Monday 20 June 2011

Or, Fuji X100 black and white versus real film

On Monday 20 June I wanted to do a little test - comparing the in-camera processed black and white jpegs from the Fuji X100 with some real black and white film shout on a Voigtlander R3M (with Voigtlander 40mm Nockton f1.4 and Kodak Tri-X 400).

Above - taken with X100.

Below - with black and white film.



I used the "yellow filter" setting on the X100 and a yellow filter on the film camera to increase contrast and darken skies a little. The X100 was at 400 iso to be similar to the film.

Above - Wall with X100
Below - Wall with film

In the two shots above I prefer the look and feel of film to the X100 jpegs.

The film has greater contrast and punch, even though that may have been expense of a little detail preserved in the X100 files. The X100 shots are slightly too muddy for me.

When shooting normally I use raw and would be able to compensate for much of this in photoshop and improve the look of the x100 - but here I wanted to do little post work.

On the other hand, this X100 shot (above) of some stairs by Blackfriars bridge works perfectly for me.

Above, Stair reflection - using film

I shot thos reflection of stairs in a mirror with the X100 as well, but found the shot too lacking in punch compared to this one (above).

Above - St Pancras statuettes with Film

Below - St Pancras statuettes with X100

These two photographs of statuettes at St Pancras station were both taken wit very wide apertures (f2). Both lenses perform well at wide aperture. Again, I prefer the punch of the film shot, but the X100 was better in some respects as it allowed me to get much closer to the subject to photograph (as it has a nearer focal range and good macro).

Below, another shot from the X100, at St Pancras, which I liked.

And one of the metal supports across the great roof, taken on film (below)

Conclusion

For the purist in me, I prefer film and a film rangefinder camera to the X100.Also, when using the X100 usually (or indeed the M9 I have now) for black and white I always shoot in RAW colour mode and convert for the best results - and the truth is such results can often be as good or better than real film. It's a matter of taste and I like the look and feel of film.

Despite this, he X100 is a great tool for black and white photography - whether using in RAW, which serious photographers are more likely to do - or using these jpeg filters 0- which is still good and fun. I took and used far more photos on 20 June with the X100 in black and white jpeg than I did with the film rangefinder like the three below.

I would not give up film for digital, and certainly not give up my Leica, Zeiss and Voigtlander rangefinders for an X100, or even an M9. On the other hand, whether shooting colour or black and white, I would prefer to have a digital X100 in my bag, or an M9, alongside a film camera, each time I go out 0 and I would usually always take, and end up using, more photos with the digital camera.


Above - Exit to St Pancras (X100)



Above, White rimmed shades at Kings Cross (X100)

Above - Self portrait under the bridge with X1oo

You can see more photos taken with both cameras on 20 June in my blog, here: flickr set

Sunday 19 June 2011

Or, Typical Lazy Sunday

After taking so many photos, and driving so many miles, on Saturday I had a lazy Sunday. The highlight of the day was shopping in the local farmers market, coffee and Wagamama noodles.

Nevertheless, the Fuji X100 proved a good friend - as with this black and white shot of some organic cabbage.

Above, Bessa R4A and Macchiato - both look nice. I also took the lovely film bessa and 40mm Nokton lens, seen here with a very nice cup of Macchiato (taken by X100).

Above, Macro Macchiato. The X100 is great for Macro work.

Above - Ripon with my X100. What a cute camera! this one is taken with my Bessa R4A, 40mm Nockton and Portra lens.

Above - Nick and Bessa. This is me. Taken by Ripon with the X100 above - I'm just between snaps.

Above, Ripe fruit. From the Italian shop at the end of Chapel Market.

Above, Portrait of an Old Photographer. He was chatting with a stall holder in Islington's Camden Passage. Both were intrigued by my beautiful X100. This guy only works with film, and still develops and prints all his own work. I asked if I could take his portrait with the X100, and he gave me a pose from the golden years of black and white photography.

Above, Red Braces. I think he had had a couple of Sunday lunch time drinks too.

