Return from digital. Is my camera still good?

[Iodosan]

Good morning. After doing Street photography in digital with a fujifilm x series I want to go back to taking pictures in analog. With digital everything is becoming a point and shoot game. Instead I want to go back to thinking, creating and enjoying everything. I own a pentax me super, a rollei 35te, a fed 4 and a Kiev 4. Is there at least one of these cameras that can give me quality images even if they are not leica m6? Thanks to everyone who will answer me

 

[Disconnekt]

The Pentax ME Super is a great small camera to carry around, alot of their lenses are great to use, and most can be found for resonable prices on ebay, even alot of the 3rd party k-mount lenses can be found cheap on ebay.

 

[voceumana]

Any of them should be capable of delivering pictures as good as your talent allows. The Pentax ME is more automated in exposure than the others, and the Rollei 35TE uses zone focusing (you guess the distance and set it).

 

[Iodosan]

The Pentax ME Super is a great small camera to carry around, alot of their lenses are great to use, and most can be found for resonable prices on ebay, even alot of the 3rd party k-mount lenses can be found cheap on ebay.

Looking at the selling prices I thought the super me was not as good as it seemed to me.
Years a go I bought some lenses:
Pancolar zeiss Jena 1.8/50
Mir1b 2.8/37
Soligor mc 2.8/28
Tokina 3.5/17
I

 

[Deleted member 88956]

If your Pentax works it is a very fine camera, certainly not a bottleneck in creating anything it can capture. In fact a working ME Super is the best of your bunch.

 

[film_man]

They can all give you quality images, certainly the Pentax and Rollei will. The weakest link will be your processing/scanning/printing, this will make or break the results vs your Fuji X.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Certainly you need to adjust your expectations of what a result will look like from film vs. digital. I suppose you were using Fuji's film emulations on your X so that gave you some idea, but still expect vast difference irrespective of how effective scanning will be.

Do you have any prior film shooting experience? if none it may be a challenge to switch mentally to the new medium. If you shot film before then it may be a different story.

 

[neilt3]

There's no problems with the gear you have , film or digital .
If your not happy with the results , you need to look elsewhere for the problem .

 

[Iodosan]

They can all give you quality images, certainly the Pentax and Rollei will. The weakest link will be your processing/scanning/printing, this will make or break the results vs your Fuji X.

If

They can all give you quality images, certainly the Pentax and Rollei will. The weakest link will be your processing/scanning/printing, this will make or break the results vs your Fuji X.

If I start by giving my rolls to a professional lab that sends me both the negatives and the scanned images, the passage could be less traumatic for the quality, right? In other forums I had read discussions where they said that for a quality of both colors and final result you had to spend and buy a high-priced camera like a leica m, bessa or similar. I want to debunk this thing.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

If

If I start by giving my rolls to a professional lab that sends me both the negatives and the scanned images, the passage could be less traumatic for the quality, right? In other forums I had read discussions where they said that for a quality of both colors and final result you had to spend and buy a high-priced camera like a leica m, bessa or similar. I want to debunk this thing.

The camera you have is fine and will not affect the results. Lens is something that you might want to "upgrade' but if we're talking sticking to Pentax ME Super, then any Pentax SMC lens will do just fine. It appears you do not have any Pentax lenses, so going with a SMC 50/1.7 is just all you need and remain on low budget.

Labs are all over the place quality wise. Since you seem to be looking at color images you really have no choice but to use a lab. Start with a couple of rolls and see the results.

 

[Iodosan]

Certainly you need to adjust your expectations of what a result will look like from film vs. digital. I suppose you were using Fuji's film emulations on your X so that gave you some idea, but still expect vast difference irrespective of how effective scanning will be.

Do you have any prior film shooting experience? if none it may be a challenge to switch mentally to the new medium. If you shot film before then it may be a different story.

