Whew! I almost quit using film.

jackbaty

jackbaty

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I don't travel often, but I recently spent a week in Maine, near Bar Harbor. I took with me an OM-1n and a Leica M7 and 30 or so rolls of film. Spent the week hiking, kayaking, sailing and otherwise doing things I don't normally do.

I wrote more about it here, http://jackbaty.com/2009/09/fck-film/ (contains some inappropriate language), but the gist is that it was a disaster, photographically. Everything that can go wrong with film, did. I was ready to ditch my film gear and grab a D700 or whatever and be done with it.

I've had some time to calm down, and today took the M4 and M7 out on the street for a couple hours. It was perfectly lovely. Two bodies, on one a 50mm with color film and another 35mm with B&W. They felt just right. A Canon shooter carrying a couple DLSR bodies, one with a big 300mm attached asked if I wanted to trade. He looked exhausted 🙂

I guess film and I are not splitting up after all. I may, however, be rethinking my travel kit.
 
Hi, Jack. We're near neighbors ...

Anyway, I left a post at your site. I think it's what you're getting at - better preparation and some kit changes. Everyone learns from disasters.
 
Most of the time all I have with me is a Bessa L with the 15mm Heliar and an extra roll of film in my pocket. I'm all too aware that when I have three M bodies set up with fast glass handy I mostly shoot with the Bessa/L combo anyway. It fits how I see the world.
 
I know the feeling, sort of. I took my film camera (Nikon FM--my first serious camera) out of mothballs two weeks ago. I kept checking the ASA wheel to make sure it was set properly etc.

In the midst of a nice scene, the film stopped advancing, as if jammed on the sprocket. I tried several times to gently force it before realizing: "I don't remember what film I put in here, was it 24 or 36!"

Some days things just don't go right. It happens with digital too. I spent an entire day making a short movie with tape-less video camera only to get a "Cannot read card" error when I went to edit. Stuff happens.

Tomorrow is the start of a new week....
 
Jack,

Next time this happens pack up all your film and send it to me...then and only then should you calm down and rethink how you feel...
My worst day shooting would never result in me wanting to quit on film...and I have wasted a lot of film...I just keep trying it again and again...
 
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