"I won't put that in this camera" - musings on film selection.

pathdoc · 12-17-2016, 06:18 PM

Whenever I have bought a film camera, my first act is to put a roll of Kodak Gold (or Fuji or Lomo or whatever I can get) colour film through it, trust in the camera's light-meter (if it has one; one of them doesn't, and the meter on another is N/G), and then send it off to see what results I got. While I'm waiting, the camera takes a rest.

This is primarily done so I have a test roll which goes through a standard process (consumer-level in-lab C-41) to see how the camera performs when no post-processing work on my part is possible. Thereafter, however, I have noticed an interesting pattern on my part. Among the bodies I shoot or have shot with regularly:

1) The Spotmatics, the S1a, and the MX all invariably get fed a diet of black and white (I develop all that myself).

2) The ME, the P3, the P30T and the Super Program have only ever been fed colour film.

I know full well that the ME and the MX are of the same vintage, and that the MX uses (though is not dependent on) LEDs and electronics in its otherwise basic meter. And yet... the ME gets the colour film always, and the MX never.

It's as if I won't feed black-and-white to any camera that can't run without batteries (I'm not counting here the ME's ability to run 'dead' at 1/100 mechanical*; that's a last-ditch emergency situation, not a recipe for regular use).

Does anyone else have particular film cameras that are ALWAYS set aside for particular things?

* = though I am considering putting a roll of Lomo 100 colour through it with the batteries out and seeing what the results are.

**mattt** · 12-17-2016, 06:42 PM

I always have one body loaded with B&W and one with Colour... the current flavour is FP4 in my ME Super, and Portra 400 in my K1000. It seems the K1000 is usually the colour body.

stevebrot · 12-17-2016, 08:06 PM

I tend to shoot quirky film in quirky cameras (e.g. FED-2 + Ferrania Solaris 100), but truth be told, I am quite egalitarian in pairing cameras to film.

Steve

(...will admit to running a roll of Ferrania through the Canon P...the "P" did not seem to mind...)

**gofour3** · 12-18-2016, 12:05 AM

Originally posted by pathdoc

Does anyone else have particular film cameras that are ALWAYS set aside for particular things?

On a trip level maybe, if I'm shooting both colour and b&w I will have one body for each type of film. Generally it's whatever camera I want to use next (as well as the lens) and whatever film I have in the fridge.

Phil.

Jonathan Mac · 12-18-2016, 02:31 AM

It's funny, I've noticed a similar trend with my own shooting. I have the feeling that some cameras should use B&W film and some colour. It's nonsense of course but interesting that we should think in that way. I think it's part of the connection that people have with their cameras - having a fixed idea of what the camera will produce, and mixing colour & B&W may interfere with that.

Of course, I would put any film in any camera if that's what I had available. Maybe I should do that and try to break down the way I've done things so far.

On the other hand, I've accumulated so many film cameras that I could use one for just about every film type/speed currently in production...

TheOtherRob · 12-18-2016, 02:32 AM

Hm... I never thought about it... but actually I do.

My ME Super is permanently loaded with HP5@1600. If I have a camera I just carry around, it is this one, and that's the film that gets the job done for me. With that speed, I can stop down the aperture and the camera almost becomes a point and shoot.

Interestingly, I'm with Matt... for some reason the ol' K1000 gets the fancy film, or stuff that I want to experiment with. If I want to go slow and deliberate, this is my go-to 35mm body. The thing is so simple and the meter so reliable, It gives me the most confidence.

The real thing I swap around is the lenses. No lens simply lives on a body on my shelf.

Rob

Topsy · 12-18-2016, 03:49 AM

I'm not sure. When I read this thread I felt like I do this too, but I probably don't.

I got a nikon f2 last Christmas that has the cinestill 50d loaded at the moment, but I feel like I should only have BW in that.
Then there's the recently acquired spotmatic (that isn't entirely fixed right now) and I feel that will be my colour film camera.

I've put colour in the Zeiss Maximar too but felt like I really shouldn't.

The only camera that has only seen one type of film is my agfa isolette. I don't think I'll ever be putting colour in that.

Maybe I just need more cameras to be able to dedicate then to a certain type of film. As I said, I certainly do it in my head, I just don't seem to follow through..

**ChrisPlatt** · 12-18-2016, 05:56 AM

I like to use a yellow-green filter for BW but dislike viewing through colored filters.

I like using a polarizer for color but they're a PITA to adjust on a non-SLR camera.

So usually when using color film I try to use an SLR, and for BW a non-SLR camera.

