Category Archives: Film

Discussion or reviews primarily around film

Konica Pop Review – Guest Review by Al Mullen

The Konica Pop was a 35mm camera made from 1982 to 1984 in this form, with changes coming in 1985 and 1988 to optics and flash. It was well selling, it’s compactness and color variations helped it stand out in that era when most manufacturers had smaller automatic 35mm’s in their lineup. Continue reading Konica Pop Review – Guest Review by Al Mullen

Halina Micro 110 redux – Processed and reappraised

If you read my original Micro 110 review you’ll know I sounded a bit disappointed. One factor I’d wandered about was the processing. I persevered and shot another cartridge and got it processed by the good folk at Digital Photo Express in Carlisle. The results really made me reappraise the camera as well as processing and  Lomography Tiger CN200. Continue reading Halina Micro 110 redux – Processed and reappraised

Agfaphoto APX100 – Canny B&W or not ?

Purveyors of cheap film Lupus Imaging probably best know for Poundland’s finest Agfaphoto Vista Plus 200 colour negative film but the company also sell APX true B&W film which is argueably the cheapest pre rolled B&W film available in the UK

Agfaphoto APX100
Agfaphoto APX100 35mm in boxes

How does this perform and for the budget shooter does it make cost sense given B&W D&P costs ? Continue reading Agfaphoto APX100 – Canny B&W or not ?

110 film – A miniature resurrection ?

One of the oddities of film in recent years has been the re-birth of the 110 film format.

Halina Micro 110
A loaded Halina Micro 110. Probably the smallest mass produced standard film format camera. with a decimal UK 2p for comparison

This quirky easy load camera system has new cameras from the likes of Lomography and Superheadz as well as a massive amount of second hand stuff out there. But should you bother ? Continue reading 110 film – A miniature resurrection ?

The Bluffer’s 8 Steps Guide for shooting 35mm in 120 Cameras

I love shooting on 120 cameras and sneakily you can also shoot 35mm on many of them. This allows you to get neat effects like a sprocket shot.

Medium Format Cone
Bencini Koroll 24s 120 Camera (shoots half frame 3x6cm normally) with Agfaphoto Vista Plus 200. Dumfries 2014

Modern Lo-fi cameras like the Diana F+ and the Holga 120 series have cottoned on to this and actually make 35mm film backs but even with them you can use 35mm film without them Continue reading The Bluffer’s 8 Steps Guide for shooting 35mm in 120 Cameras

Budget Film – Rumours, Fears and Cheap Deals December 2015

As the year drags out the regular ‘Poundland’s Running Out of Agfaphoto !!!’ panic starts to kick in. I have been guilty myself of triggering this just when I was waking up from Hogmanay last year.

Agfaphoto vista 200
Agfaphoto Vista 200 (2015 repackaging of AVP200)

Usually these concerns are triggered by stock running low. Xmas lulls probably relate to Poundland Christmas sale strategies but there may be more at play here Continue reading Budget Film – Rumours, Fears and Cheap Deals December 2015

New hand at Ilford – What does this mean for the future of C-41 B&W ?

In the last few weeks, Harman Technologies (aka Ilford and Kentmere) has been taken over by a venture capital group.

Unattended Kids
Carlisle, UK, April 2014. Olympus XA1 with Ilford XP2

But what does this hold for the C-41 B&W market especially as Ilford are the last makers ? Continue reading New hand at Ilford – What does this mean for the future of C-41 B&W ?