your feelings towards film is EXACTLY my feelings towards digital. Everything about film is just so much easier and more intuitive to me. Film makes sense to me, whereas digital is always a complete guessing game, and is confusing as to why I can create amazing images with film, but yet when I use the exact same settings on digital it just never works the same!
Sean, your mixed feelings in the beginning really hit home with me. I started in photography as a kid in the 1950s, built my own darkroom under the house as a teen in the 60s, and in 1970 left engineering studies and started working in a camera store and doing weddings with two studios in the city, as well as doing custom printing at home for people wanting something special. Through it all there was a part of my brain that wanted to short circuit all the fuss and bother. My son, now 40, started with a film camera and as I moved back into engineering work and wandered away from photography, he took up digital with enthusiasm. Fast forward many years and he talked me into a Sony mirrorless camera and learning digital processing. It didn't take long for me to realise that this is what I would have appreciated when I was twenty. I see my son's photography and wonder what dna he inherited to work such magic. These days I see youtube videos where much younger people take their adventurous leap into film photography and I think back and I wish them well on their journey, all the while sitting quietly with a glass of Guinness as i wait to hear of their discoveries.
As a teenager i used to shoot and develop a lot of B&W and i still remember how much i loved the chemistry and the manual process involved. I also did my own prints and my darkroom was always full of my mates eagerly anticipating the photo to come alive in the development bath. Your video brought back a lot of fond memories Thank you for that Sean.
That Fuji GW690ii is insane, I love it. One thing I like about film cameras is that because they've been around so long, there are all kinds of wacky and interesting ones that have been made over the years. I love finding them in thrift shops, bringing them home, and seeing how they perform.
I always get a visceral thrill watching someone who is a real pro and knows exactly what they are doing! I can only imagine how long it has taken to get to that level of proficiency. Keep ‘em coming.
It doesn't really matter to me what any person chooses to use. The important thing is how you master that particular tool. What matters most is the person behind the camera. I prefer working with film but I use both. Every camera has it's strengths, weaknesses, and quirks. I revel in the creation of the image. I understand that many may have never used film so it is fun and I encourage people to try them. I'm glad to see someone talking about film and film cameras from a digital users point of view. It shouldn't be a debate - it should be fun for everyone.
You're the only one that I start with giving a like even before I start to watch so I don't forget afterwards. I know that I'm going to like it, I always do :-)
Having used both film and digital, can I say that the mistake most people make is thinking that they are somehow different. Thay are not. Film is a chemical process and digital is electronic, otherwise they are the same. If you are a good digital photographer, you will be a good film photographer. They only caveat is that you very rarely get a second chance with film. You have to nail it --first time. As for the process, film is a chemical proccess which you will soon get used to and come to enjoy because it has something magical about it. Well done Sean!
My mom always used to tell us: Engage brain before putting mouth in gear. Before I press play on one of your videos, Sean, I know that I'm about to view the product of an artist who has invested much thought and planning into his message and its delivery. Please continue the good work...and know how much your videos are appreciated!
Sean, you have been a huge inspiration to me! Yesterday, I had my first video go viral, an ice climbing video specifically. A week ago I didn't even understand what shutter speed was or B roll. Thanks again for what you do and being such an authentic person!
I’m a fan of both the X-700 and the GW690 - I have the Mark I of it. Shooting a 6x9 negative will really knock your socks off at the detail. And it is the ultimate street conversation starter. 🙂
In the 'for what it's worth' category, I've used off-camera flash in studio with my film shooting. I run the Godox series of lights for film, digital color/B&W and digital infrared since I have so many platforms (various film cameras, Nikon and Sony digital). For SLRs or cameras with a hot shoe (like my Bronica GS-1 6x7), I run a godox "dumb" trigger that runs off the center pin only. Simple, easy and no external cables. For my TLRs and older 35mm that don't have a hot shoe, I use my standard godox trigger in the cold shoe and run a PC cable between the camera and the trigger (the Godox dumb trigger, the X-16) doesn't have a PC cable connector). With both triggers, I can control all my lights just as I would with my digital. The only quirk is that for my XT1 triggers, I need to remember to 'wake them up' by hitting the test button before taking the shot, if I've been more than 10-20 seconds between shots. I could turn off the sleep feature, but it helps me save batteries when using with my digital. If I upgrade triggers, I'll dedicate one of them for film and turn off the sleep feature. This has allowed me to use all my film cameras in studio exactly as I would my regular cameras. The one thing I continually mess up with is shutter speed...I've ruined a shoot or two by running the shutter speed higher than the synch speed on my 35mm cameras. I've only one or two 35mm that have shutter sync speeds above 1/90, with only a single camera at 1/250. All my medium format cameras have leaf shutters in the lenses, so sync speed isn't an issue, making it very handy when using fill flash outside by underexposing the ambient a bit. As you showed, I use my digital cameras as a 'digital Polaroid' to test my lighting setup, which I usually meter with a handheld flash meter. Thank you again for all your content and look forward to your next video.
As an old bugger who started with film I’m intrigued (and mildly amused) watching photographers who have only known digital go back and experiment with film. I still have a bunch of my old film cameras (35 thru 4x5) and like you said I much prefer the total control digital gives me. So, with the possible exception of the 4x5, I don’t see myself going back to film. But I think it’s a great learning tool. I think all photographers should start with film. It’s why I can nail exposure so well now.
I started in digital and but fell in love with the finality of film. I now shoot, develop, process, and scan at home. I like not being bogged down by edits. I do basic spot removal and exposure/contrast adjustments after scanning but I feel more free in film than I do in digital. That being said sometimes I use digital because I need that additional wiggle room and high definition. I also think a lot of it comes down to mindset. I'm not a photoshop guru, I just can't wrap my head around it and don't find it to be an enjoyable process. However, developing and scanning feels much more tactile and there's an element of surprise that gives me a jolt of pleasure every time I process a roll.
@@markquiram9012 we do have a community darkroom in Nashville, I just haven't gone. I've been looking out for an enlarger and lens though as I would enjoy doing printing from start to finish.
I happened to buy a GW690 last week. My first rangefinder. So far I've ruined two shots, one by clicking with the cap still on, the other by hitting the shutter release while bringing it up to my eye. :)
I'm very happy to see the Minolta X700. My parents gave me one when I was a teenager all those decades ago. I still dust off the X700 from time to time, put a roll of black and white in it, and go have a nice day. Your video made me really think about the "soul of film" versus digital. Over the years, I've transitioned from film to digital and then back again. For me personally, every shot I make in film has an element of risk, because it goes onto a limited capture medium where bracketing gets expensive in terms of time and film. I still shoot a lot of digital and find it rewarding, but that's mostly for my job because of the speed and perfectabiity (not a real word, I know) you described. When I'm shooting just for myself, I shoot film (mostly large format) because I love the process. I have put my soul into my share of digital, and I certainly have those pictures in that medium that I will love and be proud of forever. But with the protracted process before the click in large format and the relatively small numbers of images I produce in that medium, I find that I love every image I make - whether or not the image is any good.
I completely agree with your view on film vs digital. I use digital for my “pro” work, but absolutely love film, and gives me a great way to differentiate my “proper shooting” vs “fun shooting”
I keep a Nikon FE with me at all times as an EDC sort of “always-on-hand” option, usually loaded with black and white film. Although I do also have an F100 I’ll use to toy around with, I too keep “pro” work on the digital. If nothing else, the ease of editing on digital and faster turn around makes sense. Admittedly though, I find myself feeling much more attached to my film work. Something about the dilm process that just can’t be replicated with digital...
for me it is the complete opposite. all my "pro" or serious gallery work is 100% done on film, and my casual fun shooting is all done on digital. the digital is great for being able to just share stuff with people online, but digital still does not even come close to the quality I can get from film for my serious work.
Very cool. I am a boomer who tried film photography twice and sucked (okay, both sucked and blew) both times, but with digital I blossomed into a photographer, my way. While learning about photography over the last 8 years, including the general rules and practices that are applicable to both analog and digital and how to evaluate/critique photographs, I eventually understood that my 2 previous experiences with analog were so disappointing because I never thought of learning photography as an art in the way I did, and do, now. And, BTW, it is because of digital media distribution like RUclips and the Internet that I started to appreciate and explore and learn photography. Digital opened up a whole lotta worlds for me. I share all this because even though I have no interest in film photography, I am fascinated by others' creative process, since I always learn something, even if just to appreciate a different take on how to do stuff, or in this case, how to create, how to express one's creativity, one's vision. This video of yours did 3 things: -gave me an enjoyable look into your thought process about film photography and your choices -taught me about differences in film cameras and how they work -made me feel good that I understood what you were talking about, that I understood the technical aspects of this video. As someone who is very much a "gut" photographer and not really focused on the technical, I still do enjoy hearing other photographers' standpoint about their own gear and the choices they make, so this was fun for me. (I guess I am a vicarious gear head?) Anyway, this is my long winded way of saying thank you. And as I often do, I will share this. Oh, and the way you describe "the rolloff in highlights" perfectly explained what I try to get from some of my photographs, especially portraits. So yeah, very cool.
Love your honesty and attitude toward this. As always you’re just really good at what you do partially as a result of the pursuit of perfectionism. Your expertise alone makes the video worth watching. Not everyone will love film nor do they need to, but everyone can learn something from it. I do love it mostly for the slow unplugged feel. Much easier to stay in the experience for me. Being freed from the digital definitions of a good photo also encourages me to look at photography more creatively and outside the box. Awesome video 👍🏼
People who are interested in the Fujinon 6x9 might also consider the 6x7 Mamiya 7 II. Both are rangefinder cameras with leaf shutters. The Mamiya has interchangeable lenses and a light meter.
So I’m six months late but here’s my take as a film based photographer. It can be imperfect. In fact, most of the time it’s not, but when you learn the processes and spend time with it, you’ll have perfect negatives 9/10 times. Tyler Shields shoots most of his stuff on film and it’s immaculate! Just like digital, you get better the more you work on it. I love the process and I love the time that goes into each shot since it’s costing me money. It also takes me away from the world of tech. I’m working so much from my laptop, not looking at a screen all the time is exciting
The Pentax K1000 would be a good choice for 35mm, it was on sale for decades. I own an EOS 630. My favourite film was Tech Pan ASA 25. No longer available. However, my intentions were different. I also used the original TMAX films. Fujifilm makes the most interesting cameras. My favourite would be the GX680. It's thumping big SLR, and I mean thumping. But medium format keeps going all the way to 6x17 Richoh, Fuljifilm and others). I used to use cables for flash, but something like Cowboy Studio (and any other brand) PT series (PT04) should work. I used to use flash without a meter. I think I worked off the guide number. It was a long time ago.
Excellent video Sean and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. My dad was the old school photographer and only ever shot film. Also never did any digital editing. What he shot is what he got. We'd have slides projected on the screen as a kind of winter family activity. Absolutely loved them. Stories told about the old times and all the rest of it. Film has something to it that will never go out of fashion.
Finally! I was wondering why you haven't posted anything about film photography so far, and now I got an answer. Great video in your style and I can't wait for the next one!👏🔝☺
Great Job Sean, You're gonna love the fomopan indoors I bet. Glad you are trying a few different formats to show off all of the unique characteristics of each camera.
Thanks so much for this series... I’m going to go for it. Didn’t realize you could use a digital DSLR for scanning negatives, or would have tried this a long time ago. Have the old Canon AE1 that I used in Photography 101 in university, but not a very good lens. And since I have a nice collection of vintage Nikon primes I just picked up a cheap Nikon SLR to practice with before going forward to medium format. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and inspiration.
What an interesting tour of your film cameras. Though I haven’t shot film for two decades and have no intention to return I found your introduction to your new series interesting and informative, particularly the Texas Leica. The montage of your photo shoot with your glamorous wife with a series of most interesting compositions was well edited. I also appreciated the subjective shots looking through the various viewfinders and ports. I look forward to the next one.
I love that the man who shoots with a tiny Ricoh GRiii also has the ‘Texas Leica’ - that really tickles me for some reason 😂😂😂 I’d love to see a street photography shoot using both cameras... 😉
A truly inspiring video as usual. as someone who is new to medium format photography, it made a lot of sense to divide it up into a series. Going to look at Texas Leicas now, because they look awesome
I love that you’re doing this series. I recently got back into film to explore different ways of working from digital. For landscape it really pushed me back to basics to focus more energy on finding my frame and light and less scrambling and shooting everything. (Ya don’t need film to learn this, but it helped me rethink my approach.) Last trip I went on, I ended up taking a fourth of the digital photos I used to take and still ended up with great photos and way less culling. I mostly shooting medium format film (6x7 and 6x9) to further differentiate my workflow from my full frame digital setup. If you really want to try to “overcome’ perfectionism, try shooting with a Polaroid SX-70. Haha! It’s so frustrating, but I have a few great shots out of maybe 32 frames and when you finally get a photo that is near perfect it’s an amazing feeling.
Great idea Sean! Looking forward to the next part in the series. I would really like it if you offer some conclusions about what this whole undertaking, whether it has had any impact on your photography going forward.
I am just starting out again with film. I'm starting with 35mm and got myself a used Minolta XG-M a stable mate to the X700 you mention in your video. Years ago had a Minolta XG-9 so I know a bit about the way the film cameras work. I agree with you regards digital but I recently acquired a film scanner and have been looking into converting B&W negs into digital format so these tutorials are just what I need. Great as always Sean, love your easy going nature and looking forward to the next instalment about film processing.
Just bought a 690GW2 on ebay!! and so pumped to run a roll through it and hopefully have a few keepers!! Loved the Portraits you took on yours in this series.. It's interesting to me compositionally to shoot with the "Texas Leica" (such a great name) even though it's just a 35mm format on steroids and I really liked the approach you took here with that 39mm lens. Cheers.
I'm counting the days to the next episode. I think you had a great idea when you decided to make those three videos speaking about film and home shooting. In this "pandemic times" videos like yours can actually help young (and old) photographer to improve their knowledge. Well done!
Great to see someone with your kind of YT profile helping spread the film message. Thank you for that. About 10 years ago it felt like it was going to disappear, but fortunately it scraped through and is on the rise again. The info about your lighting was helpful. I've been looking at continuous light options of late for home studio work. There's lots to choose from and they range in price so much. Hard to justify purchases currently but I'd sure like to get a good light and backdrop like what you showed for home studio type work. As for the scanning aspects, be sure to consider Darktable and Rawtherapee too, and even the GNU Image Maniuplation Program (GIMP); all are free and open source, and just as good as PS or LR. Darktable and Rawtherapee in particular are great for film negative post-processing and workflows, and I've been working the developers of Rawtherapee very recently on the addition of their "coming soon" new feature, which is the ability to do a quick and easy negative to positive conversion from a raw flatbed scanner scan (they recently added the ability to convert DSLR "scans", but not raw flatbed scans) after many photographers like myself were frustrated with the difficulties of accurate colour reproduction from scans of films like Portra 400. I use Vuescan to scan, personally. Thanks again Sean.
I love that you are exploring film Sean! I’ve gotten back to film myself in a big way. I love shooting film and also digital. I can’t wait for the next videos!
Thanks Sean; another excellent edition. On the strength of it I went on eBay and both the Canon EOS 500 - for £8.00! It just arrived. You put the 50mm on it; could you just clarify which version please? Haven't shot film for many years; must have another go. Why not now? Best wishes; keep safe.
Great tutorial. Just on synching flash with old cameras, not sure about one you used in this though, most of them have a PC port either on the lense or body you can attach to your main. If you need more lights then connect them optically to your main. Of course the whole process is manual so you will need a proper lightmeter that does flash light metering.
I'm in a very similar spot. I may still jump into doing some home film processing. Not sure I will ever go back to having an enlarger and burning my own prints.
The film Vs digital thing is always 100% personal. For me, I got into photography through digital, I'd take so many photos. I'd take 20 photos of a composition that now I'd just take one or maybe not even bother. I'd then go home and have 2000 photos to go through, crop and edit just from a day out and I'd keep 1 or 2. Now with film, I have 36 photos to go through or less (depending on format) and I will keep easily 10-15 of every roll. I take a lot more care and if I come up with a composition and I'm not 100% convinced I will take the time to make sure I can get a better composition as opposed to just thinking ah one of these 40 photos will be good I'm sure. It's worth it for me just to get better compositions because of the way I work psychologically. I find myself trying to achieve the sharpest and try and get my images as close to a digital look as possible. But it's still worth going through the process because the images I get are so much more rewarding.
I also have the EOS 500 (Rebel XS in North America) which I bought in mid- to late-1990s. The original kit lens was a 35-80mm f/4-5.6. Since the CR123A batteries are expensive here in the Philippines, I also bought the BP-8 battery pack that allows me to use 4 AA batteries. I learned proper exposure with this camera because the LCD displayed the the shutter speed and aperture value even in Program mode. Prior to this, I used a Nikon FM2 and my pictures were terribly exposed. After using the Canon, I can use any camera comfortably. Recently I used it again. But since my kit lens is all fogged up, I bought a new 50mm f/1.8 STM lens. I'm really surprised that my 20+ year old camera can take the new STM lens.
Just got my own GW690ii last week! I considered the 690iii but, even though it had some improvements, just looked too plasticky for my taste. Looking forward to see what you do with this camera!
On the Twin Lens Reflex camera, you didn't mention the image shift. If you look at the top of the ground glass at the top, there is a line about 1/2" down, that little line is the top of the photo (I shot with a Roliflex for several years)
Great video Sean. I am going through the same process with two Canon Eos 3 Cameras. I can use my lens collection and I even have a compatible flash. Good luck!
YESSSS! What a lovely video Sean! I have been waiting for some film content! Can't wait to watch the rest of this series and it is so refreshing to see some film content that wasn't shot on a leica or mamiya 7 or something absurdly expensive. I am especially looking forward to the TLR shots as my only medium format camera so far is a Yashica 635 I love. :)
Hey Sean, hope you’re settling in nicely in North Yorkshire. Was trawling back through some of your older videos (thinking again about finally cracking on with some self portraits) when I stumbled on this one. Made me wish I hadn’t sold on all my darkroom equipment so many years ago (well maybe not quite!) though at least I’ve still got an old Canon FS4000 slide/negative scanner, so would be cheap to dip my toe back in with a development tank and a few chemicals. Anyway, just wanted to pass on a quick recommendation for filmstock which I thought you might appreciate, especially given what you mentioned about your needs from digital. Many years ago I did a summer school residential course at the Edinburgh College of Art (way before digital days) where I was introduced to Kodak Technical Pan film. The super low ISO 25 version has the most incredible details I’ve ever seen (hence the "Technical" part of the name and its original intended use I think) but it’s amazing for portraits. Even a 35mm negative will show up virtually unobservable grain on massive prints, with a level of detail that will make your jaw drop - so much that for some portraits you might even want to soften skin details a bit - and it has some interesting colour responses to blues for a B&W film that also make it very interesting for landscapes. If you can get it in rolls big enough for that 6x9 Fuji camera the details will blow your socks off! Anyway, enjoyed the video. Hope you get chance to find some and give it a try. Found some listed here: is.gd/9ZkDX1 😉 EDIT: apologies- aside from some rare and no doubt expensive rolls you will struggle to get this film which was sadly discontinued. However, this might be worth a try for something similar is.gd/EvLE1Q
Nicely done video. I was slow to switch from 35mm film to digital years ago but came to really love the ability of it. Now I'm thinking of playing with medium format film. I like the idea of 6x9 just for the size of the neg you get. Fortunately I still have all my film developing gear too! Thanks for the discussion on the differences.
Sean your videos are just amazing. I feel like you really kind of humanize photography and cinematography. You make it sound very possible and understandable(:
I’m wondering… When using another camera as a light meter, shouldn’t you match sensor sizes? Like use a full-frame DSLR to measure the light for your full-frame film camera?
Interesting premise, that digital "gives you more control." Results are instant, but that's not "control" per se, that's a learning curve as you mentioned.
I need to try this film stock! I chose Ilford for my black and white film. I just did a roll of Ilford FP4 to test out, and made a video on developing BW with cinestill DF96 developer :D
waiting to see your video on developing B&W currently using Kodak tri-x 400 B&W , still do digital most of the time . Knew you liked film because you come across appreciating old school
I'm surprised you chose a Fomapan 100. It's an old classic film which is made in my country. I shot that when I started photography. Now my favourite is HP5.
This is awesome. A couple of months ago I bought an old Nikon FM because I'm also interested in starting to shooting with film. I have not done any developing yet, so is looking forward to the rest of this series :-) I bought 6-7 different types of b&w film to find out what I like the best, but the look I'm after is quite different from yours though.
IMO, shooting film can often yield wayyyy more than 10 unhappy accidents to get to that one banger hahaha. I have a Yashica A and D, which are earlier versions of the mat model you have, and I love them both. Great video as always, Sean. I'll be looking forward to the other vids in the series.
Great video! Thank you Sean! I'm just struggling with setting that light meter. It's really beautiful but can't can't choose the aperture value... How do you do that? Thanks again
Hi Sean, I am absolutely stunned by your works. If I may, I would like to ask you which mic you use for recording videos. I am looking for mics for 1) when I talk like you just did in this video, and 2) cinematography. I would highly appreciate it if you could give me some suggestions on this. Thanks heaps in advance. xx
Fascinating stuff as I thought I was alone in my world of shooting Hassy 503CX, Pentax 645N2 and Canon AE1. For B&W I have always used Ilford FP5 ASA 400, but also shoot a lot of colour film as processing negs is quite easy with the kits you get these days as long as you have a temperature controlled bath. Looking forward to seeing how you scan 6x9 negs.
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your feelings towards film is EXACTLY my feelings towards digital. Everything about film is just so much easier and more intuitive to me. Film makes sense to me, whereas digital is always a complete guessing game, and is confusing as to why I can create amazing images with film, but yet when I use the exact same settings on digital it just never works the same!
Sean, your mixed feelings in the beginning really hit home with me. I started in photography as a kid in the 1950s, built my own darkroom under the house as a teen in the 60s, and in 1970 left engineering studies and started working in a camera store and doing weddings with two studios in the city, as well as doing custom printing at home for people wanting something special. Through it all there was a part of my brain that wanted to short circuit all the fuss and bother.
My son, now 40, started with a film camera and as I moved back into engineering work and wandered away from photography, he took up digital with enthusiasm. Fast forward many years and he talked me into a Sony mirrorless camera and learning digital processing. It didn't take long for me to realise that this is what I would have appreciated when I was twenty. I see my son's photography and wonder what dna he inherited to work such magic.
These days I see youtube videos where much younger people take their adventurous leap into film photography and I think back and I wish them well on their journey, all the while sitting quietly with a glass of Guinness as i wait to hear of their discoveries.
Thanks lovely Kim, thanks:)
instaBlaster
As a teenager i used to shoot and develop a lot of B&W and i still remember how much i loved the chemistry and the manual process involved. I also did my own prints and my darkroom was always full of my mates eagerly anticipating the photo to come alive in the development bath. Your video brought back a lot of fond memories Thank you for that Sean.
That Fuji GW690ii is insane, I love it. One thing I like about film cameras is that because they've been around so long, there are all kinds of wacky and interesting ones that have been made over the years. I love finding them in thrift shops, bringing them home, and seeing how they perform.
I always get a visceral thrill watching someone who is a real pro and knows exactly what they are doing! I can only imagine how long it has taken to get to that level of proficiency. Keep ‘em coming.
It doesn't really matter to me what any person chooses to use. The important thing is how you master that particular tool. What matters most is the person behind the camera. I prefer working with film but I use both. Every camera has it's strengths, weaknesses, and quirks. I revel in the creation of the image. I understand that many may have never used film so it is fun and I encourage people to try them. I'm glad to see someone talking about film and film cameras from a digital users point of view. It shouldn't be a debate - it should be fun for everyone.
Mark Quiram it’s so hard to imagine that there are people who have never used film!
You're the only one that I start with giving a like even before I start to watch so I don't forget afterwards. I know that I'm going to like it, I always do :-)
Thats true! Me too!
yep, it's mandatory!
Me too...🌈😎
Yup, hit play and hit like haha
Me, too. Sean is an awesome creator.
Having used both film and digital, can I say that the mistake most people make is thinking that they are somehow different. Thay are not. Film is a chemical process and digital is electronic, otherwise they are the same. If you are a good digital photographer, you will be a good film photographer. They only caveat is that you very rarely get a second chance with film. You have to nail it --first time. As for the process, film is a chemical proccess which you will soon get used to and come to enjoy because it has something magical about it. Well done Sean!
My mom always used to tell us: Engage brain before putting mouth in gear. Before I press play on one of your videos, Sean, I know that I'm about to view the product of an artist who has invested much thought and planning into his message and its delivery. Please continue the good work...and know how much your videos are appreciated!
Thanks my friend.
Sean, you have been a huge inspiration to me! Yesterday, I had my first video go viral, an ice climbing video specifically. A week ago I didn't even understand what shutter speed was or B roll. Thanks again for what you do and being such an authentic person!
Congrats!
I’m a fan of both the X-700 and the GW690 - I have the Mark I of it. Shooting a 6x9 negative will really knock your socks off at the detail. And it is the ultimate street conversation starter. 🙂
In the 'for what it's worth' category, I've used off-camera flash in studio with my film shooting. I run the Godox series of lights for film, digital color/B&W and digital infrared since I have so many platforms (various film cameras, Nikon and Sony digital). For SLRs or cameras with a hot shoe (like my Bronica GS-1 6x7), I run a godox "dumb" trigger that runs off the center pin only. Simple, easy and no external cables.
For my TLRs and older 35mm that don't have a hot shoe, I use my standard godox trigger in the cold shoe and run a PC cable between the camera and the trigger (the Godox dumb trigger, the X-16) doesn't have a PC cable connector).
With both triggers, I can control all my lights just as I would with my digital. The only quirk is that for my XT1 triggers, I need to remember to 'wake them up' by hitting the test button before taking the shot, if I've been more than 10-20 seconds between shots. I could turn off the sleep feature, but it helps me save batteries when using with my digital. If I upgrade triggers, I'll dedicate one of them for film and turn off the sleep feature.
This has allowed me to use all my film cameras in studio exactly as I would my regular cameras. The one thing I continually mess up with is shutter speed...I've ruined a shoot or two by running the shutter speed higher than the synch speed on my 35mm cameras. I've only one or two 35mm that have shutter sync speeds above 1/90, with only a single camera at 1/250. All my medium format cameras have leaf shutters in the lenses, so sync speed isn't an issue, making it very handy when using fill flash outside by underexposing the ambient a bit.
As you showed, I use my digital cameras as a 'digital Polaroid' to test my lighting setup, which I usually meter with a handheld flash meter.
Thank you again for all your content and look forward to your next video.
As an old bugger who started with film I’m intrigued (and mildly amused) watching photographers who have only known digital go back and experiment with film. I still have a bunch of my old film cameras (35 thru 4x5) and like you said I much prefer the total control digital gives me. So, with the possible exception of the 4x5, I don’t see myself going back to film. But I think it’s a great learning tool. I think all photographers should start with film. It’s why I can nail exposure so well now.
I started in digital and but fell in love with the finality of film. I now shoot, develop, process, and scan at home. I like not being bogged down by edits. I do basic spot removal and exposure/contrast adjustments after scanning but I feel more free in film than I do in digital. That being said sometimes I use digital because I need that additional wiggle room and high definition.
I also think a lot of it comes down to mindset. I'm not a photoshop guru, I just can't wrap my head around it and don't find it to be an enjoyable process. However, developing and scanning feels much more tactile and there's an element of surprise that gives me a jolt of pleasure every time I process a roll.
Brian Savage some places have classes darkrooms that you can rent by the hour to try printing. You may find it very relaxing.
@@markquiram9012 we do have a community darkroom in Nashville, I just haven't gone. I've been looking out for an enlarger and lens though as I would enjoy doing printing from start to finish.
I happened to buy a GW690 last week. My first rangefinder. So far I've ruined two shots, one by clicking with the cap still on, the other by hitting the shutter release while bringing it up to my eye. :)
I'm very happy to see the Minolta X700. My parents gave me one when I was a teenager all those decades ago. I still dust off the X700 from time to time, put a roll of black and white in it, and go have a nice day. Your video made me really think about the "soul of film" versus digital. Over the years, I've transitioned from film to digital and then back again. For me personally, every shot I make in film has an element of risk, because it goes onto a limited capture medium where bracketing gets expensive in terms of time and film. I still shoot a lot of digital and find it rewarding, but that's mostly for my job because of the speed and perfectabiity (not a real word, I know) you described. When I'm shooting just for myself, I shoot film (mostly large format) because I love the process. I have put my soul into my share of digital, and I certainly have those pictures in that medium that I will love and be proud of forever. But with the protracted process before the click in large format and the relatively small numbers of images I produce in that medium, I find that I love every image I make - whether or not the image is any good.
I completely agree with your view on film vs digital. I use digital for my “pro” work, but absolutely love film, and gives me a great way to differentiate my “proper shooting” vs “fun shooting”
Same here. Though I am guilty, from time to time, of trying to convince clients to let me shoot on film haha
I keep a Nikon FE with me at all times as an EDC sort of “always-on-hand” option, usually loaded with black and white film. Although I do also have an F100 I’ll use to toy around with, I too keep “pro” work on the digital. If nothing else, the ease of editing on digital and faster turn around makes sense. Admittedly though, I find myself feeling much more attached to my film work. Something about the dilm process that just can’t be replicated with digital...
for me it is the complete opposite. all my "pro" or serious gallery work is 100% done on film, and my casual fun shooting is all done on digital. the digital is great for being able to just share stuff with people online, but digital still does not even come close to the quality I can get from film for my serious work.
Sean Tucker podcasts would be the greatest thing ever!
Very cool. I am a boomer who tried film photography twice and sucked (okay, both sucked and blew) both times, but with digital I blossomed into a photographer, my way. While learning about photography over the last 8 years, including the general rules and practices that are applicable to both analog and digital and how to evaluate/critique photographs, I eventually understood that my 2 previous experiences with analog were so disappointing because I never thought of learning photography as an art in the way I did, and do, now. And, BTW, it is because of digital media distribution like RUclips and the Internet that I started to appreciate and explore and learn photography. Digital opened up a whole lotta worlds for me.
I share all this because even though I have no interest in film photography, I am fascinated by others' creative process, since I always learn something, even if just to appreciate a different take on how to do stuff, or in this case, how to create, how to express one's creativity, one's vision. This video of yours did 3 things:
-gave me an enjoyable look into your thought process about film photography and your choices
-taught me about differences in film cameras and how they work
-made me feel good that I understood what you were talking about, that I understood the technical aspects of this video. As someone who is very much a "gut" photographer and not really focused on the technical, I still do enjoy hearing other photographers' standpoint about their own gear and the choices they make, so this was fun for me. (I guess I am a vicarious gear head?)
Anyway, this is my long winded way of saying thank you. And as I often do, I will share this. Oh, and the way you describe "the rolloff in highlights" perfectly explained what I try to get from some of my photographs, especially portraits. So yeah, very cool.
Love your honesty and attitude toward this. As always you’re just really good at what you do partially as a result of the pursuit of perfectionism. Your expertise alone makes the video worth watching. Not everyone will love film nor do they need to, but everyone can learn something from it. I do love it mostly for the slow unplugged feel. Much easier to stay in the experience for me. Being freed from the digital definitions of a good photo also encourages me to look at photography more creatively and outside the box. Awesome video 👍🏼
People who are interested in the Fujinon 6x9 might also consider the 6x7 Mamiya 7 II. Both are rangefinder cameras with leaf shutters. The Mamiya has interchangeable lenses and a light meter.
So I’m six months late but here’s my take as a film based photographer. It can be imperfect. In fact, most of the time it’s not, but when you learn the processes and spend time with it, you’ll have perfect negatives 9/10 times. Tyler Shields shoots most of his stuff on film and it’s immaculate! Just like digital, you get better the more you work on it. I love the process and I love the time that goes into each shot since it’s costing me money. It also takes me away from the world of tech. I’m working so much from my laptop, not looking at a screen all the time is exciting
I own the same Fuji GW690ii. It's my fav and first one I grab when I go out. Such beautiful negatives. Great video Sean.
The kind of video that will bring more people to try shooting film. Big thank for that Sean.
I just got an RB67, got some TMAX 100 and Ektar
Excited honestly
The Pentax K1000 would be a good choice for 35mm, it was on sale for decades.
I own an EOS 630.
My favourite film was Tech Pan ASA 25. No longer available. However, my intentions were different. I also used the original TMAX films.
Fujifilm makes the most interesting cameras. My favourite would be the GX680. It's thumping big SLR, and I mean thumping. But medium format keeps going all the way to 6x17 Richoh, Fuljifilm and others).
I used to use cables for flash, but something like Cowboy Studio (and any other brand) PT series (PT04) should work.
I used to use flash without a meter. I think I worked off the guide number. It was a long time ago.
Can't wait for next videos
Last week I got my first film camera Fuji gw680 III
Excellent video Sean and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. My dad was the old school photographer and only ever shot film. Also never did any digital editing. What he shot is what he got. We'd have slides projected on the screen as a kind of winter family activity. Absolutely loved them. Stories told about the old times and all the rest of it. Film has something to it that will never go out of fashion.
I love this! A beautiful way to keep our inspiration alive. Shoutout to my brothers Mark and Josh🙏🏾
Finally! I was wondering why you haven't posted anything about film photography so far, and now I got an answer. Great video in your style and I can't wait for the next one!👏🔝☺
your presentation, philosophies, and thoughts are so good and I really enjoy ..... thank you so much
really enjoying getting back to film during lockdown - looking forward to the scanning vid. im my view thats where the tricky stuff starts
tylaar haran especially when you get into scanning color stuff... have you tried DSLR scanning? Works pretty well most of the time.
I think the film for you, given your choices, may be the Ferrania P30, which should be available again by now after some troubles in the factory.
Great Job Sean, You're gonna love the fomopan indoors I bet. Glad you are trying a few different formats to show off all of the unique characteristics of each camera.
I just got my Fujica G690 and this video drops at the same time whaaaaaaaatt
Thanks so much for this series... I’m going to go for it. Didn’t realize you could use a digital DSLR for scanning negatives, or would have tried this a long time ago. Have the old Canon AE1 that I used in Photography 101 in university, but not a very good lens. And since I have a nice collection of vintage Nikon primes I just picked up a cheap Nikon SLR to practice with before going forward to medium format. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and inspiration.
What an interesting tour of your film cameras. Though I haven’t shot film for two decades and have no intention to return I found your introduction to your new series interesting and informative, particularly the Texas Leica. The montage of your photo shoot with your glamorous wife with a series of most interesting compositions was well edited. I also appreciated the subjective shots looking through the various viewfinders and ports. I look forward to the next one.
Thanks Roger:)
Hey I dig this direction. The film shots are looking great! I'm gonna go shoot some film later today...
I love that the man who shoots with a tiny Ricoh GRiii also has the ‘Texas Leica’ - that really tickles me for some reason 😂😂😂 I’d love to see a street photography shoot using both cameras... 😉
u have always been an inspiration to me. Keep making videos. and i would like to thank you for all the inspiration u gave
Cheers Sean - I taught myself film developing back in the 1970's Been a while since I did any but still have the negs. Great series for lockdown.
A truly inspiring video as usual. as someone who is new to medium format photography, it made a lot of sense to divide it up into a series. Going to look at Texas Leicas now, because they look awesome
I love that you’re doing this series. I recently got back into film to explore different ways of working from digital. For landscape it really pushed me back to basics to focus more energy on finding my frame and light and less scrambling and shooting everything. (Ya don’t need film to learn this, but it helped me rethink my approach.) Last trip I went on, I ended up taking a fourth of the digital photos I used to take and still ended up with great photos and way less culling. I mostly shooting medium format film (6x7 and 6x9) to further differentiate my workflow from my full frame digital setup. If you really want to try to “overcome’ perfectionism, try shooting with a Polaroid SX-70. Haha! It’s so frustrating, but I have a few great shots out of maybe 32 frames and when you finally get a photo that is near perfect it’s an amazing feeling.
Yet another informative video! Thank you Sean
Great idea Sean! Looking forward to the next part in the series. I would really like it if you offer some conclusions about what this whole undertaking, whether it has had any impact on your photography going forward.
It's all in the final ep:)
Good to hear your voice again....very reassuring....thank you...🌈😎
I am just starting out again with film. I'm starting with 35mm and got myself a used Minolta XG-M a stable mate to the X700 you mention in your video. Years ago had a Minolta XG-9 so I know a bit about the way the film cameras work. I agree with you regards digital but I recently acquired a film scanner and have been looking into converting B&W negs into digital format so these tutorials are just what I need. Great as always Sean, love your easy going nature and looking forward to the next instalment about film processing.
Thanks Sean, I love both mediums. I like to shoot film when I get stuck in a rut.
Very excited for this series and to see the results. Thanks for sharing!
Sean thank you for taking me down memory lane, great vlog.. stay safe everyone
Just bought a 690GW2 on ebay!! and so pumped to run a roll through it and hopefully have a few keepers!! Loved the Portraits you took on yours in this series.. It's interesting to me compositionally to shoot with the "Texas Leica" (such a great name) even though it's just a 35mm format on steroids and I really liked the approach you took here with that 39mm lens. Cheers.
I'm counting the days to the next episode. I think you had a great idea when you decided to make those three videos speaking about film and home shooting. In this "pandemic times" videos like yours can actually help young (and old) photographer to improve their knowledge. Well done!
Great to see someone with your kind of YT profile helping spread the film message. Thank you for that. About 10 years ago it felt like it was going to disappear, but fortunately it scraped through and is on the rise again. The info about your lighting was helpful. I've been looking at continuous light options of late for home studio work. There's lots to choose from and they range in price so much. Hard to justify purchases currently but I'd sure like to get a good light and backdrop like what you showed for home studio type work. As for the scanning aspects, be sure to consider Darktable and Rawtherapee too, and even the GNU Image Maniuplation Program (GIMP); all are free and open source, and just as good as PS or LR. Darktable and Rawtherapee in particular are great for film negative post-processing and workflows, and I've been working the developers of Rawtherapee very recently on the addition of their "coming soon" new feature, which is the ability to do a quick and easy negative to positive conversion from a raw flatbed scanner scan (they recently added the ability to convert DSLR "scans", but not raw flatbed scans) after many photographers like myself were frustrated with the difficulties of accurate colour reproduction from scans of films like Portra 400. I use Vuescan to scan, personally. Thanks again Sean.
I love that you are exploring film Sean! I’ve gotten back to film myself in a big way. I love shooting film and also digital. I can’t wait for the next videos!
Thanks Sean; another excellent edition. On the strength of it I went on eBay and both the Canon EOS 500 - for £8.00! It just arrived. You put the 50mm on it; could you just clarify which version please? Haven't shot film for many years; must have another go. Why not now? Best wishes; keep safe.
Great tutorial. Just on synching flash with old cameras, not sure about one you used in this though, most of them have a PC port either on the lense or body you can attach to your main. If you need more lights then connect them optically to your main. Of course the whole process is manual so you will need a proper lightmeter that does flash light metering.
I'm in a very similar spot. I may still jump into doing some home film processing. Not sure I will ever go back to having an enlarger and burning my own prints.
Film is film, digital is digital, enjoy each for what they are, understand that they are different tools to master.
That Fuji GW690 look insane. I will get one for sure!
The film Vs digital thing is always 100% personal.
For me, I got into photography through digital, I'd take so many photos. I'd take 20 photos of a composition that now I'd just take one or maybe not even bother. I'd then go home and have 2000 photos to go through, crop and edit just from a day out and I'd keep 1 or 2. Now with film, I have 36 photos to go through or less (depending on format) and I will keep easily 10-15 of every roll. I take a lot more care and if I come up with a composition and I'm not 100% convinced I will take the time to make sure I can get a better composition as opposed to just thinking ah one of these 40 photos will be good I'm sure.
It's worth it for me just to get better compositions because of the way I work psychologically. I find myself trying to achieve the sharpest and try and get my images as close to a digital look as possible. But it's still worth going through the process because the images I get are so much more rewarding.
I also have the EOS 500 (Rebel XS in North America) which I bought in mid- to late-1990s. The original kit lens was a 35-80mm f/4-5.6. Since the CR123A batteries are expensive here in the Philippines, I also bought the BP-8 battery pack that allows me to use 4 AA batteries.
I learned proper exposure with this camera because the LCD displayed the the shutter speed and aperture value even in Program mode. Prior to this, I used a Nikon FM2 and my pictures were terribly exposed. After using the Canon, I can use any camera comfortably.
Recently I used it again. But since my kit lens is all fogged up, I bought a new 50mm f/1.8 STM lens. I'm really surprised that my 20+ year old camera can take the new STM lens.
I use the same Texas Leica, instead of your Yashica I have a Rolleiflex, but my absolute favourite is my Hasselblad 500CM.
Oh man. So stoked to see the shot at 15:30! Great video man- glad you’re enjoying film!
Just got my own GW690ii last week! I considered the 690iii but, even though it had some improvements, just looked too plasticky for my taste. Looking forward to see what you do with this camera!
Yeah I prefer the look of the ii over the iii personally as well:)
Great video. Just getting back into film so the timing is perfect.
On the Twin Lens Reflex camera, you didn't mention the image shift. If you look at the top of the ground glass at the top, there is a line about 1/2" down, that little line is the top of the photo (I shot with a Roliflex for several years)
Blimey how random is this. I picked up a working Yashica EM from the carboot a couple of weeks ago. I am taking it off eBay as a resale TODAY :-)
Great video Sean. I am going through the same process with two Canon Eos 3 Cameras. I can use my lens collection and I even have a compatible flash. Good luck!
YESSSS! What a lovely video Sean! I have been waiting for some film content! Can't wait to watch the rest of this series and it is so refreshing to see some film content that wasn't shot on a leica or mamiya 7 or something absurdly expensive. I am especially looking forward to the TLR shots as my only medium format camera so far is a Yashica 635 I love. :)
Thank you. You've been a wonderful resource and have helped to develop my ethics in photography.
Hey Sean, hope you’re settling in nicely in North Yorkshire. Was trawling back through some of your older videos (thinking again about finally cracking on with some self portraits) when I stumbled on this one. Made me wish I hadn’t sold on all my darkroom equipment so many years ago (well maybe not quite!) though at least I’ve still got an old Canon FS4000 slide/negative scanner, so would be cheap to dip my toe back in with a development tank and a few chemicals. Anyway, just wanted to pass on a quick recommendation for filmstock which I thought you might appreciate, especially given what you mentioned about your needs from digital. Many years ago I did a summer school residential course at the Edinburgh College of Art (way before digital days) where I was introduced to Kodak Technical Pan film. The super low ISO 25 version has the most incredible details I’ve ever seen (hence the "Technical" part of the name and its original intended use I think) but it’s amazing for portraits. Even a 35mm negative will show up virtually unobservable grain on massive prints, with a level of detail that will make your jaw drop - so much that for some portraits you might even want to soften skin details a bit - and it has some interesting colour responses to blues for a B&W film that also make it very interesting for landscapes. If you can get it in rolls big enough for that 6x9 Fuji camera the details will blow your socks off! Anyway, enjoyed the video. Hope you get chance to find some and give it a try. Found some listed here: is.gd/9ZkDX1 😉
EDIT: apologies- aside from some rare and no doubt expensive rolls you will struggle to get this film which was sadly discontinued. However, this might be worth a try for something similar is.gd/EvLE1Q
Love the Minolta X-700. Nice vid - can't wait for part 2.
Great to see you trying to find your way with film! Thanks for sharing!
That was quite good. I started out with film, so this is a nice refresher.
You are seriously awesome. Love your videos!
Nicely done video. I was slow to switch from 35mm film to digital years ago but came to really love the ability of it. Now I'm thinking of playing with medium format film. I like the idea of 6x9 just for the size of the neg you get. Fortunately I still have all my film developing gear too! Thanks for the discussion on the differences.
Sean your videos are just amazing. I feel like you really kind of humanize photography and cinematography. You make it sound very possible and understandable(:
I’m wondering… When using another camera as a light meter, shouldn’t you match sensor sizes? Like use a full-frame DSLR to measure the light for your full-frame film camera?
Interesting premise, that digital "gives you more control." Results are instant, but that's not "control" per se, that's a learning curve as you mentioned.
I need to try this film stock! I chose Ilford for my black and white film. I just did a roll of Ilford FP4 to test out, and made a video on developing BW with cinestill DF96 developer :D
That was awesome Sean! Loved your 6x9 images.
Excited to watch the rest 😀
Sir, your Inspiring every time. Waiting for next part II.
waiting to see your video on developing B&W currently using Kodak tri-x 400 B&W , still do digital most of the time . Knew you liked film because you come across appreciating old school
My 35 is an X570 it has always given me good results.
I'm surprised you chose a Fomapan 100. It's an old classic film which is made in my country. I shot that when I started photography. Now my favourite is HP5.
Hello Sean - always happy to see a new video from you. Is there a cheaper alternative to the Aputure LS C120D II that you would recommend?
This is awesome. A couple of months ago I bought an old Nikon FM because I'm also interested in starting to shooting with film. I have not done any developing yet, so is looking forward to the rest of this series :-) I bought 6-7 different types of b&w film to find out what I like the best, but the look I'm after is quite different from yours though.
these images are just stunning ！
Amazing Sean, I can't wait to see next episode 👍🏼
Brilliant, thanks. Nice choice of camera (the Fuji GW690ii) and was that the street B&W genius Christian Cross I saw in the gallery at the end?
It was Christian:)
Very inspiring. Might as well dust off my old Yashica from college.
IMO, shooting film can often yield wayyyy more than 10 unhappy accidents to get to that one banger hahaha. I have a Yashica A and D, which are earlier versions of the mat model you have, and I love them both. Great video as always, Sean. I'll be looking forward to the other vids in the series.
Yes...!!!!! I’ve just started this process myself so this couldn’t come at a better time 🤗🤗
How to we write the sound for drewling...?? These B&W are just great! Thanks Sean!
Sean shooting film...and my RUclips worlds collide
Great video! Thank you Sean! I'm just struggling with setting that light meter. It's really beautiful but can't can't choose the aperture value... How do you do that? Thanks again
Great video. I've been pondering picking up my old film camera's again. Can't wait to see the next episode!
Hi Sean, I am absolutely stunned by your works. If I may, I would like to ask you which mic you use for recording videos. I am looking for mics for 1) when I talk like you just did in this video, and 2) cinematography. I would highly appreciate it if you could give me some suggestions on this. Thanks heaps in advance. xx
Fascinating stuff as I thought I was alone in my world of shooting Hassy 503CX, Pentax 645N2 and Canon AE1. For B&W I have always used Ilford FP5 ASA 400, but also shoot a lot of colour film as processing negs is quite easy with the kits you get these days as long as you have a temperature controlled bath. Looking forward to seeing how you scan 6x9 negs.