[MD Optofonik]

I recently shot and developed a few rolls of B&W film and am wondering who else here has started shooting film again, or for the first time.

I guess I started the process of getting back into film a few months ago. After a chat with a friend about photography during which I was trying to recall the first camera I ever owned all I could remember about it was that it was a Yashica. It seemed sort of wrong for me not to remember my first real camera (kind of like not remembering one's first... uhmm... never mind) so I went online and when I came across a picture of the Electro 35 it all came back to me. I bought one online, it was cheap, and shot a roll of slide film. Then I shot a roll of color negative film. Then a few of rolls of B&W. Then I went out and bought some D76. Next thing I know...

... I keep finding a film camera in my backpack alongside my MX-1.

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Last edited by MD Optofonik; 08-01-2014 at 03:45 AM.

[VisualDarkness]

Me me me, developing a thing for old Voigtländer cameras.

[kentishrev]

A happy K-30 user for the last year, but have been trying to build my skills in composition, exposure, framing. Digital does allow this, but I felt I use the 'delete' and 'crop' all too often. After a trawl through the PF review pages, I bought an old MX (very, very cheap). Really enjoying the challenge of getting it 'right' first time. Not that I've managed it very often!

Still using K-30 far more than the MX, but really enjoy the deliberate concentration of film. And the smooth B&W prints,

[patrick9]

I started back with film a couple of years ago. There are just things I can capture better with film IMHO. The 2 DSLR's still get used but the film cameras are gaining on them

[foto guy]

I never gave it up. I love my K-5 IIs, but it can't emulate the look of film.
Well, maybe with a LOT of post processing, but who wants to do that?
I just picked up an Electro 35 (GT model) myself. Waiting for the battery to arrive so I can go out and play.
Always good to see folks get into film (or back into it).

[esrandall]

Just bought my first film camera, an ME Super. I also found an old Nikon EM that was stashed away in my wife's keepsake stuff (just needed batteries, and appears to be in great condition, so we'll see. I had felt an interest building, and saw the ME Super on eBay, being sold by a guy that refurbishes them (he's actually a member of PF), so it had new light seals, stuff like that. I know nothing about how to fix them, and wanted to get off on the right foot without spending a lot of money (in case it ended up not floating my boat). I have to say that it's been fun so far. Makes you think more about the shot -- that's for sure. That's definitely a good thing, as I've put more than 10k clicks on my K-50 since the middle of February. I just dropped a few rolls of film off last week, so I'll be curious to see the results.

[TonyTurley]

I'm curious who you folks use to develop your film. I haven't shot film in a while, but have some old rolls I need to develop. I was never satisfied with the quality of work done by Wal Mart, Rite Aide, or any of the other 1-hour photo places.

[esrandall]

Kind of continuing the "don't want to invest too much money in this just yet" theme, I just went with the Fred Meyer near my home. They actually called to say the film is ready, just need to pick it up. Between my first time on an unknown camera, and the quality of a generic film processing place, not really sure what to expect. I was stunned that they even offered the service. I went to my local Target, and they didn't even sell any film. I figure if I end up really liking this, I'll need to do a little homework in regards to finding "good" film (time for some research) and a place to develop.

[blackcloudbrew]

I went back to film a few years ago and have enjoyed since. I after some experimentation with color I've focused on b&w film only. I generally develop the film myself and either scan the negatives or print them in a nearby rental lab.

I'm curious who you folks use to develop your film. I haven't shot film in a while, but have some old rolls I need to develop. I was never satisfied with the quality of work done by Wal Mart, Rite Aide, or any of the other 1-hour photo places.

You need to do some looking around your area to see where you may get the best results. My suggestion is to chat with your local camera store on options. I've found with color film that I could get a 'develop and scan to CD' process very easily. I have also found that there are a few local rental darkrooms where I can do my printing. Because of this, I really haven't tried to explore mail order developing/printing options, but I believe they are out there. You just need to do some exploration of what your options are. Film is no longer mainstream but it's not dead and there should be a number of options available for you.

[TonyTurley]

I went back to film a few years ago and have enjoyed since. I after some experimentation with color I've focused on b&w film only. I generally develop the film myself and either scan the negatives or print them in a nearby rental lab.



You need to do some looking around your area to see where you may get the best results. My suggestion is to chat with your local camera store on options. I've found with color film that I could get a 'develop and scan to CD' process very easily. I have also found that there are a few local rental darkrooms where I can do my printing. Because of this, I really haven't tried to explore mail order developing/printing options, but I believe they are out there. You just need to do some exploration of what your options are. Film is no longer mainstream but it's not dead and there should be a number of options available for you.

