Our town put on a Medieval weekend, something I had not seen before, it seemed a good excuse to make some images on film. I visited over two days to be able to see different enactments, fortunately it wasn’t too busy allowing me to get some pleasant photos. Well I like them anyway, which is surely the point of the exercise: enjoyment. I saw a number of other photographers over the weekend, one in particular had spotted the old Leica round my neck and an old Billingham on my shoulder. He had what I see a lot of in these digital days, two cameras with huge lenses, one around the neck, the other attached somewhere else on his body, also a large camera bag. I admit when working professionally I too carried a huge bag full of Hasselblad equipment and didn’t think twice about it, but these days an M3 with a 50mm lens is heavy enough. We had an excellent discussion about photography, film cameras and darkrooms. Another had spotted the Billingham, a chat ensued, his digital gear was more modest and a lot less bulky, very sensible, in my view. I remember some years ago a Chinese group in Manchester spotting my M2, commenting: ‘Leica, nice camera’ as they passed me by. A chap in some Manchester gardens came and sat on a bench with me and we compared Leica Ms and lenses for some time. I have found that old Leicas and now it appears old Billinghams do draw people for a chat.
For those who like to know, all the photos were shot with the M3 and a 50mm Summicron-M lens. The films used are Leica Monopan 50 at box speed and the other Ilford XP2 Super at 300iso. Exposure metered with a Sekonic Twinmate. Lab processed, high resolution scans, then basic editing, no more than I would do in a darkroom. (The feature image was shot on Leica Monopan50)
Thanks for reading
Phil Harrison
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Geoff Chaplin on A Pleasant Session of Photography at a Medieval Weekend
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Leon Winnert on A Pleasant Session of Photography at a Medieval Weekend
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Just spent a very enjoyable.afternoon wandering around Chichester with my M3, 28mm f/2.8 Zeiss Biogon, Gossen Sixtar 2, Delta 400, Orange filter. Fits incognito into a National Trust 9” x 9” x 3” shoulder bag.
Vintage film cameras introduce a meditative element to picture taking. For once I was not stopped and chatted to. Seems to happen most other times I am out with a vintage camera of one sort or another. I had / my Dad had /my Grandad had one of those generally being the opening line.
Comment posted: 31/08/2026
Walter Reumkens on A Pleasant Session of Photography at a Medieval Weekend
Comment posted: 31/08/2026
The Leica Monopan 50 is most likely manufactured in Germany by Adox and, according to one of the best specialist laboratories here, is similar to Adox HR-50 film. It is based on the Agfa Aviphot PET base. An extra charge is levied for development due to the additional work involved. However, following extensive research, the laboratory has come to the following conclusions, which I would like to bring to your attention:
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Limitations of Aviphot film
For years, we have observed recurring problems with films of this emulsion class that cannot be satisfactorily resolved in our laboratory process. These include:
1. Isolated white spots, visible when viewing the scan at 100% – not dust artefacts
2. Very high contrast, which makes it difficult to achieve a clean, linear black curve
3. Can only be loaded into the camera in complete darkness, as otherwise light is directed inwards and the first few frames are blacked out
4. Poor detail at 0.1 density above the veil – a critical value for determining the actual sensitivity
5. A steep rise in the curve in the mid-tones, with highlights that are in some places overexposed
6. Our Fuji Frontier scanners are unable to feed the film due to the crystal-clear PET base; the film is not recognised. If a scan using the Frontier is required, this can only be done entirely manually. The Fuji scan shows lower resolution and the white spots are barely visible.
Conclusion and recommendation
All films of this type with a crystal-clear PET base result in a not inconsiderable amount of extra work in the laboratory. We will charge for these films at an hourly rate rather than at our flat rates.
Instead, for applications requiring low sensitivity and the finest tonal range, we recommend the following alternatives to our standard process at flat-rate prices:
Ilford Pan F 50 – a classic film with excellent resolution and neutral tonal reproduction
Kodak TMax 100 – a technically outstanding film with particularly smooth tonal gradations and fine grain; measured by us at just under 80 ASA, and can also be exposed at 50 ASA without any problems
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Thanks for sharing, Phil.
Comment posted: 31/08/2026
Jeffery Luhn on A Pleasant Session of Photography at a Medieval Weekend
Comment posted: 31/08/2026
Lovely shots! What I like about your photos, besides the nice subjects and composition, is the long scale of the images. Really nice rendering of tones in both sunny and shady conditions. I have no experience with all the films you used, but I'm a big fan of Ilford XP2. Quite the forgiving emulsion. Sharp. Simple to process. Super easy to print. I also agree with your approach to minimal gear. Using a 50mm invites the photographer to move into close range. My minimal 35mm kit is a Nikon F3 with a 28mm and an 85mm. But even then, lens swapping is a bother. Thanks for your interesting post!
Jeffery
Comment posted: 31/08/2026