The Things I Use
To do the things I like to do.
Computing
I use a Dell Precision 3630 Tower with an Intel Core i5-8500 with 32GB ram running Debian Trixie (Gnome 48 + Wayland).
For my phone, an iPhone SE 3.
Making Photos
When I returned to using film again almost six years ago and like many who do, I might have overbought. I use all of the cameras and lenses below somewhat regularly, but they do not represent the entire collection.
Cameras & Lenses
- Nikkormat EL - Nikkor-H Auto 28mm f/3.5; Nikkor-O Auto 35mm f/2; Nikkor-S.C. Auto 50mm f/1.4; Nikkor-H Auto 85mm f/1.8; Nikkor-P Auto 105mm f/2.5
- Pentax K2 - SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4; SMC Pentax-M 100mm f/2.8
- Pentax Spotmatic - Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 50mm f/1.4
- Minolta XG-1 - MC W.Rokkor-SG 28mm f/3.5; MC Rokkor-PF 58mm f/1.4; MD Zoom Lens 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5
- Nikon EM - Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8
- Nikon F80 - Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8 D; Nikkor AF 28-120mm f/3.5-5.6 D
- Canon EOS Elan II - Canon Lens EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
- Mamiya C220 - Mamiya-Sekor 8cm f/2.8
- Konica Pearl III-MX - Konishiroku Hexar 75mm f/3.5 (fixed)
- Yashica A - Yashimar 80mm f/3.5 (fixed)
- Fuji G690BL - Fujica Fujinon-S 100mm f/3.5
Developing Film
This is one I am asked quite often, but unfortunately for me, I don't have a darkroom!
Equipment
I'm a very basic development girlie, using a large dark bag, a two-reel Paterson tank (System 4), 12" thermometer, and the Massive Dev Chart app (or Lab Timer app if colour) to keep time.
I do all development at my kitchen sink, watching life pass below. In keeping with home development tradition, all drying film is hung from the shower curtain rod in the washroom.
Chemistry
While many many follow the great advice to learn one film and one developer really well, when I started developing last fall, I went in the opposite direction!
Depending on the film being developed, I might use D-96, HC-110, Ilfotec DD-X, Mic-X, ID-11, Rodinal, Black, White & Green, or others. For colour, I use what is most readily available, so for C-41, it's Flic Film's C-41 Pro kit and for E-6, it's Unicolor's Rapid E6 kit.
Scanning
For scanning 35mm and 110 film, I use a Plustek 8200i and for 120, I use an Epson V600. I use SilverFast 9 (via Windows 11 in a VM) to do the scanning, and to organize and edit the scans, I use digiKam.
Writing
Although I do not actually write for pleasure all that often these days, but when I do, its using Apostrophe, a great markdown editor for Gnome, or an Olympia SM8, a lovely and reliable mid-to-late-sixties portable typewriter.
