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Re: [OM] [OT] film quest

Subject: Re: [OM] [OT] film quest
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2003 12:17:28 -0700
Boris Grigorov wrote:

WOW Moose, WOW*.

This is what I have to say.  Thank you for the complete explanation.

Far from complete, but I hope a good primer. And you are quite welcome. Writing about a subject often clarifies and refreshes my own understanding, to my own benefit.

So you and Chris are telling me that I suddenly started to worry about nothing. 
 Just another bug from the list-slides, slides, your images are not worth if 
they are shot on anything else.

A lot of people have opinions based on something other than an understanding of the nature of the tools, the nature of the job at hand, the results desired and how they all interact. In tech areas, it often seems that many people take advice or watch what an expert does in a particular situation and then generalize that to all situations without thought. Or they may give advice based on their own needs without asking about the desires of the recipient of the advice. I have also seen opinions/advice based on the way things used to be, rather than how they are. I switched from slides to negs based on changes in technology and suitability to the results I want. Other folks find other approaches suitable to their needs.

You summarized it for my by asking the question how I want to view it.  Of 
course as large prints on the wall

Sounds like 100 or 200 speed film and careful technique with tripod, etc. Shots that look perfectly sharp on 4x6 prints have a distressing tendency to turn out to be slightly out of focus when blown up. Camera/subject movement, DOF and accuracy of focus all need to be addressed. To assure nice sharp 8x10s and above, the right film alone is not nearly enough. Thus, I would also carry some faster film (and another body for it) for morning/afternoon light with its wonderful color, in case that perfect shot includes some light wind moving the beautiful leaves, etc. Super fin film with an out of focus shot because the film wasn't fast enough is less useful than a nice sharp shot on slightly less fine grained film.

, but am just curious about a little fact whose significance would not change 
my mind anymore:

Do slides get scanned easier?  I would assume that the print film would need some 
more processing&

I find slides and negatives to scan equally easily. Scanning software has automated removal of the orange layer and reversal of the colors. Vuescan is particularly good, as it has built-in profiles for virtually all negative films and the ability to make custom profiles based on a blank frame. Others have posted about difficulty with slides on some scanners because of their greater Dmax, but I don't think that is true of current models.

I like the Portra too, have my Yash D loaded with it right now.  My eight year old 
son just lost his two front teeth and it is an interesting project&My only 
gripe with it is that it gives orange cast over my greens and the grays are very 
dull, excellent for shooting people, which I seldom do.

Again, essentially all off color casts in consumer prints are a result of the printing, not the film. It is possible the place where you have prints made is optimized for films with a different orange layer than Portra has. The lab where I go does a wonderful job scanning NC, but really messed up a roll of VC. Scans were way too contrasty and all shadow detail was lost. I had to scan all the shots I liked from that roll myself. The images on the film were fine. Next roll of VC, I'll ask for special attention and a guarantee I don't have to pay if scans aren't useable. the problem is I don't know until I get home to the computer.

Supra 400, isnt this the film that targeted photojournalists and is now 
discontinued?

Still some in my fridge and available from B&H. I was wrong in a recent post when I guessed that it was now another film. It's the film in my print vs. film scan sharpness test, Royal Gold 400, that is now named Kodak High Definition 400. I guess I was using the right film for the shot and the comparison, and didn't even know it ;-) .

I am curious about another thing&

Based on your experience ( and I address everyone) how does the temperature 
affects the film?  I work at a place where one cannot bring a camera inside, so 
my gear has to stay in the car, but the current temperatures are 50F(10C) and 
below.  Should I be concerned now?  What about the winter, when it has to stay 
for at least eight hours in temperatures below the freezing point?  I know I 
should have a beater in the car, but these are rare instances, when I have 
something in mind and there is no time to go back home get the camera and go 
shoot.

50F isn't going to have a noticeable effect on regular film, and especially not print film. If concerned about lower tempertures, check the manufacturer's site for the film data sheet, which will include low temp. performance.

Moose



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