Want to try film!

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SimonUK

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Simon
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I'm going to have a crack at Shooting film! i've got a camera, a Zenit EM and a Heilos 58mm f2. Is this a good combo? The Film i think i've going to get is Ilford XP2 400. I want to go for B&W and i need to get it processed on the street.

So any tips for a first time film guy?
 
check the camera before loading the film - look for sticky lightseals - if they're all gooey and horrible, chances are they'll let light in and ruin the film. If that's okay, leave the back open, and try dry-fireing the shutter at the full range of shutter speeds and apertures - point the lens at a window to see that the aperture is stopping down correctly, and that the open shutter times look correct. If you haven't already got the manual for the camera get it from here and read up on loading procedures etc.

Then get the film loaded up, get out there and enjoy shooting (y)
 
The Helios is a VG lens, so you can't blame the lens if your pictures are not sharp ;)

Well I suppose I better add:- assuming you haven't got a Friday afternoon lens.
 
The Camera looks pretty good! I can't see anything that looks bad for the light seals and jazz! Wheres the best place to get film devloped? I heard at jessops, they give you a new film everytime you get one devloped?
 
Cracking lens. **** body lol. Zenit's are not great for reliability. Serviceable but I'd look for an ME Super, Olympus OM, Canon AE. Nikon FE. You can get adapters to use the Helios on those. A lot of 'us' started on the Zenit series. Very useable but there's better bodies out there and a cheap, too :)
 
I personally wouldn't use Jessops or Boots etc if your favour quality over price. Unfortunately most of it is luck, as it depends on the skill of the operator as to how good the prints/scans will be, some places give really good quality as so and others not so good.
I would send it away to be developed, I use Club 35 which is a pro lab in London, their prices are pretty much almost the same as using Jessops 1hr service and they come back within 3 days of you sending them normally. The quality is also excellent.

http://www.club35.co.uk/

The Zenit EM and Helios was my first proper camera, given to me by my dad who had been given it as a gift years ago. Used right you can get some great shots, remember that the metering is not TTL, it uses a separate selenium cell on top of the prism. As so it can be easily confused by by bright or dark situations. With negative film you'll be generally O.K as it has lots of lattitide, but try overexposing by 1/2 a stop as the selenium cell may have lost some sensitivity over the years. I've ran slide film which is very exposure concious through mine and it was fine but my example is in good condition, it unfortunately varies from camera to camera.

The lens as said is very sharp and has quite nice bokeh wide open.
 
my tip would be ,when you take a light meter reading , take it from a darker area of the scene, like the shadow area ,dont have any sky included when you take it .if you are going to make an under / over exposure mistake make it on the over exposure side.
( saves getting those thin negs )
 
...and I would just add:- if you want to try colour, Fuji superia 200asa is a VG general purpose neg film....and for your first film try a large Asda they will dev and put your shots onto a CD in one hour while you shop for £2.98, and it's all in a nice package.
 
Thanks guys! The Light meter in the Camera is shot, so i have an external one i got off my dad from back in the day :) I'll see how my bank likes me dependant on the film i get :) i want to get Rangefinder, if i can do this whole film shabang :)
 
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