Film Photography Guide

[filmphotographyguide]

Hi all,

A few photographers have collaborated to create a new website, Film Photography Guide - The ultimate source for film photography tips and information in hopes to serve as a complete guide for beginners. The site was just recently launched and will be heavily promoted. The information on the site is fairly basic, including different film types and speeds, camera types and functions, tips including depth of field, night photography and motion photography, and more. As the site grows it will be expanded to include more important information.

We'd certainly appreciate it if you would spread word of this new site and check it out for yourself. And please, if you have any comments, let us know! We want to make sure this guide is complete and helpful to everyone using it.

Thanks!

Film Photography Guide staff

 

[Battou]

Cost of Film Photography Compared to Digital

Another point to consider is the cost of film photography. While many argue that film and development can be expensive – compare that to the even higher cost of technology upgrades. The end result for a few thousand dollars? Higher resolution, less grain, and a slightly smoother image than last year’s model. And yet, how many digital cameras, after two or three years are still considered “good” cameras. Film cameras, on the other hand, are known to last for decades. It is not hard to find film-based photographers using cameras and lenses that were made before the 1970s. With only a few minor tune-ups, the cameras are fully functioning and work just as well as the day they were made. And don’t forgot those old film cameras that have been dropped and bruised over the years and still hold up. If you drop your digital camera – it’s likely that you’ll be buying a new one shortly.

That one earns my vote.

*EDIT*
The section on Film cameras could use some serious work though, It is lacking most noticably in the medium and large format departments

 

[filmphotographyguide]

Yes, we are aware of the lack in medium format and large format. Those pages are currently in works to be expanded. What we'd ultimately like to do is have complete sections for 35mm, medium and large formats.

Right now, our thought process is that most beginners will be using 35mm, so we've focused largely on that.

 

[Battou]

Yes, we are aware of the lack in medium format and large format. Those pages are currently in works to be expanded. What we'd ultimately like to do is have complete sections for 35mm, medium and large formats.

Right now, our thought process is that most beginners will be using 35mm, so we've focused largely on that.

Yes, That is understandable, I just brought it up just to be safe

Also, is there any particular reason the mainpage link for "film camera types" directs to "Film Types" page?

 

[filmphotographyguide]

No reason other than human error. Thank you for pointing that out.

 

[terri]

It's kind of cute, that line of Polaroids "drying" from the clothesline on your home page. I like it.

Why aren't you folks identifying yourselves, and giving people a place to contact you? It's rather static as it is. If you want people to be interested you might consider a way to make it more interactive.

Also, here: "And don’t forgot those old film cameras...." typo alert! You mean "forget", I'm sure. Sorry, I'm an Editor here and these things pop out at me.

Good luck with your site.

 

[Battou]

It's kind of cute, that line of Polaroids "drying" from the clothesline on your home page. I like it.

Why aren't you folks identifying yourselves, and giving people a place to contact you? It's rather static as it is. If you want people to be interested you might consider a way to make it more interactive.

Also, here: "And don’t forgot those old film cameras...." typo alert! You mean "forget", I'm sure. Sorry, I'm an Editor here and these things pop out at me.

Good luck with your site.

Yeah, I too found the drying Poleroids an interesting touch.

I also found the static nature of the site a little disheartening. It definately needs some form of interactivity.

 

[filmphotographyguide]

An email will be posted soon, anyone can email [email protected] if they'd like to. The inclusion of a message board is going to be considered once traffic starts driving to the website - we don't want to overkill it right now.

The only reason no one is identified is because we want this to be simply an informational site. The concern is that identifying ourselves would be like promoting ourselves - and the goal is really just to create a guide site.

 

[Battou]

Some of the images are a little lack luster, due to their size, but given their positions the size is fine could benifit from some reduction in contents. For example The image in the Camera Lenses page, Four lenses with such drastic focal length variation makes them tough to really see just what they are. I think two would be sufficient. Something more like this I think

With something like that some of the smaller facets like Aprature ring and focusing marks are visible.

 

[Helen B]

Good luck with the guide. How about having a few examples to show the difference between film and digital, and a little more about why many of us still use film?

How about a section explaining the different types of film and a brief explanation of their qualities? Colour negative, colour reversal, B&W negative, B&W reversal, B&W chromogenic. E-6 isn't mentioned at all in the processing section, only B&W and C-41.

"High speed film is typically seen in ISO film of 3200."

I realise that this is intended for raw beginners, but what film is there that has an ISO speed of 3200? None that I'm aware of. Perhaps a little note about the difference between EI and ISO might be worthwhile, to save later misunderstandings.

"Range-finder cameras are typically seen on the three dollar disposable film cameras that you can buy at a local store.." You can buy a disposable rangefinder (sic) camera for $3?

Best,
Helen

 

[Rusty105]

Ilford Delta Pro 3200, Tmax 3200, but not sure if those are 'true' 3200, or it is pushed to get 3200. Both boxes say 3200. I think the Delte Pro 3200 is 1250, and you push to get 3200. But Tmax says up to 25,000, almost 3 stops over 3200. Might have to try a roll at 25,000 and se how it goes.

 

[Helen B]

Ilford Delta Pro 3200, Tmax 3200, but not sure if those are 'true' 3200, or it is pushed to get 3200. Both boxes say 3200. I think the Delte Pro 3200 is 1250, and you push to get 3200. But Tmax says up to 25,000, almost 3 stops over 3200. Might have to try a roll at 25,000 and se how it goes.

Ilford* and Kodak** state that Delta 3200 and T-Max P3200, respectively, are not ISO 3200 films. They give the ISO as being around 800 to 1000, depending on which developer is used. The 3200 rating is an EI, not an ISO, and that is what the box says.

This is the exact point I was trying to make. What chance do beginners have if the reference material is incorrect?

Best,
Helen

PS 25,000 is exactly three stops faster than 3,200.

*"DELTA 3200 Professional has an ISO speed rating of ISO 1000/31º (1000ASA, 31DIN) to daylight. The ISO speed rating was measured using ILFORD ID-11 developer at 20°C/68ºF with intermittent agitation in a spiral tank."

**"The nominal speed is EI 1000 when the film is processed in KODAK PROFESSIONAL T-MAX Developer or KODAK PROFESSIONAL T-MAX RS Developer and Replenisher, or EI 800 when it is processed in other Kodak black-and-white developers. It was determined in a manner published in ISO standards. For ease in calculating exposure and for consistency with the commonly used scale of film-speed numbers, the nominal speed has been rounded to EI 800."

 

[Rusty105]

Thanks for the info. I haven't shot either of these yet, as I still have a back log of a dozen or so rolls of B&W to develop. Still would be interesting to see what it comes out like at EI 25,000