nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

Hi. I'm a 68-year-old, been a photographer for well over 50 years, been a Canon user since my AE-1 Program in 1982. Bought my first DSLR new, a Canon EOS 60D, which I am still learning more about. (See my response in the forum about "Canon users-what should I buy?).
Also picked up an EOS 40D recently because it came with a couple of nice lenses. So now I'm figuring out TWO cameras.

I also have a collection of Canon and Nikon film cameras...all the cameras that I grew up envying but not being able to afford along every point in my life.
Gave up shooting film years ago but am contemplating getting film & chemicals (I used to teach photography and had a home darkroom) so I can actually see if all of my jewels really work! No place for a full darkroom, though.

drklrd Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

I hope you can actually find what you need. My much used color enlarger sits on a shelf. Any chemistry i have left over is in a box with all the other stuff I had in my darkroom. Not able to find film or paper with good expiration dates told me go digital. I did wait until the prices went down and the cameras achieved a better image quality. I stopped shooting weddings because of the price of camera bodies and the 1 mega pixel was not up to film standard ever. I would have had to buy a new pro camera once a year to stay current with the digital age in its infancy. Digital has grown up. Now all you need is a computer (most people have one these days and there are programs in certain states and cities to make them available to all) and just a pocket camera or a cell phone to get started. I Still do not know how to get the images from my new cell into my computer but I use a Nikon D7200 so camera is my friend still. In digital camera I find it is most like shooting slides back in film days. Plus if you go with Adobe Elements 18 from B&H you can edit and do way more than you could with film and multiple images are a few mouse click away or in my case I use a track ball for a mouse. You might want a Spyder 5 to color balance your screen. If you have a computer already you have a costly part already owned. I used to shoot as a pro and this is the direction where being a pro sent me. I am a 68 too. I found computers easy mostly because I had to fix computerized gear during my electronics career. I mean my ex-wife can use a computer so I think every one can learn it. Welcome to the web of digital photography. Currently printing about 300 images for two small albums. Images better than my old film prints of 4x6 days when you relied on the print house to get it right for previews. My previews were all on screen images. The cost now is ink and paper and my time. I still shoot pro but only school sports and activities for an old business I shot for 30 years ago. I never make prints for them just shoot jpegs and take them to them on a pocket hard drive. So welcome to UHH

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

You sure can get new B&W and color 35mm and 120 films and (at least) B&W chemicals! B&H Photo-Video has it all. B&W papers, too. Not the selection from the good old days, but it's there. I won't be getting back into enlarging though. Just getting B&W negs to see if exposures are good.

Multiple mail-order processing labs for B&W and color prints, if one wants to pay the price. That's why I went digital. If I want to use any of my classics for real stuff the processors will supply photos on CDs from film.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Welcome to the forum.

MikeMck Loc: Southern Maryland on the Bay

Welcome!

joehel2 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

Welcome to the forum.

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

Welcome, look forward to seeing some of your work.

Cheapshot Loc: California.

Welcome! Enjoy the ride.

ebbote Loc: Hockley, Texas

Welcome to the Hog, enjoy.

drklrd Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

The point I made is that besides the cost is that are you sure the film you get today was freshly mad vs still in date but how long in a freezer has it bee there. Chemicals if you know how to make them is the easier part. Simple example is that "white vinegar" is stop bath if you dilute properly. The other chemistry is out there and can be home brewed from recipes you can find online or at the public library. I as a pro really preferred a local lab because if it gets lost in the mail a whole wedding is gone and the bride as well as the pro has a big problem. I still do not like my work sent to a lab many miles away due to loss or bad processing. I had a studio loose one roll of film it was either the studio or the lab it was mailed to. Thankfully it was not real important shots that were lost just candid shots that were not important. I and the studio sat with the bride one afternoon and hashed it all out to both the bride's and studio's mutual consent as to the settlement involve. It could have been worse if the bride had decided to suite the studio. I am still not convinced that the expire date on the film is a true date especially if the film is made in the USA. I tried a few weeks ago to find a digital conversion of a few negs but the turnaround would have been almost a month. I am planning to buy a neg scanner this year for that issue. Hard to beat digital since film left us. Think of all the labs that went under and the number of people that had a talent but are maybe still unemployed since digital arrived. Not everyone can pay for their own retraining.

jack schade Loc: La Pine Oregon

Welcome to the forum.

Jack

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

I just added a profile picture. It's not me. It's Sadie the black Pug. She's my favorite photo subject.

Vince68 Loc: Wappingers Falls, NY

Welcome to UHH.

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

Welcome to the forum!!!

Granddad Loc: UK

Welcome to the hog.
Dave.