Today’s Post by Joe Farace
“I saw a werewolf drinkin’ a piña colada at Trader Vic’s, His hair was perfect…”—Warren Zevon
I didn’t think this blog’s new focus on film photography would be controversial but it appears that it is. While some of my film photography posts have received higher-than-normal numbers of page views, they have also generated lots of questions, which is why I’m doing today’s Q&A.
Q: Are your videos scripted? —Larry, Portland, Maine
A: No, but I do prepare a simple outline (see photo at right) that’s supposed to keep me on topic and to avoid veering off in other directions, although I still end up doing that. Sometimes these off-topic excursions are edited out and you can usually spot those edits in the video footage, but sometimes I just leave them in.
Q: Your hair always looks nice, what do you use on it? —Elizabeth Ann, Ocean City MD
A: I’m glad you like the way it looks, I’m blessed to have it. My dad had lots of hair even though his younger brother, my Uncle Bernie, was bald like my grandfather Sam. To answer your specific question, it’s Aveda Pure-Formance Grooming Cream.
Q: Are you planning on renewing your Used Photo Pro Film Fix subscription for 2022.—Katie, Senoia, GA
A: I don’t think so. Mainly because I don’t know if I’ll have a functioning medium format camera in 2022. Look for a Q&A post in the next week that will address this topic in more detail. I already have lots of 120 fresh and expired color and black & white film in my refrigerator and don’t want to buy any new 120 film that won’t get used. I may change my Film Fix subscription to two 35mm rolls or I may sign up for an Inkmeister Monthly Subscription for fountain pens and inks, one of my other interests. It costs the same per month as Film Fix and might be fun.
Q: You seem to be having lots of trouble with your film cameras lately. Are you planning on giving up on film photography? —Calvin, Des Moines, IA
A: It’s true I’ve had some problems recently. And believe me I’m not happy about that, no more than when I had seemingly unfixable problems with cars that I loved and had to get rid of such as my Porsche 924. While some it has to with my own stupidity I’m not embarrassed to tell readers about what really happened when I encounter a problem because it might help them with their own film camera related issues. Right now, I’m awaiting resolution of problems with my Seagull TLR and Hasselblad XPan, that were purchased new almost twenty years ago but have spent the last 10 years, sitting unused in a camera bag in my gear closet.
All of the new/used film cameras I purchased, except the Yashica FX-3, have been dependable. I had some issues with two different Canon A-series winders and if you read my previous Film Friday post, it was somehow resolved, although I’m not sure how. There may be more to this story so look for an update real soon now. But I have little money invested in any of these purchases. By comparison, Mary’s Nikon Z fc cost $1,100 with the 15-50mm kit lens. The total dollar amount that I’ve invested in all of these cameras, lenses, winders and a motor drive, plus some accessories was less than the cost of her Z fc with lens.
On the other hand, shooting videos, for me, is much harder. Take a look at my Gag Reel and while it’s funny, it wasn’t that much fun at the time. Something always seems to go wrong: The camera won’t focus, the mic won’t work and lighting is a big pain in the butt.
When I was trying to record my latest video on the Pros and Cons of Film Photography there were issues. At first I tried shooting the video with Mary’s Z fc (she was out of town at the time) and sometimes the camera would record audio from my Deity wired mic and sometimes it wouldn’t. I switched to shooting my Panasonic Lumix G9 but still couldn’t get the audio working. Turns out it was the mic’s batteries. This was also a problem with my Audio-Technica mic; it chewed through batteries so bad that every time I wanted to record a video, it needed new batteries. For this latest video I switched to the 9V powered Rode VideoMic that was a gift from Barry Staver. It worked perfectly. Making videos is not that easy, at least for me.
And finally…
Q: Are you planning on getting a Canon AT-1 to complete your collection of A-series film SLRs?—Harry, Seattle, WA
A: While I would love to do that, it may not be possible because the camera fund I built up last year by frugal saving is nearly depleted. While AT-1’s are not expensive, they are, for some reason. a challenge to find in good condition. Having to repair the Seagull, which is still not fully functional, and the cost of forthcoming XPan repairs will empty my coffers. (Look for a Q&A post next week that may address this topic in more detail.)
If you enjoyed today’s post and would like to support this blog so I can to increase its coverage of film photography, please consider making a monthly contribution via Patreon. Memberships start at just $1.25 a month with levels at $2.50 and $5 that include special benefits. That same linked page also lets you to make a one-time contribution. I also recognize that the pandemic has had an adverse effect on people’s incomes, so if you would prefer to just send some good thoughts my way, that’s appreciated too.