Film questions and Hi :-)

[beurling]

Firstly wanted to say Hi as this is my first post...

I have a cannon EOS 500 35mm SLR and have just purchased my first DSLR a Canon EOS 500D ( can you see a pattern..lol ), however my most prised possession is my Canon AE-1 Program...which incidentally has survived a fall down a 1500ft mountain in the mid 80's with no detrimental effects...the camera isnt mint but it has been hammered over the years..it was my Grandads and joined us and went with him almost every weekend to the Lake District over 25 years....in the last 7 or 8 years he had Cancer and took to using a pocket sized digital camera as it was easier for him..

However I inherited the Camera early and have used it ever since..and love using it...Unfortunately it is in dire need of a service at the mo so I am not sure how long it will be out of working order as i need to start collecting lenses now both for my dslr and the fd mount for this...

anyway i digress...I have a fair few old films that i have dug out that say process by 1998 or process by 2001...are these films now fubar and not worth using??? only one is sealed the 3 others are in the usual plastic containers...

Also if a film has been in a camera for a long long time is it even worth me bothering to get it developed??

Also where would you guys reccomend buying films ( i'm a cheapskate in that i can't afford hugely expensive but i always tried to buy better quality ) and where's best to have them processed?? I am based in ENgland by the way

I often wondered whether anybody ever developed a unit that could develop films via a plugin to the pc...just a thought anyway...i know its far more complicated than that...

ANyway i hope you can help me and i look forward to asking many many more questions....i will be asking a few more later about lenses so look out for me

All the best

Buzz

[Big Dawg]

For photo processing go here.....

http://www.oldschoolphotolab.com/Lab_Home.html

I buy my film from B&H Photo video.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

Or Adorama

http://www.adorama.com/

They are not the cheapest but they are dependable.

[DigiChromeEd]

The cheapest Kodak film in the UK afaik is Color Plus 200 24 exp for £1 per roll in Poundland.
I use Photo Express in Hull for my processing - develop and scan for £5 incl carriage.

[Excalibur]

Just started a sticky here for film development in the UK:-

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=341566

[bazza59]

Hi and welcome.

There don't seem to be any super cheap supermarket style development options available to me in Northern Ireland so like Edgar I also use photo-express. I get them to develop the film and transfer it it to CD (no prints). This costs £4.50 per film. They are very fast, my experiences to date have been post films thursday, get a phone call Friday for payment card details, receive negs and CD Saturday via Royal Mail. I have run 5 films through them so far and am very happy with them.

[beurling]

thanks guys..that's very helpful

Buzz

[Scheimpflug]

[peterqd]

Hi Buzz

Great to hear you're using film! We need to keep it going.

I've used Peak Imaging in Sheffield for the past few years - very good service indeed. Recently I was recommended to use The Darkroom where my next film is going - they look dearer but free postage works out cheaper. If you need a local lab there's DS Colourlabs in Manchester but I've never tried them. I'm sure Phot Express are good too.

For cheaper 135 film you can still get a limited selection in most supermarkets and my local Boots has quite a nice choice. Otherwise you'll always find good film bargains on eBay. For top quality pro film and 120 film I'd suggest buying on line from Speed Graphic or Silverprint.

Good luck!

[Blinx123]

[cooltouch]

Welcome, Buzz!

'Fraid I can't offer much advice about film purchasing and developing, since I live on the other side of the pond. But it's always good to read that there's yet another avid film user out there.

Regarding your FD gear, my advice is to start collecting the lenses you want now. Don't wait. Because of the NEX, NX, and u4/3 crowds, who are buying adapters to use FD lenses on their cameras, the demand for the old stuff is increasing and prices are going up. So don't wait too long.

I'm an old fan of FD and FL gear and I have a decent sized outfit, but it still has a few small holes that need to be filled.

One of the nice things you're gonna find out from hanging out around here is that a lot of different camera mount lenses are compatible with EOS with the appropriate adapters. Nikon, Olympus, Pentax K, M42, Contax, and more. For me, Nikon and M42 are the most popular -- Nikon because I also have a Nikon outfit and M42 because good ones can often be picked up for cheap.

[beurling]

thanks michael..i really appreciate that....yes i have no intention of waiting but money counts and dont have a lot spare..and needing lenses for 2 cameras isnt a cheap proposition..but i'll keep looking cos bargains can be had..my e0s d camera is proof of that to me!

used a test film in my ae1p today to check what condition it is all in picture wise..that will help me decide if i can use it the while or i have to refurb now...fingers crossed she comes out of it well

Buzz

[martinsmith99]

Welcome!

For cheap colour films: the Colorplus as already mentioned and Ferrania (Solaris).

For expired films, the general advice is to underate the speed so the camera overexposes. Although, for £1 a roll, it seems hardly worth it.

[Blinx123]

Quick question I thought I better post here, rather than opening up a new thread.

I just received my new camera. After opening the back, I had to realize that there was already a film (some sort of Fuji) placed inside.

The film itself is black and rather thick. Not like anything I've ever seen before.
Is that what an already exposed film looks like after having been exposed to further sunlight?

[cooltouch]

If you're asking if total exposure to light adds to the thickness of film, the answer is "no."

[Blinx123]

[Blinx123]

The seller just returned a mail.

Apparently the film was partly used afterall. It's a Fuji Sensia 100 and he took about 10 shots with it.

Can someone explain to me (a film noob) what exactly I have done to that film by exposing it to light? Obviously, the shots the original owner took are gone for good. What about the rest of the slide film though? Still usable?

Would hate to have ruined a good film. Especially a Fuji Sensia which is, after comparing several photos taken by other wildlife photographers, quite capable.

[cooltouch]

Any film that still remained in the cartridge when you opened up the back is still good. If all you did was just open the back, then figure about two frames beyond where he stopped have also been exposed. So advance the film a couple of frames, and you can continue from there. Fuji Sensia 100 is good slide film. Might as well finish up the roll.

[tikkathree]

Well, I'm new to film too and in Suffolk/Norfolk. For 35mm something to see if that new camera actually works I find Kodak supercolour 200 compelling at £1/roll in poundland.
Otherwise it's been 7dayshop, tog forum sales and ebay for film stock purchases.
I've been getting my 35mm neg developed at my local independent camera shop, mostly just the negs (I bought a plustek 35mm scanner) @ £2 per roll, occasionally also onto cd (bumps the cost up to £5.60 per roll).
Now I've got an MF camera so let's see what I can do about that.