Old guy here. The OM-1 was my very first camera. I bought it in 1978 (I think). Kodachrome was my preferred film back then. Very fond memories of that camera. I eventually ended up with 5x4 camera which I’m very happy with now. Best of luck on your photography journey!
I think you hit the nail on the head here. I pick up my film cameras much more frequently than my DSLR. It's fun! And the mechanical feel is a bonus for me. The community too, great video.
The post production aspect of film is actually one of my favorite parts... That is when I’m printing in the darkroom. Plus, I learned basics of color grading before I knew “color grading” was a thing. 😅 I’m considering leaping back to darkroom printing and getting an enlarger. ❤️
In the 90s I had a basic reusable film camera. My first ever. And I remembered I always use Agfa film 400 because the colors last longer and photos don't turn blurry after awhile. Back then, the film used and the paper printed on makes a lot of difference on the "longevity" of the prints. Prints on matte paper last longer, does not stick to each other or the photo album if you were to remove it after awhile. The glossy prints tend to become blurry after few years. Whenever you can, always print on Agfa films and Agfa photo paper. They last way longer than Kodak or Fujifilm.
Great video! I'd been photographing on film for over 30 years (well, there was no digital), then switched entirely to digital in 1999/2000 with a Fuji DX10 (1024x768 pixels!), and upgrading over the next 20 years. However, I was becoming increasingly disenchanted as cameras became more and more "capable" (i.e. removing the need to think). Earlier this year I dusted off my old film cameras and developing equipment and rediscovered my enjoyment of photography.
Awesome video and the pictures , but you're leaving out the major part of film photography you get an actual negative that you can keep forever and you can make copies or digital I have negatives that are 56 years old and slide negatives , you cannot accidentally delete a negative not like digital
@Pete Melon Nope, don't agree, once you take the basic steps of storing the negatives properly they'll only be ruined if your house burns down? I have negatives I'd taken 40 years ago which I could scan and print tomorrow (or print in a darkroom), and can do the same with my fathers negatives from 80 years ago. Even presuming you make multiple back-ups, continue transferring files to keep up with changes in technology, and avoid corruptions and viruses....where do you think those files will be in 40 years? or in 80 years? Your hard drives would mean nothing to your descendants and will probably end up in land fill, whereas a strip of negatives are instantly recognisable would mean a slice of family history.
@@thewildgoose7467 You can print digital images at any point in the future with zero degradation in quality. Even consumer Inkjet printed images have a DISPLAY life of 100+ years behind glass, 200+ years if in storage. My house burns down the images are still online, yours are smoke. Hard drives? How quaint!
@@fredbloggs545 Interesting...so do you have many 200 year old consumer inkjet prints lying around? Oh wait, there were no inkjet prints 200 years ago?? So you're only presuming they last 200 years because you were TOLD they last 200 years, and the 'expert' who's told you this most likely works for the inkjet company, right? Don't believe everything you are told. At the end of the day you're relying on a series of ones and zeros being preserved in a particular order and re-read in a particular way by electronic means. You have nothing tangible. On the other hand we KNOW negatives will last 150 years because they are a physical entity and negatives from 150 years ago still exist. Good luck with the possibility of anyone finding your ones and zeros in 150 years time.
I couldn't agree more - everything you said about film is what I enjoy too. I like the click of the shutter and the mystery of whether I got the shot as I imagined. Looking forward to your next film video.
I borrowed my nieces AE1 she randomly busted out... hook line and sinker. And film cameras are so cheap now I have like five 35mms and just got an RB67 two weeks ago 🤷♂️ ever since COVID I haven’t done any weddings and now I’m thinking about selling my Sony’s for more film 😂 maybe a Pentax 67
My first SLR back in the late seventies was a F2A + motor drive and still have them, but I switched to digital in 2000 with a Canon D30. I even did B&W and Color processing & printing in my own wet darkroom. Hence, old is old to me, while old is new to this generation of photographers. Of course, like today's young, I too had explored the past of my generation, with Large Format. 🙂
I have an OM-1 that I purchased new in 1972. Always loved the camera and lens but found the cost of film and processing at the time inhibited the process. I would like to shoot a roll or two with this camera but of course the light meter no longer works due to the mercury battery availability. It defeats the purpose having to pull out my xt5 to get a light reading. Sadly and to rub salt into the wound my Gossin luna6 light meter from the same era uses two of the exact same battery. Thanks for the video, inspiring.
Hello, I was a film photographer since I was 11 years old. I found film to be “magical “ in a way. Processing and printing and seeing the print comes up. Then using an enlarger to make the print. I did get into digital and find the print quality is better in film,but quicker to use digital. I must admit I have not spent as not as much time on digital, It is good to see so many people getting back to film.
I started with film in the mid 1990's. The digital revolution came along and I rode the wave until 2019 when I purchased a restored medium format film camera. Now, my digital gear is rarely used and my film gear is usually with me. You are indeed correct, there's something about shooting film. It takes patience, it's a much slower process, but so much more enjoyable. Thank you for the excellent video! I enjoyed it very much!
I very much enjoyed watching this video. The pacing and presentation were perfect. It's a rare RUclips vid that I watch all the way to the end without skipping ahead or totally bailing partway through. Not so here. And I very much agree with you on film. Beyond the more pleasing look of a film image, it also has an _originality_ component that's not present in digital. Any digital image can be clinically replicated over and over, with each copy indistinguishable from the last--a pure commodity. But with film, there is a single, obvious original as the absolute reference outcome of your effort. Film is not better or worse as much as it's a different experience with different ends.
I learned photography and dark room manipulation in the 90s. After 20 years of digital , I'm back to black and white film. It is a very rewarding process which really makes you think more. Way to go.
Thank you for posting this video. I have been shooting film on and off for years and I have just got back into it. I agree with you that shooting film forces you to think more. Digital is trial and error. There is nothing that beats getting your film back and finding that you were successful. A true joy. I shoot 35mm but I shoot mostly medium format. Give that a try. There are many TLR's available for you to get into it. Good luck.
Ilford FP4plus, Ilford Delta 400 and T-max400 are mainstays in my monochrome kit. Kodak Gold 200, Portra 160 /400 and Extar 100 for color. If you just want to shoot up a lot of film to get the feel of it, and start processing your own, Arista makes inexpensive "student" grade film that I have had great results with. Not quite the tonal range of the films mentioned earlier, but fantastic for the price. Cheers
Your video is much appreciated. My mother bought a Canon AE-1 Program in 1985 that I used as a senior shooting photos for the high school yearbook. We used black and white film and made the prints in the school's darkroom. Mom passed last October and Dad just gave me her camera. So, now I am taking the first rolls of film since the early 2000s. Your video is right on about taking the time for make each shot and the anticipation of developing. Not sure if I will continue with film or not. We'll see how these rolls develop.
Trying different formats and films is great fun. You get to be one with your tools in an organic way. Some films to try... Ilford Ortho+ (B&W with almost no red sensitivity). Slide film like Ektachrome. It has different exposure characteristics and latitude. It can be a real challenge. One creative area to explore is long exposure night shooting. When reciprocity failure kicks in some fabulous almost abstract results are possible. You can get into optical printing, infrared, large format (an 8x10 transparency is mind blowing), and so many other rabbit trails. Back when I was growing up the visitor centers in national parks often had huge displays of large format color transparencies that would take your breath away. A computer monitor does not even compare.
