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Analog Dreams are Over

jonoslack

Active member
HI There
Well, I got the V700 scanner today, and I spent the evening re-scanning some of my M6 films . . . it does a grand job, and will be staying, it's reasonably fast and in comparison with the same films scanned with the Nikon 5000 it's very nearly as good.

But . . . it made me realise two things.

1. Film has real charm
2. I really don't have the time to be fiddling with it - I have a very busy day job (lucky me), and the scanning and processing of film is simply one step too far.

So I've sent an email cancelling the order for the M7 (they were going to despatch it tomorrow for delivery on April Fool's day).

It's a sad thing as I was anticipating lots of fun . . . but where the time was coming to fit it in I really don't know :cry:

So, I'll be sticking with my M8 and A900, I have the processing pretty much down, so that I'm not spending much time on each shot (I wish I could).

So - here are my analog dreams gone up in smoke

(taken with the CV15 and an M6ttl in October 2006 - rescanned and processed tonight).

 

helenhill

Senior Member
Well I Forgive YOU.....:ROTFL:
It makes sense really
it is such a pain in the A** Film
but nothing compares to a Beautiful Film Print ....

I feel abit guilty not giving the M8 a full round /maybe another Day

Best To You Jono...Your work is Always Superb :)
 

simonclivehughes

Active member
Jono,

I totally understand... I spent some time shooting with my newly acquired M6 and 35mm f1.4 lens on Saturday. I enjoyed using the Leica, but when I compare the experience to Sunday's outing with my pair of G1s, I just know that I may do the odd roll of film, but digital just wins out, especially for the reason you state: time.

I am looking forward to getting my u4/3-to-M adapters (from CameraQuest) and using the M lenses with the G1. I think this will be the next best thing to owning the M8 (and I had two of them before). Part of me thinks I may try to pick up a used M8 down the road a bit. I'd love to have one and use it along with the G1s for shooting.

Cheers,
 

jonoslack

Active member
Jono,

I totally understand... I spent some time shooting with my newly acquired M6 and 35mm f1.4 lens on Saturday. I enjoyed using the Leica, but when I compare the experience to Sunday's outing with my pair of G1s, I just know that I may do the odd roll of film, but digital just wins out, especially for the reason you state: time.
Yes, it's sad isn't it - I like to get stuck into a new experience, I normally go out shooting every day (even if it's only to excercise the dog) - sounds like 20 or 30 films a month, which, on a dedicated scanner would be roughly 1 working week:ROTFL:

I am looking forward to getting my u4/3-to-M adapters (from CameraQuest) and using the M lenses with the G1. I think this will be the next best thing to owning the M8 (and I had two of them before). Part of me thinks I may try to pick up a used M8 down the road a bit. I'd love to have one and use it along with the G1s for shooting.
Cheers,
I've clung on to my M8's, I love using them, and there is a certain something that the lack of an AA filter gives to a file. The G1 wasn't for me (I simply don't like EVF's however good they are). Now, if Olympus could produce an optical viewfinder with an overlay of grid lines and focus confirmation . . . or Leica, or panasonic, or anyone else come to that!

I'm sure you'll enjoy using M lenses on the G1 though - I certainly did, and the focusing is really easy.
 

Riccis

New member
Jono - It's sad to hear indeed. I have one question, though... What about a digital workflow? Isn't this going to also take a lot of time, specially once you start playing with all the variations of the filters (such as Silver FX Pro) that really makes your digital work look great? Have you thought about outsourcing the development and scanning of your film to a lab?

Cheers,
 

jonoslack

Active member
Jono - It's sad to hear indeed. I have one question, though... What about a digital workflow? Isn't this going to also take a lot of time, specially once you start playing with all the variations of the filters (such as Silver FX Pro) that really makes your digital work look great? Have you thought about outsourcing the development and scanning of your film to a lab?

Cheers,
HI Riccis
I could indeed outsource it, but my experience of this is that they will normally only do a flatbed scan anyway - anything better than that is going to be very expensive. Added to which I neither live, nor work anywhere near a decent processing lab, so everything needs posting etc.

Prices seem to be around £35 for develop and scan to high resolution tiff . . . thats £1 per shot! :bugeyes: The cheapest high res service I've found is £17.00 per film (and that's just to jpg) - even at 10 films a month we're speaking big money here!

As for my digital workflow - I use Aperture (with Viveza and silver efex pro as plugins) , and I really do have it nailed, of course, I sometimes play around, but normally I already know what I'll do with a digital file as soon as I've pressed the shutter.

I'm sure it would be possible to get a similar workflow down with film (after it's been scanned), but it's a big learning curve, and together with the issues of other people scanning (i.e. quality and/or cost) and my general lack of spare time . . . I'm sure you can see the point.
 
J

JCorp

Guest
Jono,
For what it's worth, Ilford Labs do pretty good mail order in the UK. Develop £6.99 and standard res for £3 (with Freepost to them and postage included for the return assuming you don't need it registered post). Hi-Res JPEG is £9.95 which is a lot I admit. I tend to work with the standard res and re-scan myself for the select couple of pics per roll that I want to work on / do more with than post online.
Not sure if it changes anything for you but thought I would at least point you in the direction of a cheaper lab alternative.
Regards,
Jonathan
 

jonoslack

Active member
Jono,
For what it's worth, Ilford Labs do pretty good mail order in the UK. Develop £6.99 and standard res for £3 (with Freepost to them and postage included for the return assuming you don't need it registered post). Hi-Res JPEG is £9.95 which is a lot I admit. I tend to work with the standard res and re-scan myself for the select couple of pics per roll that I want to work on / do more with than post online.
Not sure if it changes anything for you but thought I would at least point you in the direction of a cheaper lab alternative.
Regards,
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan
Thank you
I'd found them (it was the £17 quote, although I guess it's really £18).

