During the winter months I find myself preferring to staying inside and printing and getting caught up with scanning my negatives.
Either way, as a FPP tester I get rolls of film regularly from them to test.
One of those rolls was known as Svema Blue Sensitive film. I just call it BLUE for short. It's a very slow (1.5EI) 35mm blue light sensitive film, which is essentially entirely blind to any other light but blue light.
I have a roll currently in my Olympus Trip-35 that is being exposed at EI4, but the one I am going to be talking about and showcasing on this post is the roll I put through my Canon T90 using a 24mm ƒ/2.8 Osawa MC lens. The lens is really lovely, and quite sharp even basically wide open, however it does suffer from softness in the corners as expected for this type of lens. However, it is rectilinear, so you don't get barrel distortion, which I think is one of the most important things for this lens!
A nice flat field, not curved!
Either way, as a FPP tester I get rolls of film regularly from them to test.
One of those rolls was known as Svema Blue Sensitive film. I just call it BLUE for short. It's a very slow (1.5EI) 35mm blue light sensitive film, which is essentially entirely blind to any other light but blue light.
I have a roll currently in my Olympus Trip-35 that is being exposed at EI4, but the one I am going to be talking about and showcasing on this post is the roll I put through my Canon T90 using a 24mm ƒ/2.8 Osawa MC lens. The lens is really lovely, and quite sharp even basically wide open, however it does suffer from softness in the corners as expected for this type of lens. However, it is rectilinear, so you don't get barrel distortion, which I think is one of the most important things for this lens!
A nice flat field, not curved!
- Slow Motion - Canon T90 - Osawa 24mm ƒ/2.8 MC
Earlier this month I was on a photowalk with Alex Luyckx, John Meadows and Ori Carmona (not to mention several other Film-Shooters), and that was the day I had loaded my Canon T90 with some of this UBER slow BLUE film.
Although the film is Blue-Light sensitive, oddly enough, it is yellow in colour.
I wanted to finish this roll, but the light (and my camera) definitely weren't cooperating.
The light was dim, and the weather was cold... My camera didn't seem to like the low-light and cold temps and gave me a EEE error. Strange..
Tried it again after resetting the EEE... same error..
So I put the camera away..
A few days later (just over a week actually) I took the camera out again in much much better light. Bright blue skies and yet even more bitterly cold. When I had -2°C and dull over-cast to -11°C and super bright sunlight (yeah you see where this is going?) I thought I'd have the same problem.
Nope, the camera loved the day instead. Guess it didn't like the over-cast! I know I didn't, but I still got some rather impressive images that day.
Although the film is Blue-Light sensitive, oddly enough, it is yellow in colour.
I wanted to finish this roll, but the light (and my camera) definitely weren't cooperating.
The light was dim, and the weather was cold... My camera didn't seem to like the low-light and cold temps and gave me a EEE error. Strange..
Tried it again after resetting the EEE... same error..
So I put the camera away..
A few days later (just over a week actually) I took the camera out again in much much better light. Bright blue skies and yet even more bitterly cold. When I had -2°C and dull over-cast to -11°C and super bright sunlight (yeah you see where this is going?) I thought I'd have the same problem.
Nope, the camera loved the day instead. Guess it didn't like the over-cast! I know I didn't, but I still got some rather impressive images that day.
The photos from the Sunday (a week later).. well...
Lets just say I quickly fell absolutely in love with this film! Darn Michael Raso sending me this film for testing, but I tell you... The other 2 rolls that I have to play with are going to get similar attention to detail, and will be used under identical light conditions. HOWEVER one will be saved for the summer light and warmth. Sorry, but I can only take so many -11°C or colder days!
Lets just say I quickly fell absolutely in love with this film! Darn Michael Raso sending me this film for testing, but I tell you... The other 2 rolls that I have to play with are going to get similar attention to detail, and will be used under identical light conditions. HOWEVER one will be saved for the summer light and warmth. Sorry, but I can only take so many -11°C or colder days!
- Boardwalk - Canon T90 - Osawa 24mm ƒ/2.8
- Clutching Branches - Canon T90 - Osawa 24mm ƒ/2.8
- Lakeside Bike Ride - Canon T90 - Osawa 24mm ƒ/2.8
I must admit that my favorite shot of the three posted (from Sunday) is the shot of the cyclist on the beach. I saw him riding, I just timed it to the point where he was just about under the sun so that I can get the most out of the lens-flare and the reflection of the sun off the water...
Yes, this image will definitely be getting a print. It's just too good not to print!
Now one of the hardest things to work with on these tester films is developing times.
Since there is essentially no listed times, you have to make up your own and go from there.
I really wanted these shots to work, and so I went with a good staple in my arsenal. Ilfosol-3 1+14.. My (lately) go to developer! Yes, I know HC-110 has been my staple developer, but Ilfosol-3 has slowly been taking over for my tester films...!
Well, there's one other thing. It is not RED LIGHT sensitive. I went into my darkroom, shut off the over-head and flipped on the safe-light.
However to be safe I loaded the film into the daylight tank in complete darkness.. No sense in possibly fogging it.. Never know!
Set my timer to 12:00 and got the developer all mixed up.
At the 50% mark I opened the tank under the Amber Kodak #13 Safelight and took a look..
Lets just say that at 6 minutes it didn't go back into the tank. 6 minutes was perfect!
I dumped the developer, poured some Ilfostop bath (I was in my darkroom and the Ilfostop was already mixed for prints) then fixed.
A perfect roll!
So until next time fellow shooters, keep those shutters firing!
Yes, this image will definitely be getting a print. It's just too good not to print!
Now one of the hardest things to work with on these tester films is developing times.
Since there is essentially no listed times, you have to make up your own and go from there.
I really wanted these shots to work, and so I went with a good staple in my arsenal. Ilfosol-3 1+14.. My (lately) go to developer! Yes, I know HC-110 has been my staple developer, but Ilfosol-3 has slowly been taking over for my tester films...!
Well, there's one other thing. It is not RED LIGHT sensitive. I went into my darkroom, shut off the over-head and flipped on the safe-light.
However to be safe I loaded the film into the daylight tank in complete darkness.. No sense in possibly fogging it.. Never know!
Set my timer to 12:00 and got the developer all mixed up.
At the 50% mark I opened the tank under the Amber Kodak #13 Safelight and took a look..
Lets just say that at 6 minutes it didn't go back into the tank. 6 minutes was perfect!
I dumped the developer, poured some Ilfostop bath (I was in my darkroom and the Ilfostop was already mixed for prints) then fixed.
A perfect roll!
So until next time fellow shooters, keep those shutters firing!
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