Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact - August

 August was hot, dang hot and to be honest I just wasn't feeling up to going out much. Not that I didn't get out and about with a camera, but I wasn't feeling good for a number of reasons. I left my Frugal Film Project August roll of Kentmere 400 shot with my Hanimex 35RAS until the final weekend of the month when I headed into town on an overcast, rainy Saturday afternoon to get the job done.

First port of call was The John Bull Chophouse, my favourite Pub that was severely damaged by a Burglary and Arson attack on August 4th 2026. The John Bull has been one of the busiest pubs in Wigan town centre for many years and the fire devastated the community that has grown around the pub and the family whom have run it for almost half a century. 

The pub will re-open again after repairs are made, but not until 2027. Victoria and Peter are not going to have any income over the next few months and there are fundraising efforts organised to help them through this very troubling chapter in the history of The John Bull Chophouse. Local singer/songwriter Joe Astley, a regular in The John Bull Chophouse, has been at the forefront of the fundraising effort along with several bands and solo artists whom have come together to ensure The John Bull Chophouse will rise again.

My next port of call was a pilgrimage to the statue of Sir Billy Boston who sadly passed away recently aged 92. Sir Billy was a superstar player at Wigan Warriors in the 1950's and 60's after being persuaded to head north from his home in Cardiff to play Rugby League for Wigan and give up his dream of playing for Cardiff and Wales in Rugby Union. Sir Billy became a legend in Wigan and won every trophy available at that time during the course of his career. He is also the holder of the record for most tries scored in his career than any other British player in either code of Rugby. Only the much loved Australian player Brian Bevan, scored more tries than Sir Billy.

Sir Billy never left Wigan. He met his wife, Lady Joan Boston here and they raised their family together, never being apart for long until Lady Joan passed away a few short weeks before Sir Billy. When Sir Billy was knighted by King Charles, his wife and family accompanied him to Buckingham Palace for the occasion. I took a photo of the few tributes left for him, there were more, but the council moved the flowers indoors as the August Bank Holiday weekend was going to be a wet one.

I spent the rest of my walk happy snapping statues, buildings and whatever else caught my eye as I made my way around town. I dived into the back streets and alleyways that tell their own story of the growth of the town over the years. It wasn't long before my film was finished and I headed home, glad to have got out for an hour or two, but in need of a brew and a chance to dry off.

I developed my August 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. 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.

I am happy with my photos this month. After having bright sunshine for a couple of months it was strangely comforting to get back to an overcast sky and cooler temperatures. I'm not built for temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, This day was more comfortable for me and the depression I had been feeling all month had begun to lift as the temperature dropped. 

Here's a few favourites from my August 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 that you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

 Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact 

Pentax P30 - WonderPan

A couple of Christmases ago I divested myself from the Pentax K mount when I gifted my gear to my Granddaughter to help her with her photography courses at College and University. I thought I was done with the system as I much prefer my M42 mount SP500, the bargain bucket Spotmatic. Fast forward several months and I got a visit from a neighbour. He was having a clear out and offered me his Pentax P30 with 2 lenses, a flash and other accessories. He bought them new many years ago and hadn't used them for a long time. I couldn't say no.

The Pentax P30 is a manual focus camera with an electronically controlled shutter that requires batteries to use the full range of speeds. Don't worry if the batteries die when out about, it has a mechanical 1/100th of a second shutter speed to fall back on. It also uses the Pentax Takumar - A lenses that give the camera auto exposure capability or full manual use. It also accepts earlier K mount lenses in manual mode only. I fitted a fresh pair of SR44 batteries into the camera and switched it on.

My neighbour had definitely done the right thing by removing the batteries before he put it away all those years ago. It came to life instantly and I went through the manual and auto functions to make sure. I needn't have bothered as it worked perfectly. The P30 was at a price point way below the famed K1000 and, although it sold well, it didn't get much love from the reviewers of the day. Having used it's later sibling the P30N, I still wonder why the journalists didn't like it.

Is it the plastic body covers or could it be the basic 28-80mm f/3.5 kit lens that feels sloppy? Maybe it is the lack of ability to set the iso manually, meaning you have to use DX coded film or the camera will default to 100 iso? It was "gear snobbery" in my humble opinion. Yes, the Pentax P30 does have all those features and that kept it's price point at the bottom of the Pentax range. But you know me and cheap cameras, we have an affinity and I like the P30.

It's a camera for learning the basics with at a price far below the K1000. It's also a camera you can get a better lens for and explore the excellent SMC Takumar-A K mount manual focus prime lenses, or any of the multitude of third party Pentax K mount manual focus lenses made from the mid 70's onwards. All that was left for me to do was load my last roll of WonderPan into the P30, fit my Tamron Adaptall 2 SP 28-80mm f/3.5-4.2 CF Macro lens and go for a walk to see what I could find to photograph.

I started with a visit to my favourite classroom, Mesnes Park in Wigan. I have said it many times, but I will never tire of photographing the jewel that belongs to the people of Wigan. Mesnes Park is over 100 years old and was built on the site of a former coal mine. When the mine was worked out, the Council landscaped the site to provide a green space for the people to enjoy some clean air on a Sunday afternoon. Over a century and more of public ownership, our local Council has been mowing the lawns, planting the flowerbeds and generally keeping the place clean and it's greatly appreciated.

I made my way through the Park and into Wigan, happy snapping along the way. My Pentax P30 behaved itself, despite my legendary absent mindedness trying its best to get in on the action. I always enjoy capturing the daily life in Wigan town centre. It wasn't long before I took my last photo at the new Development and headed home for my customary well earned cuppa. 

Thanks to a mid summer heatwave, I developed my roll of WonderPan a couple of weeks later in Bellini Euro HC 1+31 dilution B for 17 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 sized led light pad. I process the RAW files with Affinity Studio.

WonderPan 400 was a short run of a nominal 100 iso film that was labelled and DX coded as a 400 iso film as a way to promote pushing film. Most of us have done it by accident at some point and this film broke the ice on the subject for many a budding film photographer. By using it in my Pentax P30, that exclusively uses DX coding, it fooled the camera into thinking it had a 400 iso film loaded. 

This was not a problem for my Pentax P30. The bright led indicator lights in the viewfinder helped me nail the exposures and I didn't have to do much to them in Affinity Studio. By underexposing 2 stops and over developing by 2 stops, it brought a lot of contrast into the shots that was getting lost in the hazy, overcast conditions on the day. It was a great test of the camera and also my developing skills. 

Here's a few favourites from my final roll of WonderPan 400 shot with my Pentax P30 and Tamron Adaptall 2 28-80mm zoom lens. There's plenty of contrast, the blacks are deep and the tonal range is nicely balanced. 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.

Pentax P30 - WonderPan 400 

#127Day - A celebration of 127 Film and Cameras

 The 12th July dawned brightly here in the north west of England and I rose from my bed with a mission to perform that day. It was #127Day and my aim was to shoot a roll of Shanghai GP3 100 127 film with my Kodak Brownie 127 camera before the day's end. I had bought a couple of rolls from Nik & Trick in readiness, now all I had to do was get it done. With a roll loaded into my Brownie 127, I headed out for a morning walk in the countryside near my home.

#127Day is the brainchild of JM Golding, a film photographer in the USA who likes the smaller medium format and wanted to encourage fellow photographers to bring 127 cameras back into use. The film size was introduced by Kodak in 1912 and was discontinued in 1995. You would think that was the end for a format designed for Kodak's much lauded "Vest Pocket" cameras. However, Kodak were not the only photographic company with 127 cameras and film in their line up. 

The Baby Rolleiflex was a scaled down version of the Rolleiflex TLR cameras and used 127 film. Yashica had the Yashica 44 TLR whose named directly linked to the size of the image, 4cm x 4cm. Zeiss Ikon produced the Kolibri 127 camera and of course, Kodak produced the Brownie 127 that I have. The major film manufacturers produced 127 film and contract coated for others too. Although the major manufacturers ceased production many years ago, it wasn't the end of the film.

One thing we have in the 21st century is 3D printing. A talented person with a 3D printer designed a film cutter that took a standard 120 film and you could cut it down to 127 in the comfort of your own home. What was left over was just the right size for the 16mm cameras from Minox and Minolta et al. 

There are companies such as Rera Pan spooling fresh film in small quantities over the years, but nothing from Kodak, AGFA etc. The good folks at Nik & Trick spoke with Shanghai Film and convinced them to do a small experimental run to see if folk would buy it. It quickly sold out and fresh 127 film was officially back in production in numbers that make it readily available again.

In a world where digital photography is the norm, film photography is rising higher thanks to the efforts of dedicated film photographers who refused to let film die. Community collaboration is a great way of getting out and having fun with cameras and film formats that where niche products back when film was king. 

I enjoyed myself immensely on my walk with a roll of Shagnhai GP3 100 127 film in my Kodak Brownie 127. The camera is a Bakelite box with a plastic meniscus lens in front of a basic spring loaded shutter. 127 film has a backing paper with frame numbers printed on it that you see through a red plastic window on the back. I was about to shoot my final frame when disaster happened. My Brownie 127 popped open. 

I thought I lost the 8th and last frame and almost certainly lost the 7th, but had I lost anymore? I wouldn't know until I developed the film. I could risk it, or I could just go out the following day, retrace my steps and shoot my second roll, admittedly a day late. Thankfully JM is a laid back person and didn't mind at all, so that's what I did. 

I loaded my second roll into my Brownie 127, taped the lid on securely and taped over the locking screw to stop it coming undone. By the end of my walk on the 13th July, (now known as #137Day-the walk of shame) I was thoroughly exhausted and happy that I got the full 8 frames, but would I extend that number after developing both rolls? 

I developed my rolls of Shanghai GP3 127 film using FX-55 for 10 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, Pixl-Latr with 127 medium format film holder and A5 sized led light pad. I processed my RAW files with Affinity Studio.

I didn't lose any shots on my first roll, somehow the film hadn't fogged and it wasn't a complete disaster. I thank the Photography Gods for them. My second roll was also a full 8 shots and to be fair, I'm happy with that. I didn't have to do too much to them to make them presentable and shows me that Shanghai GP3 100 iso film is the perfect choice for the camera for the summer edition of #127Day. 

The Kodak Brownie 127 was never a camera to get super sharp, well exposed photos when it was new in the 1950's, never mind 70 years later. It's a camera to have fun with and see what happens. I certainly didn't expect wall hangers, but I did get some that I am pretty happy with. It's basic spring set shutter is around 1/50th of a second at roughly f/14. It's as basic as one step up from a pinhole camera gets and yes, it's a lot of fun. Roll on December 7th and then January 2027 for a special month long appreciation of 127 film. 

100 iso film? With a Kodak Brownie 127? In midwinter? Are you mad? 
Why yes! Yes I am.

Kodak Brownie 127 and Shanghai GP3-100 for #127Day 

Frugal Film Project 2026 - Donkey - July

I left Donkey until the final day of July and went for a walk in my local countryside. After a walk around the park and town centre the day before, I didn't fancy heading further afield. I was still getting to know my new toys and had a couple with me, but on this day I prioritised my Frugal Film Project roll of Kentmere 400 shot with Donkey, my Minolta Dynax 4. 

After the heatwave of the previous weeks, it was good to have a good breeze to cool me down as I made my way along the farm roads and footpaths. The sun was high and shining brightly, but it wasn't a clear sky. There was enough clouds to provide some definition to the sky when out in the open.

I was looking for shapes and shadows in the trees and seeing if I could find some backlit foliage as I made my way along the footpath. I did revisit some familiar compositions, but also tried a few new ones that caught my eye. Shadows of leaves on the trunks and branches, all got investigated and photographed. 

I was enjoying my walk when I got to the end of the new path and took my last shot of my July roll of Kentmere 400. Donkey behaved impeccably and it was good to slow down and explore a little more of the trees and shrubs along the path. My Frugal Film Project commitment was quite literally "in the bag!" I couldn't wait to get home for that well earned cuppa.

I developed my July Roll of Kentmere 400 shot with Donkey the following day using Bellini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B, for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry with my Compact roll. Tigger didn't get his claws on them, thankfully. 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.

I keep saying it, but late model plastic auto focus 35mm SLR's are hard to beat for great results. I'm not the only one using a Minolta for this year's Frugal Film Project, there's a couple of us and they really are decent cameras. I didn't have to do much in editing to make my photos presentable and they speak for themselves. 

I had a very enjoyable walk with Donkey to shoot my July roll of Kentmere 400 for the Frugal Film project 2026. Here's a few favourites and I have placed them and more in my Frugal Film Project 2026 - SLR album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2026 - SLR - July 

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