Hello from Mumbai!

[KanFotog]

Hey everyone

This is Som, from Mumbai. Software engineer by profession and photographer by hobby.

I've recently started shooting film, and as of now am a proud owner of Nikon F80 and Nikkor 50mm 1.8 AF-D.

It's great fun to shoot film and after a few rolls I've learned (I think) more than what I did shooting a thousand d-pics.
The tangible results and real costs involved in making each image are helping a lot, and motivating me to read more and more about stuff I hadn't even heard of earlier, like composition

Finding apug was a lucky break for me and thank you all for the great discussions.
Most of all, I am really glad to know I'm not the only nutcase shooting film in 2011


Cheers,
Som

 

[Diapositivo]

Hello! (welcome)

 

[Rick A]

Hello and welcome to Apug.

 

[M.A.Longmore]

.
Welcome Home Som !

Ron
.

 

[mooseontheloose]

Hi Som! Welcome to APUG!

 

[Jeff Kubach]

Hello Som and welcome to APUG!

Jeff

 

[coigach]

Welcome!

 

[kerrpanda]

Cool! Shooting film in Mumbai! Is it easy to get supplies there?

 

[c.d.ewen]

Som:

Welcome to the club!

Out of curiosity, have you ever heard of a photographic dealer by the name of Babajee Sakharam & Co.? I would imagine it's a long-gone firm. A Google search turns up a publishing house by that name, and a school in Mumbra. I ask because I have an Aldis anastigmat stamped with that name.

Charley

 

[Sirius Glass]

Welcome to APUG!

Steve

 

[Chazzy]

Welcome to APUG from a fellow nutcase.

 

[mark]

The tangible results and real costs involved in making each image are helping a lot, and motivating me to read more and more about stuff I hadn't even heard of earlier, like composition

Cheers,
Som

You have just put into words what I have been trying to explain to people for a long time.

Welcome

 

[tony lockerbie]

Welcome from Australia. There should be plenty of good subjects for you over there!

Tony

 

[Mats_A]

Welcome from an other nutcase!

r

mats

 

[KanFotog]

Thank you very much for the warm welcome folks.

@Kerrpanda: It's not easy as I'd like it to be. Usually I have to travel 1 hour each way to get to stores that stock the film I want to shoot. You'll see a few drug stores selling film but it's always Ultramax and always 400 and almost always has directly seen the sun from behind their glass shelves.
There's a group called Mumbai Weekend Shooters that I've recently joined. They have a bunch of nutcases who are quite optimistic about the future of film. I take that as the silver lining

@C.D.Ewen: Sorry, haven't heard of them but will try to find out. It's a fun project to track down such old stores for me too.

@Tony: Yep, there are. I especially like trekking to mountains around Mumbai which can give great views, especially in the monsoons which have just begun.

 

[papagene]

Som - hello and welcome to APUG from a nutcase who loves to shoot film. Actually... I'm just a nutcase!!

 

[Valerie]

Welcome to APUG! Nice to have you here!

 

[baachitraka]

Hello Som Ji, Welcome to APUG. I am little curious to know the available films in India and the development cost that goes with it.

Hey everyone

This is Som, from Mumbai. Software engineer by profession and photographer by hobby.

I've recently started shooting film, and as of now am a proud owner of Nikon F80 and Nikkor 50mm 1.8 AF-D.

It's great fun to shoot film and after a few rolls I've learned (I think) more than what I did shooting a thousand d-pics.
The tangible results and real costs involved in making each image are helping a lot, and motivating me to read more and more about stuff I hadn't even heard of earlier, like composition

Finding apug was a lucky break for me and thank you all for the great discussions.
Most of all, I am really glad to know I'm not the only nutcase shooting film in 2011


Cheers,
Som

 

[KanFotog]

Again, thank you for the warm welcome apuggers!

@Baachitraka: I can't comment on films in India as a whole, but only in Mumbai.
As a rule, you should be able to find Kodak Ultramax 400 wherever you go, and might even find fresh stuff. As I mentioned earlier, this film might have been baked under the sun so good luck if you go for it!

But if you want to go beyond that, Mumbai offers the following:

BW:
Ilford Pan (100, 400)

Kodak Tri-X. I have bought 400, but slower might be available.

Fuji Neopan. Haven't used it yet so can't comment on speeds.

Color:
Fujichrome Sensia, Provia, Velvia, all 100 speed. Haven't seen faster or slower versions. Forget Velvia 50, and even Velvia 100. What you might get is Velvia 100F. Costs about $10 when converted to Rupees.

Kodak Color Plus and ProFoto XL. I liked CP better

Fuji Color 200 speed (Forgot the particular film's name). This one is by far the cheapest, and you can buy boxes of 5 if you're lucky to find them. I've used it and it's got nice colors too. Or maybe my standards are too low.

Development costs vary a lot and could be anywhere between a few hundred rupees or vital body organs based on where you go.

I've had my color negative rolls developed for as low as Rs. 30 (less than a dollar, which is currently Rs. 45 or so) and the results weren't so good. Too much grain.
Then I've had the same kind of roll developed for something like Rs. 100 and found no grain.

Interestingly, both were Kodak Ultramax 400 speed films.

Let me know if you're coming this side and I'll give you some addresses of stores.