How gear swapping & film/developer testing nearly ruined my photography

gone · Jun 8, 2016

I've been going through all of my negatives to see which of them might be good candidates for making large darkroom prints, and what struck me was all the great gear I used to own and later sold in order to buy other gear. The old buy/sell obsession. Some of the cameras like the Rolleicords, Autocords, Rolleiflex E3 w/ Planar, Rolleiflex T, various Nikon SLRs w/ Leica R 90 Summicron and Elmarit lenses....what on earth made me sell those? The negatives from them are perfect. Clear and sharp. If I thought it was going to improve my photography w/ something else I was a fool.

Then there were all the different films and developers I tried. Why didn't I just stay w/ Tri-X in D76? That's a classic combination the suited me perfectly. When I think of all the time, effort and money I spent experimenting w/ this and the gear, it was just wasted. I should have stuck w/ what worked really well and devoted myself to taking better photos w/ what I had, which was some great cameras, film, developer and lenses. Not going to make that mistake w/ my printing. I have some good fiber paper that is what I like (Adox MCC 110 in Dektol), and once I fine tune my new enlarger w/ some less expensive fiber paper that's all I'm going to use because that's all I need.

Jerevan · Jun 8, 2016

Yep, I am getting out of that buy and sell circus myself ... so I know what you are talking about!

Keeping just a few cameras (would love to keep it down to one or two, but that's not going to happen), so I need to make some decisions in the near future.

I have never been even close to feeling that I have exhausted the abilities of one system, let alone several ones ...

baachitraka · Jun 8, 2016

- MCC 110 for normal printing and toning.
- Fomatone MG for lithprinting.

gone · Jun 8, 2016

Thanks for the lith printing tip. I've never tried it but it does interest me. Now I won't have to test paper after paper. Good stuff.

Thomas Bertilsson · Jun 8, 2016

My own scary reality:

I recently trimmed down my camera collection to (2) Hasselblad 500 bodies, lenses, and (4) backs. (1) Leica M2 with lenses. (2) Pentax 35mm SLR with lenses. (1) Zero Image 2000 6x6 pinhole.

I felt great, and started taking pictures mainly with the Leica and Hasselblad systems. After a short amount of time I started thinking about using the other cameras. Then I was given my grandmother's little Minolta P&S camera after she passed away. Then I found a Holga I'd forgotten about. Then I bought a Diana and a 35mm back for it. And now I bought an old 6x9 Agfa Clack.

My theory is that when we don't have gear to think about we are faced with making photographs. And when one is average as a photographer like myself it's difficult to see the lackluster interest my photographs generate, so the natural inclination and comfortable thing to do is to go back to thinking about gear. At least that seems to be the case for me.

baachitraka · Jun 8, 2016

momus said:
Thanks for the lith printing tip. I've never tried it but it does interest me. Now I won't have to test paper after paper. Good stuff.

Film: APX 100 in 35mm & HP5+ in 120.

Paper: MCC 110 is my staple paper for most of the needs. The print size 13x18cm(10x15cm) for 35mm and 24x30cm(20x20cm) for 6x6 make me happy.

Framing: 30x30cm frame with 19x19cm mount looks optimal for my living room.

gone · Jun 8, 2016

Absolutely Thomas. Even a good photographer is going to find it lots less challenging to test cameras, test film and developers, etc than to make great images w/ a camera. It's not easy to make great images, and I don't know why that is. From my painting and printing background, it's not like this at all. It's totally different. When one begins working on a painting or print, one normally stays w/ it all the way through until completion. You can paint over, start over, make all manner of changes because everything is right in front of you, and you can do it quickly. With photography, you really never know what you have until you print it, and you're always limited to what is in the negative. Then there's the breakage between making the image and printing the image, whereas in "art" it's all happening right there in real time, and you're only limited by your imagination and skills. In photography, if you don't have what you essentially want on the negative, you're screwed.

In any case, I didn't do myself any favors messing around swapping gear and trying all those films and developer combinations.

Noisegate · Jun 8, 2016

One reason I returned to film was to "limit" my choices. Accordingly, I went out and bought a Mamiya RZ to replace my Canon 5d. Six Mamiya lenses later, along with two 4x5 systems, three pinhole cameras, numerous "had to have" accessories including a full blown darkroom, I am now convinced my original reasoning was flawed, at best. Oh, and did I mention I still have the Canon 5D?

All that said, I agree with Mr. Bertilsson's theory. When things are going well, I never think about the gear...when a photo turns out below par, I have no one else to blame but my camera!

Thomas Bertilsson · Jun 8, 2016

momus said:
In any case, I didn't do myself any favors messing around swapping gear and trying all those films and developer combinations.

Guess what I did for the first 5 years of my photography endeavor? I tried every film and developer on the planet. And going back through those negs, it's virtually impossible to do anything with them, because of how different they are. At the same time, maybe one has to relax about that a little and realize that most of those old photographs weren't very good anyway, and that they were part of a learning curve. But like you I curse why I couldn't just have shot the APX100 that I loved so much, processed in Rodinal, and lived happily ever after?

Jerevan · Jun 8, 2016

There is also this weird thing that I "need" to have two or three of every dang camera, "just in case". What is the point of having three well-working Nikon F2, each one with the same 50 actually?

Luis-F-S · Jun 8, 2016

Sort of why I've used T-X and HC-110 for the past 30 years, just like Fred Picker recommended. I'm now trying to understand the nuances of EB/RA and am not being very successful at it. Still have a stash of the old Oriental Seagull graded in the blue box, Brilliant II and Portriga, all frozen and still very usable. Also have almost every camera I've bought since 1982 except for a V8 I sold in a moment of stupidity, but have bought replacements. Thank goodness I didn't get rid of most of my Dagors and Artars and still have my 14" Gold Dot I bought from B&H new in 1987 for $825.00!

Eric Rose · Jun 8, 2016

Still shooting the same old crap I've been using for the past 45 or so years. Nikon cameras (started with F, then F2 and finally N90s and F5) with Nikkor glass, Bald and Rollei for MF and an old Cambo for 4x5 (plus the usual German glass). I've got a pair of Leica's that are collecting dust. Now that I have gone back to contacts I might start using them again. Got tired of trying to focus them with glasses on. For film it's always been Ilford for 35 and MF B&W. When I shot colour it was Fuji and (choke) Kodak (clients insisted on Kodachrome). Now all my colour is digi. Before embracing PyroCat-HD for all my B&W developing I used (choke) Kodak D-76 and HC110 with a bit of Rodinal thrown in for spice. I've never been the one to chase the magic bullet. Just didn't have the time. Like they say if it ain't broke .....

For me it's always been about the image. I could care less about the equipment. As long as it got me what I wanted and didn't break down all the time I stuck with it. Think of cars the same way.

Kodak (spit on the ground) and I had a major falling out many moons ago.

John_Nikon_F · Jun 9, 2016

Noisegate said:
One reason I returned to film was to "limit" my choices. Accordingly, I went out and bought a Mamiya RZ to replace my Canon 5d. Six Mamiya lenses later, along with two 4x5 systems, three pinhole cameras, numerous "had to have" accessories including a full blown darkroom, I am now convinced my original reasoning was flawed, at best. Oh, and did I mention I still have the Canon 5D?

All that said, I agree with Mr. Bertilsson's theory. When things are going well, I never think about the gear...when a photo turns out below par, I have no one else to blame but my camera!

Now, all you need is an EOS-1 or EOS-1n to use your 5D lenses on. Then, you can purge the 5D. Then again, maybe not. The 5D seems to be like the Nikon D2x. Used to be worth a lot, now, not so much. So, maybe use it like I use my gear. D-word for the not-so-important shots or as a "Polaroid back" for testing exposure, then analog for the serious stuff.

lol, I'm more likely to blame myself for any goof-ups.

-J

Dali · Jun 9, 2016

baachitraka said:
- MCC 110 for normal printing and toning.
- Fomatone MG for lithprinting.

This is exactly what I plan! Freestyle parcel should be delivered tomorrow...

Dali · Jun 9, 2016

I stopped buying gear years ago and you know what, even if you have a lot of cameras and lenses, you end up using almost always the same... It is a sign you can get rid of most of them without much damage and focus on picture.

benjiboy · Jun 9, 2016

The question I always ask myself in thee last thirty odd years before I buy any any photographic equipment is "is it in reality going to make me any better a photographer ?" consequently I have bought very little indeed especially in comparison to many members of this forum, even so I have three zoom lenses that I use so seldom (because I prefer prime ones) that I could easily live without them but they sell for such low prices these days it's not worth the hassle of trying, so I leave them in the draw.

