Having Fun with Shooting Film
- Thread starter fengwei
- Start date
Hi guys, need advice buying new manual lens for my k2. I need a fast prime lens that is ok wide open that is less than f2 and not too expensive. Maybe about $200-300.
My 55mm f1.8 is terribly soft at f1.8 and I have to stop down to f2.8 for indoor shots and end up with terrible handshake because the metal shutter is so heavy. And plus its not a sharp lens to begin with for day time shots anyway.
Here are some day time shots, which is ok but not very sharp.
My 55mm f1.8 is terribly soft at f1.8 and I have to stop down to f2.8 for indoor shots and end up with terrible handshake because the metal shutter is so heavy. And plus its not a sharp lens to begin with for day time shots anyway.
Here are some day time shots, which is ok but not very sharp.
Erm... Why so grainy? Looks like high ISO film or increase exposure correction at scanning stage.
Sharpness looks fine to me. The details are present in the daylight shots. Keep in mind that focusing wide open is hit or miss, and when coupled with lack of SR + handshake, (even with fast shutter speed) may throw off the focus.
Dunno why grainy, these films are bought by fw. I need to check with him if this is normal or not. Can't tell from the negatives if it is grainy or not.
The lens is ok in day time, because I can use higher aperture. But what I want is a sharper when wide open lens for my indoor shots. My 55mm f1.8 is totally unusable at f1.8. It gets significantly better at f2.8 which I use as a minimum during indoor shots.
Here's my sample shot with roughly the same problem. I opted for low-rez scanning. If I blow up the pic, details get smudged.
Taken with Program A + FA43 (either wide open or 2.8) + Fuji Superia 200
Converted to BW in PP and bump exposure. I'll check the original source when I'm back home.
Last edited:
banana0ne
New Member
Great I PM him about the 50mm f1.4 already, think I'll get it.
reyreina
New Member
There are different factors that may factor sharpness, lens is a bad copy or scanner isn't good enough. But i think other than the indoor one, sharpness seemed alright for the outdoor pics.
Like what baracus mentioned, getting the right focus is vital. All lenses wide open are soft... maybe except for the legendary ones, or the f1.7. you should test the sharpness by mounting it on your dslr
Have you tested the lens on your girlfriend's Kx?
If the K55/1.8 is the same construction from the Takumar 55/1.8, it should be sharp enough wide open (6 elements; 5 groups; diff lens diameter though ).
The lenses are typically not the sharpest and tend to suffer from lower contrast wide open. Try shooting at a bit stopped down (eg. f2.8)
Yea I tested, f1.8 is soft. So I typically have to use f2.8 but it's too slow for indoor shots.
i think its more of the developing and scanning... sharpness actually on digital is more critical... film is more of the feel, but the photos looks like the scan quality is not really good...
Yea but I put the lens on the k-x, and its soft at f1.8 on digital leh.
i know soft... but the pics is not becasue of soft, cos on film even though soft, it will still be quite alright... ur pics is just very poor scan... where u develop and scan ?
I went to fotohub in Commonwealth cos its the nearest place to my workplace. I dun have anymore B&W film, so probably I can develop my colour films anywhere else.
Are there anyway to scan negative on the flatbed scanner that I have at home, probably I can rescan if it is possible.
Ok. Maybe not too good a copy then.
BTW, don't expect film to be as suitable for pixel peeping as digital. If the prints are alright at 4R, its usually good enough. For one, the resolution of the scans are not that high. Expect grain as well (you are using ISO800 and above film?). Anyway, grain is certainly more obvious and very present on film and what is possible with smooth looking digital and good ISO1600+ is really science fiction compare to film.
You may need to get used to MF as well.
Immediate solution for now is to post your photos smaller
LOL its a ISO 100 B&W film that fw passed to me. But it sure looks like ISO 400 and above. Once I get hold of the k-x, I'll post some f1.8 shots.Ok. Maybe not too good a copy then.
BTW, don't expect film to be as suitable for pixel peeping as digital. If the prints are alright at 4R, its usually good enough. For one, the resolution of the scans are not that high. Expect grain as well (you are using ISO800 and above film?). Anyway, grain is certainly more obvious and very present on film and what is possible with smooth looking digital and good ISO1600+ is really science fiction compare to film.
You may need to get used to MF as well.
Immediate solution for now is to post your photos smaller
zk-diq
Senior Member
Either your film/processing/scanning or exposure not in order.
ya, i agree too. Did you check if your meter is working properly? Low batt? It looks to me that the photos could be underexposed and then brought back up in 'post processing' hence the grains.
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