I Still Shoot Film

This is a fabulous guide from Kodak (almost as fabulous as my Beginner’s Guide to Film Photography) for improving your darkroom technique. It covers basics like achieving proper negative density and avoiding kinks in your film when developing, along with facts and tips about fogging and how to avoid it.

It also covers test strips, mixing and storing chemicals the push process in depth; using variable contrast paper; and the differences, benefits and drawbacks of RC and fiber papers. There’s even a section on hand-coloring your black and white prints (which I can quickly state from experience always works better on fiber paper). Here’s a direct link to download the PDF: Kodak’s Black-and-White Tips and Techniques for Darkroom Enthusiasts

Presenting my babies, continued from Part I, Part II, and Part III:

The Kodak Tourist Camera: I found this folding camera at a flea market and it definitely still works, but takes discontinued 620 film :-( I do believe there might be away to modify the inside so that it takes 35mm. Perhaps a project to work on…

The Zero Image Pinhole: This camera is actually not vintage, but a limited edition medium format pinhole that I ordered from a special company about 8 years ago. It takes 120 film but the inside can be modified to shoot 6x9, 6x7, or 6x6. Obviously, the exposures are long but this little guy takes amazing landscapes.

Agfa Iso Rapid 1c: Another victim of the oh-so-unfortunate rapid load system. I found it at a flea market for a euro and bought it mostly because of my nostalgic love for agfa (best film company ever! oh I miss you agfa ultra 50) but technically the shutter does work.

The Kodak Disc 4000: This interesting camera was a gift from my sweetheart’s sister who found it in someone’s basement. It’s about the thickness of a cassette tape (for those of you who remember them) and theoretically fits in your pocket. However, the fad of “disc film” was so short lived, I had never even heard of it.

Part V Coming Up…

Continuing in groups of four from Part 1, I present my next set of babies:

#1: Kodak Retinette: Yet another fabulous find at the annual Torcy flea market. This one needed a minor shutter repair, so I sent it to a fantastic guy in Florida who repairs all sorts of vintage cameras. Takes 35mm film.

#2. Cmena Symbol: I present to you the first of my beloved “Russian Collection,” since I am more obsessed with old Russian cameras than any others… it’s something about the glass. This guy, I ordered off the internet. Obviously still works, takes 35mm film.

#3. Novai 7000: I have never been able to find any information about this mysterious automatic plastic camera, but my guess is that it’s from the early 80’s. What I love about it the most is the super ghetto sound it makes when the film advances. Works great, takes 35mm film.

#4: Roniflex X 3000: This cute little guy cost me a euro at, you guessed it, the Torcy flea market (yet again, the key is to go early). Still works takes 35mm film.