Here's some user feedback. Just returned to Michigan from photographing a beach wedding in Oceanside California. Due to travel difficulties, I only took 2 Ms, 3 Lux lenses& 28/2 and a Hasselblad X-Pan with all 3 lenses. Was searched every 5 feet at the airports. The shoot went very well, but it was a challenge because the Bride moved up the sunset wedding to 4PM. Everything was back-lit like crazy! So I shot fill flash on everything using Heliopan 8X NDs on the Luxs ( 35,50,75). Worked like a charm. The XPan also peformed super-well even at f/22 ( IMHO, I think this camera is under-rated no matter who actually makes it. I find it a perfect compliment to the Ms in consistant method of use when you need a bigger neg like for formals which lend themselves to panoramics anyway. The images are super saturated and consistant from lens to lens just like the Leicas ) Okay, back to the Leica story. The only Leica problem I experienced was that a screw fell out of the front barrel of the 28/2 and it's now loose. The M7 .072 was just great for fast candids, but so was the M6 .085. I've now ordered a M7 .085 and plan on motorizing both M7s for weddings, leaving the M6s as more compact and portable choice for my other work. During the course of the whole event I shot 25 rolls of 36 ex. using Portra 160NC on the beach and 400NC and 400B&W later ( without the NDs ). The 400NC is giving me some fits in scanning ( using a Polaroid Sprintscan 120 at 4000 dpi using the scanners' preset profile for Portra 400NC ), In fact, I get better results with other high speed neg films everytime. Portra was suppose to be formulated for scanning, but I just don't see it being better, in fact the 400NC seems worse???? However, I just found my new favorite film, especially in combination with the Noctilux! Fuji P 800. This film blows away the Portra 400 in color, grain ( vertually none ) and no scanner noise. This may be common knowledge, but I just discovered it. WOW! what a film. If you haven't tried it it's a must for low light, creamy rich colors. The grain pattern is clean and smooth, even at 11'X 14'. Anyone else love this film? I also think I prefer the Kodak T-max 400CN to the Portra 400B&W when scanning a C-41 B&W film. Anyone else have experience with the 2? Man, I wish I could figure out how to post pix here. I'm good at the computer, but seem to have a block when it comes to following Tony's instructions. I can e-mail direct, and have done so with forum members, but can't seem to get it right to post pix here. So, all I can do is write with no photos to show for it. 900 images and I can't get one of them on the forum. What a Moron. Oh well, I'm off to another wedding today using...you guessed it... the Leicas and Luxs, and, HORRORS!, 2 DIx Digitals. Until next time...

-- Marc Williams (mwilliams111313MI@comcast.net), April 27, 2002

Answers

The only Leica problem I experienced was that a screw fell out of the front barrel of the 28/2 and it's now loose.

This is why I bring along a Wiha Precision Screwdriver Set when I travel. A bit expensive compared to the 99 cent store knockoffs, but I've been using precision tools a long time and believe me, you get what you pay for.

-- Anon Terry (anonht@yahoo.com), April 27, 2002.

Gees if you didn't travel difficulties how much gear would you normally bring?

Great post. This is much more beneficial. Talking about what is, rather then what was supposed/wished to be.

Thanks Marc

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), April 27, 2002.

But where are the pics Marc?

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), April 27, 2002.

Fuji Press 800 or the consumer version, Superia 800 is one of the best films ever made IMO. Low grain, excellent color, sharp, and scana very well. No wonder Fuji has made it for so long. I don't like the NPZ800 as much as the cheaper Fuji P 800. During the Super Bowl here in New Orleans, Sports Illustrated came into the camera store I work at and bought $2000 worth of the Fuji P and other Fuji films. Film ain't dead yet!

Now, I prefer Ilford XP2 over the Kodak C-41 b&W films since it is easier for darkroom printing. Verp sharp, hardly any grain for a 400 speed film.

Marc, which flash did you use the 8x ND filter on? Just shot a wedding in a large cathedral and even with the SF20 flash on EV -1, 400 speed film at 30th sec/f5.6, I blew out the foreground. The background was very underexposed. Using a M6 TTL.

