35mm film, where to buy and process ?
Discussion
After a long time away from film ( 20 years ) I bought a Canon EOS 30 on ebay.
I am completely out of date with what films are any good, I used to shoot Kodachrome and black and white Kodak Tri-X back in the day.
I have doing a bit of research and it seems Kodak 200 gold for general shooting, Kodak Extar 100 for landscape and Kodak Porta for portaits are the default choices. Is this correct ?
I would quite like to buy, process and get them scanned from a single place, and do it all by mail ?, who are the best players in the game ? or is it best to get discount film from online places and get it processed elsewhere.
I am completely out of date with what films are any good, I used to shoot Kodachrome and black and white Kodak Tri-X back in the day.
I have doing a bit of research and it seems Kodak 200 gold for general shooting, Kodak Extar 100 for landscape and Kodak Porta for portaits are the default choices. Is this correct ?
I would quite like to buy, process and get them scanned from a single place, and do it all by mail ?, who are the best players in the game ? or is it best to get discount film from online places and get it processed elsewhere.
It's a xmas present for my dad, he has expressed a hankering a bit of old fashioned film, he has all the modern Canon gear, so an EOS 30 will work with his modern lenses and speedlights. And the 30 camera is light, has a massive bright viewfinder with eye controlled autofocus so its cooler than his backup 300d which he uses instead of his 5dMk III when weight is an issue. He has a Canon 50mm f1.4 which I think will be just perfect for it.
And I got the 30d, mint, boxed, manual and kit lens for £30, I normally buy a present worth £50 so I can package it with a few rolls of film.
Of course, I need to run a few rolls of film through it first just to check its all working first =-)
And I got the 30d, mint, boxed, manual and kit lens for £30, I normally buy a present worth £50 so I can package it with a few rolls of film.
Of course, I need to run a few rolls of film through it first just to check its all working first =-)
Having been a film man myself for decades, I eventually switched to digital - and now wish I'd done so sooner. Unfortunately, since the vast majority of others have also moved to digital I daresay there's very few film processors left, and prices have shot up. Perhaps a bit of Googling might come up with some answers for you.
The film I've used recently is Fuji Velvia 100. It's not Kodachrome, but it's a lovely film. Here's one from a wedding I went to which gives an idea. I have no idea who the lady on the left is.
Processing is an issue. Luckily there are quite a few places that specialise in film photography now, I have one locally in Bristol.
http://www.photographique.co.uk/
Processing is an issue. Luckily there are quite a few places that specialise in film photography now, I have one locally in Bristol.
http://www.photographique.co.uk/
I buy almost all my film from West End Cameras (http://www.westendcameras.co.uk/). Prices and selection are good and their service is top-notch. Great little shop if you are in London or order online and the film will arrive the next day. Can't speak for their developing, but I've heard they are good.
Portra 400 and Ektar are my go-to films, but might be worth picking up a couple of cheap rolls to test the camera. For that I use Agfa Vista 200 - available from your local Poundland!
Portra 400 and Ektar are my go-to films, but might be worth picking up a couple of cheap rolls to test the camera. For that I use Agfa Vista 200 - available from your local Poundland!
Mr Will said:
I buy almost all my film from West End Cameras (http://www.westendcameras.co.uk/). Prices and selection are good and their service is top-notch. Great little shop if you are in London or order online and the film will arrive the next day. Can't speak for their developing, but I've heard they are good.
Portra 400 and Ektar are my go-to films, but might be worth picking up a couple of cheap rolls to test the camera. For that I use Agfa Vista 200 - available from your local Poundland!
Westend cameras was a great shout - I called them and they have the best prices for Scan print and process ! Portra 400 and Ektar are my go-to films, but might be worth picking up a couple of cheap rolls to test the camera. For that I use Agfa Vista 200 - available from your local Poundland!
Ordered some Portra 400, Ektar 100 and Kodak 200, lets see how it works out.. I am also having impure thoughts about a Nikon F4 to match my kit.......
I use Peak Imaging exclusively for my film processing. Don't bother with scanning or prints as I have a capable scanner.
It's not cheap though!
http://www.peak-imaging.com/
Ignore the dreadful website, and have fun the first time you have to decode the order form they make you fill in!
It's not cheap though!
http://www.peak-imaging.com/
Ignore the dreadful website, and have fun the first time you have to decode the order form they make you fill in!
I buy film from ebay and send it to DS Colour Labs to process. They can do process only, process + scan, process,+print or all of the above and enlargements. And they know what they're doing, plus can enhance the prints if needed as well
I've used them ever since Boots stuck one of my films in the wrong machine and Jessops completely f
ked 2 rolls. Nothing particularly important on them but they just didnt know what they were doing, said it's been ages since they'd done anything that wasnt off a wedding table type disposable camera
I've used them ever since Boots stuck one of my films in the wrong machine and Jessops completely f
ked 2 rolls. Nothing particularly important on them but they just didnt know what they were doing, said it's been ages since they'd done anything that wasnt off a wedding table type disposable cameraGassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff