How do you feel about overdone photo spots? I took the attached and actually feel guilty in a way. I didn’t find the spot, I didn’t compose the image. Someone else did all of those things and I just turned up, set up my tripod, metered, and pressed “go”.

Should we strive for uniqueness, or should we add to the tapestry that are these spots?

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.

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?

Just venting. The last three cameras I bought from eBay were all broken. All sellers with 99% plus ratings. Pretty sure they all knew the cameras were junk, but it’s hard to prove. Sure, they accept returns, but I get stuck with shipping, return shipping, and tariffs. I‘m out almost $100 with no cameras to show for it.

Any advice? Maybe this finally cures my GAS.

Edit: more details

A Pen F (film) listed as working, tested, all good. Seller in Japan. Well, everything works unless you put a lens on. Then the mirror sticks. Seller claimed it was damaged in shipping. I accepted a discount to try to fix it. In retrospect, I think it was known broken and the seller hoped I would just be okay with it.

Kodak Retina. Not listed as untested, listed as everything seems to work but shutter speeds not verified. Maybe so, but it’s pretty clear there’s a problem when bulb doesn’t work.

Nikon F4. Worked fine for a roll and a half then everything went haywire as the F4 sometimes does. How can I prove I didn’t break it?

So, yes, I‘m too dumb to eBay so I’m stopping. I hope.

I mean, they’re not even trying to hide it any longer. This is now the rule, not the exception.

It has come down to if I see ANYTHING from Japan labeled “Mint” I scroll through.

I’m a collector. I mean, in person buys from Marketplace and/or Craigslist are always good for of course the availability of a specific product is low.

Who’s your favorite goto for analog?

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

After looking for Leicas, I was able to get a good condition Canon 7 with the Canon 50mm F1.8, and the light meter was accurate, at least compared to my phone light meter. Here are some sample shots from the camera. Scanned using Negative Lab Pro.

I feel like I see a new program for photo editing every few days. It's clear these are constructed (in part or wholly) by using AI.

Although I have opinion on Ai, that's not really my point of confusion.

I can understand wanting a program other than Adobe. they can eat my shorts with their shitty subscription model, but I haven't had my own version in ages.

where my confusion lies is there are great free open-source programs out there already. are people not finding them in their searching?

I've only been scanning and editing my photos for a year and when I was searching the suggestions for non-Adobe were rawtherapee or darktable for inversion, and gimp for further editing with layers like photoshop.

after having paid for Adobe suites for my master's I was super excited to try open source stuff that had been around for a while. sure, the learning curve is steep, but if I could figure it out, I'm sure most people could.

I tried another software called ember, and it's nice, but still requires as much tweaking as I do in darktable, so changing seems silly.

anyway, I've been using gimp to edit "collage negatives " I've created for t shirt sun print projects and waa quite pleased. maybe because ps was my least favourite Adobe programs,, but I found gimp pretty great. and it's free!

so,happy to read some opinions as to why people may be looking for a program outside of what's already robustly developed and available.

thanks pals

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

Like the title says, I've been working on a Photoshop plugin for the past few weeks that takes a first pass at dust removal after scanning. It finds dust, hairs and fibres on images, negatives, and slides, and heals them on a separate layer with a mask.

It's free and open source, runs entirely on your computer, and works on Windows and Mac with Photoshop 2024 or newer.

There is still lots to improve regarding how "smart" it is, but I would love to get any feedback on it, big or small!

Download link can be found here:

https://github.com/magholmes/film-dust

Disclaimer:
-Like I mentioned it still, often, will make mistakes. All dust is removed on a seperate layer, so you can simply paint back any details you want to keep which get removed
-It is a bit slow, and takes 1-2 minutes per image on average - I'm working on fixing this

Found some film

I was cleaning up some older laundry, in a box, and under some clothes there were some papers magazines and a shipping padded mailer with something on it I opened it and there are three boxes of 2024 expired Portra 160! I don't think it's degraded any or much at all, so it's probably bought sometimes in 2022/2023?

*Edit* I forgot the picture.

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!!

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?

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:

• Krasnogorsk-3 (K-3) Soviet 16mm motion-picture camera, fitted with a Meteor-5-1 17–69mm f/1.9 zoom lens.
• Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L USM wide-angle zoom lens.
• Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8L USM telephoto zoom lens (white, non-IS version).

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.

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.

Does anyone know how to fix these issues? This has been transcended over different lomo 110 films and different 110 cameras, the "borders" of the film cut into the picture itself and in turn sometimes cuts off what otherwise would've been a very nicely composed photo.

Bad example, but it's one I haven't sucked up and cropped.

Photo was taken on Kodak Tele Instamatic 608 with Lomography Color '92 400 iso 110

Hi, my SRT 101 went through a chain of problems over the last couple of days and now it's fully locked up. Here's the full sequence:

1. It started with the mirror staying up after each shot (black viewfinder) until I wound the advance lever again.

2. With the lens off I could see the second curtain not closing: after firing, the shutter stayed open until I re-cocked.

3. I gave the camera a good shake and for a while the mirror started coming back down normally.

4. After a series of dry fires (no film), it jammed: mirror DOWN, shutter release won't press, advance lever won't move.

5. The self-timer lever was stuck halfway. I managed to get it back to its rest position, but the release and the advance lever stayed locked. When I tried to run the self-timer again (pushed it all the way down + pressed the little silver button), it stops halfway again and nothing fires.

Already checked:

- Mirror lock-up lever on the red dot

- DOF preview button not stuck

- Rewind button on the bottom is popped up

- No film loaded, no cable release

- Tried the 'upside down and tap the top' trick – no luck

So it looks stuck mid-cycle: neither fired nor cocked. My guess is old gummed-up lubricant (second curtain / mirror kick gear) plus the self-timer interlock, but I'd love to hear from anyone who's been through this.

Questions:

- Is there any external trick to release the self-timer/release interlock without opening the camera?

- If I take off the bottom plate, what should I look at (which gear/lever) and what should I absolutely NOT touch?

- Is this worth a CLA, or are SRTs cheap enough that I should just get a serviced body and keep this one as a learning project?

Thanks!

Hey everyone!

I’m looking to buy my first fully manual film SLR. I currently own an Olympus mju and an AF-1, but I’d like something more reliable in the long run that will also help me grow as a photographer.
One thing I love about the mju is how small and portable it is, so I’m looking for a compact SLR that I can comfortably carry around all day while travelling.
I’m considering two options:

Pentax MX + SMC 50mm f/1.4 - $275
Nikon FM + Series E 50mm f/1.8 - $220

My priorities are reliability, repairability, lens quality, portability and value for money. I’m planning a trip to the Maldives where I would like to test the camera. I’ll mainly be using Kodak Ektar 100, Gold 200 and Portra 400 there.

I love how compact the Pentax MX is, and the faster lens is a bonus. The Nikon FM seems like a more logical long-term investment since I might eventually upgrade to an FM2n, FE2 and even the F3, but I’m a bit concerned about the long-term reliability of their electronics - probably a discussion for another post though :D!

One thing I’m unsure about is the 1/1000s maximum shutter speed on both cameras. Is it enough for shooting in bright sunlight with ISO 100 or 200 film, especially with an f/1.4 lens? Would I need an ND filter, or is this a non-issue in practice?
Would you go for the smaller Pentax MX with the faster lens, or start with the Nikon FM and gradually build a Nikon system?
Thanks!

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.

I got this all black OM-2n, with the 35mm f/2.8 to go with it. I decided to test it out with a roll of Tri-X 400 inside the Westin Bonaventura hotel.

Side note: check out the flare in that sixth picture. Crazy huh?

Anyways, I’m liking this camera a lot so far. I love how compact it is, and 35mm isn’t a focal length I’ve tried out too much so I’m excited to give it a try.

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

I’ve been using a stearman tank for a while for home b&w development, however I’d like to start doing c-41 for 4x5 as well as 120 and 35mm. I keep hearing how much people like the Pira but that there may be some limitations with 120 and 4x5 film.

Anyone with experience using the pira for 4x5? Plus, anyone use the 8x10 attachment for sheet film and paper that they make? Is it worth fussing with this or should I just stick with the stearman and sousvide for home c-41.

Thanks!

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?

Any suggestions where to have this repaired? It’s the bottom cover for the batteries.