Topic: Camera and Film Question.

[Bob Wessner]

I'm also a B/W fan and I agree on the fixer smell.

[martini]

Geeze, I was only too happy to leave those chemicals behind. Can't be good for you breathing in all that stuff. Some of the toners are simply nasty.

[Chris Schneiter]

I'm sitting here reading this thread while uploading the last few shots of a 75 shot Christmas catalogue I did this week.
From my standpoint as a commercial photographer, I can't shoot film anymore. Clients here won't accept film because for reproduction, the film needs to be scanned, which is another step, and very expensive. A digital file is so much faster to work with that work like my catalogue can be produced in a fraction of the time. I started this catalogue on Wednesday morning, and each night , the designer took a disc of that days work, and dropped the images into her layout. Each day, she brought proofs, and I could watch the catalogue grow. In three days, the catalogue was produced except for the last 5 shots. Right now, I'm delivering those via FTP upload, and the catalogue will be finished Monday morning.
Don't get me wrong, I miss the darkroom. I still have mine in the basement, complete with Color processor, fiberglass sink and Mercury vapor safelight. I also have a #$%*in' stereo, and color TV with cable....none of it has been used in 5 years....every now and then, I go down there and flip switches...everything still works....
I often think about working down there, but then realize that I can do the same thing, better, digitally. What I miss most is the experience of the darkroom..I used to love the way it made my hands stained, how it made them smell...
There is nothing mysterious about working digitally. If you learn basic photographic concepts, producing a digital file and using Photoshop is exactly the same and all the concepts are the same.
The truth is, in Photoshop, I can control an image with a degree of accuracy that I never could have in the darkroom. If you have control of your printers, you can produce prints that are just as expressive as those in the darkroom, and it's much easier to produce large prints than ever. And quality is much better. A few years ago, we did a 4x8' mural to replace an older one done by another photographer. The older one had been shot on medium format and was fuzzy and full of grain. Ours was shot with a Nikon D1x and was sharper, and had no grain. Many people think that digital files can't go that large, but we do it on a regular basis. As I said earlier, If you learn basic Photographic concepts, you can do anything you want.
And shooting digitally is more efficient. My upload is finished. I just delivered my job while I typed this. With film, I used to have to spend time downloading film, and either processing it myself or going to the lab...these days, I just get to go home....


PS. Here's a list of equipment that I no longer use. If anybody is interested, send me an email and we can work out a price.

Mamaiya RB67 and 2 lenses
Mamiya C330 and 2 lenses
Linhoff Tecknika 3 and 2 lenses
Burke and James 5x7
Nikon F2 and 7 lenses (but these can be used digitally)
Nilon F
Durst 4x5 enlarger with Cold light
Beseler 6x7 color enlarger
Elarger lenses
Thomas safelight and miscelaneous others
Durst RCP 40 RA4 color processor (does 16x20)
And all the other stuff that goes along with it. Between my partners and I, we have just about any film equipment you could ask for, and nobody wants it! One of my partners was just offered 1000 bucks for medium format equipment that 12 years ago, he paid 13,000,00 for!

[Jeff]

Mamaiya RB67 and 2 lenses
Mamiya C330 and 2 lenses
Linhoff Tecknika 3 and 2 lenses
Burke and James 5x7
Nikon F2 and 7 lenses (but these can be used digitally)
Nilon F
Durst 4x5 enlarger with Cold light
Beseler 6x7 color enlarger
Elarger lenses
Thomas safelight and miscelaneous others
Durst RCP 40 RA4 color processor (does 16x20)
And all the other stuff that goes along with it. Between my partners and I, we have just about any film equipment you could ask for, and nobody wants it! One of my partners was just offered 1000 bucks for medium format equipment that 12 years ago, he paid 13,000,00 for!

Some day, all that stuff will be vintage/antiques and really bring the coin.


Or not.

Jeff

[prsman23@hotmail.c]

More on the not side of that  My new kick is with post WWII folding cameras and they aren't worth much over 40 bucks most of the time unless it's a zeiss or something rare like a certo 6. Even then within a grand.

[prsman23@hotmail.c]

Chris what you thinking about letting the 5x7 go for? PM me if you want.

[Chris Schneiter]

Chris what you thinking about letting the 5x7 go for? PM me if you want.

I don't know....It was hard to get film for 20 years ago! The problem is, I'm sentimental about all of them...I refinished the 5x7 when I was in my early 20's...kinda like rebuilding a bike...Bourke & James painted all those cameras Gray, and I removed the paint and gave it a blonde Deft finish..it's really pretty..
The Linhoff, I bought in 1982 and used it on a Grant project I was working on..
The Mamaiyas I bought within the last 10years because I'd always liked the C330, and I'd had an RB when I was 18, stupidly got rid of it and always vowed that I'd replace it...
The Nikon stuff got me through school, and now Nikon has become my Standard Digital equipment...
The existing darkroom is the best I've ever built...I've had the 4x5 enlarger for 25 years, but added the color processor and enlarger...I used the darkroom for less than a year, and in the process opened my studio where I shoot digitally...after a year, I stopped working in the darkroom...the last roll of film I processed is still hanging...I think the only thing I WANT to sell is the processor while it's still useful to someone...it's only a matter of time before they stop making the chemistry...sigh...

