The camera thread.

Yep, Ilford was revived by some of the former managers when it was about to fold completely.

B&W 35mm is actually cheaper today than it was two years ago for some reason. Both Ilford and Kodak products are very reasonable ~$3.75US per roll.

That's good to know. I doubt I'll ever be keen enough to set up a proper darkroom again, but I'm still nostalgic for big white boxes stamped ILFORD and the smell of ripe fix.

I haven't been in a darkroom since I was a physics undergrad doing x-ray crystallography; I can still smell those chemicals though.

I think I'd trust Ilford to do a better job of developing their own B&W film than I would Boots/Snappy Snaps/Jessops but that's not based on any first-hand experience; those Ilford mailers are about £11 online.

I need to find a manual for the FTb online as I've sort of forgotten how to use it; I know there's a little switch to lock the mirror up but last night I seemed to invoke step-down metering with it (the match-needle went dead and the viewfinder image went darker with each aperture ring click) which I can't recall doing before...

three new toys that arrived today:
Kodak Retinette 1A - guess-focus, clean lens and shutter that sounds right-on - a whopping $9
Polaroid SX-70 Sonar - unmodified, and the re-manufactured SX-70 film (Polaroid Blend) is $2/shot plus shipping, so I doubt I'll be using it much
another SX-70 Sonar, but modified to use the current 600 film

I've got an old Agfa Click and an Isola coming from the Netherlands.

The last darkroom I was in was above the archway at 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh, about 10 years ago now; its list of rules included "Do not have sex in the darkroom - we have had complaints." I'd love to have space for my own.

I also still have: fixer-stained jeans somewhere at the back of my wardrobe.

Yes! I've ruined a pair or two like that.

Our college darkroom was crazy for discovering exotic activities

Cor, has this thread really been dormant for so long?

Anyhoo, me & the missus have taken the plunge into medium format:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3033/2579050056_919ca4e2a9.jpg

Since that picture was taken we've replaced the plain prism finder with a metered one and added a Polaroid back. Anxiously awaiting the results of running some (expired*) Provia 400F and Astia 100F through it. The Polaroids have been variable in quality (using 690, which requires a bit of exposure compensation - it's all I could find on a quick lunch-hour trawl round Soho). This stuff is crazy cheap on eBay now - we paid £26 for the ME prism; they used to retail for about 20-25 times that.

* - part of a set of 41 rolls of expired 120/135 slide film we got on Freecycle; and if that didn't get us back into shooting film, acquiring the below - also for nothing - a week or so later definitely did:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2297/2374962333_04fef02c44.jpg

(The 430EZ Speedlite didn't work terribly well with my EOS 300D and now has a new home; I have a 420EX flash now, another eBay bargain).

I was only talking about getting into medium format with some flickr pals last week. I love the - well I'm not sure of the word, but maybe 'depth' is the right one? - that you get. Quite apart from the fact that the cameras look cool.

Looking forward to seeing your results.

Sitting in a friend's garden on Sunday, I took the prism off and was kinda amazed at the clarity and three-dimensionality of the image coming through the focusing screen. You can see why waist-level finders are so popular with these cameras. Surely we can find one of those for a fiver?! But then we're back to guessing the exposure...

Love my old Bronica SQ-A, haven't used it in some time except for a few slides since I don't have darkroom access or a scanner. But oh how I miss 6x6.

I prefer the waist-level finder and guessing exposure - with color neg or B&W, you've got plenty of leeway. Or you can pick up an incident light meter cheap ($25-100), meter a patch of light that's similar to whatever you're shooting (assuming you can't meter directly at your subject).

I <3 medium format

I just bought one of these

http://www.leicagallery.com/images/gr1.gif

Hey, I've got a major problem. The aperture on my lens (on a Pentax K1000) doesn't seem to be moving. When the lens is out of the camera it's normal, but when it's in, it stays wide open the whole time. My light meter is working fine though, which is kind of wierd, I guess.

How worried should I be?

