An Old Friend: As I look through cabinets and drawers, I'm finding things I haven't seen in years. Remember APS film? You could take three different size pictures: regular, APC, and...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

As I look through cabinets and drawers, I'm finding things I haven't seen in years. Remember APS film? You could take three different size pictures: regular, APC, and panoramic. I bought this Canon Elph in 1998 for $300. I used it while traveling in China later that year. It slipped into a belt case, and it was ready to go in a second. I took these pictures with another small Canon, the Elph SD800 IS. That cost $311 in 2007, and after charging the batteries, it still works. 7.1 MP, 4.6 - 17.3 mm zoom, f/2.8 - 5.8 lens, auto flash.

I'm pretty sure I'm posting this in the wrong section, but the Gallery would also be wrong, so here it is.

I wonder what that red reflection is from. The flash is probably bouncing off something underneath the translucent black plastic.

BebuLamar

APS-H (which uses the entire frame and is 16:9 aspect ratio) and APS-C plus panoramic. The camera always take pictures in APS-H but records the setting in the magnetic strip so that the photofinisher know how to crop them into APS-C or Panorama.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

BebuLamar wrote:

APS-H (which uses the entire frame and is 16:9 aspect ratio) and APS-C plus panoramic. The camera always take pictures in APS-H but records the setting in the magnetic strip so that the photofinisher know how to crop them into APS-C or Panorama.

I'm tempted to buy some film for that, but then I'd have to wait for them to be processed and run them through software. Digital is much faster.

As we arrived in each new city, our Chinese guide would tell us the population, and it was always in the millions. There was a Chinese American woman in our group, and Chinese people often came up to her speaking Chinese. During one tour, a young Chinese man joined our group because he wanted to practice his English. Surprisingly, some of guides spoke against the communist government - about how their families had suffered.

The hotels we stayed at were very luxurious - a beautiful Holiday Inn, for example. It had a huge lobby with a woman in a ball gown playing a grand piano. I went to the desk to buy postage stamps, and the woman gave me the stamps along with a pot of glue and a brush. Funny. We got home before the mail did.

As we were about to fly to a different city, our USA guide saw that Aeroflot was the airline. He put us up in a hotel so we could find on a better airline the next day. Good move.

BebuLamar

I am not sure you can buy APS film any more.

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

Owning a photo lab, APS introduction was a nightmare for us. Had to spend hundred s of thousands to upgrade equipment.

I bought one of the Gold Elphs. Sold it for less than I paid for it.

They made such big hype about it. In the end APS was a flop

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

jerryc41 wrote:

As I look through cabinets and drawers, I'm findin... (show quote)

Mine was a Kodak.
I still have an exposed but unprocessed roll of film. The only lab that would do it require me to send the package out of the country. The sad part is that I do not remember what was in those film and is an itch i could not scratch. Big bummer.

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

I am not aware that you can.

Almost all photofinishers got rid of their film processors once digital got more popular.

Film processors require continuous roll to be run through to keep the chemicals replenished. Too few and they will deplete and you have to drain all the chemicals and “recharge” the film processor. In Our hay day, we would do about 150 rolls a day. That dropped to like 20 when I got rid of mine.

Like vinal records, film is making somewhat of a comeback. The camera store I sold my lab to installed one about 2 years ago. APS developing is not in the mix.

Having said that, you may check FROMEX in Long Beach. I know Jobn the owner and he never stopped developing film and may have APS capability.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

coolhanduke wrote:

I am not aware that you can. br br Almost all pho... (show quote)

Thanks.
I'm in the Middle East, that is the dilemma. I would need to send the film there in US to get developed and printed.

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

Oh, that’s a different story.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

coolhanduke wrote:

Oh, that’s a different story.

BebuLamar

coolhanduke wrote:

I am not aware that you can. br br Almost all pho... (show quote)

Lab not having enough film to process was the reason I have to switch to digital. I shot mostly in color negative film and it's much better to have the lab process my negative and then I can make my own prints using RA-4 process. I can't do better nor cheaper than the lab but when the lab doesn't have enough work they can't keep the process stable any more and that is the problem .

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Wallen wrote:

Mine was a Kodak.
I still have an exposed but unprocessed roll of film. The only lab that would do it require me to send the package out of the country. The sad part is that I do not remember what was in those film and is an itch i could not scratch. Big bummer.

Neon photo on Fresno California processes a lot of film. They have a web site.

https://hornphoto.com/

Toment Loc: FL, IL

Had one in the late 90s. Loved it pocketable and fun to use. Changed to digital in 2001 with an Olympus CZ 3000 and never looked back. 😀😀

bodiebill

jerryc41 wrote:

I'm tempted to buy some film for that, but then I'... (show quote)

LOOK, EVEN THE WALL IS CROWDED

Elias Amador

The Canon Elph first appeared in 1996, according to Google. I keep my Power Shot Elph310HS by my keyboard and use it for the occasional photo, it is a convenient and reliable companion, takes good shots.
A friend who was a bit broke at the time sold me his for $20, and now I see it is available from Amazon for $190+tax+shipping !