Reading the thread on watches being worn well, it jugged my memory that I had a film camera tucked away somewhere. After a 10 minute search I found the thing which was a Leica M6 tucked away in a bag at the back of a cupboard.
I had it serviced by Leica, tucked it away and forgot all about it when digital took over about 10 years ago. The beauty of the leica was the very good quality of portrait pics when taken using a F90 lens.
Much to my surprise the battery was still working when I switched the camera on, the little red arrows that indicate exposure came on instantly.
I had a new granddaughter a few days ago so thought a nice black and white portrait of mum and baby would be a good idea.
So my question is - what is the best black and white film to use and where do you buy and develop it?
Any info will be gratefully received.
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
Fantastic film camera you have there in the Leica M6.
If you get a C41 black and white film you can easily get processed most places on the high street.
Have fun.
I shoot digital and film.
Also shoot with a Leica.
Many thanks for the advice, I will get some during the week.
Kodak Tri-X is also really good and I prefer this to XP2 although as pastrana says the latter can be developed in the C41 process, which works out much cheaper and places like ASDA can develop it.
If you did want to try colour then I would recommend Kodak Portra - 400 is really nice and for sunnier conditions 160
Agree - you have probably the most desirable 35mm film camera. I'd love to try one but cannot justify the prices at the moment. For film I mainly use Olympus (OM2n) and Nikon (FE2) and am pretty happy with these.
Originally Posted by pastrana72
I genuinely thought the thing was scrap value because everyone carries a mobile phone and they score 100% on the ease and convenience factor. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the values.
I sort of fancy taking some shots of mountains in black and white, blowing them up to a decent size and then framing them to hang on the wall.
The one thing about using a Leica lens is the sheer quality of reproduction when you blow the size up.
For those sort of photos the lens is only one element of it. You need a low ASA speed to give fine grain.
https://expertphotography.com/best-b...nd-white-film/
Leica M6 are definitely in demand and actually rising in value.
I can explain my experience of this, I looked at very decent Black M6 in the last two years it was about 1000 GBP with 35mm summicon which I can not remember how much that was.
Now, today if I wanted the same condition the market value is 2000 to 2500 for a M6.
I think the window for getting a M6 has passed at the moment for me to be honest, but not bothered as I have a few very nice film cameras that have come to live with me, as I changed direction from watches.
So enjoy the Leica M6.
I got a mint Nikon F3HP with a 50mm and Contax G1 with the 45mm instead, I love using them and the pictures ace.
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Fantastic cameras, enjoy.
Great thing to find tucked into a cupboard somewhere.
I keep thinking of selling all the other film cameras and just getting something like a M6.
Great camera, hope you enjoy using it.
Great camera, OP
Not a Leica - but I have a Contax (or 2) in the loft somewhere
This gets worse, I had another forage in the cupboard and found 9 rolls of film waiting to be developed. I now remember that I took these when I went on holiday in Egypt, which was in 2007.
Can any knowledgeable person please comment if they are ok or liable to deteriorate.
Only one way to find out - take/send them in to be developed. Will partly depend on how they’ve been stored as well.
Don’t know for sure, but you’re probably safer developing old film that has already been exposed than taking shots on expired film if that makes sense.
Ilford FP4 was always my choice of B&W film, followed by HP5.
This all from the days when you had to choose your ISO before taking the pics, unless you "pushed" it in processing.
https://youtu.be/JXpoALotxf0
There is also a good video following Jason Lee where he talks about Leica M6 and Ilford film
Oh the irony! That’s like saying ‘I thought my 1969 Submariner was worthless now everyone uses their phone to tell the time’!
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My Dad had some film which was 20+ years old developed once.
There was a little yellowing at top and bottom (maybe the seal on the cartridge failing?), but they were viewable and a bit like opening Tutankhamen's tomb to see us 20 years younger for the first time!
M
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Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Thanks for the replies, they are all very useful.
There are hundreds of Youtubes on the M6 and it really does seem to have become a cult amongst film enthusiasts. I spent 5 hours on Youtube yesterday (my excuse is that it was raining) which is a bit obsessive but it certainly seems to be reviving black and white.
I have the M6 classic which when I bought it seemed to be the poor relation to the M6 TTL but today everyone seems to want the classic due to its lack of dependency on batteries.
Both models need a battery for the light meter, Mick. The main difference is the fact that the later version was able to accommodate TTL flash and had a larger shutter speed dial (which turned the opposite way to the Classic).
The M3 is fully mechanical and doesn't have a meter.
I have a Canon F1 (original) and a Canon F1 ( v2) lots of canon lenses all in an aluminium Hakuba carry case.
Not used in over 20 years.
Bought a Nikon D7000 and some lenses. That’s not been used really.
iPhone always with me !
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I used to sell both Canon F1s back in the eighties. The original was the dog's. Actually the original was a bit before my time but we had some new old stock.
Seems like an awful lot of effort and cost for something that is in reality worse quality than most high end mobile phones!
I much preferred the original F1 effortless and as tough as you want.
I started with a Zenith B in the late 60’s.
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Not really a good 35mm will enlarge to 30”x20” not many phones are that capable. I wouldn’t think
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Then you're mistaken, you can enlarge anything you like up to any size you wish, the results may not be pleasing but it's absolutely possible, that's film or digital.
I think he was referring to the quality of the final image when it’s enlarged.
You can absolutely enlarge any image from film or mobile but 35mm will probably keep image quality at higher enlargements compared to a mobile.
Obviously the film will also depend on the film used, the quality of the lens, aperture etc. as well.
Exactly this!
I’ve managed 30”x20” with my Canon F1 and Canon lenses. For love nor money cannot remember the film used. But it was processed by 3H Photo Labs Birmingham in the 80’s
Digital off a phone would pixelate and deteriorate in quality and detail I imagine at 30”x20”
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Quite a step from a Zenith to an F1! But can't knock the Zenith given its price. My heart would sink when customers brought in Zeniths for part ex though.
Exactly, it all depends on what film it was shot on and and how it was exposed, to suggest that film is automatically better in nonsense.
Also, when was the last time anyone blew up to 30x20, I'd say it's a very rare occurrence for anyone that isn't having an exhibition, even to print 6x4's for a photo album is rare for people nowadays!
To bring it to a watch analogy, a vintage Sub may be nicer to own and a pleasure to wear but it doesn't necessarily tell the time any better than a 10 quid Casio.
Last edited by cbh; 27th May 2021 at 09:24.
Yeah That was the reaction of LCE when I went in. Zenith ended up in Landfill :-(Quite a step from a Zenith to an F1! But can't knock the Zenith given its price. My heart would sink when customers brought in Zeniths for part ex though
But the Canon was a monster jump up and I loved it, guess that’s why they’re both in the Hakuba case under the bed.
The original F1 was second hand, the new F1 was brand new, I got the motordrive with it too. Great that lenses worked on both.
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The two starter SLR cameras back in the day were always Zenith and Praktika. Charity shops always seem to have one or the other for sale.
Student ones were often Pentax K100s. Good solid camera. Back in the day I had a Pentax ME Super (actually still have it somewhere).
Recently started using my Pentax MX again
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
An ME Super was my first decent camera. I still have it but haven't used it for a long time. Here's a pic of it next to my Canon G12 for a size comparison. I regard the G12 as a grab and go compact, but that's compact in respect to my main camera which is a 1DX!
F.T.F.A.
F1
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New F1 with motor drive.
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All gear in Hakuba case.
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That really depends on how you define 'quality'. As others have said, not all cameras or film are created equal, and offer different results depending on the desired effect by the photographer. Having said that, for the average user, phone cameras offer an ability to get a really decent looking photograph with next to no effort. This is certainly an improvement on the past where with some people all you got was half a roll out of focus and the other half pictures of peoples' feet missing the head!
My first 35mm camera was a Zorki 4K, which was a Leica lookylikey rangefinder.
Mick asks a question about b&w film, and everybody slams up pictures of their camera kit....amazed there's no pictures of watches draped over them.
Anyway....
FP4.
Wexphotovideo.
Load your own cassettes for pence.
Develop yourself if you can, you'll get way better results and b&w is pretty easy to do.
Last edited by Tifa; 28th May 2021 at 10:14.
I have said this before in other photography threads, people get hung up on cameras but all they are is a glorified storage box, especially older more manual based cameras.
You the human inputs the settings required to take the exposed image, the lens converts the light falling on the sensor or film, if that lens is made with cheap glass to poor spec then you'll likely get a poor image no matter how good the camera is or how good your exposure settings are.
Put an expensive lens made of high grade glass and coatings to high tolerances on a cheap camera and it will produce a much better image than the expensive camera with a cheap lens.
Simply put, buy quality glass and if you can shoot entirely in manual.
Ooh I had one of those. Pretty sure I sold it on here many years ago. Wonder if it’s still with a forum member?
Edit - I did sell it on here back in 2011, along with a few other old cameras. Wish I’d kept the Olympus 35RC that I sold at the same time now.
Last edited by bambam; 28th May 2021 at 12:02.
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