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Back to film, what's the cheapest way to buy and develop it?
In general, and particularly in the UK. I'm missing film. My Praktica Mini is proving to be a revelation, it reminded what joy there is in simplicity. I no longer care, at least for now, nor want to care about the details of the camera. I want it to be as basic as can be, I don't want the camera to distract from the activity or the scenes. Image quality is no concern, the fun is all that matters, oh, and of course, composition! I'm therefore getting this other cheapo. http://www.fujifilm.com/JSP/fuji/epa...D=clear_shot_V Yes, it's a small fixed-focus P&S with manual film rotation. To me that's pure zen. I'm getting rid of all my other cameras. I'll just keep a basic film, and a basic digital, and of course, my pencils! I'm also getting a bike; it's spring now, and it'll soon be summer. The bike will take me farther than I can walk. What's the cheapest way to buy & develop film, especially in the UK? I'm particularly interested in B&W, and perhaps slides. I see no advantage in colour negative for me over digital. That said, would it be just easier to shoot colour film, scan the prints, and than channel mix them? Would you suggest I just shoot B&W and develop it myself (not done it since 1980s), just the film, and get a film scanner? Also, what particular films may be interesting? |
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Back to film, what's the cheapest way to buy and develop it?
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#4
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Back to film, what's the cheapest way to buy and develop it?
Paul Furman wrote: wrote: wrote: http://www.fujifilm.com/JSP/fuji/epa...D=clear_shot_V Wow, nevermind. Way too simple. I like fixed focus, but this has fixed aperture AND fixed shutter! I guess the mju ii should be simple enough. Fuji Clearshot V Compact Camera Plus 3 Films. £12.99 * 35mm compact. * Built-in flash. * Fixed focus. * Includes 3 Fuji 400 ASA 24 exp films, battery and strap. http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5601514/Trail/C$cip%3D36801.Photography%3EC$cip%3D36812.35mm+cam eras.htm I liked the idea of the product, a compact 35mm with fixed focus, manual film drive and a big viewfinder. Pure simplicity. The lens is a fujinon so it must be good enough for a basic usage. It uses AA batteries, rather than those camera batteries, and those are only for the flash, which is manual. Did I say it's compact? It weights 120gms, whereas the Olympus Mju II weighs 185gms. But, am I misunderstanding this? it says "Mechanical shutter release, fixed at 1/125 seconds shutter speeds". What does this mean? Is it only fixed for the flash or is 1/125 the only shutter speed there is? I like fixed focus, I don't mind fixed aperture, but fixed shutter too? That's a little strange. So all shots would be at 1/125 and f/10 regardless of the scene? Hmmm, strange. http://ffcue.fujifilm.com/JSP/fuji/e...M_Brochure.pdf Wait, this could be fun. Fixed exposure. How strange. It reminds me of some people who'd shoot all scenes with daylight white balance (digital), even indoors. They like things to look as they are. It could also be a disaster. I guess the only control one has is what film to put in (eg, 100, 200, 400). How would you shoot with such camera? The more I think about it the less strange and perhaps more intriguing it seems. One advantage of fixed focus in such small cameras is that it's very predictable. Perhaps fixed exposure is predictable too. Maybe this camera would be immune to difficult exposure situations that would confuse more expensive ones. |
#5
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Back to film, what's the cheapest way to buy and develop it?
wrote: The more I think about it the less strange and perhaps more intriguing it seems. One advantage of fixed focus in such small cameras is that it's very predictable. Perhaps fixed exposure is predictable too. Maybe this camera would be immune to difficult exposure situations that would confuse more expensive ones. Indeed. The idea of a fixed-exposure camera startled me at first. But now I think I'm starting to like it. http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/enjoydslr/p_3_006.html And then again there's Ken Rockwell http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/notcamera.htm "They were made on a 50 year old fixed-focus, fixed exposure box camera for which I paid $3. This camera is more primitive than today's disposables... You need to learn to see and compose. The more time you waste worrying about your equipment the less time you'll have to put into creating great images. Worry about your images, not your equipment." Very well said; exactly my intention. And then again there's Panoramas. This camera would perhaps be better for them than other P&Ss, considering that it's light for trekking and hiking, and that exposure would be fixed so that changes in direction won't cause the camera to change exposure. Not that I want to shoot any panoramas, but just mentioning the point (Nevermind the fact that, besides being film, it's also manually driven, so shouldn't need batteries, which are used for the flash, and flash won't be needed outdoors). I just want to, as Ken Rockwell put it, only be concerned with content and composition, not equipment. I don' t think I'll find a camera more basic than this. I think it's clear to me now. This camera being so cheap I think will be a fun challenge. It's also clear to me now that it's print film that I want, as it more forgiving when it comes to fixed exposure than B&W and slides. I'll go get one today, and if I like it, I'll get another next week considering that it's cheap and they seem to have stopped making it. It's no longer on the fujifilm UK site. |
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Back to film, what's the cheapest way to buy and develop it?
The cheapest film is to purchase 35mm film in 100 ft rolls
and load it into cassettes yourself. Even cheaper if the film has expired, slow (= 100 ASA) film keeps quite well past expiration if properly stored -- several years if refrigerated. Look for sell offs at camera stores and ebay. -- Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio Consulting Engineer: Electronics, Photonics, Informatics. Remove blanks to reply: n o lindan at ix . netcom . com |
#7
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Back to film, what's the cheapest way to buy and develop it?
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#8
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Back to film, what's the cheapest way to buy and develop it?
What's the cheapest way to buy & develop film, especially in the UK? I'm particularly interested in B&W, and perhaps slides. I see no advantage in colour negative for me over digital. That said, would it be just easier to shoot colour film, scan the prints, and than channel mix them? Would you suggest I just shoot B&W and develop it myself (not done it since 1980s), just the film, and get a film scanner? Also, what particular films may be interesting? look at online classified ads or haunt garage sales and flea markets for some photographer's old kit of a bulk loader and a bag of empty cassettes. buy a 100 foot roll of film and learn to load your own. probably the same seller also has a set of stainless steel tanks and reels to develop the stuff too. Tri-x was the world standard for all things from portraiture to arts. now I believe the torch has passed to the former soviet states where they still put silver in the film, and not those chemical color couplers and delta crystals. do they still make IR film? that is guaranteed coolness and artsy |
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