06-02-10 – Macro Bugs

well being a film trained photographer and a master of my craft i shot 19 images of three bugs to get shots for this week.

As I transition back to film in medium format, I find myself obsessing over tiny details when composing shots. I’ve actually found myself arranging flowers on the bush for compositions. The thought of trying to shoot this theme on film gives me the heebie jeebies! 🙂

May I ask what you use for shooting medium format? I love using film (though for this competition, the advantages of digital are manifest, as people have said), and I am thinking of getting a medium format. If you have any advice, pointers, dos/donts, I would be grateful.

i have 4×5 speed graphic with a 6×9 roll film back. yeah i mixed inches and CM there 🙂 anyway it was fun to use but real slow to use. also have a rolleiflex tlr with built in match needle meter. since getting the film processed is a pain i haven’t used it in years.

if you have a few thousand dollars laying around here’s a modern version.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/303163-USA/Rollei_66607_Rolleiflex_4_0_FW_Medium.html#specifications

that price just HAS to be wrong. the damn thing isn’t gold plated.

i have 4×5 speed graphic with a 6×9 roll film back. yeah i mixed inches and CM there 🙂 anyway it was fun to use but real slow to use. also have a rolleiflex tlr with built in match needle meter. since getting the film processed is a pain i haven’t used it in years.

if you have a few thousand dollars laying around here’s a modern version.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/303163-USA/Rollei_66607_Rolleiflex_4_0_FW_Medium.html#specifications

that price just HAS to be wrong. the damn thing isn’t gold plated.

I was thinking of getting a Yashica, if I can find a decent one secondhand. They tend to be cheaper than Rolleiflex here. I also found a Mamiya RB67 with 90mm and 180mm lenses and other bits and pieces (incl. two film backs) for about $600 all in.

However, the problem is how often will I use it, where will I use it (heavy), and can I scan in the negatives to my computer like I can with 35mm? The answer to the first is “probably not right often”, the second is “landscapes (but I need to sort out my Japanese driving license first), and for the last question I am pretty sure the answer is “no”.

I checked at my local camera store, and the cost for developing a reel of 120 at least was about $7. Not sure about prices in the States, but that didn’t strike me as too bad.

and for the last question I am pretty sure the answer is “no”.

I checked at my local camera store, and the cost for developing a reel of 120 at least was about $7. Not sure about prices in the States, but that didn’t strike me as too bad.

if your scanner will do 35mm you might be able to do 2 1/4. it would depend on the software more than the hardware since you can make a mask for the negative and probably find a decent light source to shine through the negative but if the software has preset boundaries rather than ones you can adjust .. well that’s really the limiting factor.

re film processing IIRC it was higher here the last time i checked. but that may have been with prints rather than just the film or film and a contact sheet.

if your scanner will do 35mm you might be able to do 2 1/4. it would depend on the software more than the hardware since you can make a mask for the negative and probably find a decent light source to shine through the negative but if the software has preset boundaries rather than ones you can adjust .. well that’s really the limiting factor.

re film processing IIRC it was higher here the last time i checked. but that may have been with prints rather than just the film or film and a contact sheet.

That’s interesting, thanks. I’ll have a look at my printer manual, see if it says anything.
It has a specially designed strip light in the lid for 35mm, so I suspect the software for it may be limited to that format, but you never know.

I was thinking of getting a Yashica, if I can find a decent one secondhand. They tend to be cheaper than Rolleiflex here. I also found a Mamiya RB67 with 90mm and 180mm lenses and other bits and pieces (incl. two film backs) for about $600 all in.

However, the problem is how often will I use it, where will I use it (heavy), and can I scan in the negatives to my computer like I can with 35mm? The answer to the first is “probably not right often”, the second is “landscapes (but I need to sort out my Japanese driving license first), and for the last question I am pretty sure the answer is “no”.

I checked at my local camera store, and the cost for developing a reel of 120 at least was about $7. Not sure about prices in the States, but that didn’t strike me as too bad.

I’ve got an old Rolleicord and I’m in the market for a Yashica Mat 124 but I haven’t found one at the price I like. I like the TLR’s for the nostalgia aspect more than any other reasons.

If you have the inclination and time, home developing of film is easy and not at all expensive. I’ve not plunged yet, but I will buy the tanks and chemicals soon. If you have a decent negative scanner, then the money part is already spent.

so i have another idea this morning and since the ext tube is still mounted out i go to shoot it. turned out ok but not great.

an hour later wanting a shot of the dog i dismount the ext tube go outside and find a great dragonfly that will hold still while i poke at it with the camera. well the resulting shots are better than most of my dragonfly photos and since the lens is marked “macro” somewhere on the barrel i’m using the photos.