Category Archives: Photography

A roll of Ektar

Film, Leica

Decent, if extremely expensive.

For an index of all Leica-related articles click here.

Kodak claims that its Ektar 100 negative emulsion is the finest grained color film available. I have no way of verifying that but can confirm that the film is fine grained, certainly finer than the Gold 100 and Portra 160 I used a few years back. I cannot speak to exposure latitude as these are from Noritsu HQ scans made by Sharpprints, so probably automatically exposure corrected. These typically come in at 20-22mp. Turnaround was 4 business days and the scans were placed in a Dropbox folder, ready for download into Lightroom. There was no discernible dirt on the scans and I could see no scratches. I recommend this lab.

I have asked for the original negatives to be returned so that I can ‘scan’ them using the Nikon D800 and will see if any further detail can be extracted. Watch this space. Meanwhile each of these images easily prints at 13″ x 19″ even if cropped a good deal. You can see that comparison and analysis here.

Here’s the ‘contact sheet’ from that roll, taken in mostly sunny conditions. The colors are fine, if lacking Kodachrome’s reds. Mostly architectural details – that once speedy street camera, the Leica M3, is molasses slow compared with modern auto-everything digital snappers:


My first roll of Ektar.

Film is extremely expensive. Here’s the break down:

  • Kodak Ektar 100 36 exposure roll $14.99
  • Developing and high res scans     $24.00
  • Return uncut negatives                      $3.00
  • USPS Ground postage                         $8.00
  • TOTAL                                                      $49.99

Expose 150 rolls – that’s just 5,400 clicks – and you could have bought a brand spanking new Leica M11 body …. where the ‘film’ is free and the resolution far superior. Plus, with the retro film bandwagon at full speed, you can bet there’s some serious price gouging going on. For example, SharpPrints’s prices have doubled in the past 5 years.

My ‘keeper’ rate is high as I grew up with film which was expensive for an impecunious student, so I waste little. Still with a 50% keeper rate that works out to $2.78 per keeper. That’s extremely expensive. Once I determine which is better – Noritsu or D800 scanning – I will delete either the lab’s scanning or the postal return of negatives, so the cost will fall a tad, but that still leaves a very costly per image run rate.

Here are a few favorite images from that first roll. Except for minor correction of leaning verticals these are straight-out-of-the-Leica. I used the 35mm Summaron for each image, as that’s all I have. As expected, this 77 year old design, with 6 elements and a modest f/3.5 maximum aperture, delivers splendid performance. There is no noticeable distortion and minor red chromatic aberration is removed in LRc with one click in the Develop module. There is no visible vignetting. At $550, as wide angle Leica optics go, it’s a splendid bargain. By any other standard it’s ridiculously overpriced.




Art Deco details


Pipes


Patriotic Jeep


Mondrian rules


Shaves and Cuts


Masons no more


A friend asked me what I made of the film experience and I replied as follows:

In brief, I think film is an utter time sink, reserved for pseuds. There’s nothing about Ektar (or any emulsion) that cannot be emulated or improved on in digital files and the wait and additional labor to get things organized is for those who put little value on their time. All that nonsense about ‘rendering’ and ‘feel’ is just that. Nonsense. It’s for the same people who have convinced themselves that LPs are superior at similarly vast cost.

So why bother? Because I am re-living my youth and all those wonderful years with my first Leica M3, and I suppose that the nostalgia trip makes it worthwhile. Every time I hear that shutter I experience a little frisson of pleasure. Further, having such a fine machine rotting in a static home display is offensive to me.

The most interesting takeaway is just how good that decades old 35mm Summaron really is. But you could just as easily adapt it to a modern mirrorless digital body and get even better results.

Adding EXIF data to film scans

Film, Leica

A bit of work, but worth it.

For an index of all Leica-related articles click here.

Update March 31, 2025:. There’s a better version of this plugin and you can read about it here. It’s not free but well worth the modest sum asked.

