Using my old Nikon F60 film camera again

Ok, I have buckled under the pressure, I am going to order some film. Looking on Amazon now. :)

Well if you use your film camera it will nail once and for all whether you could ever enjoy a film camera again. I bought a Nex 3 and can use my son's Canon D??? but just don't enjoy using them.
 
The best price I have seen, is about £6 per roll. Although that is buying it as a value pack.
You should have pounced on that 7 Day Shop Kodak Gold 200 I sent you a link to, they seem to have sold out of all Kodak film now so you'll probably have to pay more now!

They've got 3 rolls of Fuji 400 in stock, so that should get you started. Have a look how their price compares with other suppliers (it's around 30p a roll dearer than the link you posted but it's for a more expensive film, and you won't have to lay out £60 for 10 rolls - after all, you may find you don't like film photography!) but don't leave it too long or this will have probably sold out too! https://www.7dayshop.com/products/f...mm-colour-print-film-value-3-pack-15696115-x3

I can recommend 7 Day Shop, I regularly buy film from them and they've never let me down yet, but allow 5 to 7 days for delivery if you try them.

If you want 200 ISO film then perhaps give this a try from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/1x3-Kodak-...odak+Gold+200+35mm+film&qid=1580553584&sr=8-2

If I were starting out and wanted a few rolls of film in stock, then I'd probably go for one of each of those two '3 packs' above, as it will give you a choice of 400 and 200 ISO film. Plus, it will work out about the same price per roll as your bulk pack of 10 x rolls of Fuji, and you won't have to stump up £60! I think that Kodak Gold 200 is very nice film for the price too. Here's a shot taken with it:

 
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You should have pounced on that 7 Day Shop Kodak Gold 200 I sent you a link to, they seem to have sold out of all Kodak film now so you'll probably have to pay more now!

They've got 3 rolls of Fuji 400 in stock, so that should get you started. Have a look how their price compares with other suppliers (it's around 30p a roll dearer than the link you posted but you won't have to lay out £60 for 10 rolls - after all, you may find you don't like film photography!) but don't leave it too long or this will have probably sold out too! https://www.7dayshop.com/products/f...mm-colour-print-film-value-3-pack-15696115-x3

I can recommend 7 Day Shop, I regularly buy film from them and they've never let me down yet, but allow 5 to 7 days for delivery if you try them.

If you want 200 ISO film then perhaps give this a try from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/1x3-Kodak-...odak+Gold+200+35mm+film&qid=1580553584&sr=8-2

If I were starting out and wanted a few rolls of film in stock, then I'd probably go for one of each of those two '3 packs' above, as it will give you a choice of 400 and 200 ISO film. Plus, it will work out about the same price per roll as your bulk pack of 10 x rolls of Fuji, and you won't have to stump up £60! I think that Kodak Gold 200 is very nice film for the price too. Here's a shot taken with it:


Very nice colourful photo. (y)



I am still working out which film I should get.
 
Very nice colourful photo. (y)

Taken in early afternoon sunshine in September; Gold 200 is quite a 'warm' sunny and colourful looking film, so I think it's a good general purpose 'snapshot' film, as long as you've enough light to use a 200 ISO film. For more muted colours there's the likes of Kodak Portra 400, but that's not cheap! I love Portra 800 ISO too, but last time I looked that was well over £12 for a single 35mm 36 exposure roll!

I am still working out which film I should get.

It depends what you like, as well as upon the subject and the lighting conditions you're shooting in. Hence my suggestion (at this time of year in the UK) to buy some Fuji 400 and Kodak Gold 200. That should cover reasonable outdoor daylight lighting conditions in winter and spring. It will also let you try 2 different films.

If you're still into film photography when summer arrives they you'll be able to try others, such as Kodak Ektar 100, which isn't cheap but gives very fine grain and well-saturated colours (particularly reds) and is nice for sunny days at the seaside, classic car events, etc., but doesn't look as good to me in cloudy/duller conditions.

