Rangefinding
I wear glasses. They've been a permanent fixture on my face since I was 14 years old. My eyesight is so poor, in fact, that I even wear my glasses when I make photographs. Now, I know what you're going to say: "Well, smart guy, why don't you just wear contacts?" My response is always the same..."Because, no." Maybe it was that scene with the T-1000 in Terminator 2, but any time a finger, and indeed any object, gets near my eyeball I go into full on panic mode. So glasses it is.
When I first got back into film photography, I did so with a 60's era Fujifilm rangefinder, the 35 Auto M. This camera has a fantastic 47mm lens, but a rangefinder that left me wanting. It was hard to see - so hard in face that I tried various methods to make the the patch more visible - and as I was just starting out in earnest, the lack of a light meter meant I shot exclusively with Sunny 16. I did not enjoy it. And after two rolls I decided that the rangefinder was not for me. So, on to the SLR, with which I was always fascinated.
Then a few months ago I stopped into Leica Store Miami to enquire about some Leica R lenses. I was asked if I was into the M lenses and gave the same story about my eyesight. The associate brought out a Leica M4 for me to try. Within seconds I knew what would happen. I was going to get an M. I have no interest in a digital rangefinder (in fact I have little interest in digital cameras at all these days) so I knew I was looking for an analog M.
Initially I was drawn to the M4-P, being a fan of 28mm lenses and it being the first Leica M with 28mm frame lines. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that with 28mm, I essentially zone focus and would not need a rangefinder patch, only an external viewfinder. The only other focal length I use nearly as often is 50mm. And the M3 has the best 50mm frame lines due to it having a 0.91 magnification on the rangefinder.
I was still unsure if this was going to work for me, so I decided I'd get the M3, which I could sell if it didn't work out, and get a TTArtisan 50mm f1.4 - The Hong Kong Summilux, as it were - since it wouldn't cost me much and if it didn't work out it wouldn't be much money I'd be out. I had tried other TTArtisan lenses before and loved them. When I had my Fujifilm X-T2 I used their 27mm f2.8 a lot (like ALOT) and often used their 35mm f0.95 which had a great rendering. I had just gotten their 21mm f1.5 for my Leica SL and loved it, so it wasn't really much of a gamble. But I still wasn't sure if I'd connect with the rangefinder. Within a day, however, I was sure.
Ektar Powers, Activate
I had a roll of Ektar sitting on my shelf for a few months. I couldn't figure out what to use it for. I hadn't ever used that emulsion before, primarily because when I go color, there are so many I already love. I'm really into FujiColor 200 and CineStill 50D. And on the Kodak side of things, I have a hard time choosing anything over Pro Image 100. But I figured why not try out this roll while testing out if this M3 was good to go.
There isn't much that can go wrong with an entirely mechanical camera. I wanted to ensure that the rubberized shutter curtain was light tight and fired accurately at all speeds, and that there were no light leaks from the back or bottom (unlikely with an M3, I know). I would be leaving to New York City in a few days and wanted to make sure this camera was functioning properly before putting roll after roll of film through it in a city I visit only once a year. I had a day to put a roll through and decide if I should take it with me.
I loaded up the camera and took off for a weekly dinner date at my parents' house with Steph and the kids. The first exposure, of the half-framey, light-leaky variety that I love so much, convinced me of a few things: 1. I loved using this camera, 2. This lens rocks, and 3. this Ektar 100 is pretty special.
I knew I needed to finish this roll by the following afternoon if I wanted to get the scans back in time to figure out any issues, so I was snapping away fairly liberally. But not indiscriminately. I was hanging with family and wanted to photograph them beautifully. More and more these days these photos of every day events are becoming more meaningful to me. They show what life is really like. Not when we are on vacation or at some special event, but as it is most of the time.
One exposure in particular, early in the roll, made it impossible for me not to have an emotional connection with the camera, lens, and film.
My grandfather saw my camera and asked if it was one of those German ones that were famous in Cuba. When we talked about it, I asked if I could make a portrait of him. He hasn't really been into having his picture taken since my grandmother passed a few years ago. Then my sister jumped into action, realizing this was a moment to photograph one of the most important people in our lives and got him to pose and smile.
It was all over. I never had a chance. This camera, lens, and film will be with me forever now. I know myself and once I make an emotional connection with someone or something, well it stays with me forever.
As long as there wasn't anything mechanically wrong with this camera, I knew I would love the results after that portrait of my grandfather and sister. So I was snapping away and really feeling it. It just so happens that I was also loving this film. The colors are vivid in a similar way that Ektachrome colors are. Obviously, the look of slide film is unique, but the coloring is surprisingly similar.
