Advise on film purchase needed please

GreenNinja67

GreenNinja67

Suspended / Banned
Messages
6,176
Name
Terry
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi everyone,

First real foray into this side of the forum for me.

I've just managed to purchase a Fed 4 from a 2nd hand shop.

Looks to be in workable condition (photos to follow) and want to run a film through it.

Where's the best place I can get hold of a normal colour negative 200 ISO film from nowadays?

To be honest I'm not that fussed if it doesn't work, just happy to have the memories this camera jogs in my brain.

This is the camera that started it all off for me. My father bought me one to take with me on my school Spanish exchange in 1982. There was a shutter fault with that one which resulted in a black band down the left hand side.

let's hope this one isn't the same. (Example images from 1982 below - I'm far left).

Thanks in advance for any help.

Terry.


img130.jpgimg131.jpg
 
Last edited:
If you just want to test it for light leaks buy the cheapest colour film as it is normally cheaper to develop C-41 colour film than traditional b&w film in a lab. Something like Kodak colourplus 200 or Fuji C200. I had a quick look and I was surprised to see the price has shot up those films.
 
Not sure if I overpaid on the camera but I didn't think £25 was too expensive for all the memories that come with it.
 
GreenNinja67 said:
Thanks Gareth,

But I'd prefer to pay you mate. Doesn't seem fair otherwise.

Is it in date ?
Click to expand...

Yes. Bought for Vietnam last year by my girlfriend. I used Portra, she used Gold 200. I shot a roll (the image above) pre-lockdown (actually July last year so pre Vietnam). Just PM me your address and I will get a roll in the post to you.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Another vote for Kodak Gold 200 here. 3 packs, or multiples thereof, are (or were) the most economical way to buy it if you're buying on line. Shop around and compare prices, as they can vary considerably, but make sure it's a like for like price comparison and not 24 exposures versus 36, as it's easy to forget this and it's not always very obvious which you are viewing due to all the 135, 200 ISO, 6 pack, type info in the listed heading! Of the two, 36 exp is the way to go (unless you desperately want fewer shots for a quick turn-around) as it costs the same to develop as 24 exp, so it makes photography cheaper per shot in the long run, despite the difference in film price between the two.

Kodak Colorplus can give some nice colours and tones but I often find it a bit too grainy for my liking, and since Kodak's price increases last year, the price difference between the two isn't as much (or wasn't last time I looked), so I tend to go for Gold 200 instead. For best, then it's Kodak Portra 160 or 400, or on a sunny day and for well-saturated colours, it's Kodak Ektar 100, a particularly fine-grained print film, with just a slight look of the long-since discontinued Kodachrome slide film about the tones and colours you get.

A couple of examples:

Gold 200

31258934058_6e4d94af91_h.jpg



Colorplus 200

42645786360_09c39e91ca_b.jpg
 
Last edited:
+1 for Gold, or ColorPlus depending on pricing. Especially if you want to get your 80s groove back on.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys.

Gareth is kindly sending me a roll to see if the camera is a goodun.

If it works I'll look into getting some more from the outlets mentioned.
 
Have fun and best of luck, and happy birthday for tomorrow too. :)
 
GreenNinja67 said:
Cheers Gareth.

It'll come for my birthday tomorrow :)
Click to expand...

Happy Birthday!
Can't garauntee it will be here today, though. I sent it second class small parcel. Hope you don't mind. I left the film in the little plastic canister which make it too big for a large letter. I usually remove them for the lab postage but for this, I thought I would send it. Ha.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top