Contax 645 Photos Using Lomography Berlin Kino B&W 120 ISO 400 Film

October 28, 2024

I don’t use my Contax 645 as often as I’d like. Mostly because it’s gigantic and I’m terrified of breaking it. But every time I use it, I’m reminded of how incredible it really is. By far, it is the best (and most expensive!) film camera I own. I posted a full review of the Contax 645 here if you’re interested in reading more about it! I also have a fun YouTube video about it here. Today, I wanted to share a full roll of Lomography Berlin Kino 400 film using the Contax 645. This film is super grainy and cinematic and truly creates a vintage film vibe, if that’s what you’re going for. It reminds me of Dracula or Frankenstein (or any of those old vintage black and white movies) and would be perfect for any sort of spooky Halloween photo shoot. The first few photos were shot in Richmond and the Smoky Mountains, and then the last half of the roll was shot with local Richmond musician, Pat Absent. He is a super talented person and is currently working on his next full-length album!

The grain of this film is what really makes it stand out. With the Contax 645 I often feel that the photos are too perfect, so I love that the Berlin Kino film adds a bit of mystery and intrigue. Plus, I just love black and white film. :) I definitely want to try this film out again in the future. It may be a bit too grainy to use with a camera like the Holga or the Diana F+, but would work well with any pro-level film camera, for sure. Berlin Kino can sometimes be difficult to get your hands on, but you can always try out one of Lomography’s other black and white films, like Lady Grey or Earl Grey. They usually offer these films in both 120 format and 35 mm. Personally, I always love trying out a new film stock. It makes it even more exciting when you get your film processed and finally get to see the images!

WHERE TO BUY

Berlin Kino 120 film on Adorama

Lomography Berlin Kino 400 120 film on eBay

Berlin Kino 400 35 mm film on eBay

OTHER BLACK AND WHITE FILM STOCK BY LOMOGRAPHY

Lomography Earl Grey 120 film on eBay

Lomography Earl Grey 35 mm film on Amazon

Lomography Lady Grey 120 film on Amazon

Lomography Lady Grey 35 mm on Amazon

CONTAX 645 (BODY ONLY)
KEH CAMERA
EBAY
AMAZON

LENS - CARL ZEISS PLANAR 80MM F/2.0 LENS
KEH CAMERA
EBAY

#ad #affiliate

If you found this post helpful or inspiring, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing. Find out more here!

If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help! You can contact me here, or leave a comment below! Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a magical day!

<3 Myles Katherine

(click to enlarge images)

120 Film on a Budget | 5 of my Favorite Affordable 120 Medium Format Film Rolls

August 7, 2024

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

Shooting film is expensive. I’m not gonna lie, I spend most of my extra money on film. As a photographer though, I’m more than okay with that. There’s really nothing else in the world I’d rather spend my money on! But I can understand that if photography was just a hobby, it’s hard to justify spending so much money on film and processing. Especially if you’re interested in shooting medium format, the price-point goes up even higher because you’re paying just as much as 35mm, but for less images on a roll. Over the years, I’ve priced out dozens of film brands and I wanted to share the ones that I keep going back to time and time again. These 120 films are a great balance of quality and affordability. I’m extremely tight with my money ( I get it from my dad!) so I’m always on the lookout for a good deal. Keep in mind that it usually helps to buy in bulk too, since you’ll be saving on shipping costs. I also keep an eye out for sales, particularly during Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend and other major holidays. But regardless of deals and discounts, these 5 different 120 films are typically available at a lower price that their competitors, and you still get great images!

Plus, there have been whispers of 120 film slowly dying, which is the saddest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Medium format film is absolutely incredible and so so special. I’ll do everything I can to keep it alive, even if that means buying it all myself and spending my life savings on it! But maybe you guys and gals can help me out in saving 120 film by buying some yourself! Let’s save 120 film together! Please!

Anyway, here are 5 of my favorite affordable 120 medium format film brands!

1. KODAK GOLD 200

Kodak Gold 200 is surprisingly affordable for the quality that you get. I always bring a roll of it with me on every beach vacation or any time I want my images to have a golden tone. It’s super duper sharp too and has become one of the main 120 films that I use consistently. For a 200 speed film, it does decently well in low light and is perfectly saturated. I find to be one of the easiest films to tweak during scanning too, so I’m able to alter it and adjust the tones if I decide to make my images a little cooler or warmer. I scan all of my film myself with a Epson Perfection v750 scanner so I have a lot more control than if my film lab scanned it for me. I love this film and as long as it stays this affordable, I’ll always have it in my camera bag! I have this feeling that Kodak may raise the price in the future so I’d grab it while you can!

WHERE TO BUY

Amazon

Adorama

(click to enlarge images)

2. LOMOGRAPHY COLOR 100 OR 400

Lomography Color 120 films comes in two different film speeds, 100 and 400. I typically have both of these in my arsenal because it’s super saturated and fun! I find it to be bright and colorful, which is very helpful when shooting with cameras like a Holga or Diana F+. Toy cameras always benefit from a little extra color and sharpness. The 100 speed film is going to be a bit sharper, but just remember that you’ll need more light. I recommend only shooting the 100 speed film in bright sunlight or with a bright flash. The 400 speed film is more versatile and better for cloudy days or lower light. If you’re going to be in a dark environment and really need some leeway, they also have an 800 ISO film. I don’t typically go for 800 speed films because it’s just a bit too grainy for me. I shoot with a lot of toy cameras and I’m already fighting to make those images as sharp as possible so the extra grain doesn’t tend to help! You’ll notice there isn’t a huge difference in the 100 and 400 ISO films, so I included samples of both below.

WHERE TO BUY

LOMOGRAPHY COLOR 100 120 FILM

eBay

KEH Camera

LOMOGRAPHY COLOR 400 120 FILM

Amazon

Adorama

(click to enlarge images)

3. LOMOGRAPHY LOMOCHROME METROPOLIS 100-400

Lomography Lomochrome Metropolis is more of a funky, unusual film that might be fun if you’re looking for something different! It’s known for it’s slightly desaturated look and strong contrast. I love that it has a vintage vibe to it that works well with toy cameras. I’ve only used this film a few times so far but I’m excited to try it with some of my other medium format cameras. It has an extended ISO range of 100-400 so you can work with this film in lots of different kinds of conditions to experience different results!

WHERE TO BUY

eBay

Adorama

4. LOMOGRAPHY LADY GREY BLACK & WHITE FILM

I had to throw in a few black and white films because that’s what I truly love the most! I don’t shoot black and white as often anymore because I like to have the option of color and black and white. I can always turn my color photos black and white in post-processing, but it doesn’t work the other way around! I find Lady Grey to be very retro and aged-looking, which I think is perfect for a black and white film. It has quite a bit of graininess to it, but I don’t mind grain as much with black and white photography. It adds character and emotion, in my opinion!

WHERE TO BUY

Amazon

eBay

(click to enlarge images)

5. LOMOGRAPHY BLACK AND WHITE POTSDAM KINO B&W 120 ISO 100

Potsdam Kino 100 is another black and white film by Lomography, and this one has more of an overall grey tone in the highlights, causing it to seem more muted. I find it to have more of a cinematic quality to it though, which is so beautiful and dreamy! I found it just a little harder to get that stark contrast and those extra deep blacks than with the Lady Grey film.

WHERE TO BUY

Adorama

eBay

(click to enlarge images)

If you found this post helpful or if you’d like to see more of my work, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing. Find out more here!

If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help! You can contact me here, or leave a comment below! I’d love to know what your favorite 120 films are! Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a lovely day!

<3 Myles Katherine

Harman Phoenix 200 Film Review with Sample Photos Using a Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 35mm Camera in Portugal

July 28, 2024

(By using the links and/or codes below it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

When my sister-in-law surprised me with a roll of Harman Phoenix 200, I was so excited because I’d honestly never heard of it before! And I spend a LOT of time scrolling through shopping pages of film, deciding what to try out next. Not to mention, 200-400 is my favorite range of ISO when it comes to film, so I knew it was going to be a fun test. I brought the film roll with me on my recent trip to Portugal and tried it out with my Minolta Hi-Matic AF2. I actually just posted a full review of this camera on my YouTube channel and blog, so make sure to check those out!

I wanted to share my personal thoughts on the Harman Phoenix 200 film and share my full roll of images with you, so you can decide for yourself if you’d want to give it a shot!

I found the film to be super saturated and contrasty, which a LOT of film shooters are always on the hunt for. It definitely has that retro film vibe and is very grainy, which makes the images look unmistakably film-y. I actually found myself removing contrast in post-processing, which was definitely a different experience for me! I’m usually adding contrast and saturation to my film scans!

I also shot the majority of the film on the wrong ISO setting on my camera (400 instead of 200), which I think might have increased the grain and contrast effects on the film. I’m hoping to try this film out again soon and see if that made a impact on my final results! I found the film to do surprisingly well in low-light for a 200 speed film. It’s also nice that the Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 has an f/2.8 lens, which probably also helped me out in that department.

And of course, I tried out a few multiple exposures by rewinding the film a little and creating some overlapping images. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know it’s a must for me to try creating multiple exposures with every camera I’m reviewing!

Overall, I found Harman Phoenix 200 to be a very unique film. I’m not used to such high contrast and it’s not necessarily my style, but it was a fun challenge for me. I think I’ll try it out one more time before deciding on my final verdict. But I tend to lean towards less grain and contrast, so that I can add it in later if I choose to. I do think that this film is eye-catching and undoubtedly film, which is great for the Gen Z vibes that everyone seems to love these days. As a millennial, I’m not sure it fits my aesthetic, but to each their own! I’m mostly just thrilled that my photos turned out at all, because I had never used the Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 before and the camera was half-broken when I brought it with me to Portugal. I know that these photos are going to remain super special to me, because my first rolls of film with new cameras always stick out in my mind. Especially if I’m traveling in a new country.

I’d love to know your thoughts on the film! So far, I’ve gotten great feedback on these images and I’m learning that the majority of the world loves high saturation and contrast! I guess I’m just a weirdo!

Make sure to check out my other blog post, The Best Color Film for 35 mm Cameras if you’re on the hunt for other 35 mm films to try out.