“Cameras are a great hobby because they don't cost much.”
That's what my friend E said to me recently. It might have been a casual remark, but it could be a chance to reflect on our usual activities. Some might say that if they hadn't started with cameras, they could have bought a luxury car. Especially in the past two years, film prices have only skyrocketed. Shooting with 35mm film can cost from 100 yen to several hundred yen per shot, making it a potentially expensive and intense hobby.
However, if you start calculating the cost per shot, you won't capture anything good, and the romance and fun will be lost. To enjoy snapping the shutter, it might be important to reduce the basic cost of film photography. If money is tight, you have to be creative and hands-on. In the process of manual work, you might discover even more charm in photography. This time, we introduce film photography techniques that are fun and economical.
Double Your Shots with a Single Roll! Enjoy with a Half-Frame Camera
Image by miho
A simple method to try is using a half-frame film camera. A half-frame film camera uses 35mm film but captures two images in one frame. This allows you to take twice as many photos with a single roll of film.
As the name suggests, it records at half the usual area, so the overall resolution is lower, making it unsuitable for those who want to capture fine details. However, many film enthusiasts enjoy shooting in the context of recording and memory rather than sharp depiction, so this outstanding cost performance is appreciated.
Commonly seen in camera shops are the OLYMPUS PEN series. Recently, ILFORD has released a disposable half-frame camera.
Use Bulk Film for Savings
Commonly sold 35mm film comes in a cylindrical container called a cartridge for loading into cameras. Film sold without this cartridge is called bulk film. Like refilling detergent, doing it yourself allows you to get film cheaper than what's generally sold.
You will need to purchase a film loader, which incurs initial costs, but if you continue shooting film for years, you'll quickly recoup your investment.
After development, a pile of cartridges
Start Developing Your Own Film
Another reason film photography can be costly is the development fees, not just the shooting. Of course, photo lab professionals have the skills to carefully and meticulously handle the entire process of developing, printing, and scanning, so there's no need to insist on home development just for savings.
Darkroom work, using an enlarger to project film onto photographic paper
However, as a process to deeply understand your photos, trying development work might provide new insights. The more time you spend, the more precious your work becomes, and you might discover new contexts.
Like film development, printing is also done in the order of developing, stopping, fixing, and washing
Especially for black and white film, many photo labs handle it as an outsourced task, requiring about 2 to 3 weeks. Various home development kits are available online, and blogs and YouTube videos by film enthusiasts provide easy-to-understand instructions.
Welcome to the World of Film Enthusiasts
Despite trying various ways to save on expensive film, the love for film only deepens. Strangely, when you engage with film as a medium, time seems to slow down, and your thoughts sink into depth. For those who have stepped into the world of film, saying "film is expensive" might be as endearing a habit as saying "I'll quit smoking." Let's dive into the world of film together.
