You might want to check this out next 👉 The one color film you should take everywhere | Versatility of Porta 400 👉 ua-cam.com/video/9bosV24lmKs/v-deo.html
Awesome video, with a lots of Information. Just one point: measuring for the shadows: it actually means, that you take a spot meter, measure the shadows which are the darkest area you still wish to see some contrast in. Then you put this measurement in the correct ‚zone‘. The theory is, that a standard developed film has the ability to handle a stretch of an equivalent of 11 aperture steps from pure white to pure dark. Zone 0 is black and zone 10 is white. So if you open one aperture, you double the amount of light. This means, each zone is a doubling or halfen of the exposure. A normal lightmeter exposes for zone 5 (I think). So what you do, when measuring the shadows, you put them in zone 1. then you calculate your exposure for zone 5. e.g if you measure 1/30 in zone 1 you go up 4 steps: 1/60 - 1/125 - 1/250 - 1/500. And, because you want to make sure, that you really have some buffer, you put your shadows in zone 2 and expose 1/250.
Great video. Nikon F sells for 100 bucks on ebay and they are tanks! They were the primary camera used throughout the Vietnam war by photo journalist and also went to the moon on Apollo 14. You can’t go wrong. 😊
@@leaschmitt2496 I think it’s very cool how we bond to certain cameras. We study them carefully. We learned how to use them to the max. Carefully set the Shutter-Speed/aperture to the proper light level. Learn from our mistakes. We care for them, and they help preserve memories for a lifetime. 🤓
The F3 is an easier first camera and were made into the 90's so no light leaks or out of caliber shutter. Also a built in light meter that isn't cumbersome.
Sunny 16 rule is great in a pinch, but you should always adjust your shutter speed so that your aperture is prioritized. Most lenses have a peak sharpness around f/11 or f/16. I try to never shoot stopped down past f/16. If i want a slower shutter speed, i make sure i set my aperature appropriately for the scene and my lens, and then use an nd filter if necessary.
I've been into film photography and doing my own processing since the 1970's. Your video is an excellent primer for those just getting into film. I started out with a Minolta SRT (all manual) and that's what I mostly still use (I was forever smitten and have 12 of them now). Thanks!
I'm around the same vintage, and was thinking the exact same thing. Well presented and easy to understand for those who were probably born in the digital era. BTW, I started with Nikon FM2 and now have a cabinet full. The F3 is my daily.
@@scottfrancis8313 The Nikon F series is legendary. I have an old N90 tank that I love despite its drawbacks, and a D5200 digital that I use for macro. But my old mechanical cameras are my favorites, including a couple of old TLRs.
The Olympus OM1 is either one of the world's best cameras or I'm just lucky because my shots from that thing can easily stand toe to toe with my modern mirrorless systems. It's a hammer of a machine with some world class glass. I got 2 of them with 5 lenses for $120
He forgot to mention, this slick presentation was brought to you by Adobe. "You must edit," so enslave yourself to Adobe where you will pay annually what the software used to cost as a lifetime package, broken into monthly installments, no matter how much or how little you use it. As a bonus, just as you're learning the interface, Adobe will randomly relocate the controls without warning. For those who opted to forego a child to pay the Adobe bill so they can spend twice as many hours editing photos as taking photos, more power to you. Add the deer to your duckpond shot, color the dead winter grass as if it is spring, and bring that moon a million miles closer: more power to you. That is art and takes an artistic vision to create. It's not photography though, which is a different art, just as photography is not painting. Granted, there can be a bit of art in how film is developed, and there is definitely art in how an image scanned or printed -- Ansel Adams famously spent many hours burning and dodging to get a print the way he wanted, and that was art. My point is beginners should not be bullied into these parallel or ancillary hobbies/artistic endeavors. If part of the reason one enjoys photography is to escape the computer and "touch grass," invasive editing after certified training in yet another application is not required, especially for a beginner. Use a good lab (as he suggests), find one that produces scans how you like, get some actual prints made. Enjoy photography first, then build skills and knowledge in taking better photos that is largely static since the 1930s: composition, exposure, focus. The shelf-life of that knowledge and those skills is the rest of your life: they never become obsolete. Develop your own style and express your artistic vision. There will be plenty of time to learn processing, scanning, and editing when what you envision requires those endeavors to achieve.
