Analog film photography and cameras

Yeah me too, I hardly shoot that much anymore so even with the cost of portra 400 which is what I shoot i dont mind because I dont shoot nearly as much as I previously did.

But would you be shooting more if it were cheaper? 💁 🤔 🙂

Thank you -will cop. Have been meaning to buy a bulk loader for ages and finally did so yesterday. Have been debating going Kodak 5222 from frame24 but not sure I can stomach it’s fussy exposure and faff of 400ft rolls!

Just relaying what Speed Graphic said in the newsletter!

Longggg shot.

I just received a Konica Big Mini 302 this week after purchasing one from auction. It wasn't tested but I took a gamble as the condition looked good compared to most others online.

Ordered a CR123 battery and popped it in. Fired up fine, had no film in it but would allow me to take a shot, lens extended as it should, counter and rear panel worked as well as lights to indicate exposer and if the flash would fire. The flash didn't seem to fire but I wasn't sure if this was due to no film being loaded and if it was a busted flash I could probably live without it.

I switched it off.

When I went back and switched it back on it immediately smelt of burning and the low battery indicator flashed up. I'm assuming something blew due to excess power?? The battery I received looked like it had been partially opened and I wasn't sure if it could have been faulty and damaged the camera??

I haven't touched it since.

Gutted as it was intended as a gift for my wife's birthday as she's looking to get into film and I thought it would have been ideal.

Any advice, potentially but unlikely repair options greatly received.

Image is not of my camera but just to show the model.

Thanks.

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The battery I received looked like it had been partially opened

..what?

If you do go down the recanned route … I’d be interested to hear about the experience. I seriously considered doing this a few years back (when Ektar was pushing £10 and Kodak 250d was very cheap/available).

Bellini make a home-dev-friendly ECN2 kit now.

Package was opened at the back but not the front, wasn't sure if the company had put an old battery in there and that may have some how damaged the camera, as the outer packaging was completely untouched.

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I considered this a while back but as you suggested it's only cheaper if you can get the film for a good price e.g. recanned or out of date (at least where I am)
Plus you have to be ok with only working with ec2...

I've not heard of this but big minis usually die because of the flex cable in the door.
Also I had one where I damaged the front and the flash burnt out but there was no burnt plastic smell?
If you can check the flash and open the back carefully and check the cable on the hinge that's the best advice I've got...

When I went back and switched it back on it immediately smelt of burning and the low battery indicator flashed up. I'm assuming something blew due to excess power?? The battery I received looked like it had been partially opened and I wasn't sure if it could have been faulty and damaged the camera??

..sorry, but this just sounded like the battery itself had been 'partially opened' - that the packaging has been opened partially shouldn't happen either when buying a new battery, alas the worst case scenario I can think of is they sold you a old / used battery; both shouldn't damage your camera.

So not sure what's going on there I'm afraid :-/
Did you try switching it on again / try taking a photo again?

Sounds like the flash capacitor might be the issue. I had something similar with a Pentax espió mini, sold for spares or repairs. Not many people repair old compact electronic cameras, but there is some talent if you want to pay. From personal experience I have use https://www.fotonaprawa.pl
Which replaced a shutter cable and fixed burnt flash on a Fuji GA645, I have also sent them a Ricoh GR 2 and a Yashica T4 which I'm hoping will be fixed too.

I did read that the rear cables on the hinge are renowned for going but the back panel was working no problem so thought that was fine. Not sure I trust myself to tinker with it to be honest.

@salad Yeah, switched it back on but wouldn't take a photo, rear panel and exposure lights still worked and lens popped out the body though.

@YeahNerdz Oh right, this sounds slightly promising, I'll take a look and send a message, cheers.

Many thanks to everyone 👍🏻

I just don't see where this is going to end. Absolutely crazy.

Expired film I need to sell as I'm never going to use them. Always been refrigerated. £30 for the three.

Nah not at this present moment I wouldn't be, at one point a couple of years ago I was doing between 10 and 20 a month now im doing 10 a year max so the cost really isn't affecting me tbh.

But would you be shooting more if it were cheaper? 💁 🤔 🙂

I know directed at someone else, but I would be, I think. Shame Kodak seems to want to kill colour film photography with short term cash grabs instead of creating something that's sustainable.

Yea that comment was meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek - on a more serious note:
it's similar for me nowadays; I used to shoot 10 rolls a month, and now just a handful per year.
It's not just due to the cost though, to be frank - there's just other things I'm interested in more these days.

And to be honest I haven't really understood why exactly film got so expensive in the last years.
I mean, I was shooting Portra 400 for about €4,50 - now it's more like €16, and out of stock all the time 😅

I think like everything folk are just pushing the prices up and up and up and blaming everything for it.

Film prices should be better now as there is more people than ever shoot it and Kodak have cut the quality of the portra too so its cheaper for them yet is double the price it use to be.

Fucking daft

Kodak have cut the quality of the portra

..oh yeah?

First Leica glass for the M2. Got this on the cheap so will see how I get on with 5cm/50mm.

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According to my film developer they have made the film thin as fuck and its not as good as it was.

Was digging around in the loft and came across some of my old skateboard pics from the 90’s. I was so proud of my canon T-90 which could shoot 3 or 5 frames a second but used to burn through film. Eventually we pooled funds and got a camcorder.

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If my Tmax 100 120 negs are … erm … really quite purple … am I not prewashing enough, or not fixing enough?

Looking at all my recent 35mm Tmax (100 and 3200) they only have a slight reddish tinge, barely noticeable.