Just at the time I was ready to put my film Leicas, darkroom on sale.

[Ko.Fe.]

Those 3 hours commuting per day....you won't get those back.

Ask me how I know.

Time on train is good. I'm really free to listen, read and watch.
I'm trying to avoid three hours per day drive to/from work jobs.
Today is wet. If not, I have longboard or threefold bike beside this wall. But if I'm not on wheels 🙂 I have camera with me. One of the reasons I added Pentax K-3 is because it is weather sealed.

 

[Godfrey]

Those 3 hours commuting per day....you won't get those back.

Ask me how I know.

Commuting in a car like that is just awful. When I first went to work in Cupertino and was living in San Francisco, I found the hour and so of commute traffic was killing me after just a week or two. So I moved to Cupertino... 😀

Commuting by train ... you can use that time to do useful, interesting things so it doesn't have anywhere near the dreadful impact of a long car commute.

G

 

[rfaspen]

I too once had a job with 1+ hour each way to/from work. On really bad days it could be almost 3 hours one way. Southern California interstate hwy and the drive was only 20 mins without rush hour traffic. Hated that passionately and vowed to do whatever possible to avoid it in future. I actually stayed with that job for at least 3 months...I was young and stupid.

Now I can't help with decisions about selling film gear and darkroom, but I sure have enjoyed your (Kostya) images over time. Some images along the way have really struck me as excellent.

Funny side note -- even after sending you much of my old darkroom paper a few years ago, I still have paper stored away in the garage. I also have the enlarger, lenses, and all supporting material for the darkroom stored as well. Come to think of it, I still have film cameras, too. Oh boy. What does this mean? At least my wife hasn't complained too much about all that stuff taking up space in our storage area...yet.

 

[Rob-F]

Keep your film stuff. Get rid of other stuff in th basement. My ex wife wife was very good at tell me to get rid of my stuff, but not so good of getting rid of her stuff. Is there any stuff to in your mind, your wife needs to let go of? 😉

Sounds like a potentially useful contribution, based on personal experience! I'm personally hanging onto most of my film Leicas, and my darkroom. I encourage Kostya to do the same, to wait a bit.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I too once had a job with 1+ hour each way to/from work. On really bad days it could be almost 3 hours one way. Southern California interstate hwy and the drive was only 20 mins without rush hour traffic. Hated that passionately and vowed to do whatever possible to avoid it in future. I actually stayed with that job for at least 3 months...I was young and stupid.

Now I can't help with decisions about selling film gear and darkroom, but I sure have enjoyed your (Kostya) images over time. Some images along the way have really struck me as excellent.

Funny side note -- even after sending you much of my old darkroom paper a few years ago, I still have paper stored away in the garage. I also have the enlarger, lenses, and all supporting material for the darkroom stored as well. Come to think of it, I still have film cameras, too. Oh boy. What does this mean? At least my wife hasn't complained too much about all that stuff taking up space in our storage area...yet.

Thank you !

I used almost all of the paper you have provided, except larger than 8x10 and was able to find same old at low price locally.
This is what keeps me pushing away from film, fresh 8x10 DR paper price, even RC, is insane. And I just can't use bw film without DR paper.
I have stopped scanning years ago, only prints, no contacts, either.
Every sheet I use, I have $$$ sign in my mind. Not a pleasing experience anymore.

I'm getting job offers, but they are rather no family life - typical NA corporate slave style or night shifts or car commute among too many sporadic drivers.