I usually find images in my Lightroom catalog by first looking for the folder of interest, and that’s typically indexed on the lines of Subject matter->Location. For example, Street candids->New York City. Thereafter I find favorites using the Camera and Lens combination in the folders selected. It’s a fast and accurate system.

With film scans, of course, there’s no EXIF data about camera and lens and the Noritsu scans from Sharpprints proudly announce ‘Noritsu Koki’ in the ‘Camera’ field.

After migrating to the current subscription (ugh!) version of Lightroom Classic (LRc) I found that my previous approach to adding EXIF data to film scans no longer works. The EXIF app I used is broken and no longer round trips correct(ed) EXIF data to LRc.

The approach I know use requires a free application named LensTagger EXIF Tool – click on that link and you will find excellent installation instructions. In addition to the LensTagger plugin you need something named ‘EXIF Tool‘, and it’s easiest to place it in the same directory as the plugin. You need these tools as LRc does not allow you to edit the data fields of interest. The data path on a Mac in Finder is:


The plugin location.

And here are the contents of that directory:


Contents of the plugin directory.

Then, in Lightroom->File->Lightroom Plug-in Manager, you input that same path, thus, after adding LensTagger to the Plug-in Manager:


Setting up LensTagger in LRc’s Plug-in Manager.

The use instructions on the LensTagger site are clear so I will not repeat them here.

And here is the result, where I have set up LensTagger for my Leica M3 and 35mm Summaron RF lens – multiple setups are possible for different camera/lens combinations:


EXIF data for one image taken on film.

The reference to the ‘EZ Controller’ under ‘Software’ is to the Noritsu scanner’s controller. I leave that in to remind me the file came from SharpPrint’s scanner.

And here is the Metadata for that folder:


Metadata for film images in LRc.

Zoom out to see data for the catalog of all images in LRc and you get:


Metadata for the whole LRc catalog of 29,000+ images.

I need to change ‘M3’ to ‘Leica M3’ to conform with earlier naming, but you get the idea. An efficient system for cataloging and retrieving images in Lightroom Classic.

Order of processing: To avoid losing your processing adjustments, make sure to add EXIF data first then adjust exposure, contrast, and so on.

Leicameter MR4

Cameras, Film, Leica

Small, handy and accurate.

For an index of all Leica-related articles click here.

In my first outing last weekend with the ‘new’ Leica M3 I had to resort to using an app on the iPhone to measure exposure. Not a big deal but hardly as handy as using a coupled Leicameter attached to the accessory shoe of the camera.


The Leicameter MR4.

There were three major versions of the coupling Leicameter, introduced with the Leica M3 in 1954. Each coupled with the rather too small shutter speed dial on the camera’s top plate, reversing the direction of speed setting to clockwise for shorter shutter speeds and conferring shutter speed changes on a much larger and easier to use knurled knob, which you can see at the lower right, above.

The first two versions used selenium cells which require no battery. The Leicameter M had a mechanical flap to switch between low and high sensitivity. Its successor, the Leicameter MC, dropped the flap in favor of a two position switch, visible at top left in the picture above. Much more elegant. Both of these accepted a rather clunky external booster cell which increased the sensitivity by 2.5 stops from EV6 to EV3.5. The latter corresponds to 1/60 at f/3.5 with ISO100 film.

The MC stuck with the selenium cell and I used one for decades. You had to be sure to point the camera, with meter attached, down to avoid large sky areas as the meter’s angle of acceptance was large, probably about 65 degrees. And the needle did not lock so you noted the aperture reading in that down tilted position, transferring it to the aperture ring on the lens. It was fast and efficient, but sadly finding an MC in working condition is an exercise in futility. It was last made in 1966 and all seem to come with a dead cell, with no replacement parts to be found. Selenium is a poison and its use in exposure enters was banned years ago. The only model variations in the MC, introduced in 1957 when the Leica migrated to standard shutter speed setting (1/4, 1/8, 1/15, etc.) is that the maximum marked aperture started at f/1.5 and changed to f/1.4. Otherwise the meter was unchanged during its 9 or so year life and the MC and its booster came with clip on matte white incident light screens for incident light readings, which were all the rage back then. Instead of measuring the light reflected from a subject you measured the light falling on it. A bit Rube Goldberg but it worked for Hollywood (check all those old Sekonic light meters with the translucent white domes).


