I write from Mexico, D.F. city.

I am very interested (enthusiasm) with landscape black and white traditional photography and I want large prints (11 x 14”), I can't afford a medium format camera by now, so according to some articles I found in internet, to get a good quality in my photography I will use the following 35 mm equipments and accessories:

- Good 35 mm camera provided with Mirror Lock up (EOS 33/30 o 7e / mid-low price)

- tripod

- low films (100 a 50 ASA e.g. TMX 100 )

- Standard EF brand (Canon) 28 mm f 2.8 and 50 mm f 2.8 lenses (not too much expensive)

- I will not stop down too much (f 8, f11 maybe f16)

- And maybe is I have a contrasted subject and I sub-develop (20 – 25%) the film, so to get a better negative and less grain (1)

I am assuming a good dark room work

I am assuming not to achieve the medium format quality, but maybe near to it.

My questions are next:

- Am I forgetting something?

- Am I going to get good to high results?

- Do I need a more expensive camera or a very good mechanical camera (FM3A – NIKKON) almost similar price but less functions

- Do I need high quality lenses (very expensive) like “L“ Canon lenses , to get good results (mainly sharpness and also contrast) or the difference would be light or not quite appreciable??

- (1) will it work????

In the future I think to use zone system but it is another history.

Thanks for your attention, I will wait your suggestions and comments.

-- MIGUEL DAVILA (mdservicios@terra.com.mx), September 29, 2002

Answers

Hi miguel,

Seems to me that you have got everything you need to get good high quality prints in a large size (although i would consider 11x14 still to be normal by my standards). I do however have some questions.

Why do you say you don't want to stop down too much? You are planning on taking landscape photographs, so try and use the smallest stop your lens allows you to get the sharpest picture possible. Exposure time shouldn't matter since you are using a tripod. provided you focus accurately you should be able to get a good sharp negative which is a good basis for your large print.

Why do you think you need to buy an expensive camera to get good pictures after all it is not the camera that makes the picture but the photographer. I would advise you instead to buy the best lens you can afford. Good quality lenses are a big step towards getting a sharp picture.

I don't see why with the equipment you have and the research you have done you shouldn't get excellent results matching large format prints (if not better).

Good luck with your trials and let us know how you got on.

regards,

ray

-- Rayvan (rayvan1972@hotmail.com), October 03, 2002.

Miguel, Yes, this is a great start but before you invest lot's of $$ in your 35mm set-up have you looked into all the different MF offerings? I find that the there are a lot of inexpensive MF systems available today for the amateur photographer. For instance I am using the Mamiya C330f c/w 55mm, 80mm, & 135mm and the system cost me under $1300 cdn! The lenses are v.shrp and the 6x6 neg's are a joy to print.

John www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Meadows/8847

-- John W (jwade@cogeco.ca), October 30, 2002.

Miguel ... if I could toss in my 2 cents, if its a crisp print you're looking for then you're on the right track ... I have found that the after-market lenses generally do a fine job providing the lighting is good (ie. sidelit or main light source behind). Where they tend to fall down is when the lighting isn't perfect, especially if your subject is backlit ... in my experience, this is where the canon or nikkor or any other manufacturer lens tends to excel and the after- markets fall down ... also, for ha,ha's, try a roll of Ilford's C41 B&W film, XP2 ... it is a black and white film that is processed in regular 1-hour color chemistry and it yields a beautifully smooth, eaisly printable negative ... I've shot b&w weddings in bright sun and this film will hold detail in the white dress as well as give me good skin tones to boot ... I shoot it regularly in the 4X5 format and 2 1/4 w/ excellent results ... try it. Kodaks's version in the CN film. Its nice, but I think the Ilford is smoother .. it really is the Zone System for dummies (thats why I like it). good luck. bill

-- Bill Kennedy (artguy313@aol.com), November 06, 2002.

Miguel - Buy the best lens you can afford and use the Zone system you will not be dissappointed! Tim

-- Tim McDonald (timothy_o_mcdonald@whirlpool.com), November 08, 2002.