-- chris a williams (LeicaChris@worldnet.att.net), April 27, 2002.

there is an 8x ND filter??? wow! i've got to get one of those...where??? how much???

--

yeah, Marc...where are the pix? i especially want to see thouse outdoor fill-flash you did with the 8x NDs...

-- Dexter Legaspi (dalegaspi@hotmail.com), April 27, 2002.

I've got NDs for 39, 46, and 55mm lens from KB Camera, www.Leicagallery.com I believe. Mine pull 2 stops but they sell even stronger ones.

They are all Heliopan "slim" filters that fit under clip on hoods like on my 24 elmarit.

-- Neil Swanson (neilsphoto@yahoo.com), April 27, 2002.

I agree with you on the Fuji 800. It's good enough to be a general- purpose film.

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), April 27, 2002.

I'm glad to know I'm not the only fan of P-800. On a recent assignment for the Public Education Foundation, I shot available-light candids of school children with my M3/50mm Summicron and 40mm M-Rokkor, and an EOS-A2 with 80-200 f2.8. Lighting was a mix of fluorescent, tungsten, and some daylight. The client ordered a substantial number of 11x14 prints for framing and display in their offices.

Frankly, I was amazed at the quality of the 11x14s from this film. In fact, they looked better than similar-sized prints from NPH. The color was probably not technically perfect, but was pleasingly warm and soft, very appropriate for the subject matter. Grain was present but not visible at normal viewing distance.

As far as I can tell, this is the same film as Superia Xtra 800. I bought some Superia at Walmart when I ran out of P-800, and I can see no difference in the prints. Both films are designated "CZ" by Fuji. Whatever it's called, it's a bargain: about $2.75/roll at Walmart for 24 exposures, and less than $3/roll for 36 exposures at B&H or Adorama.

Unless I have an assignment that requires something else, P-800 is the film you're most likely to find in my M3.

-- Dave Jenkins (djphoto@vol.com), April 27, 2002.

Anon - I appreciate the tip - which set do you recommend?

-- Steve Jones (stephenjjones@btopenworld.com), April 27, 2002.

Marc,

As always, your stories are fun and informative and this one is no exception. The screw falling out of the 2/28 is a cautionary tale for us all. Totally argee on Fuji 800 film. It is all I use now.

Alex

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4u.or.jp), April 27, 2002.

Thanks to all that confirmed my feeling about Fuji P800. It's nice to know that it wasn't a fluke. Some answers to questions asked on this thread. Yes , I also have some high quality micro tools, unfortunatly I didn't have the tiny screw which had fallen out who knows where. Yes 8X ND filters exist. As someone else mentioned, Heliopan makes them in a slim mount that lets you use the lens shade. One respondant asked what flash? SF-20 with a soft box attached. The flash wasn't ND filtered, the lens was. Another asked about amount of equipment: Usually I have a Med. Format, a digital ( Nikon D1x ) and the Leicas. Weddings are a dead serious endevior, and require back-ups to the back-ups. There's no going back home to pick up another system if a main camera goes down in the middle of the affair. Plus, I shoot a mixture of formals and candids both in B&W and color. Multiple cameras is the only way to keep pace with the events as they unfold at such a break-neck pace. Besides, it's a great justification to have more toys without my spouse committing homicide. Finally, let me humiliate myself in public. Again. I cannot figure out how to post pictures on this forum no matter how much I read Tony's instructions. I tried to post them on a general site and create a link but failed. Okay, I'm a moron. I admit it. I'd liked nothing better than to show what I'm talking about. Sorry, I'll keep trying to figure it out with my pea brain.

-- Marc Williams (mwilliams111313MI@comcast.net), April 27, 2002.

I've been using Fuji P 800 for years. Much cheaper and fine-grained than NGH II 800. The only trade-off was that P800 is slightly contrastier - although you can put this to advantage when shooting under fluoro.

P800 is brilliant film. I believe it's because of its fine grain that Fuji retired NGHII 800 and brought out the new NPZ 800.

FWIW, my (mostly indoors) candid colour photo project "Everyday Life" is mainly shot on P800.

-- Andrew Nemeth (azn@nemeng.com), April 28, 2002.