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Nightski Got a Film Camera!
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Aug 4, 2015 06:41:35   #
corryhully Loc: liverpool uk
 
Peterff wrote:
Fair points, b&w film developing is very straight forward. It'll be interesting to hear from more film users and their thoughts....


I am surprised there is not a film section on the hog.

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Aug 4, 2015 07:51:52   #
CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City
 
Sandra - I read most of the responses but maybe not all. A couple of quick thoughts on film. I didn't see the camera you selected but you did mention using your EF lenses. I tested first an EOS Rebel G and was amazed all my EF lenses worked. I was a tad less technical a few years ago so I didn't quite understand the EOS system was fully forward and backward compatible unlike some other systems ...

But, this Rebel model only had three focus points. So I found a review for the EOS 1V, Canon's last professional film camera. They were still listed in the B&H catalog being delivered to my door for $2000. Off ebay I grabbed one for $650. The body was a little beat up but otherwise works like a dream. It brought a more sophisticated focus system from the 90s that beat my brand new (at the time) 7D.

I was only going to shoot black & white for film to mix it up vs shooting digitally in color. But, after shooting Kodak Ektar and Kodak Portra, I'm finding I shoot color about as much as I shoot B&W and I finish about one 36x roll every two weeks or so bringing a film camera along on nearly every shoot with a digital camera. Sometimes, I only take film such as Friday July 3 as I headed downtown to catch the scene on film of the first the three Dead shows in Chicago. (I brought a pocket digital for the Saturday night show I attended.)

If you haven't already, check Rockwell's write up on shooting film. See the Classic Articles from the How To section off the top of his pages. I try to give him credit, but maybe I'm due for a monetary contribution on the tip he called out last week... A new product is due called Meta35 that will hook into the older professional models and download the EXIF data stored in old proprietary formats and / or proprietary cable connections. As near as I can tell, the EOS software that would download from the 1V stopped working at the release of Windows XP. The Meta35 product listing on B&H has some links to utube showing how this new product will merge the shooting data from the camera with the scanned images back from the developer.

I use Darkroom for my film processing. I have a scanner but I'm a bit lazy on doing it myself except for old rolls from the 80s and 90s. New stuff I just let them do it and I'm using the medium sized scan quality. I am regularly disappointed with dust or a hair in the images (scans) but cloning in LR5 is just a few minutes effort as I'm working the digital images anyway. I don't remove the grain of the film, but I do smooth it some as I would have done in the background leaves of the sunflower you posted.

Shooting film has improved my overall photography. Or maybe, shooting digital has made me a better film photographer? Certainly, I pay much more attention to everything before clicking the shutter on film.

KEH sells film but not every speed or brand. I've spent hours gathering comments about various brands and speeds and think about what I'm going to shoot when selecting the roll to load. These are not things I consider when shooting digitally except maybe the lens or few to bring. On film I'm finding I use my primes more, particularly the 35 and 135 focal lengths.

So without those technical settings, it is about applying that technical knowledge from digital against your film technique. I really can appreciate what it took to be successful in film vs digital ...

/paul

EDIT - I just saw the Rebel model you got from Amazon. I did the HS version of the 1V. It looks like the model without the battery pack is half the price and half the weight ...

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Aug 4, 2015 08:07:34   #
SonyBug
 
Nightski, I looked at your photos on your site and here are my thoughts.
A. you do not need to do film to prove yourself. Your artistic eye is fabulous and film will not improve that. High resolution digital will do everything that you could want to do.
B. I loved your pictures, especially the one of the Milky Way that led to the fire in the woods that led to the reflection on the lake. I would put that on my wall.

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Aug 4, 2015 09:08:57   #
pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY
 
Peterff wrote:
Congratulations! So what camera did you get?

You mean that film doesn't have EXIF metadata magically imprinted on the negatives? Rats!

I think you might need to resort to a notebook and pencil for each exposure. Then, once you have the negatives digitized you could manually edit the EXIF data with something like EXIFtool. It's a little bit like using old manual focus lenses on a modern DSLR. If the lens has a chip, then the camera can record the data it has - shutter speed, ISO, max aperture, focal length etc., but not anything that isn't instrumented such as actual focal length on a zoom lens or the actual aperture value used because there is no automated system to collect that data. It's laborious, but I think it's what Ansel Adams used to have to do....

Good luck, it would be great to get updates on your experiences with this project....
Congratulations! So what camera did you get? br ... (show quote)


General note about EXIF data. If you don't keep track of your settings it will very difficult if not impossible to improve. Without knowing shutter, aperture along with film speed, how will you know why the picture is good or the corollary, what is not good and needs to be changed.

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Aug 4, 2015 09:28:52   #
selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA
 
Nightski wrote:
... I got this camera. ...

When you are ready for a real SLR challenge, try one like this. Got it from KEH for $8.25+$11.95 S&H, $10 for the filter and $2 for the lens cap.

Lens has a leaf shutter and is 50 mm only. The light meter does not work but it gets a new sensor every time I load the film.

See: http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-328174-1.html#5503654

1956 Ikon Contaflex IV
1956 Ikon Contaflex IV...

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Aug 4, 2015 09:28:59   #
lsimpkins Loc: SE Pennsylvania
 
Darkroom317 wrote:
You use an enlarger to project the negative on color photographic paper and then process it. I have a color enlarger that I use for b&w contrast control but I don't print color as I have heard it is difficult and a pain.

Not as difficult as you might think. Major changes are no safelight and drum processing for all but the wash stage. I've done Cibachrome from my slides and Kodak from negatives. You need color correction filters as well unless you have a color head.

I've recently thrown away my remaining paper and chemicals (nice hit in the pocketbook) and want to sell my Beseler 23C with both condenser and Dichroic color head since it hasn't seen any use in 5-10 years.

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Aug 4, 2015 09:30:27   #
Nikonhermit Loc: In This Place
 
Rongnongno wrote:
What is the point of having a film camera if you digitize the pictures?

*puzzled*


:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

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Aug 4, 2015 09:41:29   #
corryhully Loc: liverpool uk
 
selmslie wrote:
When you are ready for a real SLR challenge, try one like this. Got it from KEH for $8.25+$11.95 S&H, $10 for the filter and $2 for the lens cap.

Lens has a leaf shutter and is 50 mm only. The light meter does not work but it gets a new sensor every time I load the film.


I have a contaflex iv that I use often. Beautiful work of art of a camera.
I posted some photos taken with it on the hog quite recently.
The meter still works on mine and is accurate. A little trick to try on a defunct meter sensor. Flash it a number of times with a speedlight. It has been known to wake them up. Worth a try

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Aug 4, 2015 09:45:04   #
Frank W Loc: Adirondacks in NY
 
but how do I know what my shutter speed and aperture were set at?[/quote]

We carried a pencil & notepad and wrote down for every shot.
Welcome to the world of film. :wink:

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Aug 4, 2015 09:53:48   #
selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA
 
corryhully wrote:
... A little trick to try on a defunct meter sensor. Flash it a number of times with a speedlight. It has been known to wake them up. Worth a try

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

The other problem it has is that the shutter works for 1/8 through 1/500 but not 1/4 or slower (OK on Bulb). I have read that there are two separate shutter timer mechanisms and that this is not an unusual problem.

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Aug 4, 2015 10:19:08   #
Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN
 
lsimpkins wrote:
Not as difficult as you might think. Major changes are no safelight and drum processing for all but the wash stage. I've done Cibachrome from my slides and Kodak from negatives. You need color correction filters as well unless you have a color head.

I've recently thrown away my remaining paper and chemicals (nice hit in the pocketbook) and want to sell my Beseler 23C with both condenser and Dichroic color head since it hasn't seen any use in 5-10 years.


I was thinking in terms of color balancing. I may try it one day. I use a color head right now for b&w contrast control. My professors discouraged me from doing color, but I know many of the schools I have looking at for grad school still do color printing. I wish Cibachrome/ Ilfochrome was still available.

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Aug 4, 2015 10:25:03   #
AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!
 
Sandra, stay with it and you'll love film. I still think I get better images on film. Find a good lab so you get the negs. The "free" scans are too small for making prints of any size so they're hardly a replacement for the negs. Next you'll be converting your bath to a darkroom! Welcome to the dark side!

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Aug 4, 2015 10:28:27   #
lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode
 
nikonbug wrote:
Nightski, I looked at your photos on your site and here are my thoughts.
A. you do not need to do film to prove yourself. Your artistic eye is fabulous and film will not improve that. High resolution digital will do everything that you could want to do.
B. I loved your pictures, especially the one of the Milky Way that led to the fire in the woods that led to the reflection on the lake. I would put that on my wall.


I thoroughly agree. Nothing to prove.
I actually think film is a step backward for you.
Maybe treat as a fun thing to do for a couple of rolls rather than something you have to learn or perfect.
Certainly don't let the patronising, supercilious tones running under some of the comments in this thread get to you.

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Aug 4, 2015 10:40:21   #
farnsworth52 Loc: W. Pa.
 
Welcome Nightski to the world of film photography. Knowledge gained is never wasted. Even if you decide later this is not your cup o' tea the experience is worth it. Developing your first roll of B/W film is like,Why did I wait so long,this is easy. The R3 monobath is a single process Google it and try when your ready. Don't let anyone talk you out of using film, it's great fun and can be quite addictive. You shoot great pictures and the film camera will make you better. Good Luck and above all HAVE FUN

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Aug 4, 2015 10:43:55   #
selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA
 
lighthouse wrote:
... Certainly don't let the patronising, supercilious tones running under some of the comments in this thread get to you.

Where did that come from? Are you reading something into our comments? Or are you trying to hijack Nightski's thread?

I think everyone so far has been courteous, encouraging, positive and helpful.

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