Svenedin · Jun 9, 2016

I was at a local photographic dealer today. I needed some batteries for my OM4-Ti. The chap who runs it is 85 and has known me since I was small. He mentioned a customer who had been in that day who had over 250 cameras. We chatted about why that was and did he actually take any photographs! Then I remembered a camera I had when I was 7 or 8. It was a plastic camera that came with some sort of "Action Man" (GI Joe) set. Plastic, fixed lens, fixed focus, fixed shutter speed. Using Sunny 16 and FP4 I took a picture of the clipper "Cutty Sark" and won a photography competition. OK a competition for kids but beyond a certain point it really is not about the equipment......Anyway we chuckled about that I said to the elderly shopkeeper "for goodness sake don't tell them!"

RauschenOderKorn · Jun 9, 2016

I stopped buying gear this month after I saw what I spent last month ....

OK, last month included a jobo atl 1500, but anyway it was too much ...

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 9, 2016

Personally I love playing with, fiddling with, testing out, trying out, having fun with various equipment, lenses, developers, films, etc. for me it's a large part of my enjoyment of the hobby. I'm not searching for a magic bullet, I just enjoy variety in my gear and my films and developers. It's hugely fascinating to me. And love my results too. Maybe one day I'll "arrive" but the journey is too fun. Perhaps I'll never "arrive", and I'm ok with that too. So to each his own.

Svenedin · Jun 9, 2016

michael_r said:
For all you know the guy with 250 cameras took great pictures. You can be a great photographer with one or 250 cameras. You can also be a shit photographer with one or 250 cameras. The same goes for films, developers, darkroom gear etc. Snobbery goes both ways.[/QUOTE

Indeed he may be but one thing is for sure.....he has filled the till of that photographic dealer for many, many years.

darkosaric · Jun 9, 2016

Thomas Bertilsson said:
I recently trimmed down my camera collection to (2) Hasselblad 500 bodies, lenses, and (4) backs. (1) Leica M2 with lenses. (2) Pentax 35mm SLR with lenses. (1) Zero Image 2000 6x6 pinhole.

I felt great...

+1
I sold/am selling everything except Leica M3 and M6 / Nikon F and F3 , Diana F original and F+ and 2 instant cameras.

Thomas - did you not loved Diana F cameras?

Thomas Bertilsson · Jun 9, 2016

darkosaric said:
+1
I sold/am selling everything except Leica M3 and M6 / Nikon F and F3 , Diana F original and F+ and 2 instant cameras.

Thomas - did you not loved Diana F cameras?

I'm using the Diana now with 35mm back and Fuji 400 color film. I'm in school and work full time, so I have very little time for photography.
So I send the film to a lab and let them process and scan it for me.

jeffreythree · Jun 9, 2016

Richard S. (rich815) said:
Personally I love playing with, fiddling with, testing out, trying out, having fun with various equipment, lenses, developers, films, etc. for me it's a large part of my enjoyment of the hobby. I'm not searching for a magic bullet, I just enjoy variety in my gear and my films and developers. It's hugely fascinating to me. And love my results too. Maybe one day I'll "arrive" but the journey is too fun. Perhaps I'll never "arrive", and I'm ok with that too. So to each his own.

Exactly, I couldn't have written that better. I could cut it down if I had to, but I like a photographic journey and not just the destination.

Gerald C Koch · Jun 9, 2016

Ansel Adams warned against getting involved with too many films. If you constantly have to think that this camera has Tri-X in it and this camera has FP4+ you are going to miss shots. I too finally realized the wisdom of one film, one camera. That is why I no longer take more than one camera with me.

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 9, 2016

jeffreythree said:
Exactly, I couldn't have written that better. I could cut it down if I had to, but I like a photographic journey and not just the destination.

Yeah. It puzzles me the haughty attitude from people who simply prefer one or few cameras and maybe one film and one developer, to those who like to experiment and have fun with many. Great! Good for you. I happen to love using many. And guess what? I only use one camera, one lens, one film and one developer AT A TIME. So in the end, for the most important part, we're all identical! ;-)

How gear swapping & film/developer testing nearly ruined my photography

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