These look like expensive fun:

http://a.img-dpreview.com/news/0807/Nikon/pcelenses.jpg

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0807/08070102nikonpcemicro45mm85mm.asp

Hey, I've got a major problem. The aperture on my lens (on a Pentax K1000) doesn't seem to be moving. When the lens is out of the camera it's normal, but when it's in, it stays wide open the whole time.

Do you mean: even when you change the aperture setting the iris doesn't move? That's normal (certainly on most SLRs including my Pentax ME) - the iris doesn't actually stop down until you take the picture, so that you have maximum brightness in the viewfinder. If it didn't work like this, then your viewfinder would be too dark to see very much when you're stopped all the way to f22. This is why lots of SLRs have a "depth of field preview" control, to override this behaviour.

Ed: oof, very nice. Even if they wouldn't work on my F801!

brilliant!!

http://www.uncrate.com/men/images/2008/07/samsung-tl9.jpg

http://www.uncrate.com/men/images/2008/07/samsung-tl9-2.jpg

Ha! I saw some old film compacts recently (Nikon?) that had analogue display dials in the top-plate - only they were for aperture/shutter speed settings, I think.

nikon, yes

mmmmmm dials

Yes, that was it! Smashing. Anyway, there are a couple in a display case in the Camera Cafe in Bloomsbury if you're interested. Not to mention multiples of every Leica M body...

droooooool
http://craigmod.com/journal/gf1-fieldtest/

Hi,

who can recommend me a camera in the $200-350 range? I already spend enough of my time fetishizing analogue by making 16mm films so I want to keep this simple and get a digital camera. Cannot afford to go higher on price but want something that isn't just a total point n' click and maybe with half-decent low light capability?

Thanks!

I've been eyeing this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-Optical-Stabilized/dp/B002LITT42

Thanks! Pleasingly retro looking

there's discussion here too

Compact camera recommendations

Any thoughts on the Nikon D3100 and/or what would you buy around the £300 mark?

And will I regret going for an 18-55 lens rather than an 18-105?

And will I regret going for an 18-55 lens rather than an 18-105?
--djh

Depends on the type of photos you want to take?

I prefer prime lenses so don't really know!

aperture range on both?

Is there an option of a kit with one or the other, or are you buying the lens separately?

I had the 18-55mm with my D40x and it was fine, but rarely use it after i got the 35mm f1.8 prime - very good lens (bar a little barrel distortion) and remains my default.

The smaller lens was a Nikon AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR.

Not really sure *what* I want to take photos of, really ...

it might be a default camera snob position but I think a prime is always the best bet.

(Excuse the naivety) Prime?

fixed focal length, not a zoom basically

(usually) faster and with better glass.

I'd say I value the wider aperture of a prime over the ability to zoom in on things - if I use my 18-70 it tends to be wide open for landscape stuff, very occasionally.

I'd go with the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G lens with the small Nikon DSLR bodies.

Thanks all.

Close to pulling the trigger on a Fuji x100f
Walmart has it for a 200 discount somehow

Woop out of stock

It’s a great camera tbh and if you can get a deal it’s a fun carry. I’m not 100% on where they are in the update cycle tho so buyer beware

I want that large sensor for low light shenanigans

True. Also a little light rigging makes the onboard flash v pleasant

Also looking at the new XF10 and the Ricoh GR ii. ... just can’t justify that $1.3k price for the x100F.

I bought my X100 (original model) used about 6 years ago - the sensor on these handles light and colour so beautifully. It's got its quirks but I have never felt like leaving it behind.

pre ordered the xf 10

Can’t wait to use an image sensor 10x the size of what’s in my phone

had my original X100 for about 5/6 years. love it. might jump on the next model after the X100F

the x100 series are maybe my favourite cameras ever

Those of you that have the x100 - what is it about that camera that you really enjoy, or that’s unique? The new XF has the same sensor but is only $500...

it takes great pictures, with minimal fiddling required. great low light performance, great JPEGs, and - even though it’s not required - it has the settings/features that let you fiddle if you want to