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Old style camera film and development


15Peter20

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Hi All

I'm trying to put together a pinhole camera with my son but need this old style camera film which I haven't been able to find in the mainstream retail outlets.

Does anyone know where I can get some and then also get it developed in Chiang Mai? Specifically, what's needed is:

ISO 200/400 35mm color/bw negative film - or as close as possible to this.

Many thanks for any advice.

Cheers

15P

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Most of the film and photographic paper firms have closed and bankrupted, certainly for the domestic market. Some operate only business to business and/or for hospital materials such as X-ray equipment.

If you stop short of using film, you could use tracing paper where the film would normally go, and with the back off/open, your son could see the inverted image and this shows how the image would fall on the film, but you probably know that anyway. However, if your camera is 35mm, then the image is going to be hard to see.

Just yesterday, in Kad Suan Keow, I passed a shop which had an array of old film cameras in the window, including some twin lens Roliflex and Zeiss-Ikon, which gave a 6cm x 6cm negative. Certainly brought back memories of myself hand processing film. Maybe you could borrow one of their cameras, which would have to be 70 years old.

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You can buy fresh film at PhotoBug, the very best professional photography shop in Chiang Mai. (Yes, this is a plug for them, and no, I'm not associated with them.)

They used to be the only shop in Chiang Mai that kept their film refrigerated. These days, with so little call for film, most stores have stopped carrying any, but PhotoBug still has a cabinet full of fresh film for those who need it.

You can find them on the left side of the street as you head towards the Superhighway, about 300m north of Chiang Puak Gate.

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While we're on the subject of Photo Bug, their branch in Panthip has closed and they will be opening a new store in Moon Muang Road just before you get to soi 7 if you were walking from Thaphae Gate. Panthip now offers an increasing number of small stores selling inexpensive photo gear and accessories - 3 or 4 new outlets in the aisle opposite the office supply store.

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On ebay under "35 mm film", you will find all the film you ever wanted. There are a couple of suppliers on there who are actually in Thailand, and their prices are good, and the film arrives quickly. If I understand your post correctly, you might be looking for Kodak BW400CN, which is actually color film that renders a B & W negative. It is still available. However, the finished pictures always seem to come out with a sepia tone, which isn't always the desired effect. A good B & W film is better to use, I think.

Photo Bug also gets my recommendation as a first class operation. They can tell you where to get color AND B&W processing done, quickly and cheaply, here in CM. They also have a beautiful collection of classic cameras for sale, including Leica, Hasselblad, Rollei, Yashica, Mamiya, Contax, etc.

Film is pretty much dead, and it's a sad thing. The thought process seems to have gone out of amateur photography, as people just randomly point and shoot with their digital junk.

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While we're on the subject of Photo Bug, their branch in Panthip has closed and they will be opening a new store in Moon Muang Road just before you get to soi 7 if you were walking from Thaphae Gate. Panthip now offers an increasing number of small stores selling inexpensive photo gear and accessories - 3 or 4 new outlets in the aisle opposite the office supply store.

That's coming full circle. The family started out with a shop on Moon Muang Road, just past Soi 9, run by the parents of one of the PhotoBug owners. That's where I first met him, and he told me and his wife were opening their own shop outside the moat just down from Mike's Hamburgers. Three shops later and they are opening on Moon Muang once again. Nice people, they deserve the success they are finding. But this reminds me... I have to stop in on Monday and pick up a special order!

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While we're on the subject of Photo Bug, their branch in Panthip has closed and they will be opening a new store in Moon Muang Road just before you get to soi 7 if you were walking from Thaphae Gate. Panthip now offers an increasing number of small stores selling inexpensive photo gear and accessories - 3 or 4 new outlets in the aisle opposite the office supply store.

That's coming full circle. The family started out with a shop on Moon Muang Road, just past Soi 9, run by the parents of one of the PhotoBug owners. That's where I first met him, and he told me and his wife were opening their own shop outside the moat just down from Mike's Hamburgers. Three shops later and they are opening on Moon Muang once again. Nice people, they deserve the success they are finding. But this reminds me... I have to stop in on Monday and pick up a special order!

That's quite interesting. I worked with all sorts of film from the age of 12. Where do they get the film processed or is the idea to D.I.Y?

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While we're on the subject of Photo Bug, their branch in Panthip has closed and they will be opening a new store in Moon Muang Road just before you get to soi 7 if you were walking from Thaphae Gate. Panthip now offers an increasing number of small stores selling inexpensive photo gear and accessories - 3 or 4 new outlets in the aisle opposite the office supply store.

That's coming full circle. The family started out with a shop on Moon Muang Road, just past Soi 9, run by the parents of one of the PhotoBug owners. That's where I first met him, and he told me and his wife were opening their own shop outside the moat just down from Mike's Hamburgers. Three shops later and they are opening on Moon Muang once again. Nice people, they deserve the success they are finding. But this reminds me... I have to stop in on Monday and pick up a special order!

That's quite interesting. I worked with all sorts of film from the age of 12. Where do they get the film processed or is the idea to D.I.Y?

Personally, I have no idea. Back when I was using only film they handled all my developing and printing. They carried Velvia, Provia, Ectachrome, Portra, etc., etc., etc., and it was always refrigerated. Once I switched to digital, I did most of my own printing unless I needed something large than A3, it which case I gave to them. I don't know if they did it in house of sent it out, but they always followed my instructions regarding color handling, and the results exactly what I wanted.

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This reminds me to ask you, if you or other members know of a photographic club in Chiang Mai.

I'd like to get out with a few folk who have similar interests, and know where places of interest might be.

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It's his mother's shop they are moving into. I guess she's retiring.

That explains a lot... Both his parents are really nice people. They wanted us to rent their condo when we moved back to Chiang Mai, but it wasn't the right fit for us. I really wanted it to be, just because I like them. Unfortunately, it wasn't the place we needed.

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You can get Pinhole adapters for most DSLR cameras these days to have some fun with. They are cheap and no film to worry about and you see your digital results immediately.

Click to see samples of digital pinhole photos.

You need to be able to remove the lens from your camera to install the adapter.

Actually its just a plate with a pin hole that screws on where your lens was.

There are adapters made for specific cameras.

Perhaps someone with the Chiang Mai Photo Group has one to share for a bit.

They are usually used for a few days and then forgotten about but might be good to demonstrate to your child.

You can also use photographic paper as a negative in a homemade camera with a pinhole.. a cardboard box camera.

Once you develop the paper negative you can take a pic of that and get a positive~!

Interesting experiment but I have seen old cameras just for that with developer etc built in.

Used shooting tourists in Mexico many years ago.

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Thanks for the info and a great idea.

My daughter is 13 and a "child of the digital age" . As I still have my old 35mm Film type Canon EOS, I'll get a roll of film for her to have a play with now that I know where to get it AND get it processed.

Thanks again!

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This post is making my fingers tingle. I might just have to break out the 6x7. Does PhotoBug sell 120 film, too, and can someone process it?

If they don't have it in stock (and they probably don't,) they most likely can get it for you fairly quickly.

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For anyone who loves old film cameras, stop by and visit Khun Gai in the powder coating shop at the east end of the Nawarat Bridge. He has his personal collection on display inside the shop. I don't even think he's selling any of it, just a personal hobby.

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