I switched to film camera when moved to Canada in 2012 to pursue my filmmaking career and film photography helped me to slow down and pay attention to the frame and story. Happy to see more artist switch to film. Thank you for this video inspired me to load my FM10 with Kodak Ektar :)
I've been shooting film for about 3 years now with a Nikon FM2N and some others, but other that Portra I love tri-x and Kodak color plus and agfa but now it's not produced
@World Yes well I would recommend getting a little point and shoot film camera to start. As their name indicates, they're very easy to use, they measure light automatically so they are a very easy way to start with film. Color in photographs will mostly depend on what roll of film you decide to use (there are different kinds of 35mm rolls like Kodak, fuji, portra etc, and each of these has a certain look). So I'd recommend getting a cheap point and shoot camera that has flash, and maybe use some of the cheap Fuji rolls with it, which have more greenish tones. Depends where you're from, in my country you can get a good point and shoot for 20 to 45€ on secondhand websites, and in USA for example I've seen tons of videos of people getting good ones for under $10 at thrift stores. Just get a cheap one that is working and give it a try!! :)
@World Yes that's an option but maybe its better to start with point and shoot, they are smaller and easier. Also, Canon ae1 is a bit more expensive and you might not need that to begin, but at the end of the day it depends on what you want
Absolutely aggree with what you've said. I too have felt that digital just doesn't cut it for me. That luminosity and colour, as you describe it, is exactly what makes film so unique. I was looking at Fujifilm's X-T30 II because they are the best at capturing that film feel, but may just go ahead and get a good old analogue. Great video.
About the cost it depends on how often you use the camera, we can measure this in cost per photo, on film the more photos you took the more expensive it becomes vice versa on digital the more photos you took it becomes cheaper and cheaper. let's say a 500$ digital camera has around 100k shutter count if u reach the max the cost per photo is only 0.5 cent now imagine 100k photo with roll of film u need about 2.7k rolls of film.
I am fortunate enough to have both digital and film cameras. I started with film back in the mid 80s when it was the only game in town. I gave up film for a long while to concentrate on digital. I have decided to add film to the mix again. Always had a soft spot for it. I love both formats and do not compare them. I love what each has to offer. Yes, film is more work but I enjoy the process. Happy I do not have to make a choice. Thanks for the video and your perspective
I absolutely concur with everything you've said. It's definitely something I've noticed myself, the slowing down and taking more time and thought into the shot. I wasn't too keen on taking up film for a long while, not until I finally picked up a Rolleiflex that my grandfather had gifted me some time back. Honestly, I truly adored the photos I received back from the lab. With digital, I almost never love the shot I take as-is, and end up messing around w/ lighting, colours, etc in post, but with film, it seems to usually give me exactly or something darn close to what I had in my mind. I also love just how tangible the film is vs digital. I get an actual physical manifestation of that shot, of that moment, on the film, instead of just a digital file that I suppose I can get printed but even then it's still not the same. I've most definitely gotten most of my best shots as of recent on film and not my Sony, lol. While I do still use digital for like, cosplay portraiture just because it is more instantanious and I feel digital lends better for the overall aesthetics of most cosplays, film is without a doubt king for me. As far as stocks go, I do really love myself some CineStill (800T), Washi (Washi F I can't get enough of), and Lomography (Potsdam, Berlin), but I can't go wrong with Kodak Gold and Portra, or some Ilford from time to time.
More than anything else, its the way the film pics make you feel instead of the digital ones. There is something missing in digital still even with all the software editing and stuff.
Hello Orms ! Been peeking at your website on an off looking for 45mm and 120 film. Kodak and Fuji. Also for CR2 batteries for my 2 Pentax 35mm cameras. Much like you, now that film etc is available again, my future photography for non - snapshots will be back to film . It is far more fun knowing that you cannot just put the camera on mulyiple shot mode and carry on. a lot more thought is required.
Hi - my film recommendations are: Fuji Acros II, Ilford XP-2 Super, Kodak Gold and Kodak Ektar. I returned to film after about 15 years 'away' and it's fantastic. I still enjoy my digital gear (and my Sigma SD Quattro H is the camera I use to digitise my negatives - a killer resolution monster that makes scans redundant) but film and my Barnack Leica IIIf 'red dial', Leica M3, Pentax SV, Pentax Spotmatic II and Canon EOS 50e indicate I've got it bad lol. Wish you well with your own film fun!
many years ago, I bought both a Canon Digital Rebel AND a Rebel2000 35mm film camera. I used both fairly often, for a couple years, and then they got shoved to the back of a closet. I just recently got the bug to pull them out again and see what I could do.
I decided to buy an Olympus OM1n as my first ever camera in the '80s. A 'basic' manual film camera but relatively compact and solidly made. Also the biggest clearest viewfinder field I've seen. Have bought a few more cameras over time but I still use it.
Just bought a Nikon F801 and almost immediately bought Nikon F5. Now I'm after a Bronica ETRSi ....my digital cameras haven't been out of the bag in weeks! Favourite film is Ilford Hp5 400 B&W, and Kodak Gold 200 cheap and cheerfull. Love this video BTW thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the video. I would love to switch to film. However, serious concerns about environment pollution didn't let me. So, what's your opinion on mirrorless cameras?
I have an OM-1 without the light meter fix too. I just estimate how far off the reading is and compensate with my settings. My #1 film is currently Vision3 500t.
Thank you very much for your video, I just got inspired again to take out my analogue ones and put in a film, after all, the weekend is about to start. All the crap with Corona made me a little careless but now it's time to start again. I wish you all the best and many beautiful pictures
The first camera that i bought was an Olympus OM-10, i shot 3 rolls of B&W and developed them myself at the university, then i quickly bought a Canon digital camera and never looked back, last weekend i spent it out with friends and bought a roll and i'll now come back to film photography because it's so much more engaging. I really liked your video and has given me even more motivation
I shoot alot of black and white so Ilford HP5 and Kentmere 400 are two of my favourites. For colour the Cinestill cinema films are pretty incredible too.
I bought a Canon 500n on cashconverters for 10$ and I can't understand the difference between using that and a 2000$ olympus OM-1. I think unless you're looking for some specific feature only the glass and film matter. Correct me if I'm wrong.
I’m back to film shooting now. My favourite film to shoot is,,,,film! The different dynamics and results of each type are very wonderful. I have a few rolls of Kodachrome 64 that are in the freezer and I am waiting for the right event to use them. I shoot with a Nikon F manufactured in 1968.
The OM-1 light meter!! You don't need to to do the diode mod, just get a "WeinCell MRB625" (Replacement Battery for PX625/PX13). They're about $10. If your light meter still doesn't work, doing the diode mod will probably fix it because the wire going to the battery is probably corroded. I fixed mine with just a piece of wire, instead of getting the diode, but mostly because I'm lazy. But, hey, it works :)
When I was taking photos on digital point and shoot cameras or my phone, the bug never seemed to bite. Maybe, it was the lack of control of my device which prevented me from exploring the more intricate details of photography. It wa a case of point the camera and press a button - this didn't seem to hold much appeal. Then a few years ago, I found that film was still availible for purchase and processing, pulled out the old family camera stored in the cupboard, loaded it up, shot a roll and got it processed. From that moment, I was hooked. 2 rolls later, I had an SLR in the post and now 200+ rolls later 8 cameras, I'm bulk loading, developing, scanning and printing at home. It's been an interesting journey, and I've still got lots to learn. The intereseting thing for me is that you can go as deep as you want - You could either just get a P&S Olympus Trip, get the film developed and printed or you can go down the rabbit hole of developing, chemistry, scanners or darkroom printing. To me one irony was that B&W has been much more complex technically than C41 colour because of the huge control/variables that you can play with. It's been one intersting journey with still many surprises.
Film suggestion.... You can buy Kodak Vision 3 which is used by many Directors like Tarantino in rolls for your 35mm SLR if you search. In the UK Nik & Trick sell it for £6 and I'm sure they ship overseas. I'm running a couple of rolls through my Nikon F4 & F2 at the moment and can't wait to see the results.
I brought a Nikon F4S and I'm get back to film photography where I began in my teenager years back in the 80s. It's a very demanding way of photograph and it's an amazing experience. My favorite films are Kodak Ektar 100, Vision 3 (a spooled movie film) , Ilford F4P and Kodak TMAX 400:among others. Regards from Brazil.
Is it worth it tho to buy 500t in comparison to colorplus? I wanted to buy that film because it's really cheap but i'm really nervous about the tungsten colour tho 😔
@@dustineagan3881 It's a different look to colorplus so it's worth it if you prefer the look. Check out Silbersalz to see the difference. You can correct the tungsten color in the editing process when scanning the film or use 85 filters. However, with 85 warming filters you will lose a stop of light.
