It simply cannot be overstated how frustrating the film experience can be, and how much effort can easily go to waste. Every new film stock presents new challenges, every new camera asks you to handle it differently, every mild change in conditions resets the rules. Every scanning session is a lesson in failure. My new Contax RTS is a messy and inconsistent shit crap of disfunction. It may also be my favorite. It is truly a mixed bag.
Light leaks, odd distortions and random obstructions in the back and insert. One of the most frustrating parts about shooting film for me has been getting cameras that I both like and work correctly. The shots below from the ADK were taken with my RTS, the two village shots were taken with my FR II, the image quality is starkly different. It may be the camera through and through, but the conditions were also pretty obviously different. The RTS was shooting in Negative 10, my fingers were less cooperative, the elements less forgiving.
If you’re jumping into film (head first, like me), I can’t reiterate enough that finding a good and functional film camera is probably the most frustrating part. So far, my most functional camera is an all automatic Yashica that I have very little control over. Not ideal, but it could be worst. Despite seeming to be the most functional, it is almost certainly my least favorite.
I don’t want to beat a dead horse on this, but the lesson is patience, and honestly just expecting a certain degree of failure. In the picture above you can see everything from poor exposure to gate failures, light leaks, and even more obscure issues. What the pictures won’t illustrate is the frustration of having a camera die on you with a roll still in it, or the time waisted seeking out cameras only for them to be inoperable (multiple times). Remember, patience. You’ll get there, with patience.