The Sekonic L-398A, much loved in film era Hollywood.

The MC was replaced by the MR in the early 1960s and enjoyed a long life, with MR production ending in 1987. Like all Leicameters it was manufactured by Metrawatt in Nuremberg but unlike its predecessors the CdS cell in the MR dictated the use of a PX13 or PX625 1.35 volt battery. There were three significant benefits to the switch from selenium to Cadmium Sulphide light sensitive cells.

  • First, sensitivity jumped 1.5 stops to EV2 (1/60th at f/2 with ISO100 film) without the need for a clip on booster cell.
  • Second, depressing the black tab at the top left took the meter reading and, when released, locked the needle in place, making for a much more robust light measurement process.
  • But maybe the best enhancement was that the light sensitive sensor measured a 27 degree distended angle, equivalent to that of the 90mm lens. So the M3 user (and also the M2 fan) could use the 90mm viewfinder frame to select the area of light measurement. Clever.

And to check battery voltage the black tab at top left, viewed from the front, was pressed towards the camera’s rewind knob and if the needle swung to cover the white dot in the display the battery was deemed to be good.

When the Leica M4 came along in 1967 it replaced the knob rewind of the M2 and M3 (their single worst feature) with an angled, fold-out rewind crank which would interfere with the protruding metering switch at the top left, so the switch was shortened and redesigned in the Leicameter MR4 to the design you can see below. This allows the rewind crank on the M4 to clear the meter so that the film can be rewound with the meter in place. No other changes were made from the MR to the MR4. Because I have fitted an aftermarket rewind crank to my M3 I need that extra clearance just as much as the M4 user, so I opted for the MR4, over the MR, for my M3. So there!


The rewind crank just clears the MR4 meter.

Search long and hard and you can find an MR or MR4 in decent working order, but there’s a snag. It’s always something, right? The mercury battery cells used to power the meter have long been discontinued for the same reason the selenium cell for the M and MC predecessor Leicameters was discontinued. Mercury is poisonous and all that recycled battery waste is probably not a good thing. However, there are three options for powering your Leicameter MR or MR4.

  • You can use modern PX625A non-mercury batteries but these deliver 1.5 volts instead of the required 1.35 volts, meaning your meter will read too high a light level. You can compensate for this by setting a higher-than-actual ASA (ISO in modern terms) film speed setting on the meter’s dial, but it’s not exactly an elegant solution. Further the discharge curve of the PX625A differs from that of the old PX625/PX13 so as the voltage falls your light readings may go further askew.
  • Secondly you can use a Wein EPX625 air cell which delivers the correct 1.35 volts but lasts only 3-6 months once activated. Not great.
  • The seemingly perfect solution is to use a voltage dropping adapter named the ‘Kanto Camera MR-9 Mercury Battery Adapter’ which claims to drop the voltage of a stock 1.55 volts SR43 silver oxide button battery – which fits inside the adapter – to the required 1.35 volts. You can pay Amazon $52 for one or $33 shipped from the far east on eBay, where many are listed. This adapter is somewhat controversial as the adapter appears only to work with a load resistance under 10k ohm. So before investing in one – it’s a one-off lifetime purchase – use a multimeter to check the load resistance of your Leicameter or old camera to see if it comes in under the 10k ohm figure.


The Kanto Camera MR-9 Mercury Battery Adapter.

All Leicameter M and most Leicameter MC/MR/MR4 models came in lovely satin chrome finishes to match that of the chrome Leica body. There were black version for the polyester set to match their equally tasteless black finish M bodies and, as they are rare, these command collector prices. They double in ugliness when the black paint wears off revealing the bare metal (zinc, not brass) underneath. Ugh!


The black finish Leicameter MR4.

