• Win a Rab Nexus Pull-On with the 1st of the Inglesport Fabulous 5 competitions!

    Caption competition, closes Friday 25th April

    Click here to enter

Good news for film fans

I gather most of the film camera development has been driven 'by public demand', so it'll be interesting to see how it pans out.

https://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/pentax/filmproject/

To try and reduce costs, it's been created to save images in portrait format, so two images per 35mm frame - obviously this is only half as sharp, but I suspect they're gambling that absolute resolution won't be at the forefront of most users' expectations. Pentax have always supported their film-era products well, and virtually all their 35mm lenses can be used on their latest digital cameras (partly why I've stuck with them, as I have several!) - and are sticking with the SLR model when other companies are abandoning it for mirrorless. I like their style, frankly.

I recently invested in a new digital lens for my almost-as-new DSLR, and it has genuinely shocked me at just how good it is, both optically and physically. It won't be going underground ;)
 
Had a play with the new Pentax 17 the other day at a camera shop. Very tempting. Seems film demand is quite high, and they were saying they do sell out of film.
It would be nice if a new full frame proper film cameras was released as well (as opposed to the cheapo near disposable ones), especially one that could use older lenses - Pentax K mount is a good candidate even though I'm an Olympus film fanboy!
I still use film on my collection of old cameras, only last week was using an Olympus 35 RC rangefinder. Quite like the Ilford XP2 as it is black and white film that can be developed in ordinary C41 colour chemistry, i.e. your local lab, rather than developing yourself or paying a premium for black and white development. Commercial developers can also scan negatives, or you can do it yourself with the likes of an attachment to a phone, flatbed scanner neg holder, or a neg holder that goes on the end of a lens.
Haven't yet tried the new Ilford Phoenix colour film as also still have a few rolls of Kodak UltraMax and Gold in the fridge I ought to use up.
 
I did wonder how they looked up close, but I've still got a Pentax Super A here, so not really worth buying another film camera. That reminds me, I've still got an unopened box of 7"X5" sheet film Tri-X in the freezer - I bought it at Calumet in Los Anglees around 1997, but it should still be good as it's been frozen virtually throughout. That's for my half-plate Kodax Specialist 2 large-format camera, which I really should try and use again. That's also not going underground 😊
 
pwhole said:
I did wonder how they looked up close, but I've still got a Pentax Super A here, so not really worth buying another film camera. That reminds me, I've still got an unopened box of 7"X5" sheet film Tri-X in the freezer - I bought it at Calumet in Los Anglees around 1997, but it should still be good as it's been frozen virtually throughout. That's for my half-plate Kodax Specialist 2 large-format camera, which I really should try and use again. That's also not going underground 😊
Click to expand...
Imagine the serious faffing about and dithering that could be achieved by taking large format cameras underground. Not forgetting the looks of the 'models' as the camera is set up... If you need a porter do let me know.
I must admit I'm looking at getting a large format camera. I also understand solo caving is a sport on its own :)
 
Well spotted! Pan-X. I actually managed to shoot a roll of this when I was doing my degree between 1983-86, but I seem to remember they only had one roll left in the store and it never came back in. I would probably have developed it myself, but god knows if I still have the negs.

https://www.michael-elliott.photography/post/kodak-panatomic-x

Digging through my archives I found the only caving-related print I have from the Specialist 2, which I scanned a few years ago - a 7 X 5 TriX contact print of Odin Gorge, taken in probably 1984. It would have been developed in Agfa Rodinal and printed on Agfa Record Rapid. This one doesn't look as though it was selenium-toned, but I did do that too.

img142__ex_sm.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top