Friday, September 18, 2015

My Summer Project V

Allow me some final photos taken this past summer using a "vintage" Pentax ME Super with Kodak TMax 400 film.  These were all taken ignoring the camera's light meter and just using the "Sunny 16" rule for exposure.


New London, CT  2015


So, what did I learn?  Having spent some time shooting film, I now have a greater appreciation for photographers who still use film in this digital age.  Shooting digital does tend to spoil one.  Digital images are instantly available.  All the important information is captured in the digital file and can be recalled when processing the images on a computer. It's easier to correct mistakes in the field when shooting digital. I can't tell you how many times I looked at the back of the ME Super expecting to see my recently shot image and seeing only the back of the camera and not the LCD screen!  I found myself thinking more about each picture I took when I was using film.  I tend to take way too many pictures when I shoot digital, since there is no film cost or processing cost. I'm not sure if my images captured on film are any better than the ones I captured digitally.  I do like the look of the black and white images I made using film though.

  Niantic, CT  2015

My next steps will be to have my Pentax ME Super taken in for cleaning and some maintenance, and perhaps calibrate the light meter, if that can even be done.  Then I have two rolls  Ilford Delta 400 film to shoot.  If  I get really ambitious I  might get into scanning the negatives myself,  and maybe, just maybe, make some prints.  That will become my Autumn and Winter Projects.  Thanks for reading! 

5 comments:

  1. The contrast on this photos is better, but still not up to the standard of your D90. Looking back at some slides I shot 40 years ago I was surprised at how my standards of sharpness, contrast, and color accuracy has risen dramatically with contemporary digital photography. Of course, I could always get out my old Canon film camera.

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    1. Thank you for the comments. I agree the contrast is better in these final pictures. Sharpness is not quite what I expected however. It could be the photographer however. The ME Super is manual focus and perhaps my eyes aren't as good as they used to be. I'm also not sure how sharp the SMC Pentax 50mm lens I purchased off of Ebay really is. I can't really complain though, since it cost only $30.00, refurbished. Digital photography has also raised my standards as well, and for this initial attempt using film, I would say I much the higher quality of the digital files. I'm still interested in shooting more film to see if I can improve these images.

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    2. I have a friend who is a terrific photographer, and he has used Pentax lenses for years. While I don't know about your lens, know they have been very sharp with good contrast. After you get the camera back from service you might try shooting some lens test patterns. Think they can be found on-line. Your results should tell you about contrast as the test pattern has a gray scale, sharpness, and various kinds of distortion. Then go out and see what your images are like. You might like the results enough to add the Pentax to your regular photo routine.

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  2. My film cameras are on a shelf somewhere, never again to see daylight.

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