The Leicameter MR4 is an effective and accurate light measuring tool if you can find a good one. I was lucky to find one which was overhauled and calibrated, after a long search. Reckon on paying $200 for a good one. The foot which goes in the Leica’s accessory shoe has no fewer than five screws holding it in place. The three large ones attach the foot to the body of the meter while the two small ones adjust tilt. Make sure that, after loosening the three large ones, the tilt is correctly set for parallelism with the camera’s top plate, which will ensure that the coupling pin on the meter’s knurled knob will engage properly with the related cut-out in the camera’s shutter speed dial. Leave those two tilt-adjusting screws too exposed or tilt the shoe too much and you will scratch the top plate of your Leica when inserting the meter.


The accessory shoe screws and the battery compartment
door. The coupling pin for the camera’s shutter speed
dial is visible. The zero adjusting screw is
at the far right.

The only known issue, apart from the battery headaches just described, is that the small swinging door for the battery compartment, which engages the base of the meter along rather slim and fragile rails, has been known to break, so take it easy when replacing the battery.

Can you use the Leicameter MR4 on an early Leica M3 with the 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, etc. non-geometric shutter speed progression? Absolutely. The arc distended by the range of shutter speeds on the camera’s dial on the older M3 models is identical to that where the geometric shutter speed progression (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, etc.) was adopted. The placement of the coupling notch in the shutter speed dial at the ‘B’ setting is also identical. So while the Leicameter MR/MR4 will couple correctly with the old dial, the engraved geometric speeds atop will not respect the clicks of the camera’s dial. When you set the shutter speed to, say, 1/50th, the indicator arrow on the top dial of the Leicameter will fall between 1/30th and 1/60th, as that’s where 1/50th is. But the meter will still measure light correctly.


The included arc of shutter speeds is
identical on the old version and the
new geometric one, as is the placement
of the coupling notch.

For an inexpensive and elegant non-coupling accessory shoe mounted option, take a look at the Reflx meter, reviewed here. It will work with any camera with an accessory shoe, or handheld.

Update March 8, 2025: Well, wouldn’t you know it? The Taiwanese company Keks has just released a digital version of the Leicameter which couples with the shutter speed dial of the Leica M. Priced attractively at $120 it uses an OLED display for aperture, shutter speed and ISO. You can read all about it here.

Shutterfly photobooks

Photography

Outstanding quality.

While large print albums show off your photographs at their best sometimes a more modestly sized book does the trick.

I have been using Shutterfly for maybe two decades to make annual picture calendars for friends. The quality of printing, color accuracy and paper quality are all top quality.

However, Shutterfly also offers a book printing service and I have ordered a couple of these recently, each with approximately 50 pages. The paper is thick and opaque so back-to-back printing is feasible for there is no bleed through of images. Black and white images are printed to a rich, deep finish.

The thing I most dislike about their service is the constant nagging/upselling with more special offers than there are crooks in the White House. What I have found to be the best strategy is to compose your book, save it on their site then wait for a day or two as the email offers start rolling in. Typically I max out at about a 40% discount, meaning that a 50 page 8.5″ x 11″ book comes to some $90 shipped. Turnaround is normally a week or so.

I upload 2,000 x 2,000 pixel prints from LRc to their site and the included tools there are outstanding when it comes to composing and arranging content. If your uploads are too small you will be warned. Nice. I have yet to figure out how to automatically add page numbers so have to do this by hand, one page at a time, which is a pain. Also I cannot work out how to add narrative to the spine, using a Brother label printer instead. Mine has 20 years on it and has never failed. Otherwise there is little to complain about. Adding text is easy and there’s a large choice of fonts. I tend to keep words to a minimum, letting the images provide the narrative.



Printing and binding quality are high.
The prints are made on semi-matte paper.

A large print 13″ x 19″ Itoya album with 48 paper prints costs some $140 to make so while considerably smaller the Shutterfly book is also less costly.

To see my latest book – ‘Moments – 50 years of street snaps’ – click here.