I started long time a go with film. Years a go. But after I passed on digital I loved the quality of images and the world of raw post work. I spent hundreds of euros for fuji and its lenses. The photos were very nice but they didn't give me joy. Now I wanna reset. Find a good camera and one or two lens and shot for a month three months a year and see what happens. If me or rollei is good enough after all this years. I'll buy some Hilford rolls and porta and I'll start my film rieducation. Or I sell all cameras and i'll buy one good enough.

 

[neilt3]

If

If I start by giving my rolls to a professional lab that sends me both the negatives and the scanned images, the passage could be less traumatic for the quality, right? In other forums I had read discussions where they said that for a quality of both colors and final result you had to spend and buy a high-priced camera like a leica m, bessa or similar. I want to debunk this thing.

Stick a good quality lens on your Pentax and load it with good quality film , and if the resulting images are not good enough it's down to you .
People who say you have to buy the most expensive stuff to get a decent shot are confused and just think a posh camera will make them a better photographer .
It doesn't .
An out of focus , badly exposed , badly composed boring photograph doesn't turn fantastic because it was taken with a Leica !

If you have a macro lens you can check the quality of the scan your given of your negatives with you digital camera .
Set it correctly ( and level ) with your negatives on a lightbox , and look at that on the screen .

Don't pixel peep too much or all you'll see is grain !

But it'll tell you if the lab is missing out on detail that's on your film but not the scanned images you get back .

 

[Iodosan]

The camera you have is fine and will not affect the results. Lens is something that you might want to "upgrade' but if we're talking sticking to Pentax ME Super, then any Pentax SMC lens will do just fine. It appears you do not have any Pentax lenses, so going with a SMC 50/1.7 is just all you need and remain on low budget.

Labs are all over the place quality wise. Since you seem to be looking at color images you really have no choice but to use a lab. Start with a couple of rolls and see the results.

yes ihave a smc-a 1.7/50mm!
and
Pancolar zeiss Jena 1.8/50
Mir1b 2.8/37
Soligor mc 2.8/28
Tokina 3.5/17.
This lenses are all good? Thanks for all replies guys.

 

[radiant]

I started long time a go with film. Years a go. But after I passed on digital I loved the quality of images and the world of raw post work. I spent hundreds of euros for fuji and its lenses. The photos were very nice but they didn't give me joy. Now I wanna reset. Find a good camera and one or two lens and shot for a month three months a year and see what happens. If me or rollei is good enough after all this years. I'll buy some Hilford rolls and porta and I'll start my film rieducation. Or I sell all cameras and i'll buy one good enough.

Sure try one! But as shooting digital (also Fuji) and film on street I don't think the equipment is the reason. You think you solve something with new equipment but probably wont. Surely it will give you new inspiration and energy, but don't be fooled that it is a solution to this. Film has it's ugly side too.

Just grab your Fuji and enjoy the moment. If you really want to shoot less, you can achieve that in digital. Usually people say that they want to slow down and shoot less, but they aren't willing to do anything about it (anything other than buying new gear).

(I'm speaking from my own experience here..)

 

[Deleted member 88956]

yes ihave a smc-a 1.7/50mm!
and
Pancolar zeiss Jena 1.8/50
Mir1b 2.8/37
Soligor mc 2.8/28
Tokina 3.5/17.
This lenses are all good? Thanks for all replies guys.

ME Super uses Pentax K mount, so outside of any SMC lenses what you have MAY be compatible (Pancolar should be M42 mm screw mount). All i will say stay away from adapters that will mount a lens on ME Super, stick the right stuff. But you have the 50/1.7 so you're good to go and try film.

 

[Nitroplait]

I will just mirror what has been said - you have what you need to get started. The Pentax ME Super and the 50mm/1.7 is the ideal starting point. Get some film and get going.
The Rollei is also a fine camera/lens combo but it really needs a bit of experience to be used effectively - especially if you continue using it in the street where timing is often important - you can pick it up at a later time if you feel the urge - it may be worth it.
While many have great fun with Sovjet cameras they are quirky and not very reliable - I would avoid these until you feel comfortable again with the Pentax or Rollei.

 

[AgX]

Looking at the selling prices I thought the super me was not as good as it seemed to me.

