Film Photography Lust

Monday, June 1, 2026

Widelux F7

The Widelux F7 is currently my new favorite camera. I purchased it April 2026 for $1,865 from Used Photo Pro / Roberts Camera located in Indianapolis. It's in excellent condition. The only issue is a missing shutter release button collar.

The Widelux is a unique 35mm panorama camera. The unique feature is a moving swing 26mm lens. The lens sweeps across the film plane during the exposure.

A few features:

Ultra-wide field of view up to approximately 140 degrees horizontal.
3 shutter speeds: 1/15, 1/125 & 1/250.
Aperture settings of f/2.8, 4, 5.6, 8 & 11. However, the aperture can be set anywhere between f/2.8 - f/11 (i.e. f/9).
Negative size of 24x59mm.
Uses normal 35mm film.
Fully manual - no battery required.
Fixed focus from 5-6' to infinity. The Widelux isn't useful for closeup.
Surprisingly compact (This past weekend I carried it in my shorts pocket).
Top plate bubble level.
Very clear viewfinder.
Unique image rendering.

Creates images with distinctive curved "immersive" perspective
Moving subjects can appear stretched, compressed or distorted for creative effects.

Here is how the swing lens works at 1/15 & 1/250:

The downsides in my experience with the Widelux are:

No light meter. An external meter or modified sunny 16 is required.
On sunny / overcast days (i.e. street photography) low ISO film is often needed (I primarily use 50-100 ISO film).
Loading the Widelux has a learning curve.
You only get 20 images on a 36 exposure roll.
Rewinding the film can be rough on your thumb / fingers. The rewind knob has a bit of resistance & very deep, somewhat sharp ridges.
The swing lens is mechanically complex requiring periodic maintenance to prevent uneven exposure ("banding"). I haven't run into this yet, but it was an issue with a Widelux I previously borrowed.
In my experience having a level camera is important unless you are looking for a specific creative look.
Because the field of view is so wide you need to hold the camera in a unique way to avoid photographing your fingers.
These are NOT inexpensive cameras. No signs of price decreasing anytime soon.

Top plate & back of the camera showing clean lines and function layout:

I'm vert happy a Widelux became available and that I was able to purchase it. Here are some recent images:

Ilford PanF Plus 50

Kodak Ektar 100

Leica Monopan 50

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Canon Pellix 35mm SLR Camera

I purchased a Canon Pellix from Used Photo Pro in Indianapolis in their "as-is" section for approximately $25. This is a unique SLR for the time because it has a semi-transparent mirror (fixed pellicle mirror) vs the traditional SLR mirror. The camera was introduced in 1965 and only produced through 1966 replaced by the Pellix QL (Quick Load) which was produced through 1970.

The camera was equipped with a TTL CdS light meter positioned behind the mirror. With a fixed translucent mirror there is no mirror movement which prevented viewfinder blackout when shooting (not a big issue honestly) and reduced vibration (good for slow shutter speeds / long exposures). No "mirror slap". However, the viewfinder is dimmer since the light through the lens is split. I personally didn't notice this as an issue in my shooting.

Pellix without a lens showing the semi-transparent mirror

A few features:

Completely manual camera with a light meter.
Shutter speed from B + 1s to 1/1000.
Canon FL lens mount. This type of lens readily available, very bright and affordable in many focal lengths.
A dial on top of the camera that activates the viewfinder blind. This can be used for long exposures (The only camera I own that has this feature. I don't thing I'll ever use it, but it's still cool.).
Accessory cold shoe.
Match - needle light meter exposure display (you adjust speed or aperture until the needle rests inside the small circle).
Shutter button lock.
Easy to use mechanical self timer.
Cloth shutter curtain.

Some issues:

The ISO/Din numbers are VERY small and red. ISO is set on the shutter speed dial visible in 2 very small openings. The ISO numbers are VERY hard to read in my experience.
Max ISO when using the light meter only goes up to 800. Any faster film will need to be used without a meter.
No hot shoe.
Takes a 1.35V PX625 style battery which are available but NOT readily common. HOWEVER, the Canon Pellix operates without a battery. You just won't be able to use the light meter.

