Offline
I was doing some searching for AA batteries and Consumer Reports sent me to Amazon then curious about one of the places selling on Amazon.
I followed the link to that store.
They had batteries out the ying yang of every size and description but I notice they had Kodak Film which I thought was pretty much kaput for non pros.
I scanned the first 15 pages of the site and found Kodak, and Fuji 35mm and some 120 too.
Then I noticed the prices, for the same item in the same store???
Of course the pandemic cause shortages and the prices went up.
I wonder if the demand is the same that drove vinyl albums to surge?
I also had the thought maybe the film is used to create NFTs when you don't have any skills with paint or other medium?
Offline
A lot of the young people around my girls have an attachment to anything requiring the human touch. Handmade objects, food, music, and clothing, vinyl records you have to care for, film you have to develop, outdoor adventuring, they're clinging to their humanity in the face of a discordant modern age.
Offline
The nostalgia factor is definitely there as is belonging to a community of film photographers. Not only can people immerse themselves in the old processes (like they do cooking from scratch), they're more likely to pay attention to elements of composition and taking a picture at the right time rather than blanketing a subject with exposures (film capacity vs digital capacity) then doing lots of post editing. There's also the high resolution on grain aesthetic (preferred by some), the blending of color and light, and the rendering of white and black which is a different look to digital and pixels. It's also nice that many film cameras still around don't require updates or have preplanned obsolescence when a relatively short support period ends. People are still using their parents' and grandparents' cameras... which brings us back to nostalgia.
Offline
I was never without a 35mm SLR for 50 years and didn't make the switch to digital.
The "Color Plus 200 Black and White" film above did catch my eye though.
Offline
Offline
Damn they went to a lot of trouble to supposedly convey moods and worries by facial closeups.
It makes me wonder if actors can do that in a way most viewers get it right.
Even if it wasn't actors 75 years after the fact, would the face of the real people at the time be readable?
I've got a fair amount of money tied up in 35mm cameras, lenses, remote flashes, and misc crap.
But going back to film with the cost and hassle of getting the film processed is off-putting.
If the surge continues for a bit maybe I can sell the stuff.
Offline
Happy Monkey wrote:
65mm Black and White movie film was just created for the first time.
Wow, there's a budget breaker.
Offline
I prefer film for my personal work, but the Great Yellow Father is pricing me out. I really like Tr-X 320 for my 8x10 work, but it is now $18.00 per sheet of film, versus Ilford FP4 (also a great film) at $8.00 per sheet.
Offline
By sheet you mean the final print paper? Pete thinks we used to pay like $3.50 a roll for 35mm.
Offline
Sheet film is used in large format cameras (think the ones where the photographer is under a cloth focusing). The cameras I use take 4"x5", 5"x7" or 8"x10" sheets of film, as opposed to 36 images on a roll of 35mm. Most of my personal work is large format black and white. I then scan the processed negatives and output to a fine art paper.
Offline
35mm film isa the best really.....
Offline
I fucking LOVE digital cameras and phone cameras. I was heavy into film when that's all we had, but things are SO much better now.
Offline
nowhereman wrote:
Sheet film is used in large format cameras (think the ones where the photographer is under a cloth focusing). The cameras I use take 4"x5", 5"x7" or 8"x10" sheets of film, as opposed to 36 images on a roll of 35mm. Most of my personal work is large format black and white. I then scan the processed negatives and output to a fine art paper.
I appreciate the info, cool stuff.