The Kodak SLR Thread

[carstenw]

In November 2010, I finally caved and decided to try out a Kodak SLR/n. I have read much about these quirky old cameras, but with FF and 14MP for just 600 Euro, I couldn't really see a reason not to try it out. I had some glitches early on, with memory card related corruption and some weird purple blooming with unchipped lenses, but I also got some seriously nice results from it.

Does anyone else here have one of these neat old cameras, or the SLR/c or one of the older models?

Here are a couple of results, the first being a test shot, and the other two having been taken in a local cemetery:

 

[Shelby Frisch]

Hi,

Ah yes, I had a Kodak 14n, then upgraded to a 14nx (new sensor, more memory) and it quit working after about 4000 shots total. Needless to say I was a bit displeased with such wonderful behavior that I took it apart to see if I could fix it. No luck. However, wanting to keep the economy going, I bought a used SLR/n. I haven't used it much so far. Here are a couple from my old 14nx. One is taken at a place in Utah, the other is a 3 shot pano of some of Bryce Canyon. There was a fire off to the left when I was there that day.

I hope you enjoy your SLR/n, I was sorry to see Kodak quit supporting this camera.

Shelby

 

[jonoslack]

Hi Carsten
A lovely camera - mine has long since gone, but looking back at some of the results I got way back then . . .

.......

 

[carstenw]

That Bryce Canyon shot is really beautiful! How are you finding the colour and sharpness compared to your normal camera? I find that my SLR/n delivers very sharp-looking results compared to my Nikon D3, with a special emphasis on "looking". When I look at 100%, the results look almost like water-colour, but at 50% and down, they just look very sharp. I have never seen anything quite like it before, and am totally fascinated by it. My guess is that Kodak knows enough about the way we see that this is deliberate (since no one looks at digital photos at 100% other than techno geeks).

Jono, you jumped in while I was posting My favorite is the boat shot, and the last one. Are you a Pink Floyd fan, by any chance?

 

[jonoslack]

Jono, you jumped in while I was posting My favorite is the boat shot, and the last one. Are you a Pink Floyd fan, by any chance?

Well, I am a Pink Floyd fan . . . but that shot had nothing to do with Atom Heart Mother (it's not really the kind of thing you can stage.

I spent a lot of time with Kodak trying to isolate the 'italian flag' problem (and other firmware issues). but really it was a lovely camera, and the files look great. Not sure I'm going to buy another one, but it's a definite reality check back to 2003!

 

[davemillier]

Still got my 14n, only about 2,500 shots on the clock and still a steaming pile of *****.

Got a 5D soon as I could afford one, the difference in image quality is remarkable: no colour aliasing, no magenta ghosting, no noise, and especially no italian flag.

I have one lens that gives decent results with the 14n (a tokina 17mm). My Nikon 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 70-300mm, 28-105 no good. Italian flag colour casts everywhere. And the noise - shot at ISO64 in full daylight, really obvious noise all throughout the midtones unless is was a bright sunny day and the exposure was generous (over the right). Not to mention the pink ghosting around any specular highlights (Jono, your original 14n was just the same, I have still got some sample files you sent me somewhere!).

And the famous resolution is no better than the 4.6MP Foveon, another troublesome camera. If there is a lesson, it's buy cameras from proper makers not ones that cobble together bits from elsewhere.

I struggle to find anything decent shot with it but:

In November 2010, I finally caved and decided to try out a Kodak SLR/n. I have read much about these quirky old cameras, but with FF and 14MP for just 600 Euro, I couldn't really see a reason not to try it out. I had some glitches early on, with memory card related corruption and some weird purple blooming with unchipped lenses, but I also got some seriously nice results from it.

Does anyone else here have one of these neat old cameras, or the SLR/c or one of the older models?

Here are a couple of results, the first being a test shot, and the other two having been taken in a local cemetery:

 

[Ocean]

I also got a Kodak DCS/n recently. I really like the Kodak files, especially the way it renders color. I prefer the Kodak files at base ISO 160 to my Nikon D700 files. I plan to use it as a basic travel camera for daytime use.

As for other older DSLR, I recently bought an Olympus E-1 for very little money. I thoroughly enjoy using it. The Olympus files are truly beautiful.