Selling prices by no means reflect the quality of a camera or a lens.
The fact alone that one has to pay crazy prizes for anything Leitz camera related, but the same time even by same dealers gets thrown at so to say with Leitz projectors should be telling.


Most important is a good feeling in the most broad sense that a camera gives you.
You can read that in the most literally meaning of ergonomics, or of basic handling differences as in prime vs. zoom lenses, or in that you just like that camera.

 

[railwayman3]

I will just mirror what has been said - you have what you need to get started. The Pentax ME Super and the 50mm/1.7 is the ideal starting point. Get some film and get going.
The Rollei is also a fine camera/lens combo but it really needs a bit of experience to be used effectively - especially if you continue using it in the street where timing is often important - you can pick it up at a later time if you feel the urge - it may be worth it.
While many have great fun with Sovjet cameras they are quirky and not very reliable - I would avoid these until you feel comfortable again with the Pentax or Rollei.

I'd agree totally with Nitroplait, above. I've used Pentax gear almost exclusively for 30+ entirely satisfactorily, slide and negative, color and B&W, and I'm a critical sort of guy. Soviet cameras can be variable, though I have a Fed with Jupiter lens, which is as sharp as the Pentax lens.
Leica cameras are gorgeous, of course, like a Rolls Royce car. But the Ford/Kia/Nissan or whatever will do everything you need from a car.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Selling prices by no means reflect the quality of a camera or a lens.
The fact alone that one has to pay crazy prizes for anything Leitz camera related, but the same time even by same dealers gets thrown at so to say with Leitz projectors should be telling.

Funny you said that, bought a Leitz Pradovit projector not long ago for $70 delivered in near unused condition with Colorplan lens. Try a Leica lens cap for that amount.

 

[railwayman3]

A factor in high Leica prices is, of course, the Collectors' market. Leica gear and its history has been extensively recorded and the products catalogued, and established and reliable catalogues encourage Collectors, rather than just users of second-hand gear (I'm thinking, for example, of the philatelic market).

 

[railwayman3]

Funny you said that, bought a Leitz Pradovit projector not long ago for $70 delivered in near unused condition with Colorplan lens. Try a Leica lens cap for that amount.

S/H Leica microscopes and lenses are, relatively speaking, also not expensive, as most have had a busy and life in professional laboratories.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

S/H Leica microscopes and lenses are, relatively speaking, also not expensive, as most have had a busy and life in professional laboratories.

All true, but let's not hijack this thread. We've deviated enough already.

 

[Paul Howell]

All of the lens you have will resolve fast film Tmax 400, TriX, HP5, Delta400 Foma Action 400, grain is inherent in the film and you control contrast in development or in post. The deciding factors in my book is how well you can hand old each of the different bodies in low light at 1/30 or even if pressed 1/15 and how the viewfinder is in low light.

 

[Craig75]

Looking at the selling prices I thought the super me was not as good as it seemed to me.
Years a go I bought some lenses:
Pancolar zeiss Jena 1.8/50
Mir1b 2.8/37
Soligor mc 2.8/28
Tokina 3.5/17
I

At the end of the day a camera body is just a shutter in a box. The body isnt going to make a scrap.of difference to photography (unless you need ultra fast shutter speeds, the best af, or a few other things).

Its the lens thats going to be the difference and imho you wont find anything better in any mount than pentax ltd glass and super takumars can easily stand their ground against zuikos, nikkor, rokkors etc. (And vice versa)

 

[Iodosan]

All of the lens you have will resolve fast film Tmax 400, TriX, HP5, Delta400 Foma Action 400, grain is inherent in the film and you control contrast in development or in post. The deciding factors in my book is how well you can hand old each of the different bodies in low light at 1/30 or even if pressed 1/15 and how the viewfinder is in low light.

I love grain and I like trix and hp5. For film test in color? Cheap Color plus 200? Or better a good portra 400?
I like hold the rangefinders (for this I have cheap fed4 and kiev4) but the me super viewfinder its so bright. Vf of rollei 35 too.