I feel like I have found my dream camera. In most situations, people want the latest and “greatest” technology. The newest Sony mirrorless or whatever. I guess I move in reverse. I had two 70’s Mamiyas - a 645 and an RB67 - and I kind of liked them. They ended up taking good photos, but they were as ergonomic as a brick wrapped in tin foil. I sold them both this fall and put the money in on my Pentax 6x7 MLU and a 105mm 2.4 lens. I won’t ever complain about the weight, as I was excited to have a camera that large and heavy. It’s film photography, so it’s almost supposed to be a bit of a task. I don’t do street photography or anything, but if I travel and shoot film I have a few rangefinders and my old Nikon FE. I truly love the camera. I love seeing the photos it produces too.

That being said, film is expensive. Also, a lot of great film stocks are no longer made. I happen to love 220, but it doesn’t exist anymore. With the 6x7, you can get 20 shots out of a roll of 220. That’s heaven to me. So how do you shoot expired film? I didn’t really used to know much about this. I would have dark, underexposed shots or entire rolls that just didn’t turn out. There is a certain rule of thumb for expired film.

Know your expiration date. It’s printed on the film box. For every decade past expiration, the general thought is to shoot one stop higher. This gets kind of difficult and weird with, say, a roll of Fuji Velvia 50 that expired in the 90’s. You might need a really bright day or a tripod to get anything out of that film. It can be really fun and rewarding though. I take lots of photos of abandoned buildings, and of my dog and cats. I have also started processing a lot of film at home. After a little practice, you can get really good results.

If you are getting married or interested in discussing your photo needs, send me an email - tzmphoto@gmail.com