Board index Equipment Film Cameras New gallery with film and digital

Film Cameras

New gallery with film and digital

nickdemarco
 
Posts: 789

New gallery with film and digital

Post Sat Jun 16, 2007 1:03 pm


I returned to Angkor Wat to take photos. I took 4 cameras with me: a digital SLR (Canon 5D), and three film rangefinders (Leica M6, Leica M4-P and Minolta CLE) and various, mainly wide angle lenses. I took digital photos, black and white and colour film, colour slides and infrared film.

Here are some of the film photos:

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Black & White high speed Infrred film


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Colour transparency


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Black & White film



http://www.pbase.com/nickdemarco/return_to_angkor_wat

Please visit the gallery to see more and compare formats - and leave comments/votes :D

bruce46
 
Posts: 52


Post Tue Jun 19, 2007 7:44 am


I haven't viewed the gallery but what I saw here is enough for me. I'm still new to photography and I'm also using a film camera, Canon EOS Rebel T2 which I bought on eBay about two months ago. Although I haven't tried black and white yet, I can deeply relate to the images you have posted. Thank you.

thayer16
 
Posts: 11


Post Tue Jun 19, 2007 5:44 pm


Great images! Espesially the Infra-Red. If there's one area where film blows digital away, its IR. People have made some cool color adjustments in Photoshop to mimic film IR, but none of it comes close to the real deal (although they can have a very neat look). One question - I've heard the term a lot, but can you explain what a 'range-finder' camera refers to?

nickdemarco
 
Posts: 789


Post Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:53 am


Thanks for the comments.

Rangefinders are usually quite small 35mm cameras which focus by having a viewfindr coupled with the lens rather than operating as through lens focussing cameras (eg SLRs). Here is a photo of one of my favourite rangefiners in my collection:

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There are many potential advantages to rangefinders in my opinion:

1. They are usually much smaller than SLRs, can sometimes fit in a coat pocket, and are less obtrusive.

2. With many, particularly Leica's, they make very litle noise when taking a photo - this is partly because a Leica has a cloth shutter but also because rangefinders don't require mirrors and all that stuff in front of the shutter.

3. Points 1 & 2 have traditionally made rangefinders the first choice for many reportage people photographers. You can get near to your subject with an unobtrusive camera that does not bring attention to itself and does not make a big clang when you take a photo.

4. Many people say rangefinders fous more accuratly than SLRs because of their focussing system that relies on aligning an image accuratly rather than estimating whether it is in focus as with most SLRs.

5. Some say that rangefinders also produce better results because the back of the lens is right close up to the shutter and hence the film - rather than deflected by mirrors and space.

6. The lenses are much smaller and often better made than lenses for SLRs. very few rangefinder users use zoom lenses. Most use one or a few prime lenses - these can be exceptional quality (especially Leica and Zeiss lenses) and on an "M" system can easily be changed. You can carry other lenses in your pocket.

Rangefinders were a bit of a thing of the past until recently. there is now a big rangefinder renaissance. Not only are people buying second hand Leicas 9and other very good Leica copies such as the Minolta CLE or Konic Hexar RF), new Leicas and the digital Leica rangefinder, but also new film rangefinders are in production - particularly the various Voigtlander Bessas (now made by Cosina) and the Zeiss M. All of these (aprt from the digital Leica which I have not tried so cannot say) are very good cameras.

Of course SLRs have great advantages too. It's like the artificial film v digital debate. One is not "better" than the other - it depends what you want to use it for. If you want telephoto or macro photography, or if you want a camera that can take many shots in a second etc., then SLRs are far better than rangefinders. Today, you would not find a professional sports photographer, or even a papparazzi, for instance, using a rangefinder (not for his work at least!).

I own and love the Canon 5D full fram digital SLR - in part because it is like a proper big chunky SLR film camera. It takes great photos. I use it as often as I can. But I have also recently fallen in love with rangefinders. I like to use both - sometimes at the same time and sometimes just take one out for different things. I know I can always take a ranegfinder wherever I go without it being something bulky to carry. In my recent trip to Cambodia I took my 5D with two rather big L lenses, and three rangefinders with a total of about 6 lenses. This may have been a bit excessive, but because of the size of the rangefinders I could put all of this gear in one bag which was small enough to be accepted as cabin lugga6e and to carry on my back. I could not have done that with 4 SLRs and lenses! The advantage was I could keep one camera with colour film or slides loaded, one with black and white film, and one with infrared film for example.

I agree with what is said about infrared. This is the first time I used this film and it was very daunting - in particular how tricky it can be to load etc. But I am quite pleased with the results. I will try and dabble some more with this film, but I think I will primarily use my film cameras to take normal black and white and also colour slides.

Speaking of infrared, i met one guy who must have been carrying around more expensive equipment than me whilst walking around one of the temples in Angkor - I think Ta Prohm. He had two Canon 5Ds - one of which had been specially converted to take colour infrared digital images. I wonder if he uses pbase - I'd love to see the results.

Anyway, here are 4 more shots from the same gallery:

Colour slide:
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Black & white film:
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A colour digital to provde I am not a dinosaur:
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And a black & whoite infrared:
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All images at: http://www.pbase.com/nickdemarco/return_to_angkor_wat

One more plug - I am also working on the next gallery in the series - focusinng on the people rather than temples of Siem Reap - at work and at rest - which also features photos from all formats. It's about half done now - please have a look:

http://www.pbase.com/nickdemarco/siem_r ... k_and_rest

Here's one (black & white 1600 film):

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