First 35mm, trip advice appreciated!

chuck

chuck

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So I bought my first 35mm camera today! The Pentax ME super
The plan is to take it on holiday with me and use it for some street work.
I'm still taking the DSLR but already I've fallen in love with this little thing after only one roll.

My questions are:
What rolls would you suggest for a trip to Spain?
I'm there for 3 weeks the first two I'm on my own so I WILL be taking it out every day. So any ideas/experiences of the amount of film I'll need?
What can/should I do about the heat? (When walking around especially) Or is it even a big problem? :thinking:
It came with the 50mm, should I get any others before I go ? :shrug:

A picture of the camera! I can't show you any pics taken with camera as I don't have any yet! I'm dying to see them!!!!:D
8686436283_0305ba24e8_z.jpg


Thank you!
 
Well I go to Ibiza each year and only have a film camera and in 10 days use about 6 rolls of old stock (2006) 36 exp Fuji Reala (can't buy in 35mm anymore) and\or Fuji Superia 200 ISO.
About heat? just the usual precautions for any camera i.e. don't leave the camera to cook in direct sunshine for too long.
Lenses I take:- 24mm, 35mm or 40mm, 50mm (just cos it's f1.4 for low light) 135mm (cos it's an excellent lens) and my favourite zoom 80-200mm
 
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Thanks for the reply I got 4 rolls of the fuji superia 200 with the camera actually.
Interesting that you ONLY take the film camera. It helps me guesstimate how much I'd need.

Do you find it easy enough to find film in Ibiza, that is just in case I need more

The heat was more about the film itself :)
 
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I would strongly recommend taking as much film as you think your going to need with you - I tried getting some more 35mm film when I was on holiday in Bodrum, Turkey a couple of years ago after running low with about 3 days to go but despite looking in about every camera shop, supermarket etc, all I could find was some suspiciously faded looking Kodak Colour Plus for about £4 each (the boxes were faded as they were stored in direct sunlight through the window in this particular shop which was also boiling hot) and based on that and the fact that the date on them was close to expiry, I decided to leave them and just be careful with what I shot with the remaining frames. I hated to think how long those films had been there and gotten so hot from the sun etc so I wouldn't have expected good results.
 
Given how bright it is in Spain, how about a couple of rolls of Velvia 50? Save it for when you're going to a spectacular landscape location...

You don't need another lens, as the one you've got is brilliant, and there's a lot to be said for concentrating one one lens. The Pentax-M 135mm is a cheap (and light) way to get a different perspective, and it's probably bright enough that the slower aperture doesn't matter. Most of the longer zooms are heavier than the camera and feel dreadfully unbalanced; if you're into walking around rather than tripod work, I personally wouldn't bother. A 35mm or 28mm might be nice but not necessary... That's my thoughts anyway.
 
Just to show the other side of the coin from Brian :D, I'm off to Canada for 3 weeks and i'm taking 30 rolls of 35mm and 10 rolls of 120 film as well as my digital. I anticipate having to find a shop to buy some more. :eek: Its going to cost a fortune to get it all devved:gag:

Andy
 
chuck said:
What rolls would you suggest for a trip to Spain?

So any ideas/experiences of the amount of film I'll need?

What can/should I do about the heat? (When walking around especially) Or is it even a big problem? :thinking:

It came with the 50mm, should I get any others before I go ? :shrug:
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Neat ME Super you have there, and the Pentax compact 50mm are fine lenses. Always a fun combination, and they are a bit underrated in the big scheme of things really.

What rolls = what film? That's entirely up to you. There's the budget, consumer end of the spectrum - Agfa Vista 200, the Fuji Superia films. There's the more professional films - Kodak Portra (the best colour negative film you can buy), Kodak Ektar amongst others.

How much film is a very subjective thing. I sometimes only use one roll a day, but I shoot medium format which is only 12 shots per roll. Some people burn through tons of rolls, some people struggle to finish one 36 exposure film. Difficult to say really - but as Sam said, always bring too much.

The heat - as long as it is in a bag, it should already be shielded from direct sunlight. Obviously it's going to heat up a bit as a consequence, but people have taken photos on film in warm climates for 80-90+ years and they managed okay!

Again, focal length/lenses is a very subjective thing. You may be perfectly content with the 50mm, it entirely depends on how you "see" photographically. In general, a wide-angle lens would complement the 50mm nicely and give you a nice compact wide and normal lens set up. A Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8 goes on eBay for around £35-40.

One other thing that hasn't been mentioned - if you are flying, never put film in check-in luggage. It should travel with you in hand luggage, as the x-rays checks that check-in luggage are subjected to is significantly higher than your hand luggage.
 
chuck said:
Thanks for the reply I got 4 rolls of the fuji superia 200 with the camera actually.
Interesting that you ONLY take the film camera. It helps me guesstimate how much I'd need.

Do you find it easy enough to find film in Ibiza, that is just in case I need more

The heat was more about the film itself :)
Click to expand...



Well for expired film? I just left the film in a drawer in the apartment (it has air conditioning)...but if no air conditioning for 3 weeks in hot temps? You could play safe and leave it in a fridge in the sealed container but as long as the film doesn't cook in direct sun light there shouldn't be a problem.
BTW I did take a Sony P92 (given to me) once to see how it performed and the results for scenery were carp.
 
Andysnap said:
Just to show the other side of the coin from Brian :D, I'm off to Canada for 3 weeks and i'm taking 30 rolls of 35mm and 10 rolls of 120 film as well as my digital. I anticipate having to find a shop to buy some more. :eek: Its going to cost a fortune to get it all devved:gag:

Andy
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Jeez! machine gunning with a film camera ;)
 
Probably too much but I don't think I will be going back so need to make the most of it.
 
To be fair, based on a holiday of 21 days and a 12 hour day it's only about 5 shots an hour so hardly machine gun photography.
 
One thing to add: you won't get much feedback on the results until you get home, so shoot as much as you can with different films (and lenses, if you buy more) before you go. You need to be able to trust the camera (and if it's working properly, you can!).

One thing I noticed yesterday: Genie has an e-send option on its process and scan that only costs an extra pound. So after half a week you could send over the first few rolls, and even with the Spanish post office you should be able to view the results before the end of the second week!

Oh, meant to add, although colour seems obvious, you could get some cracking results with black and white films; FP4(125)/Tmax100/Acros100/PanF(50) for daytime use...
 
...as Chris says "you have to trust your camera" and would add "know" for camera and lens.
 
Steve Smith said:
Yes. That's what motor drives were made for.


Steve.
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Ah but I thought film photography was all about:- taking your time, getting the shot right, correct exposure, correct lens for the shot, best film for the conditions etc etc etc ;) :lol:
 
I'm thinking film for landscapes/people and digital for wildlife.
 
Chris mentioned a 135mm Pentax lens, well if it is too dear a good lens in a Vivitar 135mm f2.8 (which should be cheaper) with the lens number beginning with "28" if you get a good copy then believe me as I have compared it with an excellent lens i.e. CZJ 135mm Sonnar and it's a good second best.....slightly less sharp but still can produce pop (also known as the 3d effect)
 
I'm a less is more kind of guy. I try to carry/pack the minimum amount of kit.
Film body, 2 lenses max (a wideangle for scenery and a 50mm for portraits and low light). Maybe a telephoto if you plan to shoot wildlife, otherwise I don't bother.

As for which film and how much... Spain and Mediterranean countries, tend to have more sun and seem to always give nicer results than grey and dull England with cheap films like superia. Also you might want some black and white film for variety (depends on sort of photography styles you enjoy).

I'd advise 100-200 ISO film mostly (due to the brighter sunshine) but a few rolls of 400 ISO for evenings and dull days might be wise. Or for any fast moving events for that matter.
 
JCoquillon said:
I'm a less is more kind of guy. I try to carry/pack the minimum amount of kit.
Film body, 2 lenses max (a wideangle for scenery and a 50mm for portraits and low light).
Click to expand...
I agree. I try to go as light as possible. Last year in Turkey I took an OM4Ti with three lenses: 50/1.4, 35/2.8 and 24/2.8. For film I used Ektar. I found a polariser came in handy given the prevailing blue skies.

I reckon I ended up using the 35mm for 90% of the time on that trip. As a result I ditched my DSLR when I came home for a Fuji X100. So my choices now when travelling are film (OM4Ti + 35mm/2.8) or digital (X100 + 35mm (equiv.)/2.0). Much easier!
 
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