Great news! There’s another black and white film out there. That’s right. And it’s the Leica of films!  Yes, Leica is coming out with a black and white 35mm film. It even comes in a cool Leica box! Ok, so it appears to be the same as Adox HR-50 but WHO CARES! At ten bucks a roll it’s a dollar more than Tri-X, but did I say that it comes in a cool Leica box.

According to Leica: “To honour a century of 35mm photography, Leica Camera AG is introducing a high-resolution black-and-white film with enhanced spectral sensitivity.”

“Leica MONOPAN 50 boasts an ultra-fine grain and super-panchromatic sensitivity. The film can be processed in all black-and-white developers. Its ultra-high resolution produces shots with extraordinary sharpness and remarkable tonal value reproduction. The low light sensitivity of ISO 50, combined with our fast M-Lenses, makes shots with a wide aperture possible even in bright lighting conditions – for that unmistakable Leica bokeh.”

And for even more details you can check out Leica’s press release here:

https://leica-camera.com/en-US/press/new-monopan-50?srsltid=AfmBOoraPdM9sYCS-dmNOg5RU0iT0LAaJHXubNCYHpYnIkCAZKm6VOtT

It sounds like a spiffy film, boasting “an impressive resolution of up to 280 line pairs per millimetre. With superpanchromatic sensitivity of up to 780 nm, it ensures remarkable sharpness and an exceptional tonal range.”  It won’t replace Tri-X for me. I’m happy with my one film/one developer combo, but I think this is an important development and Leica should be commended for all it is doing to keep film photography alive. They currently make three film cameras, the M6, MA and MP and although they are very expensive people are buying them. And perhaps with the launch of Leica Monopan more people will want to try film and even think about getting into the darkroom!

So even if this is a re-badged film I am celebrating the good news. Beats all the other news, that’s for sure!!!!

Oh and by the way today is International Asteroid Day. Just thought you should know.

Stay well,

Michael

I used to use several films for both 35mm and medium format, along with different developers for each of the films. Pretty much Delta 100, Plus-X, and Tri-X with Xtol and HC-110. And years ago I briefly tried Acros with Pyro.  The results were always very good to spectacular, and I did that for a long time.

But several years ago a couple of things happened. I finished up my stash of Plus-X and ran into a bad batch of Xtol. I also was finally getting comfortable with my choice of what camera(s) for what purpose. Perhaps this confluence of events created a perfect storm that helped me arrive at another milestone. From that time on it was one film and one developer for both my 35mm and medium format work. Tri-X and HC-110.

Is this the perfect combination? Heck if I know!  Ansel Adams and Fred Picker both used it, but there are many who would substitute D-76. In fact a lot of photographers claim Tri-X and D-76 is a match made in heaven. Maybe so. Give it a whirl! My choice was based on two things. Tri-X is … well … Tri-X. And HC-110 provides great results. It’s easy to use, economic, and lasts forever … at least the old syruping stuff does. NOTE: Thankfully, the new formulation provides the same results. It’s also easier to mix, but has a shorter shelf life.

Look, pick whatever film/developer combination you like and learn how to use it.  That’s right, it takes some time to really learn about a film and how it behaves with a particular developer … another reason in my opinion to use just one combination.

Can you get better results using different films with different developers instead of simplifying like I’ve done. Many would say yes, but I would rather use the right camera/format for the task at hand rather than say trying to shoe horn 35mm into doing everything (e.g., landscape and street) with different films/developers.

As with sorting out what camera for what purpose, settling on one film and one developer has had the effect of simplifying my life … one less thing to worry about … and has helped me to focus on what’s really important … making meaningful pictures. And I don’t feel like the image quality in my prints is lacking in any meaningful way. To say this change has worked very well for me would be an understatement!

Try it and see how it works for you!

Stay well,

Michael

I recently wrote an entry called What Camera … What Purpose? I Finally Figured It Out … For Me!.  In it I mentioned I’ve been using the standard Mamiya 100mm 3.5 lens that came with my Mamiya Universal camera. It’s a Tessar design, but the results have been quite good. Nevertheless I’ve been on the prowl for a 100mm 2.8 Planar design … only because the Planar design is said to be sharper than the Tessar in this application. If it was truly better, that would become my go to lens.

Fortunately the lens like all those Mamiya made for the camera are inexpensive and probably one of the best screamer bargains for film photographers! Generally about three to four hundred bucks for something in nice to mint condition.  Price not withstanding it made sense for me to give it a try, given the focal length is the primary one for that camera and I would use it ninety percent of the time or more.

eBay was the place to hunt for my Mamiya 100mm lens experiment, and a couple of weeks ago, I received a notice in my inbox of a “Mint” one located in Japan. That’s where most of the decent Mamiya Universal gear for sale seems to be located. No problem … all my other Mamiya stuff was purchased there. I eagerly pulled up the ad and all seemed to check out with the description. And the pictures looked all right. I tell you this because I’ve come to find out that many descriptions of camera gear from overseas sellers are somewhat exaggerated. “Near Mint”, “Mint” and drum roll please … “Top Mint” are not always as promised and you can end up being disappointed. So do ask questions before you purchase and make sure there is a legitimate return option!

My examination of the pictures provided in the ad indicated the lens was not truly “Mint”, mostly due to tiny scratches on the focusing ring. This is common and I could live with it. Nothing that my black Sharpie couldn’t fix. What’s most important of course is for the glass to be clean and without any lens separation or fungus. Also that shutter needs to work properly.  I don’t want something that has had hard use or misuse. Whenever I buy a lens this old I send it off to be checked by a top notch camera repairman. It’s rare that something doesn’t need to be done, such as lubrication of the focusing mechanism.

