Are the higher shutter speeds on large format lenses always off?

[Jody_S]

Suspect a plain Foot-Cell used in voltage out mode is plenty good enough. The edge rates with mechanical shutters is just NOT that high. Do use a decent 10X scope probe to reduce the capacitance loading at the Foto-Cell, this will help speedy up the Foot-Cell used in volts out mode.

It is really a simple set up. Flashlight is GOOD, battery powered means portable point it where needed with no 60Hz related components. Be aware many LED flashlights today have internal switching power supplies that will modulate the light output. This might or might not be an issue. Using a good-old fashioned "Edison" bulb flashlight gets this done.


Have fun
Bernice

I figured the flashlight would be running PWM, but if that's running above 5 or 10K Hz the effect on my speed testing of a 1/200s shutter doesn't matter. Also, I suspect the PWM is only used to power the circuit internally from the battery, to maintain a constant bus voltage, not to actually drive the LEDs. That's why they blink when battery voltage is low. The only real advantage was that I can tape it into a cardboard tube without burning down my house. Also, I own one.

And a simple resistor across the photovoltaic cell should minimise capacitance effects.

[Bernice Loui]

This was the conclusion from all that futzing with shutter speed and all that back in the early 1990's. Absolute accuracy of a shutter and all that is of modest importance for doing outdoor stuff in B&W as the film, processing, printing had sufficient "tolerance" for modest shutter errors. Shutters should be consistent, reliable and accurate to their speed settings within reason.

If you're into producing absolute technically spot-on color transparencies, this should be done in-studio with GOOD strobe units, calibrated flash meter, color transparency film gray card (of the certified Kodak variety) tested processed at a GOOD-reliable E6 lab with the gray card test color transparency density checked using a calibrated color densitometer.


Bernice

Based on my workflow, there is very little gain to be made by calibrating my shutters, the speed tester was more for peace of mind.

[Drew Wiley]

I note the spread of several readings per speed, as well as the general deviation from nominal rated speed. I've been quite fortunate in that this too has been quite predictable with all my lenses, so small in fact that I don't have to worry about any of them except at the highest speeds. When I did mostly chrome work, I'd factor in anything 1/3 stop, but that was the worst any setting got. So now, when shooting color neg and b&w neg, I really don't worry at all. But over the long run, it is indeed important to periodically "exercise" lenses that might otherwise be completely neglected. Someone a couple weeks ago wanted me to look at a lens in Copal 3S from an estate sale that probably hadn't been handled in decades. Even though it was in clean condition, the low speeds were completely frozen, and most of the hypothetical profit selling it will disappear into a professional tuneup. It certainly wasn't a cult lens, but someone like me would have bought it just for the shutter itself if it didn't have a problem.

[Jody_S]

If you're into producing absolute technically spot-on color transparencies, this should be done in-studio with GOOD strobe units, calibrated flash meter, color transparency film gray card (of the certified Kodak variety) tested processed at a GOOD-reliable E6 lab with the gray card test color transparency density checked using a calibrated color densitometer.


Bernice

This is no longer possible. The film supply and labs do not exist, even if the technical knowledge to do so may live on for a few more years.

[Bernice Loui]

Correct, this is the primary reason why trying color transparencies today is iffy at best.

Beyond that the Cibachrome-Ilfordchrome-Fujichrome (they once made a print material for color transparencies) print process is essentially gone. Even if there are very few that continue on with their old stock of print materials and chemistry. Add to this, producing a GOOD print with this method is not simple, to do this proper required low contrast color transparencies to start, then contrast masking to aid in getting the print contrast rendition GOOD. These technical demands are FAR beyond most trying color print of this variety today. Those trying this today have no idea what is involved technically and all.

Digital color has become the common means to color prints today.

This is no longer possible. The film supply and labs do not exist, even if the technical knowledge to do so may live on for a few more years.

