Analog photography: how and why to shoot on film

Why shoot on film?

Every analog photography lover will give his or her reason for using film. There are at least three such amateurs working in Lifehacker's office. Here's what they say about their hobby and the kind of shots they get.

I shoot on film, because I begin to appreciate each shot and, as a result, I think about the quality of the picture, and do not click dozens of unnecessary photos. Strange color rendering, red eyes, and sometimes unfocused pictures return me to a carefree childhood, when my mother and I went to develop another film from a soap dish.

Photo taken with Olympus IS-200

The photo was taken with an unknown soap dish from the 90s

Photo taken with Olympus IS-200

Oleg Imideev Lifehacker Operator

All my hobby for photo and video started with film. To be precise, from the parent "FED". I shoot on film because it disciplines and does not forgive mistakes. Getting into focus and exposure, choosing the right plan and angle is necessary the first time, because you only have 24 or 36 frames, and not a whole 32 GB flash drive.

Photo taken with Canon AE-1 (F1.8 / 50mm)

The photo was taken with the "Amateur-166V" ("Triplet" F4.5 / 75mm)

Photo taken at Zenit-ET (Helios-44-2)

Photo taken with Canon AE-1 (F1.8 / 50mm)

Pasha Prokofiev Author of Lifehacker

Once I found Zenit-E at my grandfather's. Immediately I experienced it in action: I was fascinated by the visual work of the mechanisms, all these twists and buttons. Almost ten years have passed since then: I have assembled an impressive collection of old and new cameras, conducted dozens of experiments. I never learned how to photograph as a professional, but I got a lot of pleasure.

Photo taken at Smena-35

Photo taken with Zenit-ET (Pentacon F1.8 / 50mm)

Photo taken with Lomo FishEye

Photo taken at Smena-35

Photo taken using the RedScale method on a Lomo Supersampler

Among other reasons, many point out this:

It is impossible to say with certainty what will happen

Someone likes the feeling of mystery hidden in the exposed film, because it is difficult to predict the result 100% in advance: suddenly something happens at the stage of development, the device itself clogs up or lets the photographer's instinct fail. The very inability to see a photo right after the shooting breaks the perception of a person who is accustomed to clicking everything on the phone camera without further thought. And the limited number of personnel (12, 24 or 36) makes him dispose of them with a greater degree of thoughtfulness.

The operation process is interesting

Many are attracted by the work of mechanics in cameras. Cocking the trigger, setting the aperture and shutter speed, setting the focus, rewinding - all this works clearly and logically. Separate controls, buttons and levers are responsible for everything, markings on the case correspond to all settings - no magic hidden in electronic boards, no soulless symbols on the LCD display.

Great photo can be taken

The film camera is an indispensable tool in the arsenal of many professional photographers. Why - explained in his article "Who needs this film" Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and a member of the Union of Photo Artists of Russia Anton Vershovsky.

Firstly, the film allows you to get pictures with high enough detail and good color reproduction. Secondly, according to Anton Vershovsky, the goal of the photographer is not to remove the exact tracing paper from reality, and art photography does not have to be perfect. And here we come to the next argument in favor of film.

"Imperfections" can look pretty

Defocus, visible scratches in the pictures, graininess - all this is associated with film photography. To begin with, the listed roughness can be avoided by using a properly functioning camera and suitable film. And let's end up with the fact that sometimes "imperfections" just look cool. How else to explain the popularity of Lo-Fi filters "for film" in mobile graphics editors?

Try to shoot on film inexpensively

You can argue about the price of one frame, comparing film and digital. But here's an obvious fact: if we are talking about a one-time experiment, then for the whole process from purchasing a film camera to obtaining ready-made frames, you can pay no more than a thousand rubles.

It will be even cheaper if you already have a camera.

Found an old camera in the closet. Can I shoot with it?

Most likely you can, but a few things worth checking out:

Door. It must be tightly closed, otherwise there is a risk of light exposure of the film.
Mechanics. Sometimes at shutter speeds of 1/60 and longer, the shutter does not work correctly, opening until the next cocking. This is guaranteed to lead to overexposure of the image. Check how your camera performs at different shutter speeds. Pay attention to the movement of the pinion roller, take-up spool.
Curtain. If the find is equipped with a focal plane shutter, check the integrity of the shutter.
Light meter. If a selenium exposure meter is installed in an old camera, it is most likely dead. But if the find is equipped with a TTL exposure meter, then there are high chances for its correct operation. Similar ones were installed in a small number of cameras, usually with the abbreviation TTL in the name.
Rewind tape measure. When the film runs out, it must be wound into a spool. As a rule, for this you need to find a special button with the letter R, and then roll the tape using a rewind tape. Check if this mode works correctly: if the take-up spool and pinion roll are spinning in the opposite direction. If not, you can shoot with a camera, but removing the film will be problematic.

After checking all the items on the list, pay attention to the cleanliness of the camera. You can get rid of the dust inside with an air blower and a soft brush.

If your find is an ordinary film soap dish from the 90s, you don't need to check anything. She works. Only now it is not so interesting to shoot with it: everything is entrusted to automation, and the photos are mediocre.

If the search was not crowned with success, but you still want to take pictures, then shops and flea markets will come to the rescue.

How to choose a film camera?

The choice here is really great: from a homemade pinhole camera to a Leica for hundreds of thousands of rubles. First you need to decide on the type of camera.

What are cameras

SLR Cameras - almost all models "Zenith", "Amateur", Pentax K1000, Canon AE-1, Olympus OM-1, relatively modern Nikon models. They support the installation of lenses with any focal length, it is easiest to use different light filters, visually evaluate the focus and depth of field settings. This is because the viewfinder shows approximately what will appear in the photo: the image from the lens is transferred to the peephole using a mirror. The disadvantage of DSLRs is the recoil from the movement of the mirror, which can blur the frame at long exposures.
Rangefinder Cameras - almost all Zorky and FED models, Canon Canonet QL17 G-III, Yashica Electro 35, Minolta Hi-Matic. Less noisy than mirrors. Focusing is carried out using the parallax effect - combining images from two rangefinder lenses in the viewfinder. Of the minuses: a limited set of interchangeable lenses and the inability to adjust the depth of field by eye.

Scale cameras - "Smena", "Seagull", "Viliya", modern lomo-cameras Holga, Diana, La Sardina. The simplest and most budgetary group of cameras. Focusing is carried out on the eye, lenses are often non-replaceable. Despite this, scale cameras are superior in image quality to fully automatic soap dishes. They are also the lightest and most compact.

Which is better: import or the Soviet photo industry

If your goal is to familiarize yourself with film, then Soviet and Russian cameras will do just fine. Most of those that were produced from the 1950s to the mid-1990s are still operational (subject to careful handling by the owners). As a rule, these cameras are fairly high-quality tracing copies from Leica, Minolta, Contax and other foreign companies. The most important advantage of these cameras is the price. Even serious DSLR cameras with good glass go from flea markets for next to nothing.

But not all film photographers are limited to the Soviet photo industry. Those who are very fond of analog photography buy more serious imported devices. If you try, you can find quite budget options: Chinon CS, Pentax K1000, Canon AE-1, Olympus OM-1, relatively modern Nikon film models. These devices are distinguished by more reliable operation of mechanisms, a wide range of shutter speeds and many other nuances, but they are more expensive than Smen and Zenits.

What else to pay attention to

There are other nuances: the range of shutter speeds, the type of shutter, the presence of some kind of automation, ease of use, in the end. But the camera is really just a conductor between two much more important elements: the lens and the film.

If you want to buy one device seriously and for a long time, take one in which you can change lenses.

One more thing: think twice before purchasing a camera with an automatic exposure metering and a selenium meter. Most likely, the light-sensitive elements in them have already sat down, and in manual mode, the shutter speed value cannot be changed. For example, in "Viliya-auto" and "FED-50", when the exposure meter is down, you always have to shoot with a shutter speed of 1/30 second - you can forget about shooting on a sunny day on film with medium and high photosensitivity.

Where can I buy

Now that you've decided what kind of camera you need, start your search on message boards. Try to avoid mailings, because you need to check the functionality of the device. There are enough proposals of Soviet cameras in any, even not a very big city. But you may have to look for a decent imported camera at foreign flea markets.

What is Lomography?

Do not like to make exposure metering, set the aperture and even the unfiltered horizon is not an easy task for you? Try yourself in lomography. This is such a philosophy and manner of shooting for those who like to take pictures, but do not burden themselves with the established postulates of photography. All you need to be a lomographer is minimal taste and a desire to experiment. If in professional photography the boss, god and king are a photographer, then in lomography it is a case. Representatives of the Lomo movement take pictures with these cameras:

And they get such photos:

These photos cannot boast of elaboration of details or accurate exposure, but they carry a special mood that lovers of Lomography so much like.

The disadvantages of most scraper cameras are Chinese production and, as a result, unreliability. Some of them get bored pretty quickly due to their limited use: many of them lack any settings in principle, and some are suitable only for shooting in sunny weather.

If you are interested, pay attention to Diana, Holga, La Sardina and, of course, the first camera, which laid the foundation for the lomographic movement - "LOMO Compact Automatic". Many of the Lomo cameras are still in production, but the price for them will be noticeably higher than for more serious used Soviet cameras.

Finding a lomo camera is easy. One query in a search engine, and you will see approximately the same offers from a dozen online stores.

How to choose a film?

Films have four main characteristics: color, type of process, format and sensitivity (ISO).

Color and process

With color, everything is clear: there are colored films and black-and-white films. And some of the nuances of shooting and development depend on the color. Black and white require the use of filters under specific conditions and appear through the D-76 process. There are also monochrome black-and-white films, they are developed according to the C-41 process (as well as color). In terms of quality, they are inferior to the classic ones, but they can be dealt with in any photo center.

Colored films are classified as negative and reversible. Negative ones are much more practical, more patient with insignificant misses in exposure, they are sold and manifested by the C-41 process in any photo center. Sometimes reversible films show up in the same way as negative ones. This is called cross-process. The images developed by the cross-process have a distorted color rendition and higher saturation, which is especially liked by lomographers and other experimenters.

Format

There are two common types of film: small (type 135) and medium (type 120). The choice depends on the characteristics of the camera: most of them support 135 type films. Medium format reels can be used in Holga, Diana, Soviet "Amateurs", some "Kiev", Pentax, Rollei and others. With the help of simple manipulations, 35 mm films can also be attached to them.

Photosensitivity

The light sensitivity, or ISO, depends on what kind of lighting we can take pictures, what we will set the shutter speed and aperture. The sensitivity range of films starts at ISO 25 and ends at ISO 3,200. The lower the number, the less light the film captures, the longer the shutter speed and / or the lower the f-number.

Films up to ISO 100 are good for shooting in sunny weather. In a cloudy film, a film with ISO 400 can be useful. A more light-sensitive film is suitable for evening and night photography, but has increased graininess.

The optimal indicator of light sensitivity is 200 ISO.

On older cameras, a different light sensitivity scale can be used: GOST, ASA or DIN. To establish correspondences, you can use the table.

Individual characteristics

Also, the films may differ in color rendering, depth and detail. In online stores, they, as a rule, are accompanied by the results of the shooting, which can help determine the choice.

How to shoot with a film camera?

The procedure for shooting with different cameras differs insignificantly.

Installing the film. The first step is to install the film in the compartment intended for it. Sometimes it is necessary to lift the head of the rewind tape measure to do this. Then pull the tab towards the take-up spool and lock it. Cock the shutter and make sure the roller teeth are in the film perforation. Click on the trigger. After closing the lid, it is recommended to make another test shot; the rewind roulette head should also be spinning. All this should not be done in bright sunlight.
Preparing the device for shooting. If provided, set the ISO of the film (for manual or automatic metering) and the frame counter.
Shutter platoon. You need to pull the trigger to the end, and then carefully return it back. If the system is without a trigger, turn the wheel until it stops.
Setting aperture and shutter speed. These steps can be very different depending on the cameras used. If your camera is not equipped with working automation or is not a dial with simple controls, use an exposure meter. If the stock is broken, use special mobile applications.
Adjust focus and take a snapshot. If you are using an SLR camera, do not forget to open the diaphragm before focusing (and close it before the bird leaves). If the rangefinder is used, use the parallax effect. If it is a scale one, be guided by the special markings. After that, you can press the trigger.
Discharging the film. Remove the pinion lock (this adjuster is often marked with an R). Use the rewind tape measure to return the tape to the spool. If you have any problems, remove the film yourself in a dark room and bring it to the developer in an opaque case or box.

Then what to do with the film?

Take it to development. If 35mm negative film was used, developed by the C-41 process, it will be developed in any photo center. If other photographic materials have been used, you may have to look for a private laboratory.

What to do next?

The first successfully shot film will tell you the answer to this question. If you are serious about this, then analog photography offers a lot of room for development. Lenses, light filters, flashes, self-development - all this will help you turn from an experimenter into a seasoned professional.

Fun experiments await those who find themselves in lomography: multiple exposure, expired films, cross-processes, Redscale and other scary words.

Is analog photography expensive?

Let's count. Let's say you didn't inherit the camera. The purchase of a used "Smena-8M" or even some "Zenith" can cost 200-500 rubles.

Next is the film. If you do not consider the options for buying a delay from hands, then in online stores prices start at about 250 rubles per reel with 36 frames. The development of the resulting film by the C-41 process, as a rule, is quite inexpensive: less than 100 rubles. But scanning to digital”can cost several hundred. But prices in different cities may differ.

Therefore, analog photography "to try" costs very little. But if you get carried away with the purchase of a decent camera and lenses, are picky about films and wasteful, then, of course, you will not be able to save money.

Is it really worth it?

It's the same story as with turntables. Taking analog photography is impractical and requires constant financial investments. The result is unknown, the film in general can easily light up or spoil during development. There are no more than 36 frames. Perhaps, if you do not make a mistake in manual settings of shutter speed, aperture and focus, some of them will even turn out to be quite good. Only it will be possible to find out not earlier than in a couple of days, when specially trained people will turn your photographic emulsion into pictures. Add to this the sidelong glances of passers-by, accusations of hipsterism and contemptuous bewilderment on the part of radical digital photographers - this is some kind of hobby, in general terms.

But all these disadvantages can be crossed out by one important thing: the revived value of the frame. We all remember at least a few photographs from our childhood, perhaps not even the most successful ones. Are there many pictures of comparable importance in the gallery of your smartphone?

I had 24 shots in my camera and I had to be very careful in choosing what to shoot when we went on tour. I do not want to say that all this has depreciated … Although no, I want to. In my opinion, exactly what has depreciated. When I see people who are constantly filming something, I want to shout to them: “Don't shoot! Experience it! When everything is captured on camera, it means that everything is equally important. That is, nothing matters.

The Cure frontman Robert Smith in an interview with Afisha Daily

This hobby is not for everyone. But those who are really into analog photography will have dozens of cool shots, hours in anticipation of "scans", successful and spoiled films. And most importantly, the long-forgotten joy of photography, lost in the depths of digital progress.