I’ve been shooting film for 35 years. For negative films, the best tip I ever got was to set the meter to ½ the films rated speed. If the film is 200, set the camera’s meter at 100. It puts you closer to the mid range in of the film latitude. Better saturation, and as a result, they appear sharper.

Labs? Take it to the discount store. The new photo processing equipment is magic. Just about anyone can print now.

got a bunch of film options:

Nikon F90x
Voigtlander Vito C (fully manual vintage 35mm camera)
Bronica ETR-Si 6x4.5 Medium Format Camera with a 150mm lens. A BEAST, that i've yet to develop a roll for.

Absolutely right ferdhart, I tend to just automate everything except for setting the aperture. Not always the best idea if I want to pay attention to my photos.

By the way, my uncle also gave me a Mamiya DSX1000. I'll try shooting with that once I get my hands on some film. It has a cloth shutter though, is that necessarily a bad thing?

I still shoot film (Tri-X) for fine art subjects. I agree with ChrisLange. Film keeps me in the right mind set. I'm more apt to pay attention to details of light measurement and exposure, even composition. I use Contax cameras (RTSIIIs and G2s) and one 50+year old Leica M3 I keep to mount a 50mm Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm. I process the film in Rodinal, scan on a Konica Minolta Dimage ScanElite 5400 II using VueScan. I feel the results are worth the extra effort.

Once you hook the tail into the spool, turn the spool, a bit, and make sure the teeth on the other roller align properly with the holes in the film. If this happens, you shouldn't have any problem.

I loaded film in yesterday, took about 20 pictures, with 2 frames that I made a mistake with.

My question is, how do you know how far to stick in the "tail" end of the film into the spool thingy? I mean, last time my pictures didn't even come out because I probably didn't stick the tail end of it in enough. Isn't it a bit of a hit and miss?

On the other hand, I'm having lots of fun taking photos. I'm limiting my subject to around the house, so I can get some creative juices flowing. I love the heft of it and the mostly metal construction. They certainly don't make them like they used to.

As for the main topic, I took my f100 today for shooting, and I really miss film viewfinders. They are so bright and big comparing to DX. I'll get the film developed next week, so for sure gonna share the results with You. As for now, I just can say that it was really nice experience :)

I am not saying Coolscan is the best, I really don’t now that, but it is the one used by the best professional labs and it is too expensive for me just to be able play with film.

I would like to get an Epson v700 scanner to scan all the 120 film I have taken over the past yeah and a half. From what I have read and seen, it does an amazing job (if not better than the Coolscan scanners).

Yeah, it's more of a nostalgia thing for me. I never used film when it was at its peak, and I want to go back before it goes away forever.

I am a very nostalgic person.

All these posts about film made me wondering, is it still worth the trouble?
I am sure film still can produce better resolution and dynamic range than any current DSLR, not even D3x is better.
On the other hand you have to make your pictures digital if you are a pro, and you will probably want to do it if you are not.
Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 9000 will cost you around 2000$, and just discontinued SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 a 1000$ if you can find one, and both will give you around 21MPix from the film, but this is too much of investment for me alone, and you will get better results if film is scanned during processing.
So, if we are able to convince our local photo labs to provide us with such service (and use high quality scanners like Nikons) it maybe worth, otherwise it is just something to play with.

I recently received my mother's Nikon N65, Nice camera to just tote around with, ven though film is expensive when thats all you shoot in! Lol. Anyway getting a DSLR but I still plan to shoot film every once in a while.

@ snaketail : LOL !!

@ chsdewey: I am looking out for a nice F100 to add to my gear... However I am thinking negative film may be a better way for me to go.. I tried Fujifilm's pro160s the other day.. and will be trying the pro160c next. The grain is real fine on the 160s. but the colours on the 160c is supposed to be bit more vibrant.

Dear Hearthfisher:

Nice shoes.

Snaketail

I almost only shoot film I do have a digital point and shoot. I use an F100, it's awesome. The reasons I still shoot with film is that I am a adventure photographer and the camera can take a beeting if it gets broken I can just find another one on craigslist for about 300 bucks. Although I have yet to brake it or get any bad shots with it. I use a Hasselblad and not much beets medium format. I use Velvia 50 or 100 almost exclusively. There is a place that develops E6 that is just a bicycle ride away that develops it for me. I then scan it my self using my Nikon scanner. Shooting film is expensive and time consuming and if you do have deadlines film is not the way to go. But for me it is perfect.

I shot two rolls on my dad's FM2. The first one was screwy because I didn't know to pay attention to the meter and instead just played with the aperture ring the whole time. The second time I payed attention to the meter but loaded the film in wrong and the results never came back because of that. :(

I'll load another roll of expired film in over the summer maybe. :D

Film is fun to play with, but it's not practical for me to use on a common basis.

I actually learned the basics of photography on a Nikon F2 with a 50mm ƒ/1.2. I spent a good 6 months with it, but eventually it became a hassle with the manual exposure, focus, etc., so I switched to a DSLR. However, the experience was good, and I started using the MASP modes on my DSLR almost immediately.

@ snaketail : LOL ... You do know that there IS a photoshop filter effect that simulates the holga !! and the pushed Ilford HP5 ! LOL You will be a chauvinistic dinosaur soon if you are not already ! haha!

Heartyfisher: was I being chauvinistic...absolutely. Was she a twit...well yes!

Sure do. I love my F100 and I still think the color and look of film is still better then digital.

@ snaketail : "someone asked what Photoshop filter I was using to get at effect...she would never have understood how film has depth and soul so I changed the subject and we talked about her shoes."

LOL Must have been pretty shoes! Did you get a shot? Still are you sure you weren't being a "chauvinistic pig" ? Just checking... ;-)

They'll have to pry my F3HP from my cold-dead hand.

I still use black & white film when I can. I develop my film with PMK and get the best shadow detail even. Ilford Delta 400 most of the time, some time HP5. I used to love Tri-X, but Kodak screwed it so bad I can't see waisting my time and chemicals on it. I also use a Holga camera with HP5 pushed to 1600 - had a show recently of my Holga images, someone asked what Photoshop filter I was using to get at effect...she would never have understood how film has depth and soul so I changed the subject and we talked about her shoes.

I firmly believe that a properly exposed and processed B&W negatives will make a better B&W prints and anything digital camera...use a Nikon scanner, an Epson 2880 printer and matte paper for jump-off-the-page black & white images.

Snaketail

I love film. I shoot both film and digital and I don't prefer one over the other. It's just that film supplies can get pretty pricey. I have an F60 and I love the size of the viewfinder. I also like that film can't be as manipulated as digital. You know more commonly that what you're looking at is real.

@ Tai : LOL I was hoping no one would notice ! ... how embarrassing..sigh ..

You see .. I forget which film it was. It was in the bargain bin (newly expired or almost expired) and cost me $1. It was an ISO 400 film. Probably a Superia? It was much more grainy than I hoped. but the resolution is definitely pretty good in spite of that. It was scanned to 3000x2000 ie. 6 MP but I think the scanning could have been better may be I am hoping for too much.. I am really looking forward to finishing off my roll of Fujifilm PRO 160S. This time I am hoping to scan at a higher resolution I think it may be 20MP or more.. lets see how that goes .....

@heartyfisher - Well, since you told us the body/lens for the picture, inquiring minds want to know what type of film, too! The roll I'm waiting for was Reala 100, and it still didn't arrive as of yesterday. Hopefully it will come with today's mail.