Frugal Film Project 2025 - April

 I left my April roll of Type 517 Cine Film a little late and with good reason. A dry March and a prolonged spell of sunny weather into April ensured that my Sakura Hanami was a little early this year. The Cherry Trees here in Wigan normally come in to peak blossom in the third week of April, but it happened during the first week of April in 2025 and I took full advantage whilst I could.  Once I had got my colour fix for spring done and dusted, I turned my attention back to the Frugal Film Project.

Following my decent showing for March, my April roll of Type 517 Cine Film would depend entirely on the weather and then my only problem was what should I photograph? That was solved when my friend Keith came to visit at the end of April and we went out for a photo bimble on the last Monday of the month to spend a few hours exploring the ancient Roman town of Ribchester. 

When you think about quaint English towns, Ribchester is what you have in mind and is just missing thatched rooves for that picture postcard look. What it lacks in thatch, it more than makes up for it with centuries of history. 

Ribchester was established when the Romans showed up and built a fort in the late first century. This was to protect a crossing over the River Ribble and continued in use until the Romans left in the early fifth century when Rome battled invaders and internal strife as various generals and senators vied for power. 

There are various Roman remains including a Bath House and Granaries which are accessible to the public, and also a museum that tells the story of Roman Ribchester. Sadly the bath house isn't accessible for wheelchair and electric buggy users, which is nobodies fault, not even the Romans.

We had a great afternoon exploring St Wilfrid's Church and the surrounding buildings. The houses are all made from local sandstone and what materials could be taken from the Roman remains over the centuries. There's also a pub in the centre of town, The White Bull, where you can see Roman columns holding up the front porch. There's a few inside St Wilfrid's too.

 An afternoon was all we needed to explore Ribchester and it didn't take me long to shoot my roll of Type 517 Cine Film for the Frugal Film Project. I put my Kodak Retina 1a back in my bag and took out Baldy the Baldax to finish our walk in fine style. I can see these two cameras being regular companions.

I developed my roll of Type 517 Cine Film later that evening in BelliniFoto Euro HC for 14 minutes at 20 celcius and hung it 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 light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2.

I am growing increasingly fond of Type 517 Cine Film. Although our day wasn't the bright sunshine we wanted, the soft box effect from the hazy sky was no problem for this fine film made by Ilford up to around 20 years ago. Based on their wonderful FP4, it has exposure latitude for days and I had no problems processing my RAW files, not even the ones I made a bit of a pigs ear of. I am now confident enough with it to start experimenting a little with filters and maybe push it a stop, weather permitting of course.

I am also quite comfortable with my Kodak Retina 1a and decided to treat myself to an accessory that I know will be helpful during the summer ahead. I bought a genuine Kodak lens hood for my Kodak Retina 1a and used it for the first time at Ribchester. It cost me £9 and when added to the cost of my camera and watameter rangefinder my spend now stands at £50, which is still within the budget for the Frugal Film Project 2025. 

Here's a few favourites from my April roll of Type 517 Cine Film shot with my Kodak Retina 1a for the Frugal Film Project 2025. I have placed them and more in my Frugal Film Project 2025 album on Flickr that you can visit using the link below. There's also a link to Ribchester with info for you if you decide to spend an sunny afternoon there. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2025
Ribchester

Bellini Euro HC - an alternative to Kodak HC110

 Ah, sweet Kodak HC110, how I shall miss thee! When I began developing B&W film in 2020, I was advised by several chums that Kodak HC110 was a great developer for all my B&W film. Not being one to ignore that advice, I invested in a 1 litre bottle of it and five years later, I have finished the bottle. Sadly, that particular syrup is no longer available as Kodak changed their recipe and switched suppliers, and it left me wondering if a good alternative was available.

After some research and a few questions to the right people, thanks Richard at Nik & Trick, I decided to give Bellini Euro HC a try. This is said by the manufacturer, BelliniFoto based in Italy, to be a direct replacement for Kodak HC110 and the same times and dilutions can be used. Much like the new recipe of Kodak HC110, Bellini Euro HC is thinner than the old HC110 syrup and the longevity is said to be the same, if not better. I took a leap of faith and bought a 500ml bottle from Nik & Trick here in the UK.

I shot a roll of Ilford's finest HP5+ 400 with my Olympus OM-2 to test this new developer. I have always strived to be consistent with my photography and Kodak HC110 gave me that over the course of five years. There will of course be variations in temperature and humidity through the year, but Kodak HC110 did the business for me time and again. I have seen the results others have achieved with Bellini Euro HC, but you never really know until you see for yourself.

My OM-2 has excellent light metering in Aperture Priority mode. I rarely use it in manual mode these days as I know aperture priority gives me consistently good results and it really is a very nice camera to use. I walked along the new path through the woodland near my home, happy snapping things along the way and mostly the path itself as it snaked through the woodland. Old habits die hard and there's a lot to be said for taking photos "in the moment".

With the new layer of Shell Grip over the asphalt, the path has taken on a different characteristic. It's brighter and ensures folk with restricted mobility wont slip as they enjoy their walk. I enjoyed myself immensely, despite the light being flatter than a billiard table, and it didn't take me long to shoot a roll of film with my OM-2. I rewound it and headed home for a well earned brewski. 

I developed my film in Bellini Euro HC 1+31 dilution B for 5 minutes at 20 celcius, stopped it with Ilfostop for one minute, fixed it with Fotospeed FX30 for 5 minutes at a dilution of 1+9 and soon had it hanging to dry in my bathroom. First impressions on hanging my developed film to dry were very encouraging. My film was nicely developed and had a good density to it without looking overcooked. I digitised my film with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, K&F Tripod, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2.

As soon as I began processing my RAW files I could see that I had made a good choice by giving Bellini Euro HC a try. I am a believer in getting exposures right in camera, which makes my life easier. A well exposed film in fresh developer will always shine, it shows in the ease at which I was able to get each shot looking great with minimal faff.

I don't enjoy spending hours at my PC rescuing badly shot and/or processed film. One thing I learned with this roll of film was that Bellini Euro HC is a great alternative to Kodak HC110. I was quite impressed with my first use of this developer, it pairs up beautifully with Ilford's finest HP5+ 400, my favourite black and white film, and I was able to use minimal adjustments in Affinity Photo 2 to achieve my results. Kudos to Bellini for making a viable alternative to the legendary Kodak HC110.

I have no doubt Bellini Euro HC will be a part of my developing kit for many years to come. If you are in the UK and hunting for an excellent all round developer for your favourite B&W films, you can purchase Bellini Euro HC via the link below. This is not an affiliate link, nor am I sponsored by anyone, I just appreciate great service.

Here's a few favourites shot with my OM-2 on Ilford HP5 and developed in Bellini Euro HC. 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.

Buy Bellini Euro HC 
A Walk Along A New Path

Cheap Camera Shootout! - Nikon F801S

 When it was released back in 1991, the Nikon F801S was a high end semi-professional grade 35mm film camera, perched immediately below the Nikon F4 in the Nikon lineup. These days it is one of the cheapest semi pro cameras you can buy. I paid £70 for mine a few years back and I fitted an AF Nikkor 35-70mm f/3.3-4.5 D series zoom for this shootout to even out the specs with the entry level cameras it is up against. I paid £40 for the lens which keeps the cost of this camera and lens combination to a reasonable level. So, what did I get for my money?

I got a chunk of a camera with plenty of features to keep me happy. This camera was designed with the F mount AF-D lenses firmly at the forefront. The camera is a weighty item, courtesy of drive motors for both the auto focus and film advance/rewind, four AA batteries in the large and comfortable handgrip and the advanced electronics. It also has a shutter capable of a maximum speed of 1/8000th of a second.

Features are accessed with the selection buttons on the top left in conjunction with the single command dial on the top right of the camera. It has Program, Aperture priority, Shutter priority and Manual modes to play with as well as Matrix metering to help you get a well exposed photo. Your film iso can be set manually or automatically by the DX Code reader in the camera. There are also Auto exposure lock and exposure compensation buttons which give this camera all the features you still see in Nikon DSLR and Mirrorless cameras today.

It really is a well built, well thought out camera and was used by professionals as a back up to their F4 or even an F3 as that camera was still in production up to 2001. I'm told some pro's preferred the F801S to the F4 as it had all the features plus a significant drop in weight when compared to Nikon's first flagship autofocus film camera. The F801S weighs in at 695 grams or close to 1.5 pounds and it's great for bicep curls. You will need them to carry this beast around all day long.

It was built to professional standards of the time, it's weather sealed and rugged enough to withstand most of the punishment a pro would give it as they sought out the shots they needed. I think mine was a back up camera as it had been looked after before coming into my possession via Kamerstore in Finland. All I have done is fit fresh AA batteries and given it a wipe clean from time to time.

Loading is the same as the Minolta and Canon, insert the cassette on the left and pull the leader over to the red mark on the right. Close the back, switch the camera on and press the shutter button half way. It automatically advances the film to the first frame. I loaded a roll of Ilford HP5+ 400 and headed to Mesnes Park for a few shots before heading off to another part of town to shoot the rest of my roll.

I enjoyed my wander with my F801S, despite its heft it's a very nice camera to get along with. In aperture priority the matrix metering does a fine job of selecting the shutter speed as I select the aperture for each shot. Autofocus is a bit clunky compared to my lighter and newer Canon EOS 300 and Minolta Dynax 4, but hey, it's over 30 years old and we all start getting a little clunky in our thirties.

I spent some time around the Wigan Pier quarter of town trying to get a couple of shots of the redevelopment of Eckersley Mill as it gets nearer to completion. I also grabbed a few shots along the canal and was lucky to be there when a narrowboat was making its way through the lock by Trencherfield Mill. I soon finished my roll of Ilford HP5+ 400 and, with this phase of my cheap camera shootout done and dusted, I put my Nikon F801S in my bag and headed home for another well earned cuppa.

I developed my film in Bellini Euro HC 1+31 dilution B for 5 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, K&F Tripod, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2.

As I expected from this camera, my shots were all well exposed and compared favourably with my Canon EOS300 and Minolta Dynax 4. Therein lies the crux of the Cheap Camera Shootout. You don't need to spend a lot of cash to get decent film photos in the 21st century. The choice of cameras is vast and you can spend a serious amount of money on getting the shots you want, or you can spend next to nothing and get the same quality.

When folk tell a beginner to buy a Pentax K1000 for £200-£300, in my humble opinion that's not exactly the best way to encourage and nurture their interest in film photography. A cheap, plastic fantastic, auto focus camera from the end of the glory days of film will often give a beginner the best encouragement.

The quality of the cameras is high, the lenses are fantastic and even a ten year old can do it, as my Grandson showed with his Minolta Dynax 500si. He still has his favourite photo of the horse at the local farm hanging on his bedroom wall. He is very proud of that photo and I am proud of him for the effort he put into it.

With the black and white part of this dive into cheap auto focus cameras complete, I can now move to part 2 where I shoot a roll of Kodak ColorPlus in each camera. Can a cheap camera get high quality images on the cheapest colour film available today? Keep checking in for the answer to that question. In the meantime, here's a few favourites from my roll of Ilford HP5+ 400 shot with my Nikon F801s and AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens. As always I have put them and more in an album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Nikon F801S - Ilford HP5+ 400

Cheap Camera Shootout! Minolta Dynax 4

Next up in this series is my Minolta Dynax 4 with ts 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 autofocus zoom lens I purchased from ebay after a dear chum listed it there. My friend and whomever else had owned the camera obviously looked after it. I had got a camera that looked brand new for ten quid! I will leave a link to my previous blog about this camera below.

Loading is easy on this type of camera, place the film cassette in it's slot on the left, pull the film over to the reed marker on the right and close the back. Switch the camera on and it automatically loads the film to the first frame. I loaded a roll of Ilford HP5+ 400 and headed into town to take my control shots before wandering off to a different location to shoot the rest of my film.

Handling this camera is very easy, you can use the command dial on the top left to select Program, Aperture priority, Shutter priority or Manual. If you don't fancy having anything to do, you can use the scene selection button on the top right to choose between Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports/Action or Night photography.

I used Aperture Priority for my control shots in Mesnes Park, which I shot on the same afternoon as my Canon for true side by side comparison, then didn't use the camera for a few days. Remember what I said about three cameras being too much intensity? I concentrated on the Canon and my Frugal Film Project obligation for the rest of the day.

When I was able to get out again, I set my Minolta Dynax 4 to aperture priority and I made my way around town taking photos. For a beginner this is an easy way to use this type of camera. KISS Theory definitely played a hand in my decision to use aperture priority on both cameras. A beginner would easily be able to use the Minolta Dynax 4 this way, produce decent photos and then feel inspired to try manual mode.

The Minolta Dynax 4 is a delight to use. Its light weight and comfortable handgrip, added to easy access controls, make it a very intuitive camera to use and it's simple to get used to it quickly. Auto focus is quick and precise and the light metering is very accurate, all thanks to the internal electronics that flourished in the late 20th century. An led display in the viewfinder indicates your shutter speed and aperture, and displays a plus or minus sign to help you get the right settings if using manual mode.

I enjoyed having a toddle around town with my Minolta Dynax 4. I had to wait a little while from time to time, for clouds to clear and the sun to peep out and bathe Wigan in sunlight before taking my shots. Thankfully the Minolta Dynax 4 is built for taking a quick snapshot when the need arises and also using very leisurely when the good light lingered a little longer. It didn't take long to rattle off a roll and I was tempted to load up again, but with my Ilford HP5 done and dusted, I decided to head home for a much needed brew.

I developed my film in Bellini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B for 5 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, K&F Tripod, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2.

When I hung my film to dry I could see each and every shot was decently exposed, maybe not brilliant compositions, but they looked pretty darn good. It made digitising the film with my DSLR and processing the RAW files so much easier. It performed just as well as my Canon EOS 300 That's the whole point of these marvels of technology, they make film photography easy. 

The Minolta Dynax 4 is not just an easy camera to use, it is also a joy. It's light weight, great range of Minolta/Sony A Mount lenses available and the fact you can pick them up for next to nothing make this camera a great choice for anyone new to film photography. Even us old codgers with a few years of experience can enjoy this camera.

Here's a few of my favourite photos from this roll of Ilford HP5+ 400 shot with my Minolta Dynax 4 and 28-80mm zoom lens. I have placed them and more in an album on Flickr you can visit using the link below and don't forget to visit my previous blog for my thoughts and photos from my first use of this camera. I hope you enjoy them.

Minolta Dynax 4 - Ilford HP5+ 400
Minolta Dynax 4 - An affordable autofocus SLR

Cheap Camera Shootout! Canon EOS 300

 In 2024 I picked up a couple of entry level 35mm SLR autofocus film cameras from friends and gave them a test run with their own introductory blog. You can read the one for this camera via the link below. I had planned on using them side by side to see how they compare, and then got sidetracked by a squirrel. Well, the day finally arrived to do this fun look at my cheap entry level cameras and compare them to my semi pro Nikon F801S.

I say "day" but it soon turned into a project.

I had planned on doing a swift review accompanied by the same photos taken with each camera and I had to take a step to one side and re-think this project. It was too much, too quick and my brain can't handle that intensity. I decided to give each camera it's own blog and not just shoot a roll of HP5, but also a roll of ColorPlus in each one and it would take me until summer to finish it. With this in mind I set out in mid March to start my project with my Canon EOS 300, a gift from a dear friend who figured I would use it and enjoy it.

The Canon EOS300 is a camera all Canon DSLR users will be able to pick up and use straight away. The layout is virtually the same with the command dial on the top left and LCD screen on the top right. I'm not a Canon DSLR user, but it didn't take me long to figure out the things I needed to use. Two CR2 batteries go in the comfy hand grip and loading the film is easy.

Slot the cassette in on the left, pull the leader over to the red mark on the right and close the back. Switch the camera on and it does its party trick. It winds out all the film and rewinds it gradually as you take each shot. This ensures you wont lose any shots of you accidentally pop the back open. The unused film will of course be instantly exposed, as would happen with any other camera, but at least you will have something thanks to this feature.

I loaded a roll of Ilford HP5+400 into my Canon EOS 300 and headed into town on a sunny spring day to visit my favourite classroom, Mesnes Park, to take a couple of shots that I would replicate with each camera. They would be my control set for a direct comparison, the rest of the roll was just happy snapping around various local landmarks.

I only took a few shots in the park as I wandered around on this fine sunny day. I was pulling double duty and shooting my Frugal Film Project offerings for March and switched between cameras as I made my way around the park and onwards into town. The second half of my walk was all about my Canon EOS 300.

Being a creature of habit I shot my roll of HP5 in AV mode, which is "Canon speak" for Aperture Priority. Given the bright sunshine and lack of clouds I was happy to shoot at f/11 and let the camera choose the shutter speed. It's something a beginner could do right away and then give manual a try after gaining a little confidence.

It's a very easy camera to get along with, autofocus is fast and quiet, the zoom range on the 28-90mm lens is comfortable to use and it only takes 1/4 of a turn on the zoom ring to go from one extreme to the other. Add it's light weight and ergonomics and you have a camera a beginner would swear was never 35 years old. It looks and feels modern and it inspired me. It didn't take me long to finish my roll of film and I headed home for a well earned cuppa.

I developed my film in Bellini Euro HC 1+31 dilution B for 5 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, K&F Tripod, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2.

This is always the time when anyone, beginner or pro will look at their photos and say something along the lines of "I say, they're jolly nice". The big players in the hey day of film really went all in with electronics and it shows in my photos. I didn't have to do much to them and I got the roll processed in the space of one evening. Happy days!

Here's a few photos from my roll of Ilford HP5+400 shot with my Canon EOS300 for part one of this Cheap Camera Shootout. I have placed them and more in an album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Canon EOS300 - Ilford HP5+ 400
Canon EOS 300 - first blog