Image Capturing Therapy: Two Films, Stranger Portraits, Some Vintage Digital Action, & Grief. Part 1 – CatLABS X Film 80 II.
Starting with the last bit. Grief.
Had been surprised that missing my Father was not as crushing during these holidays as it has been the last few years since losing him. Cleared Thanksgiving. Cleared Christmas. Then yesterday melancholy set in and I realized I had not captured a single frame in days. This is not like me. Found myself back in that old conundrum I have written about before.
Don’t feel right when I don’t shoot. Don’t shoot when I don’t feel right.
Wrote a whole post about it when my Father’s health was in decline.
There is a bright spot. There is a simple fix. Not necessarily an easy one, however.
Simple part: Go take pictures.
Not so easy part: Actually getting myself to do it.
So. I basically forced myself to leave the house.
Destination.
Local downtown area at dusk.
Tools.
Film camera side: Fujifilm GA645.
It is an easy choice. It is cuss word awesome. In a shorter time of ownership, I have put rolls of film through it at a greater pace than just about any other camera I have owned—and more film overall than every medium format camera I have owned, even more than the all time champion, the Pentax 645N.
The GA645 is largely why I let the 645N go. And I love that camera. But it sat unused once the GA645 arrived. Personal opinion ahead. Your mileage may vary. Why it “won”.
- Smaller.
- Built in flash.
- Just as rock solid for AF, exposure, and IQ.
- Fixed lens took away analysis paralysis when trying to choose the lens to use.
In fact, only one camera has rivaled its numbers. The much beloved Contax G1.
And the GA645 is only a few rolls away from passing it. Technically still a huge win margin on exposure count clocking in at 36 exposures per roll instead of 16 but impressive nonetheless. But here is the thing. I have owned those cameras for years. The numbers this camera is putting up are in 2024 alone. I am glad I got one before any hype caught up with it. Not throwing shade on any other cameras, but I have paid more for and there are cameras that I used to have where prices are far above this one. And I prefer the GA645 over all of them. Hamish recommended I try the also wonderful, I am sure, Makina 67.
But I am good. On to the film
The first roll though is CatLABS X Film 80 II.
I tried it as a recommendation from my local camera shop. On my first roll…
…I determined that it was… ok. Nothing wrong with it. A great film if this is the look you are after.
Kind of dark and moody. But I prefer the brighter disposition of their X Film 320 shot at ISO 100 so it plays well with Cinestill df96.
…<ahem>… Film developed.
On to the pics.
Thoughts.
A solid film.
On to the next post.
Happy capturing.
-ELW
Eric L. Woods 