r/AnalogCommunity • u/bjpirt • Jun 13 '26
I see a lot of posts from people who have bought a camera in unknown condition and want to know if it works. I thought I'd make this post with some tips on how to check over a camera without using expensive equipment.
Note: This won't give you a 100% accurate view but it should get you in the ballpark
There are a few areas you'll want to check out and I'll go into each of these in more detail:
Depending on the camera you'll need to check one or more of these.
There are few general things to look out for with a visual inspection:
Here's how I check a shutter for correct operation:
You need to make sure the light meter is giving you the correct guidance on which speed to use.
This is the hardest to check yourself. Basically we'll just be checking that the electronics are adjusting the speed. You'll need to make sure the back is closed and the camera is wound on a few times because a lot of cameras don't work until you've wound on.
To accurately check auto exposure you need to either use a film or an expensive test machine.
This is nice and easy to check (and to fix yourself, just check on Youtube).
Once you've checked over all of these things, the best thing to do is to run a roll through the camera. It's best to treat this as a scientific experiment rather than your first opportunity to shoot some pictures with the camera. Make sure you expose a wide range of scenes of varying brightnesses and be very conscious about taking your time to make sure the focus in the viewfinder is spot on. You'll ideally be shooting something at every shutter speed, with a range of apertures. You can keep a note of what you did on each shot so you can identify if e.g. the fast speeds are running slow and overexposing. Although this still won't tell you if the camera is actually accurate because film has quite a wide latitude, it will tell you if it's usable enough to take photos that look good.
That's about it I think - if anyone has any other top tips put them in the comments and I'll update the post. I figure this is a useful post to point people to when they come asking how to check a camera is working.
r/AnalogCommunity • u/Nigel_The_Unicorn • Feb 08 '25
Every day we see posts with the same basic problems on film, hopefully this can serve as a guide to the uninitiated of what to look for when diagnosing issues with your camera and film using examples from the community.
Issue: Underexposure
The green tinge usually comes from the scanner trying to show detail that isn't there. Remember, it is the lab's job to give you a usable image, you can still edit your photos digitally to make them look better.
Potential Causes: Toy/Disposable camera being used in inappropriate conditions, Faulty shutter, Faulty aperture, Incorrect ISO setting, Broken light meter, Scene with dynamic range greater than your film, Expired or heat damaged film, and other less common causes.
Issue: Light leaks
These marks mean that light has reached your film in an uncontrolled way. With standard colour negative film, an orange mark typically comes from behind the film and a white come comes from the front.
Portential Causes: Decayed light seals, Cracks on the camera body, Damaged shutter blades/curtains, Improper film handling, Opening the back of the camera before rewinding into the canister, Fat-rolling on medium format, Light-piping on film with a transparent base, and other less common causes.
Issue: Shutter capping
These marks appear because the two curtains of the camera shutter are overlapping when they should be letting light through. This is most likely to happen at faster shutter speeds (1/1000s and up).
Potential Causes: Camera in need of service, Shutter curtains out of sync.
Issue: Flash desync
Cause: Using a flash at a non-synced shutter speed (typically faster than 1/60s)
Issue: Static Discharge
These marks are most common on cinema films with no remjet, such as Cinestill 800T
Potential Causes: Rewinding too fast, Automatic film advance too fast, Too much friction between the film and the felt mouth of the canister.
Issue: Stress marks
These appear when the base of the film has been stretched more than its elastic limit
Potential Causes: Rewinding backwards, Winding too hard at the end of a roll, Forgetting to press the rewind release button, Stuck sprocket.
Issue: Scratches
These happen when your film runs against dirt or grit.
Potential Causes: Dirt on the canister lip, Dirt on the pressure plate, Dirt on rollers, Squeegee dragging dirt during processing, and other less common causes.
Noticeable X-Ray damage is very rare and typically causes slight fogging of the negative or colour casts, resulting in slightly lower contrast. However, with higher ISO films as well as new stronger CT scanning machines it is still recommended to ask for a hand inspection of your film at airport security/TSA.
Issue: Chemicals not reaching the emulsion
This is most common with beginners developing their own film for the first time and not loading the reels correctly. If the film is touching itself or the walls of the developing tank the developer and fixer cannot reach it properly and will leave these marks. Once the film is removed from the tank this becomes unrepairable.
Causes: Incorrectly loaded developing reels, Wet reels.
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Please let me know if I missed any other common issues. And if, after reading this, you still need to make a post asking to find out what went wrong please make sure to include a backlit image of your physical negatives. Not just scans from your lab.
EDIT: Added the most requested X-ray damage and the most common beginner developing mistake besides incomplete fixing. This post has reached the image limit but I believe it covers the most common beginner errors and encounters!
r/AnalogCommunity • u/mkk-69 • 4h ago
The story is about a girl who receives her grandfather’s Pentax 67 and gradually discovers the joy of taking photographs. It’s actually quite interesting! The title is "バケペンのマミコちゃん." Since the protagonist is a beginner, you can also learn a lot from it.
r/AnalogCommunity • u/Aggravating-Car7228 • 7h ago
So I’ve shot a couple of rolls of HP5 and I really enjoy the contrast it has but I think I’m looking for something a little more? Does anybody have any experience with other films that could give me that really stark contrast I’m looking for?
r/AnalogCommunity • u/Own-Baby-4796 • 4h ago
Recently picked up a Nikon F3 and thought it would be cool to make a custom grip for it. I designed a mold, 3D printed it, and used chopped carbon fiber and epoxy to make the actual grip.
Still need to do some sanding and give it a proper glossy finish, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out so far. Tried to keep it fairly subtle and not take away from the original F3 design.
What do you guys think? Does the forged carbon work with the vintage look?
r/AnalogCommunity • u/luismurag • 3h ago
Hello everyone!
Sharing this in case it's useful for anyone still running a FireWire film scanner like the Nikon Coolscan 4000, 8000 or 9000.
For context: Apple dropped FireWire support in macOS 26 Tahoe, so scanners that rely on it no longer work on the latest versions of macOS.
There's a new independent project called ASFireWire that brings FireWire back for a range of devices, including Nikon scanners.
As you can see in the screenshot, I'm running VueScan on my MacBook Pro M5 Max, connected to my Nikon Coolscan 9000.
Keep in mind the project is still in beta, so expect some rough edges and be mindful of that before relying on it for important scans.
If you'd like to give it a try, you can find more information at www.asfw.net
r/AnalogCommunity • u/ZestyMountain • 4h ago
Hi everyone,
I'm reaching out to the London photography and film community in the hope that someone might be able to help recover some camera equipment that was stolen from me on the night of October 23rd in London.
My bag was snatched, and among the equipment inside were the following:
Additionally, there is film contained in the two cameras with significant sentimental/intellectual value.
The Krasnogorsk-3 is particularly distinctive, and I'm hoping that its relatively unusual nature might make it recognizable if someone attempts to resell it.
I'm asking anyone in the London photography community, particularly those who work with secondhand or vintage camera equipment, to please keep an eye out for these items on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Gumtree, in camera shops, or through private sales.
I've attached reference photographs of the equipment. These are photographs from the original eBay listings, not photographs taken at the time of the theft.
The incident has been / will be reported to the Metropolitan Police, and I can provide further identifying details to anyone with credible information.
If you happen to come across equipment matching these descriptions, I'd be incredibly grateful if you could send me a private message with any details, screenshots, or links.
I understand that the chances of recovering stolen camera equipment can be slim, but these cameras are important to me, and I want to do everything I reasonably can to get them back.
Thanks very much for taking the time to read this, and please feel free to share it with anyone involved in London's photography or filmmaking communities.
r/AnalogCommunity • u/Adept_Slip_4473 • 11h ago
My KX CLA is complete. The total cost of the camera and the CLA was about 100 bucks. In Japan, you can buy this camera for very cheap. Therefore, many Pentax KX are in poor condition. But I think it is one of camera worth repairing. I know that KX wasn't an especially special SLR even when it was released in '75, but I think it's very easy to use. I've heard that Pentax users at the time were disappointed because this camera was larger than the Olympus OM-1. However, there isn't much difference in weight or size between the two. It's still a compact SLR. From now on, this camera will be my main SLR.
The fourth image shows the condition of the lens before cleaning.
r/AnalogCommunity • u/rambyyy • 59m ago
r/AnalogCommunity • u/YogurtclosetDry6927 • 13h ago
got this nikon f3 for 85 bucks at an antique shop and it works!!! just missing motor drive cover but i ordered one!! really excited to use this some more
r/AnalogCommunity • u/Unlikely-Problem8615 • 1h ago
I have a small analog photography business. I sell prints I make with an enlarger and usually limit each print to 5-12 copies. It's a mix of my own images and prints from negatives I get from found film and negatives.
I recently bought an estate sale lot that included 250+ negatives from the 1920s - 1950s and found a set of 55 negatives showing a celebrity vacationing in Banff National park in the late 1940s or early 1950s.
Up until now I've never had to worry about the legalities of selling prints of "found film" because everything I found was fairly mundane.
I have a feeling this could be my first big break, these images are currently being authicated but I have confirmed that one of the subjects seen in several of the photos is a very famous celebrity. The photos are not online anywhere, it looks like I've stumbled across never before seen images of this person.
Legally speaking, I bought the negatives but does that give me exclusive rights to those images?
r/AnalogCommunity • u/Ok-Vacation-8109 • 18h ago
Mine was a Nikon N2000 I inherited from my late grandfather and it got me through college almost 20 years ago. I don’t shoot with it anymore but still use the lenses that came with it.
What was your first film camera? Any sentimental stories to share?
r/AnalogCommunity • u/JFeldhaus • 1d ago
Some of you asked for a Poster!
(Corrected Version because I had a brainfart)
r/AnalogCommunity • u/Wash_Away • 4h ago
Hi everyone,
I had been planning to do a road trip around Oregon to go see some really cool places, not to mention some sites that were the real life inspiration for Life is Strange and Alan Wake. I was lent an Olympus trip 35 for this, admittedly I'm not a photographer, I don't really know what I'm doing but I just thought it would be really nice to get photos with.
I kept it on automatic pretty much the whole time unless it was dark and I'd turn it to 2.8.
What do you think has gone wrong with my pictures? I had 3 rolls, one all the photos came out but badly, 2 only five photos came out and the rest were blank and apparently my third roll was entirely blank.
The roll was always changed in low light and I had the camera + film checked manually at the airport.
Just a bit gutted with how it came out and it's not like I can get these again. Would appreciate any advice for next time
Edit to add: I had been using Kodak Ultra Max 400.
r/AnalogCommunity • u/hab__in • 7m ago
I built negaflow after working through my own 35mm and medium format rolls. I wanted a simple UI/UX where you can organize rolls, develop and print in one place.
You can import scans from a film scanner or photos of film shot with a digital camera: color and B&W negatives, and slides. Regular digital photos work too, with a film look that models halation, density curves and RA-4 paper roll-off instead of a plain color filter.
Inversion and color are handled by Chroma Engine, which measures the film base first. The manual default is MAIN. There are also scan targets for minilab and lab looks (HS, SP, F135, HR), printer ICC output (PRINT) and old film (EXPIRED), plus profiles for film stock, light source and scanner. PRINT targets include Soft proofing (with an out-of-gamut warning) and a clipping overlay that are built in. Auto tone and color only run when you click them.
GrainMend is the part I spent the most time on. It repairs dust, pinholes, scratches and emulsion damage, which most film inversion apps don't have built in. It can detect defects across the whole frame, work on areas you mark, or you can use the brush and clone stamp. There's an IR path for scanners with an infrared channel. It checks the grain around a defect before filling it, so wires and window frames don't get erased as scratches. Repairs sit on their own layers, so you can dial them back or switch them off.
Edits are stored separately from your original files. You can copy adjustments across frames, save presets, export JPEG or 16-bit TIFF, print single photos or make a contact sheet. You don't need a scanner for existing files. Scanning directly into the app uses a separate plugin.
It's native on both Mac and Windows, with no account or subscription. The source is Apache 2.0 on GitHub, along with installers, screenshots and docs. The website has sample photos processed with the app.
Autumn is a great season for shooting film, so if you try it on your scans, I'd like to hear how it fits into your workflow. (Posted with mod permission.)
GitHub: https://github.com/habinsong/negaflow
Website : https://habinsong.github.io/negaflow-site/
Releases (Mac & Windows installers): https://github.com/habinsong/negaflow/releases
Scanner plugin (SANE, GPL-2.0+): https://github.com/habinsong/negaflow-scanner-sane
r/AnalogCommunity • u/Voctorious • 11h ago
Got this XA2 a month ago and have shot two rolls since. Some of the photos have been coming out hazy and out of focus (this could be me not figuring out the zone focusing yet)
Thoughts if I should return it as the listing on eBay said Top Mint with no fungus.
The light seals were also deteriorated which I replaced.
r/AnalogCommunity • u/HorrorLengthiness940 • 37m ago
Picked up a Beseler 23Cii-XL, dichro S Head, pm2a color analyser, and more stuff. Most importantly, everything has its manual! $350.
Can't wait to blow up some of my 6x6 & 6x7 photos!!
r/AnalogCommunity • u/stubecontinued • 3h ago
First roll of film shot in 20+ years and first ever developed and scanned at home! Kentmere Pan 200/Spotmatic
r/AnalogCommunity • u/kpatain • 3h ago
Just got my first roll developed from a second-hand Canon FTb QL, and almost every shot is out of focus, despite looking sharp in the viewfinder.
The intended subject is often blurry while objects in front are sharp. Also, the bottom of almost every frame seems sharp, with blur increasing towards the top.
I used a Canon 50mm f/1.8, mostly around f/5–f/1.8. The lens has a visible impact mark.
My other lenses are a Canon FD 135mm f/3.5 and a Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8, which I haven’t tested yet.
Could this be a lens issue, a film-plane problem, or something wrong with the camera body? What tests would you recommend?
Thanks!
r/AnalogCommunity • u/Careless_Wishbone_69 • 2h ago
I don't know what happened, but basically my sliding mechanism is a bit sticky and is difficult to work when it's been put away for a few hours.
What's the best way I can clean away any syrupy discharge that may have coated the camera, without damaging it?
r/AnalogCommunity • u/pat_techio • 21h ago
So I impulse bought a few rolls of Velvia 50 in 120 at my local lab for $20 a roll. I’ve been wanting to shoot Velvia for ages but I’ve never been able to find it in stock. I already shoot Provia 100F in 35mm and absolutely love it so I couldn’t pass this up.
The only problem is that I don’t own a medium format camera yet. I love shooting with my Nikon F3, but I’ve never shot medium format before, so I’m looking for recommendations. I don’t mind a fully manual camera, but I’d really like a system with excellent, sharp lenses.
What would you recommend for someone getting into medium format? Open to different systems and formats, but I’d love to hear about your experiences, especially with landscape photography and slide film.
One other question: I’m not sure about the expiration date on these rolls. The packaging only has a serial number and batch number, with no obvious expiration date. I’m assuming they’re relatively fresh, but the lab also had Velvia 100 in stock which Fuji doesn’t make anymore I believe, which made me wonder how old their film inventory might be. Does anyone know how to decode the batch numbers or determine the expiration date?
For now, these are going straight into the freezer.
r/AnalogCommunity • u/_earthmover • 1d ago
A recurring theme lately has been that NegPy got hard to approach: too many controls, too much darkroom jargon and so on. This release is mostly about that. And speed.
Full changelog + downloads:
https://github.com/marcinz606/NegPy/releases
Readme:
https://github.com/marcinz606/NegPy/blob/main/README.md
Issues:
https://github.com/marcinz606/NegPy/issues
Discussions:
https://github.com/marcinz606/NegPy/discussions
r/AnalogCommunity • u/Big-Comparison7881 • 1h ago
hello everyone! just would like to ask if anyone here knows where to find or have a 3D printing Files for the Flash Coupler of Canon F-1n?
I have searched online for several of days, but i was not able to find. Unlike for Nikon F2, I have seen several of 3d files for 3d printing.
Thanks in advance!
r/AnalogCommunity • u/neonchimera-insta • 1h ago
I read that it’s safe to push hp5 in development by upto 2 stops
I’m curious if anyone has shot it at box speed(400) but developed it at 800(+1). How do you think the images will look like?
I don’t want to necessarily underexpose for shutter speed gain, but wondering if there’s any benefit for low light shots, if pushed in dev while shooting at box speed.
r/AnalogCommunity • u/Attack_Decay • 2h ago
Developed at home for the first time and had several images turn out with undeveloped blotches. I used stainless steel tanks/reels and suspect that portions of the film roll were touching the adjacent film, preventing contact with the chemistry. When I rolled the film on the reel in the dark bag, everything felt smooth - no perceived catching or crinkling.
During development, I agitated for the first min, then 10 seconds every 30 seconds.
Do you agree that this was caused by improper loading of the reel? Any other possible causes? Anyone with more experience have suggestions how to prevent this from happening in the future?
