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Author Topic: Film suggestions for my grandpa's Minox GT35  (Read 3454 times)

MrSmith27

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Film suggestions for my grandpa's Minox GT35
« on: May 20, 2013, 03:04:53 pm »

Hi,

while cleaning I found my grandpa's old minox gt35. It looks pristine, there even was a film inside. I guess it has not been used for at least 25 years. Now I'd like to try it out in an Iceland vacation, but knowing nothing about analog film I'm unsure which film to buy.

Could you recommend a color and a monochrome 35mm film that would be good to use with the camera well? Maybe something that my grandpa might have used around 1980 and which is still sold would be cool. I would not be developing myself, but I could send it to a well equipped lab for development.

Best regards!
« Last Edit: May 20, 2013, 03:43:58 pm by MrSmith27 »
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NancyP

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Re: Film suggestions for my grandpa's Minox GT35
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2013, 03:17:31 pm »

Minox produces its own film. They are currently having a shortage, per their website. The Minox website also lists some labs that develop Minox film (8mm x 11mm). There are also some Minox film camera user groups.

My dad has old Minoxes - cute gadgets they are.
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MrSmith27

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Re: Film suggestions for my grandpa's Minox GT35
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2013, 03:43:22 pm »

Thanks for the reply. The one from my grandpa takes normal 35mm film.
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David S

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Re: Film suggestions for my grandpa's Minox GT35
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2013, 05:11:47 pm »

That was (or is it is) a wonderful camera! Mine no longer works.

Do you want colour for prints or slides or B&W?

Dave S

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BJL

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Re: Film suggestions for my grandpa's Minox GT35
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2013, 09:52:05 pm »

A couple of thoughts.

First, for color, I suggest using slide film, because these days you are very likely to want to "get those photos into the computer", and scanning is far easier with slides than with transparencies negatives. And if on the other hand you want to stay with the retro theme of using your grandfather's film camera, nothing says "retro" like hauling out a slide projector to show off your vacation photos!

Second, if you want to do black and white too, but not do your own developing, the best bet is probably to use a chromogenic film like Ilford XP-2 Super. These are films that are developed by the standard processing used for color print film, rather than needing special B&W developing.
« Last Edit: May 21, 2013, 09:17:07 am by BJL »
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eronald

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Re: Film suggestions for my grandpa's Minox GT35
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2013, 10:53:20 pm »

Hi,

while cleaning I found my grandpa's old minox gt35. It looks pristine, there even was a film inside. I guess it has not been used for at least 25 years. Now I'd like to try it out in an Iceland vacation, but knowing nothing about analog film I'm unsure which film to buy.

Could you recommend a color and a monochrome 35mm film that would be good to use with the camera well? Maybe something that my grandpa might have used around 1980 and which is still sold would be cool. I would not be developing myself, but I could send it to a well equipped lab for development.

Best regards!

wahahahaha

just shove a standard 35mm 200 ISO print film through it and give it to a minilab
those compacts were essentially designed for print film.
make sure you have the right batteries.
Those Minox cameras are jewels with wonderful lenses, I just wish there were something similar in digital.

Edmund
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Rob C

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Re: Film suggestions for my grandpa's Minox GT35
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2013, 04:10:15 am »

A couple of thoughts.

First, for color, I suggest using slide film, because these days you are very likely to want to "get those photos into the computer", and scanning is far easier with slides than with transparencies. And if on the other hand you want to stay with the retro theme of using your grandfather's film camera, nothing says "retro" like hauling out a slide projector to show off your vacation photos!

Second, if you want to do black and white too, but not do your own developing, the best bet is probably to use a chromogenic film like Ilford XP-2 Super. These are films that are developed by the standard processing used for color print film, rather than needing special B&W developing.



?

Rob C

BJL

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Re: Film suggestions for my grandpa's Minox GT35
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2013, 10:06:05 am »

Thanks Rob: what I meant of course was
"scanning is far easier with slides than with negatives (print film)".
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TMARK

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Re: Film suggestions for my grandpa's Minox GT35
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2013, 10:36:35 am »

Thanks Rob: what I meant of course was
"scanning is far easier with slides than with negatives (print film)".

I repectfully disagree.  Chromes are a bitch.  And the local minilap has to send Chromes out.

I'd do what Edmond suggested, get some print film like Kodak Gold 200 or splurge on some Kodak Portra and send it to the minilab.  They will give you prints and a CD, which will invariably be oversharpened but color will be great.  They usually sharpen for output, so the prints look good but the scans are a bit sharp.

The C-41 B&W idea is a good one.  Kodak 400CN is very nice.
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BJL

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Re: Film suggestions for my grandpa's Minox GT35
« Reply #9 on: May 21, 2013, 11:31:23 am »

Chromes are a bitch.  And the local minilap has to send Chromes out.

I'd do what Edmond suggested, get some print film like Kodak Gold 200 ...
It depends on what one ends up doing with the images. If indeed they end up as 4"x6" prints (in a shoe box, in the attic?), then a print film like Kodak Gold 200 or Fujicolor Superia 200 is a safe choice. But if the friends and relatives start asking you to put the vacation photos on Facebook or Flickr or whatever, my experience is that scanning print film negatives is, in your words, "a bitch". It is my sadness at my failed attempts to bring some of my favorite film images into my new digital world that makes me wish that I had shot slides back then --- hence my suggestion.
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David S

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Re: Film suggestions for my grandpa's Minox GT35
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2013, 11:45:31 am »

Scanning significant numbers of slides or negatives is a huge challenge.

I have been digitalizing (sp?) slides for the past couple of years from 1949 onward and while the results are not fantastic, they more than work and will print quite well in the 11X14 range and look more than good enough on the web or computer screen. Mostly they are for family and friends and I put them on CD or DVD using MP3 format for the disk and they can watch them on the HDTV quite nicely.

I use a batch scan machine and have, to date, processed some 4000 slides. Again as I say, not great but works for family memories and for travel memories as well. Fujichrome and Extachrome are easier than Kodachrome.

(PowerSlide 3650, SilverScan software)

Dave S
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TMARK

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Re: Film suggestions for my grandpa's Minox GT35
« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2013, 02:51:43 pm »

I don't think the OP is going to go a Nikon 9000 and start scanning at home.  Unless he is a masochist.  He can send them into a lab and get larger scans, or take that special frame to a lab for scanning and email it out.  Or scan the print on an Epson flatbed.  My deliverables for years were 11x14 C-Prints, which were then scanned and printed in magazines.  Sanning a 4x6 on an epson, making some corrections and emailing it out would be more than fine.

Negs scan way better than positives.  I've scanned well over 12,000 images on everything from Nikon 8000, 9000, 5000, Microtek 120tf, Polaroid Sprintscan 4000, Imacon 343, 646, 848, Epson flatbeds of all flavors, and the only times I had heart palpatations was when scanning chromes for a dead line. 

As to color neg and quality, I, and many others, used color neg film for almost everything, including high end publications.  I only shot Chromes for a certain look and for beauty where the clients demanded it.  There is something special about looking at a chrome on a light box, especially an 8x10.  Breathtaking.
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