Analog film photography and cameras

youve been caught wanking over katherine heigl

your comming with me!

After being convinced by edscoble in the names and faces thread a few weeks back, I brought up the subject of film SLRs with my dad, and he's just given me all his old kit!

Olympus OM1 (nothing automatic, can run without a battery if you don't need the light meter), plus a few prime lenses:
50mm F1.4
28mm F3.5
200mm F4

Also a few skylight filters, a spare focus screen, remote sutter release cable, flash etc. Old skool! Had a bit of a play this afternoon, will wait and see what the results are like! as long as the film isnt shafted that is - its a bit of an old one...

...oh and a vivitar x2 tele converter

ps. i had a nightmare finding this thread, as the title says "fim" instead of film!

Nice camera. I seem to recall that David Bailey used to use one.

Anyone got any tips on where to get stuff developed? I'm not in london so I'm limited, but neither boots nor jessops would let me get stuff developed straight to a CD for much less than the cost of getting prints as well (ended up paying about £7.50 for ~24 7x5's and a CD, just getting the CD would have been £7!).

Am I missing a trick here, or are all places priced like this? Makes me wish I had my own developing gear!

Poor results from the first batch of photos :(

Seems it won't expose evenly at 1/1000th; one side of the picture is dark where the shutter isnt moving fast enough. Shame. Also boots printed half my pictures on the piss - seems the machine got confused due to some of the pics being uneven and so chopped most of them in two. Went back in to complain, and the woman did everything she could to blame me for various grievances. At least they're redoing them in an hour though.

It seems a lot of my pics are quite grainy too. It's only ISO 200 film so that surprised me - it seems to be primarily on the ones that I took with massive apertures (F1.4). Is that typical? Should I be backing it off a couple of stops and taking with longer exposures?

Also (if anyone is still reading!) whats the slowest shutter I can get away with without a tripod? would 1/125 be ok?

Also (if anyone is still reading!) whats the slowest shutter I can get away with without a tripod? would 1/125 be ok?

I was always told during my photography A-level that the slowest you can go without camera shake is about 1/60.

Also - I'd give your Dad's camera a proper clean and service if it hasn't been used in a while! I think there is a place called Sendean Cameras in Soho which does this sort of thing. Although I've never used them myself so I can't really comment on what they're like!

On another note - I have an old enlarger and some B+W film developing equipment (spool/dark bag etc) in my parents cellar gathering dust if you're interested in buying 'em?

i have that nikon 50mm f1.8 on my dslr, love it! (sorry to semi hijack the thread)

thinking about going Lomo for fun though... 4,000 yen gets you a new fisheye one out here, might be a laugh

Get one, they're great! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=119880&l=c54eb&id=643500583
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=32101&l=a1436&id=643500583

if your pics are grainy then maybe your exposures are off? are the negs a bit thin?

Also (if anyone is still reading!) whats the slowest shutter I can get away with without a tripod? would 1/125 be ok?

Depends on yer technique, but a general guide would be (on 35mm) 1/focal length.

Poor results from the first batch of photos :(

Seems it won't expose evenly at 1/1000th; one side of the picture is dark where the shutter isnt moving fast enough. Shame.

it may need a service. Like bikes, moving parts will sieze and or stop working properly. However, you may still get away without servicing, but not pushing the camera to its limits. Stick around the 1/125 - 1/500 and see what happens. you may need to compensate +/- a stop (what's on the dial isn't necessarily what is actually happening inside the camera).

Also boots printed half my pictures on the piss - seems the machine got confused due to some of the pics being uneven and so chopped most of them in two. Went back in to complain, and the woman did everything she could to blame me for various grievances. At least they're redoing them in an hour though.

pah. go somewhere else. Stay away from boots, they have no idea about film. http://www.londonfgss.com/thread6112.html

It seems a lot of my pics are quite grainy too. It's only ISO 200 film so that surprised me - it seems to be primarily on the ones that I took with massive apertures (F1.4). Is that typical? Should I be backing it off a couple of stops and taking with longer exposures?

where did you get the film (and what film was it)? get hold of some fuji superia 200ASA from a camera shop. last bit is important as you need to know it's been stored well. f1.4 again, is at the limit of the lens and is unlikely to be sharp.It's also a very difficult aperture to work with (I still struggle sometimes).

Also (if anyone is still reading!) whats the slowest shutter I can get away with without a tripod? would 1/125 be ok?

