Can we talk about film?

[cjsuk]

While C41 seems trickier that B&W, it's more simpler because it's a standardized process and is impervious to agitation defects. The only problem is keeping the relatively high temperature for the entire duration of the color development (first bath) but, if you're not going to print, modern developers have a handy table for adapting the development times to the desired temperature. That said, what I just said is valid only if you choose to not print from the negatives as prolonging the development time messes up something in the negative and you can't correct it with normal filters.
Sorry, I can't remember exactly what the problem is.

Remember to have fun!

Yeah that is one of the problems. You can sort that with a sous vide or slightly better tank system though. The other main problem is the short life of C-41 development chemicals. So you tend to have to shoot a lot of rolls and get through them quickly.

Also all too much for my limited attention span!

 

[cjsuk]

Ok it gets deeper and deeper thanks to eBay.

I bought my first film camera again, a Praktica MTL50 for the sum of £30 delivered. It's completely mint condition, came with a pentacon 50mm and zeiss 135mm lens, flash and carry bag (!).

Took it out at lunch time for a quick walk around on a roll of HP5 and did the dev just after work.

There is a project in the insanity here. The camera and lens were made in the former GDR/DDR. I am off to Berlin in March so wanted a film camera from the GDR era to shoot things on. Wonder what will come back!

 

[cjsuk]

Quick update on the film camera project.

I shot for two days on the MTL50 above in Berlin on Ultramax 400. Unfortunately I dropped the damn thing lens down which did a bit of damage to the Zeiss 29mm lens on it. Fortunately repairable with a screwdriver kit from supermarket. Took 28/50/135 primes with me only.

Some keepers...

 

[cjsuk]

Another mini update here.

I had a couple of run ins elsewhere with people making wild accusations that some of the stuff I was shooting on digital was AI generated. And you know what, it's so good it does feel like it a bit sometimes, especially after you've spent a bit of time in Lightroom. I realised I don't enjoy the workflow at all on digital. The day job is staring at a screen. It's just too much.

So I'm out. Switched to my now trusty Nikon F80 and a 28mm and 50mm prime lens combo. The whole kit cost less than my 50mm Z prime lens did. I might get an 85mm as well - haven't decided yet.

I'm doing B&W dev and print at home regularly now. I will do this for a few more weeks and pick up some C41 chemicals and run some rolls of Ultramax through those and try colour next. Colour prints are a little more difficult but I'm keeping an eye out for a colour head for my enlarger and see how that goes.

If this goes well, in a year I will dispose of my digital kit. I may buy a negative scanner for casual sharing but I want to do stuff on paper if I can. It feels much better and without the pressure of social sharing etc. I enjoy it more.

 

[dimme]

I spent most of my life working in photo labs when they were a thing. C41 developing at home is forgiving not as much as B&W but doable. Color printing from negatives is a whole other story, but don't get frustrated if it takes a while. I would suggest sticking with one film type until you get the hang of it. You may also fine color print is pretty picky about temperature so investing in a good temperature controlled water bath may pay off.

 

[MajorFubar]

I realised I don't enjoy the workflow at all on digital. The day job is staring at a screen. It's just too much.

I can relate to this. I think some people think we're here to resurect the film vs digital debate from 25 years ago, but for me it's all about doing things that for once don't involve a computer or my phone. Negatives or slide films that are actually tangible things in your hands not bits on a memory card. Better? Worse? I don't care, the point is i'm not staring at a computer screen. That's whats 'better' to me.

 

[cjsuk]

I spent most of my life working in photo labs when they were a thing. C41 developing at home is forgiving not as much as B&W but doable. Color printing from negatives is a whole other story, but don't get frustrated if it takes a while. I would suggest sticking with one film type until you get the hang of it. You may also fine color print is pretty picky about temperature so investing in a good temperature controlled water bath may pay off.

Yeah I’m all in on the temperature controlled stuff in the notes I have written up. Also tank / rotary processing is a hell of a lot easier than tray processing for temp control and light and chemical management. B&W is very forgiving.

I have actually done colour printing before but it was mid 1990s so rather rusty. We had an in house lab at home!

 

[cjsuk]

I can relate to this. I think some people think we're here to resurect the film vs digital debate from 25 years ago, but for me it's all about doing things that for once don't involve a computer or my phone. Negatives or slide films that are actually tangible things in your hands not bits on a memory card. Better? Worse? I don't care, the point is i'm not staring at a computer screen. That's whats 'better' to me.

Very good points all around. I’m certainly not part of that debate. I’m just happy I found something fun to do that doesn’t involve the computer.

Strangely enough I’ve got a previous life as an electronics engineer so I’ve just scribbled out a design for a completely discrete (no ICs or computers) precision analogue darkroom timer. Bit of an overlap there.

 

[MajorFubar]

A few from me just to prove that I do actually shoot film and not just preach it 🙂

Old Nell's Tavern and canal-side walk near Preston, Lancashire UK, March 2026. Olympus OM10QD, 50mm F/1.8, Kodak ColorPlus 200, lab scan:

Avenham Park, Preston, Lancashire UK, March 2025. Olympus OM1n, 50mm F1/4, Kodak ColorPlus 200, lab scan:

Farmer's field near my home in Thornton, Lancashire, UK, March 2025. Olympus OM30, 50mm F/1.4, Fuji Velvia 50 slide film, lab scan.

Side note: this was me starting to experiment with a polarising filter. I love the look 'in camera' but having got the photos back I'm not sure I always like the end result. I think the key is to use polarisers very carefully and sparingly. I love what it does to the sky, but the foregound can look 'copy/pasted on'. I think it works here though:

 

[cjsuk]

Great shots! Love to see these 😀

 

[MajorFubar]

When I look at a lot of my shots I realise I've got this "thing" about converging horizonal lines. I think I've been fascinated about lines converging to infinity ever since I was a little kid and I put two mirrors facing each other.

These are another couple from the same roll as the last shot, taken in March 2025 with an Olympus OM30 on Fuji Velvia 50 near my home in Thornton, Lancashire UK, but this time using a 24mm F/2.8 and polariser. These shots are basically opposite ends of the same country lane: