Brent wrote:
> Hi
>
> Just got a film back - not "OM" per se, but taken with an Olympus 35SP
> range finder with a very lovely 7 element Zuiko lens.
The list has never been OM only. Despite occasional claims to the
contrary, other Oly camera have always been represented. The 35SP and
its lens are highly regarded.
> The camera is in less than perfect condition - spot meter broken for one.
> Biggest problem seems to be the rangefinder is out of whack... of course
> didn't realise this until I got the film developed - resulting in about 25
> totally out-of-focus shots... ahh well... at least I can adjust that one
> myself.
>
> Anyway here are the few (7) shots that ended up in focus and weren't
> totally mundane:
>
> http://homepage.mac.com/brent_rutherford/Olympus%2035SP%20First%20Film/index.html
>
I especially like the first four and Bay Bridge. The high contrast works
for the first four. Not so much for the bridge, as the shadow detial
blocks up.
> I used Efke B&W film, 25 ISO. I don't think the scanning did the film
> justice though, and - I really have to get around to buying myself a scanner
> rather than relying on the photo shop.
>
I'm thinking you may need to do more than your own scanning. Yeah, the
scanning isn't good - the dust on pyramid 1 is outragous. But where's
all that visible grain coming from?. I haven't done any B&W for a looong
time. But I seem to recall that Panatomic-X, ASA 32, had really, really
fine grain. No way you would ever see it in a print the size of the
these images on my screen.
I'm not speaking for or against grain, per se, just that an ISO 25 film
shouldn't have the kind I'm seeing here. That makes me think the shop is
probably using some generic developer for all films that isn't suited to
the Efke 25. If that is the case, the contrast, highlight and shadow
problems may also be at least in part a development problem, not only
from the scanning.
I think if you want quality B&W, you need either to develop your own,
which is pretty darn simple and doesn't even require a darkroom - or -
switch to chromogenic B&W film, which can be developed in any C-41
process color developer, including the one hour machines.
I can't speak personally to types of B&W films, but there's lots of info
and discussion in the archives and some real experts here.
Moose
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