1/focal length, depending on your technique. for a 50mm lens, 1/50. You can get away with slower, but practice.

suggest fresh batteries and film, take some test shots, 1/250, f5.6 or so, on a tripod if you have (or can borrow) one.

studio portraits : RB67 , Ilford HP4 ( exposed at 80 )
Travelling: Nikon F3 + Sensia/Provia 100
Everyday, ever ready : Leica C-LUX

everything has its place in my eyes. Convenience is not always better. A F3+ slide is still unbeatable when travelling, since all the electronics in digital are not robust to moisture, cold and dirt and dependency on electricity
The unbeatable tiny form factor of digital is a plus because of its unobtrusiveness that preserves real expressions in faces
Yes Mr. Smith its all in the glass I agree. I love all my cameras for different reasons

it may need a service. Like bikes, moving parts will sieze and or stop working properly. However, you may still get away without servicing, but not pushing the camera to its limits. Stick around the 1/125 - 1/500 and see what happens. you may need to compensate +/- a stop (what's on the dial isn't necessarily what is actually happening inside the camera).

pah. go somewhere else. Stay away from boots, they have no idea about film. http://www.londonfgss.com/thread6112.html

where did you get the film (and what film was it)? get hold of some fuji superia 200ASA from a camera shop. last bit is important as you need to know it's been stored well. f1.4 again, is at the limit of the lens and is unlikely to be sharp.It's also a very difficult aperture to work with (I still struggle sometimes).

1/focal length, depending on your technique. for a 50mm lens, 1/50. You can get away with slower, but practice.

suggest fresh batteries and film, take some test shots, 1/250, f5.6 or so, on a tripod if you have (or can borrow) one.

Ah thanks a lot, thats really helpful. The film was a kodak ISO200, but it was likely a good few years old (maybe even 10yrs). I've been playing around with a new kodak iso 400 film, and steering clear of the uber-apertures for the time being. Looking forward to seeing the results :)

I was always told during my photography A-level that the slowest you can go without camera shake is about 1/60.

if you're careful, like able to hold the camera quite still, 1/30 is possible.

the slowest you can go without camera shake is 1/250th to be honest, 1/60 is fine if you're reasonably still, but not really when there's a handful of movement/vibration.

if you want a decent place to developed film, try Snappy Snap in Bloomsbury, Marchmont Street, they're pretty decent, process my film properly unlike the one in Wimbledon which give me a magenta tint annoyingly (kodak portra).

steer clear of Superia, they're shit film expect for Reala (which is under the Superia name), they're fine in bright daylight, but when it's cloudly or indoor, it have a weird green tint, too much of it.

don't forget rapid eye based in the famous london fixed wheel hipster neighborhood of shoreditch

Can't recommend Metro at all.

I prefer one in the basement of Shropshire House on TCR, half way opposite Eat.

Metro is becoming smaller and smaller. Closed Soho a while ago, then moved to smaller premises in Clerkenwell. Possibly a flawed business model.

" Possibly a flawed business model."
really? i would have thought that having a massive 5 floor building while paying 30 people to swan around doing nothing was a flawed business model?

the e6/c41 film/print business is dead.
i haven't used my metro account for 5years. every photographer i know shoots digital and has an Epson large format printer of their own.

metro made plenty of money in the 80's and 90's and they did the right thing in not expanding into the carpark out the back as was planned (i believe there was going to be a cafe built there)

I was being polite MrSmith. I think its fairly obvious that their closure of branches indicated a definite lack of foresight and appropriate planning. I also accept that almost all so-called professional photographers have switched over to digital.
Mind you, I recently was witness to a so-called professional at work, and thought all the while that his exposure was off in parts. It was. The shots ended up as part of a national campaign, but after heavy post-correction in Photoshop. The same photographer has won media awards. In his case, thank Hey-Soos for digital.
Obviously, I work with film. Its not dead, but just doesn't register, as that side of photography seems to be now less than 5 percent of work done in developed countries. Disappeared maybe, but not dead. Yet.

I might be wrong but I think Snappy Snaps still offer medium format although it's probably on a send away basis like their B&W. They also still do E6.

i wonder what the response would be if you walked into snappy snaps and asked for a +1/2 reverse clip 100% rush?

want professional results then use a professional lab.

I will never get rid of my film equipment.
Digital has it's place in the workplace, especially news and photojournalism, obviously because of the turn around time....but it has no place in my heart.
I would never dream of taking a digital camera with me on a holiday, or any personal projects i do.
I will be taking my Nikon FG and one lens with me to The Big Chill. i will sit back and laugh at all the "pro" photographers hauling around a giant bag of battery-powered auto focus pap.

i Will Never Get Rid Of My Film Equipment.
Digital Has It's Place In The Workplace, Especially News And Photojournalism, Obviously Because Of The Turn Around Time....but It Has No Place In My Heart.
I Would Never Dream Of Taking A Digital Camera With Me On A Holiday, Or Any Personal Projects I Do.
I Will Be Taking My Nikon Fg And One Lens With Me To The Big Chill. I Will Sit Back And Laugh At All The "pro" Photographers Hauling Around A Giant Bag Of Battery-powered Auto Focus Pap.

+1,000,000

want professional results then use a professional lab.

Absolutely. Wouldn't imagine reccomending anything else for a pro. However for the hobbyist, having a high street chain that even understands push and pull is pretty amazing.