![Alexander Matragos](/img/default-banner.jpg)
- 6
- 120 765
Alexander Matragos
Приєднався 10 лис 2014
Food & Beverage Photographer
Відео
Ischia (2024) on #super8 and #35mm
Переглядів 5893 місяці тому
ECN-2 vs C41 Part II: Darkroom Printing
Переглядів 8026 місяців тому
After comparing ECN-2 and C41 developed film with scanning in mind, I thought it would be an interesting test to see how these two development processes affect the film when making darkroom prints. Using the two rolls of Kodak Vision3 500T motion picture film that I shot in the previous video, I went ahead and made a few RA4 darkroom handprints to further compare how the chemistry affects the e...
ECN-2 vs C41 Development Comparison on Kodak Vision3 500T
Переглядів 18 тис.Рік тому
With quotes claiming that the ECN-2 process yields far better results when developing cinema film and that C41 degrades the colour and contrast rendition, it got me interested to do a direct comparison of the two processes using Kodak Vision3 500T, developed in ECN-2 and C41 chemistry. All images are shot with the Canon EOS 600 and the Canon EOS 50E along with the Zeiss 28mm, Zeiss 50mm and the...
400ft to 100ft - Bulk Loading Kodak Vision3 500T Cinema Film
Переглядів 20 тис.Рік тому
Respooling a 400ft roll of 35mm Kodak Vision3 500T cinema film in order to use it with the 100ft size bulk loaders. Utilising a 3D printed respooler. Blogpost: alexandermatragos.com/blog/2023/2/16/400ft-to-100ft-bulk-rolling-kodak-vision3-500t-cinema-film 3D Design: www.thingiverse.com/thing:4868217 Bulk Loading: Matt Day: ua-cam.com/video/Evk_oR7TO1o/v-deo.html Hashem McAdam: ua-cam.com/video/...
Building a Copy Stand to Scan Film for $100
Переглядів 81 тис.2 роки тому
Building a copy stand in order to scan film, utilising three easy to find items. A flange, a pipe and a piece of plywood. A cheap and sturdy DIY solution that can be assembled in a couple of minutes allowing to scan film at home with ease. BLOGPOST: alexandermatragos.com/blog/2023/1/15/building-a-copy-stand-to-scan-film-for-100 Note: Some of the following are affiliate links. Using them comes a...
I appreciate the effort into making this side by side comparison! Looks like I'll by cross processing my Vision3 films!
Thanks! All Vision3 line is incredible, really high quality film stocks. I also did a part 2 video comparing darkroom prints from these test rolls.
Great video, just a quick question: in the blog post you mention that you ended up using a 1 inch instead of 3/4 inch pipe & flange, where did you get that from? I can see in the video you got the 3/4 inch stuff from wood n wax, but they don't seem to sell anything larger than that. Thanks for making this, it's saved me a lot of time researching
Thanks a lot! I am assuming you are located in the UK, I ended up buying the 1" pipe and flange from JTM Plumbing. Their current website is www.plumbingsuperstore.co.uk In general, 1" might be a bit of an overkill, I just did it with future proofing in mind, in case I use a heavier setup. The 3/4 is also incredibly sturdy.
@@alexandermatragos Thanks a lot! I am here in the UK, so that'll work nicely. And yes, 1 inch is probably overkill for the camera + lens I currently have, but if I ever decide to get anything heavier it'll still be fine
Outstanding build. Thank you for sharing this.
New to this, is there a specific camera for this (FF or APSC) or only the lens needs to be macro?
I personally use a full frame camera, but I’m pretty sure that people are getting great results with APSC sensors. A macro lens though is pretty important, filling the whole sensor with the negative. I would suggest something on the longer range, 90-100mm macro for better results.
To me it looks like ECN has a bit contrastier shadows and the low saturation colour are more saturated before transitioning into a specular highlight.
It can be hard and very nit picky to find differences like these in the test I did. But I did find some more obvious ones on the second part of the comparison I did, where I printed both versions in the darkroom.
Does this Essential Film Holder hold the film perfectly flat?
When it comes to 35mm it is doing a great job. I don’t think you will see a considerable increase in flatness with any other carrier unless you start getting into fluid/wet mount scanning techniques. For 120 film I would say there is definitely room for improvement and there might be better options out there. Hope this helps.
I used an old wood chopping board for the base, nice and heavy.
Sounds great, if you already have some of the stuff laying around you are cutting the costs even more! A good heavy chopping board should definitely do the job.
здравствуйте. я предпочитаю аддитивный способ.
You mean you prefer it for darkroom printing in general or when printing ECN-2 processed film?
я имею ввиду печать с цветного негатива c-41 на цветную бумагу через синий, зелёный и красные светофильтры.негативы ecn-2 не пробовал.
Ok, I’m not very familiar with this technique. I only know its’ existence and the basic idea. How does it work for you? Do you prefer the end result more or the workflow?
@@alexandermatragos конечный результат . всё таки каждый раз вытаскивать фильтры и вставлять по очереди в темноте менее приятно чем крутить колёса фильтров на цветной голове.
Am pissed tho about the 100$ clickbait
Hey, why though? Inflation or is it country specific? That was what I paid at the time I did the video
one other point, this is ECN-2 process, NOT C41, so is still going to cost more to process, as the 'lab' can't use their machines as they are C41 only, it has to go somewhere that has manual tanks.
There are labs that do process ECN-2 film and there has been an increasing amount of equipment being released that can help streamline this process and help them a bit more with consistency since it is indeed a manual process. You can also do this at home of course and process the film either in C41 or ECN-2. These film stocks can also be processed in C41 after removing the remjet layer. The only caviat is that you will get a bit more contrasty negatives to work with if you are darkroom printing. If you are digitising it won’t be an issue.
Can you explain the 500T meaning ?
The number 500 refers to the ISO of the film. The T stands for tungsten. Which means the film is balanced for shooting under tungsten lights, though that’s something you can manipulate if shooting in daylight, either with a daylight filter in front of the lens or by adjusting the white balance in post.
@@alexandermatragos It look like it different ASA sensibility for daylight and tungsten
@@arnaudd.4016 You can read Kodak’s spect sheet for the full information. They advise that when you are using an 85 filter you should meter it as 320 iso film.
This is raad - thanks for sharing!
🙏🏻 Many thanks!
Thanks a lot. Alexander how about 120mm film. can you explain about this one, what kind of film is the size of 120mm and where can I buy it? and is there any bulk loader in the market for put it in canister?
Hey there, I presume you mean 120 film (there is no 120mm film). In the movie industry they have 65mm film that in broad terms you can say that it is similarly sized to the 120 we use for stills. And there are people out there who respool this film by hand into the 120 format spools along with the backing paper in order to be used with medium format cameras. However there is not a bulk loader available for that as far as I know, and the film is not as easy to find as 35mm. Hope this helps answer some of your questions.
@@alexandermatragos Thanks. ✌🙏
Thank you. I am building this but I don’t have a 3D printer for the viltrox light. Did you print yours? I f not where did you purchase? Thanks again.
Hey there, I don’t have a 3D printer either. I used Fiverr to find a freelancer to do it for me. Have a look, you might find someone around your area.
Thank you Very much for a good video.
You are very welcome! 🙏🏻
Great video!
Thank you!!!
Hi Alexander, a great video from you. Everything is clearly understandable, but I can't find where I can buy the 3D model. Do I have to have it printed or is there a specialist shop where I can buy it? I would be very happy to receive an answer from you. Thanks and greetings from Munich Walter
Hi there, thank you for watching and for getting in touch. I made this video to share how I dealt with the problem i faced with copy stands. The lack of variety in the market and the fact that good quality ones cost a significant amount of money. I made the video having in mind that other people could find it to be a helpful resource in case they wanted to do something similar. It is not a product I am selling, it’s only a visual guidance in case you want to do something similar.
Hi Alexander, thanks for your fast answer. Ok, I understand, You don’t bought it, it’s only a tip how it can look like. So I will thinking about and will built a similar. I think I will build it from wood. By an have a nice time. Greetings Walter
5:27 What camera did you use for this? And where did you get the 500T film from?
I used the Canon EOS 600 and the Canon EOS 50E for all the comparison shots that you see. As for the film, I purchased it from frame24.co.uk
@@alexandermatragosAh okay sweet, do you remember the lens?
@@strawberrycrxme Zeiss 50mm 1.4 ZE
Looks nicer than their overpriced 600. I built mine like yours . Thanks for the great idea .
Thank you!! It totally looks really sleek, especially on the black finish i did. But the most important thing is that it’s rock solid.
I think. And that’s just my thoughts about the ecn2 and its normal use for it. That the ecn2 process is for color additive scanning. As to where in the darkroom we do color subtraction printing. I could be wrong. Also to keep a lot of details on the screen and not get washed out shadows but to keep details there in.
From what I know, in the past, before the digital age film had to be shot and edited by hand and at the end of the process it would be printed on “print” film in order to be distributed in the cinemas for projection. A lot of it’s final look would come from this print. Have a look at Kodak’s 2383 print film. Nowadays I don’t think they have to print it unless they do 35mm screenings but they add this look digitally. You might have seen a 2383 lut if you played around with video editing software. And finally, it absolutely makes sense to me to have as much information during capture in order to be able to color grade and edit as you wish. Even though it’s not meant to be printed with RA4 chemistry in the darkroom it was fun to have a go at it. And the results are definitely not bad, just lower in contrast and saturation which gave the images an interesting look.
How long was the 1 inch steel pipe that you used to build your copy stand?
Just saw this question answered in one of the comments. Thanks for the brilliant design!
Thanks a lot! Anything else you might need, feel free to ask!
Your pipe is 70 cm, correct? Will that be enough you think to Scan 6x6 120 negatives? Or should one go for 100 cm or even more? Great video btw.
Thank you! The pipe is indeed 70cm and I am comfortably scanning 6x6 and 6x7 with the 100mm macro. I don’t shoot any 6x9 but it is definitely within range. And I have never tried scanning 4x5 but most probably I would need to switch lenses for that, or I would need a taller pipe. Hope this helps!
My man 💗💗💗
How rigid is this setup? If you touch/tap the camera, do you see any movement and have to wait for it to settle?
In my book this is rock solid! But whichever setup you are using, a remote shutter is the wisest choice. I’m shooting tethered through Lightroom and I would generally recommend to shoot remotely to avoid vibrations.
@@alexandermatragos Thanks for the reply. I currently use a tripod but the problem with that is that it moves a lot even when I walk around it (my floor is not very rigid lol). So I'm looking for ways to make something super sturdy that I won't need to set up each time, this method looks promising!
In that case you will see a massive improvement both in setup time and lack of vibrations. A tabletop solution will eliminate the vibrations from the floor. And it really is rock solid, it was one of my main reasons for going that route. I didn’t want to sacrifice stability and that’s what I love about this design. It’s cheap but not flimsy. You can built tables or anything you like from these materials. If you have money to spare, I’m sure the negative supply stands and other expensive options will be sturdy as well and probably quicker at switching between 35mm and 120. But they cost nearly $600 at the top end. Not $100.
Thank you for making a nice 4 minute video and not a 16 minute art film !
Well now, I'm impressed. Looks awesome and very clean. Now I have a weekend project...
To be honest - to me - all those shown copy stands are just enlargers without enlarger heads with extreme prices because “Made in Germany”. Seeing all those Czechoslovakian Meoptas that are built like tanks that could do the same job and hold up for decades. I mean I got my Opemus 6 for free (they go for round 20-40€) with Peterson timer. The head is detachable on universal bolt and you end up with perfect copy stand with micro focusing lever - I only need to figure out the mount for the camera to hook up.
I totally agree, they feel way overpriced to me. That’s what initiated my search for something at a reasonable price that wouldn’t sacrifice stability/sturdiness. An older enlarger can also do the job, and as in your case sometimes you can find them for free.
thanks mate, all i needed.
Great no nonsense video. This is exactly what I want from an informative video.
Much appreciated! I recently uploaded a part 2, exploring the differences when printed in the darkroom, if you want to check it out. Many thanks!
Thanks for posting. I went a similar route, although instead of a pipe and flange, I used a £2.50 black table leg from IKEA which I mounted from beneath the ply board (12" x 15") and protruding upward through a suitable diameter hole (40mm) for a clean surface appearance. I also covered the base with a neoprene mat to protect the surface I used the stand on. To ensure the camera axis remained parallel to the table leg and was easy to reposition vertically to cater for different media, I employed a 30cm arca swiss rail secured to the table leg with a pipe clamp at each end and then used a back to back arca swiss clamp to attach the camera to the rail. The other advantage of this approach was that the leg (optionally with fittings) can easily be unscrewed from the base for storage convenience. Total cost inc taxes and shipping £32.50 (crab claw clamp x2 £8.54, Bexin QR-50B double sided arca swiss clamp £14.44, PU-300 arca swiss 30cm rail £7 - all from AliExpress, except the off-cut of ply which I got from a friend for free and the £2.50 table leg from IKEA . lol)
That sounds very interesting! Thank you for sharing. I would love to see photos of it, feel free to drop me an email.
@@alexandermatragos I'm not sure where to find your address as it's not in your about section, so I've guessed you're on gmail.
@@mosfear I received your email! Great stuff, thank you for sharing, very nice approach. I like the arca rail as well, makes it easier for slight adjustments. (Also I will update UA-cam to add my email, thanks)
very cool 👏👏
Thank you!
So happy to see this follow up.
Thank you!!!
I like the more natural look of ECN2...... But for personal reasons, id probably edit in-between the two 🙂
Same, if could slightly increase the contrast in the ECN-2 shots then I thinks these would be my favourite prints.
Brilliant!!! 🙂
Nice one mate! Dark room printing’s so cool
Thanks Lucien! It has been a lot of fun so far. It makes you very involved going from snap to finished print.
WOW..thank you so much for this video and additional details of items you used.
You are very welcome! Glad you found it useful.
Where can people find 400ft of film stock. I can find 100ft rolls but 400ft seems to be a monster to find.
Have a look at Kodak’s website, they have a list of all the authorised distributors around the world. You should be able to find a distributor in your country.
hey alexander, could i ask you what the size dimensions of the small loop on the respooler? i want to know how wide 100ft of film would be. thanks
Hi there, I’m guessing if you download the files of the design you’ll have an accurate measurement for all parts. That being said I can have a look when I get the chance and send you over some dimensions.
@@alexandermatragos i have a small DIY version ive made myself out of lacquered wood and i wanted to put a circular groove marking the dimensions of a 100ft roll that can be felt in the dark.
@@TheQuietPages Hey there, it sounds like you are crafting a really nice piece. Sorry for the late reply, I've been kept so busy lately. If you drop me an email at alex@alexandermatragos.com I will send you some photos/measurements I took. Hope this helps!
You are amazing!! Thank you so much for this! :)
I think that in all the comparisons made the one on the left (I think it's the ECN-2) is more greenish and the one on the right (I think the C-41) is more magenta
I will agree, If you look very closely there is a slight tint. Easily correctable though. I’m currently working on the same comparison but with darkroom printing instead of scanning. Things are looking much different in this one. I will be probably posting a video by the end of this month.
Grain appears to be the biggest difference
Haven’t noticed a grain difference so far. What’s your experience?
@@alexandermatragos 7:41 in your video. The sky has a noticeable difference in grain. I home develop my film and I stick with c-41 simply for the cost and easier temperature management during developing.
@@RonEMarks it’s kinda hard to tell on this one. One of the shots could have been slightly underexposed even though I used the same settings. Light was fading fast in this scenario. Keep in mind I had to swap lenses and change the camera on the tripod. Not a long procedure but still could have some effect.
Wel, I'm gonna do the freakin' same thing. For the metal pole itself, I'm using a metal table leg. It comes with the mount. Great vid!
Thanks! Send photos, I’d like to see the finished design! I hope it works out great for you.
great test, although i am wondering: if the same lens was used for both than why is the C41 version always sharper?
Thanks, as for the sharpness I can’t say I noticed one being sharper than the other. Though I can have a look at my files and see if I can spot anything. Are you referring to a particular image or do all the c41s appear sharper to you?
@@alexandermatragos at 07:24 for example when you zoomed in, the left image (if i understood well was C41) looks a bit sharper. i turned up video quality to max to double check and see the left one's sharper during close ups.
@@grainificentThat one was a long exposure so there is always the potential of a slight movement from wind etc. I’m currently working on a part 2 comparison where I did darkroom prints to see if I can find the differences there. While printing I didn’t run in any sharpness issues.
@@alexandermatragos ok :)
Excellent presentation very inspiring to go out and build your own !
Thanks, I appreciate it!
It is absolutely astounding to me that a 5-pack of Porta 400 35mm is £95 in the UK, which is 5.5 hours at the median wage. In the US, the same box is going for $76, or about 3.3 hours at the median wage!
Yeah, it’s absolutely nuts. Slide would be a couple of days of work. I still shoot it, but it does hurt!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! THIS IS A HUGE HELP! I was seriously worried that no one would answer this question for me. Thank you so much!!
Happy you found it useful! Thanks
This is fantastic, going to give it a shot. Thank you
Outstanding!!!!!!!!!
Hello, what is the name of that clamp ?thanks a lot
It’s manfrotto’s super clamp
were you using a 85b filter to shoot the 500T?
No I did not use a filter.