[prsman23@hotmail.c]

Nah, they'll never stop making the chemistry. They still make sheet film and when medium format came out said that would die. Same for medium format and 35mm, the 35mm and digital. I still use edwal for gods sake  Who uses that but me??? Maybe three others  If anyone needs some hard to get ahold of chemicals, or wants to make some alt process stuff photographers formulary is the place to be.

[Chris Schneiter]

Then you'll take the color processor? About 15 years ago, I was working in a colorlab. EP2 Chemistry was replaced with RA4 which allowed the processor to run about 4 times faster...problem was, the only processors that would run that fast were new RA4 processors! So all the labs had to get new processors! People actually were trying to sell EP2 processors after chemistry was no longer available!
And what about Polycontrast (or "Polycontrastless" as we used to call it) and my all time favorite film Tri-X? It's going to happen...I guess it's good that companies like Photographers Formulary are there.
Again, from my standpoint, speed is everything.
Today, this client called and needed 5 shots in 2 1/2 hours, background dropped out, retouched and ready to drop into an ad. Here's one of them...I couldn't do this on film..This is what I do..exciting eh?

[Klark Kent]

i still shoot 8mm film and it is a contant petitioning battle to keep kodak making the stuff.  sound film is gone, but not that important with better ways to record sound both analog and digital. 

if honda made cameras you know they would still be supporting all the film.  if honda started a country i would move there.  it owuld be called the Honda Republic of Quality, a meritocracy based on craftsmanship and/or the appreciation of craft, and I am sure you would meet the nicest people on a daily basis.

-KK

[GroovieGhoulie]

This thread has been awesome for the information, but I have another question:

A buddy recently offered me some film, but I'm not sure what to offer.  He said he would prefer to sell the whole lot.

Here's what he had:

a couple or rolls of Tri-x b&W (unknown exposure)
3 rolls of Plus-x Pan b&w (20 exposure)
1 Kodachrome 64 (24 exposure)
2 or 3 rolls of Elitechrome (slides 24 exposure)

1 roll Kodacolor VR 1000ASA print 12 exposure
1 roll Opticolor 400ASA print film 24 exposure (I think it is Agfa packaged for REI)
Assorted rolls of movie film cut down to 35mm, assorted ASA


Any idea what a good offer would be that wouldn't be unfaie to him or me?

[Bob Wessner]

How old is this stuff? How has it been stored? Generally, the higher the ISO rating the more unstable it is over time and B/W stands the test of time better than color.

[GroovieGhoulie]

How old is this stuff? How has it been stored? Generally, the higher the ISO rating the more unstable it is over time and B/W stands the test of time better than color.

He bought it in the late '80s through the mid-90s.  Been stored in a deep freezer ever since.  This is the first time it's been out since it's been bought.

[Bob Wessner]

I have no idea as to value, but have a look at this as part of your evaluation.

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=009vS4&tag=

[techy5025]

I bought a slide/negative scanner off Ebay...see I do look for stuff other than 750
parts. Anyway, I used it to scan in over 400 slides dating back to the 60's including
the one I took on the day I bought the 750 in '69. It is the type thing you buy...use
once...and then sell.  A friend has it now scanning in his slides.

One of the things I noticed immediately is the dust on the slide scans and the fading.
Some of the better slide scanners will get rid of most of the dust spots but this one
wouldn't....had to clean and rescan them. The fading can be improved digitally and
fortunately is fairly uniform for most slides so the settings to do so were the same.

Raul....I just digitized the last of my Beta tapes. After burning to DVD, I am finished
with Beta.  It was a great format...better than VHS...but Sony just doesn't know how
to market something. I hope they do better with Blu-Ray. 

Jim

[ieism]

I didn't read the full 5 pages of this tread, but i have a partial reply to your question on that list of film.
I remember those  B&W films.

Tri-x: We used this in school a lot. It's a very easy film to use, works on most anything. It's an old type of film (30 years? ), so it's also easy to push and works with pretty much any chemicals for development (B&W). I remember using it as standard ISO400.

Another old style film, 125 ISO. I never used it that much, but a lot of my friends did. It was very popular in120 size. I think this was like a "standard" film for pro's before t-max arrived.

I wouldn't give more than a sixpack off beers for the whole lot. You never know if they are still good, and you could still buy them new if you wanted. I pay about 4 euro's for Tri-x or plus-x . Elitechrome is almost 7 euro's. Kodachrome is 13 euro's. (this is all 36 exposure, 35mm)

[Glenn Stauffer]

A buddy recently offered me some film, but I'm not sure what to offer. He said he would prefer to sell the whole lot.

a couple or rolls of Tri-x b&W (unknown exposure)
3 rolls of Plus-x Pan b&w (20 exposure)
1 Kodachrome 64 (24 exposure)
2 or 3 rolls of Elitechrome (slides 24 exposure)
1 roll Kodacolor VR 1000ASA print 12 exposure
1 roll Opticolor 400ASA print film 24 exposure (I think it is Agfa packaged for REI)
Assorted rolls of movie film cut down to 35mm, assorted ASA

If it was me, considering that film that is 10-20 years old, even if kept in deep freeze, has no real value, I'd just give it to you.  Of course, if he hasn't offered it to you for free already, I guess he expects you to offer him cash for it.

