Bought a Film Camera

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LeiseyJr
Posts: 1527
Joined: Dec 22, 2013 10:11 PM
Location: Houston,Tx

Bought a Film Camera

Post by LeiseyJr »

So recently I bought a film camera. Wanted to teach myself about photography, so far I have learned a lot and still a lot more to learn. There is also a novelty to it I like. My friend got a Nikon FM and I got a Olympus OM-10.

First trip we went to Austin, with Fuji C200 and Kodak Gold 200
Imager001-011 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imager001-031 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imager002-009 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imager002-022 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imager001-033 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imager001-024 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imager002-012 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Then I got to drive my fathers old racecar, the new owner offered
Imager001-013 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imager001-014 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoZXQq1Bqj4

Speaking of Dad here is his 535i, (Fuji Pro 400H)
Imager001-023 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

I shot some Portra 400 and 800 and wasn't happy with the colors. I think this is due to the lab
Imagear001-029 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imagear001-024 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imagear001-026 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

At this point, I found my favorite film which is Ektachrome. I also upgraded to a Olympus OM2, got a 50mm F1.4 and 35mm F2.8 as my 50mm F1.8 had some fungus. However even with fungus that lens was super sharp, I still use it.
Image121623238_1770694033107508_8212809470321720353_n by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Image121635802_1770694196440825_6371400240386296994_n by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

ImageImg136 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr


Saw this 911:
ImageImg112 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
ImageImg111 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

TexFest was an adventure. Car did fine but was a LOT of driving. First we left Thursday night, got there to meet a guy who had a M60 swapped E30 that was broken (ektachrome 400)
Imageimg331 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Went to go eat: (ektachrome 400)
Imageimg315 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Friday Morning went to go eat: (ektachrome 400)
Imageimg405 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Then drove a shit ton with Chris, Jens, and Aaron (ektachrome 200)
Imageimg107 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

That night I then went back to Houston (ektachrome 200)
Imageimg114 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imageimg111 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Got home pretty late, got some sleep. Then woke up and headed an hour to MSRH:
Imageimg116 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLOp5zhs6zs&t=732s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSQweFXmfBs

Then I drove the 4 hours back to the gang still on the track tires
Thank You LJ for having a jack (mine broke),
Imageimg121 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr


Imageimg401 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imageimg208 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr


On the way back home Sunday:
Imageimg222 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imageimg217 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

1000 miles in that bucket seat is quite tiring. It was a great weekend, hopefully next year I can document it better. I did not have a tripod at this point.

I got one though, and learned that is my favorite time to take pictures is at night:
Imager002-016 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imager002-018 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imager001-026 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr



I needed to get a fuel tank from Sherman in order to get mine repaired, as it cracked
Imagebr001-010 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imagebr001-009 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Pictures of my girlfriends dog:
Imager002-011 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imager001-026 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

I am also am now developing and scanning myself, had to borrow a friends Olympus OM-D for these:
Image_1070028 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Image_1070025 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Image_1060010-2 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Image_1070026 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Image_1070027 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Image_1060018 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Image_1060016 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Hope you have enjoyed the pictures so far
///M
Posts: 74
Joined: Apr 17, 2009 11:21 PM

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by ///M »

Looking through your photos was interesting. They look like photos I took over 30 years ago. A lot have poor colour saturation and show why digital cameras took over. The photo of the 911 shows good colour saturation. From what I remember slower shutter speed for increased exposure or decreasing the F stop. Increasing the F stop and higher shutter speed better for moving objects. Taking good photographs was a skill or a lot of luck. Often the idea was to bracket exposures, using a higher or lower aperture (F stop).
To get the best results I think you have to develop your own as the labs seemed to always produce the most average results. If slide film is still available it is worth trying, or maybe that is what you used.
My camera bag and equipment was stolen and I replaced it with a digital camera. The Internet would be quite empty if everyone was still using film.
vinceg101
Posts: 4878
Joined: Jun 20, 2007 2:40 AM
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by vinceg101 »

One mantra comes to mind: Practice, Practice, Practice.
Shooting well with film, as with most skills,takes practice and experimentation. Good photography is a combination of both a creative eye and skill.
The former is about an open mind and learning to look at things differently. You can exercise and train those "muscles" by exposing yourself to all sorts of art both mundane and profound (in photography, look at a lot of photography). Experimentation with a camera and what you see through the viewfinder is critical to start seeing the world around you differently (one could say this is very definition of art).

