Returning to Photography

JWMster said:

Wit: My alternative is a Rollei 6008 that I've vowed to try and use more this year. Bought the 3.5F TLR afterwards as smaller and quieter - which it is. And much as I love the TLR and find it's one camera I've really bonded with, there are times a Wide Angle or Tele would sure come in handy.. And so the 6008 lingers.... and truthfully from what I see, whenever I decide to unload the 6008 I'll be paying someone to take it off my hands who'll probably use it for a light or paperweight. Big with a crash boom bang shutter and power motor wind. Using it is like driving to the in a library with a "silent" M1 tank and turning the turret to pick out a book. Possible "overkill"? Not a chance. But the shutter does kind of sounds like a Mercedes car door: Loud, but with a very satisfying "German" engineered quality feel and "thlunk". In many ways as you said, the RB and the 6008 are far more capable. If there's no perfect camera.... there is joy in trying them all, huh?

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That's the beauty of exploring what film photography has to offer. I don't see how digital gear will have that in store for anyone decades down the line, even if by then it will feel more outdated (which it will) than film photography seems to some today. There is something about the mechanics that can be felt and appreciated without time limit. The fact that it can sometimes deliver unforgettable memories is just that extra icing on the cake.

TMcG1959 said:

I prefer film to digital but if I start shooting again I presume the cost of digital equipment certainly outweighs the cost of film processing etc

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Well, that all depends.

If you like to machine gun it and take 10,000 pictures a day to post on Facebook then digital is definitely cheaper.

Film can be cheaper, especially if you update your digital camera every time a new model comes out.

I wouldn't worry so much about costs as I would worry about which process I enjoyed more. Since you answered film then I would shoot film and use the cell phone for quick snaps.

Wit: Yep. Nikon FM2N with 3 primo prime lenses (24, 50 and 105) - under the price of a run of the mill digital. No circuit boards to fail. And there's plenty of upgrade path before even beginning to scratch the digital lines.... but there's digital, too. Seems like a good deal.

I have read all of the replies above and am intrigued by the various thoughts out there for and against. I really don't want to spend my days playing around with Photoshop or Light Room tweaking till the early hours with RAW files. A local amateur who seems to have lost his mind in the local camera club recently returned from a club shoot with over 600 shots taken on his Nikon DSLR. On my last adventure with the Rollei, I took 7 shots out of a roll of 12.

At the moment I am not ruling out developing the film myself at home and scanning the negs? Or am I just kidding myself?

TMcG1959 said:

At the moment I am not ruling out developing the film myself at home and scanning the negs? Or am I just kidding myself?

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Sounds like a plan !
have fun

John

TMcG1959 said:

. On my last adventure with the Rollei, I took 7 shots out of a roll of 12.

At the moment I am not ruling out developing the film myself at home and scanning the negs? Or am I just kidding myself?

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What you do about developing depends on what you shoot and your needs at the time .

I always have stop and fix mixed ready for B&W developing , and mix one shot developer ( Rodinol ) as and when I have some film to develop .
Very convenient , very cheap and easy to do .
Why would you pay someone to develop B&W film ? I find it very satisfying to do it myself , and with better control .
As soon as a roll/sheet needs developing , I do it .
I shoot 35mm , 120 roll film , 5x4 and now 7x5 .

For colour film I buy a kit with all the chemicals in that will do around 15 rolls at a time .
I don't shoot a great deal of colour film , usually using digital for that .
So if I've done something that I want developing sooner than I will have enough to use a batch of chemicals , then I will drop the film off and have it developed . Works out dearer , but I get the film back in a few days .

As far as using the developed film , I haven't finished building my permanent darkroom yet , so I scan all my film anyway and process in Lightroom , and have what I want printed by Photobox in the U.K .
I set up the temporary darkroom for anything I want to do wet prints off .

I use both film and digital , what works for you might be different .

I was on a mission to find the Plustek OpticFilm 120 Film Scanner but reviews seemed to suggest it was withdrawn due to problems with noise and performance. What is the best scanner on the market today that can handle film well. My current model the Epson 4490 Photosmart is pretty good but fairly old by todays standards.

TMcG1959 said:

I was on a mission to find the Plustek OpticFilm 120 Film Scanner but reviews seemed to suggest it was withdrawn due to problems with noise and performance. What is the best scanner on the market today that can handle film well. My current model the Epson 4490 Photosmart is pretty good but fairly old by todays standards.

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What quality of scan are you expecting? Epson V550/600 are cheap and do MF relatively well, but are no test winners. More money for somewhat better output Epson V800. A lot lot more money and Nikon 9000 will probably do all you will ever need, short of murals.

Digital camera and stitching is another option that is only limited by camera sensor and right set up to minute details of lighting and alignment.

TMcG1959 said:

I presume the cost of digital equipment certainly outweighs the cost of film processing etc

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It depends a lot on what digital camera you buy and how much film you shoot over what period of time.

faberryman said:

It depends a lot on what digital camera you buy and how much film you shoot over what period of time.

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And it is all relative, film and digital cannot be directly compared on running costs alone as there is too much of a different experience. It's sort of like a pure sail boat vs. motor boat.

Having read the most welcome comments and responses I think I have set my sights on a Nikon D3500 which has had very good reviews. Its not expensive and it seems to produce the same results if not better than many more expensive cameras. Has anybody here tried or owned one?

TMcG1959 said:

Having read the most welcome comments and responses I think I have set my sights on a Nikon D3500 which has had very good reviews. Its not expensive and it seems to produce the same results if not better than many more expensive cameras. Has anybody here tried or owned one?

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Closer to your phone than to a Rolleiflex in interface. Making adjustments to exposure, changing aperture, shutter speed, etc. is doable but not really how it is designed to be used. So if anything close to manual controls is desirable, I think the 5000 series will be more to your liking. If a P&S level interface is what you want from this camera, it has very good image quality.

TMcG1959 said:

Having read the most welcome comments and responses I think I have set my sights on a Nikon D3500 which has had very good reviews. Its not expensive and it seems to produce the same results if not better than many more expensive cameras. Has anybody here tried or owned one?

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D camera reviews are nearly worthless affair these days, there is probably not a single one camera made today that will hold back your photography. But going digital with film day memories I'd definitely go with cameras that give you straight controls, which lands in a Fuji territory for the most part.

The D3500 and D5600 are practically the same camera though the 5600 has a tilting viewfinder.

Is there a digital camera out there with nothing more than manual exposure co trolls, similar to FE2 of FM2

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Witold said:

D camera reviews are nearly worthless affair these days, there is probably not a single one camera made today that will hold back your photography. But going digital with film day memories I'd definitely go with cameras that give you straight controls, which lands in a Fuji territory for the most part.

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TMcG1959 said:

Is there a digital camera out there with nothing more than manual exposure co trolls, similar to FE2 of FM2

.

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All I will say is that Fuji X100?(with F being the latest I think, I have the T) works like an old rangefinder (with all comfort of digital technology I really want to see). It is a $1200 camera, but I don't know of any other that feels as good as the X100 in "analog" sense. Of course it is NOT a system camera, fixed lens (with 2 auxiliaries I do not recommend). As everything it has quirks, most of Fuji lone doing, but for me love at first sight.

neilt3 said:

If your going to shoot black and white developing your own is the simple and best value way to go .
A Patterson developing tank , a changing bag and some chemicals is all that's needed , very easy to do .
If your doing colour , either develop in batches with a developing chemical's kit , usually 12-15 rolls at a time , or send them away for developing .




Most of what I get is mail order / internet , deliver anywhere in the British Isles ,
https://www.firstcall-photographic.co.uk/
https://www.silverprint.co.uk/
https://www.discountfilmsdirect.co.uk/
https://www.theimagingwarehouse.com/

The last time I went into a camera shop ( in Warrington town center ) and asked for a roll of (any) 120 B&W film the kid replied that they only had 125 in B&W and 400 in colour .
I had to explain that he was talking about ISO rather than film format and they only had 35mm film , as in 135 , and not 120 roll film .
He struggled to understand the concept .
I don't know why , in digital you have ISO's and different format sizes up to medium format cameras , working in a camera shop he should have a basic understanding of this .
Very poor .

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Also Speed Graphic, Mr Cad and RK Photographic. I've spotted HP5+ at Boots in Kendal, in 120 format no less; when I'm in Edinburgh or Glasgow then I can stock up at Stills or Street Level . Stills even stock Ilford film in 4x5 format!

Wit: Fuji? Been there, done that and for my money... they ain't bad. Enough positives I bought one for my daughter when she got out of nursing school. Not a fan of Fuji glass per se and gravitated to adapted OM glass and Contax CY lenses. Sent my daughter all the old OM primes when I dumped the Fuji system... and she's loving the size of those old, small guys. They were pretty doggone good if I don't say so myself... and inexpensive.

Fuji cameras can be had inexpensively, and do a decent job. Unfortunately... it ignited a love affair which drew my wallet into the game. And then I got ideas... like that lenses should all have the same filter size or something, or at least have a family "system" based on something like that. And Fuji seems to be one camera company that definitely doesn't care a fig about this. Most give it a single, half knee bend and today, only with a time machine to pick up the older (and better pre-EPA glass). Zeiss, Rollei and Nikon seem to work harder on this than some others. But with much digital, folks don't care, and they do make such things as adapter rings. I'm a big fan of Fuji's protective glass filters, polarizers, etc. and combining polarizers with yellow filters for B&W film. FWIW, I came kicking and screaming into the Nikon tent from everywhere else to have one set of lenses for film AND digital in the 35mm/"Full Frame" size.

