I'm rather chuffed. It's been nearly 40 years since I've developed a roll of film. Up until the digital era, I used to send mine to a lab for processing and they were typically prints that I received in return. Today I processed my first three rolls - and scanned a few shots to show here. This first batch are off my old Nikon EL2 (Nikkormat in most markets) and Nikkor 35mm f/2. This was Nikon's first electronically metered camera.
I recently decided to get back into film. I've been using the Czech "Fomapan" brand because it's cheap as chips and is readily available in 100, 200 and 400 ISO. Chemicals are also super cheap. I have recently brought down to Sydney my father's (who passed away four years ago) complete dark room. I intend to set it up soon and delve back into the old analogue medium.
This group were taken with an old Leica M4-P (1980) and 40mm Leitz Summicron-C lens (except number 3 which I used a Voigtlander 15mm f/3.5) on, again, Fomapan 100.
I still mess with film, it is fun and more hands on.
Where do you get Fomapan from? The only places I've seen it the price wasn't much lower than other stocks.
I buy from Blanco Negro Peter. $57 for 35mm x 30m. They're out of stock after Christmas, but I'm be getting a couple of rolls of 100 and 400 as soon as they have it back in.
I'm curious as to why you're giving film a go again, especially when you've just got your new Sony?
DT
Thanks fellas.
David - my passion is black and white. It comes from working with my father for years in our home darkroom during the 70's. He taught me all the techniques available at the time to get the best out of what you had. I've always loved the subtlety of mono, and the fact that colour simply gets in the way. It is both questioned and questionable, whilst pure luminance and tone rarely are. Colour landscapes are fine if they're your thing, but for people and street scenes the old black and white film look, to me, is king.
Why do I want to get back to it? Mainly because I find the look of film so utterly appealing, and I now have the equipment again to work with it. Really, really decent film cameras are pitifully cheap nowadays, so I see myself landing a Hasselblad 500C soon, as I have the means to develop its film stock. Great camera I also have a couple of old classics coming this week - an Olympus OM-2 and OM-4Ti. These are added to my Nikon F, Nikon EL2 and Pentax SP500. Film is cheap, so why not?
On ya mate. I have resisted the temptation, but the desire is strong, especially with all the film cameras I seem to have accumulated lately. Every month I wind a shot or three off on the old Model 1 Leica, just so the shutter won't go to sleep.
The medium format is even better, you'll love the Blad'.
Gary
Well done Chris. I love black&white, especially for landscapes. I used to also shoot infrared film.
My darkroom is long gone but I still have a mint F100 Nikon, F4s and my Mamiya 645Pro is now a curio in a glass case. My favourites of all time were my Olympus Om1n and OM4Ti, maybe one day when a coronal mass ejection kills computers I will get back into film photography.
I have a hand-me-down / inheritance Leica IIIf - a gorgeous camera, that still get's used when I feel the urge.
I also have a FED 3, which takes photos almost as nicely as the Leica (they are copied from the Leica, so not surprising). The FED 3 is an inheritance on my wife's side.
I sold all my Minolta and Canon film cameras. Regret it now, but...
Don't need space if you don't print the film (though that is half the fun).
Just pick up a 2nd hand film scanner, like an old Nikon Ls2000 for a few bucks, and a little cannister developer. 35mm cameras are effectively free for fantastic models.
Shoot, develop and scan, the gear all fits in a desk drawer.
Being added to it soon are an OM-1, OM-4ti and OM-10
This OM-2n is in near mint condition. Dirt cheap, and it came with a Zuiko 28mm f/2.8, Tamrom 35-135mm f/3.5 and flash. Giving it a run in the city this Saturday evening with some other photography mates. Developing on Sunday morning.
New photos from the new camera - straight out of the tank and on to the scanner. The scanner's rubbish - time to spend some cash and by a decent one. Scanning to JPG isn't wonderful. I'll re-scan later - at least with negatives you have the originals
All three are taken with the Zuiko 28mm f/2.8 at reaaaaally close range - literally 30cm away. It made focusing and controlling a shallow DOF a challenge
1) "Bongo Telling a Joke"
2) "Bongo is A Lert"
3) "Bongo the Husband"
Sorry about the excess of pet shots. They're handy and I don't have time during the week to go on a photo excursion.... LOL
Love 'em Chris.
