The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

How about more and more fun with Leica M? (Film)

Maggie O

Active member
This was taken during the summer of 1971. I'd just graduated from high school. We were working on an original musical, a serious piece of theatre that was so serious that we never quite finished it. M2, DR Summicron, Tri-X.

I've had projects like that! But never someone thoughtful or talented enough to photograph them so well!

M4-P, 50 1/4 preapsh

my grandson

An old Summilux is such a dreamy match with your grandson- what a beautiful portrait!!!
 

Stuart Richardson

Active member
Nice shots everyone. Jim -- I like your shot and the tone you have given it. Nice to see you doing some stuff with film along with all your nice images in the MFD thread!

Maggie -- do you have any crops from your photos...the first and second seem really grainy for XP2...XP2 should be essentially grainless, at least in my experience. What does the returned film itself look like? Does it have any markings, and what color is the film base? I am just curious...
 

Maggie O

Active member
Nice shots everyone. Jim -- I like your shot and the tone you have given it. Nice to see you doing some stuff with film along with all your nice images in the MFD thread!

Maggie -- do you have any crops from your photos...the first and second seem really grainy for XP2...XP2 should be essentially grainless, at least in my experience. What does the returned film itself look like? Does it have any markings, and what color is the film base? I am just curious...
The film base is a very dark grey and the negs are surprisingly grainy, almost like Tri-X. Both sides are smooth, as you'd expect, but I had the roll processed at Walgreens and they were pretty rough with it; I had to do some retouching of schmutz and scratches, even with Digital ICE turned on.

I'll attach a 100% zoom of the original .tif scan of the two frames you mentioned.

I'm thinking it might be the film, because when I have the local Walgreens do my Kodak BW400CN, I get gorgeous, grain-less frames with near-medium-format tonalities. This stuff looks more like Tri-X in Rodinal. (Which is OK, as I really like that look, but it's not what I was expecting.)

I took two more rolls of of, one at the airport and one around the neighborhood and took those to a local photo lab for processing yesterday. I should have them back (along with a roll of Ektar) by this evening. Maybe they'll be more in line with our expectations of what XP-2 is supposed to look like.

What do you make of all this Stuart?
 
T

tokengirl

Guest
Thanks, Steve!!

So, I heard about this low cost private-label XP-2 Plus from Photo Warehouse, so I ordered the minimum number of rolls (14) and shot some this weekend out at the airport, where Cessna was bringing in Special Olympics athletes on bizjets. No credentials for me, so I watched the watchers, so to speak. Here's a few shots from that first roll of generic XP-2 Plus, via the M4-P and Jupiter-8:

Umbrellas, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010


Credentials Tent, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010


Helping Out, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010


Waiting For Harrison, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010

(Harrison Ford piloted his Gulfstream for the airlift and all these folks said they were just there to see him.)

A Planespotter Catches One, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010


It was around 97ºF, with a heat index of 109ºF that afternoon. Underexposure was NOT a problem! :ROTFL:
You really get a sense that it was hot as Hades from these photos, very well done.

I like the look of these a lot. Nice tones, good contrast, and I happen to like the grain. I may have to get some of that stuff.
 

Maggie O

Active member
You really get a sense that it was hot as Hades from these photos, very well done.

I like the look of these a lot. Nice tones, good contrast, and I happen to like the grain. I may have to get some of that stuff.
Thank you, Claire!!

I like the look of them too- it's a more traditional B&W film look to my eye, so I'm pleased, if a bit surprised.

Here's a few more from that roll:

Windsock Corner, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010


Grounded Bush Pilot, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010


Planespotting, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010


Hat Lady & Ice Cream Truck, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010


Mother and Daughter, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010
 
Last edited:

Stuart Richardson

Active member
Maggie -- I am not sure, it does look grainier than what I remember, but it might be normal. I will try to look at my negs again and see if that is normal. Do you know what dpi they scanned at? Or at least what are the dimensions of the file? That should let me figure out the scale of the grain compared to mine. The grain on mine does not look that different, but it is at 100% on a 3200dpi scan.
Don't get me wrong, the photos look nice and they have nice tones, but I have only shot XP2 in medium format, so I may be just used to a much finer grain look. Also, XP2 negs should look pink or reddish brown, not dark grey. At least not usually...anyway, it seems like they work at least!
 

Maggie O

Active member
Looking at the file info on the .tif files from the Coolscan V, they're 4000ppi 8-bit grayscale images, 5651x3681.

Stupid question time from me: does 4000ppi mean the same as 4000dpi?
 

Maggie O

Active member
Yes, in this context it does. If those are 100% at 4000, then that grain looks like it could be normal. I will double check when I get to work tomorrow.
The two crops are from the 4000dpi .tif files, so I guess this is normal for this off-brand "XP-2+." The filmstock seems thinner and more fragile than the Kodak BW400CN or the Neopan or Tri-X I've been using. It's not as thin as, say, Kodak's HIE IR was, but it does seem to be more brittle and curl easier. The results are pretty much the same from the roll I just got back from another lab in town, too.

I might try developing a roll in 1:100 Rodinal just to see what happens.

But this film, whatever it really is, is much grainier than the XP-1 or BW400CN I've used. Not that that's a bad thing, but if anyone is thinking about ordering some, they should know that.
 

Maggie O

Active member
Well, back to the photos! The first five are from that roll of "XP-2+" and are all M4-P and Jupiter-8; the second set of five are from the M2 and the Voigtländer Ultron 35/1.7 and were shot on Kodak BW400CN.

Handicapped Parking, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010


Applause, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010


Send In A Clown, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010


Fix Prop Mailbox, July, 2010


37th And Air Park, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010


Ultron and BW400CN now-

Creek Flowers, July, 2010


Lower Dogwalk Golden Bench, July, 2010


Lower Dogwalk Golden Hour, July, 2010


Duck Pond Fountain, July, 2010


Dad Drinks On The Patio, July, 2010
 

shtarka1

Active member
Well, back to the photos! The first five are from that roll of "XP-2+" and are all M4-P and Jupiter-8; the second set of five are from the M2 and the Voigtländer Ultron 35/1.7 and were shot on Kodak BW400CN.

[
Send In A Clown, Special Olympics Citation Airlift, July, 2010


[
Ultron and BW400CN now-

Creek Flowers, July, 2010


Lower Dogwalk Golden Bench, July, 2010

Dad Drinks On The Patio, July, 2010
These are my favorites Mag! Excellent shooting & PP!
 

Maggie O

Active member
These are my favorites Mag! Excellent shooting & PP!
Thank you, Steve!

The PP was pretty easy- the negatives were nice and dense, so they produced really great files. It's kinda weird- having a film Leica and a Nikon scanner is almost like having an M9! Almost.
 

Maggie O

Active member
Here's a few shots from the M4-P, CV 28/1.9, BW400CN combo:

Tiffany's Table Manners, July, 2010


Bath Sink, July, 2010


YouTube Mollie, July, 2010


Sweaty Drink, July, 2010


Watching TV, July, 2010
 
Top