Shooting film for the first time in more than a decade

alezarate

I've been an all-digital photographer ever since I became serious about my photography (I did shoot film until digital became affordable around my late teens and I even developed and printed b&w once at school, but that probably doesn't count). Against what I would've thought even a few weeks ago, I'm going to start shooting some film for what I consider an unlikely reason: cost.

I work in downtown Buenos Aires, a city which I absolutely love. I always wanted to do some street photography, but I'm just not comfortable walking around my EOS 60D + zoom lens. It calls too much attention to itself, and I REALLY wouldn't like to get it stolen. While I'm normally not afraid of walking around BA, I'm EXTREMELY careful when I'm out with my DSLR. So on the few occasions I actually take it with me, I often keep it inside my messenger bag, which means I only only seldom make any pictures with it on the streets.

For a while, I thought the solution would be a pocketable mirrorless camera + pancake wide lens kit. But it's expensive (since I REALLY dislike most entry-level MILCS, as I'm far too used to quick manual controls on my DSLR), and even a pocketable camera could get stolen.

Looking around for M42 lenses (which I plan to use mostly for video, as I'm an aspiring filmmaker) on a local auction/classifieds website, I found a Praktica MTL3 w/ Pentacon 50/1.8 for less money than the same lens sans-camera, so I bought it. Sadly, the lens had a its diaphragm stuck wide open (sent it to a technician), but I've fallen in love with the camera, which I considered just an interesting collectible before. It's in very good state. Even the light meter's battery still works. And I figure that it's less likely to get stolen (it looks far less expensive than a DSLR), and even if I lost or broke it, it's pretty easy to replace. What I paid for the camera+lens is about 6 rolls of tri-x or HP5, nothing world-shattering... and I get to do street photography on a full-frame SLR! Razz

So I put on my M42 Chinon 28mm/2.8 (which I got on ebay for peanuts and I'm very happy with) and shot a roll of expired HP5 I had laying around (bought it a couple years ago when I wanted to shoot it on my parents' film EOS body, which I didn't because it has a viewfinder issue). As soon as I get back to work after xmas I'll drop it off at a lab and get me some tri-x.

I'm so happy with this little camera that I'm already eyeing a nicely priced MTL5 just to have two similar bodies.

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

The Chinon is a very nice lens, I use mine sometimes and like it a lot. I have too many lenses competing for too little time! Laughing

The Praktica is a solid camera, ideal for what you are using it for. You should get good results.

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

Very much looking forward to seeing your shots of BA. I think they might be the first on the forum.

Happy Christmas!

alezarate · Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 11:47 pm Post subject:

miran · Joined: 01 Aug 2012 Posts: 1364 Location: Slovenia

Maybe a rangefinder camera would be actually better for street shooting (FSU cameras such as Kiev, Fed and Zorki are very inexpensive), but I suppose an SLR will do too. I'm looking forward to the first photos. Smile

Btw, do labs at your place do B&W for a reasonable price. Here B&W is 5-10 times more expensive to get developed than colour negative. That's why I develop B&W film myself.

alezarate · Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 12:56 pm Post subject:

A RF might be better (can't know without trying one) but I didn't actually buy the Praktica to use it, I just figured I had a use for it after I had it. Having a small collection of M42 lenses also helps. However, most FSU RFs are at least 3 or 4 times what I paid for the Praktica (and thus out of impulse buy territory) over here, and buying internationally means bad shipping charges (I've often bought lenses for 10 or 15 US, and had to add double that amount for shipping, cameras are worse). If I ever see a nice RF I might give it a try. Maybe a japanese one with fixed lenses could do the trick.

As for developing price, b&w is not dramatically more expensive than color print film, at least if you shop around. Film IS really expensive, though, but I already found the distributor from which most pros buy directly. It's still around $10 US or so per roll of Tri-x, TMax or HP5, so if I ever get to the point in which it's actually cheaper for me to do my own developing I'll probably be damning the day I bought a cheap East German SLR. Razz

skida · Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 2:05 pm Post subject:

I have two Praktica bodies and numerous M42 lenses. They are very nice to use. All I can say is welcome to the film adventure!

buerokratiehasser · Joined: 12 Jun 2011 Posts: 470

:P it's a small world after all

How much is developing a film - or do you shoot silver and do that yourself?

alezarate · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 1:08 pm Post subject:

For the moment, I'm sending them out. If I ever shoot enough to justifiy developing it myself, I might. Still, while darkroom equipment isn't too expensive, paper is. So far, I can get digital prints for less than the cost of a similarly sized sheet of photo paper.

alezarate · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 1:19 pm Post subject:

Here are a few photos from my first roll:

buerokratiehasser · Joined: 12 Jun 2011 Posts: 470

it's not far to Dresden, but my MTL 500 (I think) made a detour over ebay seller further west ... small world

Giklab · Joined: 30 Sep 2012 Posts: 21 Location: Slovenia

What a coincidence! After ~8 years on a P&S and a year of using a CZJena 50/1.8 on a DSLR I've finally rediscovered the camera which originally sported the lens: the Praktica PLC3. After going through a roll of Colorplus 200 (2,5€ + 5€ developing and 1,5MP scanning) I can safely say the camera is in full working order. Apart from dust and something in the viewfinder.

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

Welcome back to film..in the UK we are lucky in that we can get colour neg 36 exp for £1 and get it dev and scanned to a CD for £3 at a supermarket, so you might have similar deals in BA...but your choice is B/W? well Photoshop does a good job of converting colour to B/W so it might be worth thinking about if B/W labs are too expensive and you can't be bothered to DIY.

Example:-