With a little due diligence I pulled the trigger and purchased the lens. It arrives just a few days later. Amazing … faster than getting something from the next state by mail! Unfortunately the excitement caused by the fast delivery was dampened by my examination of the lens. There were more scratches that weren’t visible in the pictures and focusing was a mess.  Worst of all, when looking at the glass with the shutter wide open showed what looked to be separation in the lens elements. Deal breaker!  I was prepared to spend perhaps half the cost of the lens for a standard CLA, but this would likely cost much more.

After a conversation with my trusted camera guy I decided to return the lens to the seller. Oh well. Thankfully there were no issues in getting a refund with paid return shipping, so off the lens went.

I’m debating whether I will continue to keep on the lookout for another one or not. In the meantime I’ll continue to use what I have. Maybe it’s a sign! In any case, don’t let my saga dissuade you from making international purchases of gear from eBay. Almost all of my experience buying overseas, and from Japan in particular, has been without issue. In many cases, Japan is the best place to find what you’re looking for and most sellers are reputable. Just be careful and you won’t be disappointed!

Stay well,

Michael

Another giant is gone. Not sure what I can add to what’s been said, so I’ll quote from The Guardian’s great piece describing the life and importance of this truly mythical and amazing photographer who passed away on May 23rd. Here is the link and an excerpt from the longer excellent tribute that appeared that same day.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/may/23/sebastiao-salgado-photographer-death-legacy

“It’s a testament to the epic career of Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado, who died this week at the age 81, that this year has already seen exhibitions of hundreds of his photos in Mexico City, France and southern California. Salgado, who in his lifetime produced more than 500,000 images while meticulously documenting every continent on Earth and many of the major geopolitical events since the second world war, will be remembered as one of the world’s most prodigious and relentlessly empathetic chroniclers of the human condition ….

Given everything that Salgado shot over his incredible six decades of work, it’s hard to imagine what else he could have done. Upon turning 80 last year, he had declared his decision to step back from photography in order to manage his enormous archive of images and administer worldwide exhibitions of his work. He also showed his dim outlook for humanity, telling the Guardian: “I am pessimistic about humankind, but optimistic about the planet. The planet will recover. It is becoming increasingly easier for the planet to eliminate us.”

It will probably take decades to fully appreciate and exhibit Salgado’s remaining photographs, to say nothing of grappling with the images he showed during his lifetime. One hopes that amid a period of increasing global strife, environmental collapse and threats to the mere notion of truth, this remarkable output will remain a beacon of decency and humanity – and help us chart a path back from the brink.”

Strangely enough I don’t own any of Salgado’s monumental books coving the human condition and our planet. I’ve seen exhibits of his work, but for some reason never got around to including him in my library all these years.  I’ve whiffed on a few of the great ones before and can’t explain why this glaring hole exists, but will now rectify the situation post haste! Don’t make the same mistake I’ve made. Get at least one of his epic books! Here’s a partial list for us to work from: Genesis; Amazonia; The End of Polio: A Global Effort to End a Disease; Sahel: The End of the Road; Kuwait: A Desert on Fire: Terra; Workers; and Migrations.

Stay well,

Michael

GAS is a horrible affliction. Believe me, I know. I’ve suffered with the malady for years. But I finally got over it, and phew … what a relief!

Constant thinking about what to use, what to get, and what’s best is gone and over. The result … no more indecision and a greater clarity of purpose, because I have determined what camera(s) to use for what purpose and what situation going forward. And with this there are no worries, just making pictures.

So what can you do to jump off the gear merry-go-round and end your own existential GAS crisis? I’ve wrote about this previously.  Here’s what I said.

“Why not start by considering the subject matter you really would like to photograph. If you can’t think of anything perhaps it’s best to stop here and call it a day. Once you have determined what you really want to photograph, then take a look at the gear you own and make sure it works best for the subject matter that you really want to make pictures of.  One thing to be careful about is not to get caught up in a romantic whim. It can lead to huge expenses and lots of incredible equipment that ends up gathering dust!

For architecture, a view cameras with movements is best. For landscapes where great detail and tonality is essential, then cameras that produce large negatives matter. Look, there are some people that do street photography with view cameras, but for the vast majority of folks we’re talking about 35mm.  In this case, don’t become immobilized over the issue of rangefinders vs. single lens reflex cameras. If you do, you won’t ever make a picture! Actually, this problem can exist with most formats, e.g., rangefinder vs. SLR (even in medium format), center tilt vs. bottom tilt, and camera size vs. weight. I could go on. In the case of street work I can honestly tell you I have used both rangefinders and SLRs and it hasn’t made a bit of difference in how I worked or in the results I got!

Great, now you have figured out what subjects you like and the best camera to maximize the results. What about the lenses? Think about how you see things. Start out with a “normal” lens and take it from there until you determine you really need more than that one lens to accomplish what you like.  With 35mm we are talking about a 50mm lens. For 6×6, an 80mm, for 6×7 a 90mm (Note these are approximations; Pentax make a 105 and a 90mm). For 4×5 a 150mm and 8×10 a 300mm. Keep it simple. The overwhelming majority of photographs I have made have been with a 50mm lens or near equivalent with other formats.

Nailing down all these time-consuming gear issues will clear your head and free you from self-inflicted paralysis. In short, it will make you happy and allow you to make the photographs you like!”

Please trust me on this. Define and de-GAS! Get off the gear merry-go-round now! Think about it. No more brochures on the night table to read before turning out the lights, or countless YouTube videos to watch, or the endless comparisons on the forums to study.

You’ll thank me … really!

Stay well,

Michael