It definitely performs better outdoors and with lots of light, being fairly slow at ISO 100, but with a steady hand, even in lowish light it doesn't perform badly.
What I found most interesting is that because my family all knew the story behind why I was snapping away so furiously, they were really getting into the photo process. This ended up being a really great night.
Quick, I gotta finish this roll
The next day was Tuesday and the last chance I had to finish the roll of Ektar and drop it off at Palm Film Lab for development to get scans back before for our departure to New York on Thursday. So, I took the M3 with me to work and figured I'd just make some photographs throughout the day.
I used to do this more often and when my buddy Danny saw the camera he said, "you know, I miss the pictures you used to post of us here at work." So, I said, let's take one now and he asked our lovable teddy bear faculty member, Andrew, to put on his game face. I released the shutter and thanked him for his services.
While this roll really was a test roll, it also was taking shape as a documentary of my daily life, both at home and at work. Maybe I was channeling my inner William Eggleston. I don't know, but I like it.
The other thing I was discovering, as I reviewed the scans, is that because there is no mirror in a rangefinder, handholding at low shutter speeds still yields usable results. Ektar may not have been the film to use for low light, as contrast was increased and color shift occurred, but the results are totally usable.
This portrait of my friend Wency at a guest speaker lecture in our basketball gym is a perfect example. And immediately after making this portrait we talked about how his daughter had taken up film photography as well. He noticed I was using a Leica and he commented about how his mother was the photographer in his family and she always used Leica cameras. He's probably got them in a box somewhere, he says. Sounds like the perfect gift for your daughter, Wency! The only thing better than an old analog Leica is one that is an heirloom.
After that guest speaker, I still had about three exposures left. As I walked back to my classroom, I made a few photos of our beautiful campus in the late morning sunlight. Again, I was struck by how similar the coloring of this film is to Ektachrome. Obviously the naming is similar. Ektachrome accentuates blues and Ektar accentuates reds, but otherwise this coloring is very similar.
The color contrast is very nice too. This shot of the hallway is a great example, I think, of how Ektar handles contrast. These shadows are very heavy and the highlights are very bright. But not information is lost here. All the detail in the floor is very easy to make out.
Do I have a new contender for favorite color film? Well, maybe. I really like this. And more than that. I have a contender for favorite new camera. I had been in love with my Leicaflex SL, and my R4s before it. But this rangefinder experience that I had developed an aversion to, could it be that I was wrong? It must be, because the day I spent shooting with this setup was fantastic.
Focusing was fast and easy. Composition was easy and no more annoying with glasses than when I shoot with my SLRs. In fact, the viewfinder is so big and bright that I may try shooting without glasses next time. While focusing with the Leicaflex SL is probably a hair easier, I can see myself getting used to the M3's rangefinder patch focusing and see how this has become the icon that we know today. Because beyond how easy it is to use, there is also the issue of weight. No completely mechanical camera will be light, but it is significantly lighter, smaller, and more ergonomic than the Leicaflex SL. This is what I had been missing, that all those Leica M fanboys had been going on about.
Final Focus
My final thoughts? I'm in love. Camera, lens, film emulsion, with all of it. Will I reach for Ektar over Pro Image 100 or CineStill 50D, or even Portra 160? I just don't know. Its exposure latitude is quite high and its coloring in daytime is gorgeous, but I think I still prefer Pro Image and CineStill.
As for the M3, well I just got back from those five days in New York City and shot with it almost exclusively. It is a pleasure to make photographs with this camera. The TTArtisan 50mm f1.4 is likewise a joy to use. I see this becoming a dedicated 50mm machine, while my Leicaflex SL becomes a mostly 28mm machine with the odd 35mm or 90mm thrown on from time to time. As I enjoy a two-camera setup for most outings, this seems to be the way to go.
One thing to take note of is that I believed I had rewound the entire roll when I opened the bottom. I had not. I felt the same tension I normally feel and then release. Thinking the roll was rewound all the way, I opened it up and exposed a few frames to light. I will be sure to give a few more turns just to be sure from now on. And indeed all ten rolls I shot in New York this past week rewound without incident. I was able to save one exposure of Link on our couch at home by editing it in black and white, and cropped one of Wes and my father to include only a small light leak, but it was disappointing none the less. However, it was a small price to pay to learn about this potential snag with rewinding.
I'm glad this roll ended up as more than just a test roll. Had the camera had any issues, then these shots would have been worthless. But because everything was functioning properly, I ended up with a roll of film documenting the dichotomy of my life: home and work. And I can't think of a better way to start my relationship with this M3.
More Ektar 100
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