Chris

pathdoc · 12-18-2016, 04:58 PM

Originally posted by ChrisPlatt

I like to use a yellow-green filter for BW but dislike viewing through colored filters.

I like using a polarizer for color but they're a PITA to adjust on a non-SLR camera.

So usually when using color film I try to use an SLR, and for BW a non-SLR camera.

Chris

LOLOL shooting through my Super Tak 50/1.4 is like having a mild yellow filter always on the camera. It's the one lens I can't seriously use with colour film. Its SMC Tak successor, which I bought for my Spotmatic F (and which retains the metallic focusing ring of its predecessor, thank God) is very mildly yellowed only.

Jonathan Mac · 12-19-2016, 04:11 AM

Originally posted by Topsy

The only camera that has only seen one type of film is my agfa isolette. I don't think I'll ever be putting colour in that.

I have tried colour film in my Zeiss Ikon folders even though I feel they should be B&W only and I liked the results, which were fairly low contrast and pastel colours.

**cpk** · 12-19-2016, 06:11 PM

Originally posted by ChrisPlatt

I like using a polarizer for color but they're a PITA to adjust on a non-SLR camera.

Back in the 50s the Kodak polarizing filer had a little arm on it with a crossbar attached. If you lined up the shadow of the crossbar so that it was centred on the arm, you had the maximal polarizing effect.

ChopperCharles · 12-20-2016, 01:02 AM

Originally posted by TheOtherRob

Interestingly, I'm with Matt... for some reason the ol' K1000 gets the fancy film, or stuff that I want to experiment with. If I want to go slow and deliberate, this is my go-to 35mm body. The thing is so simple and the meter so reliable, It gives me the most confidence.

Rob, really? I thought the K1000's light meter was horribly flaky. When the battery starts to drain the meter doesn't swing as much, and I can't count the number of times I thought it was either spot on or one stop over/under, and it was really 4 or 5 stops over or under, resulting in completely ruined shots. What's more, the battery drains constantly because the light meter will continue to operate from the light that enters the viewfinder. The Super ME I have has a wonderful light meter in comparison. And a much better focusing screen to boot. Once I found cameras with reliable light meters and split-prism focusing screens, I couldn't sell my K1000 fast enough.

Charles.

wombat2go · 12-21-2016, 12:13 PM

Originally posted by Jonathan Mac

I have tried colour film in my Zeiss Ikon folders even though I feel they should be B&W only and I liked the results, which were fairly low contrast and pastel colours.

Here is my 1936 Zeiss Ikon Nettar ( posted before)
The Nettar Astigmat 1:6,3 F=10,5 cm s was ultra-sonically cleaned.
The film was Ektar 100 home processed and scanned.
https://app.box.com/s/2vvkg62b2gt3lavig368

**gaweidert** · 12-21-2016, 03:00 PM

Originally posted by ChopperCharles

Rob, really? I thought the K1000's light meter was horribly flaky. When the battery starts to drain the meter doesn't swing as much, and I can't count the number of times I thought it was either spot on or one stop over/under, and it was really 4 or 5 stops over or under, resulting in completely ruined shots. What's more, the battery drains constantly because the light meter will continue to operate from the light that enters the viewfinder. The Super ME I have has a wonderful light meter in comparison. And a much better focusing screen to boot. Once I found cameras with reliable light meters and split-prism focusing screens, I couldn't sell my K1000 fast enough.

Charles.

I hear you there. The K1000 was a major step down from the Spotmatic II I own. I know a lot of people like it, but it had some serious quirks. To me, it does not feel as robust at the Spotmatic line. There was no excuse for the idiotic design where the meter always on and having to have the lens cap on and the viewfinder covered when not in use to save the battery. To me it is not one of Pentax's better K mount cameras. But I did have a few for the kids to use.

**goatsNdonkey** · 12-21-2016, 09:25 PM

I never really settle on a film, and consequently I don't have any fixed film/camera pairings. I envy people who have settled on a few particular films. That would seem to simplify life. It is is very interesting to read about these preferences others have. Thanks, pathdoc, for starting this thread.

