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Cheap film? Anonymous
Hi,
I like to shot film on my Bessa R.
The price of the film and the development has always been a problem for me and I find quite interestingless the digital options I have (Epson RD-1 and Leica M8).

So, to minimize the economic impact of the film I use a film loader machine, loading it with 17 meter of bulk ilford HP5 (iso400) film and then loading empty film magazines with 36 exposures every one of them.
A roll of HP5 costs over 4 euro on the shop and with my method it's almost 90 cents of an euro.

Development costs over 5 euro at the lab and to lower this price I use to develop the films by myself:
- a black changing bag
- spirals
- development tank
- liquids (developer, stop bath, fixer, washing)
- several bottles, and recipients as well as thermometer, clips, etc.
- water and a thermostate (from a fishtank is OK)

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>> Anonymous
Awesome. I wanna get into film too but I'm still worried about the costs. My main problem I guess is where to get the film stock and developing materials.
>> Anonymous
>>239074
You will find all the stuff you need at a specialised shop to photography. In major cities there use to be several of them.

If you are an active film photographer it's much more cheap to use bulk film and to develop by yourself.

If you shot film once a month it doesn't make it worth.
>> Anonymous
Where do you buy the bulk HP5+?
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>239077
I buy it at ARPI FOTO in Barcelona. www.arpi.es
I don't know if they sell to outside the EU
Pic related :-)
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
this is the film loading machine
>> Serenar !m827jEgWi.
I made film cheaper for me by buying an RD-1 and quitting film. Though a bulk loader is an interesting alternative, especially if I learn to develop and buy a decent scanner...

>>239077
Try Freestyle Photographic. They sell online worldwide.
>> Anonymous
>>239091
I have considered the RD-1 jump to digital but the crop factor stops me from buying it. Also some other facts keep me away from that camera, like the short life of the battery, the weight and size (slightly more than a film Bessa, which both use the same body).
Which are your experiences with the RD-1? pros and cons. Thanks!!
>> noclue !!2yUmAID3520
i dig this thread!

how much would a machine for loading bulk film be?

i'm pretty interested as i am currently gathering all the gear for developing to make it chaper. almost got everything, only need some bottles for the prepared luquids and i need a film catcher (whatever that is called in proper english). you know that thing to get the tip of your film out of the magazine, so you don't require a (real) darkroom. i already ionherited a daylight canister.

that plus a FREE leica m is pretty much instant-win, right?
>> Anonymous
Develop with Rodinal, you'll get your money's worth with it.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>239105
Another idea is to pick up expired film. I shot a roll of Somethingchrome a couple of weeks ago that had expired in 2005 and it still looked gorgeous. A lot of camera shops will sell you expired film for cheap.
>> Anonymous
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>>239105
a free leica M ? you lucky guy!
All the answers in the whole process of black and white you need , you can find them in the "Black and white Photography" book from Henry Horenstein:

http://www.amazon.com/Black-White-Photography-Third-Revised/dp/0316373052

You must have it!
>> Anonymous
>>239109
yeah, good idea. was that Ektachrome? this is the film that Hamilton (the pedofoto, not the driver) used to get that marvelous photographs.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>239113
EliteChrome, turns out.

I've got a fridge full of film in various stages of expired right now (oldest expired in like 2003, I think. Well, the *oldest* expired in the early 90s, but that doesn't really count since I doubt if it will work at all at this point)
>> Anonymous
>>239109
I recently get a box of Konica Centuria that expired in 06 and the rolls I've shot so far with it are fine. Also its a good idea to see if it has been kept cold.
>> Serenar !m827jEgWi.
>>239101
I love mine. It's my first modern rangefinder so the patch is the best I've ever seen, and the 1:1 finder is really handy. Battery life is reasonable, I think, and I got a second offbrand one that works fine.

I shot 35/50/90 on film before, and now I shoot 21(28 eqv)/35(50)/50(75), which works great. Though I've found that 21/50 is the best two lens combo for me. I use a 28 Voigtlander finder with the 21, and it's comfortable to use.

Weight is fine if you're used to hefting about sturdy all metal cameras. The R has more plastic in it than the R2, which the RD-1 is based off of. I like feeling.

So far I can't say there are any real problems with the camera. It does have the annoying quirk of not telling you if you shoot without an SD card but that's about it.

>>239109
Yeah I got a massive sack out of an old pro's film fridge and the results have been perfect.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>239121
The EliteChrome I shot was from a Big Lots display from a closed-out grocery store. So most likely this roll hadn't seen a fridge since it left Kodak.
>> noclue !!2yUmAID3520
>>239109
haven't thought of that. if i get a good price, why not? i'll try to pick some up these days.

>>239110
yup, free. just hope it's i good condition when i get it. will take a couple of weeks though ...
that book seems to be just right, as it goes on the technieque side and doesn't cover the creative part.

also:
>>239109
>>239115
>>239127
ac? are you back? for good?
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>239139
Back maybe. But really, can anything involving 4chan be described as 'for good'?
>> noclue !!2yUmAID3520
>>239145
propably not.
anyway, i just remembered that i once shot some cheap film that was expiresd over TEN years. results are perfect. this made me rethink once again to get me expired film. also i will be scanning with canon f8800, you got that on too, right?
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>239201
Mine's the 8600F. Previous model. Not sure what, if anything, changed...
>> Anonymous
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I used this Arista EDU 400 stuff that I (used to) buy for $21, now they raised the price to almost $30. I'd develop it in diafine which is $15 a quart I can use it over and over, and it last like 2 years. My fixer is this cheap Arista stuff I bought for $5, and My bulk loader cost me $10 on ebay. My neighbor was dumping his equipment a while ago, and he gave me a free bulk loader. I did the math a while ago, and It costs me about $0.04 a frame to shoot film.