The latter is about knowing your equipment, its' limitations and understanding the science of it all. That only comes from repetitive use until it becomes second nature. When I got my first 35mm camera back in high school, I was shooting 2 to 4 rolls of film a week (mostly color print in the beginning). A famous photographer (I think it was Avedon) said that you would be lucky it you got one or two good shots per roll of 24, even for trained pros, so I shot of a lot of crap. But every once in a while I got some good ones (I know because I just recently came across them when I was archiving the last 36 years of personal photography). The variables in film photography are many, color even more so. Each new camera I have bought has taken me a long time to understand to be able to start producing the images I see in my mind. My present film camera is a 6x7 medium format (Bronica GS-1) has taken me years to figure out. Unfortunately the changes in the film industry have not helped us as they both reduce the choices and "normalize" what options are left. This will impinge your efforts in experimentation and will only get worse as time progresses.

I applaud you in developing your film, while I printed a lot of B&W when I was in college, I never went so far as to develop it myself (call me lazy, but I was more interested in using the camera, not mixing chemicals in the dark). Developing adds a lot more variables so be careful not to get too buried in the technical that you forget what really makes a good image is a good eye for composure.

So, while some of these may not be technically perfect, there are some good parts in many of them. Keep it up, work on technique, figure out which film works the best for each application. Film photography is visceral, rewarding when you get it right, and above all fun.

I still miss my Nikon 35mm cameras, even if my Bronica and DSLR can outperform them in every way (heck, even my cell phone cameras can rival them).
LeiseyJr
Posts: 1527
Joined: Dec 22, 2013 10:11 PM
Location: Houston,Tx

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by LeiseyJr »

///M wrote: Jan 11, 2021 1:10 PM Looking through your photos was interesting. They look like photos I took over 30 years ago. A lot have poor colour saturation and show why digital cameras took over. The photo of the 911 shows good colour saturation. From what I remember slower shutter speed for increased exposure or decreasing the F stop. Increasing the F stop and higher shutter speed better for moving objects. Taking good photographs was a skill or a lot of luck. Often the idea was to bracket exposures, using a higher or lower aperture (F stop).
To get the best results I think you have to develop your own as the labs seemed to always produce the most average results. If slide film is still available it is worth trying, or maybe that is what you used.
My camera bag and equipment was stolen and I replaced it with a digital camera. The Internet would be quite empty if everyone was still using film.
A lot of this is slide film, especially towards the end. The 911 was a fresh roll of slide film. The other slide film is long expired stuff, some from 1992 or 1986. There were some from the mid 2000s but still quite old. It was all frozen and well stored but the effects of its age are present.
LeiseyJr
Posts: 1527
Joined: Dec 22, 2013 10:11 PM
Location: Houston,Tx

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by LeiseyJr »

vinceg101 wrote: Jan 13, 2021 1:29 PM One mantra comes to mind: Practice, Practice, Practice.
Shooting well with film, as with most skills,takes practice and experimentation. Good photography is a combination of both a creative eye and skill.
The former is about an open mind and learning to look at things differently. You can exercise and train those "muscles" by exposing yourself to all sorts of art both mundane and profound (in photography, look at a lot of photography). Experimentation with a camera and what you see through the viewfinder is critical to start seeing the world around you differently (one could say this is very definition of art).

The latter is about knowing your equipment, its' limitations and understanding the science of it all. That only comes from repetitive use until it becomes second nature. When I got my first 35mm camera back in high school, I was shooting 2 to 4 rolls of film a week (mostly color print in the beginning). A famous photographer (I think it was Avedon) said that you would be lucky it you got one or two good shots per roll of 24, even for trained pros, so I shot of a lot of crap. But every once in a while I got some good ones (I know because I just recently came across them when I was archiving the last 36 years of personal photography). The variables in film photography are many, color even more so. Each new camera I have bought has taken me a long time to understand to be able to start producing the images I see in my mind. My present film camera is a 6x7 medium format (Bronica GS-1) has taken me years to figure out. Unfortunately the changes in the film industry have not helped us as they both reduce the choices and "normalize" what options are left. This will impinge your efforts in experimentation and will only get worse as time progresses.

I applaud you in developing your film, while I printed a lot of B&W when I was in college, I never went so far as to develop it myself (call me lazy, but I was more interested in using the camera, not mixing chemicals in the dark). Developing adds a lot more variables so be careful not to get too buried in the technical that you forget what really makes a good image is a good eye for composure.

So, while some of these may not be technically perfect, there are some good parts in many of them. Keep it up, work on technique, figure out which film works the best for each application. Film photography is visceral, rewarding when you get it right, and above all fun.

I still miss my Nikon 35mm cameras, even if my Bronica and DSLR can outperform them in every way (heck, even my cell phone cameras can rival them).
Yes film stocks are quite limited. I really like slide film, because I can throw it in a projector and when I develop or the lab. The colors are how they are, can't really play with them.

Digitizing negative film looks like a real pain, because when scanning you can edit so much stuff and you only really have memory to base it off of. I do need to shoot it more negative color because slide film has a large limitations. I just wish there was a local lab that was older, and still does printing since that was how that film was meant to be viewed.

Developing isn't that bad, especially with the patterson tank. Just load it in the dark, and you can develop in a well light bathroom with a bathtub. It does add a lot more anxiety and fear to the process to the pictures you already can't see. However once you hang up the developed film to the light, it is worth it.


I will keep working on it and continue to grow, it's been very rewarding so far. I appreciate the advice
SeattleGuy
Posts: 737
Joined: Jun 25, 2018 6:26 AM

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by SeattleGuy »

Hot Damn! Good for you. I have an Olympus Ima start back up with it. Are you mailing out your film or do you have a local processor?
Johnny Mac 1989
Image
tn535i
Posts: 5590
Joined: Jul 14, 2006 1:30 PM
Location: Middle Tennessee

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by tn535i »

Good for you and I like that some of your images have qualities digital doesn't do well.

I took photography in HS and learned to develop film and print but I never considered myself that artistic. I had a used Voigtlander camera and had only 2 lenses to work with. My dad had many B&W slides from years before me and I was keen to learn about it. Not long ago I loaned out my last film camera (first gen Canon EOS) to a friend who was eager to try some B&W on film. He had some fun with it but also felt like the lab could make or break it for you.

My brother in law is an excellent photography and gets paid for a lot of his work. He uses one of the newest EOS bodies with $$$$ in lenses but spends hours with Lightroom to get what he wants. He drags around so much stuff on vacation to take pictures but he loves it. A good friend also gets paid for some of his work and sells online. He uses the Pentax K1. My daughter is budding amateur and has some amazing pictures from her travels near and far. She went with a Sony mirrorless because of size and weight and it does an amazing job for less than full frame model.

While I still have the two film cameras I mentioned (nostalgia I guess) an advanced Sony P&S works for me because I'm too lazy to carry much. I guess that puts me one step above a cellphone camera user at best :laugh:

I still appreciate good photography and like to see what others are doing. Thanks for sharing.
derekwatt617
Posts: 44
Joined: Oct 18, 2011 5:13 PM

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by derekwatt617 »

Cool pics.

Film is so much fun.

My 87 535is

Pentax 67
Image

Mamiya RB67
Image

Kodak Brownie from 1903 - one of the first cameras to use 120 film

Image
Motronic
Posts: 1433
Joined: Aug 01, 2010 1:45 PM

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by Motronic »

LeiseyJr wrote: Jan 14, 2021 2:53 PM A lot of this is slide film, especially towards the end. The 911 was a fresh roll of slide film. The other slide film is long expired stuff, some from 1992 or 1986. There were some from the mid 2000s but still quite old. It was all frozen and well stored but the effects of its age are present.
Did you shoot the roll ofAFGA Precisa slide film yet? Break out the Maxxum I sent with a fresh roll of print film and try out the camera.
derekwatt617 wrote: Jan 17, 2021 8:44 PM Cool pics.

Film is so much fun.
Good to see you're still here Derek. I took some film shots around Milton lower mills recently. Figured I'd take shots of the old PCC trolley cars before the T decides to retire them.

Image

Image
LeiseyJr
Posts: 1527
Joined: Dec 22, 2013 10:11 PM
Location: Houston,Tx

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by LeiseyJr »

HAYSEED
Posts: 105
Joined: Oct 29, 2012 9:58 AM
Location: NH and Mass

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by HAYSEED »

Nice to see someone (esp on the young side) using film and developing pics. Like a number of others I developed film (b&w only) and prints. A great learning experience as you gain proficiency and recorded memories. I still have two OM-1's - classic SLR's and, like the OM-2 as well, industrial design tour de force examples. Keep it up :)
kirkandorules
Posts: 6
Joined: Jan 18, 2021 5:57 PM
Location: Middleton, WI

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by kirkandorules »

This is reminding me that I really need to replace the jammed film holder for my Hasselblad 500.

Scanning color negative film and getting the colors correct is really hard. I've had good luck with Plustek's scanners, but it still often takes multiple attempts and passes - especially if you're on the edge of the film's exposure latitude. The nice thing is that you can scan to RAW format and do further corrections in Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.
CSBM5
Posts: 586
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Greenville, SC

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by CSBM5 »

This is going back ~50 years, but I shot and developed/printed all my own B&W film for about 3-4 years starting at age 12 or so. The thing that allowed me to learn by trial and error was buying a bulk film loader and loading my own reusable cartridges as that was dramatically less expensive. I would buy bulk Tri-X (ASA 400) and Plus-X (ASA 125), and then was able to shoot many rolls of film and develop them extremely inexpensively. I would only make prints of shots I chose to and hence some rolls might only have 2 or 3 printed pictures, etc. A 100ft bulk roll of Tri-X back then was about $10 which gave me about 20 rolls of 36 exp (I used to also pack a bit more in a cartridge, maybe 40 exp or so).

I was fortunate to have a close friend nearby, and we both had darkrooms setup and were really interested in photography. I had a double roll film developer tank (Patterson plastic tanks had *just* come on the market), and he had a triple, so we'd spend time out taking pictures and maybe end up with 10 or more rolls to be developed which we could do rather quickly with the two tanks.

Anyway, just wanted to point out it still might be an inexpensive way to shoot lots and lots of B&W, develop a lot of it, print a few, and get additional film experience. I enjoyed looking at the pictures; looks like fun! I still have all my old cameras and one of them actually still works (Yashica TL-E, Minolta SRT-201, Minolta X-700), and it would be fun to take some film again one day. Keep it up and post some more!
LeiseyJr
Posts: 1527
Joined: Dec 22, 2013 10:11 PM
Location: Houston,Tx

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by LeiseyJr »

So finally go around to shooting another roll of E6. Also used a friends Epson to scan these

Here's an iPhone vs a Roll of 1986 Ektachrome 400

The victor here is obvious but interesting nonetheless

ImageSam_Scan033 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
ImageIMG_0643 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
ImageIMG_0699 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
ImageSam_Scan050 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

This roll was shot to figure out which light meter to trust. I still have no idea. Here is 3 different exposures. Luckily I was super smart and told myself Id remember the order they were taken in. I think I am going to trust the cameras which I will get to in a second.

-1 stop underexposed
ImageSam_Scan027 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Correct
ImageSam_Scan029 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

One stop over:
ImageSam_Scan028 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

So as you can see, which everyone knows getting slide film exposure sucks. One stop over or under means can really compromise the image. After these shots I handed my girlfriend the camera, and they were underexposed.
ImageSam_Scan024 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

However it seems like the cameras lightmeter is ususally more accurate then my phone. Here is where I trusted my phone:
ImageSam_Scan048 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
ImageSam_Scan048 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

The cameras light meter was telling me I was underexposed, a stop. It looks like it was right.
ImageSam_Scan034 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

ImageSam_Scan052 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

(handheld at 1/15th)

ImageSam_Scan030 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
ImageSam_Scan037 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

So this film is super grainy, but it looks much better when projected. Understandably so. That's what it is meant for, and some rolls are a bit more expired then others from this batch I have. OM1 light meter is surprisingly accurate.

These I had the lab do, enjoy the ektachrome colors and lack of grain with a large hint of poor composition. This was mainly a personal roll to document living in a dorm again for this semester.


Imager001-027 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr


The tower in which I reside

Imager001-024 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Imager001-022 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

The terrible, shitty, underfunded shithole that is my college:
Imager001-021 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Imager001-018 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Imager001-005 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Imager001-009 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Imager001-019 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr


Girlfriend and her Beloved Benji

+0 according to om2 auto mode
Imager001-006 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

+2
Imager001-007 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
SteveKerwin
Posts: 78
Joined: Oct 16, 2020 9:42 AM
Location: Tampa, FL

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by SteveKerwin »

Seeing these photos makes me want to get out more. I might have to save up for a camera as well. ;)
LeiseyJr
Posts: 1527
Joined: Dec 22, 2013 10:11 PM
Location: Houston,Tx

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by LeiseyJr »

Imager001-004 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Imager001-038 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr


I love taking pictures at night.
Imager001-016 by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
LeiseyJr
Posts: 1527
Joined: Dec 22, 2013 10:11 PM
Location: Houston,Tx

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by LeiseyJr »

SteveKerwin wrote: Mar 01, 2021 5:15 PM Seeing these photos makes me want to get out more. I might have to save up for a camera as well. ;)
An Om10 or a Nikon EM are very affordable, if you want to get into it. Not to mention the plethora of digtal used camera floating around/
vinceg101
Posts: 4878
Joined: Jun 20, 2007 2:40 AM
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by vinceg101 »

LeiseyJr wrote: Apr 06, 2021 1:08 AM
SteveKerwin wrote: Mar 01, 2021 5:15 PM Seeing these photos makes me want to get out more. I might have to save up for a camera as well. ;)
An Om10 or a Nikon EM are very affordable, if you want to get into it. Not to mention the plethora of digtal used camera floating around/
I can vouch for the Nikon EM; it was the first 35mm SLR I owned waaayy back in 1982. I had and used it all the way through college where I sold it to a classmate when I moved up in Nikon's lineup (+/-1989 with an FE2 and a much older totally manual F). Interesting fact: The EM was the smallest and lightest 35mm SLR on the market when introduced and was a pioneering platform for Nikon in terms of electronics advancement. It ushered in a whole new generation of cameras with electronic systems (metering and shutter controls) not to mention the lenses that came with them.

Note though: it is an aperture-priority camera meaning you can only control the aperture, the camera automatically sets the shutter speeds (unless you're in Bulb setting, then it's set to 1/90th IIRC?). You can actually do a lot within those confines though as it taught me a lot about composure, depth of fields, lenses, etc. Sort of like learning to drive on an automatic first, then later learning standard transmissions. The power of a Nikon camera is of course the Nikkor lens interchangeability; up until the 2nd generation of digital platforms, pretty much every lens Nikon made from the early first 35mm platforms can used on all 35mm SLR and early DSLR bodies (there were exceptions and you had to make some adjustments when you get into the later electronic based bodies like stop-down metering, etc., but they still worked).

Since it is a heavy electronic-based platform, be careful it is functioning and can be serviced. Electronic parts for these older electronic-heavy cameras are becoming scarce. This is a problem with all electronics from the late '70's through the early '90's. I have a slightly newer Bronica GS-1 6x7 body sitting in perpetual limbo at a local camera repair shop because the motherboard is bad and all the parts are NLA now (in fact Bronica itself is NLA as it was folded into Mamiya about 10 years ago). The same issue with stereo HI-FI from this time frame also.

I would stay away from early and old DSLR platforms though for several reasons:
-Early DLSR technology was pretty primitive compared their 35mm film counterparts. New DSLR tech is light years more improved.
-That older tech is likely not to be serviceable or repaired.
-DSLR's have a specific lifespan. The key to looking at any used DSLR body is the shutter count; the lower the better obviously. Depending on the brand and model, you can look up what the upper thresholds are. Once they cross those it's buyer beware.

This is why there are more early DSLR's in electronic landfills than manual film cameras. Just like cars.
tuffode
Posts: 91
Joined: Jun 27, 2018 11:25 PM
Location: NJ

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by tuffode »

Awesome pics!

Yeah camera doesn't really matter, in fact in terms of image quality it doesn't matter at all. The lens you use matters, and the size/type of film matters. An OM10 is going to take the same pics as a much more expensive OM1 provided you use the same lens and film. More expensive bodies are obviously going to give better controls, as well as better build quality. Getting a 90s SLR with auto everything is probably the cheapest and easiest way to do it, and a beginner will probably get better pictures that way. But having an all manual, all mechanical SLR, and knowing how to handle it is a great feeling.

The first 2 pics I took with a Mamiya TLR (120 film), and the other two were on "newer" Nikon SLR's (developed and scanned myself).

