The Official Head-Case Photography Thread.

[Absorbine_Sr]

What do you think so far?

I'm liking it. I ordered the 22mm pancake lens and have been messing about with both lenses. So far I've been pretty happy with my purchase. Thanks for the heads up.

[Grahame]

Waiting for Colin's thoughts on Susy #3

Edited July 24, 2014 by Grahame

[Jon L]

too damned hot around here 

 

EOSE2109 by drjlo1, on Flickr

[crappyjones123]

w/Sigma 50 Art

[Iron_Dreamer]

Nice pickup, what are your thoughts on that lens so far, CJ?

[crappyjones123]

I only shot a couple of frames with it yesterday before the evening came to an end. It's absurdly sharp. Judging from just that one shot I posted above, I like the bokeh contrary to what Kai said in his review. the lens is as heavy if not heavier than the 35 art which was awesome but just a weird focal length. Not wide enough and not long enough for what I was shooting. Hopefully I'll get to shoot it some more over the next few days.

[Jon L]

It's absurdly sharp. 

 

I'd be interested to know how portraits and people shots work out over time because I spend half the time softening skin tones and blurring out skin blemishes as it is..

[catscratch]

Interested in seeing shots with the Art 50. So far from what I've seen I'm kinda leaning towards Kai's take on it, it seems absurdly sharp and is the perfect lens on paper but I haven't really liked the render all that much, though maybe it has been the photographer more than the lens in the images that I've seen thus far.

[MexicanDragon]

A buddy has the 35 and 50 Art for his 5D3. I could see if I could post some of his stuff.

**BRENT**

[crappyjones123]

Also with the Sigma 50. I left it at f/1.4 because I wanted to see how it did wide open. Can only get better from there. No sharpening/clarity applied anywhere. Just played with the colors. 

[crappyjones123]

Going to try to develop some Kodak 400TX film tonight or tomorrow. Just wanted to check to see if these times seem appropriate. 

 

1. Film in tank. 

2. Prewash to prevent air bubbles while adding developer. 

3. Prepare and add 1+4, 250ml solution with http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/188027-REG/Ilford_1155055_Ilfotec_DD_X_Developer.html

4. Wash with running water again. 

5. Prepare and add 1+19, 250ml solution with http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/169348-REG/Ilford_1893870_Ilfostop_Stop_Bath_500ml.html

6. Wash with running water again. 

7. Prepare and add 1+4, 250ml solution with http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/253199-REG/Ilford_1984262_Rapid_Fixer_Liquid_1_Liter.html

8. Wash with running water again. 

9. Prepare and add 1+200, 250ml solution with  http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/25041-REG/Ilford_1905162_Ilfotol_Wetting_Agent_Liquid.html

10. Dry and scan. 

 

Only thing I don't know at this point is how long 3 needs to be done for. Any suggestions from the film people? 

Edited July 30, 2014 by crappyjones123

[The Expanding Man]

Going to try to develop some Kodak 400TX film tonight or tomorrow. Just wanted to check to see if these times seem appropriate. 

 

1. Film in tank. 

2. Prewash to prevent air bubbles while adding developer. 

3. Prepare and add 1+4, 250ml solution with http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/188027-REG/Ilford_1155055_Ilfotec_DD_X_Developer.html

4. Wash with running water again. 

5. Prepare and add 1+19, 250ml solution with http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/169348-REG/Ilford_1893870_Ilfostop_Stop_Bath_500ml.html

6. Wash with running water again. 

7. Prepare and add 1+4, 250ml solution with http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/253199-REG/Ilford_1984262_Rapid_Fixer_Liquid_1_Liter.html

8. Wash with running water again. 

9. Prepare and add 1+200, 250ml solution with  http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/25041-REG/Ilford_1905162_Ilfotol_Wetting_Agent_Liquid.html

10. Dry and scan. 

 

Only thing I don't know at this point is how long 3 needs to be done for. Any suggestions from the film people? 

 

I've developed around 8 rolls of 400 tx using this developer.

 

From my research, the time you develop at stage three depends on the temperature of your developing solution.  7 minutes if it is at 20 degrees celcius.

 

There are charts around for different times at different temperatures.  I've never been that fussy, and just use 7 minutes.

 

Agitate your tank every 30 seconds - apparently over agitating can cause problems.

 

The trickiest part to the whole procedure in my experience is winding the film on the spool.  I find it impossible with plastic spindles to wind a 36 frame film without it buckling, and loosing a few frames where they buckle and touch other frames.  This causes problems with the developing of those frames.

