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Metate Arch - Yashica Mat Again
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:09 am    Post subject: Metate Arch - Yashica Mat Again Reply with quote

I drove down to Utah several years ago to ramble in the desert environment for a few days. What a CHANGE from my part of the world!

Here is a shot of Metate Arch (pronounced meh-tah'-tay)with the Yashica Mat. I liked the "graphical" look of the negative spaces here, and I think the square format was just right for the image.

I think that the Yashica Mat has been the best all-around camera for medium format that I've owned. The small size and weight, coupled with ease of use and outstanding lens, is a joy to own.

Metate Arch

Yashica Mat 124
Yashinon 80/3.5
f:16 @ 1/125th
Fuji Provia



PostPosted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just wow again! I suppose you started a fashion to get a Yashica Mat ! Smile


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
Just wow again! I suppose you started a fashion to get a Yashica Mat ! Smile


Well, I don't know about starting a fashion. But I DO know you can't go wrong with a Yashica Mat for price:value ratio. GREAT for a beginner or a pro or anything in between.

It's one of those cameras that always seems to find a place in the bag, being so compact for a medium format equipment. Smile


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am thinking on it Smile


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, amazing!!


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Beautiful composition, a little bit too much saturation in my opinion, with less saturation it would acquire more 3dimensionality.


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Laurence, I think you are, at least, one of the best photographers here!


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great shot and you're definiely convincing me to get a TLR...


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

LucisPictor wrote:
Laurence, I think you are, at least, one of the best photographers here!


I fully agree with Carsten...

Jes.


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

LucisPictor wrote:
Laurence, I think you are, at least, one of the best photographers here!


I am behind this too... I am proud about you!


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 7:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Larry, I've been marvelling at all your beautiful pictures. They're breathtaking!

I guess you had your Yashica Mat a very long time before I even thought about it, but since I got mine last summer I've been taken over by it. So I guess I got in early6 on this fasion! Smile And now I finally have a proper scanner I can post one or two pictures too. (None as good as yours Sad).

I agree with Orio about the over-saturation in this shot. For the same reason I've been a little disappointed with the Velvia50 pics I've taken so far on the Y-M. The saturation is way too much for my taste. I'm going to post an example later. But let's remember it's a characteristic of the film, not the camera (or the photographer Smile), so it hasn't put me off using it.


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 7:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What kind of scanner do you have Peter ?


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 7:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
What kind of scanner do you have Peter ?


It was a choice between the V500 & V700 and I went for the V700 in the end. It was the big film area and the film holders that swayed it.

I've only scanned a few pics so far and still getting the hang of it. I'm not sure I like the software too much - I can only get it to run from inside CS2, not on its own, and it's much slower than I'd hoped. Maybe I need a new PC now!


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 7:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I guess so, need lot of RAM , fast CPU and fast hard disk to improve speed.


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Epson Perfection 1250 how about this ? Is it too crappy to take it ?


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am overwhelmed, and now a bit with trepidation from comments like those. Shocked

I have never received that kind of comment about my photography ever, and it makes me very happy (and a bit scared, because how would I keep things going at a "high level" in my future shots?).

In any case, THANK YOU, all of you. You give me incentive to continue to go out and try. I have ALREADY learned so much, just from reading about your techniques and various types of cameras and lenses. This is invaluable.

Laurence


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You need to do only keep continue your job, nothing else Smile


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Peter wrote:

I agree with Orio about the over-saturation in this shot. For the same reason I've been a little disappointed with the Velvia50 pics I've taken so far on the Y-M. The saturation is way too much for my taste. I'm going to post an example later. But let's remember it's a characteristic of the film, not the camera (or the photographer ), so it hasn't put me off using it.

This is very interesting! I actually REDUCED SATURATION after my scan of the Metate Arch! I was able to go back to my saved layers and here is what it said:

Yellow Saturation Channel: -7
Red Saturation Channel: -8
Blue Saturation Channel: -4

I agree that Velvia50 can be TOO much for many slides, and then the scanner (at least my 2450 scanner) seems to emphasize even a bit more.

When I look at the slide itself on the lightbox, it is VERY close to what my output was from the scanner, AFTER I toned down the saturation in Photoshop.

In reality, I thought at the time that this Metate Arch with its STRONG color gamut "in real life" was going to be "wrong" for my Velvia 50 that I had in the camera. If I would have had Provia 100 in the camera, it would had been much closer, I think.

So yes...film can REALLY make a difference.
Also...the scanner itself can make a difference.

The points about over-saturation are well-taken, and I will watch for that next time; and I will either "tone it down" a little more in Photoshop, or try to match the film emulsion with the subject a little better.

I love the learning aspect of this forum! Very Happy


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
Epson Perfection 1250 how about this ? Is it too crappy to take it ?


Attila, if I may be so bold as to answer...

I have the "next step up" from the 1250 -- the 2450.

It is NOT a good 35mm scanner, in fact it is almost crap for 35mm. Not only is the resolution not quite enough, but it seems to "jump all over the place" when I try to select 35mm areas to scan (after the pre-scan). When I "select" the area, the color gamut changes!!!! I have tried all settings to try to keep this from happening, including "automatic" settings! It STILL jumps just as soon as I do a "selection highlight"....

But, in the case of medium format, the 2450 is VERY good...UP TO A POINT! I put the scanner on fully manual controls, with UNSHARP MASK at the "on" checkmark. (Pundits say to take the Unsharp Mask to the "off" checkmark, but I feel that then it's just too fuzzy to even "fix" in Photoshop.

