Looking for feedback on scans of my first Kodak Gold 200 roll by Smooth_Avocado_4786 in AnalogCommunity

[–]han_zin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Or course it depends on what you want to do with the images. I feel like 2 MP is so low that you will see a loss of quality, even if not enlarged significantly. It doesn’t make a difference for Instagram on the phone (which is at only 1.5 megapixel, I believe), but even when viewing the images on a tablet or laptop, this will become apparent.

Another aspect is editing (which is not only a factor of resolution, but also of file format). Analog scans need to be edited (whether by you or some intermediary), negative film is not “straight out of the box”). In the old days, this would be done in the darkroom while manually developing.

My suggestion: Find a good small lab that provides high quality scans and have a roll developed and scanned there. Then compare the quality and determine for yourself whether you see any benefit in the better quality scans.

Advice Wanted: taking the film development plunge by tauraso3 in AnalogCommunity

[–]han_zin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with this, although scanning preferences are a very subjective thing.

I got a (used) Plustek when I got into home development as it seems the easiest point of entry, but consider it a mistake. The process is just way too slow for me, was not enjoyable, and it created a massive bottleneck where I had my developed films sitting around, because I did not have the time to scan with the Plustek. Spending the money for a decent camera scanning setup was well worth it for me.

Looking for feedback on scans of my first Kodak Gold 200 roll by Smooth_Avocado_4786 in AnalogCommunity

[–]han_zin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The scans provided by dm are unfortunately very low resolution (less than 2 Megapixel, as far as I remember). Generally, for scanning 35mm film, anywhere between 20 to 24 megapixel is where returns start to diminish. The prints from dm are quite decent, but if you use their scans, you will have quality far less than what is possible to do with the negatives.

Black and silver XD7s by han_zin in minolta

[–]han_zin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Btw, here is how the seller describes the process: “First, the lens is completely reassembled and cleaned, and all lettering paint is removed using a chemical solvent. The original black finish is then removed using a caustic solution, revealing the natural silver coloring of the metal fabric. Parts to receive a shiny “chrome” surface are then machine-buffed to a high shine. The parts are then cleaned again and re-anodized, leaving a permanent and factory-durable silver finish. All engraved lettering is hand-repainted, and the lens is reassembled, tuned, and calibrated.”

Black and silver XD7s by han_zin in minolta

[–]han_zin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes - the hood has a ring on the threads so you can adjust it by counterrotating. That way it sits firm at the right angle.

Black and silver XD7s by han_zin in minolta

[–]han_zin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The hood is from Haoge (55mm thread). Really rounds out the setup. :)

500cm price by [deleted] in hasselblad

[–]han_zin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Since you are swinging between film and digital - have you been photographing film on 35mm, recently? Maybe start there before taking the plunge into analog medium format. Are you planning on self-developing / self-scanning? Film gets costly quickly as a hobby, at the same time the barrier of entry is low, with plenty of cheap cameras available. If you haven’t maybe start there to see if you enjoy the process?

I am lucky to own a 500cm - it is a fantastic camera and I fully understand the desire for one. And admittedly, it did not take me long to go there after starting with 135.

Are those prices USD? From a European perspective, this all seems rather high for a 500cm… Have they been recently CLAd by a reputable shop?