Film PHotography gear recommendation Or What IS it IN MY CAmera bag?
I have to admit that it was hard to write about the tools that I’m using because I’m really passionate about them, but here it is - a blog post dedicated solely to the tools that I have in my photography bag. My favorite media is film and this is why I decided to start first by covering this section. I use a few medium format film cameras, two 35mm and most of the time I’m using a professional film lab to scan and developing my film. My lab is actually very well educated on what colors are important for me and they take care of everything to be exactly how I want it - cohesive and with the right skin tones. When I’m photographing an event or a portrait session, I will show up with my favorite Billingham bag. I’m able to carry inside my film, two-three cameras, light meters, personal belongings, and extra batteries. The bag holds a surprising amount of gear, it is waterproof and very well made, handcrafted in England.
Contax 645
My workhorse for the last couple of years is the Contax 645. I have it with the beautiful combination of Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm lens. The brand doesn’t not exist anymore, but still you can find some beautiful near mint bodies on Ebay, to rent from Contax Rentals or some independent local stores. If you decide to buy on Ebay - please check very well the seller and his stats. The number 645 is coming from the size of the images that can be created with it 6 x 4.5. I use this combination to photograph portraits and details, but also with it - I’m able to cover a whole wedding day or create a fashion editorial. Versatile and beautiful.
Pentax 67ii
Next in line is the beautiful, bulky and noisy Pentax 67ii. The number 67, just like the Contax 645 shows the format of the camera which in this case is 6x7. This means that the images that this camera creates are way bigger than the ones from the Contax. This is why one roll of film, photographed with this camera has only 10 images, vs 16 with the Contax. But let me tell you about this beautiful camera. I got obsessed with it when I was looking at Peter Lindberg's images of the eight supermodels for Vogue magazine in 1990 in Brooklyn. It turned out that, this was Peter’s favorite film camera and instantly became mine too and totally deserve it.
NIKON F6
The youngest of all. I bought this camera because it is the latest model - Nikon discontinued it about three years ago and I actually bought it brand new. It is like a modern DSLR and has a beautiful performance. I remember in the biggest rain when I had to photograph a famous Bulgarian singer in Europe - I did not have any other choice but to rely on that camera and it saved the date. I actually remember very vividly the first picture I took with it that you can see below. I pair this camera solely with a Nikkor 58mm f/1.4 lens that is absolutely exceptional and has a nice bokeh. I believe that this is the best camera when you travel and while on vacation.
Seconic Light meter
With all these old cameras around one thing, I will suggest you invest in when you are shopping for a medium format film camera is - invest in a light meter. Usually, Seconic is the most popular brand, but I know there are other options out there too. I personally have two lightmeters Seconic - one is the vintage Seconic L - 358 and the other is the modern version with a touch screen and a whole bunch of fancy features - Seconic 458
Lighting
I use Godox Flashes because they go well with absolutely everything and a set of two very affordable video lights that I got from Amazon. Bellow, you will find some examples of details photographed with flash and my beloved Nikon F6. I always use the lightmeter in this situations, because it reads the light way better for me.
FUN TOY CAMERAS
Actually, the last image was photographed on a plastic toy camera Holga, that works with Medium Format Film. I love the character that cameras like that actually have and I will totally recommend to you to use them. I also love bringing an Instant Camera - I will vote for Fujifilm Instax Wide 300. Just keep in mind that these cameras are not very well made and you may need to replace them. But they are so much fun to use and they bring such charm and uniqueness.
UPDATE:
Hasselblad 205 with 110mm f/2
A little update from 2022 to my film photography gear - I now own a beautiful Hasselblad 205mm camera with the iconic 110mm lens. I’ve been dreaming about this lens for some time now. I’ve seen many photographs taken with it and the square 6x6 format was something that I’ve been dreaming about. It is a bit challenging, because you have to think differently, compose your images differently - but challenges are something I’m never scared.
I hope this blog post was helpful to you. I promise that I will upgrade soon this information because I’m currently testing a camera or two and I can’t wait to tell you all about. Meanwhile whatever tools you select, please don’t forget to keep shooting and improving, because at the end of the day, the camera is just the tool, but what make the photography unique is us - the people behind the camera. What is in your camera bag?