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[OM] Two of my recent works - and loving the F/2 Zuikos

Subject: [OM] Two of my recent works - and loving the F/2 Zuikos
From: Dawid Loubser <dawidl@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2011 10:28:13 +0200
Hello All,

Not many OM-based images being posted these days - what's up with that?
This past week-end I had great fun in the darkroom, and these were two
of the prints I made from negatives shot with OM gear.


"Lonely beach, vantage point"
http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/023/e/6/lonely_beach_vantage_point_by_philosomatographer-d37voma.jpg
(90mm Macro wide open, Fomapan 100, printed on 8x10in RC Multigrade  
paper - glossy)


"The Specialists"
http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/023/d/8/the_specialists_by_philosomatographer-d37vqba.jpg
(21mm at f/4, Kodak TMY2-400, printed on 8x10in RC Multigrade paper -  
glossy)


The 21mm F2 is, in my experience, an extraordinary lens. This second  
image is an extremely
contrasty (strongly back-lit) scene. Outside, it was sunny sixteen,  
but inside, I exposed
at 1/60s @ f/4 @ ISO400. This is a seven-stops difference (I worked  
*really* hard with
pre-flashing etc. to show details in the bright window(s). Notice the  
complete absence
of flare / glow / contrast reduction. At f/4, this is probably the  
most contrasty lens
I've ever seen, I think it has more contrast even than the 250/2.0.  
Well, that's certainly
the case with my copies of the lenses. A lens cannot produce more  
contrast that what there
actually *is* in the scene, and I am of the opinion that you can never  
have too much contrast
when shooting B&W film. This simply constitutes a cleaner image, with  
better signal-to-noise
ratio, for you to do with what you like in the printing stage. (slide  
film is a different story,
with it's limited dynamic range).

I also printed the second image to 12x16in, and I am now fully  
convinced that Kodak TMAX400
(TMY2-400) is the hands-down best ISO400 film ever (for me). I tried  
Delta 400 for a while, but the
mid-tones are not there, it's gritty by comparison, and seems to have  
less dynamic range.
TMY2-400 is extraordinary in it's resolution and grain. It's much  
smoother than FP4 or
Fomapan 100, but seems to have the *punch* that HP5 has.

That's definitely my film for 2011 (I am in the phase where I switch  
films every year or so,
to really get to know them).

thanks for watching, C&C appreciated -
Dawid
-- 
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