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Post by CalvinDigital (Charles Calvin) on Oct 18, 2012 7:20:05 GMT -5
So my wonderfully awesome wife told me the other day that she wanted to get into film photography. This is wonderful and scary at the same time. Wonderful because I know she’ll do a great job, she is very creative and has a good sense of artistic style. Scary because I am of very little help to her, and we are kind of going into this blind. Luckily for us we have access to a great group of people who can guide us through this adventure.
So she is a fan of the Lomography style which is great because it allows her to start into the hobby relatively cheap. We have decided that we’re going the route of medium format right off the bat.
Does anyone have any suggestions/tips for her?
The camera we are looking at is the Diana F+, this kit specifically. Thoughts?
What SLR or rangefinder cameras are relatively cheap and considered quality cameras?
Any recommended reading material? Both online and in paper format?
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Post by Karl Wertanen on Oct 18, 2012 11:53:18 GMT -5
Heres some good online reading material... Great rangefinder site/forum. SO much info there. A forum in there for the Diana as well. www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/index.phpwww.apug.org has great film camera related material too. There's good classifieds in there as well to be able to get a feel for what different cameras are going for on the used market.  A Quality and cheap medium format camera would be a mamiya RB67 (totaly manual unlike the RZ model) and the glass is world class. Pentax 67 cameras as well. Both are built like tanks and will give you crazy sharp and LARGE images. shop.mobileweb.ebay.com/searchresults?cmd=SKW&kw=mamiya+rb67Not sure about cheap rangefinders though. I knew I wanted a good one when I was going to make the investment so I went with the mamiya 7ii rangefinder and 3 lenses. It's as compact as a mid level dslr and for image quality and resolution will knock the socks off of virtually any non medium format dslr. That will put you back a few thousand dollars though. But that rangefinder forum will have all that kind of info you are looking for. They cover "EVERYTHING" rangefinder. Great site. |
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Post by Tim Bazzinett on Oct 21, 2012 9:56:11 GMT -5
Wow!
The question of "where to start" brings about so many answers.
I guess the first would be what to shoot, slide or negative film?
There are still a few labs that process negative film, but only two that I know of that process slide film. Woodward Camera and Titan Photo.
For shooting negative film, the old saying is to expose for the shadows. And for slides, expose for the highlights and pray for the shadows.
Personally, I love the look of slide film over negatives, especially Fuji Velvia. It just has that look no other process can reproduce. If I have to use negative film, I love kodak portra 400.
I guess the next question is what size of film?
Most commonly, 35mm or medium format?
Craigslist has tons of old 35mm film cameras. You should be able to find an old Canon DSLR body easily under $100. And then there are plenty of P&S cameras all under $25. You can also find some old rangefinders, like Yashica, Canon, and Argus from time to time.
If your looking to do the medium format route, then gear gets a bit pricier. And then on top of that, you have cameras that shoot different formats, such as 6x4.5, 6x6, and 6x7 (there are 6x8, 6x9, and crazy pano cameras that go up to 6x17!). My camera is a Mamiya 645 and the images are still quite sharp. It is an SLR style, and the lens selection is nice. As Karl mentioned above, the RB67 and Pentax 67 cameras are extremely nice. I have a buddy that has an RZ67, and yes, it is fricken' huge! Karl's Mamiya 7II is considered one of the worlds best cameras, but you pay a lot for that quality.
with the 6x6 format, you have so many options. Most TLR's are 6x6, as are the Hasselblads, and most of the Bronica models out there. The toy cameras, the Diana and Holga are 6x6 too.
Now, I wouldn't recommend the Diana or Holga camera...unless you want that look. The central focus, blurring out to the corners, and vignetting look. If you are looking for images that resemble your Canon DSLR, stay away from the Diana and Holga. Anything Russian or Chinese, such as the Kiev, Lubitel, or Great Wall, have quality issues as well.
What do you do with the negatives and slides?
Inevitably, you're probably going to want to post them to Flickr. You can have the photolab scan them for you, but the scans never seem to be the quality I like. They are flat in color, horribly oversharpened, and highlights are almost aways washed out. I prefer to scan them myself.
