You ever get the itch

You ever get the itch to take out your old Film(non-AF) Camera, maybe 2 or 3 prime lenses then go out, take it slow

and have a good time taking pictures. No worries about pleasing clients, paying the bills, getting dust on the sensor,

getting soaked in the rain, dropping your expensive jewel, or getting robbed. The only worry might be running out of

film.

 

These days if you carry a manual camera around your neck people look at you funny. It's not easy finding film either.

The conveniece stores that do sell film, are selling old sometimes expired film that come in 24 exposures. So the

best thing would be to go out packed with extra film.

 

Look out for those kids too, because if you take their pictures, they are going to want to see the playback. Then you

have to explain to them while they are scratching their heads ,that this is 'just' a film camera.

 

Other than that, you can take your time and be selective about your photos. With no auto focus you have to do it

the good old fashioned way. You also have to think about exposure, and things like that. Then there is the thrill of

waiting 3 hours for your carefully selected photos at the 1 Hour lab. Of course you can develop the film yourself, this

way you don't have to wait, well there is some wait time standing by the clock. But just think of the satisfaction when

it's all done you can really say I did it all myself.

<p>All I have is "just" film cameras still, so when I want to slow it down, I move to MF. If I want to be painstakingly sluggish, I'll get out the 4x5. Now that's not all because I'm a puritan, film-is-better sort of fellow; mostly it's because I keep going to school and being poor. But I don't think I'd know what to do with myself trying to move at a faster pace than 35mm avails. Parts of my creative right brain might just burst or fizzle out in an anti-climactic sort of way. JR</p>

<p>Hell. I get the itch all the time, especially since all of my film cameras other than my Nikons have been bought after I went digital. Try the Classic Manual Forum and you'll find lots of people still getting and mucking about with everything from Altissas to Zeisses.</p><div></div>

<p>I look at people W/digital cameras funny.</p>

<p>I'm with JDM. In fact, I usually am with JDM much of the time on the Classic Manual Forum talking about that very itch. For us on that forum though, it's not just an itch, it's much more like a full-body rash. I have a photo job coming up in a week and a half (my photo jobs are part-time side jobs, not my 'day job') and I will be using, hopefully, a new Canon 7D and as exciting as that will be, I'm much more excited about the Minolta Auto 320 flash I just got for my Minolta XD-11. I thoroughly enjoy walking around with that camera and feeling the precision of its operation, as well as the very same process you described above. I find lately that people are actually intrigued with a lot of film cameras, especially the ones that are obviously high quality cameras, and a lot of young folks are taking more of an interest in them. So, to answer your question, yes! I always have that itch.</p>

Back in 2001 when photographers were ditching their analog stuff like there was no tomorrow, I began aquiring some of the items that I could now afford. My first purchase was the Nikon FM2. My second purchase, was the infamous Nikkor 43-86mm f3.5 zoom lens.

 

After that fiasco, I began researching things a little more closely and after a a couple of years, I became "eBay savvy". For business purposes, I switched over to Digital, but I still consider my manual gear very important.

<p>The itch has become perpetual....the question is not about haveing the itch, but rather, when do I get the chance to scratch it. :o)</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>I'm trying to scratch my itch...just found and bought a Contaflex Prima. But dagnabit its got the "sticky shutter blades" syndrome! So, I'm looking for another camera that I can afford to scratch with.</p>

<p><em>Other than that, you can take your time and be selective about your photos.</em></p>

<p>I feel fortunate that my digital cameras aren't "haunted," considering how many people on these forums feel that their cameras are compelling them to shoot thoughtlessly and carelessly. Perhaps I could offer a repair service that will exorcise the "dummy demons" from digital cameras.</p>

<p>As for shooting film, I still do it fairly regularly, but people don't seem to react any differently than when I'm shooting with digital.</p>

<p><em>Jason: The itch has become perpetual....the question is not about haveing the itch, but rather, when do I get the chance to scratch it. :o)</em><br>

DITTO! I'm going crazy atm waiting for a chance to get out and take some shots. Should be able to tomorrow (Saturday for me in Oz) if I get enough work done today (I'm on lunch right now). Meanwhile, I'll just hang in there, being on PN helps keep some semblence of sanity, thank goodness!<br>

Cheers, Anthea :)</p>

<p>I just wish there was good local processing so I could see them without waiting a week.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>If I want to be painstakingly sluggish, I'll get out the 4x5</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes, there's a better joy derived from slow photogrpahy. I get a kick out of the 9x12 plate cameras I've been toying with. I bike around Newark at night and shoot some rollfilm in them - the Voigtlander Prominent comes along, too. You can take your time even with an AF 35mm SLR. <br>