Image

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vinceg101
Posts: 4878
Joined: Jun 20, 2007 2:40 AM
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by vinceg101 »

tuffode wrote: Apr 08, 2021 6:40 PMThe first 2 pics I took with a Mamiya TLR (120 film), and the other two were on "newer" Nikon SLR's (developed and scanned myself).
Which TLR? I had a C33 for a while as my first medium format camera (it and I were the same age). It was a pretty cool platform to start exploring 120 film photography; inexpensive also (at least back in the late 1990's). I really dug the interchangeable lenses. I dragged that beast through Zion one summer and managed to take some nice shots. 6x6 or 2 1/4 square format requires a re-think in picture composure; I like medium format because it requires you to stop and think about your shots.
I have entertained picking up a Mamiya Press system, partly because of the weirdness of it but also because you can use 6x9 roll backs which the largest variant of 120 film formats out there.
LeiseyJr
Posts: 1527
Joined: Dec 22, 2013 10:11 PM
Location: Houston,Tx

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by LeiseyJr »

Those look awesome! I really like the Mercedes one. My friend actually got a C33 recently and we developed the film for it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNao2jrHMUQ ... _copy_link

Might have to get one... haha
LeiseyJr
Posts: 1527
Joined: Dec 22, 2013 10:11 PM
Location: Houston,Tx

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by LeiseyJr »

vinceg101 wrote: Apr 09, 2021 12:17 PM
tuffode wrote: Apr 08, 2021 6:40 PMThe first 2 pics I took with a Mamiya TLR (120 film), and the other two were on "newer" Nikon SLR's (developed and scanned myself).
Which TLR? I had a C33 for a while as my first medium format camera (it and I were the same age). It was a pretty cool platform to start exploring 120 film photography; inexpensive also (at least back in the late 1990's). I really dug the interchangeable lenses. I dragged that beast through Zion one summer and managed to take some nice shots. 6x6 or 2 1/4 square format requires a re-think in picture composure; I like medium format because it requires you to stop and think about your shots.
I have entertained picking up a Mamiya Press system, partly because of the weirdness of it but also because you can use 6x9 roll backs which the largest variant of 120 film formats out there.
My friend had a Mamiya Press since he now repairs/buys and sells cameras for his new camera shop. I took some pictures with it of him, was quite hefty and hard to use. Whoever had to use one for a living, I applaud them.
tuffode
Posts: 91
Joined: Jun 27, 2018 11:25 PM
Location: NJ

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by tuffode »

vinceg101 wrote: Apr 09, 2021 12:17 PM
tuffode wrote: Apr 08, 2021 6:40 PMThe first 2 pics I took with a Mamiya TLR (120 film), and the other two were on "newer" Nikon SLR's (developed and scanned myself).
Which TLR? I had a C33 for a while as my first medium format camera (it and I were the same age). It was a pretty cool platform to start exploring 120 film photography; inexpensive also (at least back in the late 1990's). I really dug the interchangeable lenses. I dragged that beast through Zion one summer and managed to take some nice shots. 6x6 or 2 1/4 square format requires a re-think in picture composure; I like medium format because it requires you to stop and think about your shots.
I have entertained picking up a Mamiya Press system, partly because of the weirdness of it but also because you can use 6x9 roll backs which the largest variant of 120 film formats out there.
I have a C220, similar camera to the C33. I love the interchangeable lenses as well, that's one of the reasons I decided to get one.
LeiseyJr wrote: Apr 09, 2021 2:40 PM Those look awesome! I really like the Mercedes one. My friend actually got a C33 recently and we developed the film for it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNao2jrHMUQ ... _copy_link

Might have to get one... haha
Thanks! The pictures came out great. It's super fun to shoot medium format.
vinceg101
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Joined: Jun 20, 2007 2:40 AM
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by vinceg101 »

LeiseyJr wrote: Apr 09, 2021 2:43 PM My friend had a Mamiya Press since he now repairs/buys and sells cameras for his new camera shop. I took some pictures with it of him, was quite hefty and hard to use. Whoever had to use one for a living, I applaud them.
Yeah, they're no lightweights for sure. That could be one reason they mostly ended up in a studio (Mamiya made a nifty 4 image passport photo adapter for the Polaroid back). But just think what that the press photographers of 20's through the '50's used: Graflex 4x5 Field cameras; try lugging those things around for a while. All those guys must have had Popeye forearms.
I think Annie Leibovitz used a Mamiya RB67 in the field? That camera is a monster (to be fair, it was her assistants doing the schlepping, but still).
vinceg101
Posts: 4878
Joined: Jun 20, 2007 2:40 AM
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Bought a Film Camera

Post by vinceg101 »

LeiseyJr wrote: Apr 09, 2021 2:40 PM Those look awesome! I really like the Mercedes one. My friend actually got a C33 recently and we developed the film for it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNao2jrHMUQ ... _copy_link

Might have to get one... haha
Ditto on the first Mercedes shot; nicely composed for the 6x6 format.
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