Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact - July

 I managed to get my July roll of Kentmere 400 shot with my Hanimex 35RAS on July 30th for a number of reasons all to do with new toys. I have bought some shiny things and reviews will be forthcoming in the not too distant future. This meant my Frugal Film Project commitments had to take a back seat, but thankfully I got them done.  

I have been getting to know a couple of shiny things this month and I am often prepared with 2 cameras, but not on this day. I had 3. I was happy snapping around the Park with my new toys as I get comfortable using them and began my Frugal Film project commitment with a shot of the clock tower at the Linacre Center after I left the Park and headed towards the new development. It's been a couple of weeks since I took progress photos there and the difference is very noticeable. 

The Contractors have been very busy, taking advantage of the weather to crack on and the 6 storey Hotel is at full height. The next big thing to watch for is windows being fitted so the building can be weather tight and utilities going in. Watching the transformation of The Galleries site has been full of mixed emotions, but there's hope for it being a success.

The current Market Hall will close in early 2027 and the new one will open, but we still don't know how many traders will be in there. Apparently there are 34 traders and 21 spots available, which means there isn't enough room for all of them. The Market Traders are a tad miffed about this and want answers from the Council. We await their response. 

Sadly one of my vantage points was blocked so I couldn't get any views of the new Market Hall. I made my way up Market Street, happy snapping buildings and trying to get different perspectives on much loved landmarks. My walk took me to the Parish Church and ended at The Anvil Pub when my camera gave me the news that I had shot my final frame and it was time to head home. 

I developed my July roll of Kentmere 400 shot with my Hanimex 35RAS on 1st August using Bellini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B, for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry in my bathroom. This was fraught with danger as we have recently welcomed a new member of our family to our home, a black kitten named Tigger. He lives up to his name and thinks everything is a toy. I digitised my film with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 sized led light pad. I processed the raw files with Affinity Studio.

The bright sunshine makes this camera easy to use without posing too many problems for the auto exposure it uses. It also makes my life easier as I don't have to do too much editing to make them presentable. The old saying, "make hay whilst the sun shines" comes to mind. I have definitely taken advantage of the long, hot, sunny days in July and have a few rolls of film to develop for future blogs. I reckon I can take it a little easier in August, but it's always good to be ahead.

Here's a few favourites from my July roll of Kentmere 400 shot with my Hanimex 35RAS for the Frugal Film Project 2026. I have placed them and more in my Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact album on Flickr that you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film project 2026 - Compact 

#620Day - A celebration of an oddball film that has made a comeback.

 The film photography community gets to celebrate and oddball film on June 20th for #620Day. 620 film was invented by Kodak to try to corner a market for medium format film. The film is exactly the same size as 120 medium format, it's the spool that is different and Kodak had hoped to see smaller cameras with the smaller spool. (If you have seen my Kodak Sterling II you will realise how that went...) You can't use a 620 film in a 120 camera and vice versa. I will leave a link below where all is explained.

With the last official Kodak stock of 620 film having run out many years ago, we must look to China where Shanghai Film are willing to make 620 and 127 film available again. I bought a couple of rolls of Shangha GP3 100 620 film from Nik & Trick here in the UK, loaded up a roll into my Kodak Sterling II and went for a wander in my local countryside.

A 100 iso film is ideal for my Kodak Sterling II thanks to the slow shutter speeds it has at 1/25, 1/50th, 1/100th and 1/200th of a second in the Pronto Shutter. The lens is a 105mm f/4.5 and stops down to f/32. This gives me plenty of room to play with and, with a yellow filter on the lens, I can happily shoot it on the slow speeds all day long. To help me keep thing steady I also used an L Bracket and my K&F tripod and a cable release. 

As I wandered up to the farms I was thinking about what I could photograph and just picked my favourite compositions to keep it simple. It was a hot day and my brain was pretty fried after a busy morning out shopping with my wife. I was happy to stick with familiar stuff, it was the getting out and about bit that was important on this day. I knew my fellow 620 film photographers around the world would be enjoying themselves immensely and it kept me in good spirits.

After taking my 8th and final frame on the old spoil heap I debated putting a second roll in, but to be fair the shopping expedition earlier in the day had taken a lot of energy out of me. I headed home, snapping a few photos along the way with Donkey for the Frugal Film Project. With that done and home in sight, I couldn't wait to get sat down with a well earned brew.

I developed my film with Bellini Euro HC 1+31 dilution B, for 7 1/2 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry in my bathroom. I digitised it with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 120 medium format film holder mounted on my Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Studio.

By eck it's been a while since I used my Kodak Sterling II and it shows. I made a few mistakes to start with, but once I got into it I really enjoyed myself. Did I get everything in focus with a decent depth of field? Nope, but I was just happy to be out and about using fresh 620 film in a camera made in the 1950's and still going strong. 

The best part of a 620 camera is the current price on the used market. My Kodak Sterling II cost me £25, admittedly needing a little fettling, but once I got that figured out It's been fun to use. I enjoyed my afternoon out and about with it and will probably take it out again before the summer ends.

Here's a few favourites from my roll of Shanghai GP1 100 black and white film for #620Day. As always I have placed them and more in an album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Kodak Sterling II - Shanghai GP3 100 - #620Day
Nik & Trick Shanghai GP3 100 620 Film
620 Film Explained 

Ilford HP5+ 400 - Kodak Retina Ia

  The second week of June rolled around and I needed to get out again as I ramped up my film shooting habit, but what would I use? My Kodak Retina Ia loaded with a roll of Ilford HP5+ 400 and a yellow filter that served me so well during the Frugal Film Project in 2025. It is, without doubt, one of the bargains of my camera collection that has performed admirably for a camera made at the Kodak Nagel Werk in Stuttgart in the early 1950's. Would that run continue, or would my legendary absent mindedness take a turn and mess this film up? 

I started at my favourite tree on the old spoil heap near my home. It was rather windy on the day with plenty of clouds to provide a little definition to the background, but bright enough to give me a decent shutter speed to reduce the movement of the foliage being blown about in the stiff breeze. Once satisfied there, I headed to see how the derelict car was decomposing. Turns out it's deteriorating nicely, no doubt aided by local kids jumping all over it. Eventually it will be a pile of rust either absorbed into the clay or blown by the wind, back to nature.

I then headed up the new path towards Standish. Well, I say new, it's been two years since it was getting sorted and it has proved very popular with locals walking, cycling, out with the dog or simply getting from A to B. I spent some time chatting to a local woman walking her dogs, one a Terrier of some sort and the other a young black Labrador made of springs. 

That dog bounced everywhere! He also came back to his human when folk where heading our way. He was a good boy and didn't bowl me over with his enthusiasm for running around in big circles through the trees and along the path at breakneck speed, bless him. Sadly we had to go our separate ways and I must admit I enjoyed chatting as we walked along.

I took the path past the big trees at the farm and then down the ancient lane, finding compositions as I walked along. When I got to the first of the farm houses on the lane, it seemed like all the wind was waiting to greet me and it darn near blew me over as I made my way out from the cover of the tree lined lane. Thankfully the houses sheltered me from the wind as I pressed on and wasn't a problem after that, It is now known to me as "Windy Corner!" 

I picked out some familiar compositions as I continued down the lane before heading back to the Horses to finish my roll of film. It took me a while to get home from there as I was knackered after my walk and was glad to get home for a brew, some painkillers and a well earned afternoon nap.

I developed my film a day or two later using Bellini Euro HC 1+31 dilution B for 5 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry. I digitised it with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Studio.

When I hung my film to dry I could see I had a winner and after processing the RAW files I was reminded why this simple 35mm film camera is highly regarded. It doesn't have any bells or whistles, just a reliable film transport mechanism, a superb Schneider-Kreuznach Retina-Xenar 50mm f/2.8 lens and a beautifully crafted Sychro-Compur shutter. No rangefinder, no light meter, just reliable German engineering from the Kodak Nagel Werk in Stuttgart. 

The only addition to the camera used in every shot was my yellow filter that lives on there. I did take my Watameter rangefinder and Gossen Trisix selenium light meter with me on the day, but hardly used them. I used sunny 16 and zone focus to give my brain a good work out. My long time readers will know I indulge in Photography as therapy after suffering a stroke. It is rolls like this that remind me why I made exactly the right choice when faced with starting cognitive behavioural therapy a decade ago. Sometimes the best therapy is the most enjoyable.

Here's a few of my favourite photos from my walk along the nature trails and footpaths near my home. I have placed them, and more, in an album on Flickr that you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Ilford HP5+ 400 - Kodak Retina 1a

 

Minolta X-300 - Kentmere 200

 Back in 2025 I had my first taste of Kentmere 200, the latest addition to the Kentmere range of black and white film from Harman Technology, the home of Ilford and Kentmere b&w film and Phoenix colour film. I really enjoyed using this new film for the first time and it was high time I got stuck into it. I loaded a roll into my Minolta X-300 fitted my Tamron Adaptall 2 28mm f/2.5 and headed out to see what I could find at Crooke Village on the Leeds & Liverpool canal 

Crooke has a lot of history, the name can be traced back to the 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the old Norse and French words for a bend in a river, Krokr, and Le Croke. It makes sense as the Normans who settled here after the Conquest in 1066 descended from the Norse that settled in Normandy. There was already a population of Viking settlers in the area at that time as well as the local tribe called the Brigantes that stuck around either side of the Roman occupation. The River Douglas winds it's way along its valley to the south of Crooke Village and was once navigable. 

Crooke was a busy Pit Village that housed local miners who worked in several mines nearby and a coal tipper transferred coal from those mines onto barges that took the coal to the Mills in Wigan and the docks at Liverpool and beyond. There are remnants of that industry still to be found in the village, but the mines have all gone and been replaced by nature trails through woodland and landscaped public green spaces.
 
Crooke also has a lovely marina with plenty of moorings for canal boats inside the Marina and along the canal, both private and for visitors. There's also a decent pub, the Crooke Hall Inn, named after the manor house that once stood nearby, but has long since been demolished. I started at the head of the only road in and out of the village, photographing interesting stuff along the way. There's a nice Methodist Chapel and the old Primary School, which is now a Nursery. It's good to see the fabric of the village still in use. 

When the Leeds Liverpool Canal was built, it's route through Crooke was beneficial to the coal mines in the area that used the canal to transport their coal to Wigan and Liverpool. The last of the mines was closed in 1961 and the village transitioned from a pit village to a more sedate pace of life as a quiet little corner of Wigan that's popular with the canal boat community. I will post a link below where you can find a more in depth history of the village, from the earliest records, through it's mining hey day and up to the 21st century.

I was glad to see a couple of familiar boats, Viktoria and Ambush, the last working Coal Barge in Wigan that retired in 1972. The owner sells vital supplies from them to Boaters to help pay the bills. There was also a few boats I haven't seen before and it's good to document their presence at Crooke. Some were visitors and others had begun to use some recently added private moorings further towards Wigan. The canals have become increasingly popular with people looking to shake off the chains of rising utility bills and mortgages and I think the new moorings reflect that shift towards a more relaxed way of life.

I was having so much fun I went through 2 24 shot rolls of Kentmere 200 as I photographed the boats on the canal. Narrowboats, wide-beams and a few more conventional leisure craft were all on display, it felt like a boat show that's open 24/7. There was plenty of reasonably calm water to get a few half decent reflections into my shots and, although it wasn't mirror calm, there was enough movement to make it more to my liking. It wasn't long before I had finished both films and put my camera away, content with an enjoyable couple of hours by the canal.

I developed my film later that week using Bellini Euro HC 1+31 dilution B for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry in my bathroom. I digitised my film with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2.

I knew I had good exposures as soon as I hung my film to dry and that belief was reinforced when I started to process my RAW files. It's been a while since I used my Minolta X-300 and I'm happy to say the light meter it has is still in fine fettle. I fitted new batteries before I went out and used the camera in Aperture Priority mode. It's one of the few auto features I actually like and use regularly on my electronic cameras.

I also like the combination of the camera with my Tamron Adaptall 2 28mm f/2.5 wide angle lens and yellow filter. The lens is one of the Tamron AD2 Trinity lenses you really should try and are cheap to buy at the moment. I got sharp, well exposed photos and Kentmere 200 shines in the conditions I encountered on the day, Sunshine and clouds photographed through a yellow filter gave me a great look to my photos and I will happily go for the same combination of gear and film again before the summer is over.

Here's a few favourites from my 2 rolls of Kentmere 200 shot with my Minolta X-300 fitted with Tamron Adaptall 2 28mm f/2.5 and yellow filter. I have placed them and more in my Kentmere 200 album on Flickr that you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Crooke Village - History   
Kentmere 200 - Minolta X-300

Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact - June

 I went for a wander into Wigan town centre for Armed Forces Day at the end of the June, it was the perfect opportunity to continue my Frugal Film Project quest to document the daily life in town with my June roll of Kentmere 400 in my Hanimex 35RAS. Armed Forces day is a chance for everyone to appreciate the work our Armed Forces do and also raise a few quid for Veterans Charities. 

Our local unit of the Army Reserve, the Queen's Own Yeomanry were recruiting as were the Cadets of the Navy, Army and Royal Air Force and there were stalls set out for various charities. A friend of mine Jim, a proud Royal Navy veteran, was helping out at the Royal British Legion and Veteran's Association stalls. It was good to catch up with him as I hadn't seen him for a while. I had to get a portrait shot of him before I wandered off to look at the various displays.

A re-enactment group was displaying their collection of WW2 Jeeps and a WW2 British Army Ambulance alongside the various items they use including genuine WW2 rifles, de-activated of course. Kids loved it. They were allowed to sit in the Jeeps and wear the army helmets for photos. Older kids were allowed to handle the rifles, with supervision, for photos too and it was good to see so many families having an afternoon outing together.

This was one day when I wish I had loaded a 36 shot roll of Kentmere 400 as it didn't take me long to finish a 24 shot roll. I spent the rest of my time there chatting to Jim for a bit before heading home for a well earned brew.

I developed my June roll of Kentmere 400 B&W film using Bellini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B, for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry, which to be honest didn't take long at all in the heatwave we had that week. I digitised my film with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Studio.

This Hanimex 35RAS keeps making me look stupid for flapping back in January. Yet again it performed flawlessly, much better than I did in fact. There's a couple of shots where I got a stray finger in the frame, but they were very much the minority. I am thankful it was a sunny afternoon for Armed Forces Day and our Veterans, and the kind of conditions my Hanimex 35RAS compact camera thrives in. 

I didn't have to do much with my photos to make them presentable and I really like the portrait of Jim. For a holiday snaps camera to produce a decent quality portrait, it shows you don't need to spend a small fortune to get good photos. Some basic knowledge and a steady hand goes a long way on a sunny day. 

Here's a few favourites from my June roll of Kentmere 400 shot with my Hanimex 35RAS compact camera for the Frugal Film Project 2026. I have placed them and more in my Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact album on Flickr that you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact 

Frugal Film Project 2026 - Donkey - June

 As I had left it late to shoot my May rolls of Kentmere 400 for the Frugal Film Project 2026, thus it was that I also left my June contributions until the second half of the month too. I decided to combine two things for this walk, my roll of Kentmere 400 for the Frugal Film Project and a roll of GP3 100 for #620Day. I loaded up Donkey and headed out to see what I could find. 

My main focus of this walk was to shoot a roll of film for #620Day, but I can't just take one camera out with me. It's good to have a Plan B in case Plan A ends prematurely. I was documenting my day and also trying to find unique compositions to shoot for this blog. Solstice Weekend was hot with bright sunshine and wispy clouds and I hoped my yellow filter would bring some of that definition out in my photos. 

I tried to incorporate my Kodak Sterling II in a few shots, but with only 8 shots on my Kodak, I was free to expend a few with Donkey as I hunted for compositions. I enjoyed visiting the Horses, but they were too busy grazing to be bothered with this old fart and his clicky box thing. That's fine by me as I get a photo and they don't get disturbed. 

I headed onto the old spoil heap and visited the derelict car again and my favourite tree on there. I was heading to the new footpath and grabbed my final two shots with my Kodak 620 camera and carried on with Donkey. I found some foxgloves, some dappled pools of light and shadows of railings to keep me entertained as I made my way back towards home. It was when I got back to the horses that I took my final shot and could make my way home for a well earned brew.

I developed my roll of Kentmere 400 with Bellini Euro HC 1+31 dilution B, for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry in my bathroom. I digitised it with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Studio. 

The more I use this camera, the more I appreciate it. I enjoy giving my brain a good work out with my manual cameras, but for easy photography, you can't beat an Auto Focus, plastic fantastic SLR from the turn of the 21st century. It was the hey day of film and these things are what all the big manufacturers based their DSLR's on. 

I'm very happy with the photos I shot this month and need to keep exploring it's features and maybe ditch the yellow filter to let this camera shine brighter. Remember the price I paid for it? £10 and the filter cost me £6.99. I'm 6 months in. Donkey has more than paid for itself and will keep going for years to come. That's what I call Frugal. 

Here's a few favourites from my June roll of Kentmere 400 shot with Donkey, my Minolta Dynax 4 for the Frugal Film Project 2026. I have placed them and more in my Frugal Film Project 2026 SLR album on Flickr that you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2026 - SLR - June

Back To Basics

 There comes a time in everyone's life when we have to take a step back and think about how we got to that point in our lives. Mine happened recently with the passing of my Mum on May 2nd aged 86 and I wasn't sure if I wanted to write about it. Then I looked back at my humble beginning as a Photographer and it was all thanks to my Mum.

I would not have my love of photography if Mum hadn't let me take one photo in the disgracefully early 1970's, of my brothers and sister, with her Kodak Instamatic that had a cube flash on top. Mum loved to take photos of us as we grew up, all proud parents are the same. We love to capture special memories like birthdays, christmas, summer in the garden and so on. 

We had moved into our home in Skelmersdale and Mum wanted a photo of us all together. I asked mum if I could take a photo and she was reluctant at first, but I persisted and she let me take the photo. Mum really wanted a special photo of all of us, but I remember saying to Mum "it's special because you let me take it." I still have that photo as I was entrusted with looking after our family photo archive when my Dad passed away. Now they are together again and I miss them both dearly.

Looking back, I didn't like being opposite the camera, but little did I know at that time that I would be very comfortable behind the viewfinder. In 2017 when I came back to film I bought a cheap Pentax SP500 with Helios 44m-4 58mm f/2 lens and I haven't regretted it. It was with my Mum in mind when I went for a walk a week after her passing and I loaded a roll of Ilford FP4+ 125 into my Pentax SP500, fitted my Industar 50-2 lens, which to be fair I haven't used for a long time, and went for a wander along the farm roads and nature trails.

It turned out to be a very cloudy day and I knew I had picked the wrong film and made an even worse decision by fitting a yellow filter, but I didn't care. I was thinking about my Mum as I walked and wasn't expecting to take any photos at all. I had also taken my Agfa Isolette as I hadn't finished my #FolderWeek film in it. I didn't get far when I saw the first mahoosive Tractor towing a big trailer loaded with freshly cut grass. I had to get to the fields and see if I could get some photos after all.

Every year I miss the harvest in Autumn, be it cereal crops or corn. This is the first time I have seen a silage harvest as it happened and I really enjoyed photographing the Tractors as they whizzed around the fields. Silage is grass that is cut and used to feed livestock. As we have seen over the last few years, a drought will stop grass from growing and grass is a much needed resource. 

I got through two thirds of my roll of FP4 in my Pentax before getting past the fields and headed on my way. It has been working beautifully since I invested in having it cleaned, lubricated and adjusted a couple of years ago. It had one test left and it came when it started to rain as I got to the paths that were resurfaced in 2024. 

I haven't used this camera in the rain and I was able to give the light meter a good work out as the sky darkened and I got under cover of the trees. I took the yellow filter off and was shooting with the lens at f/5.6 and the shutter speed as low as I dared to go hand held during the last part of my walk. It was a lesson in breathing like a sniper as I held still before releasing the shutter each time. 

I soon finished my roll of film and was able to put my camera in my hoodie pocket and zip up my leather jacket before the rain really started to come down harder and headed home. I needed this walk as it helped me gather my thoughts and think about my Mum. I also swear the rain made my jacket 10 pounds heavier.

I developed my roll of Ilford FP4+ 125 in Bellini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry in my bathroom. Once dry I digitised my film with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 sized led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Studio.

First impressions of my efforts on the day were better than expected. Yes, the yellow filter boosted the contrast when I really didn't need it, but I managed to get some half decent photos. I really didn't expect a slow film to produce the goods on a grotty day, but I underestimated the performance of my Pentax SP500 and Ilford's finest FP4+ 125. For the last half of my walk the setting I used was f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second and it worked! 

The lesson from this walk is have faith and trust in your skills. A few years ago I would have made a right mess of this roll of film. Now I am almost a decade more experienced and wiser, I had the confidence to go with it and just see what I could get. Here's a few favourites from my wander with a roll of Ilford FP4 in my Pentax SP500 on a grotty day in early May. I have placed them and more in a album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them

Ilford FP4 - Pentax SP500