@@dustineagan3881what should concern you is finding a lab which can process ecn-2. Indeed 500t leans blue when shot in daylight, but you can fix this easily in Lightroom with Negative Lab Pro.
Jess, you spoke my mind. My first camera was a Baby Browne by Kodak shooting a 127 film. Next was a kodak Duoflex 620 film. that was followed by Yashica GL Range finder 35 mm film, then Yashica TL Elecro X another 35mm. that was followed by Nikon F3,and my last one was Nikon F100. For last 5 years I was without a camera, and I was very reluctant to go Digital: I couldn't afford one and I didn,t like their artificial results. Now I have managed to get a used Nikon Df. It is in mint condition. I am still going through its Manual, and I shall use it as I have been using my previous cameras; but a digital camera with a film mindset.
Have you found a decent (affordable) scanner for your colour negatives to scan at home? I have scanned some BW negatives myself which was fine, but colour film negatives were a complete disaster.
I have half a dozen 35 mm SLRs Only one did i buy the rest were given to me. most work. but the one i bought was an OM-1md which i sent off last tuesday for complete refurbishment and the meter modified. i can't wait to start shooting with it, I am retiring before the end of the year. and i want to travel and take lots of photos for wife to remember, (just got diagnosed with ALS). My daughter inlaw is a painter (artist type) and i hope my Grand daughter who likes to paint but is only 2.5 years old, has an interest in Photography I can leave her some nice old cameras. I was planning to try wet plate photography but then I hunt with a Flintlock and use my computer by kerosene lamp. I like the old ways of doing stuff.
This video encouraged me to get into film photography. One thing I will say: if you don't know much about exposure settings and are intimidated by it, start with a point and shoot! They have automatic settings and the one I have literally just has 2 zoom and 1 shutter button, that's it... Yet the photos I got out of it were spectacular. It was also $16 at a camera shop near me, so obvious it's dirt cheap.
Excellent choice. Just recently I decided which of my 35mm cameras I keep, and I decided, among others, against the Leica R6 and choose the OM-1. Main reason was the large and bright viewfinder, second reason the fabulous Zuiko lenses, third reason its size and weight. However, my OM-1 actually is more or less a shelf camera, since I quite exclusively shoot on medium and large format now.
Jess, will you be doing more film related videos? The few that have been uploaded are great, and I really like your style. It’d be great to see more! (It’s why I subscribed)
I got back into film photography because I wanted a bigger picture than my phone or even micro 4/3 cameras could produce. That meant going for medium format. In the past that was always too expensive for me - not only the equipment but also the processing. Now you can buy a good TLR for around $200-300 or a vintage folder for $150. I do, however, consider the computer editing as part of my creative process. I treat the original photo as the base, the raw material. So far I don’t use anything fancy - just Preview on my Mac, and GIMP for adjusting perspective.
My only experience with "real" photography was in high school (circa 2009) with black and white full-manual SLR film cameras. Besides that, I've only played with mid-range phone cameras and very occasionally with a point-and-shoot. My current phone has an unusually despicable camera, and I've been really disappointed at missing some awesome landscapes and other opportunities. I'm choosing to go straight into film. I love the look of film, I tend to lean analogue in general, and after taking that class I don't really find it too intimidating. Choosing a digital camera I won't hate, THAT strikes me as very intimidating. On digital, you choose a camera and that's the sensor you get to live with. On film, my sensor is the filmstock, and the camera body is just a box with settings. As someone who struggles with over-research and indecision, the ability to experiment with different filmstocks lowers the stakes and frees me up to experimenting instead of reading.
i just purchased Canon Eos analog camera and put EF lens from my digiral Canons. Found it on ebay for 10 Eur, i think camera is new, thats how good it looks and works too. Make sense for Canon shooters.
Great video. I have just got back into film photography. I have a Rolleiflex 28d and a very small Rollei 35S .Both without light meters and the Rollei has to be focused by using zone focusing in feet. I use myLightmeterPro on iPhone for my meter and a Luxi For All attachment for incident light readings which works with the same app. The Luxi app does not limit the aperture and shutter speeds to my specific cameras like myLightmeterPro does. Favourite film Ilford HP5 B+W which I push +1 to 800 ISO. Both cameras have a maximum shutter speed of 1/500 so the higher ISO gives me a better light range. If it is really bright I use a +2 stop Neutral Density filter. Pushing the film also enhances the blacks and whites better and gives more grain. I scan the negatives with Epson V800 and use Silverfast in the scanning process to mainly tweak the black and white balance. I took the same photo with my Olympus OM-10 Mark II and the 2 film cameras. Best results were with the Rolleiflex. The Rollei 35S is so small I carry it everywhere so get some great shots because it is with me. With the Rolleiflex the square 120 film is a different composition experience. The photo is best in the middle of the frame as the eye tends to look at the picture as a circle compared with 35mm which is horizontal. Film is certainly so much fun. Digital has become so sharp with saturated colours. Enjoy!
Honestly the film and lens used make a bigger difference than the camera body. The body just acts as the host. The film and lens are what actually makes the image. As long as the shutter works in the camera body, you're good.
Dear Jess, after watching your video, I dug out my well preserved Olympus OM-2d black body 35 mm camera with its auto and manual video light meter built into the viewfinder. I used to shoot black and white Tri-X and color Kodachrome film with it. I bought it with a 28-85 Zukina telephoto lens. I guess I bought it around 1981 or 82, I haven't looked at the Serial No. to confirm the date. I also own a Rollicord 4x5 that my father left me and who "exposed" me to film photography as a hobby as a teenager back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. So, my question is whether it is still worth it for me to keep the Olympus OM-2n camera body. Is it now considered a classic? Is it now just another collector's item? Are there still enough of the bodies floating around to not make the camera a worthwhile item to hang on to? My gut tells me it is like owning an Omega Speedmaster before Apollo 11. Am I right to hold on to it or is it just another old camera body that nobody cares about? Thanks in advance.
Love shooting b&w with my old minolta and developing the film at home in the bathroom (also with caffenol recipes). But I struggle with digitalization or printing because i finde both to tedious to do at home: the printing procedure forces me to build a temporary dark room, the digitalization with a scanner takes forever or making pictures of the negatives with my digital camera needs a lot of post processing.
Favourite fims are Kodak Portra 160NC , Ektachrome E100 VS , E200 , and TriX. Agfa Reala 100 and Agfa Velvia 50. Kodak Gold 200 is also a really good film and was Kodak.s standard consumer film 20 years ago.
I bought a £50 Pentax super me from eBay that stayed ‘good condition and working’ to find that I can’t see through the view finder (even when the batteries are in and the film advance lever cannot be pulled -.-
Sounds like a jam. You can't see through the viewfinder because the mirror is stuck up, I am guessing. This is a really common issue with the ME Super model. Sometimes it can be dislodged by switching to 125x setting instead of auto or by switching to bulb and pressing the shutter button, but sometimes you need to poke around inside, oil it up, and make sure everything is aligning properly. I just fixed mine recently but I don't plan to put any expensive film in it in case it jams again.
Awesome story, really like your transition. I shoot with a Nikon F4, Olympus OM2SP, and a Minolta XD11 (my first camera ever). I just won on eBay a Minolta Autocord, can't wait to shoot that. I also use Olympus Digital, and a Nikon DF. Cheers
Love the F4, mine is an F4E. the beautifully damped mirror in them has let me shoot hand held as low as 1/15 sec and still get sharp shots. great camera.
Completely agree with the surprise factor. It is even a bit surprising to see what the photos come out like, since there are chemical processes going on that are not entirely predictable.
I shoot both film and digital and of course the quality of digital is much better than film (sharpness, less noise and more dynamic range etc). However film definitely has it's own character. I shoot film more for the actual experience (loading and winding the film and the beautiful mechanical shutter) and of course developing my own negatives. I find shooting film is more fun but ultimately I get better results from digital. Both mediums are great though.
