35mm Film: Which one? Where? How? Photos please!

[anonymous-user]

I mostly missed out on most of the film thing.

By the time I was in my late teens people were snapping with early (and crap) digital cameras, with a few people using the 'APS' cameras (remember those?).

Before crap digital cameras I probably shot a load of disposable's from Boots on holidays, but that's really about it.

My dad had a mega collection of 35mm Nikon gear in the 80's and 90's, FE bodies, a stack of nice lenses, filters, lights... But then promptly sold it in 2000 as he saw the digital revolution coming like a train!

I decided I 'liked photography' in about 2006 so naturally when I bought my first SLR, film didn't get a look-in and I bought a Nikon DSLR, and have continued to buy improved DSLR's ever since.

So, the fact that I'm a keen amateur photographer, but haven't used film in anything other than a £4.99 disposable 15+ years ago is frankly a disgrace and I have rectified this situation by buying a Nikon F5 on eBay, whilst drunk..

I was staggered by how cheap 35mm film gear is now. Professional Nikon bodies that would have set you back £2000 in 1999 are going for £150 or thereabouts.

So yeah.. I now have an F5 on the way and no idea what film to put in it!

I fancy shooting a bit of landscape and arty street scene type stuff to begin with

I don't intend to take the film thing too seriously, just fancied a bit of fun and an experiment!

So, feel free to suggest types/brands of film I should be looking at buying and any other tips/advice you can give me I will be grateful for!

And please post up any film photos you have taken, I would love to see them

[Muska]

Welcome to the revival!

Portra 400 is a very nice film for colour & for black and white I currently use various Ilford films.

I use for http://www.peak-imaging.com/htmls/film_processing.... developing and scan my own prints.

I'd highly recommend a go with medium format film too, it's also now cheap to get into.


Current collection 30/12/2011 by Matt Stanton, on Flickr


Hasselblad 503cx by Matt Stanton, on Flickr


Image 7 by Matt Stanton, on Flickr


East Carlton by Matt Stanton, on Flickr


Coffee time by Matt Stanton, on Flickr

[anonymous-user]

Love that Hasselblad!

Thanks for the recommendation for Peak Imaging, someone else mentioned them as well.

I think the 'Film to CD' thing would be a good service for me, then I can store and edit my film photos alongside my digital stuff which will be really good.

[Muska]

Thanks I love it too, it only arrived yesterday!

I paid £13 0for my film scanner (Epson V500 after a bit of research) It will save me money over the course of a year and hopefully last a good bit longer!

[NotDave]

Another fan of the Hassleblad stuff here.

Our lass is photograpy mad, brought one home from work the other weekend, plus the digital back that's silly money (£10k IIRC)


She still loves faffing around with old 35mm stuff though, pracktika (sp) and Nikon

[S2red]

I've got an old Minolta 5000 with 3 lenses if anyone is interested in them

[NotDave]

S2red said:

I've got an old Minolta 5000 with 3 lenses if anyone is interested in them

how much?

[Pixel Pusher]

NinjaPower said:

So, feel free to suggest types/brands of film I should be looking at buying and any other tips/advice you can give me I will be grateful for!

Sorry if it's a lesson in Egg sucking, but get your film processed at a "proper" lab, not Boots etc. Look for a Q Lab certification.

Might cost a bit more but it's more reliable.

Stick to brand names for peace of mind, Fuji, Kodak, Ilford.

[Elderly]

NinjaPower said:

..... using the 'APS' cameras (remember those?).

APS = "Are Photographers Stupid?"

[anonymous-user]

Elderly said:

PS = "Are Photographers Stupid?"

How dare you! This is the future of film as we know it!



(Before being quietly discontinued a number of years ago...)

[K12beano]

[davepoth]

Ilford all the way for B/W.

If you're going to do film photography in any volume it'd probably make sense to develop the film yourself - it works out around £7 a film, so it'll stack up pretty fast.

[anonymous-user]

davepoth said:

If you're going to do film photography in any volume it'd probably make sense to develop the film yourself - it works out around £7 a film, so it'll stack up pretty fast.

Well unless I get carried away I can't see myself shooting more than 1 or 2 rolls of 36 a month... Probably!

[ian in lancs]

This was shot on Portra 35mm



and this on Fuji 160PS 120

[ian in lancs]

I have used Club35mm in London for about 2yrs now they process and scan and they have the perfect balance of price & quality. Never had a problem!

As for Peak I was very disapointed with their quality and attitude when I complained. I will never use them again. Emperors new clothes IMO!

[TorqueTalk]

Could never go back to 35mm but if you must, check the date on the film as there is a lot of old stuff knocking around. A year or 2 never made much difference, poundland selling good film at the moment...

[davepoth]

If you buy film in bulk keep it in the fridge, it stops it from going off, so I was told.

[anonymous-user]

ian in lancs said:

and this on Fuji 160PS 120

That looks absolutely fantastic

Really nice work.

[anonymous-user]

ian in lancs said:

I have used Club35mm in London for about 2yrs now they process and scan and they have the perfect balance of price & quality. Never had a problem!

Thanks, I'll check them out.

[ian in lancs]

NinjaPower said:

That looks absolutely fantastic

Really nice work.

Shot on a borrowed H'blad 500 something or other. The neg is stuffed with detail. The other was on one of my two Nikon F5's. I shoot 1-2 rolls a month, get them processed and scanned and then LR and CS5. They have a tonal quality digital can't match. About a quarter of my port are film shots.