Back to the beach with Ilford HP5+

For nine years, I lived on a little sliver of land in Northern California between the Pacific Coast Highway and the beach. I never took one second of that time for granted because I knew, deep down inside, it would not be my forever place. And I was right. A new job opportunity in 2019 took me just far enough inland to make daily commuting impossible...so I moved. And even though now, I live only an hour and twenty minutes from the coast, I find I can only get back to the beach a few times a year.

A few weeks ago, we grabbed our dog Jazz and took her to the beach to play in the surf and sand. I had a few rolls of Ilford HP5+ that I wanted to try. This was my first time shooting this film, so I was excited to give it a try. I fitted a Zuiko 100mm f/2.8 lens to my Olympus OM-1n.

Olympus OM-1n with Olympus Zuiko 100mm F/2.8 Auto-T

The light that day was hazy sun. I recently acquired this camera and I’ve run two rolls through it, one color and one black and white. Both rolls looked under exposed, so I am pretty sure the meter is off. I am going to send it back to the shop I bought it from and ask them to re-calibrate.

Spending some time at the beach was good for my soul. And Jazzy enjoyed herself immensely.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to eBay

I’ve been writing quite frequently here about my effort to reduce the number of film cameras in my arsenal down to just those that bring me the most joy. I have to say that I have done a pretty good job and the timing has been right as the price of film cameras is the highest I’ve seen in a decade.

An interesting thing has happened to me during this process…I have found myself really missing a few of the cameras I have parted ways with. So much so, that I’ve gone out and bought replacements for them. One of the cameras I’ve deeply regretted selling was the Olympus OM-1.

The OM-1 was the first in a line of compact and exceptionally well made 35mm single reflex cameras from Olympus. The OM-1 was introduced as the M-1 in 1972. There were several refinements over the next few years with the final version, the OM-1n, hitting the market in 1979. I reviewed this camera in depth here a few years ago, and there are many other reviews, most better than mine, online. Hardly anyone has a bad thing to say about the OM-1n other than it uses a battery that is no longer available. That problem is easily fixed during CLA with a conversion to adapt the camera to modern batteries.

I sold my original OM-1n on eBay and I’ve really missed it. So much so that I reached out to one of my trusted sellers, John Titterington of JT Cameras to get another. John is a fine camera tech and sells Olympus and other vintage cameras on eBay. All of the cameras John sells have been serviced and re-calibrated to accept modern batteries. I ended up buying two OM-1n bodies from John, one black and one chrome. I know…so much for thinning the herd!

Olympus OM-1n with early 50mm f/1.4 Zuiko Auto-S

I took my black OM-1n, 50mm f/1.4 Zuiko and some expired Kodak ColorPlus with me to Sedona, Arizona a few weeks ago. I had intended to do quite a bit of hiking and photography while I was there but unfortunately I turned my ankle and had to stay off of it for a few days. Once rested, I took a short and easy stroll into Boynton Canyon and clicked off a few snaps.

After finishing this roll, I remembered why I loved the little OM-1n so much. It’s a delight to use. Feels so good in the hand. Simple. Jewel-like build quality. A big, bright viewfinder with awesome split-image focus screen and a meter display that never gets in the way of the photographer. One other thing that some reviewers have complained about—the rough feel of the film advance lever—is easily remedied during a CLA. Mine is smooth as silk. I don’t think I will be parting with my OM cameras anytime soon.

There are two other cameras that I regret selling. I’m on the hunt for those now. Hey…what can I say? :-)

eBay No Pay

I have been buying and selling on eBay for nearly 18 years. My experiences, both as a buyer and a seller, have been very very good. I have only been disappointed in what I have purchased a handful of times and for most of those transactions, it was because I did not pay close enough attention to photos or the descriptions of what I was buying.

Only once was something misrepresented by the seller. It was my first Pentax Spotmatic and the seller did not disclose corrosion in the battery chamber that had found its way into the camera. I paid nearly nothing for that body though so I just chalked it up to experience.

Lately however, there is a new trend; Buyers place a bid, win and never pay.

This has happened four times to me during the last 8 months. It’s more a nuisance than anything because I eventually re-list the item and it sells. Once it was an international buyer and the other times, US buyers with positive feedback.

The buyers do not respond to communications and just simply ghost me. I don’t get it.

A New Camera Strap

I have not treated myself to any new gear in a long while, so when a photographer friend suggested I try the Sevilla leather camera strap from ONA, I figured I would indulge.

I have an ONA Bowery leather camera bag which is just magnificent. It’s well made and the leather just keeps looking better as I use it.

The Sevilla costs $65. ONA ships quickly. I had my strap two days after I ordered it. Opening up the package flooded my senses with the rich deep smell of leather. ONA’s leather just smells wonderful.

In the ONA tradition, the strap is very well made with robust rings and built-in strap protectors. It’s a 40” strap which is just perfect for me. ONA says the strap will hold ten pounds but I can’t imagine ever wanting to carry 10 pounds of camera on my shoulder.

I think I will try the Sevilla on my Nikon F3. The antique cognac color of the leather will look nice against the F3’s black body. More to come.

You can find ONA straps here.

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you the best over the holidays. Health and happiness in 2022 too!

Cameras for sale

I am working on my goal of reducing the number of cameras in my collection. Cameras are meant to be used, not stored. So I am going through the difficult process of parting with those I do not shoot often enough. I’ve shed a few tears in the process.

I am including a link to the current items I have for sale below. Whenever I list cameras for sale on eBay, I will occasionally get messages from buyers complaining that my prices are too high. I am not sure why someone would take the time to tell a private seller that they are asking too much for anything they are selling online. Vintage cameras, like vintage automobiles, are worth whatever someone is willing to pay. And if the price seems too high, don’t buy it.

There is nothing wrong with the cameras I list for sale. No “as is” or “for parts.” These are all cameras that I spent considerable time searching for and often invested more money into service and/or upgrades. In most cases, I paid more than I should have because…well, because I really love nice old cameras.

You can see what I am selling here.

Regrets: The Leica M6 TTL

There are many photographers who blog about which film cameras to buy. I’ve decided to write about some of the cameras I truly regret selling. First up, the Leica M6TTL.

I bought my Leica M6 TTL rangefinder and 35mm Summicron lens at the Leica Store in San Francisco on a bright, crisp morning in early November 2014. I had been watching eBay for several months, drooling over M6 listings and just happened upon this nice one which was at Camera West in Walnut Creek. An email inquiry to Camera West was answered by the shop’s owner, Sean Cranor, who I discovered also owned the Leica Store in San Francisco. When I mentioned that I was gong to be in the City that weekend, Sean said he’d be happy to send the M6 over to their sister store for me to look at.

I had recently sold my Leica M3 and rigid 50mm Summicron, so I had cash when I arrived at the beautiful Leica camera shop just outside of Chinatown. The M6 was in mint condition and they had a spectacular 35mm Summicron in the used lens case. Leica film camera prices were still fairly reasonable seven years ago, so I bought the M6 and 35 ‘cron and still had some cash in my pocket for the weekend.

I picked up a few rolls of Fuji Acros and shot this pic of the front of the store. My first Leica M6 shot.

I had my Nikon F2AS with me that weekend with the intention of making some photographs at Fort Point at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. With my new Leica in hand, plans changed and I finished off the roll chasing light at the historic structure.

On the walk back to my hotel, I shot this close-up of the controls on a fire engine.

The M6 and 35mm lens inspired me that day. And I appreciated the small package of body and lens. The Leica’s meter readout was minimalist—two arrows showing under or over exposure. When both arrows are lit, you have the correct exposure.

Top plate of the Leica M6TTL— simple and straightforward

I made some of my most satisfying images with the M6.

I was deep into gear acquisition syndrome at this time and traded the M6 kit for a Leica M8 digital camera. I didn't much get along with the digital M and sold it a short time later. I have always deeply regretted selling the M6 and that 35mm Summicron. For one, it was the Leica rangefinder that best fit my shooting style. Two, I bought it when M6 bodies were still somewhat affordable. They’ve really gone through the roof since.

If you are considering a Leica M film camera and are on the fence about which one to buy, consider the M6. It’s a fairly new camera compared to the M2, M3 and M4 and has a very competent built-in meter. And oh my…those lovely Summicrons!

Damn…I wish I still had mine.

F3 By The Sea

After 13 years of shooting lots of different film cameras, I am finding that my Nikon F3 is one of my favorites. Here a a few shots taken on some expired Kodak Portra 400 film using my 50mm f/1.4 Nikon Ais lens.

My Annual Blog Post About Servicing Old Cameras

I just got my Pentax LX back from service. Jim Holman at ICT Camera did a fine job. The mirror was sticking on some of the slower shutter speeds. It’s a common ailment with this camera. Pentax built a world class professional grade 35mm SLR, but used the worst mirror bumper foam material ever. Over time, the stuff turns into a gooey mess. Jim replaced that and did a full CLA (clean-lubricate-adjust). My LX came back good as new.

I follow a number of Facebook film camera pages and there’s a running debate about the merits of repairing old cameras versus just buying a replacement. A few years ago, I could see both sides of the argument. Film cameras were still relatively cheap and in some cases you could replace your ailing Pentax ME or Olympus OM-2 for about the same cost as the repair.

More people are shooting film these days and prices for good film equipment has gone up. If you have a camera that you love shooting, it makes more sense now to get it serviced. Even if it is working just fine, investing in preventative maintenance is a good investment.

Here are some repair shops I have used and can recommend. These are no particular order.

DAG CAMERA: Don Goldberg is the master of all things Leica. I have sent him Leica SLRs and rangefinders. His work is top notch and his prices are reasonable. He is easy to connect with. His turnaround times for me have been just a few weeks.

ICT CAMERA: Jim Holman works on most every brand of film camera. He is also an expert on lens CLAs. He quit his full time job a few years ago to devote his full attention to his repair business. He does fine work.

SHERRY KRAUTER: Sherry worked on my Leica R5, but she focuses mostly on Leica rangefinders. She also has a nice online store. She’s been in business since 1976 and is a legend in Leica circles. She is also fun to talk to.

BLUE MOON CAMERA: If you are ever in Portland, Oregon, make a point to visit Blue Moon Camera & Machine. What a wonderful store! And they do repair work too. I sent my Canon F-1 there and they brought it back to life. Reasonably priced and good turnaround.

SOVER WONG: Sover is the world’s expert on Nikon F2 repairs. The F2 is the only camera he works on. Send your F2 to Sover and it will come back just like new. He also does modifications to Nikon F2 metered finders and does Nikon F2 repair clinics. Up until a few years ago, my F2 was my favorite camera, then my eyesight changed. For some reason, no matter which Nikon diopter I tried, I could not see clearly enough through the viewfinder to focus. The F2 is the only old camera I have this trouble with and I have no idea why. Sadly, I have sold my F2s.

YOUXIN YE: Where do you send your Canon LTM rangefinder for CLA? Youxin Ye’s YYeCAMERA. Youxin also works on Leica M and screw mount bodies. Competent work and great communication.

ERIC HENDRICKSON: Eric is to Pentax what Sover is to the Nikon F2. Eric works on the Pentax Spotmatic series, K1000, LX, ME, ME Super and MX. He is not the most chatty fellow because he is so busy, but his work is exceptional, his prices are very fair and his turnaround time is exceptional.

MARK HAMA: Mark is the man to send your YashicaMAT or Electro 35 to. I thought my Yashica rangefinder was toast. Mark brought it back to life.

JOHN TITTERINGTON: I found John on eBay when I was looking for a nice Olympus OM-1n. John works on Olympus, Nikon, Minolta and more. He is a great source if you are looking to buy a camera because everything he sells has been fully serviced.

Those of us who love and use old film cameras are very fortunate that there are still highly skilled folks out there who can keep our equipment operating as designed. Many of these technicians have invested a lot of money buying up old parts and donor-body cameras, since replacement parts are mostly not available from the original manufacturers. They are a vital part of our film photography community and deserve our support.

And then...there were ten

As happens with many of us who dabble in analog photography, I accumulated many more cameras than I had time to shoot. So I have slowly and thoughtfully sold or gifted away much of my collection. I wanted to make sure that the gear went to good homes. To photographers that would use them and love them the way I have. Mechanical cameras are made to be used and not sit on a shelf.

I think I started with close to 40 cameras. Here is where I am now:

Nikon FE and FE2: I love these two compact Nikon F bodies. Both of mine have been serviced and they are small. lightweight and easy to carry around all day. I mostly shoot the 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 Nikkors on these bodies.

Nikon F100: The most modern camera I own. I bought a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF-S lens…the only lens I have ever purchased new…to mount on this marvelous camera. It’s the retro-styled lens that was released with the Nikon Df digital camera. It focuses fast and silently on the F100.

Nikon F3HP: It actually took me awhile to appreciate Nikon’s last manual focus professional film body. For me, the F3 was an acquired taste and the more I shoot it, the more I like it.

Nikon F4: I only take my F4 out for a walk a few times a year because it is big and heavy. When I do shoot with it, I always marvel how good this beast feels in my hand. The F4 is fun!

Pentax Spotmatic SP: It wasn’t until I sent my Spotmatic off to Eric Hendrickson for a CLA and mounted the legendary 50mm 8-element Super Takumar lens that I came to fully appreciate this simple mechanical SLR and amazing Pentax lenses. I have both chrome and black body versions.

Pentax MX: This little SLR is so small it almost disappears in your hand. My 50mm SMC Pentax f/1.2 lens is bigger than the camera.

Pentax LX: I have owned three LX bodies. Sent all of them to Eric for CLA and have sold two for a small profit. When the LX is working properly, it is a joy to shoot.

Leica R4S MOD-P: Just like the F3, it took me awhile to warm to Leica’s SLRs. After owning and shooting the M2, M3 and M6 rangefinders, the Leica R cameras are a totally different experience. In the end, I am an SLR guy and while the rangefinders were sold for a tidy profit, my R bodies remain.

Leica R7: The last R body before Leica totally redesigned their SLRs. The R7 has a multitude of shooting modes and a big and brilliant viewfinder.

This isn’t the final cut by any means. I’m learning what I like and what I don’t. Photography is an evolving experience.

Snapshot

I rarely have my iPhone on my person. I know. I’m odd. It’s a great phone but I’ve never felt comfortable walking around with it in my pants or jacket pocket or carrying it in hand. In my pocket, the iPhone feels like a heavy hard piece of toast. And if I carry it around in my hand…well, that’s just damn inconvenient.

Because of my reluctance to carry a digital device, I’ve missed some great photo opportunities. This was not the case in mid-December of last year when I visited Upstate New York and stayed at The Lake Placid Lodge. After checking into my room, iPhone in hand, I stood shivering in the below zero air on the balcony. The sun was placing its last kisses on Whiteface Mountain and reflecting nicely on the lake. I got off a few shots before the light changed. This was the best of the bunch.

Rosie's First Swim

We took Rosie, our 9-month old Golden Retriever, for a swim lesson in Santa Rosa a few weeks ago. Everything in the world is new to Rosie and she had some hesitation venturing into the big swimming pool at the dog training center.

I took my Nikon F4 loaded with some Kodak Portra 400 film. This was the first time I had ever shot this film at the box speed. I normally rate Portra 400 at 200 ISO to get more saturated colors, but I think it performed pretty well here. I also wanted to make sure that the F4’s DX reader was still functioning as designed. I love this camera and hope its 33 year old electronics keep humming along.

The F4 was Nikon’s first professional body with matrix metering. I think that the bright sunny California afternoon, Rosie’s white fur and the water provided quite a workout for the F4’s meter.

I used my AF-D Nikkor 35-70 f/3.3 - 4.5 zoom lens. Making photographs of these dogs has me thinking that I need a more robust zoom…perhaps 80-200.

Boutique Photo Lab developed my film and did the scans. They scanned the entire negative up to but not including the sprocket holes. I think it gives these shots an interesting look.

The Nikon FE

If you enjoy shooting classic film cameras and have not tried one of Nikon’s advanced amateur SLRs from the 1970s and early 80s, you should. They are all well built, small, lightweight, dependable and easily and affordably serviced. The line-up includes the Nikon FM, FM2, FM2n and very expensive FM3a, the FA and the FE and FE2.

The FM, FM2 and FM2n are manual exposure cameras. The shutters are mechanical. The battery only powers the TTL meter. They are super dependable. Back in the day, many professional photographers carried one of these cameras as a back up to their pro bodies.

The FM3a was one of the last Nikon film cameras and an evolution of the FM2n. Improvements included an electro-mechanically controlled shutter and aperture-priority automation. Whenever I check the prices on these cameras, it takes my breath away.

The FA was Nikon’s techno marvel from 1983. It offers manual, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and program modes. It was the first Nikon with matrix metering, which is still used today.

The Nikon FE offers manual and aperture-priority shooting modes. Its successor, the FE2, increased the top shutter speed from 1/1000th of a second to a blistering 1/4000th.

I own the FM2n and really enjoy its simplicity. I also have the FE2 and shoot it more than any other camera I own. For no reason other than curiosity, I have always wanted to try the FE and when a nice serviced copy came up for sale on eBay, I jumped.

After spending so much time shooting my FE2, the FE felt like an old friend. Build quality was like the other Nikon F cameras, sure and confidence inspiring. I think that the meter display in the FE and FE2 are the best of any SLR…simple analog display on the left side of a big, beautiful viewfinder. In fact, if Nikon used the FE/FE2 display in the F3, it would be the perfect camera for me!

My first roll of film in the FE was Kodak’s Pro Image 100. I made some photographs around town and in my backyard. It was still Covid time. I used the camera’s automatic mode.

Back home, a shot in the kitchen of my pizza before popping it into the oven.

And a photograph of Kimmie, who agreed to pose for the FE.

I knew I would love this camera. It feels great in the hand and is light enough to carry around all day. Nikon’s classic center-weighted metering makes it pretty hard to screw up exposure. The 50mm f/1.8 AI-s lens I had mounted was Nikon’s kit lens at the time and you can buy an FE and this lens today for between $100 and $125 if you shop around. The FE2 is newer and more popular. That makes it more expensive. If you don’t need 1/4000th of a second, the FE will do you fine.

I have edited my collection of film cameras down to less than a dozen and the FE will stay. I like this camera and I didn’t pay that much for it. I’m comfortable carrying it along on a dusty hike. If it dies, repair is inexpensive. The Nikons from this era are marvelous cameras. You can’t go wrong with any of them.

Back to the beach

With my new job and then Covid, It had been a long, long while since I had visited my beloved Sonoma County beaches with a camera. I finally got to the coast this past weekend with my Nikon F100 and some TMAX 100. It was windy and chilly, but felt great to have the sand under my feet again. Now that California is opening up, I will make a plan to visit more often.

I am sending two rolls off to Boutique Film Lab for processing and scanning. While I wait, I thought I would share some snaps I’ve made over the year of the sand and the water. The beach is ever changing. No two days are ever the same.

Unfriendly Facebook

I’ve been noticing that Facebook is getting less friendly and more contentious. And I’m not talking about pages devoted to politics, the environment or the economy. I’m seeing it on, of all places, analog film photography and classic film cameras buy/swap/sell pages.

Recently, a newbie analog photographer posted a question on a film camera page. This person had just shot her first roll of film in a Nikon FE and couldn’t figure out how to release the film so she could wind it back into the cartridge. While many of the people commenting directed her to the little button on the bottom of the camera, several people went off on her about being too lazy to read the owners manual before using the camera. One person commented that perhaps people with limited technical skills shouldn’t be messing around with old film cameras.

I personally think it is wonderful that young people are discovering film photography. The more people shoot film, the longer companies like Ilford and Kodak will keep making it. We should be helpful and encourage people just getting into this hobby. Not shame them for asking a question. I’m sure we’ve all asked a dumb question or two in our lives. I know that I have.

Over on the buy/swap/sell pages, it is very common for people to make cruel comments about the prices that people ask for their gear. I have experienced this myself. A film camera is worth whatever price the buyer is willing to pay. If the price is too high for you, just move on. What purpose is served by making the seller defend his or her price? Over the years, I have found lots of great bargains when shopping for gear. And many times, I have paid way more than I should have just because I wanted a camera or it was in particularly good condition. And I never sell my cameras for cheap because I have spent time finding really good examples and in most cases, I’ve invested in having them properly cleaned and serviced. So far this year, I have had to delete two camera listings on Facebook just because the comments became so vitriolic.

It wasn’t always this way. At least on the photography pages. I’m not sure why either. Seems there is a lot of anger and frustration in this country right now and it’s spilling over into places that are supposed to be easy and fun.

I can’t change the world, but I am going to make a personal effort to be friendly, helpful and thoughtful whenever I comment on social media. Maybe it will rub off. Just a little.

My FE2 is Back!

My beloved Nikon FE2 is back from service. It works like brand new!

Jim Holman at International Camera Technicians is my go-to guy for Nikon. But wait! There’s more! Jim also works on Hasselblad, Rolleiflex, Pentax K1000, Leica and others. He is also a master at CLA-ing Nikon and other brand lenses.

Jim’s full time job is vintage camera repair. He does great work, his rates are very fair and he’s prompt.

I love supporting people who service our old film cameras. They aren’t making any more of these, so we need dedicated technicians to keep the ones we have operating smoothly.

If yours is in need of service, please reach out to Jim. Tell him the Fogdog Blog sent you!

Inspiration

As I was curating the images from my last roll of expired Kodak Plus-X, I almost threw this one in the trash. It was just a random shot of the late afternoon sun playing off the wall and window blinds in my dining room.

The more time I spent looking at this image, the more I liked the interesting angles. The sun and the shadows. And it does a pretty good job demonstrating the wide tonal range of Plus-X.

Inspiration comes when we least expect it. I think I am going to do a series exploring light and shadow. Simple images of everyday things. I am glad I did not throw this one in the trash.

The Nikon F4: To keep or not to keep

I wrote at the beginning of this year that I was going to take stock of my camera collection and begin the process of selling the equipment that I do not use often enough. With film photography becoming more popular, these great cameras should be used for their intended purpose and not sit on a shelf or in a plastic storage container. And I have accumulated far too many cameras to use consistently. My goal was to edit my collection down to only those cameras that I really enjoy shooting and find loving homes for the others.

I also hoped to at least recoup my original investment plus any hard costs for servicing them. A real bonus would be to actually make a dollar or two. I am happy to report that I have broken even on every camera I have sold and made a profit on about 80% of them. A few have been gifts to close friends. Those don’t count.

The process of elimination has been fairly straightforward; grab a camera and think about the last time I shot with it. What did I like? What didn’t I like? I went through my archives of images and re-read some of the thing I had written here. I also considered where I am right now in my photographic journey and my life in general. In most cases, the decision to sell was pretty easy. There were a few that tugged at my heart strings as I packed them up to go off to their new homes, but it was nice thinking that someone new would get to experience, love and enjoy a well cared for old camera.

For a few, like the Nikon F4 I am writing about today, the decision was more difficult. I needed to load up some film and take a photo walk.

I’ve had my F4 for many years. I bought it from its original owner. He took good care of it and so have I. I also have a few period correct Nikkor AF-D lenses for it—a 50mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.8 and a 35-70 zoom. I fed the F4 some Kodak Pro Image 100 film, mounted the 50/1.8 and took a walk. These are some of the more interesting images I made that day.

When I returned home, my end of roll mirror selfie.

