[Aaron1971]

Use B&W film.

Man......If I were only skilled enough.........

[jgredline]

Use B&W film.

Yep, works for me.

[Mike Cash]

Man......If I were only skilled enough.........

It ain't rocket science. You throw some film in the camera and take some pictures with it.

circa 1930 Kodak #2 Cartridge Hawkeye Brownie Model C
Fuji Acros 100 b/w film





1962 Pentax SV
Fuji Presto 400 b/w film

[Aaron1971]

It ain't rocket science. You throw some film in the camera and take some pictures with it.

circa 1930 Kodak #2 Cartridge Hawkeye Brownie Model C
Fuji Acros 100 b/w film





1962 Pentax SV
Fuji Presto 400 b/w film

Roger, but it is much cheaper to delete the bad ones than pay to develop them. I would however, like to get to the point that I can start using film.

[jgredline]

Spotmatic, Kodak BW400CN film.




T-MAX 400 Film

[Mike Cash]

Roger, but it is much cheaper to delete the bad ones than pay to develop them. I would however, like to get to the point that I can start using film.

Nothing like knowing every shutter click is costing money to make a fellow slow down and give a little thought to each shot. End result is you actually end up taking far fewer stinkers to begin with.

And you can save a bit of money by not having prints made at the time of developing. My local shop is so used to my "Developing only, no prints" that I no longer have to say it. I have a CanoScan 8800F (handles 35mm and medium format) and do the scanning myself.

[jgredline]

Nothing like knowing every shutter click is costing money to make a fellow slow down and give a little thought to each shot. End result is you actually end up taking far fewer stinkers to begin with.

And you can save a bit of money by not having prints made at the time of developing. My local shop is so used to my "Developing only, no prints" that I no longer have to say it. I have a CanoScan 8800F (handles 35mm and medium format) and do the scanning myself.

This is exactly right!

[Aaron1971]

How much does it cost to buy the film, and develop it? You guys know you are nudging the CBA/LBA back in motion...I will say this, I have seen alot of film cameras for sale pretty cheap around on sleeze-bay......

[Aaron1971]

and maybe FBA(film buying.............addiction........bad joke I know.....). Ultimate goal is to be able to shoot film with some competence and confidence. Right now my skills/knowledge base are starting to improve as far as what settings for what light, etc. Someday soon I may decide to jump to film. While we're on the subject what film cameras do you use?

[Mike Cash]

For color I use DNP Centuria 200 36exp. Costs 1,980 yen for a brick of 10 rolls. For b/w I use Fuji Acros (ISO 100) or Fuji Presto (ISO 400).

Film cameras....

SLR:

Pentax ME
Pentax SV
Pentax Spotmatic ESII

35mm Rangefinder:

Yashica Electro 35 (x4)
Konica S
Ricoh 35 De Luxe
Konica Flashmatic
Kodak 35 RF

Medium Format Rangefinder:

Wester Autorol
Mamiya Six Model V

Medium Format TLR:

Yashicaflex A2
Yashica D
Airesflex YII

Medium Format Box Brownie:

Kodak #2 Cartridge Hawkeye Brownie Model C
Agfa Shur Shot
Kodak Brownie Six-Twenty

35mm Toy Camera:

Meica 35 (x2)

Those are the ones that are in functioning order and which I can recall without getting up to go make sure I haven't missed any. The Spotmatic is in my bag; I was out shooting with it today. Took the K20D along but didn't use it.

Practically all of my film cameras came from Yahoo Japan Auctions. I think the sole exception was the Kodak 35 RF.

[Aaron1971]

So if I decide to buy a film camera would you recommend the Spotmatic? I see all kinds of them on sleeze-bay. What is the difference between Spotmatic and Spotmatic II? What is a fair price with lens? See where this is going, thanks alot guys!!! Just Kidding.

[Mike Cash]

Camerapedia gives a good basic overview of the differences. Most prominent difference is that the II has a hotshoe.

If the camera is in good mechanical working order I certainly wouldn't recommend against one. Manual focus, manual film advance, stop-down metering cameras are something extremely different from auto focus, auto metering digital cameras. They place their own limitations on the way you have to use them and in all honesty they don't appeal to everyone. Basically you have to go backwards on the technology timeline and embrace the very things that technology sought to liberate us from.

[Erik]

Spotmatic, Kodak BW400CN film.

That's some excellent grayscale right there. Just sayin'.

[Erik]

So if I decide to buy a film camera would you recommend the Spotmatic? I see all kinds of them on sleeze-bay. What is the difference between Spotmatic and Spotmatic II? What is a fair price with lens? See where this is going, thanks alot guys!!! Just Kidding.

If I were you I would get something with the K-mount and auto-aperture, like the Super Program, so I could use that existing A 50/1.7 as it was meant to be used, and the Vivitar too.

[Finn]

I just throw that puppy in channel mixer in CS2, then curves.

As for using film, yes it is expensive, but not too bad if you develop yourself (no darkroom required, just a film-loading bag and a kitchen sink). I swear by Tri-x myself. As was mentioned before, the cost keeps me from snapping away without thinking. As a result, about 10% of my images are print-worthy, as opposed to around 3% for digital.

Not a great percentage, I know. With medium format, I get up near 30%, since between film and developing costs that ends up being about a buck a frame.