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Film.

Anyone still shooting film? I used to shoot with a Nikon f100 and f5 but I gave those up years ago.

Recently picked up a Yashica MG1 and looking forward to shooting more rolls.

What are your favourite films to use? Anyone willing to share some of their shots?
 

Legion

Staff member
Not any more, though I kept a Leica M3 just in case I ever got the bug again.

Back in the day my main films were Ilford FP4 and HP5 for B&W, and Provia, Velvia for colour.


I had a bunch of darkroom gear at my fathers house in storage, but he passed a while ago, and I just fount out my brother threw it all away while cleaning up the estate. Ah well, I have nowhere to keep it where I am living currently.


Honestly, I only have a little nostalgia for the old days, having done it for a living and processed many thousands of rolls of film. Digital is so much easier.

But then, that is why many of the old school guys cant do it for a living anymore. You don't have to get the technicalities right now, just shoot RAW and fix it later. Any hobbyist punter can underquote you for the job, if it is not their real day job.
 
I still shoot film from 35mm to 4x5. I have a functioning darkroom with a Beseler 4x5 enlarger. I haven't bought film in a while as I have quite a stash in the freezer. I think Freestyle Photo in California still has the best prices for mail order supplies. I have used a lot of their house brand b&w film in 120. It's good stuff, and cheap. When digital imaging started to take over, I hoarded film, paper and chemicals. I have several 100' rolls of 35mm, 100+ rolls of 120, and almost 1000 sheets of 4x5 Tmax b&w. I still have a few bottles of the original Rodinal! I have lots of paper, but some of it is getting pretty old and probably needs to be thrown out.
I used to print colour in 35mm and 120 on a Beseler 23C. I only print b&w now, so I gave away my 23C with the colour head.
Film is fun to shoot and soup yourself. Current digital technology simply blows away anything film can do, gives immediate feedback, and can achieve postprocessing effects impossible in a darkroom. I guess that's why digital is so popular. Oh yeah, and your basement doesn't smell like vinegar! (acetic acid stop bath)
 
Agreed raw is just much easier. But for some reason I just love the look of film.

I wish I still had my leica. I had an m4-p fhat I loved but sadly it was stolen. I might have to replace it!
 
I see you're in the GTA. The camera stores in the Church St area still carry a supply of film, paper, chemicals, and darkroom equipment. Eg. Downtown Camera, Henry's and Vistek.
 
Yeah downtown camera was my go to place for film before. Can’t believe I forgot the place. I guess I just assumed it closed down with all the other places.
In other news I ended up winning a contest for a canon cannonet 28 with a few rolls of film. Excited to try it out.
 

Legion

Staff member
Agreed raw is just much easier. But for some reason I just love the look of film.

I wish I still had my leica. I had an m4-p fhat I loved but sadly it was stolen. I might have to replace it!
There are deals to be had out there from people like myself, who have finally admitted to themselves that they are unlikely to ever bother with film any more. I sold my M6 kit a while ago, and it was hardly used. But it was basically just money I had sitting in a closet doing nothing. I'd rather it was out there with someone who would use it.
 
I only shoot film on personal projects or trips with my girlfriend. I use a Nikon n90, or Nikomat FT-n. She uses a canonnet 28, Nikon FM, Pentax Heiland H2, or Miranda Sensorex?

We use Kodak tri-x, t-max, ektachrome, or Ilford HP-5.

Sadly we are working photographers so the film cameras spend most of their time packed away for special trips. If I guessed I would uses the digital cameras 150-1 at best for me. She is better maybe 40-1.

Also since neither of us wants to deal with the chemicals and time right now we send stuff out in waves to get developed so it takes almost a year to see some images between taking months to go through a roll and then finding time to get stuff in and processed.
 
Had an old roll of Ilford fp4 at the bottom of my camera.

Developed it home and used a light box to take some pics with my phone.
F358D572-E51B-404E-925A-4E4414323020.jpeg
0EB2A6B4-0A0C-414C-9CF8-A1AA4204535A.jpeg
 
I still have my F5 and F3 although if I do shoot film, it is much, much more likely to be 120. Really only b/w these days and normally Tri-X or HP5. The last roll I developed was a roll of 6x17 negs on Tri-X out of a friend's Linhof. They were impressive.
 
I wish I still had my f5. Sold it years ago and regret it.

Only film camera I have right now is the Minolta cl paired with a rokkor 40mm

I have a couple fresh hp5 and Tri-X also for when I want to shoot.

I recently bought a cinestill monobath solution for developing. Super easy to do. Three Minutes was all I needed for this roll, rinse and all done.
I still have my F5 and F3 although if I do shoot film, it is much, much more likely to be 120. Really only b/w these days and normally Tri-X or HP5. The last roll I developed was a roll of 6x17 negs on Tri-X out of a friend's Linhof. They were impressive.
 
I still have my Nikon SLR. Places that develop are getting harder to find.

I wish I had room for a darkroom :/

If you are interested in shooting b/w film, it can be developed easily in a normal bathroom or laundry without the need to create a darkspace. A changing bag allows the film to be loaded into a daylight tank and the developing process is quite simple. Without a darkroom, scanning was always the most tedious part of the process for me but I know that Nikon have introduced a product which fits on a Macro lens to allow negatives to be photographed with a digital camera and the results appear quite good.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Without a darkroom, scanning was always the most tedious part of the process for me but I know that Nikon have introduced a product which fits on a Macro lens to allow negatives to be photographed with a digital camera and the results appear quite good.


There are, or at least were, scanners that had a negative adapter. The one I use is an older Canon LiDE 600f. Negative adapter on the right.

index.jpg


It works great for scanning slides and negatives.

This shot of Neil Young I took in 1984 on Kodachrome 100 pushed to 400. That was with a Nikon F3 HP and a Nikkor 1.2 50mm. Picture scanned from the negative in my Canon and then through Adobe CS5 to clean it up a bit.

Neil Young, September 1984 Regina.JPG


This one of the fiddle player in his band is directly from the negative without being processed through CS5.

Neil Young's fiddle player, Regina 1984.JPG


When it comes to medium format and B&W photography, the work by Bradford Washburn really intrigued me but I never got to that point.

One of his shots of McKinley taken with infrared film.

Image-11.JPG


I sold all my film gear years ago and regret it.
 
Exactly why I only shoot b&w now. Makes it easy to develop at home. Ilford sells a kit with everything you need for less than 100

If you are interested in shooting b/w film, it can be developed easily in a normal bathroom or laundry without the need to create a darkspace. A changing bag allows the film to be loaded into a daylight tank and the developing process is quite simple. Without a darkroom, scanning was always the most tedious part of the process for me but I know that Nikon have introduced a product which fits on a Macro lens to allow negatives to be photographed with a digital camera and the results appear quite good.
 
If you are interested in shooting b/w film, it can be developed easily in a normal bathroom or laundry without the need to create a darkspace. A changing bag allows the film to be loaded into a daylight tank and the developing process is quite simple. Without a darkroom, scanning was always the most tedious part of the process for me but I know that Nikon have introduced a product which fits on a Macro lens to allow negatives to be photographed with a digital camera and the results appear quite good.

Yes, but I should specify that I miss print making.
 
There are, or at least were, scanners that had a negative adapter. The one I use is an older Canon LiDE 600f. Negative adapter on the right.

View attachment 1043870

It works great for scanning slides and negatives.

This shot of Neil Young I took in 1984 on Kodachrome 100 pushed to 400. That was with a Nikon F3 HP and a Nikkor 1.2 50mm. Picture scanned from the negative in my Canon and then through Adobe CS5 to clean it up a bit.

View attachment 1043871

This one of the fiddle player in his band is directly from the negative without being processed through CS5.

View attachment 1043873

When it comes to medium format and B&W photography, the work by Bradford Washburn really intrigued me but I never got to that point.

One of his shots of McKinley taken with infrared film.

View attachment 1043876

I sold all my film gear years ago and regret it.
Depending on what you had and what you want to do with it you could always buy some of it back. It might be cheaper than some of the razors and brushes all told again depending on what gear you had and want now.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Depending on what you had and what you want to do with it you could always buy some of it back. It might be cheaper than some of the razors and brushes all told again depending on what gear you had and want now.

I've thought about it, especially with the price of 35mm cameras these days.
 
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