[Drew Wiley]

Yes, studio work with transparencies had to be well monitored and completely reliable. But do you really think it was any different for those of us doing mostly outdoor work, Bernice. Try lugging an 85 lb pack a week on end, hacking your way up a couple thousand feet of ice, and then tying yourself onto a ledge at 13,000 ft to get a dawn shot with a chrome. Do you think one can afford to gamble or bracket or guess exposure? And Jody, E6 films and excellent labs (plural) still exist. Even the new Kodak E100 chrome film showed up in this area in custom 8x10 cut prior to the virus closures. 4X5 is available, both Kodak and Fuji. It can still be processed send-in, but not walk-in for awhile longer. I don't know where your premature obituary of E6 comes from. Fuji dropped what I considered to be their finest chrome sheet films, while retaining others, but Kodak's has released arguably their best Ektachrome ever.

[LabRat]

This is no longer possible. The film supply and labs do not exist, even if the technical knowledge to do so may live on for a few more years.

Still possible, as there are neutral chrome films still available, and a few decent E6 labs, but mail order...

I rarely shoot LF color these days, but sometimes for small jobs when asked for, but prefer CN if possible, as I have looked at some old technically perfect chromes some time ago, and now see they typically have what I call "skinny top, big bottom" range, but the transition in the shadow area is smoother with CN normally... But CN papers now seem to wander into color crossover slightly easier these days, even with everything right...

And hate to say it, but even my older camera fone can capture more colors than come and gone certain films... I was shooting some Tibetan cloth with a strange gold color on someone's deepshade porch with my fone, and it captured it perfectly!!! Maybe 70's Agfachrome would have done a great job, but... ;-)

Steve K

[Drew Wiley]

I began transitioning to mainly CN film about 20 yrs ago, at exactly the right time, when both these films and RA4 papers were starting to significantly improve. And of course there was a bit of a learning curve. Doing commercial quality chromogenic printing was easy all along; but I had something better in mind. I skipped color printing this particular season due to the virus and not wanting any respiratory irritation at all from color chem exposure. But I had just finished another whole set of 8x10 internegatives made by contact from master dupes generated from complexly masked original 8x10 chromes. A lot of work up front, but the end result well worth it in terms of print quality otherwise unobtainable. You naysayers of what color film and paper can really do must have tunnel vision. Like anything quality, you don't get something for nothing. Good home cookin' takes work and commitment. It's a labor of love. Merely punching buttons won't get you there. And the best application for a cell phone is for skipping across a pond when you can't find a decent flat pebble.

[Bernice Loui]

Agfa Chrome RS100 was good, very good. Imported 13x18cm RS100 this from Germany back in the day. Burned many boxes of this stuff before Kodak improved ~significantly~ Ektachrome, it became VERY good in many ways. Then came IMO one of the best color transparency films made, Fuji Astia. It was short lived.



Digital camera color rendition can be remarkable in many ways today, it is also a indicator of where the Scientific-Technical efforts have been put in imaging today. This is why most anything color is done digital today, it works, does good in many ways.

Yet, traditional silver gelatin B&W large format prints continue with their distinct print personality. Some highly value this, others not at all.


Bernice

And hate to say it, but even my older camera fone can capture more colors than come and gone certain films... I was shooting some Tibetan cloth with a strange gold color on someone's deepshade porch with my fone, and it captured it perfectly!!! Maybe 70's Agfachrome would have done a great job, but... ;-)

Steve K

[Corran]

While folks yammer away online about the impossibility of shooting E-6 properly, there are, right now, many people making a living shooting chromes and selling prints from scanned film. Ben Horne, Alex Burke, and Justin Lowery are just a few of the folks working with LF color transparencies (and negatives) out in the wild and somehow they get along just fine. Heck, take a look at Pali's work here on the forum, as well as others.

Many of these folks develop their own film.

What was expected for, say, shooting catalog work decades ago is mostly irrelevant to the film photography world in 2020.