Film supplies & Cameras

Seth Lord

Hi - we will be arriving In Delhi on 4 November 2009. Then on to Varanasi, Agra and then Jaipur and on that circuit through Rajasthan that takes you back to Delhi.

I wonder if it is possible to purchase B&W film in any of those places? Are there any second hand markets for film cameras? Is it still possible to find B&W processing?

It's ok. I will have the G10 with me However I am just wondering and feeling nostalgic for film after scanning a few shots from almost 30 years ago.

many thanks - and please feel free with any other advice

Seth
Australia

Aishah

Hello Seth and welcome to India Mike!

I have moved your question to the Photography forum where hopefully some of our members can help you.

Off the top of my head, I think this might be difficult, (the black and white film) but you never know, may be possible!

__________________
"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

Wanderer22

Hello Seth, and welcome to India Mike.

In the past I've always brought film from Canada and developed it myself after returning home. As long as you don't hit too many X-rays the slower speed stuff should be OK. KEEP film in your carry-on baggage as X-rays used on checked baggage are usually much higher power that will fog with one pass.

Here's a site with some info.. http://www.kodak.com/global/en/servi.../tib5201.shtml

Hope you'll post some of your scans as there's a few old timers like myself who would enjoy seeing them. In fact you might find my IM gallery interesting.

My first trip to India was in 1970 with a couple of Leica M4s and a bag of film. Many more trips in the seventies were with minimalist cameras, Leica 3f and 3g models.

In 2005 my old Leica needed an overhaul and was worried about X-rays so ended up taking just a 2MP P&S. Have since had the camera repaired so am now ready to give it another go with film as soon as my MD gives the OK. Next year will be 40 years since first setting foot on Indian soil and am feeling another attack of wandering coming on. Wonder what ATW tickets are going for these days?

Something I've considered for my next India trip, is using B&W film that is processed in the same C41 chemicals as colour negatives. It should be possible to find some places in larger cities that offer developing service using automated machines. It also scans quite well and as there's no silver left to interfere, the dust removal feature of high-end scanners can be used. Would probably take some negative sleeves so they aren't just dumped in an envelope. Hopefully there will be pro level service available if you're prepared to pay for it.

Cheers, It's good to still see an interest in film.

Wanderer22 @:-)

Seth Lord

Aishah: thank you for your help in moving me here; on my first pass through the site I did not see the photography forum.

Wanderer: very much appreciated all of your comments and reminiscences. We are of an age All the best with getting that clearance from the MD. And I'll bet your hair is a lot shorter now.
I may have been a bit ambiguous in mentioning 30 year old scans; I was referring to photos I took that long ago but not in India (have not visited the subcontinent before). My wife's grandfather was chief engineer on the Punjabi Railways in the early 1900s and we do have some large prints from those days which I might scan; I did not know this forum existed until today.
I tried to have just a brief sampling of your gallery, but I really had to pull myself away with the promise that I would show it to my wife later. Good Lord! you are some photographer. I took your advice to get closer to the 21mm shots and they were magnificent. Were they all taken with Leica M glass?
I have quite a problem about camera gear for our India trip, and your 21mm shots brought it home forcefully. The Nikon D200 is a very good machine, but the crop factor causes me a lot of dismay - the widest I have is a 17-35mm f2.8 Nikkor but there is no way I am taking that great hulking beast on this trip. My widest prime is a 35mm f2 which is 52mm on DX.
The Canon G10 is a superb little thing and has surprised me with the quality it can deliver. I am taking it along.
However the b&w scans from the negatives I developed out of my old Nikon FE (just restored with a seal kit from Jon Goodman)have a loveliness of tones that is difficult to convey in words, and which keeps drawing me back to the idea of taking some film on this trip.
I have an M4 but it is badly in need of a CLA because the rangefinder cam is stuffed, and I think there are pinholes in the shutter curtain.
So there is the FE and a HexarAF which might be used for the film side of things.
It's impractical to take both. I wonder if you (or anyone else who cares to chime in)would suggest the FE - with it's rather loud shutter/mirror noise, but the advantage of a range of lenses - or the HexarAF (the shutter of which is near silent but which has a fixed 35mm f2.0)?

kind regards
Seth