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[OM] random thoughts re:previous posts

Subject: [OM] random thoughts re:previous posts
From: "Sue Pearce" <bspearce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 09:34:45 -0500
Several items in the last few days have given me reason to comment:
1. Someone, Chris Barker I think, has discovered the 35 prime. Good for you!
In my younger days, while in grad school, I shot for a college newspaper.
(the PJ was more successful than the grad school) This was pre ubiquitous
zoom days, and pre OM days. I had a Spotmatic, 50 and 135, and wanted to get
more serious about photography, so it was off to the camera store. I came
out with a Nikon F, and a 35/2. In those days, the first choice of
photojournalists was the 35, it was their standard lens, and many did not
even own a 50. Of course, in those days, newspaper shooters liked to get in
close. I knew one that actually shot speakers at press conferences with a
24, which meant he had to walk into the room, stand directly in front of the
podium...but I digress.

I went OM in the mid-seventies, but is was just a few years ago that I
finally got the 35/2 Olympus. I had gone to the 50 macro and 24 school. Now,
I'm back. The 35 as a standard lens is perhaps out of fashion, but should be
considered by everyone. But then, so should the use of primes, too.

2. re:Kodachrome. Sure, it's a unique film and we will be poorer without it,
but let's be realistic. It has some faults. The first is lousy processing. I
don't know a single professional photographer that continues to use
Kodachrome exclusively, due to poor processing by Kodak. Crummy cardboard
mounts aside, could they possibly get more dust, water spots, and scratches
on it?

What about color? I know I'm not the only one that is sick of the magenta
cast that the 64 and 200 versions give.

And finally, life? Sure, Kodachromes last a long time, but that's only if
you don't look at them. It has the most fade resistance, but only in dark
storage. When projected, it is easily the worst. Leave one on a lightbox for
an afternoon, and watch the highlights vanish. The longest lasting film in
projection? If memory serves, it's Velvia, which presents an interesting
problem for Kodachrome lovers. I suggest you try Fuji Astia, for a similar,
less saturated look.

3. On  the subject of processing: I feel sorry for those of you that can't
find good E-6 processing. Here's some thoughts.

The absolute gold standard for film processing, any kind, is the replenished
dip and dunk system. There is nothing that touches the film, except
chemicals. The chances for scratches is greatly reduced. A replenished
system is desired for consistency in both film speed and color balance,
which one shot processing lacks.

Second place goes to the cine machines. These were developed for processing
movie film. The individual rolls are stapled end to end, and wound on a big
roll. It then is pulled over rollers through tanks, also using replenished
chemicals. In most machines, the rollers only touch the film at the edges,
so scratching is unlikely. There is one or two potential problems. If the
strand of film breaks, some film will get left in the machine in mid
process. Also, in rare occasions, film can get off the rollers, and folded
up in a wad. I remember these things from my TV newsfilm days.

It is most likely that both Kodak and Fuji labs use cine machines. I would
avoid Kodak (Qualex), as they have a poor reputation for quality control. I
was unaware that Fuji was down to processing E6 at one location (why don't
they just move the lab to Death Valley?). Although I'm not up to date on my
commercial photofinishing business news, there was a day when Fuji had an
exclusive contract for processing for Wal-mart. All film except one hour was
sent to regional Fuji labs. If I were in a position to mail off film, I
would try to find out if this is still the case. Then, you could just drop
off your film at a Wal-mart. Generally, drop off film goes by a combination
of car and air express, so it would not spend too  much time in a hot mail
truck, although the article by Ctein in the latest Phototechniques bears
reading regarding cold storage.

In any event, I would avoid low volume small labs that use one shot tank
processing. Although that has validity for B&W processing, color has
entirely different requirements for speed and consistency.

Now, enough photography, let's talk SUV's!

Bill Pearce


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