The cameras shown [2:15] is a great selection! Yes, I'm one of the people who says editing the scans is overdone. It's an extra step so the photographer can pretend they're doing even more to create the image. Whatever they took a picture of already did most of the work. If the effort was put into selecting the film, it seems likely that people will undo that when editing the scan. I know, I know.. I'm... right... 😂
Yes I go back and forth a lot on editing scans. And yes, sometimes my editing does more harm than good. But I'm getting better at restraining myself... I think...
This video was great! I was recently gifted two old film cameras. A 1950s Kodak Junior 1 and a 1927 Ensign Carbine No. 4, so a bit older than the ones in this video. The 1927 camera has all of the settings like aperture size and shutter speed but the shutter is broken, so until I can get it repaired I have to use the Kodak which has literally zero options. Fixed aperture size, fixed shutter speed, fixed focus distance etc. Anyway today I shot my first ever roll of film using the Kodak and I am taking it to be developed tomorrow.
This is the best intro video to film. I'm an experienced film photographer but I clicked on here to see if I needed to brush up on anything or learn something new. I didn't learn anything new but i watched it all the way through and it's exactly what i would want to hear being taught . Great job and I love the Nikon FE. I have an FM. You are should do a follow up video on using flash . I almost never use fill flash. I see a lot of photogs skip the speedlights in favor of heavy off camera flash which is an obvious logistical issue.
My first film SLR is Canon EOS Rebel X it was cheap and I still have it with me and the best thing is in my opinion is the EF lenses even I could rent an EF lens and auto loading and reloading. the results are really stunning. I’m not gonna lie it’s still I still use it sometimes it was worth it and it still is.
Great video. Boy do I hand GAS. Lol. Canon QL17 iii rangefinder, canon P rangefinder, canon a1, nikon F and many lenses for them 😮 but, i LOVE shooting with all of them as it gives me great joy. Thank you 😊
Some of these pictures mentioned here are just so iconic. Tiananmen square and Afghan Girl, both taken on the FM2, imo one of the greatest cameras of all time.
There is a different way to use the 'zone focus' markings, especially if you don't have time to focus properly when presented with a short opportunistic shot. When I was a beginner, I learned about hyperfocal distance, which uses the same markings on the lens, but you can preset everything long before you actually take the shot. Firstly, set your lens to a fairly small aperture, and then set the infinity point on the focus ring to the appropriate number on the 'zone' markings. Any shot you take like this will be acceptably in focus from fairly close out to infinity. On the lens you show at 16:06 , using f/8 as the aperture, your hyperfocal distance would be from infinity down to approximately 8 feet. If you used f/11 or f/16, this range would be even greater. This works especially well on aperture priority cameras, for obvious reasons.
I too as a old timer have come back to 35mm and also picked up some very nice donated cameras that are fun to use to make great photo images using film! Is Film comming back? I hope so! 😎
A few years ago i got a beautiful late 50s Canon P rangefinder. I loaded Ektar 100 in it, took it on a trip and started to carefully take what I thought were beautiful photos. I was getting close to exposure 36 and then was able to take another exposure and another and another and another and another and after about 45 exposures I realize something was wrong. Low and behold I fell to the first I fell to the first problem this video. The leader of the film was not connected properly. Lol.
This was uploaded in 2023. Outside of certain cities in Japan, where can one find local film developing like in pharmacies and grocery stores? Even in Japan, when I was last there over 5 years ago, the film processing was in store related to photography or crafts. I remember a sign in a Texas Walgreens back before 2015 warning customers they were going to cease film processing by a certain date...just in time for film's comeback. Most large cities have a few labs to this day, but they are dedicated labs. Despite my quibble, this is very well presented.
I was an army photographer, I was issued a Minolta X700. My boss has a Canon F-1. I was envious of his camera. Was it better? Maybe. It was a professional camera. It shot up to 1/2000 of a second, and you could change focusing screens. But did it take better pictures? No, it didn’t. He had been an army photographer his whole career in the army. I was only one for a little over two and a half years. He was a good photographer and I learned from him. But I also was awarded the Army’s version of the Pulitzer Prize. The Kieth L Ware award. I don’t know if he got it in his time in the Army, but it tells me it’s the photographer and not the camera that gets the shot. You have to know how to get the most out of your camera.
Just know that for your metering and sunny 16 rule. Pretty much comes from hoe exposure value are set and how you meters are calibrated. Camera meters generally run from EV1 to around EV18 measured through a 50 mm f/1.4 lens with ISO 100 film. With EV1 at 1 second at f/1.4 and EV18 at 1/1000 at f/16. EV15 being your typical sunny day at 1/125 at f/16. The 1/125 speed isn’t the closest shutter speed to 100 it is what it is calibrated for. 400 is two stops different in both ISO and shutter speed. So 1/500 is exactly two stops different and what is calibrated for 400 ISO film. While it may seem like it’s the closest to the films ISO. It’s the correct setting.
Found that "drug store" photo development is now way more expensive than dedicated development studios. Walgreens charges $16-$24 per 24 roll and won't return negatives. My local photography store charges $12 for development and basic scan.
You’re absolutely right. Apollo 8 was December of 1968… which orbited the moon but didn’t land on the moon. But still gave us the amazing photo of earth.
Hahaha “cheap cameras” in the first part you are so wrong. Also, you are not mentioning (as all the other youtubers pseudo phorographers) the large format (if you are introducing positive film why not mention the bigger formats?) and the correct way to end the processed film is to do a print with an enlarger machine and scan it, is cheaper and way better that scan negative because there are 3 ways to do it (a roll scanner for example) and every one of them have variations in quality, so to look the photogram properly you need the print (and please don’t “scan” with a digital camera that is a sacrilege)
You might want to check this out next 👉 The one color film you should take everywhere | Versatility of Porta 400 👉 ua-cam.com/video/9bosV24lmKs/v-deo.html
I wish this video was around when I was in Photography 101. A whole semester of knowledge right here!
Hey Carlton that's awesome my friend thanks, glad you enjoyed the video!
@@grainmaker.photography For sure!
:)
This is the best crash course in film photography I've seen so far, thank you!
The Nikon FM2 is a great camera. I cannot overstate its value for beginners who want a camera that is just as well suited for professional purposes.
Awesome video, with a lots of Information.
Just one point: measuring for the shadows: it actually means, that you take a spot meter, measure the shadows which are the darkest area you still wish to see some contrast in. Then you put this measurement in the correct ‚zone‘.
The theory is, that a standard developed film has the ability to handle a stretch of an equivalent of 11 aperture steps from pure white to pure dark. Zone 0 is black and zone 10 is white. So if you open one aperture, you double the amount of light. This means, each zone is a doubling or halfen of the exposure.
A normal lightmeter exposes for zone 5 (I think). So what you do, when measuring the shadows, you put them in zone 1. then you calculate your exposure for zone 5. e.g if you measure 1/30 in zone 1 you go up 4 steps: 1/60 - 1/125 - 1/250 - 1/500.
And, because you want to make sure, that you really have some buffer, you put your shadows in zone 2 and expose 1/250.
Great video. Nikon F sells for 100 bucks on ebay and they are tanks! They were the primary camera used throughout the Vietnam war by photo journalist and also went to the moon on Apollo 14. You can’t go wrong. 😊
similarly, got the olympus om-1 and i love that fully mechanicalcharm. it's basically bombproof and i hope to keep using it for the rest of my life
@@leaschmitt2496 I think it’s very cool how we bond to certain cameras. We study them carefully. We learned how to use them to the max. Carefully set the Shutter-Speed/aperture to the proper light level. Learn from our mistakes. We care for them, and they help preserve memories for a lifetime. 🤓
The F3 is an easier first camera and were made into the 90's so no light leaks or out of caliber shutter. Also a built in light meter that isn't cumbersome.
Sunny 16 rule is great in a pinch, but you should always adjust your shutter speed so that your aperture is prioritized. Most lenses have a peak sharpness around f/11 or f/16. I try to never shoot stopped down past f/16. If i want a slower shutter speed, i make sure i set my aperature appropriately for the scene and my lens, and then use an nd filter if necessary.
It also has a lot to do with the lens and the film. Ektar 100 for day, Cinestill 800 for night and Tri X for black and white.
I've been into film photography and doing my own processing since the 1970's. Your video is an excellent primer for those just getting into film. I started out with a Minolta SRT (all manual) and that's what I mostly still use (I was forever smitten and have 12 of them now). Thanks!
I'm around the same vintage, and was thinking the exact same thing. Well presented and easy to understand for those who were probably born in the digital era. BTW, I started with Nikon FM2 and now have a cabinet full. The F3 is my daily.
@@scottfrancis8313 The Nikon F series is legendary. I have an old N90 tank that I love despite its drawbacks, and a D5200 digital that I use for macro. But my old mechanical cameras are my favorites, including a couple of old TLRs.
The Olympus OM1 is either one of the world's best cameras or I'm just lucky because my shots from that thing can easily stand toe to toe with my modern mirrorless systems.
It's a hammer of a machine with some world class glass. I got 2 of them with 5 lenses for $120
If you guess the distance, take a small aperture
To clarify this for beginners: not numerically small like f/2. You want a higher f stop like f/8 or higher to get a longer focus zone.
He forgot to mention, this slick presentation was brought to you by Adobe. "You must edit," so enslave yourself to Adobe where you will pay annually what the software used to cost as a lifetime package, broken into monthly installments, no matter how much or how little you use it. As a bonus, just as you're learning the interface, Adobe will randomly relocate the controls without warning.
For those who opted to forego a child to pay the Adobe bill so they can spend twice as many hours editing photos as taking photos, more power to you. Add the deer to your duckpond shot, color the dead winter grass as if it is spring, and bring that moon a million miles closer: more power to you. That is art and takes an artistic vision to create. It's not photography though, which is a different art, just as photography is not painting. Granted, there can be a bit of art in how film is developed, and there is definitely art in how an image scanned or printed -- Ansel Adams famously spent many hours burning and dodging to get a print the way he wanted, and that was art.
My point is beginners should not be bullied into these parallel or ancillary hobbies/artistic endeavors. If part of the reason one enjoys photography is to escape the computer and "touch grass," invasive editing after certified training in yet another application is not required, especially for a beginner. Use a good lab (as he suggests), find one that produces scans how you like, get some actual prints made. Enjoy photography first, then build skills and knowledge in taking better photos that is largely static since the 1930s: composition, exposure, focus. The shelf-life of that knowledge and those skills is the rest of your life: they never become obsolete. Develop your own style and express your artistic vision.
There will be plenty of time to learn processing, scanning, and editing when what you envision requires those endeavors to achieve.
The cameras shown [2:15] is a great selection!
Yes, I'm one of the people who says editing the scans is overdone. It's an extra step so the photographer can pretend they're doing even more to create the image. Whatever they took a picture of already did most of the work. If the effort was put into selecting the film, it seems likely that people will undo that when editing the scan. I know, I know.. I'm... right... 😂
Yes I go back and forth a lot on editing scans. And yes, sometimes my editing does more harm than good. But I'm getting better at restraining myself... I think...
Very well made- got me to subscribe half-way through...clear, concise, informative. Keep it up. And I am not a beginner !!
Very useful. Lots of information in ten minutes....
Thanks crispin glad you enjoyed it!
@@grainmaker.photography Your dry humour is also always appreciated !
:)
This video was great! I was recently gifted two old film cameras. A 1950s Kodak Junior 1 and a 1927 Ensign Carbine No. 4, so a bit older than the ones in this video. The 1927 camera has all of the settings like aperture size and shutter speed but the shutter is broken, so until I can get it repaired I have to use the Kodak which has literally zero options. Fixed aperture size, fixed shutter speed, fixed focus distance etc. Anyway today I shot my first ever roll of film using the Kodak and I am taking it to be developed tomorrow.
This is the best intro video to film. I'm an experienced film photographer but I clicked on here to see if I needed to brush up on anything or learn something new. I didn't learn anything new but i watched it all the way through and it's exactly what i would want to hear being taught . Great job and I love the Nikon FE. I have an FM. You are should do a follow up video on using flash . I almost never use fill flash. I see a lot of photogs skip the speedlights in favor of heavy off camera flash which is an obvious logistical issue.
Thank you so much for this video!!! Totally subscribing ❤
As someone who literally just starts out, Ioved this video! Immediately subscribed!
My first film SLR is Canon EOS Rebel X it was cheap and I still have it with me and the best thing is in my opinion is the EF lenses even I could rent an EF lens and auto loading and reloading. the results are really stunning. I’m not gonna lie it’s still I still use it sometimes it was worth it and it still is.
That's awesome, and yes I do love my canon eos 3 (those lenses am I right!)
Hugely informative - thanks for posting.
Great video. Boy do I hand GAS. Lol. Canon QL17 iii rangefinder, canon P rangefinder, canon a1, nikon F and many lenses for them 😮 but, i LOVE shooting with all of them as it gives me great joy. Thank you 😊
Some of these pictures mentioned here are just so iconic. Tiananmen square and Afghan Girl, both taken on the FM2, imo one of the greatest cameras of all time.
Agreed!
Fantastic video. The best beginners video I’ve seen.
Thanks Klark!
That Hasselblad was pretty heavily modified, IIRC. And the film was rushed immediately to the darkroom upon landing.
I used my phone camera as my light meter. And also as a preview of the photo.
Great Video! Thanks for the help
I'll be getting my first film camera next week (a kodak m35) sonthanks for the great video.💜
Great video man, I'm only starting out with film photography and everything made perfectly sense (unlike some other videos).
There is a different way to use the 'zone focus' markings, especially if you don't have time to focus properly when presented with a short opportunistic shot. When I was a beginner, I learned about hyperfocal distance, which uses the same markings on the lens, but you can preset everything long before you actually take the shot. Firstly, set your lens to a fairly small aperture, and then set the infinity point on the focus ring to the appropriate number on the 'zone' markings. Any shot you take like this will be acceptably in focus from fairly close out to infinity. On the lens you show at 16:06 , using f/8 as the aperture, your hyperfocal distance would be from infinity down to approximately 8 feet. If you used f/11 or f/16, this range would be even greater. This works especially well on aperture priority cameras, for obvious reasons.
As an "oldtimer" comming back to film photography I enjoy your videos very much and wish you all the best.
I too as a old timer have come back to 35mm and also picked up some very nice donated cameras that are fun to use to make great photo images using film! Is Film comming back? I hope so! 😎
A few years ago i got a beautiful late 50s Canon P rangefinder. I loaded Ektar 100 in it, took it on a trip and started to carefully take what I thought were beautiful photos. I was getting close to exposure 36 and then was able to take another exposure and another and another and another and another and after about 45 exposures I realize something was wrong. Low and behold I fell to the first I fell to the first problem this video. The leader of the film was not connected properly. Lol.
This was uploaded in 2023. Outside of certain cities in Japan, where can one find local film developing like in pharmacies and grocery stores? Even in Japan, when I was last there over 5 years ago, the film processing was in store related to photography or crafts. I remember a sign in a Texas Walgreens back before 2015 warning customers they were going to cease film processing by a certain date...just in time for film's comeback. Most large cities have a few labs to this day, but they are dedicated labs.
Despite my quibble, this is very well presented.
This was super helpful I now understand how to adjust my settings:) Thank you!!
Looking to get into film soon soo this was very helpful! Thanks for a great video!
I was an army photographer, I was issued a Minolta X700. My boss has a Canon F-1. I was envious of his camera. Was it better? Maybe. It was a professional camera. It shot up to 1/2000 of a second, and you could change focusing screens. But did it take better pictures? No, it didn’t. He had been an army photographer his whole career in the army. I was only one for a little over two and a half years. He was a good photographer and I learned from him. But I also was awarded the Army’s version of the Pulitzer Prize. The Kieth L Ware award. I don’t know if he got it in his time in the Army, but it tells me it’s the photographer and not the camera that gets the shot. You have to know how to get the most out of your camera.
Great video. Subscribed.
my favorite film camera is Pentax LX
Good🎉🎉🎉
I love my Spotmatic SP.
Hey Rob, yes it's a beauty for sure!
Just know that for your metering and sunny 16 rule. Pretty much comes from hoe exposure value are set and how you meters are calibrated. Camera meters generally run from EV1 to around EV18 measured through a 50 mm f/1.4 lens with ISO 100 film. With EV1 at 1 second at f/1.4 and EV18 at 1/1000 at f/16. EV15 being your typical sunny day at 1/125 at f/16. The 1/125 speed isn’t the closest shutter speed to 100 it is what it is calibrated for. 400 is two stops different in both ISO and shutter speed. So 1/500 is exactly two stops different and what is calibrated for 400 ISO film. While it may seem like it’s the closest to the films ISO. It’s the correct setting.
One piece of equipment you should have is a handheld light or spot meter
Agreed.
Found that "drug store" photo development is now way more expensive than dedicated development studios. Walgreens charges $16-$24 per 24 roll and won't return negatives. My local photography store charges $12 for development and basic scan.
Remember, the quality of film photography is in the lens and film you use
Absolutely thanks
Nice vid
Does anybody know this camera “prontor 125 camera voigtlander”? I am new to film photography and I’ve found it in a vintage market.
Why am i watching this lol
To shoot film one day
@thealaris :)
not everyday you’re seeing Ryan Reynolds teaching photography 😆
Yeah these GAS prices have been getting crazy lately😅😝
Insane right!
Gas affects all hobbies, guitarists are prime victims🤑
0:59 Welp, your content is getting blocked in China.
Most important part was metering. And this guy rushed.. And he was super slow with basic s* earlier
Moon landing was in 1969, not 68. Concerned I'm the first one to mention that....
You’re absolutely right. Apollo 8 was December of 1968… which orbited the moon but didn’t land on the moon. But still gave us the amazing photo of earth.
They filmed it in Hollywood in 68 :-D
😞 'Promo sm'
Hahaha “cheap cameras” in the first part you are so wrong.
Also, you are not mentioning (as all the other youtubers pseudo phorographers) the large format (if you are introducing positive film why not mention the bigger formats?) and the correct way to end the processed film is to do a print with an enlarger machine and scan it, is cheaper and way better that scan negative because there are 3 ways to do it (a roll scanner for example) and every one of them have variations in quality, so to look the photogram properly you need the print (and please don’t “scan” with a digital camera that is a sacrilege)
This video could have been three minutes long. Far too long winded.
Mistake #1 is using it in 2024. Do you have a typewriter too?
Actually the worst clickbait video I've ever seen. None of these are secrets, this is just obvious.
Not for everyone
People who just started wont know any of this