In spite of the death of
analog photography being just around the corner, as announced by many, there is
a loyal following of this type of photography.
As a matter of fact, Leica feels it to be strong enough to warrant the
continued manufacture of three analog Leica models. The following is an article by Luis Mora from
The Leica Store Miami.
CINESTILL FILMS AND THE RESURGENCE OF ANALOG PHOTOGRAPHY
By Luis Mora
Film is making a resurgence.
Whether this is the final gasp of air or a new breath of life has yet to be
determined. While big names like Kodak and Fuji are cutting production of once
iconic photographic mediums, and labs across the country are closing their
doors or eliminating film processing altogether (have you been to a drug store
lately?), an indie movement of mini-labs and film companies is sprouting out of
the ashes. One such company is CineStill.
Leica M6 with Summicron-M
35mm ASPH, CineStill 50D
Cinema film stock has been
used in 35mm cameras since the birth of the portable 35mm camera. Around the
turn of the century, Oskar Barnack, head of R&D at Leitz, wanted to make a
portable camera that used 35mm cinema film and that was capable of producing
high quality negatives for enlargement. And so in 1913 the Leica (Leitz Camera)
was born.
Leica M6 with Summicron-M
35mm ASPH, CineStill 800T
100 years later, with that
same spirit, The Brothers Wright, Founders of Cinestill Inc. decided to bring
color cinema stock into the household. “Original beta testing for this newly
available film began in late 2012, but the concept and original development
tests began years before, when we first started shooting the amazing Kodak
Vision 3 500T 5219 for our own photography… Compelled by our love for analogue
photography, and never one to back down from a challenge, we came to the
conclusion that we had to find a way to make it usable in standard 135
canisters with standard developing.”
Leica M6 with Summicron-M
35mm ASPH, CineStill 50D
Since then, CineStill has
built up its repertoire with a daylight balanced ISO 50 film, a tungsten
balanced ISO 800, and the seemingly never-in-stock ISO 200 black & white
film.
Leica M6 with Summicron-M
35mm ASPH, CineStill 50D
CineStill 50D produces some
of the warmest colors I’ve ever seen on film.
The skin tones are creamy. The balance and exposure latitude are really
impressive. While I waited for my rolls
to arrive I endlessly looked at images online to mentally prepare myself. I
loaded a roll into my Leica M6, and with light meter in tow, I set out to see
what I could capture.
Leica M6 with Summicron-M
35mm ASPH, CineStill 50D
There’s only one word I could
use to describe CineStill 50D… Wow. This
film outperformed itself in any kind of lighting I threw at it. Shadows, tungsten, fluorescent, direct
sunlight, golden hour. It captured every lighting situation beautifully! And
while I’m a grain enthusiast, the lack of visible grain from the CineStill 50D
is stunning.
Leica M6 with Summicron-M
35mm ASPH, CineStill 50D
In order to correctly process
the cinema stock in C-41 chemistry, CineStill removes the hardening rem-jet
layer from the film through a chemical process before loading it into its
packaged rolls of 36. This leaves it
very vulnerable to some halation, which manifests as a pinkish or orange shift
in color around bright lights. The effect isn’t necessarily unpleasant, for me
anyways.
A little halation in the
highlights.
Leica M6 with Summicron-M
35mm ASPH, CineStill 50D
After seeing the results from
the CineStill 50D I was more than excited to load up the 800T. I wanted to shoot it in its element, where it
would thrive. Right as the last bit of daylight was fading away, I went to
Lincoln Road (an outdoor shopping area in Miami Beach) and started walking. I
shot in every type of artificial light I could find, saving a couple of frames
to see how daylight would affect it.
A little halation in the
highlights.
Leica M6 with Summicron-M
35mm ASPH, CineStill 800T
I gotta warn you guys, I’m
usually not a fan of 800 speed film, but CineStill once again made me a
believer. Just like it’s daylight balanced counterpart, it performed
spectacularly in all lighting situations. The grain structure is definitely
more pronounced than that of the 50D and the colors are very much on the cooler
side.
Leica M6 with Summicron-M
35mm ASPH, CineStill 800T
The one thing that blew me
away about the 800T was the sense that each frame looked like a still out of a
1980’s movie, more so than with the 50D in my personal opinion.
Leica M6 with Summicron-M
35mm ASPH, CineStill 800T
A little halation in the
highlights.
Leica M6 with Summicron-M
35mm ASPH, CineStill 800T
Overall, I was sincerely impressed and beyond happy with CineStill. The films have been a hit and I now know why. CineStill has found a formula that works and I’m stoked to see what the future has in store. Both of these film stocks are definitely a great addition to any analog photographer’s arsenal.
Leica M6 with Summicron-M
35mm ASPH, CineStill 800T
The 50D and 800T both offer a
unique signature image that are unparalleled especially when paired with
Leica’s legendary optics. The future is
looking bright for analog photography and companies like CineStill are leading
the way.
Leica M6 with Summicron-M
35mm ASPH, CineStill 800T
Leica M6 with Summilux-M 50mm
ASPH, CineStill 50D
About the author:
Luis Mora
Luis has been a Leica
photographer for more than a decade, and is a little more than obsessed with
analog photography and vintage cameras. He's especially fond of his M6 and 40mm
Summicron-C. Luis Mora works at Leica Store Miami
________________________________________________________________________________________
To comment or to read comments please scroll past the ads below.
All ads present items of interest to Leica owners.
To comment or to read comments please scroll past the ads below.
All ads present items of interest to Leica owners.
http://www.thinktankphoto.com/affiliates.aspx?code=AP-969
For more information on KOMARU and for orders go to: www.taos-photographic.com
NEW Komaru Colors
For more information and pre orders go to: www.lenstab.com
For more information on KOMARU and for orders go to: www.taos-photographic.com
NEW Komaru Colors
For more information and pre orders go to: www.lenstab.com
Click on image to enlarge
Order: info@gmpphoto.com
Click on image to enlarge
Order: info@gmpphoto.com
Click on image to enlarge
Order: info@gmpphoto.com
Click on image to enlarge
Order: info@gmpphoto.com
Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography
Click on image to enlarge
Order: info@gmpphoto.com
Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography
Click on image to enlarge
Order: info@gmpphoto.com
Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography
Ernesto De Quesada wrote: Thanks for posting. I'll have to try it one of these days.
ReplyDeleteJudging by the article, these are some amazing films.
Delete