Zhao Zhenguo, Author at i35mm

Xiaomi 13 Pro street photography

Sure, I can help you polish the translation. Here’s the refined version:

These days, capturing photos of flowers and plants with a smartphone is no longer a challenge. Achieving background blur is also not a difficult feat, thanks to the advancements in chip algorithms. Additionally, smartphones have made significant progress in HDR capabilities. The Xiaomi 13 Pro is undoubtedly among the top performers in these aspects. As a street photographer, my focus is on the user experience when capturing photos in this setting.

In street photography, lighting conditions tend to be variable, and contrasts are often high. As a result, relying solely on the metering function is not sufficient, and the photographer must rely on their judgment. Experienced Leica players often use full manual settings for aperture and shutter speed, while SLR and mirrorless camera players will typically use aperture priority or shutter priority modes and adjust the exposure compensation accordingly.

I discovered that if the Xiaomi 13 Pro is exposed normally, the resulting photos tend to resemble the style of Sony mirrorless cameras. The color palette reminds me of Sony’s first APS mirrorless camera, the Nex5. However, by setting the exposure compensation to around -1.3 stops, the “leica taste” (a Leica term referring to the unique and subtle aesthetic quality of Leica cameras) is evident in the resulting photos.

It’s unfair to compare the Xiaomi 13 Pro to a Leica M, but finding “leica taste” in a smartphone camera is a rarity. Xiaomi’s collaboration with Leica has produced remarkable results, including a stylized master lens option in the software, allowing for quick and easy switching between the 35mm black and white, 50mm focusing, 75mm portrait, and 90mm soft focus lenses. This design is very user-friendly for photography veterans who prefer fixed focus styles and is a valuable educational tool for beginners.

Despite these features, I prefer to use the professional mode when shooting street photography, with the wide-angle lens, EV -1.3, and all other settings on auto. I shoot everything in color and convert to black and white during post-processing on the computer.

In terms of image clarity, smartphones have made great strides, particularly when paired with the Leica-certified vario-summicron 14mm-75mm lens. The Xiaomi smartphone’s clarity surpasses that of many early APS-C format SLRs with kit lenses. Moreover, the backlit CMOS sensor performs exceptionally well in low light conditions. These two features alone are enough to render many older cameras obsolete.

Moreover, I have found that the Xiaomi 13 Pro’s display screen enhances the vibrancy of photos, particularly when viewed on the phone itself. The colors appear more vivid compared to viewing them on an Apple computer. I attribute this to the high level of color space matching between the phone’s color correction process and the display screen.

Typically, I am able to capture the same emotive power with any camera – the photo feels like it’s coming right at you. Even with a smartphone, that feeling is present, and you can get up close and personal. I used a wide-angle lens at a distance of about 1.5 meters. I have noticed that many people do not mind when you get close with a smartphone, and some don’t even notice. However, the phone does emit a “click” sound when taking a photo, which often prompts a smile from the subject. It wasn’t until later that I discovered that there is no shutter sound in silent mode, but I still prefer the sound, as it lets me know which moment I captured and gives me a sense of accomplishment.

Typically, smartphone cameras have slow response times when it comes to capturing photos, be it focusing or shutter response speed. However, the Xiaomi Pro3 is very fast and boasts a high success rate.

music photography

Occasionally, I still enjoy listening to CDs, and when it comes to selecting which one to play, it’s strange how often the decision is based on visual appeal. Rather than suggesting that photography is a component of music, it’s more apt to say that “music is also photography.” This particular CD is from 2017 and I purchased it solely due to its captivating cover art. Visually stimulating and equally captivating in sound, Eternal Stories is a delightful fusion of jazz and classical music.

Rollei RPX100 black and white film

For those who enjoy shooting with Leica lenses at wide apertures, ISO 100 film remains a popular choice that offers greater convenience than ISO 400, particularly when using large apertures like f/0.95 or f/1.4. Furthermore, ISO 100 film can produce much finer image quality than ISO 400 film. The Rollei RPX film boasts a remarkably flat base, which allows for easy scanning without the need for flattening. This is a feature that I personally love.

However, while ISO 100 film is generally considered to be fine-grained, the grain may still be noticeable to some extent. Established brands such as Kodak, Ilford, and Fuji have invested considerable efforts in fine-grain technology. Nevertheless, the RPX film has several advantages: it is affordable, easy to develop, and has good tolerance. By contrast, many ISO 100 films have poor tolerance, particularly the Fuji Acros 135 and Ilford Pan 100. Rollei RPX, on the other hand, has a level of tolerance that is more commonly associated with ISO 400 films. The contrast of RPX 100 is also medium to high.

So why has Rollei resumed film production, offering various types of film including ISO 25, ISO 50, and ISO 100, all produced in Europe? According to the packaging of MACO PHOTO PRODUCTS, the company is located in Stapelfeld, Germany and is a subsidiary of Hans O. Mahn Gmbh & Co. KG, with a 36-year history of producing film. Interestingly, it comes from the same factory as Ilford and Kentmere in the UK, with only different formulations.

Rollei RPX100 ＋ leica m6 ＋ noctilux 50mm f/0.95 asph

Rollei RPX 100 is a traditional medium-speed black and white film.
This film is suitable for a wide range of photographic and scientific applications.
Particularly portrait and landscape photography, architecture and product photography.
The popularity of this film confirms its high quality.
It is a fine grain film that enables good sharpness and a broad tonal range with good contrast.

FOMAPAN 100 profi line classic Black and White Film

Fomapan 100 Film

Overall, the film base is slightly thinner, with high transparency and is easy to scan. However, one drawback is that the frame numbers on the film edges are marked based on half-frame cameras, which means that Fomapan has over 70 frame markings, whereas the standard 135 format film has only 36. Nevertheless, this film from the Czech Republic performs quite well in actual use.

Grain

Fomapan ISO 100 is not particularly fine-grained, and some even say that it is the roughest among all 100 speed films. However, I don’t completely agree with this. The grains of Fomapan often appear in highlight areas, but if the metering is reduced to darken the image, the grain is not very noticeable.

Mood

Although the tolerance of this film is high, large grains can easily appear in highlights, making it less suitable for shooting fresh and light style photos. If you prefer a bright and delicate feeling, Fuji’s Acros 100 is a better choice.

Cost-effectiveness

Many people consider this film to be good, with high tolerance and sharpness, despite the grains not being particularly fine. It bears some resemblance to Ilford Pan 100, but with higher contrast. Overall, it is slightly inferior to Ilford Pan 100.

Conclusion

Fomapan 100 is an excellent film for street photography, with surprising tolerance and unbeatable cost-effectiveness.

FOMAPAN 100 Classic is a panchromatically sensitized, black-and-white negative film designed for taking photographs. The film meets high requirements for low granularity, high resolving power and contour sharpness and a wide range of halftones. FOMAPAN 100 Classic has a nominal speed rating of ISO 100/21o, but due to its wide exposure latitude the film gives good results even when overexposed by 1 EV (exposure value) (as ISO 50/18o) or underexposed by 2 EV (as ISO 400/27o) without any change in processing, i.e. without lengthening the development time or increasing the temperature of the developer used.
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SHANG HAI GP3 100 135 FILM

Shanghai GP3 gained a share of the low-end market mainly due to its affordability. Shanghai GP3 deserves praise for persevering in the film industry during its darkest period. Despite the challenges, the brand continued to produce film, possibly due to its small factory scale and low price point.

Notably, the 120 film produced by the old Shanghai GP3 outperforms the 135 film. As the saying goes, “if the image quality is not good enough, use a bigger negative size to make up for it.” This cheap 120 film easily outperforms 135 film. However, the workmanship of the 135 GP3 film is average and the sticker may have wrinkles.

Shanghai GP3 film is characterized by several features. Firstly, the film sealing position is tightly sealed with lightproof cotton. However, the gray scale may not be as rich as other film brands. Finally, the price is affordable, making it a popular choice among budget-conscious photographers.

CHM 100 UNIVERSAL Black & White Film

This is a film brand that has emerged in recent years. The CHM 100 film, which comes in a beautifully designed package, is actually a replica of the CHM 125 film that was released in Germany in 2004. Meanwhile, the Kentmere 100 film is essentially the same as CHM 100, but with different packaging. However, I have found that CHM 100 is actually an enhanced version of Kentmere 100, especially in terms of dynamic range.

I have also found that CHM 100 is particularly convenient to develop. With my own developing process, I can easily obtain satisfactory results. It is worth noting that many films on the market are manufactured by Ilford in the UK, and CHM 100 is no exception.

In terms of developing, CHM 100 is very user-friendly and similar to other films such as APX 100 NEW, RPX 100, and Kentmere 100. Additionally, the developing time of CHM 100 is also very close to that of Ilford FP4. As a result, many people believe that the formula of CHM 100 is the same as that of Ilford FP4, although there are some differences.

FUJICOLOR INDUSTRIAL 400 35MM FILM

The packaging box of this Fuji film clearly indicates that it is developed using the CN-16 process, and not C-41. In contrast, Fuji’s other universal film, C200, has both processes printed on its packaging.

The CN-16 process offers a 5% higher contrast than C-41, however, this particular Fuji film is typically processed using C-41 at the developing shop, resulting in a decrease in contrast of approximately 5%. This creates an elegant and gentle feeling that many people prefer for capturing fresh-style portraits. For those looking to capture warm and gentle feeling photos, this film is a great option. Its box, which features white and green colors, gives off a healing effect.

Additionally, Fuji’s APS film uses a finer and thinner emulsion layer that can exhibit the delicate texture of a full frame on a half frame. This special coating appears to have also been applied to this film, resulting in the absence of any obvious rough particles. This makes it superior to Fuji’s Superia X-Tra400.

Fuji Superia X-Tra 400 Color Negative Film

The ISO 400 film from Fujifilm, also known as Superia X-Tra, was considered a universal high-speed film during the era of film photography. It performed exceptionally well in many compact cameras with smaller apertures, and was versatile for both indoor and outdoor settings, whether for street photography or everyday gatherings. Fujifilm emphasizes that the X-Tra film has an extra layer of light-sensitive emulsion, which greatly improves its latitude and produces more natural color transitions.

Generally, color films have three emulsion layers – cyan, magenta, and yellow. However, the X-Tra film has an additional blue-sensitive layer, which significantly enhances its tolerance and allows for more delicate images in both bright and low-light conditions.

Compared to Fujifilm C200, the Superia X-Tra 400 film has an advantage in latitude and color reproduction, but its overall contrast is not outstanding since it is a high-cost performance film. It is positioned for family use, with a focus on natural skin tone reproduction. Personally, I really like its indoor performance – the colors are especially natural, and the film captures images with great precision.

The Fujifilm Superia X-Tra 400 is a high-speed film that produces fresh and natural-looking images, making it suitable for shooting situations that focus on people. Unfortunately, Fujifilm recently announced that they will stop producing this film, causing its stock prices to increase significantly.

Kodak Tri-x 400TX Black & White Film

kodak tri-x 400TX ＋ leica 21 f3.4 super angulon

Kodak Tri-X 400TX, the legendary black and white film, is included with the Leica 100th Anniversary Limited Edition M100 kit, which comprises of a Leica M-A and a Leica M Monochrom. Known as “the film that can be developed in water,” it is highly regarded in the photography industry and was favored by news reporters and Magnum photographers in the past. Its high dynamic range makes it especially useful for capturing candid and street photography, where there may not be time to adjust aperture and shutter speed.

While it has a wide dynamic range, it does not emphasize high and low lights, but rather has significant mid-tone contrast. This makes it suitable for both low and high contrast lenses. Although it may not be the sharpest film, it is still known for its sharpness.

One disadvantage of Kodak Tri-X 400TX is that its film base tends to curl, which makes it difficult to scan, especially with flatbed scanners like the Epson V series. However, the advantage of this curl is that the emulsion surface shrinks inward, reducing the risk of scratches and damage.