You had me at click bait. I haven't dumped my small mirrorless Olympus EM5,I don't plan to but I did buy a medium format Bronica GS-1 with 4 lenses and am loving the way it too has forced me to slow down and consider my composition and exposure more. Yes, it's too easy to press and hold on the shutter button of a digital camera, bytes are cheap. However, given that my film camera is a medium format 6x7 with only 10 exposures per roll, cost is a bit more.
About 20 or 25 years ago I collected cameras. I have about 25 35 mm SLRs, plus some Russian rangefinder#, and some large format. As well as collecting them I also used them. About 11 years ago I gave up photography and put all of my cameras into store, mainly due to failing eyesight; I just couldn’t see through a camera. Recently there has been some improvement in my eyesight, and I have decided to give it another go. I am gradually trying all of the cameras, some are easier to use than others, for example the LCD display in the viewfinder of the Nikon FA is almost impossible for me to see, and while I like mechanical cameras the meters in many of them are difficult for me to see, so in some situations aperture priority mode with an electronic shutter model can be easier for me to use. One of my favourite cameras at the moment is the little Nikon FG, and it is also one of the cheapest. All of my cameras have been bought secondhand! And many are quite old, most dating from the 1920s to the 1980s. I have recently bought my first digital camera, a Nikon Df. I chose this model because I like having knobs and dials rather than having to wade through menus to change even basic settings. Many users of film today seem to be young people who started out shooting digital and later moved on to film; most of them still shoot digital as well, while most older users who started on film and later moved to digital gave up film, and now shoot digital exclusively. In this, I an atypical, I an 63, but still shoot mainly on film. All of my black and white is shot on film, and probably about three quarters of my colour. I mainly use digital if I need a picture quickly, or if I have to work in low light. I normally keep the Df on 100 ISO, but if I have to use a high speed for something it gives better results than film at the same speed. At 100 ISO the film looks better to me, I recently took some test shots of the same subjects with the same lens in the same light conditions. If I go out for the day and take a camera with me I only take a few shots, typically about 6-8, whether I am shooting film or digital. I mainly use Ilford FP4 Plus or Kentmere 100 for black and white and Kodak Pro Image 100, which despite its name is not a professional film, for colour.
I was shooting a wedding with a film camera and I made a mistake and advanced the film twice in the camera and it shredded the film and ruined the roll. I did not get the wedding coverage I needed.
I enjoyed the video because the points were well thought out. I don't shoot film anymore. I will never go back to film. I think in the end it depends on what type of artist you want to be and what's gets your creative juices flowing.
Oh my goodness...I absolutely love Cinestill 800T, and use it exclusively for night shooting, love the halation effect it gives with lights and the overall look it gives night shots. you wont find a better film for using at night as far as I'm concerned.
Kodak E100 is my favorite film; nothing like looking at a positive image shot on film. Don't know what happened to the price though! Portra 400 is favorite negative and Kodak P3200 TMax is my favorite black and white film.
The Olympus OM-1 was my first decent camera many years ago, and I still have it. {And 3 more} I have noticed that the OM cameras appeal to the Ladies a lot for some reason, maybe the size. I think you make a persuasive case. It's fun to review you negs and prints years later. Do what you enjoy.
Great video. I'm a film shooter down in PE. I basically only shoot black and white film and develop and scan it myself at home. Mainly because it's stupid fun to do the whole process myself, but also because there aren't really pro labs in town. I bulk load Kentmere 400 for my Pentax Sv 35mm SLR and I shoot Ilford HP5 and Kodak Tri-X 400 in my medium format Mamiyaflex.
I see you've shot some FP4. Try a few rolls of HP5+. You will find as you go down the analogue road that black and white will start to get a grip. Enjoy!!
This is such a great vid. You constantly reinforce the subjective nature of film vs digital, and I really dig your conclusion. Looking fwd to what comes next!
If you want a good cheap B&W film, try Fomapan 100 and 400 ISO film, they dont cost much, and another good B&W film is Kentmere 100 & 400 ISO, they're made by Ilford as is Ilford XP2 400 iso film.. so they're good quality but more budget oriented. Kodak make some good cheap colour films if you look around as well, if shooting colour is more your thing. I started out with digital back in 2009 with a little Canon P&S, then progressed to a Nikon DSLR in 2012 with my partners encouragement as she had one herself. around 2015 I picked up an old Zeiss Ikon folding camera from the 30's in perfect condition at a camera fair in South Australia where I live for only 30$...only bought it for display and had no intention of ever using it. one night I was on here just doing some research on it and found you could still get 120 film,so for fun, I decided to get a cheap roll of film from my local camera shop to try it out. well that was it. once I finished the roll, and put it in to be developed I was hooked, and have been shooting film almost exclusively ever since. have built up a collection of different film SLR's and medium format cameras as well. while film is still around I'll keep using it as I get a feeling from shooting film that digital just cant give me. I love it.
I shoot Film on the side of digital and I think, I learned more while shooting film, than digital. My digital shooting style changed when I started to shoot film, and that's what I love about film photography!
I didn't go digital until my mid-40's, and will never go back. I still have my old Canon A1 but would never dream of using it. My 5D Mk4 will last me until either I die or it breaks, am not interested in any more tech advances. But I'm 62. I can absolutely understand why for younger people shooting on film would be so appealing. Good luck to all, and every method is valid, whether you spend ages selecting exposure for a film shot or ages post-processing a digital shot. It's all about being creative.
I went back to film in 2016, still own a 10 years old Pentax DSLR. However I have far more film cameras, from the 1950's to the late 1990's, the late 90's camera's give a feel of digital but with film. and love the results I get. My favourite camera is my Chinon Cp-x from the mid 1980's and I usually buy expired film to use.
my favourite film is probably Ilford Hp5, but I mostly shoot on Fomapan 100 as I shoot large format and sheet film is extremely expensive in hp5 not to talk about colour film! (you cold buy a decent SLR for the same price as a 20 sheet box of Fujifilm Velvia 50 in 4x5)
Old guy here. The OM-1 was my very first camera. I bought it in 1978 (I think). Kodachrome was my preferred film back then. Very fond memories of that camera. I eventually ended up with 5x4 camera which I’m very happy with now. Best of luck on your photography journey!
I think you hit the nail on the head here. I pick up my film cameras much more frequently than my DSLR. It's fun! And the mechanical feel is a bonus for me. The community too, great video.
The post production aspect of film is actually one of my favorite parts... That is when I’m printing in the darkroom. Plus, I learned basics of color grading before I knew “color grading” was a thing. 😅 I’m considering leaping back to darkroom printing and getting an enlarger. ❤️
In the 90s I had a basic reusable film camera. My first ever. And I remembered I always use Agfa film 400 because the colors last longer and photos don't turn blurry after awhile. Back then, the film used and the paper printed on makes a lot of difference on the "longevity" of the prints. Prints on matte paper last longer, does not stick to each other or the photo album if you were to remove it after awhile. The glossy prints tend to become blurry after few years. Whenever you can, always print on Agfa films and Agfa photo paper. They last way longer than Kodak or Fujifilm.
Great video! I'd been photographing on film for over 30 years (well, there was no digital), then switched entirely to digital in 1999/2000 with a Fuji DX10 (1024x768 pixels!), and upgrading over the next 20 years. However, I was becoming increasingly disenchanted as cameras became more and more "capable" (i.e. removing the need to think). Earlier this year I dusted off my old film cameras and developing equipment and rediscovered my enjoyment of photography.
I tried shooting film for the first time with my dads zenith about a month ago, and now i'm utterly obsessed with it.
Awesome video and the pictures , but you're leaving out the major part of film photography you get an actual negative that you can keep forever and you can make copies or digital I have negatives that are 56 years old and slide negatives , you cannot accidentally delete a negative not like digital
That is actually an excellent point! This is very true. Thank you for sharing your insight with the community.
@Pete Melon Nope, don't agree, once you take the basic steps of storing the negatives properly they'll only be ruined if your house burns down? I have negatives I'd taken 40 years ago which I could scan and print tomorrow (or print in a darkroom), and can do the same with my fathers negatives from 80 years ago.
