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I want to give film a try

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    #16
    Re: I want to give film a try

    I often get my reasons mixed up when it gets written down. Been burned a few times on the Alamy forum for the same thing. I don't want to disturb my credibility as a photographer by giving the wrong reasons for buying a film camera. It's best I just mention that it's so I can say that I gave it a try.

    Too many times old film guys say to me "you young ones have it easy. you can just delete anything you don't like and correct it within 3-4 shots" that sort of stuff really sticks in my throat. I often hear that sort of thing in the film versus digital debate, and I am curious to see what this air of mystery is all about.

    I just want a 35mm film SLR with a 50mm 1.8. Stick a roll of Kodak Tri-X 400 monochrome film in on a sunny day and soak in the romance of photography from an era long forgotten.
    Fuji X-T1 | 1D IV
    www.campsie.photography

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      #17
      Re: I want to give film a try

      Good thinking and no need to justify as many of us will understand. But if you fancy giving film a try then why not. I've a friend who still uses two Pentax 67's (120 film). [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentax_67]. The results he gets are stunning. If you like film and get hooked you'll be drooling over an Ebony [http://www.ebonycamera.com/index.html] and it's ilk ;-)

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        #18
        Re: I want to give film a try

        I started out with film and my favourite camera was an Olympus OM20. Even though I loved using an SLR with film, I wouldn't go back to it from digital. I carried my working practice through which is beneficial I think. I learned to plan my shoots because I couldn't change film speed halfway through a roll. I learned to compose my shots in the camera and did virtually no post processing. I also learned to wait for the moment and only take the shot I thought would be a keeper because I was too poor to machine gun shots!

        To be honest though, you can replicate all that with a digital camera. Before you go out to shoot, pick 100, 200 or 400 ISO and limit yourself to 24 or 36 shots maximum and don't change those settings. And no cheating by checking the screen on the back of the camera - you have to wait until you get home!

        What I don't miss with film is the cost, missing shots because I'd cocked up a setting, and sometimes even missing a whole shoot because I didn't wind the film on properly
        Canon 5DMKII | Canon 550D | EF 50mm f/1.8 II | EF 35 f/2 IS USM | EF 85 f/1.8 USM | Speedlite 430EX II | 2x Yongnuo YN-622C | MacBook Pro 2.7GHz i7 | Lightroom 5 | Hama Traveller Mini Pro Tripod | Lowepro Stealth Reporter D400W | Flickr | 500px | Website

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          #19
          Re: I want to give film a try

          I also started many many years ago with film using Minolta SLRs and processing my own films / prints and slides in my own darkroom. What film taught me most was how to use the Shutter / aperture / ISO (or ASA film speed) to get the image as good as you could in camera particularly if using slides.

          it also taught me how I could meld images, double expose images, burn and dodge on prints very much as you do today on the computer.

          Have fun but for me the best part was the processing of the film and prints. I will be interested in how you get on.

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            #20
            Re: I want to give film a try

            I started in 1958 with my Box Browny before moving onto a sucession of Pentax Spotmatics and the Camon xEs and them then onto Canon dogotals
            ef-r

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              #21
              Re: I want to give film a try

              My good lady informed me earlier that she got me a mint Canon AE-1P with lens and 3 rolls of the film I've been talking about. It's recently been serviced, no squeaks or coughs lol
              Fuji X-T1 | 1D IV
              www.campsie.photography

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                #22
                Re: I want to give film a try

                Your a lucky lucky man Paul enjoy experimenting with the new camera
                1Dmk2, Canon 70-200 f4 L Non-IS & a borrowed canon 28mm

                Flickr
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                www.paulraybouldphotography.co.uk

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                  #23
                  Re: I want to give film a try

                  Now the fun starts.

                  The big difference with film is that it is a more leisurely and thoughtful process. You only get 36 shots on a roll (ignore smaller rolls for this argument), it takes time to rewind the film and load up another and whatever ASA (ISO) you choose, you are stuck with that for the whole roll. It's quite expensive, so you carefully consider each shot before pressing the button and keep the motor drive switched off. You have to make every shot count.

                  You need to be spot on for exposure, especially for transparencies, where you need to nail the exposure to within a third of a stop. You can't change the white balance, so you need to have the right film for the right conditions, or a set of colour correction filters. There is no RAW, DPP, Lightroom or Photoshop ............... what you take is what you get and unless you have your own darkroom and process your own, you used to have to wait a week to be disappointed.

                  I look on my time using film with some nostalgic fondness, from 35mm, medium format and large format. There was almost an apprenticeship where you had to do your time to learn the craft and you were the photographer, not the camera. Saying that, would I go back to film? Not on your life. A MKI Ford Escort was good in it's day, but not against a modern Ford Focus.

                  I admire your commitment Paul and you will learn much from the experience and I look forward to your updates on the subject.
                  Colin

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                    #24
                    Re: I want to give film a try

                    I started off with film in 1996 and I owned a EOS Elan IIe. A great camera with a retro look. I really enjoy the anticipation and excitement of getting my prints/slides. I gave up photography when everyone moved to digital as it took away a lot of joy of photography.

