I made a road trip to the Calumet store in Chicago yesterday to try something. The salesman said I am the first person he has ever dealt with that is interested in going from digital to film. Arriving late to the ball, I essentially started with digtal cameras and have gone through 5 of them. I love my Canon 5D. It is a great digital SLR. But I keep looking at other work and thinking that digital still doesn't equate with film. I have rented the Mamiya 7 for a week, bought a pro pack of Fuji Pro 160S and a scanner I have been wanting for a long time and finally have room for.
I'll let you know what I think. Input anyone?
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What's a bigger issue here Mel is why you didn't call me for lunch!
ReplyDeleteSeriously I'm much more charming than those Calumet dudes and won't give you a hard time for using any type of camera.
-B
Lunch with you is preferable to almost any alternative, here's the rest of the story. The Calumet web site fails to mention that the Bensenville store does not carry any film cameras. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Sonja and I then got back in the car for the 1 hour (20 mile?) drive to the Cherry Street store. They were overwhelmed, undermanned and very slow. Sonja bought a lens, I got the scanner and rented the camera, the city was being strafed by f16 fighter jets and we got out just in time to have rush hour breathing down our tailpipe and a 4:00 "lunch" in Kenosha.
ReplyDeleteI will take you up on your charming offer the next time I'm down ...on the train!
M
Mel: what a wise idea.
ReplyDeleteAnd there's something addictive to Mamiya rangefinders.
I was considering the Mamiya 7II and ended up with the Mamiya 6. Since I bought it, I only swap it for an Holga - briefly.
It's the lens. It's that silent shuter. It's a sqare world... :)
The Mamiya7 is a very nice place to start -- wish I could afford one myself. Try some Fuji ProC instead of the S. I find the S looks a bit washed out.
ReplyDeleteAhh Mel,
ReplyDeleteOnce you get used to the rangefinder you are going to love it!
Try some Wiefenbach-ish wide open stuff... or Paul Graham New British Colour :-)
Not sure what scanner you got, but let me know if you need any help with colour neg scanning - there a few good pieces of software I've come across.
tim a
Ok, so I went shooting this morning. Revisited my horse mold project so I will have direct comparison photos. Now I sit on a rainy Saturday afternoon unable to take the film 25 miles for processing until Monday which means a return trip Wednesday or so. I WANT TO LOOK AT MY PICTURES!
ReplyDeleteHave I been spoiled?
Tim, I purchased the Epson Perfection v750 Pro. Thanks for asking, please don't tell me it is the worst one out there (my research told me otherwise).
Mel,
ReplyDeleteSuch a great camera! I have a 7 with the 80mm lens, and have used it often for travel work. The meter and lens sharpness are fantasic. I do have the 35mm panoramic adaptor, if you feel like borrowing it. Also, it could just be me, but I advance the film fairly agressively, after having some issues with frames butting up against eachother, fyi...
Kevin
Its a great camera Mel, it has one of the sharpest lens systems around. It has a few of foibles though. The rangefinder (some people need a gg , me for one), the hyperfocal distance scale is hopelessly inaccurate - you need to set for hyperfocal about 2 stops down from what is marked (i.e. if your distance scale says you need f5.6 to get everything sharp, set f11).
ReplyDeleteYou have a great flatbed scanner, but it won't get you everything on the neg, for that you need a film scanner. I use a minolta multi pro.
You might also like to try some portra!!
Good luck with it!
The 65mm is fantastic!
ReplyDeletelook out for: watch your thumb so it doesn't move the "multi" button switch as you advance frames. Also, check your "+2" to "-2" compensation dial, it can get knocked out of place every now and then.
Great camera! I'm rubbing mine right now.
Hi Mel,
ReplyDeleteI just picked up my photo from the Walker's Point Center and remembered the fun night at the bar after the CoPA reception. Hope you're well!
I have a Mamiya 7 and really love it. However, I got mine used and sometimes the rangefinder focusing square gets stuck as I'm turning the lens barrel. I got it 'fixed' and it was fine for about 3 months, then it started doing it again. It is definitely a problem with the body and have a friend who had the same problem with his Mamiya 6. I do like the camera very much, but I wish I had saved up and got a new 7II instead of a used 7.
Happy shooting!