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Film Photography

Everything you need to know before you start film photography

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So, you want to start film photography. I completely understand you: it’s a beautiful process, and the wait before you see the images is incredibly exciting! But alas, if you’re new to film, it may feel overwhelming. I mean, where do you even start? Don’t worry, Isaac Abner‘s got you covered. In his recent video, he shares everything you need to know before you start film photography.

In the video, Isaac discusses everything from film formats, film choices, camera options, and the development process. He also shares some valuable tips for anyone considering exploring this medium.

Pentax offers a sneak peek of new film camera prototype at Japan exhibition

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It’s no secret that Pentax is working on a film camera. They’ve actually made quite a big deal of it, with the launch of a video series documenting some of its development. At least, the parts of its development they’re currently prepared to post publicly. The first announcement that Pentax is pursuing film again came in December 2022. In May of this year, we saw an update that suggested the first film camera would be some form of compact.

Now, although there’s no new video yet, Pentax is showing off a prototype of the new camera at an exhibition in Japan. The PENTAX Film Project Exhibition, which runs til the end of July, is being run by Ricoh themselves. As with the videos, though, they’re not showing off all the details just yet. It’s encased in an acrylic display stand, with the winding lever and part of the grip being the only visible parts.

The ONDU Eikan large format Camera comes in 4×5 and 4×10 panoramic options

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Large format cameras seem to be popping up all over the place at the moment, particularly on crowdfunding sites. The ONDU Eikan (buy here) seems to be a little bit different, though. As well as being available in the standard 4×5 large format sheet film, it also comes in a 4×10 panoramic variety. It’s currently running on Kickstarter, where it’s already more than doubled its goal.

The Eikan’s creator, Elvis Halilović – shown above with the 4×10 panoramic version of the camera – says that it’s been in the making for ten years. But he says he wasn’t ready to bring this particular one to market until he felt he had something new to offer. Now, he feels that he does with the ONDU Eikan’s modular design.

My first year with the Mamiya M645 medium format film camera

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I’ve been using cameras for half my life and I felt like I knew my way around any basic system, until I discovered medium format. The upgrade in resolution was an entirely new beast I was eager to tackle. I scoured the internet to decide on what I should use as my first medium format system. I ended up choosing the Mamiya M645.

Not only was 6×4.5cm regarded as the most welcoming format in the world of 120 film, but the Mamiya M645 was cited often as the most welcoming entry-level 6×4.5 camera. And now I’ve been shooting it for over a year.

Pentax Update #2 reveals their first new film camera will be a compact camera

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In December, Pentax announced they were developing a new film camera. At the time, there was no real information on exactly what type of film camera it would be. In fact, it wasn’t even revealed whether it would use 35mm film or medium format. And while many hoped for a modern-day update to the Pentax 67 or a fully mechanical 35mm SLR, it seems that the first new Pentax film camera will be a compact camera.

The information comes in the second video update for the Pentax “Film Project”, where they expressed gratitude for the overwhelming feedback they’ve received. Given that feedback, it seems that Pentax may be planning to do a range of cameras in the future and that this isn’t just a one-off.

How I turned my bedroom closet into a darkroom for $20

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A few years ago I had a great darkroom setup in my basement that I converted from a (mostly) unused bathroom. It had a wet side and a dry side, built-in exhaust, and plenty of space.

That came to an end when I sold that house and moved into an old Victorian-style home where bathrooms are a sparse thing and any plumbing in the home was an afterthought.

Not long after relocating, I started to ponder how I could possibly create a darkroom space at the new house. Of course, I had grandiose dreams of a new build that was even better than my previous space.

How I shot color and black and white film… at the same time!

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There are a lot of crazy ideas out there when it comes to experimental photography. Multiple exposures. Film Soups. Shooting your rolls backward. But have you ever heard of anybody loading two rolls of film into a camera at the same time? Me neither, and that’s exactly why I’m going to do it!

The idea in a nutshell is to figure out a way to get a color roll and a black and white roll of 35mm film loaded into my Nikon F3 so that each press of the shutter exposes both films at the same time. After they were developed I could possibly stack or layer the developed negatives for a cool effect. Hopefully.

How to replace light seals in old film cameras for less than $5 with stuff you can find at Walmart

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With the rise in popularity of film over the last few years, it’s no surprise that a lot of old (really old) cameras are making their way back into the used market. Some of these cameras can be 50+ years old and they’re wonderful cameras to go out and run some film through. The problem, though, is that when they get that old (and sometimes not even that old) the seals that prevent light from leaking into your camera can disintegrate and need replacing.

You can, of course, get your old camera cleaned and sealed at a local camera shop (assuming there’s one still left near you that knows what they’re doing) but you can also do it yourself. In this video, Jonathan Paragas of KingJvpes walks us through swapping out the light seals in one of his old Nikomat FTn cameras using nothing but stuff he found in the local craft aisle at his local Walmart.

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