 

[carstenw]

I am curious if there is a big difference between the earlier cameras and the SLR/n and SLR/c? I have seen Italian flag problems, as well as the fringing problems mentioned above, but the vast majority of my files were clean. Additionally, the SLR/n is clearly outresolving my 12MP D3, and the Foveon 4.7MP sensor is only resolving about the same as. 10MP camera, so the SLR/n and SLR/c really should out resolve it by a significant margin.

Due to ink drops' tendency to blend slightly into each other, and due to the fact that viewing at 50% closely approximates what printing would give in terms of resolution, the Italian flag artifacts should not be visible in print anyway, I would guess. I think Kodak must have known that.

 

[bensonga]

Hi Carsten,

What are these "Italian flag" artifacts?

I notice there are some pretty good deals on SLR/n bodies to be had. Might be interesting to try. Do you know if this body will work with Nikkor AIS manual focus lenses?

Gary

 

[carstenw]

Moire. There is no AA filter on the sensor, and apparently the 14/14N were especially susceptible to this. The SLR/n (and SLR/c) apparently have improved in-camera processing in this area.

 

[Ocean]

... Do you know if this body will work with Nikkor AIS manual focus lenses?

Gary

For Nikon AIS lenses, the meter in the camera doesn't function anymore. So you have to use manual model. Other than that, everything works fine.

 

[Ocean]

Moire. There is no AA filter on the sensor, and apparently the 14/14N were especially susceptible to this. The SLR/n (and SLR/c) apparently have improved in-camera processing in this area.

I do see Moire in some of my images. But I don't think it appears more often than what occurs in my Leica M8 files.

 

[jonoslack]

Hi Carsten,

What are these "Italian flag" artifacts?


Gary

HI Gary - not artifacts, it was a colour shift across the whole frame - some lenses were very susceptible, some were not (unexpected lenses, like the Nikon 70-200 could be very bad). I loved the camera, but I'd much rather use an A900 thanks very much!

 

[PeterA]

Congratulations Carsten on your new camera - and I think it is a very sensible reminder to folks that a lot of fun is what photography is about to photographers and great images can be made by pretty much any camera in the hands of an enthusiast.

Lovely thread thanks for posting your shots guys.

 

[carstenw]

I need to get out and use this camera more often. ZF21:

 

[Shelby Frisch]

Hi Carstan,

I've had both the 14n, then upgraded to 14nx and since it died, I decided to average out my cost and bought a used SLR/n. In my opinion, the SLR/n is much better. I haven't used it a lot, but it seems to have a little better noise characteristics. One thing I like about both the 14nx and the SLR/n is the long exposure mode where you can shoot at ISO 6. Here's an example of a 30 second shot I took a few years ago with my 14nx. I was lucky to have 0 wind on this day.

Shelby

 

[Shelby Frisch]

Hi Jono,

Great shots from the past, my favorite is your 3 cow shot.

Shelby

 

[Shelby Frisch]

Hi Dave,

I know what you mean about pain. I had 4000 shots on my camera and I think it was the new memory chip that went out. That was after Kodak decided to call it a day and leave their pro cameras without support. However, I as I recall, it was the upgrade that had the problems with reliability. I did pull mine apart and the memory was a cheap laptop memory card. I could not get it out without going much further in my taking it apart, so its sitting in a drawer waiting for further work.

I'm glad to hear about the 17mm lens, your results look really good.

Shelby

Shelby

 

[Shelby Frisch]

Hi Gary,

Here's a shot from my 14nx using an old Nikon 100mm f2.8 manual focus lens.

Shelby

 

[carstenw]

Hi Carstan,

I've had both the 14n, then upgraded to 14nx and since it died, I decided to average out my cost and bought a used SLR/n. In my opinion, the SLR/n is much better. I haven't used it a lot, but it seems to have a little better noise characteristics. One thing I like about both the 14nx and the SLR/n is the long exposure mode where you can shoot at ISO 6. Here's an example of a 30 second shot I took a few years ago with my 14nx. I was lucky to have 0 wind on this day.

Shelby

Nice shot, tightly composed. I guess you lifted the shadows quite a bit?

I played with the ISO 6 mode, but so far I was unable to see more than a tiny difference in the noise from normal base ISO shots, so I haven't used it much. Maybe in other circumstances.