12-17-2016, 06:18 PM	#1
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381	"I won't put that in this camera" - musings on film selection. Whenever I have bought a film camera, my first act is to put a roll of Kodak Gold (or Fuji or Lomo or whatever I can get) colour film through it, trust in the camera's light-meter (if it has one; one of them doesn't, and the meter on another is N/G), and then send it off to see what results I got. While I'm waiting, the camera takes a rest. This is primarily done so I have a test roll which goes through a standard process (consumer-level in-lab C-41) to see how the camera performs when no post-processing work on my part is possible. Thereafter, however, I have noticed an interesting pattern on my part. Among the bodies I shoot or have shot with regularly: 1) The Spotmatics, the S1a, and the MX all invariably get fed a diet of black and white (I develop all that myself). 2) The ME, the P3, the P30T and the Super Program have only ever been fed colour film. I know full well that the ME and the MX are of the same vintage, and that the MX uses (though is not dependent on) LEDs and electronics in its otherwise basic meter. And yet... the ME gets the colour film always, and the MX never. It's as if I won't feed black-and-white to any camera that can't run without batteries (I'm not counting here the ME's ability to run 'dead' at 1/100 mechanical; that's a last-ditch emergency situation, not a recipe for regular use). Does anyone else have particular film cameras that are ALWAYS set aside for particular things? = though I am considering putting a roll of Lomo 100 colour through it with the batteries out and seeing what the results are.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Exposure accuracy of "A" lenses on older film bodies ("K" series)	Lititz	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	20	05-26-2015 01:59 AM
Dear, "i...i" and "r....t" on ebay, bidding on the 50-135mm lenses	mee	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	64	02-07-2015 07:25 PM
"Click" in between "C" and "MF" mode on focus selector? K-50	maxwolfie	Pentax K-30 & K-50	3	01-29-2015 04:19 AM
Adelaide Fringe Festival "That guy should put his TAMPAX in his camera bag" 5D user	Adrian Owerko	Post Your Photos!	15	03-08-2009 07:51 PM
You won't believe what I "Bought"	benjikan	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	77	04-02-2008 01:55 PM

12-17-2016, 06:42 PM	#2
mattt Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Niagara Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,907	I always have one body loaded with B&W and one with Colour... the current flavour is FP4 in my ME Super, and Portra 400 in my K1000. It seems the K1000 is usually the colour body.

12-17-2016, 08:06 PM	#3
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	I tend to shoot quirky film in quirky cameras (e.g. FED-2 + Ferrania Solaris 100), but truth be told, I am quite egalitarian in pairing cameras to film. Steve (...will admit to running a roll of Ferrania through the Canon P...the "P" did not seem to mind...)

12-18-2016, 12:05 AM	#4
gofour3 Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,090	Originally posted by pathdoc Does anyone else have particular film cameras that are ALWAYS set aside for particular things? On a trip level maybe, if I'm shooting both colour and b&w I will have one body for each type of film. Generally it's whatever camera I want to use next (as well as the lens) and whatever film I have in the fridge. Phil.

12-18-2016, 02:31 AM	#5
Jonathan Mac Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 10,894	It's funny, I've noticed a similar trend with my own shooting. I have the feeling that some cameras should use B&W film and some colour. It's nonsense of course but interesting that we should think in that way. I think it's part of the connection that people have with their cameras - having a fixed idea of what the camera will produce, and mixing colour & B&W may interfere with that. Of course, I would put any film in any camera if that's what I had available. Maybe I should do that and try to break down the way I've done things so far. On the other hand, I've accumulated so many film cameras that I could use one for just about every film type/speed currently in production...

12-18-2016, 02:32 AM	#6
TheOtherRob Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Queensland Photos: Albums Posts: 45	Hm... I never thought about it... but actually I do. My ME Super is permanently loaded with HP5@1600. If I have a camera I just carry around, it is this one, and that's the film that gets the job done for me. With that speed, I can stop down the aperture and the camera almost becomes a point and shoot. Interestingly, I'm with Matt... for some reason the ol' K1000 gets the fancy film, or stuff that I want to experiment with. If I want to go slow and deliberate, this is my go-to 35mm body. The thing is so simple and the meter so reliable, It gives me the most confidence. The real thing I swap around is the lenses. No lens simply lives on a body on my shelf. Rob

12-18-2016, 03:49 AM	#7
Topsy Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 625	I'm not sure. When I read this thread I felt like I do this too, but I probably don't. I got a nikon f2 last Christmas that has the cinestill 50d loaded at the moment, but I feel like I should only have BW in that. Then there's the recently acquired spotmatic (that isn't entirely fixed right now) and I feel that will be my colour film camera. I've put colour in the Zeiss Maximar too but felt like I really shouldn't. The only camera that has only seen one type of film is my agfa isolette. I don't think I'll ever be putting colour in that. Maybe I just need more cameras to be able to dedicate then to a certain type of film. As I said, I certainly do it in my head, I just don't seem to follow through..

