What started with the relatively cheap purchase of a Canon EOS 5 (which I considered to be an old camera at the time) now seems to have become an expensive habit, with me mulling over the purchase of small colour processing kit capable of taking 5×4 film.
This seems crazy to many people – myself included until recently – with the usual phrases including things like “you can do whatever you like with digital”, “each shot is free with digital”, “you can see what you’ve taken straight away” being trotted out frequently. All of these are of course valid points, and I have no intention of putting my digital kit away but there is something inescapably fun about film. Maybe it’s actually using the cameras themselves that is fun, I don’t know – what I do know is that unless I need digital quality results I find myself choosing a film camera to take with me when I go out now instead.
I was slowly working my way through all the different types of film I could find (although I tend to prefer B&W as I find it hard to get excited about colour film) and also enjoying the different characteristics, and faults of the various cameras when I suddenly remembered the old Box Brownie. The Kodak Six-20 Brownie Model C, made between 1946 and 1953 – surely it wasn’t possible to still get film for it?
A bit of searching led me to http://www.photosupplies.co.uk/ who offer 120 film respooled for use in 620 cameras. Not only that, but they also provide affordable, more than adequate quality processing (which is more than I can say for my local camera shop)
The image above was taken on my first trip out with the Box Brownie, taken on Fuji Neopan Acros 100 and processed by http://www.photosupplies.co.uk.
I just got one of these (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brionline/1369167594/) to add to the collection. Was thinking about running 35mm film through it using a foam block bodge because of a lack of 620 film…
Oh – that’s a pretty looking machine. Will mail about film.
Sweet memories :)
Been there done that – for ages. I really were a geek/noob about this obsolete way of processing. But i remember how I loved the smell in the darkroom, and the waiting to seeing the result.
I take it, you will never know how much appreciation I give to the modern digital way of processing. I still am using the same thoughtfulness when I photograph as was required when in the days of film. I have never ever had my digital cameras on continuous shooting, as I learn so many others do have, because it does cost you nothing. I still do my work, as if I were using my large format Sinar. What I do believe though is that the education from the filmdays has given me an valuable insight, very useful in the digital photography. So in that way, the money spent on your new interest, will not be wasted.
Cheers
kim
Hi Kim – cheers for stopping by. I guess you already know where I stand – not for one moment would I ever take the convenience of digital for granted, or the fact that this convenience has made photography more accessible to the masses (such as myself).
I’m unsure at the moment whether these experiments with film are progressing my style or skill, but that hardly seems to matter when it’s such fun waiting for films to come back from processing :)
Lovely lovely picture! How long was your exposure on this?
I’m just taking my Six-20 Brownie out for it’s first spin in my hands…hoping for one good exposure! : )
Thanks Nicola. This was just taken using the standard shutter speed, which I believe is about 1/45 of a second.
My camera has two shutter modes controlled by a small lever on the side – standard (1/45s) or bulb (where it stays open for as long as you press the button) – standard is the “up” position I think but you can check this by watching how the shutter behaves when you press the shutter button.
With ISO100 film in this camera all you need is a nice bright scene and you should be fine – I haven’t had anything come out underexposed, but I’ve always selected heavily sunlit scenes. One word of warning – make sure you clean the lens front and back if it’s not been used in a while.
There are other Brownie shots scattered around my photostream on Flickr – http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxakropolis/