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This 17-minute video takes a geeky deep-dive into film camera communication and automation

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One of my favourite channels to watch on YouTube is Technology Connections. In each video, our host takes us on a journey through the histories of different technologies, explaining where they came from and how they work. It covers all kinds of technologies, but occasionally, the topic becomes somewhat related to photography or video. We’ve featured the channel here on DIYP before, to explain why cameras and our eyes see in RGB.

Now, he’s back to explain film. But it’s not a complete overview of how film is made, how it captures an image, how you can develop it or turn it into a print. Oh no, this super geeky video goes in-depth into one very specific aspect of 35mm film and that’s DX encoding – Or Digital IndeX). What is it? Why does it even exist? What does it do? And does it really matter?

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Photographer shoots total lunar eclipse timelapse entirely on film

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Just last week, those based in the US and South America witnessed a total lunar eclipse, the last one until 2025. Many photographers took the opportunity for some great shots, and Jason De Freitas took it to the next level. He shot the entire eclipse on 35mm film. And then – he developed it and turned the photos into an epic timelapse.

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Leica has officially announced the Leica M6 reissue – their film camera launch in over 20 years

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Leica has officially announced the Leica M6 reissue. It’s a relaunch of its popular M6 35mm film camera and the first new film camera that Leica has launched in over two decades. In fact, it’s been 20 years since Leica stopped making the original M6 back in 2002. It was initially launched in 1984 and Leica says they’ve handmade almost 175,000 Leica M6 cameras, serving photographers all over the world.

Leica says that the return of the legendary rangefinder “bring[s] back a cultural icon for a new generation to experience”. The new generation will be paying a lot more for those film and development costs than the last M6 generation did, of course, if you’ve got the money to splash out on a Leica, that’s probably not much of a concern.

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I saved $250 by making my own DIY contrast filter holder for the Omega B66 enlarger

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Have you ever had a repeated inconvenience that finally makes you say to yourself “okay, I’m done with this garbage”? Well, that’s the exact feeling I had with using contrast filters on my enlarger. Anytime I wanted to use a contrast filter, I needed to use tape to hold it in place while I was printing.

The design of some Omega enlargers requires a removable “cradle” that holds the filters underneath the lens. After a bit of searching online, I found that B&H Photo sells a replacement filter holder for B series enlargers for the low low price of $269. Even used, these things are expensive. eBay had a few listed that were selling for about $79. Unwilling to part with my hard-earned cash for such a frivolous purchase I was left with the only other option- to build one myself.

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Street Candy Film calls it a day and shuts shop citing rising cost of production

Well, this is sad news. film company Street Candy Film, founded in 2018 by Vincent Moschetti is calling it a day. In a post to their Facebook page, the company announced that while they had great hope for the future, rising costs from their suppliers have given them no choice. They say the manufacturer who produces their product “decide[d] to triple the price of film overnight” there was nothing left for them to do.

The company released two films. ATM 400 in 2018, which was made from security surveillance film and offered a fantastic contrasty look and MTN100 in 2021, another black and white film made from motion picture film stock. As of the Facebook announcement, they said there were 174 rolls of ATM400 left, but now both films are now listed as discontinued and out of stock on the Street Candy website.

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Fujifilm confirms price increases for film, paper and related print products

It looks like yesterday’s post about Fujifilm price increases has been confirmed directly by Fujifilm. A press release on the Fujifilm website, states that film prices have increased as of today from 20-60%, with more increases to come on paper, chemicals and lab products and services over the next two months.

They say that the price increase comes as a result of a recent rise in costs for raw materials, as well as transportation, and the decline in demand for photographic-related products. Perhaps this must just be a Fujifilm thing because film’s more popular now than it’s been in years.

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Fuji is ramping up its film prices by up to 60% from next month in Japan (and maybe everywhere)

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It almost always seems to be bad news when it comes to Fujifilm. Well, ok, not so much when it comes to their mirrorless cameras but it tends to be when their film stock is the topic of the conversation. If they’re not killing them off completely then they’re ramping the prices up and it looks like that’s what they’re about to do according to a note published to Twitter by Japanese camera shop, Print Koubou.

In a tweet, Print Koubou posted a photo of the note along with a description stating that the prices for paper, chemicals, processing fees, etc. is going to go up from their Fujifilm suppliers and that they’re obviously going to have to pass these costs along to the customer. They say that they’re going to try alternate supplies to keep the prices down but also recommend customers stock up on film rolls as soon as possible.

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Watch: How to shoot and develop color photos with a camera obscura at home

British photographer Brendan Barry is well-known for his camera obscura projects. He has taken photos with a camper-camera, container-camera, and plenty more. And during the lockdown, he turned his own bedroom into a camera. In this short film, he shares behind the scenes of taking a color photo with a camera obscura, which is something you can do in your own home.

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Is 645 medium format film really better than 35mm? Well, yeah. It is.

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I still shoot quite a bit of film when the opportunity allows, and when I do, I still primarily tend to reach for a 35mm. It’s not that it’s the best, or even just the best suited to what I want to shoot, but it’s convenient. The 35mm film SLRs I use the most are all Nikon F mount bodies, letting me use most of the lenses I also own for my DSLRs. But medium format definitely has it’s benefits.

In this video, photographer Kyle McDougall looks at the overall thought process behind using 645 medium format instead of your standard 3:2 ratio 35mm film, as well as some of the objective benefits and drawbacks to the larger format.

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Get started with film photography with Analogue WonderBox film subscription service

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Whenever you’re starting something new, it can be pretty overwhelming. “Where do I even start?” “How should I do this?” There are so many questions. Well, the WonderBox has decided to help you answer them with its 35mm film subscription service. You can subscribe and get a selection of 35mm film delivered straight to your door every month.

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