It's a hassle / return for it equation and the balance seems to be so heavily weighted on the hassle side!
 

mwalker

Subscriber Member
Jono, I have come to the same conclusion. I bought a M7 and I've yet to develop a roll of film. I do understand the allure of film (I have shoe boxes full of slides in my closet) and will contine to use it on a limited basis but for me the digital workflow makes sense. As I do use film from time to time I think I will outsource the processing.
 
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charlesphoto

New member
Really, I think if you are going to truly work with film, the best bet in this day and age is to shoot medium format (sorry but imo digital MF still doesn't hold a candle to full frame 6X6 or 6X7) and scan with an Imacon. You can pick up an older model pretty cheaply and convert the scsi to firewire or dedicate an older machine to just the scanner. I made the investment a few years back in a refurb 646 and it's paid itself off over and over again.
 

Lars

Active member
Jono,
Going from digital to 35 mm film can be traumatic indeed, as you are accustomed to a very low level of effort for each exposure.

I think your experience to some extent confirms my own thoughts, that 35 mm is not worth the effort. If you move up to MF. 6x17, or LF, you make fewer exposures with more resolution which makes the effort more worthwhile.
 

jonoslack

Active member
Jono, I have come to the same conclusion. I bought a M7 and I've yet to develop a roll of film. I do understand the allure of film (I have shoe boxes full of slides in my closet) and will contine to use it on a limited basis but for me the digital workflow makes sense. As I do use film from time to time I think I will outsource the processing.
HI Mike
I'm sure it's true - I have been there before (and sold the M6ttl). With infinite time it might be a different matter.
 

Riccis

New member
I don't want to sound like a fan boy but I am really enjoying shooting 100% film with my Ms... I don't shoot medium format (other than Holgas every once in a while) and love the freedom that film affords me (shoot, send to lab and get all my film developed and high res scans).

I don't care about developing my own film as I use one of the best labs in the U.S. and if I'm going to be in the dark I'd rather print some fiber :D.

Based on your comments (and that of other friends of mine like Jeff Ascough) it seems like film development is more of a hassle in the UK than here in the US... I am so sorry if this is the case and completely understand your move to the digital world.

Cheers,
 

Amin

Active member
Jono, I may be giving up my analog dreams as well. I love my Zeiss Ikon kit (black Ikon ZM, CV 35/1.4, ZM 50/2), but I don't have much time! Am considering selling it and instead buying another Four Thirds kit. Was considering selling my Nikon kit to buy into Four Thirds, but some recent low light work has put that idea to rest.
 

Riccis

New member
BTW, I also have more free time after switching to film from digital but this would not be the case if I was developing and scanning myself (specially for the type of work I do).

Cheers,
 

jonoslack

Active member
Charles and Lars
Thanks for chipping in.
I quite understand, and I think I'm with you. I gave up painting and took up photography as I didn't have time (my that was a long time ago).

But with MF there is a different issue - I HAVE been tempted to go there, but whatever 'eye' I may have for a photograph is a very instinctive and reactive.

You know the old thing about photography:
"take a ranging shot, then think about it and get the shot you really want"
well, for me, it's ALWAYS the ranging shot which is the good one. Subsequent shots have less and less to them.
Using a tripod is the same, by the time I've got there I've forgotten the initial idea. It's not laziness, it's simply that whatever it is I see in a good photo is not under the control of my intellect, and it's very ephemeral.

So, MF is not for me - and therefore I think that film isn't either (at the current time anyway).
 

jonoslack

Active member
Based on your comments (and that of other friends of mine like Jeff Ascough) it seems like film development is more of a hassle in the UK than here in the US... I am so sorry if this is the case and completely understand your move to the digital world.

Cheers,
HI Riccis
It may be the case . . but I'm not moving to digital . . I was thinking of moving back to film (at least partly), and that's where the hassle seems to lie.
 

jonoslack

Active member
Jono, I may be giving up my analog dreams as well. I love my Zeiss Ikon kit (black Ikon ZM, CV 35/1.4, ZM 50/2), but I don't have much time! Am considering selling it and instead buying another Four Thirds kit. Was considering selling my Nikon kit to buy into Four Thirds, but some recent low light work has put that idea to rest.
HI Amin
I'm sorry to hear you're having the same situation. I was considering getting an Ikon (what a lovely thing).

I've still got all my 4/3 kit (not m4/3), but it only really sees the light of day in wet or dusty conditions.

The combination of the A900 and my two M8's makes for a good spectrum, and although the A900 isn't as good as the D700 in low light, but the built in IS and a fast lens makes up for one stop, and the extra resolution for most of the other one! On the other hand, the colour and 'glow' of the A900 is a different world from those workaday Nikon files (IMHO of course).
 

Amin

Active member
I'm thinking an E-620 and 14-42 will make a good complement for my D700, 35/2, and 85/1.4. The D700 will still be my main kit, but the E-620 will fit in a large coat pocket and the IS should help counter the slowness of the lens. It will be painful giving up the Zeiss though. It's far more satisfying to use.

Edit: Actually, I went so far as listing my Ikon kit in Buy/Sell here and can't go through with it :rolleyes:.
 
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emmawest72

New member
I don't find dealing with film a hassle. Once I have a few rolls I drop them off at the lab and a day later I can pick them up nicely cut in 6 ( if 35mm film). Back home they go on the light table and I can then select which ones to scan / print.

With the v700 I now do a low resolution batch scan of all the negs which takes about 2 min and then I can do my selection.

I recently developed 45 rolls of bw film that was taken over the last 2 years. Wonderful experience as I was completely detached from the photos and could make a nice selection fairly quickly.

I also tend to shoot much less with film but my keepers are much higher.

Voila!
 
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