the wrong way round

[bonneville]

Well, how bizzare is this? I took my Minolta 50 1.7 for repair to Camera Repair Workshop and Dave did a great job for me at a great price, but that is another thread.

However, when I returned to pick it up we got chatting about cameras and he showed me the vast array of photography odds and sods he has everywhere. In a glass cabinet is his personal collection of different Minolta film models and I mentioned that I had only taken up photography in its digital form a few years ago, and I have never even held a film SLR. Well he wasn't having that and I ended up leaving with not only my repaired lens but a Minolta SRT100b fitted with a MC Rokkor-PF 50 1.7 lens in a Minolta leather case! He had given it a complete service, fitted a new battery and loaded a film for me. It cost me pennies 'cos I am a photoworld contributor!

So for the past week I have been firing off the odd shot with it attempting to transfer the basic exposure skills I learnt on digital, and without the luxury of looking at the immediate result.

I finished the film today but.......... now what. Should I find a high street processing place or look on the 'net for a postal service, and then - what should I ask for? I only want to see the results out of curiosity more than anything else but if there is anything worth sharing on the forum, how do I convert it to digital?

I said it was bizzare to be the wrong way round, but I am intrigued. So hit me, any advice is welcome.

[bossel]

Nice experience! 2 years after I got my KM 5D I bought a Dynax (40 I think) just for experimenting. It would accept all my lenses and I got it for 30 Euro from eBay, incl. battery

Shot 4 rolls at christmas (ISO 400) and was shocked about the processing cost and quality of ISO 400! Scanning the negatives with a borrowed film scanner was a nightmare. Never used it again

[Javelin]

Send it to a service that can scan and produce negs for you and don't pay for prints. Tell them specifically not photoCD. you want Hi Rez scans as TIFF's and the negs. then you'll be able to examine and compart them to your digital output. I don't know where your located Since the triumph as made in England and remains very popular in north america ... and I can't hear you accent from here. maybe David could point you to a place. if your on that side of the puddle. Usually every decent sized town has a service than can do it over here.

[bonneville]

Nice experience! 2 years after I got my KM 5D I bought a Dynax (40 I think) just for experimenting. It would accept all my lenses and I got it for 30 Euro from eBay, incl. battery Shot 4 rolls at christmas (ISO 400) and was shocked about the processing cost and quality of ISO 400! Scanning the negatives with a borrowed film scanner was a nightmare. Never used it again

Gulp. Thanks for the reply bossel. Still I am determined to see it through now.

[bonneville]

.... don't pay for prints. Tell them specifically not photoCD. you want Hi Rez scans as TIFF's and the negs.

Thanks Javelin, that's helpful.

I don't know where your located Since the triumph as made in England and remains very popular in north america ...if your on that side of the puddle. Usually every decent sized town has a service than can do it over here.

Rutland, smallest county in England. East Midlands with plenty of towns and cities in striking distance. Sounds like a job for Jessops

... and I can't hear you accent from here.

East London accent, but its nothing like Dick Van Dyke's in Mary Poppins

[Dr. Harout]

My advice is to shoot digital.

[bonneville]

My advice is to shoot digital.

Oh no!!! Too late, I have given away my a700 & a100 & 70-200 SSM & everything because I heard that film was the future & that the SRT was 100 times better, hence it being labelled 100b.

[Dr. Harout]

And the ISO gets back to 6

[bossel]

Send it to a service that can scan and produce negs for you and don't pay for prints. Tell them specifically not photoCD. you want Hi Rez scans as TIFF's and the negs.

I am located in France., went to FNAC for development. They're huge in France, known to be expensive but good service. There was an offer to just get the film developped and scanned, without prints. That's what I did. Omg! Small scans and when I rescanned them scratches and dust all over! I was close to return everything there and dump it on their counter. Anyway, it was an experiment and for me it's digital from now on. Anyone wants a Dynax 40? 30 Euro + shipping

[Javelin]

Yes I agree with Bossel. I found that slowing down when I speak and looking them in the eye when I explain what I want on the CD while I place the order I have fewer problems. they are so used to just feeding the negs into the scanner they can easily make a mistake. my technique makes them think i'm an axe murderer so they take a little extra care .. untill they see my bunny pictures and realize i'm harmless... but it's too late to screw it up then

[bonneville]

Well, thanks for the advice. I rattled off 24 shots (with little thought for composition I have to confess) and dropped the film off at my local Boots Chemist this morning. An hour later and the princely sum of £6 lighter I had 24 6x4 prints and a CD of high and low res images! How cool is that?

Here are a few as proof of how much I have surprised myself

#1 - my little cottage


#2 - my road from my office


#3 - my Bengal Yogi


#4 - my Bengal LuLu

[Dr. Harout]

Great shots Brian.
BTW, you need some climber plants and the cottage will look superb (a bit better than now).

[KevinBarrett]

That final cat image is wonderful! I love the graininess of it that only comes with film.

[bonneville]

That final cat image is wonderful! I love the graininess of it that only comes with film.

I entered the cat image as one of my first attempts in my local photo club print competition. The judge slaghtered it really. Didn't like the DOF. Didn't like the missing right eye. Didn't like cats I think

Still, it was a long shot and the comments on here are worth far more to me.

Back to the drawing board (and I think I'll stick with digital )

[bfitzgerald]

The shots look decent. I can see the point about the background on the cat, but not really the eye one..I mean it's down to taste really.
I have used boots a few times, they are ok..(seem to be able to not mangle up the negs with fingerprints etc), but when it comes to prints and the scans, I have yet to find a local lab big or small that does a good job, most of the scans are pretty much guff from my own experiences. They just whack them through some auto levels thing, and you can kiss goodbye to the highlight tones. When you put them into your own scanner, you see just how lousy a job they do. For this reason, I don't bother with lab scans..though they can be handy for a quick reference, do not expect big wall prints off them..least not for quality.