12-18-2016, 05:56 AM	#8
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,692	I like to use a yellow-green filter for BW but dislike viewing through colored filters. I like using a polarizer for color but they're a PITA to adjust on a non-SLR camera. So usually when using color film I try to use an SLR, and for BW a non-SLR camera. Chris

12-18-2016, 04:58 PM	#9
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381 Original Poster	Originally posted by ChrisPlatt I like to use a yellow-green filter for BW but dislike viewing through colored filters. I like using a polarizer for color but they're a PITA to adjust on a non-SLR camera. So usually when using color film I try to use an SLR, and for BW a non-SLR camera. Chris LOLOL shooting through my Super Tak 50/1.4 is like having a mild yellow filter always on the camera. It's the one lens I can't seriously use with colour film. Its SMC Tak successor, which I bought for my Spotmatic F (and which retains the metallic focusing ring of its predecessor, thank God) is very mildly yellowed only.

12-19-2016, 04:11 AM	#10
Jonathan Mac Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 10,894	Originally posted by Topsy The only camera that has only seen one type of film is my agfa isolette. I don't think I'll ever be putting colour in that. I have tried colour film in my Zeiss Ikon folders even though I feel they should be B&W only and I liked the results, which were fairly low contrast and pastel colours.

12-19-2016, 06:11 PM	#11
cpk Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Montreal Posts: 638	Originally posted by ChrisPlatt I like using a polarizer for color but they're a PITA to adjust on a non-SLR camera. Back in the 50s the Kodak polarizing filer had a little arm on it with a crossbar attached. If you lined up the shadow of the crossbar so that it was centred on the arm, you had the maximal polarizing effect.

12-20-2016, 01:02 AM	#12
ChopperCharles Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Durham, nc Photos: Albums Posts: 953	Originally posted by TheOtherRob Interestingly, I'm with Matt... for some reason the ol' K1000 gets the fancy film, or stuff that I want to experiment with. If I want to go slow and deliberate, this is my go-to 35mm body. The thing is so simple and the meter so reliable, It gives me the most confidence. Rob, really? I thought the K1000's light meter was horribly flaky. When the battery starts to drain the meter doesn't swing as much, and I can't count the number of times I thought it was either spot on or one stop over/under, and it was really 4 or 5 stops over or under, resulting in completely ruined shots. What's more, the battery drains constantly because the light meter will continue to operate from the light that enters the viewfinder. The Super ME I have has a wonderful light meter in comparison. And a much better focusing screen to boot. Once I found cameras with reliable light meters and split-prism focusing screens, I couldn't sell my K1000 fast enough. Charles.

12-21-2016, 12:13 PM	#13
wombat2go Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Michigan Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,207	Originally posted by Jonathan Mac I have tried colour film in my Zeiss Ikon folders even though I feel they should be B&W only and I liked the results, which were fairly low contrast and pastel colours. Here is my 1936 Zeiss Ikon Nettar ( posted before) The Nettar Astigmat 1:6,3 F=10,5 cm s was ultra-sonically cleaned. The film was Ektar 100 home processed and scanned. https://app.box.com/s/2vvkg62b2gt3lavig368

12-21-2016, 03:00 PM	#14
gaweidert Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Rochester, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,325	Originally posted by ChopperCharles Rob, really? I thought the K1000's light meter was horribly flaky. When the battery starts to drain the meter doesn't swing as much, and I can't count the number of times I thought it was either spot on or one stop over/under, and it was really 4 or 5 stops over or under, resulting in completely ruined shots. What's more, the battery drains constantly because the light meter will continue to operate from the light that enters the viewfinder. The Super ME I have has a wonderful light meter in comparison. And a much better focusing screen to boot. Once I found cameras with reliable light meters and split-prism focusing screens, I couldn't sell my K1000 fast enough. Charles. I hear you there. The K1000 was a major step down from the Spotmatic II I own. I know a lot of people like it, but it had some serious quirks. To me, it does not feel as robust at the Spotmatic line. There was no excuse for the idiotic design where the meter always on and having to have the lens cap on and the viewfinder covered when not in use to save the battery. To me it is not one of Pentax's better K mount cameras. But I did have a few for the kids to use.

12-21-2016, 09:25 PM	#15
goatsNdonkey Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Fulton County, Illinois Posts: 3,727	I never really settle on a film, and consequently I don't have any fixed film/camera pairings. I envy people who have settled on a few particular films. That would seem to simplify life. It is is very interesting to read about these preferences others have. Thanks, pathdoc, for starting this thread.