Some Lingering 2018 Photos

It took a little while, but I finally got the last of my 2018 photos developed. The main reason for the delay was that I had some minor frustrations with my local photo lab. No major problems just occasional slow turnaround time, issues with consistently getting my scanned photos via Dropbox, and inconvenient hours. Also, since this was the only place I recently had develop and scan my film, I had nothing to compare it with quality-wise so wasn’t sure how they stacked up.

These concerns led me to do a little research which led me to trying Richard Photo Lab. They are located in California so, obviously, I had to mail them my film. Even with that, the turnaround time was not that much longer than my local place taking into account finding a convenient time to get there when they are open.

I had no issues with receiving my scans and the quality was as good and perhaps slightly better than my usual place. I have to keep in mind that this was a small sample of two rolls of film. Because of the shipping, they were more expensive, but it was also more convenient. I don’t think I’m ready to completely abandon my local place, but I am going to give Richard Photo Lab another try.

The first batch of photos was from a roll of Fuji Color Pro 400H shot with my Canon EOS Rebel 2000 with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 lens I bought when I got my
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV.

Shooting with the Canon EOS Rebel 2000 is easy and fun. The reliable auto-focus ensures consistent quality. The 24-105mm lens is a huge upgrade from the original kit lens. The Fuji film is also quite reliable so I was pleased with most of these pictures from a few walks Holly and I had taken in the fall and early winter.

You can click on any of the pictures to open a gallery.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

My other set of photos from the fall was a test set. Mid-December, I bought a new used lens for my Minolta XE, a Sears 70-210mm F/4 which I bought from F Stop Cameras on Etsy. One of the nice things about having older film cameras is that lenses can be relatively inexpensive. I got this one for about $45 including shipping. This allows me to buy and experiment with lenses that I might not otherwise be committed to. Prior to this purchase, my longest lens was my aforementioned 24-105mm f/4.

Using the 70-210mm was quite a different experience. It was difficult to get a steady shot at the longer end of that range. Given the type of photos I normally take, I found that I probably wouldn’t need to go anywhere near the 210mm end very often.

Most of the shots turned out OK. I was using Ilford Delta 400 Professional B&W film which has become my go-to black and white film.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Although I doubt I’ll use this lens often, I am glad I bought it. I needed to try out a longer focal length, and this was a relatively inexpensive way to do so.

You can see all of my 2018 film photos in my Flickr album.