Film Camera Nostalgy
Today, I invite you to explore the reasons behind my occasional return to the realm of medium format film photography, in the company of my trusted film camera.
Join me in a comparison that delves into the distinct ways that digital and analog cameras record moments.
The Sony Alpha 7R Mark 4, a digital marvel, captures and stores images within its sensor, promptly saved to memory cards. A seamless process of contemporary technology.
Contrastingly, let’s immerse in the Rollei 6008, my cherished possession. This medium format analog camera reveals a different tale.
Here, the film assumes its role, nestled in a camera back with the convenience of interchangeable units. This simple yet ingenious feature permits effortless transitions between film types —color reversal to black & white— all within the same image. In our modern age, color-to-B&W transformations are orchestrated using tools like Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One and other prominent digital darkroom virtuosos.
Distinctive from a standard 35mm roll, the medium format roll finds a paper backing as a guardian while navigating the camera’s intricate mechanism. An eloquent cady hosts the film. The curtain you see allow to harmoniously interchange film.
Upon film’s development at the lab, or, in my case, with the assistance of my faithful Jobo processor (which I will show on a future video), the negative is placed on an enlarger film support and after the marriage of light and chemistry a paper image is born. However, on larger prints unleash a small foe —minuscule dust particles appear as prominent pinpricks, affecting perfection.
Alternatively, I have the Nikon scanner SL8000, that births a 480-megabyte file per image, a cornerstone for my creative journey.
This gem enables digital alchemy—cleaning the negative while preparing to journey into the vast world of printing.
110×110 cm images bloom, courtesy of this inkjet printer, enhancing the tapestry of my visual narratives.
I also use a professional service, laser painting an image onto photographic paper and chemistry that unfolds.
In this technological vista, where years have rolled by, the lenses and camera bear the weight of time, in spite of the noise it makes as a locomotive on each capture. Marvelous recordings etched by these aging maestros continue to astound, albeit softened by the veil of nostalgia.
As a traveler across epochs, I treasure this journey, where whispers of the analog world serenade my creative spirit.