Even presuming you make multiple back-ups, continue transferring files to keep up with changes in technology, and avoid corruptions and viruses....where do you think those files will be in 40 years? or in 80 years? Your hard drives would mean nothing to your descendants and will probably end up in land fill, whereas a strip of negatives are instantly recognisable would mean a slice of family history.
@@thewildgoose7467
You can print digital images at any point in the future with zero degradation in quality. Even consumer Inkjet printed images have a DISPLAY life of 100+ years behind glass, 200+ years if in storage. My house burns down the images are still online, yours are smoke.
Hard drives? How quaint!
@@fredbloggs545 Interesting...so do you have many 200 year old consumer inkjet prints lying around?
Oh wait, there were no inkjet prints 200 years ago?? So you're only presuming they last 200 years because you were TOLD they last 200 years, and the 'expert' who's told you this most likely works for the inkjet company, right?
Don't believe everything you are told. At the end of the day you're relying on a series of ones and zeros being preserved in a particular order and re-read in a particular way by electronic means. You have nothing tangible.
On the other hand we KNOW negatives will last 150 years because they are a physical entity and negatives from 150 years ago still exist. Good luck with the possibility of anyone finding your ones and zeros in 150 years time.
@@thewildgoose7467
Ah right, it's a conspiracy and Canon, you know, the imaging company, is lying.
Whatever.
probably this is the best video i have seen on merits of film photography. shall await new ones in future. thanks.
nicky the cat simmer
I couldn't agree more - everything you said about film is what I enjoy too. I like the click of the shutter and the mystery of whether I got the shot as I imagined. Looking forward to your next film video.
Yay! Another film enthusiast! We're glad you enjoyed the video and hopefully we'll have another film one for you soon.
If you don't know if you got the shot you are doing it wrong.
I recently dig out my late fathers old Nikon F2 and now I’m hooked on film!
Love the F2's, beautiful camera's to use.
Pretty much exactly what I’ve done too
An amazing first camera! Enjoy
I borrowed my nieces AE1 she randomly busted out... hook line and sinker. And film cameras are so cheap now I have like five 35mms and just got an RB67 two weeks ago 🤷♂️ ever since COVID I haven’t done any weddings and now I’m thinking about selling my Sony’s for more film 😂 maybe a Pentax 67
My first SLR back in the late seventies was a F2A + motor drive and still have them, but I switched to digital in 2000 with a Canon D30. I even did B&W and Color processing & printing in my own wet darkroom. Hence, old is old to me, while old is new to this generation of photographers. Of course, like today's young, I too had explored the past of my generation, with Large Format. 🙂
I have an OM-1 that I purchased new in 1972. Always loved the camera and lens but found the cost of film and processing at the time inhibited the process. I would like to shoot a roll or two with this camera but of course the light meter no longer works due to the mercury battery availability. It defeats the purpose having to pull out my xt5 to get a light reading.
Sadly and to rub salt into the wound my Gossin luna6 light meter from the same era uses two of the exact same battery.
Thanks for the video, inspiring.
Hello, I was a film photographer since I was 11 years old. I found film to be “magical “ in a way. Processing and printing and seeing the print comes up. Then using an enlarger to make the print.
I did get into digital and find the print quality is better in film,but quicker to use digital. I must admit I have not spent as not as much time on digital, It is good to see so many people getting back to film.
Thanks for this video. I love it. I just purchased my first SLR camera (Nikon FM) and just waiting for it to arrive. I'm really excited!
Nikon FM's are great! Happy snapping 📸
I am blown away by your images and the quality of a camera that was produced in the early 70s. And that kodak film. My goodness .....so gorgeous
I started with film in the mid 1990's. The digital revolution came along and I rode the wave until 2019 when I purchased a restored medium format film camera. Now, my digital gear is rarely used and my film gear is usually with me. You are indeed correct, there's something about shooting film. It takes patience, it's a much slower process, but so much more enjoyable. Thank you for the excellent video! I enjoyed it very much!
I very much enjoyed watching this video. The pacing and presentation were perfect. It's a rare RUclips vid that I watch all the way to the end without skipping ahead or totally bailing partway through. Not so here. And I very much agree with you on film. Beyond the more pleasing look of a film image, it also has an _originality_ component that's not present in digital. Any digital image can be clinically replicated over and over, with each copy indistinguishable from the last--a pure commodity. But with film, there is a single, obvious original as the absolute reference outcome of your effort. Film is not better or worse as much as it's a different experience with different ends.
I learned photography and dark room manipulation in the 90s. After 20 years of digital , I'm back to black and white film. It is a very rewarding process which really makes you think more. Way to go.
Thank you for posting this video. I have been shooting film on and off for years and I have just got back into it. I agree with you that shooting film forces you to think more. Digital is trial and error. There is nothing that beats getting your film back and finding that you were successful. A true joy. I shoot 35mm but I shoot mostly medium format. Give that a try. There are many TLR's available for you to get into it. Good luck.
Ilford FP4plus, Ilford Delta 400 and T-max400 are mainstays in my monochrome kit. Kodak Gold 200, Portra 160 /400 and Extar 100 for color. If you just want to shoot up a lot of film to get the feel of it, and start processing your own, Arista makes inexpensive "student" grade film that I have had great results with. Not quite the tonal range of the films mentioned earlier, but fantastic for the price. Cheers
Your video is much appreciated. My mother bought a Canon AE-1 Program in 1985 that I used as a senior shooting photos for the high school yearbook. We used black and white film and made the prints in the school's darkroom. Mom passed last October and Dad just gave me her camera. So, now I am taking the first rolls of film since the early 2000s. Your video is right on about taking the time for make each shot and the anticipation of developing. Not sure if I will continue with film or not. We'll see how these rolls develop.
Trying different formats and films is great fun. You get to be one with your tools in an organic way.
Some films to try...
Ilford Ortho+ (B&W with almost no red sensitivity).
Slide film like Ektachrome. It has different exposure characteristics and latitude. It can be a real challenge. One creative area to explore is long exposure night shooting. When reciprocity failure kicks in some fabulous almost abstract results are possible.
You can get into optical printing, infrared, large format (an 8x10 transparency is mind blowing), and so many other rabbit trails.
Back when I was growing up the visitor centers in national parks often had huge displays of large format color transparencies that would take your breath away. A computer monitor does not even compare.
Ilford 200 and fomapan dx400 shoot on pentax me super with fast 50 lens, still awaiting for super wide angle from uk.
I switched to film camera when moved to Canada in 2012 to pursue my filmmaking career and film photography helped me to slow down and pay attention to the frame and story. Happy to see more artist switch to film. Thank you for this video inspired me to load my FM10 with Kodak Ektar :)
Thank you so much for sharing your story!
I've been shooting film for about 3 years now with a Nikon FM2N and some others, but other that Portra I love tri-x and Kodak color plus and agfa but now it's not produced
I want a film camera now😩
They're so much fun!
Film cameras are dead cheap, get one and start messing around!
@World Yes well I would recommend getting a little point and shoot film camera to start. As their name indicates, they're very easy to use, they measure light automatically so they are a very easy way to start with film. Color in photographs will mostly depend on what roll of film you decide to use (there are different kinds of 35mm rolls like Kodak, fuji, portra etc, and each of these has a certain look). So I'd recommend getting a cheap point and shoot camera that has flash, and maybe use some of the cheap Fuji rolls with it, which have more greenish tones. Depends where you're from, in my country you can get a good point and shoot for 20 to 45€ on secondhand websites, and in USA for example I've seen tons of videos of people getting good ones for under $10 at thrift stores. Just get a cheap one that is working and give it a try!! :)
@World Yes that's an option but maybe its better to start with point and shoot, they are smaller and easier. Also, Canon ae1 is a bit more expensive and you might not need that to begin, but at the end of the day it depends on what you want
Chris, Get a bunch of them, and a few bricks of film! Locate a few mail order labs and start getting into it! Cheers!
I love ColorPlus 200, it's usually cheap but it's hard to find at a good price
Absolutely aggree with what you've said.
