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May, 2025

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Film (Analog) Photography Thread

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PacificRimJob
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Might as well be time to have a dedicated thread on this. Call it a consolidation if you will (or at least another thread to chat about our artz)

Ask film related questions... Post film related discussion topics... Get stoked on real photography with real cameras with real reels of real film...
11 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
I always forget, but the one thing I dislike about winter is the absolute lack of sun. I can't wake up before work and go shoot, I can't get off work and go out and shoot... The sun is only up from like 730-430 these days, and I work like 8-5.

Literally limited to my days off, or flash photography... v frustrating.
6 years ago
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AwR
Posts: 5148 - Karma: 1,899
DingoSeanI always forget, but the one thing I dislike about winter is the absolute lack of sun. I can't wake up before work and go shoot, I can't get off work and go out and shoot... The sun is only up from like 730-430 these days, and I work like 8-5.

Literally limited to my days off, or flash photography... v frustrating.


I recently bought a Nikon FE camera to get back into film and feel your pain.
6 years ago
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PacificRimJob
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runjoyI recently bought a Nikon FE camera to get back into film and feel your pain.


That is a great camera.
6 years ago
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creaturelo
Posts: 630 - Karma: 12,340

Taken on my dad's old Fuji GW690, unknown film that I developed some 4 years after this was taken. Such a fun camera, I highly recommend if medium format is your gig.
6 years ago
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Featherston
Posts: 41 - Karma: 62
Diving into the world of film pretty soon and having a look at different 35mm films to buy and I was wondering if anyone has tried the Ilford Delta 3200 film, mostly for low light conditions, and if so what type of success have you had?
6 years ago
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Laurent.
Posts: 10056 - Karma: 25,311
FeatherstonDiving into the world of film pretty soon and having a look at different 35mm films to buy and I was wondering if anyone has tried the Ilford Delta 3200 film, mostly for low light conditions, and if so what type of success have you had?


I've shot quite a bit of Ilford Delta 3200, mostly due to it being rather cheap in the EU.
Keep in mind that it's more a 1600 iso film, as in that T-Max P3200 is an 800 film that can be pushed to 3200 with good results but I have very limited experience with that new Kodak stock which is supposed to be rather stellar.
Delta 3200 is very very lenient and stands or falls by the dev process, it lacks in contrast and is grainy. (no shit)

This shot is from way back from a time when I didn't know how to scan/process as properly as today but it gives an inditcation this is at pushed to 6400:

I have better examples but I know almost exclusively shoot film at parties, so I will not be posting those publicly...





Or just use Tri-X and push that fucker to 6400 for maximum #ARTZ
6 years ago
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C_dub
Posts: 373 - Karma: 2,316






Expired Kodak Gold 200 + Canon FT QL + an iphone 4s running a light meter app
6 years ago
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PacificRimJob
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C_dub






Expired Kodak Gold 200 + Canon FT QL + an iphone 4s running a light meter app


I've always loved the look of Kodak films like this.



Has anyone ever tried Lomo 800, by the way? I've heard it's some old-stock 800 speed Kodak c41 film.

Absolutely love the look and mood it brings. As far as colour films go you can't go wrong with it.
6 years ago
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milo-mcsenderson
Posts: 661 - Karma: 9,330
I shoot a fair bit of film when I travel so quite excited to dig into this thread. Here a couple from a 12 day trip to Cuba, shot on a Rolleiflex SL35E on a film I can't remember,

**This post was edited on Jan 30th 2019 at 2:14:55pm
6 years ago
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axelmossling
Posts: 1 - Karma: 38
Fun seeing some film photography! Bought an Nikonos V this summer and been testing out some different kinds of film!
These images was shoot with the Kodak portra 800.
6 years ago
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NEWT
Posts: 21 - Karma: 104
I got a film camera as a gift from someone who was cleaning out their basement. I have only shot Walmart film and gotten it developed there. I want to get into it more with the different types of film and developing my rolls so I can learn but there seems like such a steep learning curve. Is anyone able to help me out with some basic stuff? I feel like I am in over my head.
6 years ago
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7961 - Karma: 23,222
nateseymourI got a film camera as a gift from someone who was cleaning out their basement. I have only shot Walmart film and gotten it developed there. I want to get into it more with the different types of film and developing my rolls so I can learn but there seems like such a steep learning curve. Is anyone able to help me out with some basic stuff? I feel like I am in over my head.

If you want to start developing your own rolls, start with black and white, as the process is simpler, cheaper and less toxic. Kodak T-max is pretty good film to start with-readily available, decent quality and room for error in developing. You can find developing charts with an easy web search for just about any film/chemistry combo out there. There are also methods of developing bw film using coffee/orange juice/vinegar for non-toxic processing, would be worth checking out if developing at home.
You're in luck if there's a photo lab near you that you can get access to. Otherwise you will have to dedicate a space in your home to film developing. There are tutorials for this online.
DM me with specific questions, your post is pretty open-ended.
6 years ago
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C_dub
Posts: 373 - Karma: 2,316



Moved to Arizona for the winter so no more skiing for me. Fortunately, flight training lends itself to some decent photo ops. What sucks tho is the lab here is $20 for develope and scan vs the $6 I had to pay back home, and their scanners are not as good.
6 years ago
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7961 - Karma: 23,222
C_dub



Moved to Arizona for the winter so no more skiing for me. Fortunately, flight training lends itself to some decent photo ops. What sucks tho is the lab here is $20 for develope and scan vs the $6 I had to pay back home, and their scanners are not as good.

dude try to find an Epson V600 scanner. They're like $200 and come with frames for scanning all sizes of film from 35mm-4x5. Excellent quality scans.
6 years ago
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C_dub
Posts: 373 - Karma: 2,316
skiP.E.I.dude try to find an Epson V600 scanner. They're like $200 and come with frames for scanning all sizes of film from 35mm-4x5. Excellent quality scans.

I would, but I don't know how to flip the negatives to positives and remove the color casts on the computer. I've tried reversing the scans in the past, but the colors always came out off.
6 years ago
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Rafiki
Posts: 3858 - Karma: 2,251
C_dub



Moved to Arizona for the winter so no more skiing for me. Fortunately, flight training lends itself to some decent photo ops. What sucks tho is the lab here is $20 for develope and scan vs the $6 I had to pay back home, and their scanners are not as good.


give Phoenix Film Revival a look down there! there's great community of film shooters down in the valley that do events pretty frequently
6 years ago
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C_dub
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5 years ago
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PacificRimJob
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Been having heaps of fun with my intrepid...


5 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
C_dub



Moved to Arizona for the winter so no more skiing for me. Fortunately, flight training lends itself to some decent photo ops. What sucks tho is the lab here is $20 for develope and scan vs the $6 I had to pay back home, and their scanners are not as good.

Send to the darkroom out of San Diego. 11$ a roll scanned
5 years ago
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No.Quarter
Posts: 5257 - Karma: 16,966
DingoSeanSend to the darkroom out of San Diego. 11$ a roll scanned


You know if they offer dev without scans? I cant find it on their website but I emailed them about it like a year ago and forgot if they did that or not.
5 years ago
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No.Quarter
Posts: 5257 - Karma: 16,966
Just realized it's been like 3 years now since I've had anything developed, but I've been shooting on and off since then. Probably only have gone through 4 rolls in that timeframe. I really miss having a good local shop for developing.
Found my Voigtlander rangefinder the other day. It's a pretty crappy Vito CSR and the meter doesn't work, so I might take it apart and see if I can figure out how to get the meter working again, or just shoot with an external meter like I have been with my other cameras
5 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
No.QuarterYou know if they offer dev without scans? I cant find it on their website but I emailed them about it like a year ago and forgot if they did that or not.

I’m not sure. I think they scan them at low res just for courtesy..
5 years ago
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P-wurps
Posts: 215 - Karma: 1,207
Just bought my first film camera, saw a guy in my town selling a beat up Nikon FM with a 28mm f/3.5. Really was more of an impulse purchase but have been considering getting into it for a little while. Waiting to get some film I ordered but gave me a chance to inspect the camera and get to know it a bit, really stoked to get out and shoot this weekend. Works out because I tweaked my knee so probably wouldn't have been skiing anyway.
5 years ago
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PacificRimJob
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Awesome starting point. The FM rules.

get a 50 f1.8 and a 100mm f2.8 and you’ll be set forever.
Ryan5_MNJust bought my first film camera, saw a guy in my town selling a beat up Nikon FM with a 28mm f/3.5. Really was more of an impulse purchase but have been considering getting into it for a little while. Waiting to get some film I ordered but gave me a chance to inspect the camera and get to know it a bit, really stoked to get out and shoot this weekend. Works out because I tweaked my knee so probably wouldn't have been skiing anyway.
5 years ago
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84west
Posts: 646 - Karma: 1,254
DingoSeanget a 50 f1.8 and a 100mm f2.8 and you’ll be set forever.


So many overlooked nikon lenses, 28 2.8, 105 2.5, pretty much any of the micro nikkors, all great lenses. I’m a fan of the 50 1.4 as well, it’s not that much more expensive than the 1.8 and there are a ton of them floating around for sale way below what they’re worth.

my all time favorite has to be the 35 1.4, but it’s definitely pricier. I still use it for work alongside my g series lenses so for me it was worth it. It and the 28 2.8 have the crc lens design which was way ahead of its time.
5 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
84westSo many overlooked nikon lenses, 28 2.8, 105 2.5, pretty much any of the micro nikkors, all great lenses. I’m a fan of the 50 1.4 as well, it’s not that much more expensive than the 1.8 and there are a ton of them floating around for sale way below what they’re worth.

my all time favorite has to be the 35 1.4, but it’s definitely pricier. I still use it for work alongside my g series lenses so for me it was worth it. It and the 28 2.8 have the crc lens design which was way ahead of its time.

Yeah the ais 28 2.8 is legendary. I used to have one. Stolen along with my 28 f2 *tear.

ill probably pick up a 105 f2.5 here in Japan... they go for about 100 us which is astoundingly undervalue...

that 35 f1.4 you speak of is amazing, but I have the 35 f2, and as a walk around lens, I find it preferable for its size and usefulness. Awesome lens..
5 years ago
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No.Quarter
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C_dubI would, but I don't know how to flip the negatives to positives and remove the color casts on the computer. I've tried reversing the scans in the past, but the colors always came out off.


It reverses the negative automatically and comes with photoshop elements for color correcting. Mine is the best purchase I've made for film. It's stupid easy to use and I've had some pretty large digital prints made from scans.
5 years ago
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84west
Posts: 646 - Karma: 1,254
DingoSeanYeah the ais 28 2.8 is legendary. I used to have one. Stolen along with my 28 f2 *tear.

ill probably pick up a 105 f2.5 here in Japan... they go for about 100 us which is astoundingly undervalue...

that 35 f1.4 you speak of is amazing, but I have the 35 f2, and as a walk around lens, I find it preferable for its size and usefulness. Awesome lens..

Definitely go for that 105, I got an old ai converted one for 15 bucks. Glass was perfect everything else just needed to be cleaned a little.

I guess the 35 is pretty hefty, I guess. Maybe carrying around 2 full size bodies, 24-70, 70-200 and occasionally a 3/400all the time has skewed my perception, but an fm2 with the 35 1.4 is my small camera for personal shit
5 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
84westDefinitely go for that 105, I got an old ai converted one for 15 bucks. Glass was perfect everything else just needed to be cleaned a little.

I guess the 35 is pretty hefty, I guess. Maybe carrying around 2 full size bodies, 24-70, 70-200 and occasionally a 3/400all the time has skewed my perception, but an fm2 with the 35 1.4 is my small camera for personal shit

Yeah I’ve become a bit of a weight weenie... the FE and 35/2 is my go-to. I bring around my 20/4 as well.. a 105 along with them is a good companion..
5 years ago
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steve_tue
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would love to se some more winter shots on here :) here are a couple from last winter






5 years ago
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P-wurps
Posts: 215 - Karma: 1,207
Got back my first roll over ever shot, just some random shots mostly to get the feel of it. Exposed most pretty well so was happy about that. Also grabbed some shots on the slopes this past weekend so I'm stoked to see those soon

Shot on Kodak ultramax 400



5 years ago
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loganimlach
Posts: 5132 - Karma: 14,102



Ektachrome 100 cross processed in C-41 in my sink and scanned on my dirty ass flatbed
5 years ago
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PacificRimJob
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Tokyo Stuff from last week.




4 years ago
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84west
Posts: 646 - Karma: 1,254
A friend of mine bought a house a while back and is in the process of setting up the classic basement darkroom:




4 years ago
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PacificRimJob
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84westA friend of mine bought a house a while back and is in the process of setting up the classic basement darkroom:


Aw yiss. I love that...
4 years ago
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84west
Posts: 646 - Karma: 1,254
And some scans so as to not just post gear shots. I need to start printing again.





4 years ago
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84west
Posts: 646 - Karma: 1,254
DingoSeanAw yiss. I love that...


He got super lucky too, someone had moved into a house that was owned by the guy who used to run the local newspaper darkroom so he got a ton of nice enlarging glass along with a 4x5 enlarger and some really nice timers etc. for like 20 bucks.
4 years ago
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PacificRimJob
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84westHe got super lucky too, someone had moved into a house that was owned by the guy who used to run the local newspaper darkroom so he got a ton of nice enlarging glass along with a 4x5 enlarger and some really nice timers etc. for like 20 bucks.


God I love how there are some absolute treasure finds out there like that...
4 years ago
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PacificRimJob
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Heres a few from the last year in both Hokkaido and Tokyo.

HP5+ pushed @ 1600 with a red filter (for the Pulitzers)










Fujifilm Pro 160NS


Kodak colorplus 200





TMax 400 @ box speed





4 years ago
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WoFlowz
Posts: 8094 - Karma: 64,478
Gotta take 10 more photos on my nikon before I can get it developed and post it hear. Rly rly excited
4 years ago
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No.Quarter
Posts: 5257 - Karma: 16,966
Damn, I miss when I was using my camera a lot and I miss when this thread was blowing up. There are posts from 3 years ago on this page.
4 years ago
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gravel
Posts: 5524 - Karma: 42,380
dope stuff. awesome to still see you posting photos on here as you were one of the first photographers i remember seeing regularly when i started up on newschoolers. especially cool to see these days as i have transitioned to shooting 99% film so i relate a lot more. the intrepid looks awesome. i just bought a toyo view 4x5 in december and have used it a couple times. shot Ilford FP4+ in february that came out well. shot some FP4+ and some Portra 160 this last month that got botched by the developer or maybe could have been me? i'll post them up when i clean up the scans a bit.

why leave the film border? i feel like it is a kitschy aesthetic to leave the film edges in digital scans. no disrespect, i just really like the photos and wish that i wasn't distracted by the film edges when i looked at them. just my personal take that photography is about the image itself so it is detracting to put anything more than only the image. would love to hear a counter though.

that fuji 160ns is awesome i would love to try that sometime, looks similar to ektar 100 abit in how wide the dynamic range seems to be.

DingoSeanHeres a few from the last year in both Hokkaido and Tokyo.
4 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
graveldope stuff. awesome to still see you posting photos on here as you were one of the first photographers i remember seeing regularly when i started up on newschoolers. especially cool to see these days as i have transitioned to shooting 99% film so i relate a lot more. the intrepid looks awesome. i just bought a toyo view 4x5 in december and have used it a couple times. shot Ilford FP4+ in february that came out well. shot some FP4+ and some Portra 160 this last month that got botched by the developer or maybe could have been me? i'll post them up when i clean up the scans a bit.

why leave the film border? i feel like it is a kitschy aesthetic to leave the film edges in digital scans. no disrespect, i just really like the photos and wish that i wasn't distracted by the film edges when i looked at them. just my personal take that photography is about the image itself so it is detracting to put anything more than only the image. would love to hear a counter though.

that fuji 160ns is awesome i would love to try that sometime, looks similar to ektar 100 abit in how wide the dynamic range seems to be.


Sick dude, yeah its almost kinda sad that my digital camera only gets used when I need to scan film...

The intrepid is absolutely awesome, and I am actually really frustrated I dont have it here with me. Its currently in storage with at least 70 sheets of film in the freezer. Hoping to make a trip back to the states to pick it up later this summer or something.

I leave the border on just for digital organizational purposes really.. Don't really feel like going back in and cropping it out just for NS. These are by no means the final image, as that happens with the darkroom print for me. I tend not to bother with digital printing and I just take my stuff into a lab here and get RA4 prints for color or I set up the darkroom and smash out some monochrome collections.

160NS is a really nice film. Its actually more like Portra 160, but it favours blues and greens and runs a touch cooler. I feel it's better for forests and cloudy days rather than the pastely tones of Portra that or the vibrant red/cyan of Ektar that both kill it in the American southwest and mid-day blue skies.

The fuji stuff doesnt seem to do as well in America where the tastes and the skin tones favour warmer tones, but here in the far east, the Fuji Pro stuff works magic with the asian skin tones and the rainforest type vegetation. Its a shame 400H is going out, as I really like that film out here.
4 years ago
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gravel
Posts: 5524 - Karma: 42,380
just came up today, saw an ad on craigslist for 8x10 developing tanks. hit the guy up to see if he had other film related stuff. ended up buying near 30 filters, like 8 52mm thread which are perfect for the 50mm i shoot 90% of my photos with, but also an ambico filter set that fits my 50mm on my 35mm camera as well as the 77mm on my large format. i've never even owned any filters besides generic UV filters for my canon lenses for protection while filming, now i've got all sorts of crazy diffusion, color, gradient, star, 3-image, filters to fuck with.

also came out with a really nice peak zoom lupe 816 and two enormous rolls of agfa color paper. never done anything with paper so i've just got it in my freezer until maybe figure out what to do with it eventually. probably start by getting some chemicals so i can try some contact printing of my 4x5s. he had 4 more rolls of paper like 400-500ft long of 4, 5, 8 inch rolls. would it be worth buying to try and resell? he was suggesting doing that but i just didn't want to buy 6 rolls of paper when i didn't know shit about it.
4 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
graveljust came up today, saw an ad on craigslist for 8x10 developing tanks. hit the guy up to see if he had other film related stuff. ended up buying near 30 filters, like 8 52mm thread which are perfect for the 50mm i shoot 90% of my photos with, but also an ambico filter set that fits my 50mm on my 35mm camera as well as the 77mm on my large format. i've never even owned any filters besides generic UV filters for my canon lenses for protection while filming, now i've got all sorts of crazy diffusion, color, gradient, star, 3-image, filters to fuck with.

also came out with a really nice peak zoom lupe 816 and two enormous rolls of agfa color paper. never done anything with paper so i've just got it in my freezer until maybe figure out what to do with it eventually. probably start by getting some chemicals so i can try some contact printing of my 4x5s. he had 4 more rolls of paper like 400-500ft long of 4, 5, 8 inch rolls. would it be worth buying to try and resell? he was suggesting doing that but i just didn't want to buy 6 rolls of paper when i didn't know shit about it.


Holy shit like RA4 paper?
4 years ago
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gravel
Posts: 5524 - Karma: 42,380
DingoSeanHoly shit like RA4 paper?


yes. would you recommend i buy the other 4 rolls?



4 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
yes and give it to me to play with since I have never had a chance to do darkroom color prints haha
4 years ago
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PacificRimJob
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4 years ago
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84west
Posts: 646 - Karma: 1,254
gravelyes. would you recommend i buy the other 4 rolls?





I would make some test prints first to see if it is fogged/expired. Storage is a big deal with paper, and that looks like old stock (although I may be wrong). I’m not the most familiar with Agfa products, we had to be on top of our fuji stock when I was printing commercially.

@PacificRimJob and anyone else who wants to mess with ra4 the real trick is sourcing good original chemistry. I am constantly disappointed by the results with the kits available for retail. If you can find an original starter kit or even replenisher cartridges you can do some math and will get way better results. If you have a local lab you can see if you can talk them into ordering extra for you next time they put in an order but that may be against their contract so it helps if you know someone/work there. It’s key that they know you can read directions and won’t screw up and mix the starter with the bleach fix and chlorine gas yourself with concentrated ra4 starters.

**This post was edited on Jul 6th 2021 at 10:55:41pm
4 years ago
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