Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/06/14

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] What is the main differences between using Portra B and W 400 and T-Max 400?
From: "Albert Wang" <leica_phile@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 12:48:39 -0400

Hi LUG nuts,

I am doing some head shots using T-Max 400 and Portra B and W 400 I did 
happen to see? What is the main differences in the look of people's faces 
using the same exposure (same f-stop and shutter speed I mean)? Which one 
retains better shadow detail when shot under backlighting or strong lighting 
upon the face? I shot using the T-Max 400 and got impressive detail using a 
100 watt lamp shone upon the model's face. When I got +1 exposure 
compensation, the shadow details were resolved better but the "slight 
overexposure" on the lighted part of her face was smooth white without any 
shadow detail or little if any.

So the problem is that the model face is being lit on the side (sidelighting 
using a desk lamp) and there is about 1.5 stop difference between both sides 
of her face. Bracketing seems to show that +1 exposure was the better result 
but I was wondering whether Portra B and W would have been a different look 
than that of the T-Max 400? After all, I heard that some complain that T-Max 
400 is flat looking but for me it was rather impressive and very realistic 
but Portra B and W looked like film for shooting models??? Who knows...

Thanks for any help on comparing T-Max and Portra B and W. Perhaps there is 
little differences between the two but since I'm a T-Max user, some who used 
the Portra can tell me otherwise.

Cool beans,
Alfie Wang





_________________________________________________________________
Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. 
http://www.hotmail.com

- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html