Probably the best thing to do is to get started with one or both of the 3 packs suggested above, then spend a bit of time on Flickr doing a search for any types of film you are considering. You can then look at quite a few photos and get an idea of the 'general look' a particular film gives. I find that gives me a general impression of how a particular film might look in different lighting conditions, before I buy a roll and try it for myself. Hope this is useful.
 
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Taken in early afternoon sunshine in September; Gold 200 is quite a 'warm' sunny and colourful looking film, so I think it's a good general purpose 'snapshot' film, as long as you've enough light to use a 200 ISO film. For more muted colours there's the likes of Kodak Portra 400, but that's not cheap! I love Portra 800 ISO too, but last time I looked that was well over £12 for a single 35mm 36 exposure roll!



It depends what you like, as well as upon the subject and the lighting conditions you're shooting in. Hence my suggestion (at this time of year in the UK) to buy some Fuji 400 and Kodak Gold 200. That should cover reasonable outdoor daylight lighting conditions in winter and spring. It will also let you try 2 different films.

If you're still into film photography when summer arrives they you'll be able to try othes, such as Kodak Ektar 100, which isn't cheap but gives very fine grain and well-saturated colours (particularly reds) and is nice for sunny days at the seaside, classic car events, etc., but doesn't look as good to me in cloudy/duller conditions.

Probably the best thing to do is to get started with one or both of the 3 packs suggested above, then spend a bit of time on Flickr doing a search for any types of film you are considering. You can then look at quite a few photos and get an idea of the 'general look' a particular film gives. I find that gives me a general impression of how a particular film might look in different lighting conditions, before I buy a roll and try it for myself. Hope this is useful.

Thanks for taking the time to explain and post all that. Certainly a lot to learn about film. I have left things a little late really, I should have done this sort of learning forty years ago, when I first started taking photos.
 

IMHO £6 for a roll of C200 is daylight robbery. This is the OEM version of Poundland's Agfa Vista 200. It was worth a pound, or maybe £3-4 for a 36-shot roll.

If you want cheaper film, try discountfilmsdirect. They have the C200 at £4.20 a roll, and Kodak 200 at £4.25 (beware of 24-shot rolls, as processing costs the same as 36-shot rolls, so the price per shot is much higher).
 
IMHO £6 for a roll of C200 is daylight robbery. This is the OEM version of Poundland's Agfa Vista 200. It was worth a pound, or maybe £3-4 for a 36-shot roll.

If you want cheaper film, try discountfilmsdirect. They have the C200 at £4.20 a roll, and Kodak 200 at £4.25 (beware of 24-shot rolls, as processing costs the same as 36-shot rolls, so the price per shot is much higher).
Yes, but that's Kodak colorplus at £4.25, which I don't think is as nice looking as Kodak Gold 200, particularly grain-wise. They're within a few pence of Amazon for a Gold 200 3 pack, but that's before postage costs, with postage it's £18.98! With Amazon Prime, or if you spend over £20, it's free delivery.

EDIT: Just noticed that the Discount Films Direct price is for 36 exp rolls and the £15.30 Amazon deal is for 24 exp rolls. However, there's a 36 exp roll 3 pack on Amazon for £17.48 with the usual free delivery options. So Amazon are £1.50 cheaper if you qualify for free delivery.
 
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Yikes, I am confused. Not sure what to do now. I was thinking of getting that big bumper pack of Amazon, as it works out at £6 per roll. If it is not worth it, I will hold off then.
 
Yikes, I am confused. Not sure what to do now. I was thinking of getting that big bumper pack of Amazon, as it works out at £6 per roll. If it is not worth it, I will hold off then.
Well, if you want it tomorrow then it's this, but it's only 24 exposures per roll: https://www.amazon.co.uk/1x3-Kodak-...=kodak+35mm+film+3+pack&qid=1580558603&sr=8-5

Or if you can wait till Wednesday, there's the 36 exposure version for a bit more money: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kodak-Gold...words=35mm+film+3+pack&qid=1580558413&sr=8-30

If you want 400 ISO then 7 Day Shop for that 3 x Fuji Superia 400 36 Exp pack seems about your best bet, but will take about a week to arrive.

As Chris says, both 24 and 36 exp rolls usually cost the same to develop and scan, so a 36 exp roll will often work out cheaper per photo in total. However, it will take you longer to finish a 36 exposure roll, and if you are keen to see your results (and learn from your successes and failures) before you shoot your next roll, then 3 rolls of 24 exp might be more cost effective to start with, all things considered? Anyway, that's it... it's entirely up to you now. :) (y)
 
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Sorry to drag this out so long, but I have been thinking. This was after I had a look through the "Film and Conventional / show us yer film shots then". It was after I was looking through the black and white photos.

(A re think) I was thinking of buying inexpensive black and white film, just to ease me back into film photography. If I don't hit it off with going film, then I have not lost much. Besides, I quite like the idea of doing some black and white photos. I have got a bit of an idea for a photo theme.

I think it sounds like a good idea, I am going to order this film here. Unless anyone can spot a problem with my chosen film :)


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ilford-HP5...mm+film+black+and+white&qid=1580561598&sr=8-1
 
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Sorry to drag this out so long, but I have been thinking. This was after I had a look through the "Film and Conventional / show us yer film shots then". It was after I was looking through the black and white photos.

(A re think) I was thinking of buying inexpensive black and white film, just to ease me back into film photography. If I don't hit it off with going film, then I have not lost much. Besides, I quite like the idea of doing some black and white photos. I have got a bit of an idea for a photo theme.

I think it sounds like a good idea, I am going to order this film here. Unless anyone can spot a problem with my chosen film :)


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ilford-HP5...mm+film+black+and+white&qid=1580561598&sr=8-1
Unless you are developing it yourself, you'll find that b&w processing tends to be more expensive than colour. You can always convert colour to b&w in software after the event, or you can go with Ilford XP2 b&w film which is processed as C41 colour film. HP5+ can be very grainy in 35mm, so that's a matter of taste. Here's one I shot yesterday.

2020-02-01-0009-copy-tp.jpg
 
Sorry to drag this out so long, but I have been thinking. This was after I had a look through the "Film and Conventional / show us yer film shots then". It was after I was looking through the black and white photos.

(A re think) I was thinking of buying inexpensive black and white film, just to ease me back into film photography. If I don't hit it off with going film, then I have not lost much. Besides, I quite like the idea of doing some black and white photos. I have got a bit of an idea for a photo theme.

I think it sounds like a good idea, I am going to order this film here. Unless anyone can spot a problem with my chosen film :)


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ilford-HP5...mm+film+black+and+white&qid=1580561598&sr=8-1

That’s a great choice for B&W film. It’s very good quality and the 400asa speed will be useful on winter days It’s my go-to film that I use more than anything else, and is very popular in general with B&W film shooters.

You might find it costs a little more to get developed though (maybe a couple of pounds more expensive) and high street places like Max Spielmann et-al might not develop it (although I’d stay away from those places for film processing to be honest).
 
That’s a great choice for B&W film. It’s very good quality and the 400asa speed will be useful on winter days It’s my go-to film that I use more than anything else, and is very popular in general with B&W film shooters.

You might find it costs a little more to get developed though (maybe a couple of pounds more expensive) and high street places like Max Spielmann et-al might not develop it (although I’d stay away from those places for film processing to be honest).

I have been looking at the development costs, after @Peter B mentioned it. Yes a few more quid, but I suppose I can live with that. Besides, I can always go colour in the future, if I get the taste for shooting film again. Or I could even mix it up.

Oh well, if that seems like a good film and price I have chosen, then I will get ordered. It works out about £5.50 per roll 36 exposure film. Just got to wait for the missus, as she does all the online ordering of stuff. :)
 
I can feel the excitement kicking in, yes I do have to admit it, I don't really get that feeling with digital. Film feels like serious photography, so easy to mess things up. But with digital you sneeze and you have taken a photo, you fart and you have taken another photo. With film, you have to be serious. Otherwise, you waste money.
 
I havent read this whole thread but I used that poundland film in my OM1 and just had it developed. It was a test role as I'd repaired and serviced the camera myself after someone gifted it to me. It was garbage and even the lab said it was too. They proceeded to tell me that it might not develop properly as they've had a lot in and they rarely yield good results from it. I'd say invest in good film as even though it was a test roll for me I wanted some of the photos I'd taken to turn out well but they never. Not to mention the fact it had cost me £9 to get it developed etc and I didn't get a useable photo.
 
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I havent read this whole thread but I used that film in my OM1 and just had it developed. It was a test role as I'd repaired and serviced the camera myself after someone gifted it to me. It was garbage and even the lab said it was too. They proceeded to tell me that it might not develop properly as they've had a lot in and they rarely yield good results from it. I'd say invest in good film as even though it was a test roll for me I wanted some of the photos I'd taken to turn out well but they never. Not to mention the fact it had cost me £9 to get it developed etc and I didn't get a useable photo.

Which film was that?
 
I havent read this whole thread but I used that film in my OM1 and just had it developed. It was a test role as I'd repaired and serviced the camera myself after someone gifted it to me. It was garbage and even the lab said it was too. They proceeded to tell me that it might not develop properly as they've had a lot in and they rarely yield good results from it. I'd say invest in good film as even though it was a test roll for me I wanted some of the photos I'd taken to turn out well but they never. Not to mention the fact it had cost me £9 to get it developed etc and I didn't get a useable photo.

They have had a lot in, and rarely yield good results. What had a lot of the Ilford film in, and did not produce good results?
 
I was going to order five rolls of that film, when the missus comes in. But, if it is not good!
 
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I havent read this whole thread but I used that film in my OM1 and just had it developed. It was a test role as I'd repaired and serviced the camera myself after someone gifted it to me. It was garbage and even the lab said it was too. They proceeded to tell me that it might not develop properly as they've had a lot in and they rarely yield good results from it. I'd say invest in good film as even though it was a test roll for me I wanted some of the photos I'd taken to turn out well but they never. Not to mention the fact it had cost me £9 to get it developed etc and I didn't get a useable photo.
The Poundland 'Power Geek' film? All the others mentioned in this thread will give excellent results if used properly and processed by a competent lab. There's certainly nothing wrong with HP5.
 
Ok, any cheap and cheerful recommendations of film, either colour or B&W, that I can order online for next day delivery? Just to get me up and running, otherwise I might get scared off, from shooting film again. The longer I put it off, the more I start thinking negative thoughts.
 
I was going to order five rolls of that film, when the missus comes in. But, if it not good!

If it is HP5+ YoshiK1 is talking about then I would say my own and widespread opinion would strongly disagree. It’s a film that has been around for 70 years in one form or another and is very widely used. It came top in the list of b&w films in a survey ran last year (I’ll dig out the link...).
 
Ok, any cheap and cheerful recommendations of film, either colour or B&W, that I can order online for next day delivery? Just to get me up and running, otherwise I might get scared off, from shooting film again. The longer I put it off, the more I start thinking negative thoughts.
Don't over-think this. Any mainstream film from Fuji, Kodak or Ilford etc. will be absolutely fine with decent processing. You just need to decide if you want colour or black and white, ISO, and what you are prepared to pay. Beyond that, it's largely a matter of taste - after you've used a couple, you may start to have preferences of your own.
 
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That’s the one. It’s an excellent b&w film. It’s very forgiving of exposure.

It is only £27.66 for five rolls of film, 36 exposures. Free next day delivery too. Yes it is dearer to develop, but it is hardly going to leave me skint. So assuming it is a reasonable deal, I will go ahead and buy it. Just got to wait for the missus to come in, as she does all the Amazon stuff. OK, feeling happy. :)
 
There's also Ilford XP2, which is a "chromogenic" black and white film using the C41 colour process... I know, it seems bonkers, but it's a nice, low grain rather contrasty film that you can get processed anywhere that does colour negative film.

Sorry, I know that at this stage you probably don't want more options. I won't tell you about Tri-X then!
 
There's also Ilford XP2, which is a "chromogenic" black and white film using the C41 colour process... I know, it seems bonkers, but it's a nice, low grain rather contrasty film that you can get processed anywhere that does colour negative film.

Sorry, I know that at this stage you probably don't want more options. I won't tell you about Tri-X then!

Just trying to check if the Ilford HP5 that I am looking has the DX coding, or does it apply. Sorry my ignorance. :wideyed:
 
The Poundland 'Power Geek' film? All the others mentioned in this thread will give excellent results if used properly and processed by a competent lab. There's certainly nothing wrong with HP5.
If it is HP5+ YoshiK1 is talking about then I would say my own and widespread opinion would strongly disagree. It’s a film that has been around for 70 years in one form or another and is very widely used. It came top in the list of b&w films in a survey ran last year (I’ll dig out the link...).
Which film was that?

Sorry no! I'm meaning the poundland film from the first page. Will update my post. I only read the first page Haha. HP5 is a great film.
 
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You should be absolutely fine with HP5, but as Chris says, there's also Ilford XP2 400 ISO film. This costs less than 'ordinary' black and white film to develop if you send it to a lab because, as Chris has said, it uses the same C41 developing process as colour print film.

Don't get buyer's remorse if you've already bought some HP5 though, as it's a very nice black and white film. However, XP2 has a bit of a trick up its sleeve... you can shoot it at 200 ISO on the same roll of film as you've already shot some frames at 400 ISO, and just send if off for standard type development (that's if your Nikon F60 will allow you to change the ISO on DX coded film - it will usually auto set to the standard ISO for the film when it reads the DX code).

The advantage to shooting XP2 at 200 ISO is that it tends to look even better at that speed in sunny weather - in dull conditions you just shoot at the normal 400 ISO. It seems a bit like magic, as you'd usually shoot the whole of an 'ordinary' film at the same ISO speed, but shooting at 200 ISO in sunny conditions works fine with XP2. The hardest part is remembering to change the camera setting back to 400 ISO when the sun goes in!

Anyway, a bit of info there for when you get a bit more advanced. In the meantime, best of luck with your HP5 or whatever you decide to buy.
 
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You should be absolutely fine with HP5, but as Chris says, there's also Ilford XP2 400 ISO film. This costs less than 'ordinary' black and white film to develop if you send it to a lab because, as Chris has said, it uses the same C41 developing process as colour print film.

Don't get buyer's remorse if you've already bought some HP5 though, as it's a very nice black and white film. However, XP2 has a bit of a trick up its sleeve... you can shoot it at 200 ISO on the same roll of film as you've already shot some frames at 400 ISO, and just send if off for standard type development (that's if your Nikon F60 will allow you to change the ISO on DX coded film - it will usually auto set to the standard ISO for the film when it reads the DX code).

The advantage to shooting XP2 at 200 ISO is that it tends to look even better at that speed in sunny weather - in dull conditions you just shoot at the normal 400 ISO. It seems a bit like magic, as you'd usually shoot the whole of an 'ordinary' film at the same ISO speed, but shooting at 200 ISO in sunny conditions works fine with XP2. The hardest part is remembering to change the camera setting back to 400 ISO when the sun goes in!

Anyway, a bit of info there for when you get a bit more advanced. In the meantime, best of luck with your HP5 or whatever you decide to buy.

Cheers, thanks for taking the time to post all that. Pretty interesting reading, I will have to read what you wrote, a couple of times, to get my head around it. (y)
 
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