This guide is great. The big challenge is to bring all types of batteries with you if you go thrifting for cameras! A lot of cameras made after around 1980 require a battery to operate. Some earlier too (AE-1 A-1 etc). The main thing that gives me headaches are the two most difficult things to assess. The light meter (Selenium especially ofc) and the shutter speeds being accurate. Any multi-second exposures can be tested by looking at a stop-watch though. Absolutely subscribed.
Thanks for the kind words and the subscribe. 🙂 I agree sometimes it can be a pain (or even not possible) to check everything at the store, and just have to hope for the best! Good point about the stop watch and long exposure settings.
Helpful hint for a handheld meter: you didn't need to walk right up to the brick wall. If it's in direct sun, you can just hold the meter in direct sun, but right where you are. The light from the sun is coming 93,000,000 miles away - it's not going to be any different right at the brick wall than it is 5 feet away from the brick wall.
Great tips! I sometimes will look up the camera and double check if it's got any other components or proprietary attachments or plugs. (tho, that's typically with old video and digital cams)
That's a good idea. That reminds me of all the billion different proprietary memory cards manufacturers would require for the old digital cams. It was a relief when the industry finally settled on SD.
Chris’s cameras are SMOKIN!!! 😉 Great video! I was hoping to see what you were testing with the meter in the still shot for this video. What were you testing? Take care buddy.
The flash is smokin', because all my pictures are so🔥 hahaha. I was getting a meter reading off of a church. (The related images were the comparison shots I took on Tmax). 🙂
The only things that broke on my ae1 was the battery door (superglued it) and the beeper for the self timer. Other than that It functions mechanically perfectly.
You need to take very good notes when testing like you describe in your video. Noting the settings and the frame number too. (For the film exposure test). Nice job.
Thank you so much for the tips, wanted to ask, what other factors can contribute to the grain on the film? i used Ilford Delta 400 on iso 50 and sill got a lot of grain, considering that ilford delta 400 has very fine grains... appreciate the help
Hi there! Well, other factors that can influence grain are underexposure, and/or different developers. Also pushing film can increase grain, but if you've rated it at 50 instead of 400 that shouldn't be the case. Where your exposures spot on for 50, or possibly underexposed?
@@filmismorefun i set the shot to the in camera light meter, even the darker shots have a lot of grain... maybe my Iso mechanisim is broken? can the film developer have something to do with it? as i saw he bathes different bw films together in the same batch for the same amount of time? thanks for your reply btw :)
It's possible your light meter is off if the shots look too dark or underexposed. Different developers produce sharper results than others, and some emphasize the grain now than others. However, if you want less grain, my suggestion is to shoot a lower speed film (like 100) instead of shooting 400 speed at a low iso. The lower that the film box speed is the smaller the grain size which will be less noticeable in your images. I hope that helps!
woah was that smoke comming from your flash? Great video tho! I also do this and have gotten some incredible deals at secondhand stores! Yashica TLR for 25 dollars, Olympus mju for 2 dollars and so on ;)
@@filmismorefun yeah but it was back in 2016, but i know it had value, i almost couldnt keep my composure/straight face when i asked for the price. It came in mint condition, with og strap, case, manual and guarantee card
@@filmismorefun nope, stil shoot it, trying to force myself to keep it on me every day, like a EDC-camera or diary, but the price atm, kinda makes me want to sell it of for something cheeper, but idk...
Not a bad plan. I do the same with a Ricoh R1, and before that carried the Olympus in the video. But as you mentioned, with the cost of film right now I'm not shooting daily like a was.
![How Does Film ACTUALLY Work? (It's MAGIC) [Photos and Development] - Smarter Every Day 258](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/TCxoZlFqzwA/mqdefault.jpg)
![How Does Film ACTUALLY Work? (It's MAGIC) [Photos and Development] - Smarter Every Day 258](/img/tr.png)
Great tips! I only have one more - if a camera’s flash is smoking, don’t buy it
😂😂 Great for those 'smoke and fog' portraits!
This guide is great. The big challenge is to bring all types of batteries with you if you go thrifting for cameras! A lot of cameras made after around 1980 require a battery to operate. Some earlier too (AE-1 A-1 etc).
The main thing that gives me headaches are the two most difficult things to assess. The light meter (Selenium especially ofc) and the shutter speeds being accurate. Any multi-second exposures can be tested by looking at a stop-watch though.
Absolutely subscribed.
Thanks for the kind words and the subscribe. 🙂
I agree sometimes it can be a pain (or even not possible) to check everything at the store, and just have to hope for the best! Good point about the stop watch and long exposure settings.
Helpful hint for a handheld meter: you didn't need to walk right up to the brick wall. If it's in direct sun, you can just hold the meter in direct sun, but right where you are. The light from the sun is coming 93,000,000 miles away - it's not going to be any different right at the brick wall than it is 5 feet away from the brick wall.
Hey Stephen! Yeah man, you have a point there. My hope with that clip was to add some visual interest in the video. 🙂
Great tips! I sometimes will look up the camera and double check if it's got any other components or proprietary attachments or plugs. (tho, that's typically with old video and digital cams)
That's a good idea. That reminds me of all the billion different proprietary memory cards manufacturers would require for the old digital cams. It was a relief when the industry finally settled on SD.
Chris’s cameras are SMOKIN!!! 😉 Great video! I was hoping to see what you were testing with the meter in the still shot for this video. What were you testing? Take care buddy.
The flash is smokin', because all my pictures are so🔥 hahaha.
I was getting a meter reading off of a church. (The related images were the comparison shots I took on Tmax). 🙂
❤ super-superb!
🙏
amazing videos
from japan🇯🇵👍👍
Hey thanks!
The only things that broke on my ae1 was the battery door (superglued it) and the beeper for the self timer. Other than that It functions mechanically perfectly.
Nice! Was that a thrift store find?
@@filmismorefun No, ebay don't have a thrift store nearby, there is one out of town in the city though.
@@koltinn oh awesome. Yeah, some deals to be had on the 'bay lol
You need to take very good notes when testing like you describe in your video. Noting the settings and the frame number too. (For the film exposure test). Nice job.
Thank you so much for the tips, wanted to ask, what other factors can contribute to the grain on the film? i used Ilford Delta 400 on iso 50 and sill got a lot of grain, considering that ilford delta 400 has very fine grains... appreciate the help
Hi there! Well, other factors that can influence grain are underexposure, and/or different developers. Also pushing film can increase grain, but if you've rated it at 50 instead of 400 that shouldn't be the case. Where your exposures spot on for 50, or possibly underexposed?
@@filmismorefun i set the shot to the in camera light meter, even the darker shots have a lot of grain... maybe my Iso mechanisim is broken? can the film developer have something to do with it? as i saw he bathes different bw films together in the same batch for the same amount of time? thanks for your reply btw :)
It's possible your light meter is off if the shots look too dark or underexposed. Different developers produce sharper results than others, and some emphasize the grain now than others.
However, if you want less grain, my suggestion is to shoot a lower speed film (like 100) instead of shooting 400 speed at a low iso. The lower that the film box speed is the smaller the grain size which will be less noticeable in your images. I hope that helps!
woah was that smoke comming from your flash? Great video tho! I also do this and have gotten some incredible deals at secondhand stores! Yashica TLR for 25 dollars, Olympus mju for 2 dollars and so on ;)
Yeah! That sucker was smoking hahaha. A mju for $2? Crazy deal right there!
@@filmismorefun yeah but it was back in 2016, but i know it had value, i almost couldnt keep my composure/straight face when i asked for the price. It came in mint condition, with og strap, case, manual and guarantee card
Wow, what a find. Do you still shoot with it, or did you end up selling it?
@@filmismorefun nope, stil shoot it, trying to force myself to keep it on me every day, like a EDC-camera or diary, but the price atm, kinda makes me want to sell it of for something cheeper, but idk...
Not a bad plan. I do the same with a Ricoh R1, and before that carried the Olympus in the video. But as you mentioned, with the cost of film right now I'm not shooting daily like a was.