Faulty equipment

I'm somewhat at a crossroads in my film photography right now. No, I'm not having an existential crisis about what film to shoot, what format, Ilford vs. Kodak...nothing like that. I've had several cameras develop problems which have impacted my shooting abilities lately.

My AV-1 was overexposing by at least a couple of stops before I changed out the batteries. The sky is completely blown out here, of course, but you can at least see how Kentmere 400 deals with overexposure. Every frame in this roll was affected, several much worse than this one.  Souped in d-76 1:1.

To date, here are the camera issues I'm dealing with:

• Canon A-1 with a sticky shutter and infamous 'Canon squeal'.  I'm told that this is actually fixable, and I just might put out the funds necessary to get this done.
• Canon Elan 7, at one time my flagship film camera body, has a broken door shutter. Up until a couple of years ago this was easily fixable by ordering a $12 USD part.  Everywhere I'm looking that part is showing "NLA".  
• My Canon AV-1 was overexposing every single frame, and I thought something was wrong with it. A quick battery replacement solved that problem. 
• My Mamiya C330 continues to display vertical lines on either side of the frame, sometimes randomly, effectively turning it into a 645 when I crop.  I still am very interested in a regular 645 SLR/Rangefinder at some point.

Same camera, same film after changing out the battery. Note to self: Always check AE settings against what feels reasonable at the time. When in doubt, check with a DSLR or light meter. Saling House in historic Weston, Oregon.

As luck would have it, I just picked up a Canon Rebel 2000 in pristine condition, and for a very reasonable price. That will boost my EOS shooting, but I'm still not sure what to do when that film door comes apart...

Kentmere 400 in d-76 1:1, shot in a Canon AV-1 with a fresh battery.

So, I'm down to a single functions Canon FD and two EOS film cameras to shoot with. A Mamiya TLR if I want to put up with its quirks. And a Zero Image pinhole for those times I'm feeling all pinholey.

Kentmere 400 in d-76 1:1, shot in a Canon AV-1 with a fresh battery.

My priorities right now are to get my A-1 working again if possible, and replace it if not. Both are about the same cost when purchased from a reputable dealer (I don't do eBay). I'm really hoping that a door latch for the Elan 7 can be found. At this point, I'd be happy if I could get somebody to 3D print something. We're on the cusp of winter, and I'd like to shoot up some higher speed, bulk rolled films I have in the freezer.

Cinestill 50 + Winter

For subtle yet realistic colors, it's difficult not to recommend Cinestill spooled for 35mm camera use. If you're not aware, it is essentially Kodak Vision 3 cinema film with the remjet layer removed. The problem is, you pay for that privilege. At over $11 USD a roll, it's not in my budget to shoot very much of it throughout the year.

I recently shot a roll of the Cinestill 50D after a snow storm in our area, on a sunny day when I could get some color in the sky. These were done on a Canon AV-1, so I had to rely on auto exposure. I set the ISO to 25 to get a more correct exposure level on the film. I processed it myself in my own C-41 chemicals. To my eyes, these are ideal colors for this purpose, with good shadow detail and (mostly) keeping the highlights in check.

Since I'm a DIY film guy, I will likely get the Vision 3 50D in the future and remove the remjet layer myself. It's not a difficult step (I've done it before).  If I bulk load it, I can pay as little as $6.11 USD per roll. I like that a lot better than $11.

Macro on film

Just a quick update. I just realized it has been ages since I updated this thing. I've been shooting regularly, though.  I picked up a 25mm extension tube and paired it with a 28mm closeup lens, for some spectacular macro views. Here's one I was especially proud of. Taken on Ilford Delta 100 film, developed in Rodinal 1:100 semi-stand.

The Train Ride

Tri-x @1600 in d-76.  Canon AV-1, Vivitar 28mm lens.