A few weeks ago I held a charity event and I met a wonderful lady who came back multiple tiems in the day. In the afternoon she asked me if I ever used a film camera and I told her that I didn't but it was something I would like to try.
She came back a few hours later with a bag and told me that her friend had given her this a few years ago but she never used it and wanted me to have it if it would give me some pleasure.
When I looked in the bag there was an olympus OM-1 slr with a flash, a 50mm lens and a 70-150mm lens plus the original manual. I was amazed that this lady who I hadn't met before that day was so generous.
Anyway, now my youngest has started school I have a few weeks with a couple of free days and want to start playing with my new toy. The problem is my only experience with film cameras were from when I was little and small plastic point and shoots. I think the last one I had was the kodak advantix F350 almost 15 years ago where the film I used would have been whatever was on offer!
What film would you recommend I use? I think I want black and white film and I will mostly use it outdoors during daylight so I'll probably stick with a low ISO but which brands are best, is there anything I should avoid or snap up if I see it?
hey!
your Advantix probably took APS did it? I have the same Olympus it is the king of cameras. You need a battery for it first of all - ebay - and then if I was you I'd practice with colour film because developing black and white film will sting you financially.
Colour film you'll find cheapest on both amazon and ebay is Fujifilm C200, 200 ISO, which I use. I love fujifilm. Agfa has stopped making I think so the best brands you're gonna find are Kodak and Fujifilm probably, and for black and white Illford. I don't experiment too much, but I use whatevers cheap and expired, usually on ebay I'm paying 70p ($1) a roll, for mixed bags usually. Lots of supermarket branded film is cheap on ebay too. you'll have a great time with that camera, and the lens is ace. If you have a DSLR you can get an OM lens adaptor on ebay for about $10 to fit the 50mm to your DSLR too. @peterdegraaff
you will most likely have to mailorder your b/w. I use the following or my film and processing, I didn't look at your BIO, so not sure where you are located. here it is http://www.coopersimaging.com/
@chewyteeth Both Ilford and Kodak make a chromagenic black and whitefilmtat is developed in C41. Both give good results and is an easy way into film b&w cos it can be developed in local film shops
Once you get the hang of the camera (I like color kodak for that) you may want to switch to black and white which you can easily develop at home in under an hour. For that I actually like a no name brand called Ultrafine. Kodak TMAX sometimes gets a purple haze, but regular Kodak film is awesome. I am 50/50 on illford but that may be developer error and not the film itself. But for my 35 mm I have leaned towards illford more than Kodak.
@peterdegraaff@chewyteeth I have a roll of the Kodak b/w that can be developed in C-41 but have not put it in the camera yet. I hear it is good and they sell it at our local drugstore (pharmacy or chemist)
I agree with all of the above, and it's funny @peterdegraaff would mention C-41 B&W, I just put 14 rolls of it up for sale on ebay (here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/170906765866?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_720wt_1378 )
An OM-1 is an excellent frame, and if your 50mm is a Zuiko, you should be in heaven (and if it is a Zuiko, definitely do what @chewyteeth recommends and get an adapter for your DSLR, Zuiko's are one heck of a lens!)
I'm agreeing with everyone too, I think @chewyteeth might be a tad annoyed as I got given an om2 and and om10 yesterday. I also have the om1 and it's just the best! I have been challenged by @peterdegraaff for my get pushed this week to get my OM1 out. I got the film developed today and it's cracking stuff ( c200 fujifilm). I'll be posting my fav shots once I hook up my lap top, currently on the iPad and more concerned with my wine than my photo's! Have bungs of fun Emma!!
I'm another OM1 owner, and if there's a better SLR I've never come across it. The shutter speed ring is an absolute boon, and the f2 Zuiko 50mm lens is a cracking standard.
As for film, if you're in the UK and looking at b&w that suggests Ilford. FP4 at 125 ISO and HP5 at 400 are the basic emulsions; the Delta formulations are supposed to have finer grain. Pan F is a big favourite of mine - slow at 50 ISO, but makes really detailed negatives. The only other b&w film I've much experience of is Kodak Tri-X, a fast film with a definite character of it's own. It's very much associated with photojournalism and there's a good chance that any memorable news photo from the second half of the 20th century was taken on it.
@peterdegraaff I do, I just don't advertise it since it's so expensive! People usually PM me, I give them a quote, and always reimburse unused postage 'cause that's how I roll! :)
Thank you for all the suggestions, I'll have a look through them all and look forward to trying them out.
@grizzlysghost@chewyteeth The 50mm is an olypus lens not a Zuiko but I'm sure once I've got started playing with the OM 1 I will be wanting to add to the lenses!
@peterdegraaff Gotta love expired film, especially that old B&W! Two of the cameras I have for sale (the Canon IIb and Minolta 35 Model F) I REALLY wish I was able to repair, but no-go! The MInolta is just too rare to find spare parts (though I am pretty sure it would accept a Leica II or III shutter curtain), and I actually just got the Canon back from a CLA where they didn't have a part. Rather than purchasing and sending a parts camera in with it, I decided to sell (though it really is one of my favorites)!
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your Advantix probably took APS did it? I have the same Olympus it is the king of cameras. You need a battery for it first of all - ebay - and then if I was you I'd practice with colour film because developing black and white film will sting you financially.
Colour film you'll find cheapest on both amazon and ebay is Fujifilm C200, 200 ISO, which I use. I love fujifilm. Agfa has stopped making I think so the best brands you're gonna find are Kodak and Fujifilm probably, and for black and white Illford. I don't experiment too much, but I use whatevers cheap and expired, usually on ebay I'm paying 70p ($1) a roll, for mixed bags usually. Lots of supermarket branded film is cheap on ebay too. you'll have a great time with that camera, and the lens is ace. If you have a DSLR you can get an OM lens adaptor on ebay for about $10 to fit the 50mm to your DSLR too.
@peterdegraaff
camera - OM1
lens 50mm f1.8
film - fujifilm C200
http://www.coopersimaging.com/
eh, wha? how they do that?
An OM-1 is an excellent frame, and if your 50mm is a Zuiko, you should be in heaven (and if it is a Zuiko, definitely do what @chewyteeth recommends and get an adapter for your DSLR, Zuiko's are one heck of a lens!)
Here is a shot taken with my OM-2:
As for film, if you're in the UK and looking at b&w that suggests Ilford. FP4 at 125 ISO and HP5 at 400 are the basic emulsions; the Delta formulations are supposed to have finer grain. Pan F is a big favourite of mine - slow at 50 ISO, but makes really detailed negatives. The only other b&w film I've much experience of is Kodak Tri-X, a fast film with a definite character of it's own. It's very much associated with photojournalism and there's a good chance that any memorable news photo from the second half of the 20th century was taken on it.
Ps Like the cameras you have for sale
@grizzlysghost @chewyteeth The 50mm is an olypus lens not a Zuiko but I'm sure once I've got started playing with the OM 1 I will be wanting to add to the lenses!