My New Camera & How it Will Make me Better 

Thomas, always remember that we join your videos because we ENJOY YOUR COMPANY. Many (most) of us don't aspire to be world class landscape photographers. We simply enjoy hanging with you, sharing your adventure, and getting a vicarious trip through you. Yes, maybe we learn a bit too! This channel is successful because of who you are and how you do what you do, and how you make us feel. It's not always about the pointily landscape or the perfect light. Just keep on being who you are. We are enjoying the journey!

Definitely should have been sponsored by “square space” 😀

I used to shoot with a Hasselblad 501C years ago and grew nostalgic last year, so I bought another one just like you did. Well, after shooting two rolls through it, it sat off the shelf just like your 4X5 view camera. Sadly, I realized you can’t go home again! I hope your experience won’t ultimately mirror mine. I love your enthusiasm! Don’t lose it! All the best.

"The sheer ease with which we can produce a superficial image often leads to creative disaster. We must remember that a photograph can hold just as much as we put into it, and no one has ever approached the full possibilities of the medium." - Ansel Adams Great video as usual. Thanks Thomas.

I was lucky enough to own a 501CM back in my college days. I unfortunately had to sell it to fund investment into the digital world. I don't regret selling it, as it was a means to an end. And shooting large volumes of images of film becomes very very expensive. However the 501CM will always have a special place in my heart. As will the extraordinary Carl Zeiss lenses that couple it. The resolving power of those lenes coupled with size of medium format film is extraordinary!! I printed an image shot on transparency film once to over a metre in size. Viewing the print even at 12 inches, detail was pin sharp. This camera is as pure as it comes to image capture. No autofocus, no light meter... Just glass and film. Always a thing of beauty.

too many ppl dont understand that film is more than just the "film look" - it is really hard to explain and it is best understood by experiencing it firsthand. I think you did pretty good at putting it into words

More experience gained, less willing to go out ... is so true.

Woohoo! That a boy Mr. Heaton. One of my favorite photographers shooting FILM 🎞!!!

I own a 500 C/M, bought it several years ago when I was feeling a bit bored about digital, I needed "fresh air". It was totally worth it and I'm still using it, together with other film cameras with different charachertistics.

This is really cool, Tom. My dad was a landscape photographer who shot exclusively on medium format using Hassleblad 500Cm and 501CM cameras. They are works of art, built like tanks and will last you forever. Some of the best cameras and lenses ever made. Its so amazing seeing you shoot with them!

Thanks for pointing to Bruce Percy, have missed this great work until now.

I think a Hasselblad V system is the dream for any photograph (or almost any). It was mine since I started photography in 2009, and a few months ago I made the "madness" to bid for one on eBay .... I won, and I won much more than a camera. You describe the situation very well: Digital ends up boring in some way sooner or later, or maybe not boring, but there are cameras that offer something different. Hassel is one of them. She will make you learn photography differently, think more, enjoy the moment ... Sometimes we live photography with digital cameras as life is in the 21st century, fast. When I use the Hassel, I allow myself the luxury of stopping down and enjoying the whole process ... and what the hell, the camera is also gorgeous. The only bad thing is that through the Hasselblad viewfinder, everything always looks beautiful. Enjoy the camera Tom.

I had an RZ67 and 4x5. In the end I went the other way and stuck with the 4x5 and let the RZ go. RZ67 delivered superb images, but I just gravitated to 4x5 every time I wanted to shoot film. Lovely images from the hassy 👍

Glad to see you’ve connected with your new camera and already seeing great results. The world is a more inspiring place through a waist level viewfinder.

Never say your project means nothing. Your project means something to you, and that's why I love your work.

Excellent choice with the 501! Ages ago I managed to buy one when I had first started getting into photography and it absolutely changed my life. Not just photography, but life in general. It's the patience and ethic of working with film on an incredible machine like the 501. Like others have said, you've an eloquent way of speaking about photography and your process. Surely this new kit will encourage a new golden era for your work. You've certainly made me claw back on my quest for an M10, and back to another 501.

Film fans should check Nick Carver’s RU-vid channel

"A tiny project. It means nothing really." Thomas, there's a reason we keep coming back for more. Part of that is for the inspiration, part is for the education, and part is because we enjoy hanging out with you. :-) I got started on film before digital was a twinkle in an engineers eye, or wherever engineers twinkle. I am glad of that, as I think that it makes me work harder at shots since one could not immediately see the results. I wonder if it's because of that that even now, typically my favorite shot os a sequence is the first one.

Isn't it amazing that you wanted to have a TV show but you got something even better, a RU-vid channel. Total control of the content, interaction, a platform reaching people all over the world. Incredible, congrats Thomas!

Dear Thomas, my fiancee Sarah and I have followed you on your journey for a couple of years now and apart from a couple of duff vids we have really enjoyed it, jeepers its like 'has Thomas put up a new one' - I am blessed to say that my fiancee and I met when I taught her about photography a couple of years back , so I am in good company har har. The fact that you have experienced the very same thing that I did with my digital imagery is very nice for me, because I thought I was going mad. I have all the digital toys and more, BUT there was something missing, so Sarah said use your Bronica - go shoot some film. Well that just went completely tit's up and now I have a clutch of Nikon 35mm classics, more lenses for the Bronny and a 5x4 plate camera. But here's the deal - none of it came together until I started to process my own stuff again, mixing soup and getting brilliant results just made it all come together. Enjoy the ride fella, I know I am going to like watching your journey too. Nice choice with the Blad, its great gear, you'll enjoy that, now just choose your sensor and your away ;) have a blast, we'll be watching matey

Stopped the video on my phone at 1min! Watching it on a uhd TV! That's the way to watch Heathons videos!

