Trying to teach myself !

[Oldbones]

Back out with my DSLR (it is a hard habit to break)
I Am learning all the time,
Having fun and feeling quite relaxed and happy as I go along.
But in brackets its a hard habit to break, as I want to really try with my analogue cameras.
I have sent 2 films away for processing, and I am about 3/4 through another 35mm and a 120.
Now the cost of the analogues were for the both of them and the lens, was less that £100, not a vast outlay in perspective.
The film was the budget stuff, about £6 each, but to develop and scan, correct and rotate and send me the premium jpegs, and returning the negatives is about £20 per roll of film.
It mounts up, but if I use 36 exposure films its the same as a 24 exposure film, I could also get standard scans that is a bit less.
I have had one 35mm film processed at the start of 2026, I was satisfied with the results, although when cropping they were more grainy than I was expecting.
Which reassured me the the 35mm SLR was working.
Sounds like a very drawn out process compared to a DSLR and a laptop.
But the DSLR feels to me to a great inexpensive way to learn lots of photography things, after the initial expense of the camera and lens.
Out this morning with the Nikon FG-20 SLR and the Kershaw 630, walked over 5 miles but only took about 10 photographs,
Yesterday was out with the DSLR and took just over 100 photographs. in less time and distance.
For me and perhaps many others it is quite a big step to transition to film.
Its not so much the cost its being confident that the photographs are going to be worthwhile. If they all come out well and are usable its not really that expensive (considering the price of Mirrorless or recent DSLRs etc.
I guess that sometimes you have to grasp the nettle to gain the end result.
Still below is a DSLR image that I would like to take with a SLR or a folding camera,
I am going to have to grasp the nettle.

I usually go to the beach, which in bright morning sun can be great but a challenge.
So while in town yesterday morning I tried to use the shadows to my advantage.
This guy on his bicycle was a result.

 

[John King]

The difference between taking fewer pictures when using film than when using digital, could it be you are just being more selective. Is this a bad thing? No I don't think so. There is so much rubbish taken with digital, knowing out of 100 frames there may be at least some that are going to be usable. There are used digital slr's out there with excess of 100,000 shots taken, some in a matter of months. My F6 which I bought 2nd hand about 2013 which has advanced electronics which can tell you how many films (not frames) have been through the camera and after 15 yrs it is just under 500 which equates to around close on 18,000 frames mixed from colour and B&W. (Not all shot by me I will add) A mere fraction of those shot with digital. That figure of actual frames will be actually less because some of the cassettes were 24 exp as opposed to 36exp. Even a lot of those have never been printed.

Your costs by having them commercially processed for me anyway would be unsustainable which is why I still have my active darkroom. It will be these costs that put off some people who would like to try film for the 1st time I will only use digital if I am somewhere that I cannot return to easily to retake ones that fail (Such as where I am now in Lerwick, Shetland.) The initial cost of buying sufficient equipment just to develop negative film is actually quite modest. The items that you will need can actually bought 2nd hand for quite a lot under the 'new' market price. The biggest individual. Cost would be to buy a decent scanner, but even they can often be found new or as demo models at a much reduced price.

 

[Oldbones]

The difference between taking fewer pictures when using film than when using digital, could it be you are just being more selective. Is this a bad thing? No I don't think so. There is so much rubbish taken with digital, knowing out of 100 frames there may be at least some that are going to be usable. There are used digital slr's out there with excess of 100,000 shots taken, some in a matter of months. My F6 which I bought 2nd hand about 2013 which has advanced electronics which can tell you how many films (not frames) have been through the camera and after 15 yrs it is just under 500 which equates to around close on 18,000 frames mixed from colour and B&W. (Not all shot by me I will add) A mere fraction of those shot with digital. That figure of actual frames will be actually less because some of the cassettes were 24 exp as opposed to 36exp. Even a lot of those have never been printed.

Your costs by having them commercially processed for me anyway would be unsustainable which is why I still have my active darkroom. It will be these costs that put off some people who would like to try film for the 1st time I will only use digital if I am somewhere that I cannot return to easily to retake ones that fail (Such as where I am now in Lerwick, Shetland.) The initial cost of buying sufficient equipment just to develop negative film is actually quite modest. The items that you will need can actually bought 2nd hand for quite a lot under the 'new' market price. The biggest individual. Cost would be to buy a decent scanner, but even they can often be found new or as demo models at a much reduced price.

Thankyou for explain this to me, yes I realize now why I take less shots with film, DSLR yip fire away and take 20 shots of something and one shot might be good out of the 20.
But that as we know would not work with film, unless your a professional with some good work and skills.
In the long run it may make a difference to me, it may teach me to stop and look a bit more, think a bit more.
Another learning curve begins on that subject, probably going to waste some film but we will see.
Developing my own film, I have really no idea about that, but I do have a couple of mini scanner tools, that are still in the boxes.
I am going to watch some videos etc.
Right now I eagerly away the results from the Kershaw 630 film, but I am somewhat confident with the film from the FG-20.
The Nikon I have had film processed and it was good, now its the first time for the Kershaw.

 

[John2]

Not going to comment on your use of film. That's too far in my past to be worth listening to but I do like your image. The comp is right and the light is interesting.

 

[Oldbones]

Not going to comment on your use of film. That's too far in my past to be worth listening to but I do like your image. The comp is right and the light is interesting.

Thank you so much, I really like black and white and have come to knowing its the light that makes it for me.
Around that part of town is the Theatre, Art Gallery, Central Libary and Robert Gordons College.
Pretty interesting place, the shot was taken in front of the War Memorial, which is on a corner.
As the sun moves the pavement is bright but the memorial is in shade.
Taken with a 35mm prime,