Comments, Page 3

OK, I just heard back: Freestyle confirms that Nov 1 is the expected date.

Freestyle Photo is expecting theirs to ship from November 1 — I’ll confirm!

I’ve been waiting for something like this for years. My Contax t2 is constantly crapping out on me for some tiny part failure. The fact that this can auto focus in the dark is insane. Feels like a must cop. It looks like it’s available on the 31st — is that true?

Nice article — unfortunately with a bit contrasty images… ;-)

As an owner of the bodies FtbQL, EF and F1n I can`t support the authors view of prefering Ft-bodies over EF-bodies. The fast response and dynamic range of light metering (Si-diode) are so superior and helpful in practical use… Plus higher flash-sync speed is better as well. Just to add a technical detail — not narrowing the authors feelings. Cheers!

Is same-day event reportage on film back?

This week, Miles @expiredfilmclub shot the NY Jets game on film, developed it, scanned it, and posted it while the game was still happening. (PetaPixel has more: petapixel.com/2024/10/18/p…)

Last week, I shot Aurora on film around midnight, then posted the results here (along with a long-form article: analog.cafe/r/shooting-nor…) in the afternoon (yes, I slept).

From what I understood about the demise of film photography, particularly in journalism, it was pushed out by the convenience of digital cameras. They were faster and more practical for time-sensitive applications. But in 2024, it seems less true, as we’ve learned to use the same digital cameras to scan film quickly and transfer the results instantaneously:

It’s easier to select the best shots out of 36 instead of thousands on a memory card, and well-scanned quality emulsions come with a formulated colour profile, in contrast to the editing some digital photos may require to look “right.”

Lastly, there’s something to say about the built-in authenticity of physical negatives in the sea of digital fakes and AI slop (see analog.cafe/r/shot-on-film…).

Of course, not every shot is possible on film, and it can be out of the budget (esp video analog.cafe/comments/lso8), but still.

youtube.com/shorts/0VZVZuI…

#editorial

I’ve just heard back from CineStill and Analog Amsterdam, whom I asked to comment on Eastman Kodak’s stricter rules regarding the sales of motion picture reels for bulk loading into still cameras.

CineStill respectfully declined to comment on decisions made by other manufacturers. The company has not announced price increases or difficulties acquiring films from Kodak, which I think can be interpreted as good news for all the 800T, 400D, 50D, and BwXX fans.

(Better yet, the prices on CineStill 50D film have recently decreased across various retailers; see: analog.cafe/app/film-price…)

Analog Amsterdam also replied with a positive update: “We’re currently still able to receive new shipments of film. For the time being, nothing changes.” They also promised to post any updates about changes to supplies or pricing on their website (analogamsterdam.com) and Instagram (@analogamsterdamstore).

***

In other (related) news, I’ve just sold my last pack of Cinema Shorts (hand-spooled Kodak Vision 3 film; see analog.cafe/r/new-film-cin…). Let me know if you’d like me to try* to make some more!

* — given everything discussed above, this may take a bit more time/effort than before.

#editorial

Jagglé launched the Berlinova daylight table-top enlarger for black-and-white prints without a darkroom (on Kickstarter).

Darkroom printing on the go or in small apartments has been difficult or practically impossible until recently. To turn a negative into a photograph, you need a dark space, a sizeable enlarger, and multiple trays for chemical baths.

Jagglé Berlinova enlarger makes the job easy with its portable, light-tight construction and clever cassette holder that keeps the paper and accepts chemicals. The built-in high-CRI LED battery-powered USB-C-chargeable light is calibrated for proper exposures, and a bespoke fixed 50mm 𝒇4.0 Tessar lens makes perfectly focused projections on 10x15cm/4x6” paper (which may be upgradable to 13x18cm/5x7” if the project reaches a stretch goal).

I briefly covered this project in last month’s Community Letter (analog.cafe/r/film-photogr…), where you can refer for a bit more detail on how this works and to learn about its author, Wicher.

There are still a few Early Bird packs of the enlarger (with lens & paper cassette) available on Kickstarter for the 4x6” enlarger at €275 (~$300), which will continue to sell for €285 while the project is live:

kickstarter.com/projects/j…

Wicher is seeking €80,000 (~$87K) in total funding to produce Berlinova enlargers at an injection moulding facility for the highest quality and durability.

#editorial #gas

Paul and others suggest that this is the consequence of the recent Kodak Alaris acquisition (see analog.cafe/comments/4lsz).

The new Alaris brand owners have the rights for Kodak film sales to still photographers (and the resulting profits). While Eastman Kodak may’ve allowed their movie reels to be sold to still photographers and their purposes previously, this is now under tighter control to presumably guarantee compliance.

It’s still unclear how this change will affect colour film sales and prices for still photographers as a whole.

(I’ve also contacted Kodak and CineStill for a comment on this story. I will update this thread if/once they respond.)

Confirmed: Kodak is no longer selling its motion picture reels (this includes Vision 3 250D, 50D, 500T, and Ektachrome) for bulk loading/still photography.

Previously, avid photographers and businesses bought 400+’ Kodak Vision 3 or Ektachrome film to bulk-load into 36exp. cartridges (I did this recently with Cinema Shorts, analog.cafe/r/new-film-cin…). The purchase could be made directly from Kodak, which was cheaper than getting it from a reseller. This gave birth to many new brands that sold film with remjet, spooled Ektachrome, and even films like Amber T800 (analog.cafe/r/amber-t800-f…), which removed remjet for standard C-41 processing — using the same process CineStill enacts to make CineStill 800T.

But last week, I came across a Reddit post (reddit.com/r/AnalogCommuni…) in which a user complained about Kodak now requiring movie production credentials.

Reflx Lab confirmed this is also their experience and added that they now have to acquire film from third parties at a higher cost.

Paul McKay of Analogue Wonderland also shared his thoughts on the news: “I think the impact would be that it dries up a lot of secondary branding in the market… That would be ultimately bad for the choice we face, but could also avoid some issues I’ve seen where folks don’t do it very well and the poor results put off casual film shooters.”

#editorial

It’s a wonderful lens — I’ve used mine on both digital and analogue bodies and I’m always impressed with the results.

Here’s a sample scan from the new Lomomatic 110 camera, courtesy of Lomography USA:

Lomomatic 110 Bellagio is a new premium film camera from Lomography that features a brass exterior and “the sharpest, most creative pocket-sized camera on earth” underneath.

This is a follow-up to this March’s Lomomatic 110 release (covered here: analog.cafe/comments/0jn2).

Lomography has been championing the tiny 110 format for years, and Lomomatic has become its flagship camera. Lomomatic is relatively affordable and comes with a multi-coated glass lens, which, according to the company, is the sharpest lens for the format — including even the vintage offerings.

This new premium brass edition features a 23mm Minitar CX multi-coated glass lens, automatic exposure control, adjustable ISO, flash, and multiple/long-exposure shooting modes. Note that brass trim is limited to certain parts of the camera — see photos on the website:

shop.lomography.com/us/lom…

The brass Bellagio Lomomatic 110 camera is listed at $189, but there are a few versions of this camera at the shop (shop.lomography.com/us/cam…) with prices starting at $99.

#editorial #gas

Thank you, Vladimir!

Дмитрий, Вы — творческий человек, очень интересно читать Ваши статьи, обзоры, размышления… считаю Вас большим професионалом и очень компетентным человеком. Я желаю Вам успехов, развития и новых вершин в Вашем творчестве, такие как Вы очень помогают многим людям получать новые знания и умения, в России таких людей раньше называли " Подвижниками ", Вы из их числа, желаю Вам успехов!!! С искренним уважением, Владимир…

Thanks, Jim. Yes, I had one of these Times cameras and a few other promotions. It’s interesting to see that the trend is coming back to some degree with, as mentioned in the video, BTS, and, as reported recently, Dua Lipa (amongst others): analog.cafe/comments/tc5p

From the 80’s to the rise of digital compacts, film cameras were often given away by the high street photo stores with a roll or two of film. The marketing schtick was you would take it back to the same store for processing and all you paid for were your prints.

73 Degree Films published a video history of disposable film cameras and their rise in prominence 👇.

youtube.com/watch?v=63gJSM…

According to 73 Degree Films, disposable film cameras didn’t get their start until the ‘80s with introducton of Fujifilm disposable camera. Their rise in popularity was swift, mainly fueled by brands, celebrities, and their commercial interests.

That growth led to various innovations, including Polaroid instant packs and underwater disposables. Today’s disposable, still in wide distribution after a brief lull of the ‘00s-‘10s, feature slimmer design and return of branding by well-known names like BTS.

73 briefly mentions the contraversy associated with waste, providing what I thought a nowel point of view suggesting that “reusable” plastic cameras are no better as their build quality may still inspire a trip to landfill after the first use.

Image: “disposable camera” by Genista (flickr.com/photos/50457550…), licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

#editorial #video

Thank you, Stephen! Really appreciate your support.

Very brave of you. Taking Kosmo Foto full-time is something I’d eventually like to do, but even with a film brand aligned to it, I’m still cautious. DEFINITELY look at amping up the camera sales, that’s been a really fun extra string to my bow the last couple of years. Above all — good luck, I’ll be reading.

New ways to support Analog.Cafe are launching soon for all readers!

This blog hosts over 600 articles and apps, with contributions from more than 120 film photographers — all of which are ad-free. It uses software I built up through its seven years online, and services that transfer over 50GB of image data or 1.3M photographs per month to thousands of daily visitors.

New and avid film photographers rely on Analog.Cafe’s resources daily to advance their hobbies and careers. All this is possible thanks to the generocity of the GOLD members and their monthly contributions.

I understand that reoccuring fees aren’t for everyone. I’ve also come across a few folks asking if they can do more to keep this website going. I appreciate everyone who ever considered helping (thank you!), so I’m gradually rolling out two new ways to contribute:

🔜 One-time donations. You can give as little as $1 anytime — even if you’re an existing subscriber.

🔜 $15/mo GOLD membership tier for folks who are feeling generous and would like to ensure the continued survival of this website.

Along with these options, I’m adding a few behind-the-scene improvements to the security and usability of this website, including an easy way to subscribe and unsubscribe from the monthly member-only newsletters. I’m testing these features with a select group of readers this October — they should be available to everyone by the end of the month.

Thank you all for reading and your support!

#editorial