[pres589]

Good shots. I especially like the cranes.


I'm trying to find another camera for an ongoing project and have narrowed it down to the Chinon CE-4, -4s, -5, or their Revue rebadge copies kind of like for the same reason you mention with your XR7; a little bit of electronic assist when wanted but not too much to get in the way of the experience. I really like the XR7 as well. I'm still very interested in the K-new, and will play around with one in a store when it finally shows up, but I fear that it's going to feel less direct than the K-5 II.

[stevebrot]

Film - External flash - PC cables, hot shoe and SCR

I might expand that a bit. TTL flash metering was available in the early 1980s and I have kit from 1982 capable of such. I might also note that radio wireless with my Yongnuo YN 560TXII and compatible speedlights works the same on my hot shoe film cameras as on the K-3.


Steve

[PDL]

I might expand that a bit. TTL flash metering was available in the early 1980s and I have kit from 1982 capable of such. I might also note that radio wireless with my Yongnuo YN 560TXII and compatible speedlights works the same on my hot shoe film cameras as on the K-3.


Steve

My comment about film was based on my old film SLR's (Fujica) which did not have anything but manual based Hot Shoes. When the Fujica's were stolen, the Insurance money went towards a Pentax SF-1. I hated the internal flash (something that has continued to this day) and I did purchase a "real" flash that was capable of using Pentax TTL, that flash does not work with my Pentax DSLR's even my old *ist Ds (given to my son years ago).

Now If you go and look at my equipment list, you will see that I have three Yongnuo 560-III speedlights and a Yongnuo 585EX. I use the 585EX when I shoot for a non-profit ---- two weeks out of the year. I do have the capability of using the flashes using my YN560-TX and the 560-III flashes. I can use my really old flashes - Including the old flash I bought for the stolen SF-1 and my first flash that I bought in the late 60's using the Yongnuo wireless flash triggers.

Now, I have not tried the Yongnuo flash triggers on my old Fujica's (Long story but I got all of them back). It should work as all the triggers do is detect a shutter release and send a signal. If I recall correctly, the flash sync speed on the Fujica's in 1/60th of a second. (Horizontal focal plain shutter and all that) I might try it someday, but my collection of round-to-its is getting low or I can't find it.

[stevebrot]

My comment about film was based on my old film SLR's (Fujica) which did not have anything but manual based Hot Shoes. When the Fujica's were stolen, the Insurance money went towards a Pentax SF-1.

I thought that was probably the case. My comment was mostly because there is a perception that all things sophisticated in the photo world came to market in the last 20 years when much of the core tech in Pentaxland goes back almost 40 years. I don't remember when radio wireless came around, but I do know that today's gear is backward compatible as long as there is a hot shoe and X-sync. That, I think is pretty cool.


P.S. I did try the YN560TXII on my Spotmatic F, but mostly just because it is stored about ten feet from when I am sitting.


Steve

[PDL]

@stevebrot
Back in the old days, I got pretty good at remembering what aperture I needed to correctly expose the flash shots. The little dials on the flashes were very cool. Now, I use my Gossen Digipro F (the Gossen Lunapro SBC was stolen along with the Fujica's, it was not returned) with its flash function. Since flash is independent of the camera body, it would work on my film cameras too.

The built in flash of the SF-1 really stank to high heaven. When I went digital, I read the manual to find out how to kill that stupid little flash on the *ist Ds, K-10D and K-20D. Thank the photo deities that my K-3II got rid of that piece of junk.

[monochrome]

No point in comparing. Both are different and one is not better than the other. Same as comparing a CD to a vinyl LP. It's whatever "you" like the best that counts!

Phil.

Agree. There is a distinction between taking photographs and making photographs. Though the steps are analogous, IMO when making photographs, the processes are distinct enough they should be evaluated separately, not compared. Though the product of both is a photograph the products should be evaluated using different standards.

True, but we now live in a world where most "photographers" only experience with film may have been a disposable camera or a Fujifilm Instax.

I think comparisons can be helpful to inform those that have never shot film why you would want to consider using a media that may be technically inferior.

I do not believe emulsion prints are inferior to digital prints any more than I believe stone lithographs are inferior to photolithographic prints..

Anecdotal comment: My wife’s first career was directing the production of high-end advertising brochures. In effect she coordinated writers, designers, models, photographers, commercial lab developers and printers to achieve her vision for the pieces and to satisfy her clients needs. Shortly before the last commercial photographic lab in St. Louis (The Silver Image) closed for good her favorite lab tech there reprinted some of her Pentax 6x7 and Hasselblad 500 C/M studio wedding portraits and copied many of her inherited family studio portraits. A private library in St. Louis has a collection of Takuma (as in namesake of Takumar lenses) Kajiwara’s prints from his time as a studio photographer here.1 I have seen a few of them and hope some day to catalog the collection.

I do not believe in the digital age we could recreate the subtle beauty of those prints.

1. Note Citation #7 citing Douglas of Sweden’s post at PentaxForums!!

[Alex645]

I do not believe emulsion prints are inferior to digital prints any more than I believe stone lithographs are inferior to photolithographic prints..

I agree if we are talking about aesthetics and subjectivity. But from a purely objective technical comparison, i.e. FF 35mm film vs. 24x36mm FF sensor in the year 2020, are not equals. Is something technically superior also aesthetically or artistically superior? I don't think so. Arguably, it is the inherent flaws of the rendering that can often create style and character absent in a technically superior image.

How about this analogy: Film is an organic more expensive fruit often smaller and with more flavor and flaws and digital is a perfect GMO product?

[stevebrot]

But from a purely objective technical comparison, i.e. FF 35mm film vs. 24x36mm FF sensor in the year 2020, are not equals.

I guess it depends on the definition of "technical" and whether one is comparing color or monochrome tech. At present, I believe the various Leica models with dedicated full-monochrome sensors are the only credible challenge to the better B&W films.


Steve

(...does quite a bit of monochrome conversion...)

[pres589]

The most recent monochromatic Leica seems very impressive indeed. And so expensive...

[lesmore49]

Longevity, some of my film bodies are 60 years old, I have never had a digital last longer than 5 apart from a couple whose batteries are no longer obtainable or whose memort cards went out of vogue.

I dunno. My K10D bought new in 2007, my Km (digital) bought new in 2009, my K5 bought new in 2011 and my Canon G 12, bought new in 2011 have all been used quite a bit and our still working very well...in 2020. Touch wood.

Les

[niels hansen]

I guess it depends on the definition of "technical" and whether one is comparing color or monochrome tech. At present, I believe the various Leica models with dedicated full-monochrome sensors are the only credible challenge to the better B&W films.


Steve

(...does quite a bit of monochrome conversion...)

Steve
I am curious to know whether my film choice is among the better films today
They are Rollei 25, as far as I can see rather close to Agfapan 25 - I still have a few in the freezer for special occasions Ilford FP4+, Rollei 400 infrared and Kodak tri x

[Astro-Baby]

“Of course, it helped that I had already determined exposure and that aperture and shutter had already been set. That is how we roll with a meterless camera.”

Ahhhh indeed we do. I was out yesterday in deserted streets due to Covid with my trusty Zorki 4 and periodically fiddling to make sure it was preset for the changing light so I could bang off shots instantly. I was also using an OM1 and it was heartning to see that my guesstimate of light was always in accord with its meter. It was a wonderful days photography, no automation, being able to instantly snap away without looking into a VF full of flashing lights.

No messing about waiting for power up, now I just have to wait for a lab to open up and hope that the Zorkis famously flakey shutter worked ok