19 June 2011
Chemistry is still a viable option
23/06/11 20:00
Many persons I know of have given up on chemical processing and have abandoned the darkroom. Still film and the chemical workflow offer a number of advantages. The last few months I have used my M3 with Summilux-M 1.4/50mm ASPH and exposure meter Gossen Mastersix. The exposure meter is just for security, because the old Sunny 16 rule is valid as always. Take the ISO value of your film and at noon in the sun the exposure is f16 and 1/ISO. I used the Ilford Delta 100 film and my reference exposure is 1/125 and f/16. Changing these values to cope with contre-jour and darker environments is not difficult and in doubt the Gossen gives the exact result.
For developer I use in this case the modern Ilfosol-3 (a high acutance developer) that needs only 5 minutes to develop the film.
Using two tanks with the Heiland TAS developer tool I get 4 films in 30 minutes, that is 150 pictures. Five minutes to develop, 5 minutes to fix and wash and 5 minutes to make up the chemicals. Fifteen minutes per tank with two films. The negatives are excellently exposed, need no post processing and definition is well above the Nyquist limit of the M9 or M8.2, A good job then: 150 pictures in 30 minutes with excellent quality is not bad. And because you know before exposure to be careful with selecting the motive and careful with exposure, every negative is printable and valued as a good result. Rich tonal quality and excellent prints are the final result. The time required is not much more than what you need for digital (post-) processing and is quite satisfactory because you control all steps in exact detail. The whole process is simple and brings outstandingly good results.
The digital workflow is quite easy too, especially with the Leica M8 or M9, but a good B&W print on the Epson 3800 is not a simple act. And here lies the challenge. Both workflows have advantages and disadvantages, but the best result with the lesser effort you get with film and chemistry. There is also a philosophical and cultural aspect to consider. The artisanal pride in doing the process yourself with total personal command is undeniable a positive aspect. And a classical well exposed negative is a joy to look at.
For developer I use in this case the modern Ilfosol-3 (a high acutance developer) that needs only 5 minutes to develop the film.
Using two tanks with the Heiland TAS developer tool I get 4 films in 30 minutes, that is 150 pictures. Five minutes to develop, 5 minutes to fix and wash and 5 minutes to make up the chemicals. Fifteen minutes per tank with two films. The negatives are excellently exposed, need no post processing and definition is well above the Nyquist limit of the M9 or M8.2, A good job then: 150 pictures in 30 minutes with excellent quality is not bad. And because you know before exposure to be careful with selecting the motive and careful with exposure, every negative is printable and valued as a good result. Rich tonal quality and excellent prints are the final result. The time required is not much more than what you need for digital (post-) processing and is quite satisfactory because you control all steps in exact detail. The whole process is simple and brings outstandingly good results.
The digital workflow is quite easy too, especially with the Leica M8 or M9, but a good B&W print on the Epson 3800 is not a simple act. And here lies the challenge. Both workflows have advantages and disadvantages, but the best result with the lesser effort you get with film and chemistry. There is also a philosophical and cultural aspect to consider. The artisanal pride in doing the process yourself with total personal command is undeniable a positive aspect. And a classical well exposed negative is a joy to look at.
M9-P
23/06/11 10:57
The introduction of the M9-P gives two important and different messages. The first message tells the Leica community that Leica has put the art of the subtle distinction and careful framing of the Leica M on a high level. The M9-P is technically identical to the M9 version with one important distinction (the sapphire cover glass that is supposed to be glare free under different viewing angles) and three cosmetic details (the lack of the Leica logo and the model identification and the addition of the Leica inscription on the top cover). Leica has presented the camera as an addition to the current model and as a response to demands from professionals to have a camera as unobtrusive as possible. This demand is hardly new and surprising to the Leica managers. Just adding the prefix ‘-P’ will not convince users that they have a professional camera (the exact definition of what makes a camera ‘professional’ is a matter of debate). Leica started using this label with the M4-P when the M-camera was its lowest point in popularity to underscore the fact that this was the premium camera for professional street and documentary photographers. The first use of the “P” as a professional designation was the original Leica MP, one of the most famous Leica camera models.
Many Leica photographers have covered the logo and model name of their M-cameras with black tape to get a stealth-type body.
The original M4 had already a clean body as can be seen in the picture below.
The current (film-loading) MP has an identification-free front too.
The M9-P follows this tradition and cannot be seen as a new or innovative feature. The M9-P is available in the classical hard wearing silver-chrome and the black paint version. This black paint cover is not as soft as the old black paint cover, but you can see some wear at the edges quite soon.
And this is the essence of the second message: Leica shows a consummate skill in mixing design components and technical features to create a wide range of camera models, but they are basically all the same. There is not much development and evolution in the camera concept itself. Leica acknowledges this state of affairs with the cooperation with Magnum that has as one of its stated goals creative and functional input from the photographers in the field for amendments and improvements. The history is now turned on its head. The founders of the Magnum Agency simply used the Leica camera as designed by the factory and one may assume that in those days the company got feedback from the photographers. But the basic profile of the camera did not change and eventually the Magnum photographers started to use other cameras. It would be an interesting turn of the table when the new generation of Magnum photographers would start using the same camera that the previous generation abandoned.
Many Leica photographers have covered the logo and model name of their M-cameras with black tape to get a stealth-type body.
The original M4 had already a clean body as can be seen in the picture below.
The current (film-loading) MP has an identification-free front too.
The M9-P follows this tradition and cannot be seen as a new or innovative feature. The M9-P is available in the classical hard wearing silver-chrome and the black paint version. This black paint cover is not as soft as the old black paint cover, but you can see some wear at the edges quite soon.
And this is the essence of the second message: Leica shows a consummate skill in mixing design components and technical features to create a wide range of camera models, but they are basically all the same. There is not much development and evolution in the camera concept itself. Leica acknowledges this state of affairs with the cooperation with Magnum that has as one of its stated goals creative and functional input from the photographers in the field for amendments and improvements. The history is now turned on its head. The founders of the Magnum Agency simply used the Leica camera as designed by the factory and one may assume that in those days the company got feedback from the photographers. But the basic profile of the camera did not change and eventually the Magnum photographers started to use other cameras. It would be an interesting turn of the table when the new generation of Magnum photographers would start using the same camera that the previous generation abandoned.
New edition of Leica Compendium in August
20/06/11 15:46
A new edition of the Leica Compendium is scheduled for August 2011. A reprint has been planned because of high demand that could not be met with the first print run. The additional information will cover the recently announced new products by Leica with some new tables and images and a few corrections in the text. This does expand the book to 610 pages. The new version is almost identical to the previous edition, but I have the chance to add the information about the new products (Super-Elmar-M 21mm and M9-P) now that is available.
The book has a thicker hard cover and will be wrapped in bubble bags for secure transport. The price is Euro 78.00 for the Netherlands (price includes shipment in the Netherlands) and Euro 72.50 excluding shipment cost to all other countries.
The printer has assured that he can deliver early in August. It is again a limited edition and the final one. There will be no more reprints!
The book has a thicker hard cover and will be wrapped in bubble bags for secure transport. The price is Euro 78.00 for the Netherlands (price includes shipment in the Netherlands) and Euro 72.50 excluding shipment cost to all other countries.
The printer has assured that he can deliver early in August. It is again a limited edition and the final one. There will be no more reprints!