Above, Wagamama.

More from the day by clicking this tag: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickdemarcofoto/tags/19june2011/

Saturday 18 June 2011

Or, An afternoon in Beaulieu and the New Forest

I fancied a drive on Saturday 18 June. Having woken up late, we hit the road and I carried on driving until I reached Beaulieu. It was not until 5pm that I arrived. But there was still an hour to photograph. I had with me my digital Fuji X100 (with 35mm equivalent lens) and Leica M8.2 with Voigtlander 35mm Color Skopar f2.5 P II lens. I also took a film rangefinder, my lovely Voigtlander Bessa R3M limited edition with the Voigtlander 40mm Nokton f1.4 lens and some Kodak Portra 400 iso colour film.

Above, American Car (Fuji X100).

Some subjects I photographed with each camera, to see the differences, like this statue framed by hedges. The shot above is by the Fuji X100.



This next one (above) the film shot by the Bessa R3M.

This next comparison is of the beautiful House on the Estate, which was hit by some warm last light.

The first shot, below, is by the X100



Finally, the one above is by the Leica M8.

I prefer this one, followed by the film one, although all three look good enough.

The next comparison is of the beautiful House on the Estate, caught by the warm last sunlight of a cloudy day. This first one, above, is by the X100. It's good enough but does not seem to have quite the tonal range and punchiness of the next two.

This is the Leica M8.2 shot. It is more punchy and contrasty, without blowing out the highlights.



Finally, my favourite of the 3 is the one above, photographed on film. The colours may be a bit much and unrealistic, but the hight contrast, heavily saturated, warm building yet cold skies best captured for me the image I had of the building in the sunset. It makes the other two look, by varying degrees, a bit flat.

Whatever I say about the X100 above, I selected more photographs taken with it than with the other two cameras. It was a very capable machine, and I prefer its version of the headlight and grill of this 30s car than I do from the images from the other cameras. The X100 is, of course, a great tool for close up and macro work.



This little cute Beatle was also shot using the X100.



One of the other things that the X100 excels in, compared with film or indeed the M8, is its ability to have good detail and low noise whilst using high isos. Most of the photos I took inside the House that turned out well were with the X100 which I shot at 1600 iso. It's a difficult shot given the lighting, but the X100 does not blow out the highlights whilst I can still get details in the low lit areas. And there is no disturbing noise at 1600 iso - I would not shoot the M8 at 1250 iso unless I had too, nor use 1600 colour35mm film.



The above shot, of a trailer and car fanatic, is an example of another thing the X100 does well at - street shooting.



Finally a couple of X100 black and white conversions. The X100 does very good black and white (although I reckon the digital Leica or real black and white film still has the edge)

The shot above, of rain drops on the boot of my Mercedes, has great detail and sharpness.



This one, above, is of one of the long beautiful roads stretching through the New Forest

Here are a couple more shots from the film Bessa. The first, above, is the 30s car detail again. As I have blogged before, the new Kodak Portra film has outstanding detail, sharpness and fine grain, even at 400 iso and 35mm film.

Finally a shot of Ripon in the Motorway cafe, using a wide aperture (I think this was f2.8) on the film camera.

This is an shot inside the House on the Estate using the Leica m8. I preferred the rendering of the M8 in this soft and low light setting than the harder X100 version of the same detail. This one is an example of the M8 performing perfectly acceptable at high iso - it's 1250 iso and shows no unpleasant noise.

Another one in the motorway cafe, this time by the M8. I prefer it to the film shot. It also shows that the tiny and economical Voigtlander 35mm f2.5 is a good performer at wide apertures.

Conclusion and Further Photos

Once again, I was not attempting a scientific comparison between the 3 cameras. Such attempts, though sometimes useful, are often boring. I just wanted to take photos and use all three cameras. It's an added bonus to later compare them and see which camera/lens/film does well with which subject. My conclusion reflects my preference: being proud of my camera promiscuity I am pleased to find that I would rather have all three cameras in my bag than only one.

