Film advice for my New York trip

[lxmike]

I spent a week in NYC at the end of August. I shot Tri-X at 800 and FP4+ at 250, and developed both in Diafine. The results are looking good (still scanning the negs). I mostly used a CV Skopar 50/2.5 and a Summaron 35/3.5 to a lesser extent. I felt 50mm was perfect for both street and urban landscape photos.

The idea of purchasing film at B&H is an excellent one. Also, B&H is only a few blocks from one end of the High Line, which is a great walk (the other end is at the Whitney Museum).

a 50 and a 15 is what l am probably going to settle on🙂

 

[lxmike]

B&H hours in November are a bit odd - they close early on Friday afternoon, are closed all day Saturday and then reopen on Sunday.
I like stand developers or two bath developers for winter street shots in Manhattan. With the low sun in the morning and afternoon, there is a big difference in exposure between the sunny and shaded sides of the street leading to a lot of blown out highlights or muddy shadows. Enjoy.

many thanks, large photo store are now nearly a thing of the past in most of the UK these days

 

[lxmike]

Tri-X or HP5 will be a good choice except for low light situations. I put some Delta 1600 to good use there one winter. Then they discontinued it. But you can push your ISO 400 film to 1600.

its good to have pushing film as an option, and l live a bit of grain

 

[lxmike]

Not odd, really.
The proprietors are Jewish and the Sabbath commences just before sundown on Friday. Hence, they re-open on Sunday morning. You can spend an hour or two there and then go to brunch. The new neighborhood of Hudson Yards with its growing crowds, fancy eateries, elaborate & exotic architecture, are but one city block away.

With the failing light of November, as Ko.Fe. mentions above, a higher ISO B&W film wouldn't hurt and B&H has a copious supply of Kokak Tmax P3200 any boy or girl will need for a lifetime. Given its sensitivity to X-rays buy it in New York, send it for development in the States or get a shield for the rolls while at B&H to bring them back for development at home.

photo store then brunch sounds fab, my friend told me not to miss brunch on a Sunday when States side,

 

[james.liam]

There's a pro film developing place called LTI Lightside were you can have your film processed and professionally printed while you're in NYC. Highly recommended for B&W, C41.

 

[Calzone]

In 25+ years of shooting in the street in NYC I’ve never been yelled at or called a tourist by anyone (what kind of trouble are you getting yourself into, Cal? 😉 ). The worst I’ve ever encountered is the occasional sideways glance.

P,

I have bad boundries and I tend to shoot kinda close. A guy who I met at B&H mentioned that I reminded him of Joel Meyerwitz, who was one of his friends. What does that mean?

Anyways I joke around that one of my great talents it seems is that I annoy people. LOL.

Also people who shoot with me tell me that I tend to draw out the crazies. I think this is not untrue. My guess is that it takes one to know one. Perhaps also it is not so much an exaggeration that I can think of myself as a tourist attraction and that people come to NYC to meet somewhat a very different and perhaps interesting "character."

Know that my gal is a celeb because she is some big time fashion blogger with over 685K followers. I kinda get into all kinds of "sich-E-Ations" where I don't really belong. Kinda funny when I can say, "I was just walking along, minding my own business" and something rather remarkable happens that I get swept into.

While I'm not a celeb, I'm definitely pretty well known. I kinda stand out of a crowd.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

L must admit l am really excited about visiting new york

Mike,

NYC is a shooter's paradise. Buy lots of film. Also don't be shy. Cameras and photographers are everywhere.

Cal

 

[lxmike]

There's a pro film developing place called LTI Lightside were you can have your film processed and professionally printed while you're in NYC. Highly recommended for B&W, C41.

thanks for the local knowledge, very helpful

 

[lxmike]

Mike,

NYC is a shooter's paradise. Buy lots of film. Also don't be shy. Cameras and photographers are everywhere.

Cal

taking 400 black and white and some 800 re-spooled cine colour film just for the fun

 

[lxmike]

thanks for all the replies everyone, very helpful, getting quite excited about my trip now

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Many USA major airports switched to new screening systems. I saw one in Boston. They had sign - safe for up to ISO 400 films.
It means ISO800 films and higher ISO are in some risk.
This is why I recommend to keep using HP5+, but at 1600, 3200 due to lack of light in November.
400 pushed film is still 400 sensible emulsion, not 1600/3200. It is safe to travel.
Manhattan is street photography paradise. I would get bulk loader, re loadable cassettes and couple of HP5+ bulks.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1313619-REG/legacy_pro_63000_lloyd_35mm_bulk_film.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/86473-REG/Kalt_NP11137_1_35mm_Cassette_For_Bulk.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/24734-REG/Ilford_1656031_HP5_Plus_35mm_100.html?sts=pi&pim=Y

 

[stompyq]

Just FYI B&H, adorama and many other NYC photography stores close early every Friday and are closed all day Saturday in observance of the sabbath. Also if you are coming in October many Jewish holidays fall on that month so make sure you go to the B&H site and check the holiday hours. Many of us have gotten burned by forgetting this (just ask JSrockit).

Depending on the weather conditions ISO 100 or 400 speed film should be fine here. Don't bring film. Buy it here.

 

[lxmike]

Many USA major airports switched to new screening systems. I saw one in Boston. They had sign - safe for up to ISO 400 films.
It means ISO800 films and higher ISO are in some risk.
This is why I recommend to keep using HP5+, but at 1600, 3200 due to lack of light in November.
400 pushed film is still 400 sensible emulsion, not 1600/3200. It is safe to travel.
Manhattan is street photography paradise. I would get bulk loader, re loadable cassettes and couple of HP5+ bulks.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1313619-REG/legacy_pro_63000_lloyd_35mm_bulk_film.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/86473-REG/Kalt_NP11137_1_35mm_Cassette_For_Bulk.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/24734-REG/Ilford_1656031_HP5_Plus_35mm_100.html?sts=pi&pim=Y

many thanks, this is why l love this forum, its useful info heavy🙂

 

[lxmike]

Just FYI B&H, adorama and many other NYC photography stores close early every Friday and are closed all day Saturday in observance of the sabbath. Also if you are coming in October many Jewish holidays fall on that month so make sure you go to the B&H site and check the holiday hours. Many of us have gotten burned by forgetting this (just ask JSrockit).

Depending on the weather conditions ISO 100 or 400 speed film should be fine here. Don't bring film. Buy it here.

many thanks l shall be travelling november 28th, out of interest will the Christmas tree be up in times square buy then

 

[Phil_F_NM]

many thanks l shall be travelling november 28th, out of interest will the Christmas tree be up in times square buy then

It stays up till just after New Year. If you go there you can get stuck in a crowd, lift your feet up and be carried for an hour without touching the ground.
Phil Forrest

 

[stompyq]

many thanks l shall be travelling november 28th, out of interest will the Christmas tree be up in times square buy then

The tree goes up in Rockefeller sq. Not Times sq. I think November 28th might be a little too early. In any case you are not missing anything. You will be stuck for hours there. Much better things to look at in NYC.

DRESS WARM. The wind can get brutal with all the building funneling it. I lived in upstate NY for a long time where temperatures drop much lower than in NYC but didn't feel as cold.

 

[nightfly]

Don't wast too much time in B&H as tempting as it is. Get your film and hit the streets.

Buy some Tri-X, HP5 makes everything look like England 😉

 

[Kent]

JCH 400 (Japan Camera Hunter)

 

[dourbalistar]

many thanks l shall be travelling november 28th, out of interest will the Christmas tree be up in times square buy then

Not sure if you will be in transit on that date, but 11/28 is American Thanksgiving. The following day, Black Friday, is a major retail day that's one of the busiest shopping days of the year. B&H and other retailers typically have major sale promotions around that time, so the store may be busier than normal.

 

[lxmike]

Don't wast too much time in B&H as tempting as it is. Get your film and hit the streets.

Buy some Tri-X, HP5 makes everything look like England 😉

tri x it is then😎