I also try to do any Curves adjustment manually on the scanner before scanning. I do NOT overdo this though...there has to be a "fine line" to where you quit on any pre-scanning manipulations.

Overall, my "adjustments" are very subtle on the pre-scan. Also in Photoshop, I do not adjust too much, because I just don't like what it does to images that much.

I try to REALLY do everything I can during my shooting of film, and I DO bracket! I think that, even if it takes 3 or 4 or even 5 brackets for a strong scene, then I should do it. I mean, that's why I'm even photographing in the FIRST place, right? Cool

So anyway, the 2450 is great for medium format. It's NOT going to match the higher end scanners, but for the web and for moderate enlargements, it's just fine. I have a 24x24 on my office wall that is just very nice. I cannot "put my nose on it" like I could a drum scanned image...but then again, why would I want to always shove my nose onto the image anyway!!! Hahaha!

I would think the 1250 could do pretty well with medium format as well, Attila. I think that, for web and for small enlargements (say up to 16x16) it could do pretty well.

I "talk" too much.... Laughing


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Peter wrote:
I guess you had your Yashica Mat a very long time before I even thought about it, but since I got mine last summer I've been taken over by it.

Peter, I have had the Yashica Mat a long time, since 1986 when my grandfather passed on. However, I did not use it for a long time, as I was enamored with my Canon AE-1 and its fine group of lenses. Those were what I took on my hiking trips to the rain forests and the mountains.

I "re-discovered" the Yashica Mat about three years ago, when I absolutely needed to cut weight to a minimum, as I was going on a solo cross-country hike for 8 days. The nature of the terrain was "up and down", and I was FORCED to go light. The Yashica Mat was my choice for that trip because it is "all in one" and is RELATIVELY light weight, especially for the output of large "real estate" in the negs and transparancies.

Then, when I got back, I was completely shocked by the images, and that I could scan the medium format so much more efficiently than the 35mm images. That got me into buying another medium format camera in the Pentax 645 , as well as a few "folding" medium format cameras. Those cameras "came and went", but I've always hung on to the Yashica Mat for its outstanding lens.

Peter wrote:
I've only scanned a few pics so far and still getting the hang of it. I'm not sure I like the software too much - I can only get it to run from inside CS2, not on its own, and it's much slower than I'd hoped. Maybe I need a new PC now!

Peter, do you have Silverfast bundled with the scanner? I understand it gives you the option of "matching" the characteristics of various types of emulsions (Velvia/Superia/Provia/Portra).

Also, I think I heard somewhere that if you Uninstall CS2 temporarily, then the Epson software will put it as a standalone program on the PC...maybe that will work, who knows?


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you Laurence ! I will not take it.


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
Thank you Laurence ! I will not take it.


Yes, I would hold out for a better scanner that could give you multiple scanning formats, AS WELL AS do 35mm with good results.
Wink

Laurence


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't know anything about the 1250 but I believe it's pretty low spec compared to later scanners. The V500 is definitely worth a look at around ?200. It has the same resolution (6400) as the V700 but it's cheaper because it has a smaller unit in the lid, so it scans less images in one pass, and there's less bundled software. But it still has Digital ICE. The 4490 is good too but slightly lower resolution.


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wouldn't invest over 100 GBP because I use only once a year film. Seems what you pay what you get forever rule... Thank you guys!


PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Laurence wrote:
Peter wrote:
I guess you had your Yashica Mat a very long time before I even thought about it, but since I got mine last summer I've been taken over by it.

Peter, I have had the Yashica Mat a long time, since 1986 when my grandfather passed on. However, I did not use it for a long time, as I was enamored with my Canon AE-1 and its fine group of lenses. Those were what I took on my hiking trips to the rain forests and the mountains.

I "re-discovered" the Yashica Mat about three years ago, when I absolutely needed to cut weight to a minimum, as I was going on a solo cross-country hike for 8 days. The nature of the terrain was "up and down", and I was FORCED to go light. The Yashica Mat was my choice for that trip because it is "all in one" and is RELATIVELY light weight, especially for the output of large "real estate" in the negs and transparancies.

Then, when I got back, I was completely shocked by the images, and that I could scan the medium format so much more efficiently than the 35mm images. That got me into buying another medium format camera in the Pentax 645 , as well as a few "folding" medium format cameras. Those cameras "came and went", but I've always hung on to the Yashica Mat for its outstanding lens.


I have to confess something. I saw a film on TV last year about the life and work of a photographer in Liverpool called Edward Chambre Hardman, which convinced me to try a TLR. Maybe you've heard of him?

It's a fascinating story. His studio was his home and he died there leaving his entire life's work completely intact. The house and contents are now owned by the National Trust and is open to the public.
website

Although he famously used a Rolleiflex, I thought I'd try something less expensive to start with and see how I got on, hence the Yashica. I'm quite happy with it to be honest, I don't think a Rollei is necessary for me. I also liked his hat, maybe I'll get one like it too! Smile


Quote:

Peter wrote:
I've only scanned a few pics so far and still getting the hang of it. I'm not sure I like the software too much - I can only get it to run from inside CS2, not on its own, and it's much slower than I'd hoped. Maybe I need a new PC now!

Peter, do you have Silverfast bundled with the scanner? I understand it gives you the option of "matching" the characteristics of various types of emulsions (Velvia/Superia/Provia/Portra).

Also, I think I heard somewhere that if you Uninstall CS2 temporarily, then the Epson software will put it as a standalone program on the PC...maybe that will work, who knows?


Yes, it has Silverfast but I haven't installed it yet. Thanks for the tip Laurence, so it seems other people have the same problem. I'll have a go at reinstalling as you suggest.