2020 film challenge - photos and discussion

This is fun. You can certainly get the best out of your Contax Bob.

For my fourth 35mm film, developed, digitised and processed at home I used my fourth and final film camera, a Minolta X-700 attached to a MD 50mm f1.7. I have had this camera for 20 years, and never used it so I wasn't expecting great things, but it turned out okay.

Took it with me on our morning dogs walk to Twyford Woods, a disused WWII RAF & USAAF base. First four (from a roll of 24 - Ilford HP5plus ISO 400) all feature Ollie and Rosie, my golden retrievers

4.1


4.2


4.3


4.4




Edited by bonneville - 06 November 2020 at 14:21

The last 4 of my Contax G1 set...

bobj 8.09 – frame 27 - Him


bobj 8.10 – frame 29 - Her


bobj 8.11 – frame 33 - Rochester Castle


bobj 8.12 – frame 35 - Castle curtain wall




...On the subject of developing - I found a roll of expired BW400CN, which is a C-41 film... but I heard you could develop in Rodinal...
...anyhow to test I remembered that my dad had found an old film in a camera my mum used to use - however Mum died 17 years ago, so it must have been fairly old (Colourama special) - anyhow I thought I would try out the Rodinal development.

Was rather shocked when the film came out an almost solid grey, although on examining it turned out that there was an image but the base layer of the film was a sort of sludgy brown-grey (rather than the normal orange of a C-41 film)... Anyhow, I thought I would try to scan just to see if I could recognise anyone... and was amazed a how much the film scanner managed to get out of what looked like a really low-contrast negative.

...Will have to give the expired BW400CN a go!

Film 10 was shot with a Dynax 60 using Kentmere Pan 400, processing was in Fomadon R09 (Rodinal)
Bostal woods and Plumstead cemetery

Bobj 10.01 – frame 2 - Woodland steps : Minolta AF20


Bobj 10.02 – frame 3 - Chapel : Minolta AF20


Eltham Palace – Eltham palace was where English Kings used to host dignitaries who had come over from the continent (including the Byzantine Emperor one time). Henry VIII grew up there, but it stopped being a Royal Palace after the Restoration, as it had been ‘destroyed by Rich the Rebel’.

Bobj 10.03 – frame 5 - Eltham Palace moat bridge : Minolta AF20


Bobj 10.04 – frame 11 - Eltham Palace, rear moat bridge : Minolta AF20

Bravo Bob. 10 films to my 4, I’ve got some catching up to do. Fascinated with your combinations of film and processing info, it is a really great help up my steep learning curve.

I’ve just bought on eBay a working Weston V light meter to help me take the guessing out of using the Leica M2. I had thought of taking a digital camera just for the readings, and then thought it ridiculous   

Well I've obviously got too many cameras and too much spare time on my hands...

Upnor Castle – Upnor Castle was a fort built in Tudor times to protect the Dockyard at Chatham. It was basically a gun platform overlooking the Medway well stocked with Gunpowder - which obviously needed to be treated with care to avoid blowing the whole place up – hence they did a lot of work to avoid the chance of sparks… Incompetence led to its ineffectiveness when it actually needed to defend the dockyard in 1667 (one of those instances of invasion by a foreign power that English history tends to skate over a bit..).

Bobj 10.09 – frame 22 - Guardhouse, Upnor Castle : Zenitar 16


Bobj 10.10 – frame 24 - A view of the guns covering the medway : Zenitar 16


Bobj 10.11 – frame 28 - Powder Stairs, Upnor Castle : Zenitar 16


Bobj 10.12 – frame 33 - A view of the Powder Stairs from below : Zenitar 16

When I found a roll of expired Neopan Pro 1600 the other week, I thought to myself "How did I ever miss that - must use it!".

Having developed it, I'm maybe remembering why I avoided it and why I didn't weep too many tears when Fuji stopped making it. Really grainy and lots of curl in the film - plus I seem to have overestimated its ability to shoot in the dark when using the 7000i.

It could be difficult sorting out 12 presentable shots from these...

Bob J wrote: Well I've obviously got too many cameras and too much spare time on my hands... Upnor Castle – Upnor Castle was a fort built in Tudor times to protect the Dockyard at Chatham. It was basically a gun platform overlooking the Medway well stocked with Gunpowder - which obviously needed to be treated with care to avoid blowing the whole place up – hence they did a lot of work to avoid the chance of sparks… Incompetence led to its ineffectiveness when it actually needed to defend the dockyard in 1667 (one of those instances of invasion by a foreign power that English history tends to skate over a bit..).

Very nice shots, Bob. Love that last one.