It's like fly fishing in a float tube instead of hauling ass in a 400hp glitter-paint bass boat.<br>

I even lug the Linhof around Downtown. I've been scratching my noggin trying to determine what's making the scratches on the negs when I use the Calumet 6x7 back on it. Well, if I can't cure the scratches, at least I can make the pics look old-timey in photoshop.</p><div></div>

<blockquote>

<p>These days if you carry a manual camera around your neck people look at you funny.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I don't really care how people look at me. I guess that's more important to some people, that's why the fashion industry exists.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Other than that, you can take your time and be selective about your photos. With no auto focus you have to do it the good old fashioned way. You also have to think about exposure, and things like that.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I was unaware that digital cameras don't have exposure control and lack manual focus. I didn't know I couldn't be selective about my photos with a digital camera in the same way I am with a film camera.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Then there is the thrill of waiting 3 hours for your carefully selected photos at the 1 Hour lab.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>To be honest, I have little patience for what some machine can do for my photos. I would much prefer to take care of them myself, thank you.</p>

<p>You can either be a photographer and control your camera and your pictures, or you can be a camera weenie. Personally, I like being a photographer, but that's just me.</p>

<p>For about twenty years I owned one camera at a time. The last film camera I purchased new was an Elan 7N. Two years later I bought a 5D. Within six months I started getting the itch, then the full body rash. I now have a closet-full of film gear; my current favorites are a trio of German folders and a Minolta XD-11.</p>

<p>I just dusted the 5D last week. I should slip it into a Crown Royal bag and put it away somewhere. I don't even remember the last time I used it.</p>

<p>Vive la film!</p>

<p>Old manual film cameras are all I have - Canon F1, Nikon FM/FE, Mamiya TLRs and RB.</p>

<p>If you think people look at you funny with manual 35mm cameras, wait till you try and take a Bolex B8L through airport security.</p>

<p>I enjoy scratching the itch with a selection of screwmount cameras and MF folders.</p>

<p>Medium Format cured me of machine gunning photos. Now I laugh at myself because I have an 8 gig card in my camera and come home after a day of shooting to a whopping 30 images and I feel like I took too many. </p>

<p>I also don't think my dslr has ever left M. I do use autofocus sometimes! </p>

<blockquote>

<p>You ever get the itch to take out your old Film(non-AF) Camera, maybe 2 or 3 prime lenses then go out.....</p>

</blockquote>

<p>That's all I ever do. All of my cameras (30+) take film and only one has AF.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>For about twenty years I owned one camera at a time.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Imagine that. Just one camera!</p>

<p>Talk about people looking at you funny, here's one for the "kids say the darndest things file" I was standing at a local harvest fair, and carefully framing my trusted Argus C44 with the auxiliary finder. I took my photo, with the resounding thwunk of the old argus leaf shutter. A twenty something standing next to me (that's the kid) says "how many megapixels if that". Jokingly, I answered 55. He looked at me in amazement, said "Man that must have been expensive!" I shook my head and moved on.</p>

<p><em>"These days if you carry a manual camera around your neck people look at you funny."</em></p>

<p>I have never experienced that either. Anyway -- a MANUAL camera... what?</p>

<p>Half the time people think my DSLR is a 35mm SLR. What people think is this: they've rarely a clue about anything technical; so it makes zero difference what other people think. I still shoot some film but it is so "un green" (burns gas and wasted time to/from the pro processor).</p>

<p>I used to carry a G 9 in my back pack, today I have a T70 with a 35mm lens, some times canon lite AP-C, Some times my 1V, for the beach the waterproof Minolta, and hopefully with time my film camera equipment will grow to be at least as large as my digital equipment in quantity.</p>

<p>Thank you Jeremy, I agree 100%. What's digital anyway? Is that when you get one or more of your "digits" in front of the lens? </p>

<p>[[You ever get the itch to take out your old Film(non-AF) Camera, maybe 2 or 3 prime lenses then go out]]</p>

<p>I keep a Minolta XG-M and 50mm f/1.4 in my desk at work. I go out nearly every day at lunch and shoot. All of the film I use is expired and sitting in a small fridge at home. I'll usually go out with just the roll in the camera. Grainy scans from Target ($3.50 for CD and developing) are par for the course.</p>

<p>Most of what I produce is crap, but every once in a while there's something that I really like. What I get out of it though is a good 4 mile walk and the opportunity to see parts of the city I might not normally.</p>

<p>I would itch, and scratch, a lot more if E-6 processing was more convenient. I'm happy to process my b&w film at home.</p>