                    Many years later I reignited my interest in photography and started enjoying digital.

                    Films are great and Elan IIe is a great camera. It is not an old classic but it looks good.

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                      #25
                      Re: I want to give film a try

                      Good luck Paul. I would echo a lot of the comments above and add my own 2 cents....

                      If you're going to shoot Tri-X (capable of great results, btw), but have it developed & printed commercially, don't be too disappointed if the end results are not quite as stunning print-quality as you'd like!

                      Tri-X is a film that "looks" different depending on the developer used to process it (and whether the film is (intentionally) over or under-developed). Also, just like the pp you currently do in PS/Lightroom/etc, the darkroom work carried out during the printing process has a massive effect on the finished image.

                      Unless you use a "Pro" lab that hand prints your negs, they may look pretty "flat" and bland. Of course, I could be talking nonsense and they'll be great.

                      And at worst, you can use the lab prints as a guide and scan the negs into the computer and work on them there.

                      Good luck and have fun....

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                        #26
                        Re: I want to give film a try

                        Originally posted by colin C View Post
                        Now the fun starts ... would I go back to film? Not on your life. A MKI Ford Escort was good in it's day, but not against a modern Ford Focus.

                        I admire your commitment Paul and you will learn much from the experience and I look forward to your updates on the subject.
                        Yes me too Paul ...
                        [ Canon 1DX ] [ 70-200 f2.8 L is II ] [ 300 f4 L is usm ] [ 50 mm f1.8 II ] [ 24-105 f4 L is ] [ Speedlite 430 ] [Yongnuo 568 ex II flash ] [ Yongnuo flash triggers ] [ Cokin P filters] [ Giottos Silk Road GYTL8384 carbon tripod ] [ Photoshop CS5 ] ... Wish list Canon EF 500 mm f/4 L IS USM.

                        Some nice gear, but not much idea ... https://www.flickr.com/photos/123175589@N03/

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                          #27
                          Re: I want to give film a try

                          I started off with film - a Brownie to begin with, then a Kodak Instamatic (with pop-up flash!) - from there I had a Zenith-E and then a Pentax SLR. I didn't take many pictures because of the cost of processing, even doing my own at one time. Unfortunately, everything I did take was badly composed.

                          Then I found digital - and I still couldn't get out of the "remember, each time you press the shutter, it'll cost you" syndrome! It's taken me about 10 years to remember each time I press the shutter, it doesn't cost and I can delete the rubbish.

                          I still don't take any better photographs, but I experiment a lot more and it can actually be fun, deleting stuff!

                          For what it's worth Paul, many of the images you have posted on this forum and on Flickr have been an inspiration to me and I aspire to take images of quality and content somewhere near yours!
                          Last edited by Jock; 11-12-2013, 11:59.
                          Canon EOS 6D Mk II, 700D, Canon 24-105mm L, 100-400mm, 100mm f2.8 L Macro.

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                            #28
                            Re: I want to give film a try

                            Hi Paul,

                            I'm mainly a film user - I bought my Canon DSLR originally to try out my Leica R lenses on it (as they fit with a simple adaptor). I previously have owned Canon's AE1, A1 and the old type F1 (that was a lovely camera and one I wish I'd kept but at the time I wanted to modernise!).

                            To be honest I still much prefer the look of film images. I know you can add film effects and grain in PP but why imitate when you can use the real thing instead?

                            I see film and digital as two different mediums, which give different results. It's not a case of 'old technology' - that's like thinking of oil or watercolour painters as using old technology when they could be using a graphics program on their computer instead!

                            I've not read all the responses so apologies if I'm repeating what others have already said. You don't need a darkroom to process your own film - just a changing bag, a developing tank, chemicals and some measures. It's really simple to process your own traditional B&W film - of course you'd also need a scanner which is another matter.

                            To start with you're probably best off shooting C41, colour neg or the B&W films like XP2, and having them processed and scanned to CD - I find Snappy Snaps very reliable and good quality. I don't bother with prints, the CD files are not very high res but you can usually make decent enough A4 prints. I scan individual images at high res at home.

                            You should also try traditional B&W film and prints. Ilford have a good D&P service and make traditional wet prints (most commercial labs print from scans even when you give them a film for D&P).

                            Let us know how you get on!

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                              #29
                              Re: I want to give film a try

                              Add to say.... I see you want to use Tri X which is a nice film. Snappy Snaps will process it but as I said they print digitally so you might like to try the Ilford service and get some traditional 'wet' prints made.

                              Another suggestion, google 'Sunny 16' and give that a go using your AE1 in manual mode. If you don't usually shoot in manual it will make you really think about light - and B&W is very much about using the light and contrast in subject matter IMHO.

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                                #30
                                Re: I want to give film a try

                                I do shoot in manual currently but its more about getting a needle in the middle using a dial rather than learning what settings it should be.
                                Fuji X-T1 | 1D IV
                                www.campsie.photography

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