What should I do?

[leica dream]

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I have a conundrum which is proving to be quite a challenge.........

When I was a teenager back in the early 1950's something sparked my interest in photography.  I created my own darkroom with all the processing stuff and an enlarger.  I spent all my savings on my first 35mm camera - Braun Paxette Super 11L rangefinder with fixed 50mm lens.  This was a high quality camera in its day with excellent optics and is still in prime condition having been cared carefully over the years. Many hundreds of shots later including a huge number of colour transparences, many of which I have since digitised, fuelled my enthusiasm.

Now an octogenarian I have changed many cameras throughout my life (including several low end Leicas) but have still held on to my trusty Paxette which I remember takes super shots. A few years ago I got a Leica R6.2 from Ffordes which I found was a breath of fresh air in that it was so good to have to THINK before setting the camera for a shot unlike the small Leica C (type 112) which I carry with me these days - see the Leica C posting thread.   Circumstances turned against me such that I had to part with the Leica 6.2 after 18 months (refreshingly it held the same price as I had paid).

Now this is my conundrum - what do I do with my Braun Paxette 35mm camera?  I have looked at ways to sell, but despite the resurgance of analogue photography, prices in the UK look to be around £30 or less, whereas looking at the US or Singapore they fetch +/- $100-150.   Alternatively, should I retain the camera and revive analogue experimentation once again on a background basis.

One way or another I want this little gem of a camera to be productive. If I let it go I want to know it will get used rather than it just descend into oblivion. I am posting on this thread hoping for constructive ideas suggesting a viable future.  OK, just being here means that readers are analogue enthusiasts, so there will doubtless be some bias, but if "keep it" comes through strongly I hope that would be accompanied by stimulating ideas which I could take forward in conjunction with my Leica C (type 112).  I should add that these days I do not have, nor could  provide, darkroom facilities but I assume building a black/white environment using commercial processing with home scanning alongside colour images from my Leice C. I am in the UK so would need to seek out a suitable film processor if I go that route.

Input from you guys would be wonderful. I need a push - clearly just consigning my Paxette to the local tip is NOT an option.

Richard

 

[LocalHero1953]

I'm sure you realise this, but you don't need a darkroom to develop film and scan it. I use the bathroom, and allow 2hrs for beginning to end: from loading the reels, through mixing the chemicals, getting them to the right temperature (in the bath), processing, through to hanging up the film and cleaning up. 

[TomB_tx]

Well, I started developing B&W in the 1950s, and got very active with 35mm in college in the '60s, and stayed active with my own darkroom into the mid 1980s. Then family and work and such squeezed out the darkroom and all but casual snapshots. But after retiring in 2009 I unpacked my old cameras, got a new changing bag and scanner, and started shooting and developing B&W again, and generally scanned instead of setting up to enlarge. In Texas our tap water gets pretty warm in summer, but I've found results can be good by adjusting time over the range of water temps we have. I can usually set up, process, and dry in an hour, and then batch-scan on a an Epson flatbed which will do 24 exp with one click.

I'll send off color for processing and scanning and find it very feasible to enjoy old film cameras with little setup and time.

[Pyrogallol]

You are still a youngster against my friend who is still active in the darkroom in his 90’s.

Put a film in it occasionally, develop and scan the negatives yourself. If you need a developing tank I can send you one.

You can get film and chemicals etc from Firstcall or Silverprint 

https://www.firstcall-photographic.co.uk

https://silverprint.co.uk

Edited Friday at 08:00 AM by Pyrogallol

[250swb]

11 hours ago, leica dream said:

I need a push - clearly just consigning my Paxette to the local tip is NOT an option.

 

 

Have a look at the open thread 'I like film...', now on it's 4300th page

and many of the cameras used are anything other than Leica, so you have no excuse not to use your Braun Paxette.

Like the others I process my own film (process in the kitchen and dry in the shower) and scan it myself, either with a flatbed scanner or a digital camera. All you need is a Paterson film processing starter kit, a changing bag, some liquid chemicals plus a couple of 5 litre bottles for mixed stock solutions, and a brick of 36 exposure film. So, off you go.

[spydrxx]

Being a youngster like yourself I've found renewed joy in developing my own B&W, I leave color to my digital camera. As for disposition of the Paxette.. you had a love affair with it...you aged and it is still fresh and young....keep it. Use it or make it a shelf queen...selling it won't result in a fortune coming your way, and aren't the memories at least worth keeping it?

[leica dream]

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The one thing which always emerges from this forum is experience, well reasoned common sense and encouragement. The age thing is just the age thing - just a number, but what I had not realised was how much things had moved forward in the DIY B/W processing world over the years.

When I had the Leica R6.2 about 5 years ago I approached several photographic Societies locally for encouragement but as soon as I mentioned film the reaction was as though I had just crawled out of a rotting cabbage. It was digital or nothing which I concluded made the title "photographic Society" a misnomer they are "Imaging" societies.

I have referenced the websites mentioned above and done further browsing research and have to admit to being quite excited at the prospect of going into film again. To me, film is photography. At the time of shooting there is no opportunity to switch ISO, let the camera focus, or even have a sneak preview of your shot immediately to see if it is OK. One has to think carefully, consider the conditions then set the parameters - certainly not point and shoot like my Leica C can do most efficiently in Program mode. There is a time and place for that for a quick shot when I am walking my dog.

Doubtless different questions will arise once I get to DIY processing which I suppose should be raised under the Darkroom threads, but for now, I need to choose a reliable general purpose film for the camera. I seem to remember that I used Fujifilm previously but I guess you guys will have best experience about to-day's brands, quality, reliability and availability.  Also, is it reasonable to think ISO 200 or do to-day's advanced brands support grain better at different speeds for general shooting.

 

Thank you all so much for your remarks and encouragement - just what I needed.

Richard

[250swb]

1 hour ago, leica dream said:

Also, is it reasonable to think ISO 200 or do to-day's advanced brands support grain better at different speeds for general shooting.

 

Film is still essentially the film it was fifty years ago with improvements only in fine nuances since then, except perhaps for Ilford XP2 which is a chromogenic B&W film and processed in the same C41 process as colour negative. If in doubt start with Ilford FP4 or HP5 for traditional silver emulsions. But that is the beauty of film, use it for its aesthetic reasons because it’s never been a technology race like digital. It means the differences between an old camera and a newer camera are minimised, it is what you do with it.

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[Tom R]

3 hours ago, 250swb said:

Film is still essentially the film it was fifty years ago with improvements only in fine nuances since then, except perhaps for Ilford XP2 which is a chromogenic B&W film and processed in the same C41 process as colour negative. If in doubt start with Ilford FP4 or HP5 for traditional silver emulsions. But that is the beauty of film, use it for its aesthetic reasons because it’s never been a technology race like digital. It means the differences between an old camera and a newer camera are minimised, it is what you do with it.

I recently returned to DIY processing/scanning, etc. and find the process easier on a variety of fronts. Yes, film is much more expensive than merely a few years ago, and I would not hazard a guess on how much higher the costs of many films may climb. But, putting that aside, depending upon how much time, money and effort you wish to invest in this, I find chemistry has improved. Moreover, you will also find lots of online forums that will provide (too much) information about any number of topics. 

In sum: welcome back to the mix. Shoot lots, and listen to what the images are telling you. 

 

[leica dream]

Yes, we are so lucky to have internet these days with so much content and little explanatory videos.   That said, always a good degree of caution about what one is reading and from whom.

[Fotoklaus]

Am 16.3.2023 um 21:33 schrieb leica dream:

I have a conundrum which is proving to be quite a challenge.........

When I was a teenager back in the early 1950's something sparked my interest in photography.  I created my own darkroom with all the processing stuff and an enlarger.  I spent all my savings on my first 35mm camera - Braun Paxette Super 11L rangefinder with fixed 50mm lens.  This was a high quality camera in its day with excellent optics and is still in prime condition having been cared carefully over the years. Many hundreds of shots later including a huge number of colour transparences, many of which I have since digitised, fuelled my enthusiasm.

 

Your first 35mm camera in very good condition, with very good optics which gave you a lot of memories. Give that away for a little amount of money? You are still interested in film photography. So don´t hesitate to use it!

I can just speak for myself, but taking pictures with an old mechnaic camera ist just too much fun to renounce that.

Pulling the fresh developed negatives out of the developing tank is a joy everytime.

Yes, I do have a digital cmaera with good optics which could produce perfectly sharp, perfectly exposed portraits within a few clicks,

deciding if the left or the right eye should be perfectly sharp and so on. It works so perfect that it is almost boring.

But is not the same process, it is not entirely my work.

Go out on a walk with an old camera loaded with film is like a digital diet for me.

[leica dream]

Very grateful to you all for your input an support. I have decided to go ahead and give the camera a try. Being so old, exposure settings are limited - fastest are 125 & 300, so I have opted for slower film FP4.

I need to make sure that the camera is OK so I shall use a processing lab to start with then  I know it is not my DIY if results are bad.

Labs with any reliable reputation seem rare these days but looking around I see that Harman Lab took over from Ilford and actually make Ilford brands so they look professional.....at least on the net!

Does anyone have positive experience of Harman or should I be steered elsewhere.

[250swb]

The company that became Ilford was founded by Alfred Harman in 1879, so it is the parent to Ilford. It has been through a few iterations since but it hasn’t really taken over Ilford. The Ilford/Harman labs are very good and can also do excellent prints but if you said where you are in the world somebody may be able to narrow a lab down for you.

[earleygallery]

As you have had the camera for so long it would seem a real shame to sell it, especially considering the price you'd get (less selling fees!).

Let us know how you get on with the 'test' roll.

 

[leica dream]

Yes, sorry, I am in the UK.

I have visited my profile to-day and cannot see how to be any more precise than just UK which I have now updated.

I shall certainly post images once I have something to show.