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Anonymous
Ok guys, I just recently got a camera as a gift a Mamiya 645 pro-tl ( http://www.amazon.com/645-PRO-TL-120BK-PRSM-GRIP/dp/B0000B0ABY/sr=8-2/qid=1172276854/ref=sr_1_2/102-
1088807-6161753?ie=UTF8&s=electronics)
and the problem is Iv never touched a camera in my entire life so I'm coming to you guys for help.

I have a few beginner questions about film. Coming from a computer background I'm undoubtebly comparing film to cd-rw where the brand is directly related to quality of the disc. Is this the same way for film? What's a reliable brand of film or is it all the same?

My second question is about film speed.. I have a book here but I'm one of those people who learn better from experience than from books so I'm a little confused. The faster the speed the less light you need but more grain?

Also, is this a good camera for its price?
>> Anonymous
>>36297

well for medium format your best choice(and probably only) is fuji-film. i shoot on slide film as its better for scaning afterwards.

i use one of these all the time and its a fantastic camera.
>> Anonymous
Thanks. So many knobs and buttons.. so confusing!
>> Anonymous
>>I'm undoubtebly comparing film to cd-rw where the brand is directly related to quality of the disc. Is this the same way for film? What's a reliable brand of film or is it all the same?

no, all brand film is good quality. they all different when it comes to price, contrast, saturation, tolerancy on exposure, etc.

shooting slides (positives) with 6x6 would be awesome. My 35mm ones already look fantastic, 6x6 slides would be virtually without any grain.

my vote goes out to Fuji for color slides. start with Astia, it has some tolerance on exposure. it's low-contrast low-saturation. Provia is medium contrast with medium saturation. Velvia is the ultimate saturation/contrast/grain, but hard to master :)

get a manual for it. in the meantime, find a place that can affordably scan your film
>> Mamiya Falcon Awesome
Should be on a real photosite for questions like this, give apug.org a try for any other questions you got.
Fuji and Kodak are your only real quality Color film companies anymore, though for B/W you can throw Ilford, Forte and Efke into the mix.
That's a pretty nice camera, hope it works out well for you.
>> fims i think thats good thefamilyman !ozOtJW9BFA
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as>>36309said, there aren't one single company that makes the best film, it really depends on what you’re looking for in your photos.

I own a few 6x6 TLR's so I’ll give you my 2 cents on what films I think are best for medium format for the situations I’ve used:
For accurate colours and extremely sharp pictures I highly recommend Fujifilm Provia or Velvia, slower the better, but that depends on your lighting conditions.
For good all rounder, I use Fujifilm NPH 400 (now called Pro400H I think, I use this the most often)
for lovely skin tones and portrait photography, I like to use Kodak 160N or 160VC
And if you like me, and love over the top colour saturation, get some Kodak Ektachrome E100VS the blues come out so lovely with it.
and as for B&W, this one you should experiment with as I feel there isn't just one simple solution, but my advice; get the slowest speed you can find.

but many people have different tastes, this is just what i like to use, hope it helps.
>> Anonymous
>>36426

I concur. I have an M645 and an EOS-3, both of which I have taken to shooting Fuji Provia (400) through. IMHO, it seems to respond better than Kodak UC in low light. Additionally, I have noticed that the Provia (although a little flatter than some of the Kodak films) tends to represent colors better in harsher conditions.

Just my experience.

Insofar as B+W films, I would stay away from anything beyond about 800. You could run 1600, however it seems to me that if you are concerned about grain in the print you'd be advised to back off the faster B+W films.

I'd recommend Ilford's HP5 (400) or Pan F (50) based on the results that I have gotten from those two films before. Just remember, Ilford films can underexpose on occasion so it will require some experimentation.

Ultimately, what I would recommend is that you purchase several different brands at the same ASA, shoot them all, and then see where you like the results best. If you want an actual head-to-head, try loading two different films in two backs and then shooting the same thing with both.

Overall, enjoy the camera before you start to really notice the mind-bending cost of Mamiya AF lenses.
>> Anonymous
>>36309
>>36426
>>36436

I think I'm just beginning to realize what I missed by getting into photography post-digital... seriously.
>> Anonymous
Interesting read, folks. I have a lovely Canon Digital Rebel EOS which I love, but my dad is giving my his old Pentax ME for my birthday and I've not shot on film for years. I have a scanner with a slide attachment; what's a good film for shooting slides? I'll probably be doing a lot of macro stuff since this camera has a wonderful macro lens, plus a fairly standard 18-55mm or thereabouts zoom lens and a 20mm wide angle. Cheers.
>> Teus !QbSstcPD6U
>>36459
try Provia

>>For accurate colours and extremely sharp pictures I highly recommend Fujifilm Provia or Velvia, slower the better, but that depends on your lighting conditions.
the slower the more fine-grained. i use provia 400F pretty often... grainier but sometimes you really need the speed
Fuji chromes are more accurate and neutrally balanced... kodak chromes are often warmer

b/w film: sure, you can use high ISO values. its medium format so grain will still be OK, but your tonality will be worse. medium format lenses usually aren't so fast either
>> Anonymous
>>36461
Yeah, I'm in the same place.
>>36461
Thanks, will look into it.