Amazing couple of days running dozens of different developer tests all with 400TX… love the look of the grain and depth of this film! In the end I came back to an old friend but with a new twist. Diafine is back in my life in a big way! Diluted 1:1 and used as a one shot developer it is spot on in my JOBO with very nice grain, great tonality, no processing issues and best of all a usable EI from about 100-1250 (the chart shows 200-1600… I think 1600 is a bit on the edge for my works but is totally usable in a pinch. So again, in a JOBO speed is 4, temp does not really matter but I ran at 75F, Dilute part A and B 1:1… I did 3.5 minutes in each followed by a 2 min wash with water then fix (box time), clear (box time) and hang to dry…. easy as pie!
Of course an advantage of Diafine that I have written about here before is that many different films can be souped at the same time which is a huge time saver. Diafine negs are a bit flat and do requiere an “S” curve in PS to make me happy but I am now quite happy indeed. I will post links to Diafine articles I have written and a great one from a friend Sandy King from View Camera.
My suggest EI…. 800.
Viva la Revolution- Stephen
All images shot with a Leica MP with a 35MM Summicron ASPH… on Film!
LINKS:
Sandy King Article Diafine…. a must read!
as for articles here… there are a lot!!!! Just type in Diafine in the search box and enjoy!
Also please note these were just quick scans (first set) as I am leaving tomorrow for a week of shooting but the final scan (last image) is quite nice and shows the real potential for this amazing combo.
Posted in 400TX, analog film technology, diafine developer, film capture, film scans, imacon scanner, indian hill imageworks, JOBO, kodak, leica, photography today, pinhole, scanning film, schaub, stephen schaub | Tagged 400tx, diafine, film for scanning, film iso, imacon scanner, jobo, kodak, leica, sandy king, schaub, variable ei | 8 Comments »
So I very recently got a Leica MP Black Paint a la carte with a matching black paint Leica 35mm F2 ASPH Summicron… Nice! But what film? I’ve been shooting a lot of 4×5 film recently, mainly Kodak 160 Portra and there is NO way a 35mm negative was going to give me the tonality or depth of color that I had grown acustomed to. So what to do?!
Here are the results of my first tests…. Kodak 400TX processed 1:100 at 68F for 20 minutes with gentle agitation every 3 minutes. The negatives when scanned on my Imacon scanner at 6300 dpi were fantastic- I love grain! I made a test print at 28″ x 40″ on Canson Aquarelle 310 on my Epson 9900 using the BW mode and it was spot on. But…. was it perfect? No. Since this first test I have run many others and now feel that a bit more agitation is needed, perhaps one gentle inversion per minute. I also have ran a test with D76 1:1 using my JOBO and the results were quite nice but the grain was not as crisp as the Rodinal.
So today I am running one last test as I am leaving tomorrow for a week of shooting from FL to VT (will mainly be shooting 4×5 color but want the Leica for my reportage work.
My test today will use PMK developer which I used a lot back in 2006-2007 and I remember how amazing the never ending highlights were…. more as that test concludes.
Viva la Revolution- Stephen
Posted in 400TX, analog film technology, Camera Technologies, figital revolution, film capture, imacon scanner, indian hill imageworks, kodak, Kodak Portra, leica, photography today, scanning film, schaub, stephen schaub | 4 Comments »
Kodak announced yesterday :
“Eastman Kodak Company today announced a comprehensive settlement agreement with the U.K. Kodak Pension Plan (KPP), its largest creditor, with respect to its Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization. Under the agreement, which will be filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Kodak’s Personalized Imaging and Document Imaging businesses will be spun off under new ownership to KPP.”
But, you ask, what does this mean for the future of Pro films like TX400, Portra and Ektar? The answer- direct from my friends at Kodak is:… nothing! All pro films both still and motion are not affected by this agreement. Furthermore, this agreement should give Kodak a better financial footing (exit chapter 11!!!!!) and help to keep film production in Rochester alive for the forseable future- a very good thing.
Now take a deep breath and go buy and shoot some film!
Viva la Revolution- Stephen
Link to press release:
http://www.kodak.com/ek/US/en/Kodak_Announces_Comprehensive_Settlement_with_U.K._Pension_Plan_Moving_Kodak_toward_Exit_from_Chapter_11.htm
Posted in Ektar, film capture, kodak, kodak ektar, Kodak Portra, motion picture film, photography today | Tagged future of kodak film, future of pro films, kodak exit chapter 11, kodak uk sale | 4 Comments »
April 30, 2013 by figitalrevolution
50 years is a great run for a camera system. From the first photographs made on the moon in 1969 to iconic images from fashion, landscape (Ansel used a Hasselblad in his later years) to journalism- the Hasselblad V system represented to many the bench mark for precision and quality. Can you name a digital camera that will have as long of a legacy? I can’t either.
Viva la Revolution- Stephen
Posted in analog film technology, analog photography, Camera Technologies, film capture | Tagged end of hasselblad film cameras, hasselbald V system, hasselblad | Leave a Comment »
April 26, 2013 by figitalrevolution
I just watched this powerful documentary last night on the photographer Tim Hetherington. I think it illustrates the dangers encountered in this hyper news/ documentary world where getting the shot in all too many cases is paid for by the life of the photographer.
The movie is available on HBO on demand. On a side note please notice all the film cameras Tim Hetherington worked with from a Rollei TLR to a Hasselblad.
Posted in Artist Spotlight, Camera Technologies, film capture, photography today | Tagged restrepo, sebastian junger, tim hetherington movie | Leave a Comment »
April 20, 2013 by figitalrevolution
Just finished a great trip to Cape Cod with my oldest daughter. Many wonderful conversations about film and exposure and getting her comfortable using her “new” Rollei 35S. It was very interesting watching her tune into the light and it’s subtle changes and thinking about how it would look on film- she was much more engaged to the whole process than when I see her shoot with a digital camera. Yes I am very proud!
Posted in analog film technology, Camera Technologies, Ektar, indian hill gallery, indian hill imageworks, kodak, kodak ektar, Kodak Portra, photography, photography today, schaub | 1 Comment »
