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Film cameras

rosie said:
Charles, I hope you do try to develop your own photos, it's magical when those black and white images slowly appear on the blank paper!!
Dad had a shed (before he became too disabled) and there were blackout blinds on the windows. He made his own enlarger. He used to let me "rock" the special dishes with the chemicals in, extremely carefully of course, and we would watch as the faces appeared. It was my job to dry them and keep them flat or trim where necessary.
Happy days.
rosie.
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Couldn't agree more, fortunately my secondary school had a Photography Society and darkroom, and the first time I saw an image appear in the developing tray I was hooked. Much later I used wartime blackout material inherited from my parents to create a darkroom in my spare bedroom. Digital photography and printing, which I now use exclusively, is quicker, less messy and in its own way 'magic' but traditional methods are usually the most satisfying.
 
oldMohawk said:
I have two drawers upstairs full of stuff as shown below. Cables for obsolete printers, computers etc. My first digital camera a Casio which used compact flash cards with a massive 32Mb memory. Something called 'Shanghai Moons Automation' ... I've forgotten what I used it for ... I suppose Google would tell me.

Other items as can be seen ... I didn't look in the other drawer, I think it is full of chargers ... :grinning:
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Only 35mm?
 
Here are a couple of Niagara falls... First is taken with a 6 mm Fish-eye from the Sky Tower (Canada).
It is not possible to get both the American and Canadian falls in the same picture with an ordinary wide angle lens.
Second is the Maid of the Mist.
Of course I had to greatly reduce the quality in order to upload them.
 

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CharlesF said:
Oh yes, 35mm is available in many shops, Boots often has a couple of different types in stock, but these often sell out. There are some independent film developers who sell film too. One of the best and most varied film stockists (online) is called analoguewonderland, you can discover a huge range of just about every film on there.

I don't yet develop my own film, although I am looking into getting a home kit for black and white film (which is easier than colour negative).

There are budget development options, such as in Max Spielmann stores, and I think Snappy Snaps which can process and print/scan your photos. These can be perfectly useable although some will spend a bit more to go to an independent lab. It's worth noting that black and white uses a different process to colour negative, so it is actually more expensive to develop. Also colour can often be done in the same day, even within an hour, whereas b&w sometimes needs to be sent off taking a few weeks at times to be returned.
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Have a go at developing and printing your own black and white. It’s a lot of fun and you have more control over the end result. I used to do lots of it.
 
John_Gower_Street_pupil said:
Only 35mm?
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I was referring to medium format. 35 mm is, or rather was, poor quality.
In the early eighties I had my own darkroom and developed both black 'n' white and colour; film and prints.
Sepia and blue toning etc.
Still got my Mamiya RB67. But haven't used it for a long time now. Used to shoot weddings (not with a shotgun).
These days people don't want quality; they want cheap. They seem to think digital cameras are great. Pity they don't know how to get the best out of them.

But if you are happy to use 35 mm great.
35 mm Slide is better quality than colour negative and a lot easier to print too.
 
John_Gower_Street_pupil said:
Here are a couple of Niagara falls... First is taken with a 6 mm Fish-eye from the Sky Tower (Canada).
It is not possible to get both the American and Canadian falls in the same picture with an ordinary wide angle lens.
Second is the Maid of the Mist.
Of course I had to greatly reduce the quality in order to upload them.
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Fabulous pics John. Just had a rummage in my photo box. Went to USA and Niagra Falls in 1989.
Although my pics are okay, they are quite boring compared to yours. No idea what camera we had at that time, some cheapo I would imagine. We have a Lumix now, hardly used really, which is a shame . I am no photographer. I think that is why I love this forum so much. Regards, Sue
 
Susan shaw said:
Fabulous pics John. Just had a rummage in my photo box. Went to USA and Niagra Falls in 1989.
Although my pics are okay, they are quite boring compared to yours. No idea what camera we had at that time, some cheapo I would imagine. We have a Lumix now, hardly used really, which is a shame . I am no photographer. I think that is why I love this forum so much. Regards, Sue
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Hi Sue

Did you get wet?
I mean did you go on the maid of the mist?
That was 1992 when I took those pictures. Here is another one that can never be duplicated...
 

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Not rash Steve - very generous of you. Thank you. I don’t think I’d know how to scan camera film and it not coming out looking like ..... well ..... camera film !!! Viv.
 