I too have felt that digital just doesn't cut it for me. That luminosity and colour, as you describe it, is exactly what makes film so unique.
I was looking at Fujifilm's X-T30 II because they are the best at capturing that film feel, but may just go ahead and get a good old analogue.
Great video.
About the cost it depends on how often you use the camera, we can measure this in cost per photo, on film the more photos you took the more expensive it becomes vice versa on digital the more photos you took it becomes cheaper and cheaper.
let's say a 500$ digital camera has around 100k shutter count if u reach the max the cost per photo is only 0.5 cent now imagine 100k photo with roll of film u need about 2.7k rolls of film.
I started film camera with leica iiif..then now i have nikon 35ti..try to compare manual and point & shoot..
I am fortunate enough to have both digital and film cameras. I started with film back in the mid 80s when it was the only game in town. I gave up film for a long while to concentrate on digital. I have decided to add film to the mix again. Always had a soft spot for it. I love both formats and do not compare them. I love what each has to offer. Yes, film is more work but I enjoy the process.
Happy I do not have to make a choice. Thanks for the video and your perspective
I absolutely concur with everything you've said. It's definitely something I've noticed myself, the slowing down and taking more time and thought into the shot. I wasn't too keen on taking up film for a long while, not until I finally picked up a Rolleiflex that my grandfather had gifted me some time back. Honestly, I truly adored the photos I received back from the lab. With digital, I almost never love the shot I take as-is, and end up messing around w/ lighting, colours, etc in post, but with film, it seems to usually give me exactly or something darn close to what I had in my mind. I also love just how tangible the film is vs digital. I get an actual physical manifestation of that shot, of that moment, on the film, instead of just a digital file that I suppose I can get printed but even then it's still not the same. I've most definitely gotten most of my best shots as of recent on film and not my Sony, lol. While I do still use digital for like, cosplay portraiture just because it is more instantanious and I feel digital lends better for the overall aesthetics of most cosplays, film is without a doubt king for me. As far as stocks go, I do really love myself some CineStill (800T), Washi (Washi F I can't get enough of), and Lomography (Potsdam, Berlin), but I can't go wrong with Kodak Gold and Portra, or some Ilford from time to time.
More than anything else, its the way the film pics make you feel instead of the digital ones. There is something missing in digital still even with all the software editing and stuff.
Hello Orms ! Been peeking at your website on an off looking for 45mm and 120 film. Kodak and Fuji. Also for CR2 batteries for my 2 Pentax 35mm cameras. Much like you, now that film etc is available again, my future photography for non - snapshots will be back to film . It is far more fun knowing that you cannot just put the camera on mulyiple shot mode and carry on. a lot more thought is required.
I take my time on digital same as film simply because i dont feel like sifting through a ton of trash when i get on my computer.
Hi - my film recommendations are: Fuji Acros II, Ilford XP-2 Super, Kodak Gold and Kodak Ektar.
I returned to film after about 15 years 'away' and it's fantastic. I still enjoy my digital gear (and my Sigma SD Quattro H is the camera I use to digitise my negatives - a killer resolution monster that makes scans redundant) but film and my Barnack Leica IIIf 'red dial', Leica M3, Pentax SV, Pentax Spotmatic II and Canon EOS 50e indicate I've got it bad lol.
Wish you well with your own film fun!
many years ago, I bought both a Canon Digital Rebel AND a Rebel2000 35mm film camera. I used both fairly often, for a couple years, and then they got shoved to the back of a closet. I just recently got the bug to pull them out again and see what I could do.
My first 35 film camera was an Olympus OM-1. I also have an OM-2. Great brand and keep shooting. Good video.
I decided to buy an Olympus OM1n as my first ever camera in the '80s. A 'basic' manual film camera but relatively compact and solidly made. Also the biggest clearest viewfinder field I've seen. Have bought a few more cameras over time but I still use it.
Just bought a Nikon F801 and almost immediately bought Nikon F5. Now I'm after a Bronica ETRSi ....my digital cameras haven't been out of the bag in weeks! Favourite film is Ilford Hp5 400 B&W, and Kodak Gold 200 cheap and cheerfull. Love this video BTW thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the video.
I would love to switch to film. However, serious concerns about environment pollution didn't let me.
So, what's your opinion on mirrorless cameras?
I just got a film camera and I'm so excited. Can't wait to get some film for it
I have an OM-1 without the light meter fix too. I just estimate how far off the reading is and compensate with my settings.
My #1 film is currently Vision3 500t.
Thank you very much for your video, I just got inspired again to take out my analogue ones and put in a film, after all, the weekend is about to start. All the crap with Corona made me a little careless but now it's time to start again. I wish you all the best and many beautiful pictures
Thank you so much for your kind and heartfelt words!
I shoot on a Olympus Om2 I’ve shot digital but there’s something about film that I really enjoy
I have 2 om-1 and I’m soo excited to learn!
I shoot a lot of Ilford XP2 Super 400 Monochrome on my Nikon N80. I shoot color CineStill & Fuji on my Nikon & Canon film cameras also. Cheers!
The first camera that i bought was an Olympus OM-10, i shot 3 rolls of B&W and developed them myself at the university, then i quickly bought a Canon digital camera and never looked back, last weekend i spent it out with friends and bought a roll and i'll now come back to film photography because it's so much more engaging. I really liked your video and has given me even more motivation
I shoot alot of black and white so Ilford HP5 and Kentmere 400 are two of my favourites. For colour the Cinestill cinema films are pretty incredible too.
For monochrome it’s Ilford HP5 or FP4 for me. Colour negative is Kodak 200 or 400. I’m in the Uk so the Kodak film names may differ.
I bought a Canon 500n on cashconverters for 10$ and I can't understand the difference between using that and a 2000$ olympus OM-1. I think unless you're looking for some specific feature only the glass and film matter. Correct me if I'm wrong.
I’m back to film shooting now. My favourite film to shoot is,,,,film! The different dynamics and results of each type are very wonderful. I have a few rolls of Kodachrome 64 that are in the freezer and I am waiting for the right event to use them.
I shoot with a Nikon F manufactured in 1968.
The OM-1 light meter!! You don't need to to do the diode mod, just get a "WeinCell MRB625" (Replacement Battery for PX625/PX13). They're about $10. If your light meter still doesn't work, doing the diode mod will probably fix it because the wire going to the battery is probably corroded. I fixed mine with just a piece of wire, instead of getting the diode, but mostly because I'm lazy. But, hey, it works :)
When I was taking photos on digital point and shoot cameras or my phone, the bug never seemed to bite. Maybe, it was the lack of control of my device which prevented me from exploring the more intricate details of photography. It wa a case of point the camera and press a button - this didn't seem to hold much appeal. Then a few years ago, I found that film was still availible for purchase and processing, pulled out the old family camera stored in the cupboard, loaded it up, shot a roll and got it processed. From that moment, I was hooked. 2 rolls later, I had an SLR in the post and now 200+ rolls later 8 cameras, I'm bulk loading, developing, scanning and printing at home. It's been an interesting journey, and I've still got lots to learn. The intereseting thing for me is that you can go as deep as you want - You could either just get a P&S Olympus Trip, get the film developed and printed or you can go down the rabbit hole of developing, chemistry, scanners or darkroom printing. To me one irony was that B&W has been much more complex technically than C41 colour because of the huge control/variables that you can play with. It's been one intersting journey with still many surprises.
Film suggestion.... You can buy Kodak Vision 3 which is used by many Directors like Tarantino in rolls for your 35mm SLR if you search. In the UK Nik & Trick sell it for £6 and I'm sure they ship overseas. I'm running a couple of rolls through my Nikon F4 & F2 at the moment and can't wait to see the results.
I've also gone back to film using my OM10 w/ manual adapter. What I also did was to buy an old Canon SLR so I can use my EF lenses.
I brought a Nikon F4S and I'm get back to film photography where I began in my teenager years back in the 80s. It's a very demanding way of photograph and it's an amazing experience. My favorite films are Kodak Ektar 100, Vision 3 (a spooled movie film) , Ilford F4P and Kodak TMAX 400:among others. Regards from Brazil.
My current favorite B&W film is Derev Pan 400 from The Film Project
Anybody know where to find that deakins documentary?
One of the best explanation of why film I have seen!
My favorite film is the Kodak Vision3 line (50d, 250d, 200t, 500t). It's a cinema film but can be adapted for still photography.
Is it worth it tho to buy 500t in comparison to colorplus? I wanted to buy that film because it's really cheap but i'm really nervous about the tungsten colour tho 😔
@@dustineagan3881 It's a different look to colorplus so it's worth it if you prefer the look. Check out Silbersalz to see the difference. You can correct the tungsten color in the editing process when scanning the film or use 85 filters. However, with 85 warming filters you will lose a stop of light.
@@dustineagan3881what should concern you is finding a lab which can process ecn-2. Indeed 500t leans blue when shot in daylight, but you can fix this easily in Lightroom with Negative Lab Pro.
Jess, you spoke my mind. My first camera was a Baby Browne by Kodak shooting a 127 film. Next was a kodak Duoflex 620 film. that was followed by Yashica GL Range finder 35 mm film, then Yashica TL Elecro X another 35mm. that was followed by Nikon F3,and my last one was Nikon F100. For last 5 years I was without a camera, and I was very reluctant to go Digital: I couldn't afford one and I didn,t like their artificial results. Now I have managed to get a used Nikon Df. It is in mint condition. I am still going through its Manual, and I shall use it as I have been using my previous cameras; but a digital camera with a film mindset.
Have you found a decent (affordable) scanner for your colour negatives to scan at home? I have scanned some BW negatives myself which was fine, but colour film negatives were a complete disaster.
I have half a dozen 35 mm SLRs Only one did i buy the rest were given to me. most work. but the one i bought was an OM-1md which i sent off last tuesday for complete refurbishment and the meter modified. i can't wait to start shooting with it, I am retiring before the end of the year. and i want to travel and take lots of photos for wife to remember, (just got diagnosed with ALS). My daughter inlaw is a painter (artist type) and i hope my Grand daughter who likes to paint but is only 2.5 years old, has an interest in Photography I can leave her some nice old cameras. I was planning to try wet plate photography but then I hunt with a Flintlock and use my computer by kerosene lamp. I like the old ways of doing stuff.
This video encouraged me to get into film photography. One thing I will say: if you don't know much about exposure settings and are intimidated by it, start with a point and shoot! They have automatic settings and the one I have literally just has 2 zoom and 1 shutter button, that's it... Yet the photos I got out of it were spectacular. It was also $16 at a camera shop near me, so obvious it's dirt cheap.
Excellent choice. Just recently I decided which of my 35mm cameras I keep, and I decided, among others, against the Leica R6 and choose the OM-1. Main reason was the large and bright viewfinder, second reason the fabulous Zuiko lenses, third reason its size and weight.
However, my OM-1 actually is more or less a shelf camera, since I quite exclusively shoot on medium and large format now.
Jess, will you be doing more film related videos? The few that have been uploaded are great, and I really like your style. It’d be great to see more! (It’s why I subscribed)
Yes! Can’t agree more! I ditched all my digital cameras and going back to film 🎞️ for good. 🎉
A cheap black and white film I love is Kentmere 400. It's cheap, dries flat so its great for scanning and its great for pushing.
Thank you so much for the recommendation! We are going to keep our eyes peeled for a roll of Kentmere 400 and hopefully we'll get to try it out!
I got back into film photography because I wanted a bigger picture than my phone or even micro 4/3 cameras could produce. That meant going for medium format. In the past that was always too expensive for me - not only the equipment but also the processing. Now you can buy a good TLR for around $200-300 or a vintage folder for $150. I do, however, consider the computer editing as part of my creative process. I treat the original photo as the base, the raw material. So far I don’t use anything fancy - just Preview on my Mac, and GIMP for adjusting perspective.
My only experience with "real" photography was in high school (circa 2009) with black and white full-manual SLR film cameras. Besides that, I've only played with mid-range phone cameras and very occasionally with a point-and-shoot. My current phone has an unusually despicable camera, and I've been really disappointed at missing some awesome landscapes and other opportunities. I'm choosing to go straight into film. I love the look of film, I tend to lean analogue in general, and after taking that class I don't really find it too intimidating. Choosing a digital camera I won't hate, THAT strikes me as very intimidating. On digital, you choose a camera and that's the sensor you get to live with. On film, my sensor is the filmstock, and the camera body is just a box with settings. As someone who struggles with over-research and indecision, the ability to experiment with different filmstocks lowers the stakes and frees me up to experimenting instead of reading.
i just purchased Canon Eos analog camera and put EF lens from my digiral Canons. Found it on ebay for 10 Eur, i think camera is new, thats how good it looks and works too. Make sense for Canon shooters.
Great video. I have just got back into film photography. I have a Rolleiflex 28d and a very small Rollei 35S .Both without light meters and the Rollei has to be focused by using zone focusing in feet. I use myLightmeterPro on iPhone for my meter and a Luxi For All attachment for incident light readings which works with the same app. The Luxi app does not limit the aperture and shutter speeds to my specific cameras like myLightmeterPro does.
Favourite film Ilford HP5 B+W which I push +1 to 800 ISO. Both cameras have a maximum shutter speed of 1/500 so the higher ISO gives me a better light range. If it is really bright I use a +2 stop Neutral Density filter. Pushing the film also enhances the blacks and whites better and gives more grain.
I scan the negatives with Epson V800 and use Silverfast in the scanning process to mainly tweak the black and white balance.
I took the same photo with my Olympus OM-10 Mark II and the 2 film cameras. Best results were with the Rolleiflex.
The Rollei 35S is so small I carry it everywhere so get some great shots because it is with me.
With the Rolleiflex the square 120 film is a different composition experience. The photo is best in the middle of the frame as the eye tends to look at the picture as a circle compared with 35mm which is horizontal.
Film is certainly so much fun. Digital has become so sharp with saturated colours. Enjoy!
You certainly have a lot of knowledge to share, Bernard! Thank you for all your insight.
I wonder which camera would be better: Minolta SRT 101/SRT102 or Nikon F2
Honestly the film and lens used make a bigger difference than the camera body. The body just acts as the host. The film and lens are what actually makes the image. As long as the shutter works in the camera body, you're good.
My favorite camera is Canon A-1 and i'm
shooting On Film Kodak Ultramax 400 and Kodak Color Plus 200
Dear Jess, after watching your video, I dug out my well preserved Olympus OM-2d black body 35 mm camera with its auto and manual video light meter built into the viewfinder. I used to shoot black and white Tri-X and color Kodachrome film with it. I bought it with a 28-85 Zukina telephoto lens. I guess I bought it around 1981 or 82, I haven't looked at the Serial No. to confirm the date. I also own a Rollicord 4x5 that my father left me and who "exposed" me to film photography as a hobby as a teenager back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. So, my question is whether it is still worth it for me to keep the Olympus OM-2n camera body. Is it now considered a classic? Is it now just another collector's item?
Are there still enough of the bodies floating around to not make the camera a worthwhile item to hang on to? My gut tells me it is like owning an Omega Speedmaster before Apollo 11. Am I right to hold on to it or is it just another old camera body that nobody cares about? Thanks in advance.
Love shooting b&w with my old minolta and developing the film at home in the bathroom (also with caffenol recipes). But I struggle with digitalization or printing because i finde both to tedious to do at home: the printing procedure forces me to build a temporary dark room, the digitalization with a scanner takes forever or making pictures of the negatives with my digital camera needs a lot of post processing.
When I started with photography, there were no digital Cameras...
SB C: Same here.....there was also no auto-focus or built-in metering when I started.
Favourite fims are
Kodak Portra 160NC , Ektachrome E100 VS , E200 , and TriX. Agfa Reala 100 and Agfa Velvia 50. Kodak Gold 200 is also a really good film and was Kodak.s standard consumer film 20 years ago.
I stumbled across the little Olympus XA ranges and now I’ve pretty much always got an XA in my pocket.
I bought a £50 Pentax super me from eBay that stayed ‘good condition and working’ to find that I can’t see through the view finder (even when the batteries are in and the film advance lever cannot be pulled -.-
Sounds like a jam. You can't see through the viewfinder because the mirror is stuck up, I am guessing. This is a really common issue with the ME Super model. Sometimes it can be dislodged by switching to 125x setting instead of auto or by switching to bulb and pressing the shutter button, but sometimes you need to poke around inside, oil it up, and make sure everything is aligning properly. I just fixed mine recently but I don't plan to put any expensive film in it in case it jams again.
I love your perspective on film photography especially the meditative and anticipation aspects. Congratulations!
Why, thank you very much! So glad you enjoyed the video.
Awesome story, really like your transition. I shoot with a Nikon F4, Olympus OM2SP, and a Minolta XD11 (my first camera ever). I just won on eBay a Minolta Autocord, can't wait to shoot that. I also use Olympus Digital, and a Nikon DF. Cheers
Love the F4, mine is an F4E. the beautifully damped mirror in them has let me shoot hand held as low as 1/15 sec and still get sharp shots. great camera.
Completely agree with the surprise factor. It is even a bit surprising to see what the photos come out like, since there are chemical processes going on that are not entirely predictable.
If you can find anywhere that stocks it, Bergger Pancro 400 is an absolutely gorgeous black and white film.
I shoot both film and digital and of course the quality of digital is much better than film (sharpness, less noise and more dynamic range etc). However film definitely has it's own character. I shoot film more for the actual experience (loading and winding the film and the beautiful mechanical shutter) and of course developing my own negatives. I find shooting film is more fun but ultimately I get better results from digital. Both mediums are great though.
You had me at click bait. I haven't dumped my small mirrorless Olympus EM5,I don't plan to but I did buy a medium format Bronica GS-1 with 4 lenses and am loving the way it too has forced me to slow down and consider my composition and exposure more. Yes, it's too easy to press and hold on the shutter button of a digital camera, bytes are cheap. However, given that my film camera is a medium format 6x7 with only 10 exposures per roll, cost is a bit more.
About 20 or 25 years ago I collected cameras. I have about 25 35 mm SLRs, plus some Russian rangefinder#, and some large format. As well as collecting them I also used them. About 11 years ago I gave up photography and put all of my cameras into store, mainly due to failing eyesight; I just couldn’t see through a camera.
Recently there has been some improvement in my eyesight, and I have decided to give it another go. I am gradually trying all of the cameras, some are easier to use than others, for example the LCD display in the viewfinder of the Nikon FA is almost impossible for me to see, and while I like mechanical cameras the meters in many of them are difficult for me to see, so in some situations aperture priority mode with an electronic shutter model can be easier for me to use. One of my favourite cameras at the moment is the little Nikon FG, and it is also one of the cheapest. All of my cameras have been bought secondhand! And many are quite old, most dating from the 1920s to the 1980s. I have recently bought my first digital camera, a Nikon Df. I chose this model because I like having knobs and dials rather than having to wade through menus to change even basic settings.
Many users of film today seem to be young people who started out shooting digital and later moved on to film; most of them still shoot digital as well, while most older users who started on film and later moved to digital gave up film, and now shoot digital exclusively. In this, I an atypical, I an 63, but still shoot mainly on film. All of my black and white is shot on film, and probably about three quarters of my colour. I mainly use digital if I need a picture quickly, or if I have to work in low light. I normally keep the Df on 100 ISO, but if I have to use a high speed for something it gives better results than film at the same speed. At 100 ISO the film looks better to me, I recently took some test shots of the same subjects with the same lens in the same light conditions.
If I go out for the day and take a camera with me I only take a few shots, typically about 6-8, whether I am shooting film or digital. I mainly use Ilford FP4 Plus or Kentmere 100 for black and white and Kodak Pro Image 100, which despite its name is not a professional film, for colour.
I was shooting a wedding with a film camera and I made a mistake and advanced the film twice in the camera and it shredded the film and ruined the roll. I did not get the wedding coverage I needed.
I enjoyed the video because the points were well thought out.
I don't shoot film anymore. I will never go back to film.
I think in the end it depends on what type of artist you want to be and what's gets your creative juices flowing.
Try using cinestill 800T for night and mix lighting (tungsten lightning)
Oh my goodness...I absolutely love Cinestill 800T, and use it exclusively for night shooting, love the halation effect it gives with lights and the overall look it gives night shots. you wont find a better film for using at night as far as I'm concerned.
Kodak E100 is my favorite film; nothing like looking at a positive image shot on film. Don't know what happened to the price though! Portra 400 is favorite negative and Kodak P3200 TMax is my favorite black and white film.
The Olympus OM-1 was my first decent camera many years ago, and I still have it. {And 3 more} I have noticed that the OM cameras appeal to the Ladies a lot for some reason, maybe the size. I think you make a persuasive case. It's fun to review you negs and prints years later. Do what you enjoy.
Now I only use either my handy iPhone and/or a 6x6 TLR for daily drivers.
Great video. I'm a film shooter down in PE. I basically only shoot black and white film and develop and scan it myself at home. Mainly because it's stupid fun to do the whole process myself, but also because there aren't really pro labs in town. I bulk load Kentmere 400 for my Pentax Sv 35mm SLR and I shoot Ilford HP5 and Kodak Tri-X 400 in my medium format Mamiyaflex.
Hello! Glad you enjoyed the video. And thank you for sharing your go-to film types. We'll be sure to try them out!
I see you've shot some FP4. Try a few rolls of HP5+. You will find as you go down the analogue road that black and white will start to get a grip. Enjoy!!
This is such a great vid. You constantly reinforce the subjective nature of film vs digital, and I really dig your conclusion. Looking fwd to what comes next!
Thank you so much! We are so glad that the message of the video resonates with you.
If you want a good cheap B&W film, try Fomapan 100 and 400 ISO film, they dont cost much, and another good B&W film is Kentmere 100 & 400 ISO, they're made by Ilford as is Ilford XP2 400 iso film.. so they're good quality but more budget oriented. Kodak make some good cheap colour films if you look around as well, if shooting colour is more your thing.
I started out with digital back in 2009 with a little Canon P&S, then progressed to a Nikon DSLR in 2012 with my partners encouragement as she had one herself. around 2015 I picked up an old Zeiss Ikon folding camera from the 30's in perfect condition at a camera fair in South Australia where I live for only 30$...only bought it for display and had no intention of ever using it. one night I was on here just doing some research on it and found you could still get 120 film,so for fun, I decided to get a cheap roll of film from my local camera shop to try it out. well that was it. once I finished the roll, and put it in to be developed I was hooked, and have been shooting film almost exclusively ever since. have built up a collection of different film SLR's and medium format cameras as well. while film is still around I'll keep using it as I get a feeling from shooting film that digital just cant give me. I love it.
I shoot Film on the side of digital and I think, I learned more while shooting film, than digital. My digital shooting style changed when I started to shoot film, and that's what I love about film photography!
This is so great to hear! Thank you for sharing.
I didn't go digital until my mid-40's, and will never go back. I still have my old Canon A1 but would never dream of using it. My 5D Mk4 will last me until either I die or it breaks, am not interested in any more tech advances. But I'm 62. I can absolutely understand why for younger people shooting on film would be so appealing. Good luck to all, and every method is valid, whether you spend ages selecting exposure for a film shot or ages post-processing a digital shot. It's all about being creative.
I went back to film in 2016, still own a 10 years old Pentax DSLR. However I have far more film cameras, from the 1950's to the late 1990's, the late 90's camera's give a feel of digital but with film. and love the results I get. My favourite camera is my Chinon Cp-x from the mid 1980's and I usually buy expired film to use.
my favourite film is probably Ilford Hp5, but I mostly shoot on Fomapan 100 as I shoot large format and sheet film is extremely expensive in hp5 not to talk about colour film! (you cold buy a decent SLR for the same price as a 20 sheet box of Fujifilm Velvia 50 in 4x5)