel 69W; two big Fuji's (GL690 and GM670); or the Pentax67II affectionately AKA Son of Godzilla because John considers all of my cameras "Monsters." LOL.
I tried culling down, but somehow that doesn't seem to work. The F3 literally looks and feels like new. The film advance is unbelievable, and it came with a "Red Dot" "K" screen.
I feel a huge ground swell of shooting happening when the weather gets milder. Somehow I need to buy about 300 rolls of Arista Premium to add to my stockpile before it goes south.
Cal
lamefrog
Well-known
thanks cal , very useful . I love the MM but I just haven't yet done all the metering tests i want to, especially with filters . Dying to go out and shoot but unfortunately this weather sucks. See you at the next meet . Ph.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Ph,
It seems the metering is hypersensitive to bright skies. Metering off a cement sidewalk, grass or olive colored skin proves to be the better approach.
Try setting up the clipping limits. This really speeds up the learning curve. I find the histogram with clipping limits to be a wonderful tool.
See you soon. I'll be doing some testing too with filters, but I need that bright high contrast lighting.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Pro-Mone and John,
I developed 39 rolls of film yesterday (33 rolls 120, 6 rolls 135).
Finally developed those shots of "Stars-Key" the tat-two parlor owner we met in Spanish Harlem that I shot last summer. I have a dozen shots, and even though the lighting was bad The results are remarkable. I think that I will get some prints made to gift Stars-Key, and hopefully I can embed myself into a tatoo shop. I have a few great street portraits. Got to love a big 6x7 negative.
A few of those shot project that tough guy attitude.
Cal
I developed 39 rolls of film yesterday (33 rolls 120, 6 rolls 135).
Finally developed those shots of "Stars-Key" the tat-two parlor owner we met in Spanish Harlem that I shot last summer. I have a dozen shots, and even though the lighting was bad The results are remarkable. I think that I will get some prints made to gift Stars-Key, and hopefully I can embed myself into a tatoo shop. I have a few great street portraits. Got to love a big 6x7 negative.
A few of those shot project that tough guy attitude.
Cal
Good to hear Cal. You missed a beautiful day yesterday. I went out alone from 7:30 - 4:00 (with a few stops for food and beer).
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
John,
I wanted to clear the backlog on film development. Don't have the opportunity to set up a lab everyday.
We'll be shooting like mad men again shortly. I have a lot of things planned. Talk with you more about my imbedding myself into Spanish Harlem. Going to mentor and help some young people get their GED's.
Also need to move again due to a big rent increase in November. Looking into moving deeper into the center of Spanish Harlem at 119th and Third in search of more affordable housing. I won't be on the fringe anymore.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Philippe,
I compared three shots of the same subject under the same lighting using; no filter; a yellow filter; and a orange filter yesterday on my Monochrom.
Using a filter cuts down the clipping on both ends of the histogram, especially to the right (high lights), to the extent that I can see using minimally a yellow filter all the time under daylight conditions. There seems to be a bias where 2/3rds of the clipping of highlights is effected while only about 1/3rd on the black end.
The compression of contrast enhances mid-range big time, and now I understand why Ansel Adams almost always used a yellow filter on a 8x10 view camera, and in the process I see mucho more detail. The image definitely has more mid-range punch like in medium format. At this point I don't know how much 120 shooting will get replaced because if I can get the tonality of medium format with the Monochrom it will be a game changer. A second Monochrom is a lot cheaper than a Imacon scanner, but know I have some serious attachment to my 120 cameras.
In many ways the Monochrom responds to filtration in the same way as Diafine, a compensating developer, with filters. I am so pleased with the results that I can see me not shooting any film in small format, only continuing to shoot film in medium format, and possibly getting another Monochrom so I can carry two bodies with a long short pair.
From what I see using filters adds an organic smoothness. Yesterday's late afternoon light was not harsh nor high contrast, but I still had minimal amounts of clipping. Also know that prefer B&W MRC (hard coated) filters. I find that the hard coating helps repel dirt and is easier to clean.
Cal
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
I've been out of touch for a while due to work and work and a little bout of despondence but I'm a bit better now. Anyway, I use a DK-17M on both of my digital bodies (I got a D2hs recently) and the increased magnification is a big help. Add to that, I scored a killer deal on a Katzeye Optics britescreen with split prism/micro-prism ring and now my D2hs has a viewfinder that is just about as bright as my old F4 with a J screen! The view through it is stunning compared to what comes out of the box.
When we start doing death marches, I'll be carrying the D2hs and using 720nm opaque filters for IR photography. That body has a very good IR sensitivity (like the M8) and it meters almost perfectly through them.
Also, again I'm green with envy at a demo condition F3 for that paltry amount of money!
Happy shooting.
Phil Forrest
philipforrestphoto.wordpress.com
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Phil,
Congrates on the D2H.
My F3P with a Beattie Intensceen, Noct-Nikkor, and DK-17M has a mucho bright VF'er with 100% magnification.
The "new" F3HP is rigged with a 28/2.8 AIS and an added aftermarket grip to annoy John. The DK-17M gets rid of that vague focus of wides on a SLR.
This summer I'll be either carrying two Leicas or two F3's to shoot small format film.
Cal
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
I once scored an F3HP for $50 at a used record store in Anacortes, Washington. Battery was dead. After that I found a 180mm f/2.8 AIS ED lens for only $100 at the same place. Shot with them both for a few years then made a hefty profit. I loved that 180mm ED glass.
Its too bad that the Nikon digital bodies still don't have removable prisms. I always loved the compact form factor of an F3 with a waist level prism and an f/2.8 wide lens.
Now that I'm shooting a cropped sensor body, I'm wanting to find a 28mm f/2 AIS for my "normal" lens since walking around with a 17-55 zoom is just unwieldy.
That reminds me, does anyone have any ektachrome frames that are developed but opaque? I need a few to make an opaque IR filter for the slot in the back of my 14mm.
Phil Forrest
philipforrestphoto.wordpress.com
Its too bad that the Nikon digital bodies still don't have removable prisms. I always loved the compact form factor of an F3 with a waist level prism and an f/2.8 wide lens.
Now that I'm shooting a cropped sensor body, I'm wanting to find a 28mm f/2 AIS for my "normal" lens since walking around with a 17-55 zoom is just unwieldy.
That reminds me, does anyone have any ektachrome frames that are developed but opaque? I need a few to make an opaque IR filter for the slot in the back of my 14mm.
Phil Forrest
philipforrestphoto.wordpress.com
Damn, you guys are geeks. Grips, screens, IR. The 90's version of me would have been geeking out along with you though. Now I'm just a boring guy who has found the right tools.
mervynyan
Mervyn Yan
you scanned those or what?
got my canon nf-1 cla at Ken Oikawa, very smooth, try to get out on st pat parade this weekend, see how that performs on nfd 50/1.4.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Phil,
Not sure you know that the 28/2.8 AIS is Nikon's most corrected wide angle, also its smallest wide angle, and also the closet focusing wide angle. If you don't need the speed the 28/2.8 AIS is simply the best. Also know it has a very quick/fast focus. Make sure you get the AIS version though because it is a total redesign over the AI version and includes an additional element. I think the close focus is something like 7 inches with the CRC.
I'll bring my 28/2.8 AIS to the Meet-Up.
I had a 180/2.8. Use to carry it on my F3P with a second F3 with motordrive. What a great lens. It's a classic among PJ's.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Mervyn,
I don't scan.
I just annoy people. LOL.Cal
BTW this lazy slacker will likely have some wet prints of this local East Harlem tough guy that I shot as street portraits. Warning mucho tattoes and no shirt.