My life is cluttered with cameras - Nikkormats and Nikkors (worth nothing on the used resale market just now, so I'm keeping them), Contax G1 kits, Rolleis, 1950s folders, a pair of Kodak Retinas with three lenses and odd bits I bought with the good intention of restoring the cameras, but what do you think? That's just the film gear. The digitals are under control, two D700s (I seem to buy in pairs) and a D90 we use for at home point and shoot work. D lenses galore. Filters, lens hoods, a few other other bits.

When I retired in 2012 I did a count and realized I had between 50 and 60 cameras. Shock horror. By selling on Ebay and donating some to friends and our local op shop (I'm very surprised the local op shop volunteers don't lock the door and hide in the back room when they see me coming up the street, I've donated so much odd stuff to them) I'm now down to about 20 - I no longer to stocktakes to keep my heart beat under strict control.

My favorite film cameras are the ones I use least nowadays - the Rolleis (two Ts, a 3.5E2 and a Rolleicord Vb) and my Contax G1 kit. The Nikkormats were my bread-and-butter cameras throughout my stock photo days, but now almost never get used. Sadly. When the urge hits I go out with no more than two lenses and three rolls of film and try to work to the strict rule of Quality Versus Quantity. With digital the opposite seems to apply, altho I'm trying to wear out the Delete button by being more selective with the images I keep and those I don't. In the (not so) good old days I shot 3-4 images of the same subject either for duplicates or to vary exposures. Now with digital I can post-process dozens of the same image in the time it took me to shoot the film sequence.

The Rolleis are the most fun to work with and most often used. The Contax G1s allow a more rarefied quality experience but slide film is now so expensive, so I use color neg or B&W. The Nikkormats still give out a satisfying "crump!" when I press the shutter button and many past memories come back. I use them with B&W film only, now and then.

All my cameras except the Rolleicord Vb were bought privately or from reputable shops. Ditto chemistry and paper. I used to look for secondhand and expired everything, but not now. I do buy in smaller lots than I used to, tho, from the one major supplier left in Melbourne who still has the stocks.

The costs of my photography I prefer to not think about. Fortunately, I have an understanding partner. When I'm gone, family members will get some of my equipment and the rest can be sold if it still holds any value or given to friends or charity shops. Film, darkroom chemistry and paper, well, let's not go there. Digital is cheaper, but time in my darkroom is good therapy for me, tho I now get bored with it much faster than I did before, having less time left in my life and not more time.

I've finally cured myself (I think) of the urge to acquire yet more photo gear on Ebay or other sites. Mostly by keeping only $5 in my Paypal account. Yes, I miss a good deal now and then, but I've found the thought of having to transfer money into my Paypal and waiting 3-5 days for the payment to hit the account, often gives me the second thoughts I need to nix the purchase in the first place. It's really a game I play with myself, but heck, it works. Is life not just a long series of compromises, after all?

If I had to bite the bullet and keep just one camera kit, I would... I don't know. I love all my gear for different reasons. Fortunately, I don't have to do this. Eventually the 'problem' won't bother me any more.

So what am I to make of all this?I don't know. Like so many other posters, I've written only random thoughts.

Threads like this are great fun to read and post to. Some of you take a light-hearted approach to writing about their cameras and photography, which I particularly enjoy.

It's good to read and laugh. More, please.

TMcG1959 said:

Over a period spanning some 25 years I have shot exclusively with Rolleiflex T and 3,5f cameras which I still have. I don;t own a digital camera though I snap all the time with my smartphone which gives instant, pleasing results.

I prefer film to digital but if I start shooting again I presume the cost of digital equipment certainly outweighs the cost of film processing etc

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If you prefer film, then why spend money on digital? Your camera phone already gives you pleasing images.

What a shame it would be not to use these beauties again......

To be honest, i have set aside some cash over the past few weeks and cannot get myself keen to spend it on anything digital, just yet

TMcG1959 said:

To be honest, i have set aside some cash over the past few weeks and cannot get myself keen to spend it on anything digital, just yet

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Welcome,
I know what you mean (are we allowed to say digital on here) I bounce between the two, film and digi.

However I've not spent much on my digi gear. All I use are a pair of old but good Nikon D50's with a couple of zooms, nice and cheap set up and is good enough for me.

Processing, colour I leave that to the labs, B&W I do that myself then scan as you are planning.
I used to use a Rondinax daylight tank, just couldn't get on with it, I now just use tanks which I find easier and use less chemicals.

Good luck.

With a JOBO, you can pretty much process anything and be happy with the results. Last fall, we went to Paris and I shot the whole trip on Portra 400 with a TLR. Roughly 34 rolls of film. Processed all of it myself and very happy with the results. Whether it's B&W or C-41, there's no real trick and C-41 is actually less finicky than B&W to process with just about any C-41 kit. Doubt I'll get into E-6 processing, but that's a possibility with a JOBO. This crazy JOBO machine solved a lot of my bugaboos with getting consistent results. Highly recommended.

TMcG1959 said:

Over a period spanning some 25 years I have shot exclusively with Rolleiflex T and 3,5f cameras which I still have.

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Take your Rolleiflex f/3.5 TLR cameras out of storage and start shooting again.