Film for a newbie?

nootnoot · Jan 4, 2022

I just purchased my very first film camera, a Smena Symbol!! My family did a little trip down memory lane browsing tons of photos taken by my mom back in the late 90s to early 2000s and it just got me thinking that I would want to have that much memories documented too.

I have zero experience with film cameras so I have no clue on the basics when it comes to choosing film. I’ve done some reading but would want opinions and interactive discussion about it as well. Are there hard and fast rules regarding stuff like, Which is better to use in daytime/nighttime? What is more applicable for outdoor/indoor? Or how to balance film and camera setting? (If that even makes sense I’m still familiarizing myself with the terminologies).

Any input will be appreciated thank you!

BradS · Jan 4, 2022

Color: Fuji Superia X-Tra 400
B&W: Kodak Tri-X

BrianShaw · Jan 4, 2022

Outdoor
Color: Portra 160
B&W: Ilford FP4+

Indoor or dim light conditions

Color: Portra 400
B&W: Ilford HP5+

The only hard and fast rules are those limitations imposed by chemistry and physics. Enjoy your adventure!

Nicholas Lindan · Jan 4, 2022

The Smena's f16 aperture and 1/250 shutter will accommodate a 400 ISO film. That is what I would start with - fast shutter speeds mitigate camera shake and small apertures mitigate focus errors.

I would start with the cheapest 400 color film you can find and shoot with it until the results satisfy you. Get the film processed the old fashioned way with prints of every frame. Color or B&W doesn't make much difference but it is hard to get B&W processed these days: consumer B&W is a dead end of the side of a dead end in the consumer market.

The first few rolls will be a learning experience. My first roll came out very well. Things promptly went downhill as I forgot to take care and took liberties with holding the camera steady and not worrying as much as I should have over the exposure and focus settings. It took a while until I took the instructions that came with the camera and film seriously.

Waiting for the results and getting a stack of 36 prints are the key parts of the consumer 'film experience.' If these don't appeal to you then I'd stick with your phone and keep the Smena on a shelf along with the old family photographs. But before making that decision pick up a roll or two of color negative 400 film and see if getting the prints back makes you happy.

After that it's time to decide on what film to shoot.

Sirius Glass · Jan 4, 2022

Outdoor
Color: Kodak Portra 160
B&W: Kodak Tri X 400

Indoor or dim light conditions

Color: Kodak Portra 400
B&W: Kodak Tri X 400

AgX · Jan 4, 2022

Something else
At one of my Smena models the aperture setting, or rather the coupling beetween the outer aperture ring and the the actual aperture can get out of order. I do not know whether this is a common fault with Smena models, which is hard to belief. On the other hand, at no other of my many lenses or cameras I experienced such fault. Check at your sample whether at the setting of widest opening the aperture actually just gets invisible and whether there is a continuous closing down. And this all repeatedly

abruzzi · Jan 4, 2022

There are a lot of choices, but I’d agree with Nicholas—start with the cheapest you can find. The only “bad” film today is the repurposed experimental stuff like dupe films or repurposed movie stocks. No point wasting money on expensive film until you are a) certain the camera works, and b) know how to use it. I don’t know what’s available in your area but find something like Fuji Superia 400 or Kodak Gold 400.

Also, start with color because it’s easy to find places to develop. B&W developing is more hit or miss, and places that do develop B&W are frequently more expensive or slower because they are done by hand. If you really want to shoot B&W get Ilford XP2 and throw it in with the color films for developing.

My main point is if you really are at zero, pick something that you can afford to learn on, and limit what you have to learn. Eventually, you might want to get more advanced, but don’t try to learn too much at once, step one should be to learn the camera (and given that it is a Soviet camera, you also want to make sure the camera works.)

pentaxuser · Jan 4, 2022

Nicholas Lindan said:
consumer B&W is a dead end of the side of a dead end in the consumer market.

.

Have you told Ilford yet?

pentaxuser

Sirius Glass · Jan 4, 2022

Nicholas Lindan said:
consumer B&W is a dead end of the side of a dead end in the consumer market.

pentaxuser said:
Have you told Ilford yet?

pentaxuser

Why didn't anyone tell me before I set up my darkroom.

gone · Jan 4, 2022

First, put a roll of budget priced film in it to see if it's working properly.

Alan Edward Klein · Jan 4, 2022

Here's a review and some operation advice using it. They don't recommend ISO 400 film for the outdoors.
Good luck.
https://www.lomography.com/magazine/24595-smena-symbol-an-unbiased-review

MattKing · Jan 4, 2022

Welcome to Photrio.
Are there any labs around you who develop film?
If so, ask them.
Most likely they will only develop and print color film - that is why Nicholas and others recommend color as a good place to at least start.
If you move from being a beginning consumer to being a more experienced enthusiast, many of us will recommend you try black and white as well.

Nicholas Lindan · Jan 4, 2022

I wrote: ...consumer B&W is a dead end at the side of a dead end

pentaxuser said:
Have you told Ilford yet? pentaxuser

Oh, I'm pretty sure they are well aware.

Maybe it is different in your neck of the woods, but it is a very long time since I saw B&W film at the drugstore. Color film is still there, maybe a three pack of Gold 400, and maybe it hasn't expired yet but I wouldn't put money on it.

BrianShaw · Jan 4, 2022

You really can't judge the current state of photography by what's at the drugstore. If so, then the most reasonable conclusion is that FID.

Sirius Glass · Jan 4, 2022

Alan Edward Klein said:
Here's a review and some operation advice using it. They don't recommend ISO 400 film for the outdoors.
Good luck.
https://www.lomography.com/magazine/24595-smena-symbol-an-unbiased-review

I use ISO 400 films all the time. It is my choice for day time photography that allows me to photograph into the night.

Alan Edward Klein · Jan 4, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
I use ISO 400 films all the time. It is my choice for day time photography that allows me to photograph into the night.

Sorry. The comment I made from the article should have said don't use ISO 400 in bright sunlight

Sirius Glass · Jan 4, 2022

Alan Edward Klein said:
Sorry. The comment I made from the article should have said don't use ISO 400 in bright sunlight

I do all the time. In red rock country the subject brightness range can but up to 16 f/stops and I have never had a problem with ISO 400 film.

Alan Edward Klein · Jan 4, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
I do all the time. In red rock country the subject brightness range can but up to 16 f/stops and I have never had a problem with ISO 400 film.

I was quoting the review. Maybe you have a different lens. But the review says the lens only goes to f/16 and 1/250 which might overexposure in bright sunlight with ISO400 film. (using the rule of f/16).

Quote: Triplet 43/40 mm lens The aperture can be adjusted by this little ring around the lens. hard to do if you trim your nails closely. f4, 5.6, 8, 11, and 16. Shutter speeds are 1/15 to 1/250 (weather symbols for assistance) and there’s a B setting for longer exposures. don’t use ISO 400 and above in bright sunlight. It’ll get over exposed. Focusing is easy. just twist the lens barrel. It’s numbered from 1 meter to infinity with metric and British standard units.
https://www.lomography.com/magazine/24595-smena-symbol-an-unbiased-review

mshchem · Jan 4, 2022

Nicholas Lindan said:
B&W is a dead end of the side of a dead end in the consumer market.

Boy I'm glad I'm not trying to sell enlarger timers with this news

MattKing · Jan 4, 2022

Darkroom supplies and equipment are not sold to users of "consumer" film.

Paul Howell · Jan 4, 2022

Back to the question, with a top shutter speed of 1/250 for outdoors in good light I would tend towards ISO 200 for color and ISO 100 or 125 for black and white, so in Asia, Fujicolor 200, Ilford Delta 100 or PF 4. Indoors, or in poor light back to ISO 400 films.

Sirius Glass · Jan 4, 2022

Alan Edward Klein said:
I was quoting the review. Maybe you have a different lens. But the review says the lens only goes to f/16 and 1/250 which might overexposure in bright sunlight with ISO400 film. (using the rule of f/16).

Quote: Triplet 43/40 mm lens The aperture can be adjusted by this little ring around the lens. hard to do if you trim your nails closely. f4, 5.6, 8, 11, and 16. Shutter speeds are 1/15 to 1/250 (weather symbols for assistance) and there’s a B setting for longer exposures. don’t use ISO 400 and above in bright sunlight. It’ll get over exposed. Focusing is easy. just twist the lens barrel. It’s numbered from 1 meter to infinity with metric and British standard units.
https://www.lomography.com/magazine/24595-smena-symbol-an-unbiased-review

That is what 1/500, 1/1000 and higher are for. Also many lenses have f/22 and some ever f/32. Heck I even have a lens with f/64 on it.

mshchem · Jan 4, 2022

MattKing said:
Darkroom supplies and equipment are not sold to users of "consumer" film.

You're right as always

Nicholas Lindan · Jan 4, 2022

mshchem said:
Boy I'm glad I'm not trying to sell enlarger timers with this news

Oh, but I am exquisitely aware of the decline in B&W photography. The present 'hybrid' fad of shooting film, developing it and finally scanning is a further crimp in the darkroom business.

I confess I don't see any advantage of hybrid photography - the images it produces just aren't all that good. For some reason a scan of a print, or even an iPhone pictures of a print, looks better to my eye.

Alan Edward Klein · Jan 4, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
That is what 1/500, 1/1000 and higher are for. Also many lenses have f/22 and some ever f/32. Heck I even have a lens with f/64 on it.

You missed that the review said the fastest shutter speed is 1/250th and the aperture at f/16.
I was quoting the review. Maybe you have a different lens. But the review says the lens only goes to f/16 and 1/250 which might overexposure in bright sunlight with ISO400 film. (using the rule of f/16).

Quote: Triplet 43/40 mm lens The aperture can be adjusted by this little ring around the lens. hard to do if you trim your nails closely. f4, 5.6, 8, 11, and 16. Shutter speeds are 1/15 to 1/250 (weather symbols for assistance) and there’s a B setting for longer exposures. don’t use ISO 400 and above in bright sunlight. It’ll get over exposed. Focusing is easy. just twist the lens barrel. It’s numbered from 1 meter to infinity with metric and British standard units.
https://www.lomography.com/magazine/24595-smena-symbol-an-unbiased-review

Film for a newbie?

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