Top of camera, viewfinder curtain dial below the film rewind knob

Viewfinder in normal / open setting

Viewfinder closed

I've should a few rolls of Eastman Vision3 250D in both 200 & 250 ISO through my Pellix. Here are examples:

Overall, I think this is a well build, sturdy basic Canon FL mount SLR with basic features. I'm glad I have it in my collection HOWEVER, there are other FL mount Canon's that I prefer.

Monday, April 13, 2026

Film Negatives - Flat or Curl (Updated June 10, 2026)

Flat Negatives Are Your Friends

Photographic film negative curling can be an issue if you develop film yourself. During the digitizing or printing workflow your negatives will need to be scanned, photographed or used in a darkroom enlarger. Having film negatives "flat" is important. Even the slightest curling / cupping of the negative can make the film difficult to put into a scanner holder, keep flat on the scanner glass or keeping the entire photo in focus. You WANT your negatives to be as flat as possible for good results.

Different film stocks "curl" / "cup" to various amounts or remain flat while drying. How you dry your negatives (i.e., hanging with a weighted clip on the bottom) or your drying conditions (i.e., humidity level) will also impact how much a negative does or does not dry flat.

Here are a couple examples of flat and slightly curled negatives. Your results may be similar or much more cupping / curling.

Fomapan 400 dries flat

Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 400 has a moderate curl. This negative has been back-rolled

There are DIY ways to flatten curled negatives. You can cut your negatives, sleeve them and put them under a weight (like a book) for several hours. You can back-roll the negative before cutting and keep it back-rolled for a few hours until flat, etc.

Again, what ever process you use, the simplest is to use film (WHEN POSSIBLE) that dries flat.

To help you decide, here is a list of films I've used / developed and how they "typically" end up when dried. Please note, this list covers just 35mm film. 120 film curls more or less the same but if it curls it tends to curl more than 35mm. AGAIN AS A CAVEAT, your experience may vary.

Aerocolor 100 - flat
ADOX HR50 - flat
Agfa APX 100 - flat
Agfa APX 400 - slight curl
Arista EDU 100 / 200 / 400 - flat
Arista EDU 100 DX - flat
Arista EDU 400 DX - flat
Berger Pancro 400 - slight curl
Camera Film Photo (CFP) 500T The Film - flat
Candido 200 - flat (Vision2 200T remjet removed)
Candido 400 - slight curl (Vision3 250D remjet removed)
CFP Kiki Pan 320 - flat
CineStill BWXX - slight curl
Dubblefilm Jelly - flat
Eastman Double-X (5222) - flat
EFKE 100 - curls
Fomapan 100 - flat
Fomapan 200 - flat
Fomapan 400 - flat
FPP Mummy - flat
FPP RetroChrome 320 - curls
FPP Wolfman 100 - flat
Fujicolor Pro400H - light curl
Fujifilm Provia 100 - curls
Fujifilm 200 - slight curl
Fujifilm Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 400 - curls
Fujifilm Fujicolor Superia 800 - flat
Harman AZURE - slight curl
Holga 400 - flat
Ilford Delta 100 - flat
Ilford Delta 400 - flat
Ilford FP4 - flat
Ilford HP5 - flat
Ilford Kentmere 400 - flat
Ilford Ortho 80 - flat
Ilford PanF Plus 50 - flat
Ilford PAN 400 - flat
Ilford SPX 200 - flat
Ilford XP2 400 - flat
JCH Streetpan 400 - flat
Kiki Pan 320 - slight curl
Kodak Double-X - slight curl
Kodak Ektar 100 - flat
Kodak Ektachrome 100 - flat
Kodak EliteChrome 100 - curls
Kodak EliteChrome 200 - curls
Kodak Ektapan 100 (T-Max 100) - flat / very slight curl
Kodak Gold 200 - slight curl
Kodak Gold 200 in 120 - curls
Kodak Kodalith 6556 - flat
Kodak MAX 400 - curls
Kodak Plus X 125 - slight curl
Kodak Portra 160/400 - flat
Kodak Portra 800 - flat
Kodak T-Max 400 - flat / slight curl
Kodak T-Max 3200 - flat / slight curl
Kodak Tri-X - curls
Kodak Ultramax 400 - flat
Kodak Vision3 250D - flat
Kodak Vision3 500T - flat
Kodak X-Pan 125 - slight curl / flat
Kono Moonstruck - flat
Kosmo Foto Agent Shadow - slight curl
Leica Monopan 50 - flat
Lucky SHD100 Pro - flat
Lucky SHD400 - flat
LuckyPan 400 (old formula) - flat
ORWO UN54 - flat
Rollei Infrared 400 (AGFA Aviphot Pan 200) - flat
Rollei Retro 80s (AGFA Aviphot Pan 80) - flat
Rollei Retro 400s (AGFA Aviphot Pan 200) - flat
Rollei RPX25 (AGFA Aviphot Pan 80) - flat
Secret Sauce Color 100 (Aerocolor 100) - flat
Shanghai GP3 - curls
Street Candy 400 - slight curl
Silberra Ultima - flat
Ultrafine 100 - flat
Ultrafine Finesse 100 - flat
Ultrafine Finesse 400 - flat

I'll update this list as I get feedback from others or have personal experience with other films.

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

New Week Different Camera – Canon A-1

This week’s “New Week Different Camera” is a Canon A-1. I’ve used this camera about a year ago after I got it but thought I should give it a go again.

What is the camera: The Canon A-1 was an advanced amateur / prosumer manual focus FD-mount 35mm SLR. The camera was introduced in 1978 and manufactured until 1985. It was preceded by the Canon EF and replaced by the Canon T90. It was considered the 1st SLR that had all 4 exposure modes (P, A, S, M or P, Av, Tv, M in Canon speak). Competitive equivalents of the time were the Nikon FE, Minolta XD-11, Pentax ME Super and the Olympus OM-2N to name a few

Where did I get the camera: I purchased the Canon A-1 (body only) at Roberts Camera “as-is” during their August 2025 Tent Sale. Roberts has a bi-annual Tent Sale (also called a Garage Sale) to sell excess inventory / unloved / “parts only” cameras and accessories. They either sell items on a set price or by “box”. They offer different sizes of boxes and you pay a fixed price for the box. Anything that fits into the box only costs the price of the box.

I got the A-1 along with 31 other camera bodies I was able to fit into 4 boxes.

One note, about ½ of the cameras of the 32-camera lot ended up being unusable (which was expected).

How much did it cost: Each box was $25 so I spent $100 for the 32 cameras so the A-1 worked out to be just over $3.

Key features:

Canon FD lens mount (there are many affordable FD lenses available)
All 4 exposure modes (P, A, S & M) – I used P mode
Shutter speeds from 30s – 1/1000 including B
Flash sync speed of 1/60
Shutter button lock
Convenient battery check light
TTL center weighted metering
LED red exposure display at bottom of viewfinder (speed & aperture)
ISO range from 6 – 12,800
Uses LR44 batteries (6v total)
All metal body
Exposure compensation dial

Plus / Negatives based on my experience:

Pros = good looking all black camera, easy to use in all exposure modes, excellent ISO range, easy to find and affordable lens selections

Negatives = LED speed and aperture readout in viewfinder is sometimes hard to see in bright settings, won’t work without batteries, flash sync speed is too slow to be used with studio lights at typical light settings, top speed is reasonable but not as fast as later SLR’s & develops the typical Canon SLR shutter “squeal” (mine has it).

Thoughts / Will I use it again: Overall, a great-looking capable camera! It has all the features I use for street and casual photography. The viewfinder is bright and the light meter on my version is true. I have all the lenses I normally use for SLR’s (28, 35 & 50mm) so I can use the A-1 in most settings I prefer. The main downside on my version is the shutter squeal is very noticeable so limits its use as a street photography camera. I will definitely use the A-1 again.

My rating: 4 out of 5

Images: