New old guy getting back into film

At 64 years of age and after many years of digital, I am getting back into film. It seems odd to want to give up the simplicity of having instant photos, but there was always something missing. Its just too easy to take zillions of photos, and end up with a handful that are any good. I actually miss the days of waiting to get the photos back from the developer, and opening the packet to see how I did. And I really miss slides too. I used to show them on the side of our neighbors house, from my upstairs window.

I think shooting with film will force me to think much more about what I am doing. Each shot will count.

Or maybe its just nostalgia? I will find out in a week or so when my Nikon F2 arrives. I could never afford one back in the old days.

Digital has driven down the prices of used film cameras to the level that previously unobtainable gear is now affordable.

Tip: Think about the Olympus OM1 series. The Olympus camera and lenses are much smaller and lighter than the Nikon gear. So as you become more sensitive to the weight of your kit, as I am getting, you can switch to the lighter Olympus kit.

I have Nikon film gear, but am assembling a small Olympus kit, for the day when the F2 becomes too heavy to comfortably carry.

At 64 years of age and after many years of digital, I am getting back into film. It seems odd to want to give up the simplicity of having instant photos, but there was always something missing. Its just too easy to take zillions of photos, and end up with a handful that are any good. I actually miss the days of waiting to get the photos back from the developer, and opening the packet to see how I did. And I really miss slides too. I used to show them on the side of our neighbors house, from my upstairs window.

 

I think shooting with film will force me to think much more about what I am doing. Each shot will count.

 

Or maybe its just nostalgia? I will find out in a week or so when my Nikon F2 arrives. I could never afford one back in the old days.

There is a caveat: much fewer film emulsions are on the market when it used to be. Much fewer professional labs. Kodak has off sourced its film manufacturing. :oops:

In small towns there is no film.

There are still plenty emulsions and developers available and you may buy them over internet and have them delivered right into your mailbox. What else?

Buy a decent scanner and use a retouch program like Photoshop for example for post production or buy darkroom material, very cheap nowadays.

Film can be developed in a "changing bag"? How well does that work?

You can remove the film from its canister and put it on a reel then put that in the developing tank. THEN, you take the developing tank out of the changing bag and develop normally with the room lights on.

Nothing beats a real darkroom, however.

Nothing beats a real darkroom, however.

True, mine seemed good enough for printing and I used the changing bag to load my film tanks.

I am not sure what the OP means by processing in a changing bag. - AFAIK its an option to tray process sheet film inside a huge changing tent but I wouldn't be comfortable doing that. - I'll rather shoot 4x5" & smaller and put it on a Jobo. - Having no chance to scratch my forehead while agitating film for about 3 songs must suck...

WB to film John. - F2s are tempting. - But do they deserve the attribute "modern"? Anyhow: I wish you best of luck finding your way pace and happiness.

You can remove the film from its canister and put it on a reel then put that in the developing tank. THEN, you take the developing tank out of the changing bag and develop normally with the room lights on.

 

Nothing beats a real darkroom, however.

I was imagining a giant changing bag or tent that I will unload my 5x7 holders and put the B/W film in a drum. Or how about having a really big bag/tent that will let me use the hard rubber tanks with DEV/FIX and STOP chemicals. It would become very noxious inside but only my hands would be exposed (rubber gloves)! It would be a tragedy if the open tanks were tipped over or mixed up by not being able to see what was going on inside. Well I could light the inside with a safelight and have video camera set inside in an underwater case feeding output to my 15" Macbook Pro! Where this a will there is a way!

Or, I could just bring back my old darkroom that is now just another part of the workshop with a MIG welder and Plasma cutter where the enlargers used to be. I had a 4x5 enlarger that I traded for processing (E6), and giant 8x10 enlarger that went out in the street for the local recyclers, although I did salvage the 240mm enlarging lens and sold it on Ebay for a good price.

Film can be developed in a "changing bag"? How well does that work?

As @Vincent Peri said, the changing bag is used to remove the film from the cartridge and put it onto the developing tank reel, then into the tank.

Once the tank is closed, you remove the tank from the bag, and process in room light.

You want to use a LARGE changing bag. The larger the bag, the more air it holds, and the longer it takes for your hands to get sticky with sweat from being in the bag.

And you NEED to practice with a dummy roll of film, in room light, so that you know what you are going to do when you can't see.

Digital has driven down the prices of used film cameras to the level that previously unobtainable gear is now affordable.

I have noticed a steady increase in film camera equipment prices the last few years.

I have noticed a steady increase in film camera equipment prices the last few years.

Glad I got my Hassellbad when I did. It cost me less than my D70.

And I got my OM1 + 50/1.4 for $60.

You have to be PATIENT when shopping on eBay or Craig's List.

There are people who ask stupid high price for a "rare vintage antique" camera.

Film can be developed in a "changing bag"? How well does that work?

Peri plus 1

(you have to be careful not to let the dark out, of course) :rolleyes:

I was imagining a giant changing bag or tent that I will unload my 5x7 holders and put the B/W film in a drum. Or how about having a really big bag/tent that will let me use the hard rubber tanks with DEV/FIX and STOP chemicals. It would become very noxious inside but only my hands would be exposed (rubber gloves)! It would be a tragedy if the open tanks were tipped over or mixed up by not being able to see what was going on inside. Well I could light the inside with a safelight and have video camera set inside in an underwater case feeding output to my 15" Macbook Pro! Where this a will there is a way!

 

Or, I could just bring back my old darkroom that is now just another part of the workshop with a MIG welder and Plasma cutter where the enlargers used to be. I had a 4x5 enlarger that I traded for processing (E6), and giant 8x10 enlarger that went out in the street for the local recyclers, although I did salvage the 240mm enlarging lens and sold it on Ebay for a good price.

Jobo used to have a tank & reel for 6 or 8 4x5 sheets. I still have one on my darkroom, now virtually abandoned. I now load the reels (mainly 35mm but the occasional 120 too) in a bag and process in the kitchen. Darkroom is cluttered with the missus junk.

I miss film and darkroom very much; used to process my own C-41 'cuz the local labs were pigs, but now I cannot get or justify doing that so the Jobo processor is just gathering dust. I can still shoot and process TX400 and have enough HC-110 to last me a few years. However, while film cameras and darkroom gear are now dirt cheap, film and processing materials are expensive. I have to get mine from Amazon as the nearest dealer who carries film is 300 km away.

I do 35mm and 120 with Patterson tank and reels, loading the tank with a changing bag. No problems other than stupidity...like leaving the lid to the tank on the counter after loading the tank....DUH!! I am considering trying my hand at 4x5. I will load the holder with the bag too and see how that goes. Right now I'm looking at the Stearman tank and trying to justify the initial investment of circa 110,00€.

I think getting back to film is a natural progression for all the reasons mentioned by the the other replies.

I dislike the idea of forcing to work slower. I do like to use film but I do not like to wait nor to depend on the labs. It's something I have to accept and not something that is good about it. I like film actually for all the things i have to do to shoot it. Developing, printing etc...

I actually do not take more pictures with my digital than with film. I do make more pictures with the digital but that is because I do shoot my film camera blank often. So the number of shutter actuation I have is the same film or digital. The different is that with every shutter actuation on the digital I have a picture regardless I want it or not.