Harry P. Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I thought of Charlie Larkin when I saw this (I know he's a diehard film photographer)...One of the local supermarkets I shop at used to have a dedicated Photo Counter area with its own separate checkout, apart from the rest of the store (I'm talking about Jewel-Osco for you midwestern guys). You know, you would take your exposed film, put it into one of the envelopes, drop it in the slot, and a day or two later you picked up your prints. Recently they had also added services like putting your old photos onto CDs, etc.So the other day I go to the store and it's gone. Bam. All gone. No more "Photo Counter."I guess that's "progress," as almost everyone today except Charlie shoots their photos using a digital camera or phone. But still, it was sort of a jolt to see the whole thing just gone. Just like that. It reminded me of when I was a little kid and my parents would take their film to the photo store to get processed. Remember "Photo-mat?"Time marches on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkypeanutbutter Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Finding 35mm film is a real circus.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 I thought Kodak went out of business years ago. So who is still making 35mm film? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 35mm rest in peace ... digital rocks! I had my first 35mm in 1962 ... but I love digital so much more. It takes care of all the shortcomings of 35mm and gets so much better results ... even bigger enlargements .. and all at home with no dark red lights. Charlie is just stubborn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 I took a lot of photo classes in college... learned how to process my own color film (it's quite a long, complex process). But I have to say that digital is soooooo much better. I haven't run out of film in years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 (edited) I thought Kodak went out of business years ago. So who is still making 35mm film?Agfa, Fuji, Ilford, Revolog, Efke, Foma...should I go on?I have a friend who's a commercial and 'art' photographer. Still has a wonderful darkroom, still shoots film, also shoots digital.It's not that uncommon for people who learned analog to still use it, and some younger people are getting into it too. Kinda like tube amps and vinyl recordings. Edited September 29, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Interesting. That's a lot of manufacturers supplying product for what has evolved into a niche market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I thought of Charlie Larkin when I saw this (I know he's a diehard film photographer)...Funny story... I knew Charlie from the boards but had never met him in person. I was at the Liars Show on Long Island and I saw a guy sitting loading a roll of film. I walked up to him and said "You must be Charlie." and it was!I bought one of the original Mavica FD-83 digital cameras when they first came out. I paid a big $799 for that sucker, full of worry and doubt. Turned out to be the best buy of my life. Instantly I was taking pictures better than I ever thought possible. And I never turned back! My newest camera is a pocket size Cannon with at least ten times the power of that original Sony and I paid $65 for it. And I think my iPhone probably has a better camera than that! Time marches on.Then again I just saw a news item on TV about vinyl LPs making a comeback... ya never know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I'll have to check out the Jewel-Osco Mom and I worked at now, see if they have anything left for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent G Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I had been sworn in along with 9 others and was waiting for a recruit class to form. My first assignment as a "civilian recruit in training" was in the department photo lab. We had just gotten a color film developer and I was one of the first trained on it. Marvelous piece of kit there. I attribute a lot of my success later in my career to that job. I saw so many crime scenes on film, the first time I stepped into one I was somewhat prepared. That was 35mm film and it was just taking hold in the crime scene community. 4X5 press cameras were the norm. We could take that big azz negative and project it onto the courthouse wall if necessary. Talk about detail. Digital's great, it's just that, as old school as I am, real film is missed. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Walmart and Walgreens still have a photo counter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High octane Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Yeah I know Carl as I got on the internet this morning to have some photos printed up and Walgreens wouldn't take my password. Seems like every time I order photos, I have to change my password. Called customer service again and they gave me some more BS and wanted me to get another new password and then I hung up on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Walmart and Walgreens still have a photo counter...Yep, but they no longer offer the service of developing 110 film, have to send out for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Haigwood Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 My Granddaughter is planning on taking photography next year and they start out with 35mm. I had to dig out my old Pentax K1000 for her.I did find a couple of exposed discs in a drawer awhile back. I found that I would have to send them overseas to get them developed at about $50 a disc. Not going to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkypeanutbutter Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Discs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieseldawg142 Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 (edited) ......... Edited May 11, 2018 by dieseldawg142 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JollySipper Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 The local WalMart has a machine that you plug your camera into, and you can either print pics there or put them on a CD type disc...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunajammer Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 My first job ever was at a camera/photofinishing store. The modern incarnation of that store only just recently quit selling film. Kodak still makes select 35mm roll film. It may be getting harder to buy walk-in film and processing, but the product and service is still being offered.NPR did a story about editing digital photos on the fly eliminates the junk photos you used to keep when your whole roll got developed. In those throw-aways were often treasured glimpses of things you didn't intend to shoot or had no value to you at the time, but later becomes more interesting. Since they were hard copies they sat with the rest of your pack for decades. Digital allows us to trash them as fast as we shoot them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I thought Kodak went out of business years ago. So who is still making 35mm film?Kodak's film line was bought by Alibris. Their professional stuff has gone from good to WOW and their consumer stuff improved quite a bit. Fuji still makes film in 35 mm, 120, 220, sheet film, and is now making replacement film for several different Polaroids, as is another company. Fuji also makes Velvia slide- probably the closest thing now to Kodachrome- BEAUTIFUL film, especially in 50-speed, the film a huge percentage of award-winning landscape photos have been taken on; as it has color saturation digital doesn't. Really nice stuff, and if you use it in 120- prepare to be astounded.Fuji also started making a new line of instant cameras that have been selling like hot-cakes, especially to scrap-bookers and, believe it or not, teenagers! They actually take really nice pictures, too.Ilford is still in business, as is Agfa, Arista, and few small companies making black and white film. Black and white is still very much a domain of film, as is large-format photography. All stores still offer send-out. CVS, much to the protest of store managers and customers, pulled their 1-hour tanks about a year ago. As late as the end of the service, my local CVS still developed about 100-150 rolls and disposable cameras a week, and no, it wasn't all from me! However, all the send-out services from the retailers now seize your negatives and give you a CD, and not a very good one, maybe 2-3 MP resolution. I refuse to use those services because of the horrible quality and blatant disrespect for the customer. We still have a couple of local camera shops that can do next-day service (fine with me,) or, if I need them now, there's a fellow in Boston that does monring in/afternoon out; If I get into Newtonville Camera when they open, I can usually get them back that day if they're not real busy, which is uncommon, as they do about 200-300 rolls a week. Vermont Color Labs in Bennington has 2-day, and that includes mail time, at least from here, as they give you a pre-paid sticker with express post and it goes in quickly and is returned overnight at a very reasonable cost. Their developing costs aren't bad, either, and their CDs are nice. When I have a little extra time, I take my negatives and scan them with a negative scanner; even standard Fujicolor has decent resolution, and Kodak Ektar in 35mm can go to about 10 MP; 120 even higher, and that's with current scanning. Film is actually having a bit of a resurgence, and there are a few articles on it around the Internet. Read, you might be very surprised.I've actually taught a few kids how to shoot film. Believe it or not, they find it more enjoyable than whipping out their phone or digi-cam. They like the process and the fact that film makes them actually think about what they're shooting. Giving the mind-numbing experience school has become, the kids like the mental exercise. They've found using my cameras- a Canon FD, Pentax K-1000 and SF-10, and my Olympus IS-2, to be interesting. Most colleges are still starting you on a K-1000 and hand-develop B&W. Before anyone asks, I do have a small digital camera for when "now" means "NOW" if it's electronic media; it's not bad, but I always feel something is missing. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to transcribe this from my Selectric II.Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 My Granddaughter is planning on taking photography next year and they start out with 35mm. I had to dig out my old Pentax K1000 for her.I did find a couple of exposed discs in a drawer awhile back. I found that I would have to send them overseas to get them developed at about $50 a disc. Not going to happen.Call Vermont Color Labs in Bennington, Vt. They're very reasonable and might be able to help you.Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Wow, it's been decades since I'd seen or heard anybody mention the Kodak Disk Camera! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 The local WalMart has a machine that you plug your camera into, and you can either print pics there or put them on a CD type disc...... and Walmart has a photo service that allows you to send your photos in via the Internet, and they're ready when you get there... sometimes! I do everything digital nowadays, and actually print very little. I'm happy to keep all my images, especially the 300 I'll take at a model show, on my Fotki album, with them backed up at home. Even family events, I'll put on Fotki and then send all the relatives a link to view them. Some of them right click and keep some of the photos, and Fotki does have a print service if anyone needs paper. Here's an old beauty, still in the original box, still mounted to the plastic base. I found it when doing the final clean out of my in laws house when we sold it. It was at the back of a top shelf in the hall closet. Apparently a gift that they never used? Got put there and forgotten years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Wow, it's been decades since I'd seen or heard anybody mention the Kodak Disk Camera!I had one (actually, still do)...it was great for taking to the outdoor car shows. I could stick it in my pocket, and it was easy to use and took decent pictures... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Interesting. That's a lot of manufacturers supplying product for what has evolved into a niche market. Kinda like model cars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I haven't used a film camera in about a decade, got my first digital around 15 years ago. I hardly use my digital camera anymore--cell phone cameras are so good now that I mostly use my iPhone for most picture taking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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