Film Experiment.

Rob Leslie · Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 1103 Location: UK Swindon

My local Tesco supermarket will develop a 35mm and scan to CD for £1-97p. I’m afraid the ‘Operators’ don’t know what resolution the scans are. Then the ‘Pound shop’ are doing 36 exposure colour neg for £1-00. Well I just have to give it a go
As an experiment (Or a laugh) I have put a film in my little Olympus XA1.
This is the very basic XA with the f4 35mm lens and just full auto. You can’t even focus it, but I do have the flash!
I’m literally going to throw caution to the wind and shot with the intention of converting the scans to BW and hopefully get some ‘Interesting’ results from the ‘Snaps’
I see this as working to the limitations of the camera and must admit the couple of shots I have done have given me a sort of liberated feeling. Its like
‘What the hell I’ll compose it and then I’ll just get something from the file!!!’
I’m even going to try the flash!
Has anybody got a name for this sort of shooting? (Madness)
Watch this space, It may take me two or three weeks to use the film but I did choose to use the XA1 because I can put it in my pocket and maybe do those couldn’t care less snaps quickly.
Anybody any thoughts ) Or has anybody tried doing similar?

Nesster · Expire: 2014-02-20

certainly! Recently I used a Vivitar crap-cam (I doubt that is it's official name -these seem to be rebadged and given out as promotions) with a non-focusing 28mm lens. It died on me at exposure 27, so I didn't even get a full roll. The shutter went. I had Ilford xp2 in it, and had it developed and scanned at the local drug store. They charge anywhere from $1.99 to $3.49 depending on who's ringing it up.

That's close to toy camera photography. I'd say it reaches toy hood.

The other cam I use around town is the Yashica T4, this one autofocuses and calculates exposure and everything. So there's an AF lag. 35mm Zeiss lens. Vignettes a bit at the wider apertures, and there's a bit of barrel distortion. But fun, and good to use.

On the Photographer Liberation Front: along my recent liberation path, the first step was with a Yashica GSN. My eye was outside the photo for the first time in years! And I had a lens with a real clear DOF scale and the means to use it. Hadn't had as much fun since my Pen FT days.

Then I took a flying leap: our daughter found an old '37 Franka with cloudy lens, and I realized the shutter worked. So I bought film, and bought the bug. Soon I had a Bessa 66, lovely little camera, NO focus aid, NO exposure meter, NO automatic shutter cocking... I was terrified at first, being conditioned to 'perfect' focus, 'perfect' exposure etc. I tended to worry about overexposure for some reason, and therefore tended to underexpose. But I loved the results, and with that feedback I was freed! I found I could estimate exposure pretty well (given a starting point reading, especially) and focus distance.

And that was the beginning of the end for me. Now I'm here, fitting ancient lenses on dSLRs, collecting old lenses and cameras, even using that crap Vivitar (it was actually a company gift for those of us who spent Y2K night at the office. We were supposed to take pics of each other having fun! Rolling Eyes

) for the first and last time in 8 years.

Katastrofo · Expire: 2013-11-19

Rob, looking forward to seeing what that little XA can do. Welcome back
to the world of film! Smile

Bill

Rob Leslie · Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 1103 Location: UK Swindon

j.lukow · Expire: 2021-11-25

I think I would call this type of shooting - intuitive shooting. Trying to bring the artist out.

Even though I shoot SLRs with "bigger" lenses this is still part of the experience for me, I'm comfortable enough with my gear that the technical parts are almost automatic and I try to experience the shot.

Be careful, you may find something you never realized you missed Wink

Jim

kevh53 · Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 3 Location: Idaho, USA

Hello, this being my first post as a member... I had an XA2 years ago. It was my second most loved camera at the time (my first one being a Kodak 110 Instamatic, I was 12 years old). The XA was my first plunge into '35mm'. You would not believe the fantastic photos I was able to take with it! Alas, I drowned it when I stepped into deep water unexpectedly while fishing in Yellowstone National Park- Bechler River with the XA in my wader pocket Sad

. For nastalgia sake, I am looking for another XA2...

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Hello, nice to see you here!

kevh53 · Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 3 Location: Idaho, USA

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18