Film questions

Four questions, as I am looking to start using film more (At the age of 16, I grew up (sadly) in the digital age)

1) What Pentax film SLR would be best for a beginner.. Im used to using Av and Tv etc on my K20D, rarely manual focus - but then wouldnt mind doing for experience. No true budget but any suggestions of an LX etc would be turned down due to the price..

2) As im simply experimenting, I don't mind using cheap film, and ive read that not only is expired film cheap, but also very experimental - I noticed 7dayshop used to stock loads of expired film, but alas their stock is no more. Anywhere on the web where some could be bought apart from ebay?

3) Whats the difference between slide and print film? Which do I want.

4) Does anyone know anywhere near Liverpool where 120 film could be developed (I was looking at holga's for a bit of fun as well).


Thanks in advance
Rob

1) As you are used to a DSLR I would suggest one of the MZ series. The best of these IMO are the MZ5 and MZ3. They can be found for very low prices on eBay.

2) Film is expensive compared to digital....but look at the sdvertisments in Amateur Photographer and also check out eBay.

3) Slide film produces positive images that are projected in a slide projector. The colour and definition of these is unsurpassed. Films are usually returned to you cut and mounted ready for projection. Print film produces negatives which can then be made into prints. You have a choice of colour or black and white films and you might like to try both. Films can also be scanned of course.

4) You might have to go mail order to get 120 film processed. Or get a tank and chemicals and learn how to process it yourself. This latter route will give you the best quality, with practice anyway!

Have fun!

1) MZ-5's are as cheap as chips and plentiful, have a look on Bojidar's site for the full spec.

2) The main cost with film is in the developing / printing. If you have some out of date film then use it, but I'd say paying money for it is a false economy.

3) Slide film will be developed the way it was shot and sent back to you in the form of slides - handy for scanning but not so great for showing off your efforts to friends and family. Print film has a greater degree of latitude when it comes to processing so is more forgiving for the beginner - plus you generally get a nice set of prints to flaunt

4) No idea, sorry. But I would skip Holgas - they may be cheap but they're also nasty! If you really want to shoot some 120 film (and have little cash) then see if you can find an old Zeiss Ikon folding camera on eBay - they often fetch about the same as a Holga but have that most modern of conveniences, a glass lens!

Good luck!

Once again JR types faster than I do!

On a limited budget if AF is required consider the MZ5,6,or 7. All come up quite often on eBay and usually sell between £25-50 depending upon what's been bundled with the camera. The MZ3 is very good, but but comes up less often and is usually more expensive. I have the MZ6 and like it a lot.

If you are prepared to consider MF then for you need to look at a Super A if you need Tv mode. LX aside also consider the MX and ME Super. I have a Super A and ME Super.

The Super A is my favourite, very solid and small. Prices range from £15 -£40 depending upon the bundle and condition.
Note the light seals and the mirror damper foam on these cameras degrades and becomes sticky. If it gets onto the focusing screen it is almost impossible to remove. Since these models are around 20 years old, odds are that unless the seals have already been replaced then they will need to be. This is not a major job and kits are readily available.

Steve

Great minds think alike though!

My first PentaxSLR was a Super-A and I can highly recommend it. It has all of the exposure modes you'll need and TTL flash.

Possibly the closest in functionality to a Pentax DSLR is the MZ-6 as it does wireless flash and P-TTL with a AF360/540FGZ flash gun.

The MZ-S is a superb camera but it can't use any lenses that have no aperture ring as the aperture can't be set from the body. The MZ-6 can set the aperture from the body and so can use lenses like the FA-J series and newer DA lenses (with vignetting to some extent).

Seems like the MZ-5 is the choice, or at least MZ series. Will my FA50 work nicely on these?

And hefty, the idea of the holga in my eyes was that it was cheap and nasty - producing experimental effects. Ill check out the zeiss ikon cameras though, thank you.

Do high street stores that process film (boots etc) process 35mm slide film? And would I need to invest in a proper film scanner for good quality scans? Im not too fussed about prints because id rather scan in (negs or slides) and get them printed cheap from a website after fixing them up any way I wanted.


[edit]

After reading mannestys reply, the MZ-6 sounds even better - p-ttl would work with my new metz.

However it just dawned on me, if I went back to basics, it would probably improve my photography - i'd think about exposure more and more - same with focussing.

Plus the K/M/A series cameras look nicer..

I think its a battle between a Super-A and a MZ-6, or possibly the older ME Super.

Yes, the FA 50mm will work just fine.

For slide film you are probably better starting off process paid (you get an envelope with the film) or using mail order. Shops can be very slow with slide films, although they probably still do them. Mind you, they might be daft enough to try and process them like a negative film, which is an interesting effect but not what we normally want.

Slide film developed as negative is cross processing, processing slide in C-41, correct?

Yes, or indeed the other way round.

One more thought if you consider any of the MZ series of cameras, avoid any that have a model number ending in 0 (MZ-10, MZ-50, MZ-60 etc) because you'll not be able to use pre-A series lenses on them other than wide open. They have lens mounts commonly referred to as 'crippled K mount'.

Hi Rob
regarding developing 120 film.If you happy with mail order service
Ilford photo develops any 120 film, price starts at 6.99 just for developing plus 70p for postage anywhere in UK.
For an extra charge they provide Hi Res scanning service as well.
More info on various film,photographic paper and developing is here:
link

regards, Vikram

It has happened to me and who did it? KODAK!!! that's who. "It was the student that dun it" was the excuse. You might look at the SFX or SFXn, big chunky and reliable and sometimes go for as little as 90p on ebay. I recommend One Vision (aka Colab) in Coventry for processing either negative or reversal and scanning to CDROM. Negative film has a greater latitude than reversal.

Just a thought... Garry Winogrand is famous for having exposed three rolls of Kodak TRI-X black and white film on the streets of New York City every day for his entire adult life. That's 100 pictures a day, 36,500 a year, a million every 30 years. Winogrand died in 1984 leaving more than 2500 rolls of film exposed but undeveloped, 6500 rolls developed but not proofed, and 3000 rolls proofed but not examined (a total of a third of a million unedited exposures).

If you want to go back to basics (manual focus, manual exposure) go for an MX. Plenty of those on ebay but tend to go for a little more than the MZ series. The K1000 has "iconic" status but IMHO is nowhere near as nice as the MX. The MX was a poor man's LX. As to the more all singing, all dancing autofocus models, you have had better advice from the others (I jumped from MX/LX/ME Super to the K10D and missed out all the P, Z and MZ series cameras). My Super A is an extremely battered example I was given which I use for site work and I have never really used it seriously, although it is in the same nice solid mould as the M-series cameras.

As to slide film, it is very unforgiving exposure wise. Whereas on BW you can get away with a little error, it really shows on slides. Having said that, the colours in a well exposed Fuji Velvia 50 slide will blow you away (and the 120 roll film version is stunning). As hefty said, less easy to pass the prints around, but you do have the option of projecting them. And of course, 50 ASA film often needs a tripod. No dialling up the ASA or turning on the shake reduction! You'll also be surprised how much manual everything and 20p or 30p a shot will slow down your snapping but also make you think a great deal more about every shot.

Have fun! Kris.