Shooting my F4 again reminded me of all the things I love about this camera and a few things I don’t. Like how heavy the F4 is and how slowly it auto focuses. Yes, the F4 is a heavy beast of a camera, but it’s also so well designed and balanced that it just feels really nice to shoot despite its weight. (I use my F4 with the MB-20 battery grip which is the smallest and lightest configuration. I also have the larger MB-21 grip.) And yes, Nikon’s first professional auto focus camera does hunt and peck a bit when trying to find its focus. But I am not shooting NASCAR races, so I don’t mind it.

What I do love about the F4 is that it will mount and meter with most any Nikon lens ever made. It has one of the best viewfinders of any camera I’ve ever shot. It uses AA batteries, not some hard to find type. And it has dials and levers for everything. No multi-function switches or confusing menus like the later F5 or F6. Nikon knew that they had a tough act to follow after the F3, so they made the F4 perfectly transitional while being revolutionary as well. The F4 set the stage for every Nikon SLR that followed.

I am keeping my F4 for all of these reasons and for one that is purely sentimental. Back in the early 1990s, when was I just getting seriously back into film photography, I wandered into a photo store in Tempe, Arizona. They had a brand new F4 in the case and I asked to try it out. It seemed a technological wonder at the time and was so very cool. It was also wildly expensive and far out of my reach. I never dreamed I would ever own one.

My F4 is thirty plus years old. It’s no longer cutting edge. It’s quaint. And it’s loads of fun to shoot. With any electronic camera of this era, I know that one day I will turn it on and it won’t wake up. And no one works on the F4 these days. Until then, the F4 is a keeper.

My Bad Roll of CineStill 800T

I had good luck shooting a few rolls of CineStill 800T a few years ago. For the uninitiated, CineStill is Kodak’s Vision 3 motion picture film that is put through a special process to remove the Remjet layer, making it compatible with C-41 processing. This layer is unique to motion picture film and if you tried to process Vision 3 in C-41 without removing the Remjet, this layer would contaminate the chemistry and foul the process.

My roll of CineStill had been in my Nikon F100 for a long time! And honestly, I cannot even remember when I bought it. I started this roll Christmas 2019 and finished it a few weeks ago. Boutique Film Lab does my processing and when I got the scans back, I had a note from Ryan Tolbert, the lab’s founder and master processor…

“It looks like the roll of Cinestill 800 is affected by a known quality control issue that they had on some batches. The film was not dried properly after the Remjet removal so there are water marks throughout the roll. Cinestill has since fixed this issue.”

Needless to say, most of what I got back was a mess.

Film photography is a journey and not every leg is successful. Here are the few shots I salvaged. First, from 2019…

And from 2021…

Expired Plus-X in the Failing Nikon FE2

I adore Kodak’s discontinued Plus-X 125 black and white film. It was the film I cut my teeth on when I first started dabbling in photography in the early 1970s. Pleasant, creamy, dreamy images. Forgiving in exposure and home processing. I bought up a bunch of this film from the final lots and I use it sparingly.

One day, mid-pandemic, I decided to load a roll into my Nikon FE2, mask up and walk the nearly deserted streets of downtown Napa looking for interesting angles and shadows. I didn’t shoot a whole lot during the months of lock down and was really looking forward to a nice photo walk with one of my favorite cameras.

I got my first hint of trouble three or four shots into the roll when the mirror locked up on the Nikon. I was shooting in aperture priority mode and I knew from past experience that when the mirror locks up on the FE or FE2, shifting into one of the camera’s manual shutter speeds will free up the mirror. And that’s all it took. The mirror popped free after shuttling back and forth between automatic and manual modes.

The mirror gremlin didn't hide for a long. A few more shots into the roll and the mirror locked up again. This time, no amount of fiddling with the shutter speeds would free up the mirror. I was really disappointed. It had been too long since I had been out with one of my cameras. And here I was half way through a roll of my prized Plus-X and a very dependable camera poops out on me.

The FE2 is already on its way to Jim Holman at ICT Camera Repair. Jim specializes in cameras like the FE2, FM, FE and FA. He does fine work and his prices are reasonable. I guess I shouldn’t complain. My FE2 has served me well and was due for some spa time.