Tips for a film noobie?

[HippieWitch]

Ok, let's start this off right. I've been into photography for about ten years now roughly. Started with a 2 MP digital camera from China. Over the years I've worked my way up with digital cameras, while collecting film cameras for looks. So far, I'm up to a 14.1 MP Kodak camera that takes some amazing shots. I do quite a bit more nature shots than anything. I'm Wiccan, so nature is a second home to me and why I'm so good at nature shots. Anyways though. I decided to get out my Nikon FM SLR and learn with a much better camera and learn film photography. With the camera, I have the general purpose lens, a macro lens (which I can't wait to make use of in Cades Cove), and another lens, I'm not sure about.

So basically, I'm asking does anyone have any tips for a film noobie? I know the very basics of film photography, but that's pretty much it. I'm still trying to figure out all the options on the camera too. Is it possible to find a manual online for it? Any tips or advice will be greatly appreciated since this is one of the few hobbies I can do being disabled. Thanks so much!

 

[David444]

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[HippieWitch]

Is it possible to find a manual online for it?

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/manuals/fmfefa/fm.pdf

Thank you so much!

 

[amolitor]

This isn't the *first* thing you need to do, but it's something to start thinking about pretty soon:

- do you want to develop your own film?
- if so, color, or black and white?
- do you want to make your own prints?
- if so, digital or chemical?
- if chemical, color or b&w?

You can have someone else develop the film, or you can develop it. You can have developed film scanned into a digital file, or you can do it. You can have developed film printed, or you can do it yourself. A digital file scanned from film can be treated just like a digital picture from a digital camera. The additional equipment you will need varies a lot depending on what choices you make.

Other than these (rather daunting and substantial!) issues, it's just like a digital camera except that:

- you only have 36 shots (or whatever)
- you can only change the ISO roll by roll, not frame by frame, and you have to buy the right film
- you have to wind it yourself

 

[TCampbell]

Are you thinking of doing your own processing? People who shoot color would typically send it out since processing color is a little more complex. You can also send out black & white for processing... although most people tend to prefer to do their own processing because, well... that's half the fun of B&W photography!

However... if you do choose to do your own processing, it means you'll need extra equipment. Some of this equipment is very inexpensive... developing tanks and film spools are cheap, trays for paper are cheap. But you need to be able to set up a "light tight" area of your home as a darkroom (most people pick a corner of their basement) and preferably with a fresh water sink (most basements have a utility sink with hookups for laundry.) Setting up involves blocking out all the windows, closing all the doors... and then sitting in the dark for a LONG time to let your eyes dark-adapt (it can technically take about 30 minutes for human eyes to dark-adapt). Once your eyes adapt... you'll see all kinds of light-leaks you never noticed before.

The darkroom enlarger is probably the most expensive piece of equipment, but since hardly anyone does film processing anymore, there are probably a LOT of darkroom enlargers that you could pick up for a fraction of what a new one would cost.

There is definitely a learning curve involved, but it can be very rewarding.

If you plan to send the film out for processing then mostly what you'll want to know is that different films have their own character.

When I did wedding photography back in the late 70's and through the 80's, we used Kodak VPS (Vericolor Professional type-S) film because it had somewhat subdued color tones ... there was a gentle beauty to the color which went very well with the look of a wedding. They don't make VPS anymore, but Kodak's Portra film is the next closest thing. Kodak Ektar, on the other hand, is a more vibrant color. There are film which provide deliberately saturated color.

All of the challenges of digital photography apply EXCEPT... with a digital camera you get a glimpse of what the image looks like (granted it's on the tiny LCD screen on the back of the camera) as soon as you take the shot. With film, you've got to be more methodical about camera settings... if you presumed you had good exposure settings and shot a roll of film, you wouldn't know you had made a mistake until the film has been processed -- that's a common mistake but it's also how we learn the importance of getting it right when we're taking the shot.

 

[timor]

Hi and welcome here.

 

[HippieWitch]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Does anyone have any links to articles about lenses and filters?

Sent from my Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A-F running SD_ALPHA_3 rom using Tapatalk HD

 

[timor]

Hi. About nikon lenses you can read on Ken Rockwell website
Nikon Nikkor Lenses
Which filters do you have in mind ? Some pointers are also here
How to Use Filters

 

[vintagesnaps]

There are a number of options for processing film but I don't think you have to use any one way all the time, and whatever you start out doing may change later on. I send out color film - I don't know color processing and don't have the equipment. I enjoy B&W darkroom work but the local university darkroom is in a building being renovated so for now I'm sending that out (what was realistic for me was to get the film developed and then I did my own prints.) Most places that develop film will provide prints and/or a CD of scanned photos.

I usually use 100 ISO film outdoors and 400 indoors. If you have a mechanical camera it's possible to change film mid-roll if necessary but it may not be the best thing to try starting out; I do it sometimes but I think it takes developing a feel for when the film releases (so you can leave a tail to be able to put the film back in a camera).

Mostly I think it takes using your meter to determine once you set the ISO (ASA) on your camera, what shutter speed and aperture combinations will give you a proper exposure. My general starting point is usually f8 and 1/125 and I adjust from there.

Mike Butkus has a website with manuals for what seems to be every vintage camera imaginable, if people would like they can make a contribution for a copy of the manual (but all you have to do is search for your specific camera). Free camera instruction manuals, camera instructions, free film camera user guide, camera manual, camera instruction manuals,  Canon camera manual, Nikon camera manual, Ricoh camera manuals, Sears Camera Manuals, camera instruction manual, replacemen .

 

[timor]

If you have a mechanical camera it's possible to change film mid-roll if necessary but it may not be the best thing to try starting out; I do it sometimes but I think it takes developing a feel for when the film releases (so you can leave a tail to be able to put the film back in a camera).

It will be not easier to have two bodies each with different ISO film ?

 

[peter27]

If you're new to using film and you want to shoot colour, my advice would be to use negative film at first as it has a lot more leeway for exposure variance than slide film.

 

[bsinmich]

If you use E-Bay you will find many bargains on enlargers and other darkroom equipment. When the bulb burned out in my Omega I found it was cheaper to buy another enlarger (Beseler) than a bulb. Now I have both set up with 1 for 2 1/4 and one for 35mm. I also found bulbs on E bay for a bargain price.
black & White is easy and fun to do while color is more of a tie and temp. th9ing. I do both. For a quick roll of color I take it to Sam's Club.
For your lenses for the Nikon a real quick guide is that 50mm is the normal lens. As the focal length goes smaller you get to wide angle. 35mm & 28mm are popular wide angle lenses. As you go to higher focal length they become telephoto. A 300mm Lens is equivalent to 6X telescope. Zoom lenses will combine a variety of lengths to allow going from a 28-200MM so the lens can go from wide angle to telephoto. Focal length is normally the distance from the rear of the lens to the film plane. There are ways that this can be altered optically, especially for wide angles.

 

[HippieWitch]

Can anyone make a good suggestion for a fisheye lens for cheap?

 

[timor]

Maybe this ?
8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens: Samyang, Pro-Optic, Bower
[url]http://www.peleng8.com/peleng-vs-samyang.html
[/URL]

 

[bsinmich]

You can come pretty close to a fisheye with a wide angle adapter lens on the front of a normal wide angle. I used one from a VHS camcorder on a 28-80 zoom. If I stopped down to f8 it was very sharp.