Now, I have two scanners, a dedicated 35mm scanner, and an Epson flatbed. My Epson v500 does a decent job with scanning my medium format stuff. Even the 35mm stuff looks decent enough to post on the web. But, my dedicated 35mm Minolta Scan Speed does such a far better job with 35mm negs/slides.
So, most likely, you will be dropping some money on a scanner. If you go with a flatbed, keep in mind that the cheapest cheapest scanners only do 35mm, such as the V300. Keep your choices open for those that do medium format as well.
So, in short, type of film, type of camera, and choice of scanner.
And go for it!
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Post by lumigraphics on Nov 2, 2012 15:50:57 GMT -5
I shot film for 24 years before switching to digital. I wish I could still afford to use my Mamiya 645 outfit!
Beyond the cost, waiting for processing, and no chimping, I haven't changed a thing about how I shoot. I tend to over-expose slightly on both negative film and digital and underexpose slightly on transparency. Otherwise, IMHO its pretty much the same.
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Post by grandpoobah on Nov 6, 2012 9:30:23 GMT -5
Film is Dead Dead book by Jonathan Canlas!
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Post by grandpoobah on Nov 6, 2012 9:34:43 GMT -5
I love my Mamiya RB67. So happy the 150mmm f/4C soft focus lens is coming in today for it! Okay. Now the heaviest camera in my collection. The Mamiya RB67 Pro S. You could inflict serious injury with this camera!  |
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Post by grandpoobah on Nov 8, 2012 14:17:05 GMT -5
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Post by grandpoobah on Nov 8, 2012 14:20:23 GMT -5
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Post by meggers on Nov 11, 2012 20:21:07 GMT -5
Whew...I think I may be in over my head...I guess I need to know one thing; what camera should I start with that will not break the bank. Baby steps works best for me so I don't get overwhelmed. I don't think I want to spend more than $100. Is that the wrong way to start??
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Post by rkarolak on Nov 12, 2012 9:11:47 GMT -5
Some people may disagree with me, but for your very first time getting into film, perhaps start with getting a cheap 35mm SLR and use print film?
Yes, there are many better formats and cameras, but 35mm SLRs can be found for cheap, and if you get the same mount as a modern DSLR, you can move the lenses up. Even if the mount is different, if it's an older standard usually the lenses go for really cheap as well. Maybe get a manual-focus, manual winding 35mm to force you to slow down and think about the shot. (Something like an AE-1, X-370, etc).
Using C-41 print film will allow you to get into the process of using the camera, and print film can be developed at many places and is cheaper to get developed and has faster turnaround. Once you have that down, you can work your way up to slides, better b/w film, eventually medium/large format if you're interested in that.
imo.
If you go this route I think you'll be able to get the equipment to start learning and should be easily under $100. You should be able to find an SLR, usually coming with something like a 50mm or 28-70mm kit lens for cheap.
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Post by Karl Wertanen on Nov 12, 2012 9:24:48 GMT -5
Good advise from Ryan.
How much is your Diana going for?
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Post by grandpoobah on Nov 12, 2012 10:45:55 GMT -5
Yes - a 35mm SLR is cheap! I don't know when Canon changed their lens mount so lens compatibilty may be an issue. With Nikon however, the lens are all interchangeable. Although some of the new AF-S lens you can change the apparture on older SLRs. That is one reason I prefer Nikon over Canon, my glass works on both the digital and film SLRs!
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Post by grandpoobah on Nov 12, 2012 10:47:10 GMT -5
Take a look at the thrift stores. You might find a SLR with a 50mm for about $50
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Post by grandpoobah on Nov 12, 2012 10:51:44 GMT -5
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Post by meggers on Nov 12, 2012 11:16:29 GMT -5
Wow! Thanks guys! That sounds like a smart place to start. I just would hate to invest too much money only to find I stink, haha. But maybe that could be the direction I go? :-) I think the Diana kit was about $80, but I am nervous I love it just because of how it looks.
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