You can view all of the photos taken on 18 June, including at larger sizes and with further technical details for those interested, in my flickr set, here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickdemarcofoto/sets/72157627305196371/with/6046296717/

Monday 25 April 2010

Or, Rocco and his Paintings

Above - Surrealist style portrait of the artist with his work (Hasselblad 500 C/M, Zeiss 80mm Planar f2.8 lens and Ilford HP5 film). Simply my favourite of the portraits taken that day.

This is the artist Italian Rocco Iannelli who comes from a Mountain village near to Picinisco. Rocco is a fine painter, who works by day as a master carpenter/craftsman in Picinisco. He is also a kind and friendly man. He is a good friend with my photographer friend from Picinisco, Luigi Gianetti.

In the photo above Rocco is working on the restoration of an internal door for my house in Colleruta (Leica M8.2 with Voigtlander 35mm Nokton f1.4 lens).

Above, Portrait of the Artist - Hasselblad 500 c/m, Zeiss 120mm Planar f4, Ilford HP5

Above, Old scrolls.

I saw these old rolled up scrolls around the back of Rocco's studio. The light was far too low, and I never liked to use the M8 above 320 iso, so I thought I would shoot them at f1.4. I love the bokeh and feel in this photo as a result.

Above, portrait of the artist with early work.

Although the painting in this work was marvellous in colour, what struck me most about it was the deeply disturbing and disturbed look on the girl's face - which translated just as well in black and white. Rocco's work now is largely abstract, and about texture, but this early figurative example shows that it is abstract through artistic choice and nothing is - he would make a fine figurative artist too if he so chose.

The above photo was taken with my medium format Hasselblad 500 c/m, Zeiss 120mm Planar f4 and Ilford HP5

Above, Ripon and one of Rocco's paintings (Hasselblad 500 C/M, Zeiss 120mm Planar lens and Kodak Portra 160vc film)

As well as being a great artist Rocco is a good guy. He was perfectly happy for Luigi and me to set up Ripon, in front of one of his paintings, to make this portrait.

Above, Rocco with large painting (Leica M8.2 and Voigtlander 35mm Nokton f1.4)

This painting was virtually all one colour (black) - the kind of thing I usually think is absurd. But it was far from it. The texture and therefore different colours of the canvas made it quite beautiful and very interesting to look at.

Above, Rocco with colour abstract (Leica M8.2 and Zeiss 21mm Biogon f2.8)

Above, Portrait with painting (Leica M8.2 and Voigtlander 35mm Nokton f1.4)

This is one of my favourite portraits taken that day, and works very well as a large black and white print. I like the expression of the artists face against the texture of his work.

You can see all the photos taken that day in my flickr set, here:

Rocco and his Paintings

19 April 2011

Or, Picinisco and around in April 2011

As I am in my house in Colleruta, Picinisco, Italy right now, having a very productive time photographically by the way, I thought it was time to upload some of my photos from my last trip here, in April 2011.

This first one, above (Leica M8.2, forgot the lens) is of sheep in the road in Colleruta. I was in a hurry, jumping out of my car, and had a low shutter speed, so decided to emphasis the motion blur. I think it works well in black and white.

I like taking photos of the insides of toilets, and this one is from a toilet in a cafe in a nearby town. I love the colours and those 60s/70s tiles.

In these two photos a friend of a friend, Felix, is making a handmade leather case for a Leica. I now have a very nice red one on my M9. These tow photos are taken with the Leica M8.2 and Voigtlander 75mm Heliar f1.8, and show just how well the CV 75 does on the M8 (I am itching to try it on my M9 when I am back in London).

Finally, my vineyard (below) in April 2011. Looks very bare because they cut it right down in Spring. It looks so much better now (August) and I shall post some photos taken now in a future blog, but it is nice to chart it at all its stages. This one taken with a Hasselblad 500 c/M medium format camera and Zeiss 50mm f 4 wide angle lens

More photos on my photostream in flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickdemarcofoto/