how do people react when you tell them you shoot film?

andrew.roos · Jun 1, 2015

1. Can you still get film? (Yes, at FotoMax in Durban North, or direct from Midsouth, the local Ilford Distributor)
2. Where do you get it developed? (In the kitchen)
3. Why? (Because I love the cameras, the process and the prints)

removed account4 · Jun 4, 2015

was just at a digi-users house tonight hanging out and relaxin'
brought a graflex 3A post card camera with me that was exposing
since 2pm this afternoon ( ( 6 hour exposure ) ) .. it had the retina print in it .
he isn't as much as a photo fanatic as his wife, she LOVES everything photography.
i popped out the lens, had them focus and look at the ground glass both minds were blown.
then i popped open the back as they looked at a 5x7 paper with a post card sized image burned on it.

no comments but "WOW" !
they asked what film it took / takes .. i showed them giant spools ... she said " i did that stuff a long time ago, film on spools "
i told them i taped paper on them, rolled my own, and cranked to the next photo .. they laughed, as did i ...

Tamara · Jun 5, 2015

Pedaling down the canal towpath today. Stopped to take a few pictures with the long lens on the A-1. Gray-haired guy walking past with his dog on a leash heard the Canon squeal and turned to look in time to see me working the lever.

"Film!" he said, beaming.

I nodded.

"Don't see that very often these days."

"No, sir."

He wandered on. I pedaled past him again, and then stopped to take stock of the area through the lens. He caught up with me. "Did you see back there!" he blurted, "Turtles! A bunch of 'em! They'd make for great pictures!"

Thanking him profusely, I turned the bicycle around and pedaled back toward where he had pointed...

pbromaghin · Jun 5, 2015

Tamara said:
He wandered on. I pedaled past him again, and then stopped to take stock of the area through the lens. He caught up with me. "Did you see back there!" he blurted, "Turtles! A bunch of 'em! They'd make for great pictures!"

Thanking him profusely, I turned the bicycle around and pedaled back toward where he had pointed...

Wonderful story!

Xmas · Jun 5, 2015

jnanian said:
hi film_man

the wedding photographer we used was with 30 years experience and from a studio
that had been around for IDK 50-60 years maybe more ... maybe my expectations were
higher because i shoot professionally, but i have to admit it was an experience.
certainly wasn't "now" when the happy couple is given 10,000 proofs to look at, and a multi media demonstration.
it IS a tricky business, and while i have done some weddings bar/bat mitzvahs &c
in my past, i'm not that much of an adrenalin junkie or feel comfortable enough in such a litigious society
that i would ever be involved with that sort of thing except tangentially as a friend with a camera.
too many nightmares i have read and heard. on the same note, i have a friend who has made a living
the past, IDK 20-30 years or more shooting wedding videos, film, digital, super /regular 8+16mm ..
and i have heard some real "interesting" stories from that end of the market as well ...

All that was yesterday today only iPhones and selfie sticks.

removed account4 · Jun 5, 2015

Xmas said:
All that was yesterday today only iPhones and selfie sticks.

maybe, maybe not ...

its easy to say only, all, never nobody ..

but there are exceptions to most all, only, never , nobody situations...

mehguy · Jun 6, 2015

Actually every single time i go in a camera store and ask for something film related, i always get the question "Are you a student?".

Sirius Glass · Jun 6, 2015

mehguy said:
Actually every single time i go in a camera store and ask for something film related, i always get the question "Are you a student?".

Probably because they want to know if they should give you a student discount. I am retired and I am asked that in Bel Air Camera and Samys Camera every time. I asked why and they said even seniors take college classes and they want to know if they should give a discount.

Paul Verizzo · Jun 6, 2015

mehguy said:
Actually every single time i go in a camera store and ask for something film related, i always get the question "Are you a student?".

What is this "camera store" you mention. A store with cameras, not phones. How odd. The last store here in Sarasota, FL closed three years ago. While a chain Ritz, the owners came from a family that a successful regional chain here since the early 1950's.

Tamara · Jun 6, 2015

Paul Verizzo said:
What is this "camera store" you mention. A store with cameras, not phones. How odd. The last store here in Sarasota, FL closed three years ago. While a chain Ritz, the owners came from a family that a successful regional chain here since the early 1950's.

We're fortunate to have one small two-store local chain left.

(Although they only stock a tiny amount of film on one end-cap at the location at which I shop. And can be kind of funny if you don't get the right guy.)

mehguy · Jun 6, 2015

Paul Verizzo said:
What is this "camera store" you mention. A store with cameras, not phones. How odd. The last store here in Sarasota, FL closed three years ago. While a chain Ritz, the owners came from a family that a successful regional chain here since the early 1950's.

Tamara said:
We're fortunate to have one small two-store local chain left.

(Although they only stock a tiny amount of film on one end-cap at the location at which I shop. And can be kind of funny if you don't get the right guy.)

Are camera shops really that scarce nowadays? Well there is one local camera camera store which is sells cameras. They have a very small selection of phones but its 98 percent camera stuff. There are some out of town but they are somewhat far so i dont go to those shops as often.

Tamara · Jun 6, 2015

mehguy said:
Are camera shops really that scarce nowadays?

When I moved to Indianapolis in '08, there were the aforementioned Roberts stores, as well as five Cord Camera stores. All five of the Cords have closed, the last one shuttered in early '14. That whole chain was down to two stores in Ohio, according to the news article.

Alan Gales · Jun 7, 2015

In St. Louis we are fortunate. We have Schillers and Creve Coeur Camera. Schillers is just at one location as it has always been. I believe Creve Coeur Camera has three locations. I've shopped at Schillers since the early 1980's. It's a pro shop. They still sell 35mm and medium format film. A salesman I've known for a long time told me that he personally sold the last box of 8x10 b&w sheet film 10 years ago.

Both camera stores have gone digital but still sell a little film (no large format), darkroom supplies and used film cameras.

Russ - SVP · Jun 7, 2015

I pretty much burn film exclusively. I've even had some wedding clients insist on all film for their wedding. And a few that wanted mostly B/W film for their wedding

mehguy · Jun 7, 2015

Alan Gales said:
In St. Louis we are fortunate. We have Schillers and Creve Coeur Camera. Schillers is just at one location as it has always been. I believe Creve Coeur Camera has three locations. I've shopped at Schillers since the early 1980's. It's a pro shop. They still sell 35mm and medium format film. A salesman I've known for a long time told me that he personally sold the last box of 8x10 b&w sheet film 10 years ago.

Both camera stores have gone digital but still sell a little film (no large format), darkroom supplies and used film cameras.

My local camera store has somewhat of a selection of films. they have mostly all the ilford films, some 120 film and no large format. Some darkroom supplies. Surprisingly, they have darkroom print paper.

ME Super · Jun 7, 2015

Alan Gales said:
In St. Louis we are fortunate. We have Schillers and Creve Coeur Camera. Schillers is just at one location as it has always been. I believe Creve Coeur Camera has three locations. I've shopped at Schillers since the early 1980's. It's a pro shop. They still sell 35mm and medium format film. A salesman I've known for a long time told me that he personally sold the last box of 8x10 b&w sheet film 10 years ago.

Both camera stores have gone digital but still sell a little film (no large format), darkroom supplies and used film cameras.

Creve Coeur Camera has stores outside St. Louis/Creve Coeur, MO too. The one I frequent is in Springfield, IL as it's the closest one to me. They've got a store in Edwardsville, IL too. They get all my film processing business, do a good job, and they're pretty quick too. E-6, C-41, and B&W all take the same amount of time. I love these guys!

Prest_400 · Jun 7, 2015

mehguy said:
Actually every single time i go in a camera store and ask for something film related, i always get the question "Are you a student?".

I recall back in this thread that someone mentioned you are young. I remember a few years ago, being 15 and having the student discount directly applied. Seemingly just because of it.
I think that being perceived as a student can be advantageous in the streets as well. Young and harmless.

Here in Barcelona there are quite a few camera stores but the ones carrying film are a selection of small boutique stores, labs and a big camera store that carries just about everything. The FNAC has a small instax-lomo section and I recall they had a display for instax!

cooltouch · Jun 7, 2015

Tamara said:
When I moved to Indianapolis in '08, there were the aforementioned Roberts stores, as well as five Cord Camera stores. All five of the Cords have closed, the last one shuttered in early '14. That whole chain was down to two stores in Ohio, according to the news article.

I guess Roberts must be hanging in there, though. I live in Texas, but I've bought film gear from them off eBay, then visited their Used Photo Pro website and bought even more gear. They have a good selection of Pentax 6x7 stuff, and their prices are at least as good as KEH's. I wish them all the best.

Here in Houston we have only two real camera shops left. It's kinda sad -- in a greater metropolitan area of over 4 million people, only two are left. The Wolf Camera and Prinz Camera shops all closed down years ago. But these two shops have good stuff. Both have a decent selection of used gear and sometimes really good prices on it. I've bought used items from both places on several occasions. I wish them well, also.

As to answering the question that opened this threat, I had to think about that. I don't guess I get as many questions as I just get looks. People often seem surprised to see me using film cameras.

A few years ago, I went on a photo shoot that a group of local photographers put together. I had recently acquired a Canon original F-1 and had just acquired an 85mm f/1.2 SSC Aspherical, and I was just itching to get to use that lens. I had my F-1 mounted to a winder, not the big motor drive, but the much more compact Winder F. But that winder made a noticeable grinding noise as it advanced the film.

So we had this model, and all the photographers were snapping away with their Canon and Nikon DSLRs with their big zoom lenses. And here I was -- every time I snapped a photo, the model would look up at me as my winder slowly ground its way to the next frame. I felt almost guilty about it, like I'd farted in church. My, how times have changed, I thought. Used to be the whir and grind of camera motor drives was common when a pack of photographers were taking photos. Not so anymore. The new DSLRs are almost as quiet as leaf-shutter cameras these days. That's as close as I ever got to feeling somewhat out of place.

My shots of the model were pretty forgettable, I think. But there was a guy named Dave there who had the only other film camera at the shoot. It was a 4x5 he had built himself, or rather scavenged parts from other cameras to assemble the one he had. I decided to take a pic of him working his camera. This ended up being the one shot that made coming to the photo shoot worthwhile.

Canon F-1, Canon FD 85mm f/1.2 SSC Aspherical @ f/1.2, Kodak Elite Chrome:

mehguy · Jun 8, 2015

well its a rather lengthy drive from my place (45minutes) this place: http://www.downtowncamera.com/ probably has the best film selection. all the kodak, ilford and fuji films, and a lot of other film related stuff.

Paul Verizzo · Jun 8, 2015

mehguy said:
well its a rather lengthy drive from my place (45minutes) this place: http://www.downtowncamera.com/ probably has the best film selection. all the kodak, ilford and fuji films, and a lot of other film related stuff.

You are so lucky to be able to do it at all. When I lived in LA, I'd live in anticipation for days or a week thinking about riding my Honda down to Freestyle on a sunny SoCal morning! Pretty fine living........

Paul Verizzo · Jun 8, 2015

@cooltouch: Pretty amazing, isn't it about the sound of winders/motordrives. When I use mine, people gawk; I think at some level they are thinking "Now, that's a real camera!" The thing I think terribly funny are those faux winder sounds on a digital camera. I think the only reason they are there and that people keep them on is to say, "Look at me! I have a cool digital camera!"

The very first digicam I got and all since, I turned that noise off. Why? Like I didn't notice I just took a picture? Makes a classic range finder sound like a motor drive in comparison. I have gotten wonderful street shots and video without a bit of noise. And the flip up rear viewer gives a lot of surreptitious options!

Back to our normal programming.........

mooseontheloose · Jun 8, 2015

In Japan the sounds are on all cameras, including phone cameras - they cannot be turned off. It's to let people (near the photographer) know that a photo is being taken. Of course, there are ways around that, but it's useful if you don't want someone taking your photo unknowingly (upskirt photos are quite popular here, I've seen male students doing it to their fellow classmates here). However, as a photographer I find it quite annoying.

Sirius Glass · Jun 8, 2015

mooseontheloose said:
In Japan the sounds are on all cameras, including phone cameras - they cannot be turned off. It's to let people (near the photographer) know that a photo is being taken. Of course, there are ways around that, but it's useful if you don't want someone taking your photo unknowingly (upskirt photos are quite popular here, I've seen male students doing it to their fellow classmates here). However, as a photographer I find it quite annoying.

How does one turn off the sound of a real camera like a Canon, Nikon or Hasselblad?

Tamara · Jun 9, 2015

re: Film Drive Sounds

When I loaded the first roll in my F5, I thought it was broken. :confused:

cooltouch · Jun 9, 2015

Speaking of noisy drives, I bought a Pentax Winder LX and it arrived today. Mounted it to my LX and gave it a dry run. Geez looooeeez! It sounded loud enough to cause the dogs next door to start barking! Sounded like somebody dropped a bunch of rocks in a box and then rattled it around as hard as they could. This can't possibly be normal! It was doing the film advance and all the way it should; it was just being very noisy getting it done. I can't imagine taking that setup to a model shoot these days. I thought my F-1's winder was bad; it's positively muted compared to this thing.

I've got to send my LX in to fix the sticky mirror syndrome it's afflicted with and I think I'm gonna include the winder and ask him if he thinks there's anything to be done about the racket.

how do people react when you tell them you shoot film?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency