Hi, I finally took the plunge and got a nice black M6TTL .72. I got back a first roll of prints, Reala 100, from the local Ritz, who have done very nice work in the past.

Now, to shoot this roll, I rented a 90mm Elmarit and a pre-ASPH 35 Summilux, and shot a few scenics and some portraits. I then bought a late model 90mm E from Don Chatterton, and finished the roll off with this lens. No filters.

What I find is that a lot of the shots have a slight yellowish cast; reds aren't as bright as I recall them, nor blues as deep.

Has anyone gotten this impression from their images? I'm working on a second roll now. Could it be the printing/development...? I suppose I should try some slide film- but they themselves tend to have a color cast- and exposure (which I'm still getting used to in this camera) is critical. I'm just surprised by the cast- almost washed out. The negs are dense, rich and seem fine, AFAIK.

Thanks-

-- Tse-Sung Wu (tsesung@yahoo.com), June 28, 2001

Answers

I think you answered your own question. Shoot some slides and see what they look like. I don't know if the exposure is really all *that* critical. I shoot slides with my M3 and M4 cameras all the time (using a handheld incident light meter).

Regards,

-- Bob Kramer (bobkramer@coopercarry.com), June 28, 2001.

I would definitely shoot some slides. This cuts out that middle step that you can't control... the printing. One other thing to be aware of, exposure variations can lead to prints that have color shifting, and you mention they are, "almost washed out." You must be very careful with the 90mm lens because of its narrow angle of exposure measurement. Being an old "sunny 16" guy, I often see exposures with my 90 that I know are absolutely wrong when measured casually. I then seek out a medium tone within the scene and make sure of what I am measuring. This usually resolves the situation. With my 35mm and 50mm lenses, It seems that I get more consistent correct exposures for an overall scene. Review the section within your instruction book on what is being measured with each lens. All you need with the 90mm lens to have an error is one "hot spot" or deep shadow to throw off the meter. While exposure meters are great, you should still be in control and know when something doesn't seem right, and override. If I have the time, I go with my incident meter, which eliminates any problem with lens angle of view.

I can attest that the 90mm Elmarit M is an outstanding optic, and will give you terrific colors and contrast. Try some slide film and really see what it can do.

Good luck.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), June 28, 2001.

Shoot a roll of Kodak EPN-100, which is about the blandest silde film you can get, color-cast-wise. It is the preferred film for medical/dental documentation. That should do it. I would be very surprised if your results weren't the result of processing. If you're using anything but a pro lab, expect the worst and you'll usually not be disappointed.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), June 28, 2001.