Thanks for that reply, but unfortunately, we have no local camera stores. Nada, in a metro area of 300,000, or the next closest metro area, which is about the same size. Just big box and chain stores. It just occurred to me that I can check with the local photography club. We'll see how that goes.

[MD Optofonik]

I'm curious who you folks use to develop your film. I haven't shot film in a while, but have some old rolls I need to develop. I was never satisfied with the quality of work done by Wal Mart, Rite Aide, or any of the other 1-hour photo places.

I used these guys for my initial test rolls:
Low-Cost, High-Quality Photo Processing / Film Developing / Swan Photo Labs
http://www.samys.com/common/samys_creative/static/images/pricesfilmlab.pdf

These guys look interesting:
Film Developing by Mail - Request Postage Paid Film Developing Mailer

Finally, I don't know how up to date these references are but...
Resource Guide to Buying & Developing Film | Mortal Muses

Most of the camera stores in LA, the ones I asked about doing it in-house, use Swan (including Samy's I believe) for B&W. After the initial tests to insure the cameras were working I realized I could buy the chemicals and the few pieces of gear necessary to develop my own B&W for what I would pay a lab to develop the number of rolls of B&W film I was planning on shooting.

Storage and mixing contsiners can be re-used laundry detergent bottles and a developing tank can be found cheaply and easily enough on eBay. If you're a little OCD about exact measurements, uniformity, and things being tidy (my processing gear sits on top of a shelf in my bathroom for all to see) you can get graduated cylinders (I like having proper chemistry equipment for measurements) and Datatainers (that uniformity thing). I still bought some hydrogen peroxide bottles for storing down stock solutions as they get used from the gallon and quart Datatainers. Pre-mixed dry chemicals for B&W are relatively cheap and if you buy your own ingredients to roll you own developer, fixer, and stop bath (that's the next step for me) it's even cheaper.

Me me me, developing a thing for old Voigtländer cameras.

Pretty.

[Eagle94VT]

For the past couple years I use exclusively www.thedarkroom.com and www.bluemooncamera.com . If I think most of the roll is good it goes to Blue Moon - the preferred look for me, optical printing. The Darkroom also does a great job and faster - the prints won't have as much detail in the shadows. You can get big file sizes and adjust them if you want. To compare both methods, I had a couple 8x12's printed at each for comparison. I do need to get my own developing station and basic scanner going on at home - it does get expensive.

[todd]

I never enjoyed film photography growing up and was a somewhat early adopter of digital (1mp floppy disk Sony in 1999)... I started in film a couple years ago with grandad's SP1000 that my dad gave me. Then I got an ME Super last year and my first MF camera (Yashica 124G TLR). My biggest motivation for film was and is my love of Portra which I'd been trying to emulate for years.. Also because I wanted to experience the FA-L's the way they were originally intended to be experienced.

My problem with film from the outset has been the very factors that made me fall for digital so hard. I am lazy, and I am cheap. I've only shot a few rolls in the last year because each roll takes me countless months to burn through, basically because I am consumed with not wanting to waste shots. I don't get any better results being that careful and in fact I think it makes me miss more shots, but I just can't overcome my hyper-consciousness of the expense that each shot represents. I did make a move this year that might improve this situation (if I can ever finish the rolls in my other cameras and get around to buying more film) and picked up a ZX-5 off ebay. I am a really slow, awful manual focuser (which doesn't help when my primary subjects are my kids and family for film), so think the AF camera could really help me get through some rolls faster.. I really love the look of film and will keep after it, but don't think I will ever be able to do more than a roll a month or something like that, unless my general financial position improves dramatically.

[MD Optofonik]

I am a really slow, awful manual focuser (which doesn't help when my primary subjects are my kids and family for film), so think the AF camera could really help me get through some rolls faster.. I really love the look of film and will keep after it, but don't think I will ever be able to do more than a roll a month or something like that, unless my general financial position improves dramatically.

The DOF scale on you lenses are the key. Used with an appropriate aperture (on the appropriate lens), you'll gain a lot of confidence in your ability to react quickly and find yourself getting more comfortable with decisively exposing a frame. Once you get the hang of zone focusing you'll find there are times that you'll only need to adjust you focus ever so slightly. As you gain more experience usinf the DOF scale (it doesn't take long) you'll be able to make minor focus adjustments without even looking through the viewfinder.

[todd]

The DOF scale on you lenses are the key.

Yeah, I've been practicing that a bit on digital here and there, but haven't gotten to the point that I can resort to it quickly and confidently. (back to that lazy factor again).. thanks!