 

[Contarama]

I like your choice of Pentax. The lenses you can use with it are good, plentiful, and cheap. (I use 7 lenses with 3 digital cameras and 1 film camera...F mount) Keep your darkroom, sell the Leicas, and buy a nice Pentax film camera is what I'd do. K mount is very powerful imo. Then you'll be like me...slr user in a rangefinder forum... 😀

Check this out...a week with the rarest Takumar

[pinholecam] A week with ...... (random ramblings of a lens junkie) - 2015

I barely touched the surface with this lens even if I used it for 4 intensive days on a photo trip. The lens options in my bag certainly did not help, since that did not force me to exploring more angles and possibilities with the 12mm FOV. I am left wondering if I can totally cope if 12mm is...

www.clubsnap.com

 

[farlymac]

I never had my own space to create a darkroom, Kostya, but always tried to find someone who was willing to allow me to use theirs. And I would buy enlargers when I came across a good deal but mainly didn't get a chance to use them. I have two right now taking up valuable space. Occasionally there would be a rental darkroom place where I could spend some time, but their hours were restrictive, and the places wouldn't stay in business very long.

I have a lot of film gear I've not been able to enjoy since my health started going sideways, or even been able to get much use of their digital replacements either. So, I can see where you're coming from in making this decision. I think your wife is just helping you along in a good way. Whatever you do it will be in your better interest to keep doing your photography with the equipment you feel comfortable with. I've seen some nice work done with the K3-III M, and expect you'll do quite well with it.

PF

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I like your choice of Pentax. The lenses you can use with it are good, plentiful, and cheap. (I use 7 lenses with 3 digital cameras and 1 film camera...F mount) Keep your darkroom, sell the Leicas, and buy a nice Pentax film camera is what I'd do. K mount is very powerful imo. Then you'll be like me...slr user in a rangefinder forum... 😀

Check this out...a week with the rarest Takumar

[pinholecam] A week with ...... (random ramblings of a lens junkie) - 2015

I barely touched the surface with this lens even if I used it for 4 intensive days on a photo trip. The lens options in my bag certainly did not help, since that did not force me to exploring more angles and possibilities with the 12mm FOV. I am left wondering if I can totally cope if 12mm is...

www.clubsnap.com

Where are several reasons which put me on the fence with Pentax Monochrome, but film era lenses are not.

I want it wide on K-3 sensors. So far I'm ok with cheap but weather sealed 18-55.
K-3 with it is often as sharp as Canon L zoom lenses on 5D II, if not sharper.

I was searching for old Pentax lenses to give 21-35 FOV on K-3 and could find any.

 

[Freakscene]

Where are several reasons which put me on the fence with Pentax Monochrome, but film era lenses are not.

I want it wide on K-3 sensors. So far I'm ok with cheap but weather sealed 18-55.
K-3 with it is often as sharp as Canon L zoom lenses on 5D II, if not sharper.

I was searching for old Pentax lenses to give 21-35 FOV on K-3 and could find any.

Pentax makes a slow 10-17mm and an f2.8 11-18mm for DX format and a 15-30mm f2.8 that also covers 24x36mm sensors. None are common but they are out there.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Pentax makes a slow 10-17mm and an f2.8 11-18mm for DX format and a 15-30mm f2.8 that also covers 24x36mm sensors. None are common but they are out there.

They have 15/4, should be enough. Their crop sensor uwa is fish eye, unfortunately.

 

[Freakscene]

They have 15/4, should be enough. Their crop sensor uwa is fish eye, unfortunately.

The 15mm may technically be a poor performer but I like the photos it produces. It weighs 189g - you’d hardly even notice carrying it.

Software can make the 10-17mm fisheye zoom rectilinear, although some regard this as ‘cheating’. The 11-18 is rectilinear, even if it’s a bit big.

 

[skahde]

I went full digital in 2012 after both of my recently but badly serviced magazines for my hasselblad failed on a remote beach and I saved the day with a 6 MPix DSLR. Now I'm making a comeback with 35mm-Rangefinders (Leica M and Barnack) to supplement the Fuji X100V but strictly hybrid. Developing b&w-film is easy and all you need is a tank and a changing-bag. Printing is time and space-consuming when you are serious about it and today often is not the most important result. Before I stopped analogue-printing I had done tests where I tried to emulate my analogue printing in digital prints from an Epson 3880. It's not the same but the results were convincing enough that I do not miss the analogue print anymore but I still remember what a joy it was to switch on the lights and admire a sparkling, wet print with its rich blacks,