Film Is Not Dead

Film... A concept that has been around for over 100 years, and has just gotten better and better over the years.  Sure, there have been trials with it.  Disc film.. 110.. Even APS film was tried and failed.  Strangely enough, 110 film made a comeback in 2013!
Many people shot 110, including myself when I was much younger, and really enjoyed it.
Some even considered it a serious enough format to use it at weddings.  Considering the Pentax Auto110 system, it was used at weddings, but I don't think it was a very common practice for all photographers.
Most 110 cameras were just simple snapshot cameras, like the Brownies of yesteryear.

I don't shoot 110 today, but 135 (also known as 35mm) 120, and 4x5.

Recently I made a contribution to a company known as "Ferrania Film" which is an Italian film manufacturer.  They made 110, 126, 135, 120 and even 4x5 films until they shut down half a decade ago.
Strangely they saved their mothballed machines from destruction and launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring their production back online.
A new E6 film in both 135 and 120 formats!
Unlike Kodak, who completely left so many photographers gasping as they completely axed their entire E6 lineup and gave the market to Fuji, who is also axing many of their films, Ferrania is re-entering the market with a Colour slide film right from the get go!

Then there's The Impossible Project.  A company in The Netherlands who purchased the last remaining Polaroid factory, and saved it from demolition.  After purchase, they had to literally start from scratch!  Their own formula, their own dyes, chemicals, process and packaging.  They had to reinvent... Polaroid Instant photography!
Yet they are another resounding success story!
From the venerable SX-70 series of cameras, to the P600s and even Spectras.  They survive, and sell well.  They are also manufacturing and selling 8x10 instant film!
How about that?  In a digital world, Instant Film is still being made, and sold in sizes that the average person doesn't even print at!

Then there's the Film Photography Project.  They have become a source of film knowledge, and a source of even film itself!  With rare types of film, like E6 Infrared, to Svema, and even Cinefilm types, like Eastman Double-XX, or Eastman 5363 High Contrast film.  Amazing stocks, and readily available in 35mm rolls (or 100' bulk rolls) from the Film Photography Project store!

Have you ever walked into a antique store and found an old Brownie camera that took 620 film, but didn't know where to get that film for it because, well, 620 film is no longer manufactured?
Actually, it is.  620 film never stopped being manufactured, but the spools did.  620 film is just 120 film on a smaller thinner spool.  If you purchase that 620 camera you can get a spool inside that camera.  Purchase a roll of 120 film, and by pulling the spool out of it (in the dark of course) you can roll the film up tighter and fit it inside the camera without the spool in place.
Then feed the 120 film paper into the take up 620 spool..
Line it all up, and close the camera up.
Flick the lights on, advance to frame #1, and you're ready to go!

Or there's another option.  The Film Photography Project is producing NEW 620 spools through a plastic extruder and loading 120 film onto it for sale to you!

There are even other companies starting out.. CineSTILL is growing, and putting the Vision line of films in 120 format!

Can you imagine?  They are phenomenal films, and in 35 are gorgeous, but 120? Stellar!

So before you count film down and out, think again.  It's here to stay, and so long as there are people buying it, it'll stay here!

Now get out there and support film.


ILFORD, KODAK, FUJI, ADOX, FERRANIA, ROLLEI, AGFA, SHANGHAI

Start shooting, and enjoy it!  Film cameras have never been as low of price as they are now.

A Mechanical Film Camera will last you a lifetime, giving you the same results as you can expect every time!

Imperfect, organic and tangible beautiful images!


Film.... Is.... Not.... Dead!

The Immense Power of Film

Seven stops.  That's a downright killer for Digital and Slide film.  Seven stops of over exposure will completely blow out mid-tones, highlights, and bring shadows to a point where they will become highlights.

Seven stops is unheard of for even getting an image with Slide and Digital, and yet.

Take IR film with an IR filter, and that's what you have to do.  Take the film's speed, and drop about 7 stops off the rated speed to account for the filter, and hope the light comes through enough on the film.  After all, IR light is a funny thing.

Using Rollei IR400, I was exposing for 3 to 6EI, which is between 6 and 7 stops over exposed.
This allows enough light to get through the filter and expose the film, giving an image.

"Humber Light" - Bronica ETRs - Zenzanon 75mm ƒ/2.8 @ ƒ/11 1/8s

As you can see it has an absolutely gorgeous look that standard B&W film just cannot see.  It is a wonderful effect.

Now that said, what happens when you meter for EI3 or EI6 and expose the film without remembering to attach the filter?

Well, what happens to a digital image 7 stops over exposed.
Why, you blow it out.  Basically you have no chance of saving even the tiniest bit of detail.

Well, this is the thing about Negative film.  It has such immense latitude that you can save images that are essentially blown to pieces.

"Broken" - Bronica ETRs - Zenzanon 75mm ƒ/2.8 @ ƒ/16 1/4s

I wondered the same thing.  I had shot this image, and as soon as it was finished exposing I looked down and noticed the filter still in my hand.  Yup, I shot this without attaching the filter to the camera.

I thought, "Nope.. I've lost this image.."
It was also the very last frame on the roll.  I know I had a whole roll of great images, but this one image was, well... lost!

Apparently, this film has such incredible power, incredible latitude, it is, for lack of a better word...  Incredible!

It blew my mind, not the highlights. Yes, I know that the some of the highlights ARE blown out, but considering that the detail in the mid-tones is still there, and there is still shadows, I cannot imagine this image even being remotely salvageable on anything but Film.

+Holger Drallmeyer had an oopsie where he forgot to attach the filter and blew out two sheets of IR film.
I suggested stand-developing in a Rodinal 1+200 mixture for 60 minutes to help even it all out.  But this was developed in Rodinal 1+50 for standard times, and it worked out .. well quite amazingly well!

For those that have accidentally done something similar and were not sure how to develop the film.  Well, why not try developing it normally. You never know, you might be surprised!

Until next time,  Keep those shutters firing!