He'd be lucky to get $10 - maybe not even half that - for the entire batch on ebay.  The film is well past its due date and that movie film, if color, is going to be a real hassle to get developed.

Glenn

[GroovieGhoulie]

A buddy recently offered me some film, but I'm not sure what to offer. He said he would prefer to sell the whole lot.

a couple or rolls of Tri-x b&W (unknown exposure)
3 rolls of Plus-x Pan b&w (20 exposure)
1 Kodachrome 64 (24 exposure)
2 or 3 rolls of Elitechrome (slides 24 exposure)
1 roll Kodacolor VR 1000ASA print 12 exposure
1 roll Opticolor 400ASA print film 24 exposure (I think it is Agfa packaged for REI)
Assorted rolls of movie film cut down to 35mm, assorted ASA

If it was me, considering that film that is 10-20 years old, even if kept in deep freeze, has no real value, I'd just give it to you.  Of course, if he hasn't offered it to you for free already, I guess he expects you to offer him cash for it.

He'd be lucky to get $10 - maybe not even half that - for the entire batch on ebay.  The film is well past its due date and that movie film, if color, is going to be a real hassle to get developed.

Glenn

Well, his exact words were: "Don't make me too high of an offer, since I really want this stuff out of my freezer!"  So I think he'll quite nearly give them too me, but I didn't want to insult him with TOO low of an offer.

[cmorgan47]

Well, his exact words were: "Don't make me too high of an offer, since I really want this stuff out of my freezer!"  So I think he'll quite nearly give them too me, but I didn't want to insult him with TOO low of an offer.

case of beer. 
decent beer.

[Rushoid]

The film is well past its due date and that movie film, if color, is going to be a real hassle to get developed.

I, unfortunately, have a couple of rolls of this with my honeymoon pictures (no, not those pictures  ) on one of them. Some company sent them to me, 10+ years ago, as a sample/"let us do your processing" scheme. Never intended to use them but they somehow ended up in my camera bag. I was out of film with no store nearby so I used the one roll. Does anyone know where I can get this stuff developed? Oh, it's 35mm.

[Raul CB750K1]

A buddy recently offered me some film, but I'm not sure what to offer. He said he would prefer to sell the whole lot.

a couple or rolls of Tri-x b&W (unknown exposure)
3 rolls of Plus-x Pan b&w (20 exposure)
1 Kodachrome 64 (24 exposure)
2 or 3 rolls of Elitechrome (slides 24 exposure)
1 roll Kodacolor VR 1000ASA print 12 exposure
1 roll Opticolor 400ASA print film 24 exposure (I think it is Agfa packaged for REI)
Assorted rolls of movie film cut down to 35mm, assorted ASA

If it was me, considering that film that is 10-20 years old, even if kept in deep freeze, has no real value, I'd just give it to you.  Of course, if he hasn't offered it to you for free already, I guess he expects you to offer him cash for it.

He'd be lucky to get $10 - maybe not even half that - for the entire batch on ebay.  The film is well past its due date and that movie film, if color, is going to be a real hassle to get developed.

Glenn

Well, his exact words were: "Don't make me too high of an offer, since I really want this stuff out of my freezer!"  So I think he'll quite nearly give them too me, but I didn't want to insult him with TOO low of an offer.

I hate that people that, as we use to say in Spain, "want to swim and keep the clothes dry at the same time". They have a piece of crap, know it is almost worthless, but doesn't have the balls to say clearly how much do they want for it. Instead of appearing as greedy, the pass the ball and let the other either offend or make a higher offer they want to.


Tell him you don't want them. When I bought my CB350, once I saw it, I was going to offer him a symbolic price, something as 100 euro, such was the sorry state of the bike. Before even talking about money, the owner told me he just had taken down a prospective seller because he got offended when the seller offered him a "symbolic price", even when at the end the seller offered him 250 euro. That's when I told him "If you have taken down a 250 euro offer, I rather don't tell you how much was I planning to offer you. We better leave it at this point and at least there would be no bad feelings". The conversation went on, and at the end the guy told him to meet the 250. I spoke my mind, told him about my symbolic price but agreed to go up to 200 (just because I had traveled 70 miles and, after all the money I reckoned the resto would take, 100 euro extra would not hurt that much. Now the bike is mine.


So, talk clearly and don't make him any offer, but tell him how much do you think the rolls are worth. Then the ball is in his court to either accept or reject what you say. If you are a man in full and you have said how much do you think the material is worth, then you have to put your money where your mouth is.


Raul