John_Gower_Street_pupil said:
Hi Sue

Did you get wet?
I mean did you go on the maid of the mist?
That was 1992 when I took those pictures. Here is another one that can never be duplicated...
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Yes, we certainly did John. Have some lovely pictures of it. Funnily enough my son and I were discussing that holiday six months back and he sent me a photo of me and him on maid of the mist. Still on my phone now. Can’t remember why and never did ask how he had the photo..... Just remembered, we stayed in a hotel overnight, pretty close the Falls, not quite opposite, would my memory be right in thinking that the falls lit up at night?
That is a wonderful photo from the top of the Empire State Building. We have been to New York several times and taken lots of photos up there-but yours trumps them all. Kind regards Sue
 
SteveBhx said:
Ha Ha just read through your posts and got to the one with your location- modern technology its like you are next door!!

message to self - check location before making rash offers !!

Stay Stafe

Steve
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Hi Steve

Here's one from the eighties in your neck of the woods. I took this photo of Nikki Smart, a local celebrity, at a photo fare in Brum. There were at least thirty photographers there. I waited for the group to shoot, it only takes one flash gun to fire the studio lights, invariably in that situation the pictures are well over exposed.
My flash gun pointed upwards and was the only one firing when I took the shot. I have the original colour photo somewhere.

Anyway, this is a black n white print from the colour negative. The print was exposed so as to give the impression it was a drawing rather than a photograph. Then I sepia toned it. This is actually a scan of the finished print.
At a later date I gave a framed copy (16 x 11) to Nikki.

With all images the quality has been greatly reduced when posting here.
 

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mbenne said:
This was the Golden Hind on Sunday (Replica No.2 below). The first replica I remember seeing was in the 60s while on holiday with my Mom and Dad. This was originally made for TV and featured in the 1960s TV series Sir Francis Drake. (A very memorable series for me - Mom always bought my school shirts a couple of sizes too big (to grow into) so I had very baggy sleeves which I thought looked rather like Captain Drakes!). Happy days!

In the 60s a larger than life character paraded Brixham town as Captain Drake (in summer at least), he lived the part as he spent most of his time on board and would roam the streets at at all hours dressed in sea boots, sword strapped to his waist wearing a jacket made of the brightest red and green leather. He was addressed by everyone as Cap'n, even my Dad, which made me cringe. I went went aboard with my Dad on one occasion and the 'Captain' was sitting on deck tapping oakum into the decking with a hammer and chisel, which he described as caulking. After the demonstration he took us down below and showed us around and brought our attention to an unusual feature in the hold - a prop shaft! This he told us was originally attached to an engine which conveniently manoeuvred the ship around during filming, being easier than using sail to position the ship. Years later, around 1988, we took our eldest son to Brixham but the ship was no longer there. By now it was partially submerged and attached to a buoy in Dartmouth Harbour, having sunk when being taken for a refit in 1987. It was after this that replica 2 was built as Radiorails mentioned. In the harbour it still looks the part but for me it has lost a lot of the original detail, particularly below the water line and......spot the Hind on the bow!

It was put up for sale in 2018 and there were rumours about it being moved to Plymouth - there was also an offer from San Francisco. Having now been bought by a local resident it is to remain in Brixham as a condition of sale.

First episode of Sir Francis Drake -
The Golden Hind sinks a Spanish ship and prisoners are bought aboard. Among them Countess Inez (Natasha Parry) who plans to repay Drake's kindnesses by sinking his ship using a long fuse made by Roberto (Warren Mitchell) from her cabin to the ship's gunpowder stored below. Drake evacuates his ship as time for its sinking comes close, staying on board with the Countess. Also starred Clifford Elkin as Don Antonio.

Pictures, Golden Hind 1968, Dartmouth 1987, and March 2020

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mbenne, just saw the video...............SUPER!
 
John_Gower_Street_pupil said:
Forgot to mention... On the right edge of the shot is my friend Libby; she's always held a torch for me :)
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The other thing I usually do, and this is slightly off topic here, is hire a helicopter to make the experience complete.
In Manhattan I flew from Central Park in between and around the sky scrapers to the Statue of Liberty and back again.
I only did it during the day and my itinerary was such that I couldn't repeat it at night.

Over the falls I was able to make a video of the flight and one thing that strikes you is that are hoodwinked into thinking you are looking at a massive photograph. Viewing white water from the air, as it remains in situ, appears not to move. Lord only knows where the footage is now. It would have been shot on a Sony 8mm Cassette.
Now I'm left with my memory of it.
 
I think this thread is very much getting off the topic of film cameras. Can we please keep to the subject.
 
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