Think I'll stick with film.

[Toby]

London Prices for dev and contact are sadly about £10-£15 pounds per roll, I know you can do it cheaper yourself but I'm was trying convey the fact that I don't really have a choice in what I use if I want my work to be commercially viable, work that's not done for money is different. You're lucky in that you can use what you want I've more or less had to stop using film if I want to earn money out of the few commissions I do now (I also have another business). I don't really like the feel of digital but like many photographers what I like doesn't really count -it's the client that matters

 

[Andy K]

London Prices for dev and contact are sadly about £10-£15 pounds per roll, I know you can do it cheaper yourself but I'm was trying convey the fact that I don't really have a choice in what I use if I want my work to be commercially viable, work that's not done for money is different. You're lucky in that you can use what you want I've more or less had to stop using film if I want to earn money out of the few commissions I do now (I also have another business). I don't really like the feel of digital but like many photographers what I like doesn't really count -it's the client that matters

You could reduce that cost greatly just by having them soup the negs and nothing else, and then choose what you want contacted on a light table with a loupe.

 

[markinlondon]

For what it's worth, I'm sticking with film too. My turning point was about three years ago when I went on a printing course (a refresher) as I was unhappy with the quality of digital prints from conventional black and white materials. Three days into the course I was producing better prints than I had in three years of printing digitally. I then managed to equip my home darkroom with used kit for less than the cost of a new Epson or HP printer of better quality than I was using at the time.

Coincidentally I am also a Meopta Opemus 6 user although with a Meograde head. My scanner is a cheap Canon. I have not scanned a negative for over two years now as I find it much more satisfying to print and scan the print. My negative scanner is now on permanent loan to someone who needed it.

I can remember a discussion on APUG where it was suggested that photos displayed on the web be labelled in the way CD's were, e.g. AAD for a film capture, silver print then scan or ADD for film capture, negative scan and post. It seemed like a good plan to me.

Gid, my local camera shop has moved to cyberspace so I'm a Silverprint customer too. They have the lot!

Mark

 

[Gid]

You've never been to APUG, have you? 😛

I've looked at APUG briefly, but because I do both digital and film (ADD currently, using Mark's notation) I guessed that I wouldn't be welcome 🙁

 

[Socke]

25 sheets of 5x7 HP5+ costs about £22.50. Developing per sheet probably about £1.50. Contact printing on fibre probably another £2.00. So for 12 prints you are talking approximately £52.50. £600? I think your lab is ripping you off!

Since not every portrait is in B/W and if the portraits are to be used in something offset printed it may be more expensive.

2 rolls Astia F120 8 Euro
1 pack Polaroid for lighting tests 12 Euro
E6 hand development for 2 rolls 30 Euro
20 8x10 Ilfochrome proofs 400 Euro

We just did something like that 🙂

 

[Gid]

For what it's worth, I'm sticking with film too. My turning point was about three years ago when I went on a printing course (a refresher) as I was unhappy with the quality of digital prints from conventional black and white materials. Three days into the course I was producing better prints than I had in three years of printing digitally. I then managed to equip my home darkroom with used kit for less than the cost of a new Epson or HP printer of better quality than I was using at the time.
Mark

A problem, at least for the moment, is possible darkroom space. The real problem is lack of knowledge. I've tried several web searches on enlargers, but have come up with more questions than answers. I do want to try traditional printing. I've got a Jobo processor that will do to 16 x 12 prints so,

Qs:

Recommendations for an enlarger that will do 35mm and 645 to 16 x 12
What enlarger lenses for the same?

O/T

BTW Mark as I see you are a guitar player, you don't want to buy a Taylor 910 do you? 🙂

Gid

Don't mean to hijack the thread 🙂

Gid

 

[Trius]

In all fairlness, he also seems somewhat fond of his Panasonic LC 5, a category of digital camera where I feel the action is, as opposed to Dreadnought-class dSLRs.


- Barrett

Huh? My reference to Graham was about his use of chromogenic b&w film, in answer to George's question about b&w C41. It had nothing to do with analogue/digital. It used to be he only used chromogenic for his b&w, AFAIK, but I see now he's using traditional materials as well.

He's a very good photographer, IMO, and a very funny and very nice dude.

Earl

 

[markinlondon]

Toby has a strong point re commercial pressure. I'm sure people expect instant results from photography now they've seen it happen. As an amateur (some might say dilletante) I have more freedom and I think this is why these debates get overblown. We are basing our viewpoints on differing circumstances. For me, my "work" is for my own satisfaction thus I choose the materials and methods I prefer. If I were trying to make money I'd be shooting digital.

Mark

 

[ywenz]

one guy in on the IRC network I go to continually asks me why I won't go digital, tells me I'm behind the times, acts all high and mighty about the fact that he has a $2000 machine, etc.

That's your problem right there. Is it reasonable for you to extrapolate the sentiments of all digital users by what some d-bag on an IRC channel says? An IRC channel for photography? Comman, who do you think go there?

:dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

 

[RJBender]

Even though I feel you may be baiting for an argument, I will answer this.

Film - shoot - develop - enlarge - view. It isn't about being 'as analogue as possible'. It is about using a traditional process to make the photographs I want.

With cameras my personal preference is using all manual. The main four I use are a Canon QL17 GIII, Voiglander Vito CLR, Olympus OM-1nMD and Agfa Isolette I folder.

Andy,

Bait? No way! Since the camera is a part of this process, I was wondering how analogue photographers felt about using film cameras with microprocessors.

I think everything should be analogue, including the timers used in the darkroom. That's just my opinion. If I buy a print because it's analogue, Iwant it to be 100% analogue not 90% analogue.

R.J.

 

[Socke]

I think everything should be analogue, including the timers used in the darkroom. That's just my opinion. If I buy a print because it's analogue, Iwant it to be 100% analogue not 90% analogue.

R.J.

What about the energy? Is nuclear energy allowed or just electricity from a generator powered by a steam engine? :angel:

 

[Andy K]

Interesting, in a thread about film, proprietory files etc. how only the digital users have been rude and facetious, while the film users have been courteous and remained on topic.

 

[RJBender]

What about the energy? Is nuclear energy allowed or just electricity from a generator powered by a steam engine? :angel:

Volker,

Thanks for bringing that up. Yes, there is a computer controlled grid that distributes electricity to your enlarger.

To be 100% anaolgue you could use a view camera, an old Weston meter and make contact prints using sunlight.

R.J.

 

[back alley]

let's give this one a rest...