 

I've recently bought a stainless steel spindle, but have yet to see if it is an improvement.

 

I've never bothered with a wetting agent.  I just fill the tank with clean water and add a small drop of washing up detergent and agitate.  I just use two of my fingers as a squeegee.  I then hang the film in the shower to dry in a dust free enviroment. 

[crappyjones123]

Yup getting the film on the spool was a fucking disaster something went wrong in the development process as well but I don't know what. Should have tried a random roll first as there were a few images I really wanted on the roll I fucked up last night. Going to take random shots on another roll and use it as practice. Hopefully I can get it right this time.

[nikongod]

Step 5 is somewhat optional. You can "just" rinse twice and save a chemical. Some people just rinse once. 

Alternately, pour some (like 2 tablespoons) of fixer into the developer at the end of the development time and then rinse. 

 

Temperature control is important. Everyone takes the time to get the temperature of the developer right... masters get the temperature of EVERYTHING right (which really just means get everything the same temperature as the developer) it helps with controlling grain. 

 

I assume you found this:

http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php

It is a very valuable resource until you can get your own times set up. 

 

 

What went wrong getting the film onto the spools? 

Plastic spools or metal spools? 

 

Since you have a few rolls of fuxored film (it happens) you can practice loading the spools in the light. 

With plastic spools the key is: the spool MUST be absolutely dry. It helps to have the "front" edge of the film cut perfectly square, with ever so gently beveled corners. 

With metal spools the key is to get the film perfectly centered in the little clip before you start winding. Dont be afraid to spend a good 30sec or more on this if you need to. You can feel when its right. 

Plastic spools are easier to load (unless they are wet, in which case you are fucked) but metal spools are more reliable once you get the hang of them. 

 

What went wrong with the development in general? Describe what your film looks like, or post a picture. 

[Iron_Dreamer]

From my hike yesterday with Jusin:

 

[crappyjones123]

Scan yesterday 

 

 

Scan today

 

 

Edited July 31, 2014 by crappyjones123

[crappyjones123]

Yesterday I might have been a few seconds off the times but today I watched the temperature the entire time and was very particular. 

[nikongod]

I'm going to bet on a light-leak somewhere.

 

Can you shoot a roll of color negative film, and get it developed at a drugstore? I think I remember you posted that this was kind of impossible where you live a long time ago - do you know anyone else in the area with a darkroom so you can use their room & tanks as a process of elimination? 

 

The shot of the path wandering into the distance looks pretty cool Once you get this dialed in its going to be awesome.

[crappyjones123]

VICTORY IS MINE  

 

figured out that the fixer was not in there long enough. Left it in there for ~7 minutes instead of the suggested 3 minutes and got super nice clean film. Scanned with relative easy. Now trying to figure out why it is out of focus You think that it is a body or a scanner issue, Ari? Same lens works fine on my D800. 

 

[nikongod]

I would look at the scanner. When the scanner is in focus you will see see similar looking grain in similar light/dark areas (the roof of the cars, sidewalk, and the walls are all about the same lightness for example) with that film & scan res. I don't see it.

 

Ooh, I should add, there is no practical limit to how long one should leave the film in fixer. A couple days is obviously too long, but leaving film in fixer for 30min to an hour while you are doing something else is not unreasonable. The most commonly cited "official" rule of thumb is "twice as long as it takes for the film to turn clear." Yea, 7 min is about the shortest amount of time I have ever fixed film. 

 

After fixing, rinse the film several times with clean water before you photoflo. Getting all the fixer off/out of the film is important to the long term stability of negatives. 4 total changes of water spread over 5 min is a minimum here. 5 changes in 7min would not really hurt anyone. 

Edited July 31, 2014 by nikongod

[crappyjones123]

Any suggestions for flattening the film? Once the film dried, it was bowed out from the center the entire way. I wonder if this convexity affected the scanner. However with the autofocus of the scanner would that not have been accounted for? Just trying to rule out all the possible variable.

[crappyjones123]

This is what I am getting when I import the .tiff file into Lightroom. In the scanning software it looks normal but when I save the file it looks like this...

 

[Jon L]

Pentax 645Z Medium Format camera review.  Wow, one of the most useful and thoughtful review's I've seen.

 

[blessingx]

Bending the Light. Posting here instead of the trailers thread. 

 

[crappyjones123]

That looks fantastic. Any idea of where one can purchase a DVD or a download Ric? Everyone in the photography club loved the trailer and we were going to try to make a movie night out of it.