Film is good, I've gone back to it in pusuit of a documentary Fellowship and using a Mamiya 645pro (cant afford a Hasselblad) and large format and loving it.

In film what matters is enjoying the road ,no matters the destination .I am with you

I’ve shot Hasselblad V for upward of 40 years. Most of my best images came from that camera. I just love them.

This is extraordinarily excellent! I have several medium format cameras. I can't wait to see what your talent can produce through your new piece of equipment. Go get 'em Thomas...

Gotta love those medium fortmat film cameras, Tom.

I’ve gone almost exclusively back to film. Started 3 years ago. What you said is bang on! People ask me why shoot film when there is digital but it really is a rewarding process. Looking forward to seeing some content with the ‘Hassy’ Thomas!

My old Blad is used as a doorstop. Cameras are tools that actually don't take pictures ... The person behind it does. Its doesn't matter what camera you use the images or content will only be as good as the photographer's knowledge and imagination. Yes, better cameras and lenses offer greater clarity and potential, so if you're crap at photography, you'll get a nice clear crap picture or 'same as' boring content you took when you had a lesser camera. I hate it when non photographers say "I bet you could drop that camera and it will take an award winning photo" or "nice camera mate - bet that takes cool shots" ... Yikes! Years of experience zeroed out by the chisel you carve with. You're an excellent photography and film maker, Thomas. You're 'old school' Blad is no more than mental stimulus to spark a creative flame back into action. Turing a passion into a business can kill the excitement. Sometimes working in one particular genre for to long can dry you up - especially if you've been well travelled. I stopped buying new kit just to simply spark enthusiasm - it became to costly for one thing. Writing music is the same - in fact any form of creativity. Paul McCartney once said; "dry periods of creativity sends you off into a kind of beachcombing mentality where you look under every rock hoping to find something interesting" ... You're beachcombing Thomas 👍

I love my Hasselblad. There is something so reassuring about the "Hasselblad Thunk". Good for you. The Hasselblad allows me to distill a scene down to it's essence.

3:21, I was so sure that you were going to segue into Square Space sponsorship ad there 😂😂

I think Paul Burns, said it all about how we feel about the channel. Regarding the film stuff. I personally started out with film and shot for many years, and I was so incredibly excited about moving away from the film process as soon as I could, in the late 90’s. Film was was expensive, it was time consuming and I even took a quality hit, just to go digital the first chance I got, and the “fast” workflow. It just suited and still suits my way better. I still have all my old film cameras, but I guess I haven’t come a full circle yet to even consider using them again. I did go through a phase of restricting myself with the digital camera, its a wonderful exercise to do, if you have the discipline to do so. I’m happy you are happy with the film camera, and that excitement is contagious, no pun intended. Keep up the good work and stay safe. Greetings from an Icelander living in Singapore!

Congratulations on the purchase of the 501CM. I have been a Hasselblad shooter for almost 50 years, buying my first Hasselblad (500CM) in Feb, 1972. I also bought a 501CM when they were first introduced in the mid 1990's. The basic simplistic quality built into a Hasselblad film camera never goes out of style. I also currently use the Sekonic L-758DR hand meter, which I believe I saw you using in spot meter mode in your video. Great choice there also. In 2007, I converted my 501CM to "digital" by purchasing a Hasselblad digital back for it. It was simply a measure of removing the film back, and popping on the digital back! I still shoot a Hasselblad today, using their latest digital camera, the mirrorless X1D-50c. Sadly (IMO), Hasselblad has abandoned the square format, and now all their digital cameras are rectangle (albeit a 4:3 aspect ratio). I believe one of the main issues was due to the expense of producing square sensors. But with a larger 50 mpix sensor in the X1D, cropping it to square is not a big deal! Please allow me to make one crucial recommendation for you - Since you no longer have EXIF data available, start making notes of each shot you take - exposure data, lens used, location, and any other pertinent info you want to retain about the shot. Buy yourself an inexpensive pocket digital recorder. When you get home, transfer the data to a Word or Excel file. Or simply write down the data in a notebook. This way, you will never forget information you might want to keep tabs on. It takes a bit of time, but it's really not an issue, compared to the value of this data which you would otherwise forget!

Aaaahhh nostalgia....! I love the Hasselblad 500 series. I spent the first 16 years of my career using a 500cm. The one thing I try to impress on those who started in the digital era is that in the old days, every shot you took had a cost attached to it, so every shot had to count. With just 12 shots on a roll, you worked every composition thoroughly until you were confident you were going to get something useable and the thrill and anticipation of seeing the negs for the first time never waned. In these days of digital instant gratification, it can lead to a degree of sloppiness (not that I don't appreciate my digital DSLRs). Enjoy your new camera Thomas, I look forward to seeing more videos featuring it.

Now, build a dark room, and teach us how to use it.

Thanks. I understand completely. I started with a Hasselblad 500C and still love it. I learned to "see" with it. It gave me such an appreciation for composition. I scanned all that work. Now, when I encounter a Hasselblad image in my library, it stuns me, grabs my attention - it is the square composition. I remember the care it took to compose, meter, then make decisions. It stays with you forever. I look forward to seeing how it affects your work. You are an artist. It will complement all your talent.

I have been saying for years that I should give up film and just shoot digital. Never happens. I love film, the resulting images, the process, the old simple cameras. I am very happy that you have been bitten by the film bug and look forward to the videos.

This channel got a lot more interesting for me. More!

How do you scan these 6x6 images? I’d be curious of a video devoted to that.

Okay, its almost two years since this video came out and for reasons unknown to me I didn't see it at the time, so it is somewhat coincidental that this video pops up as recommended by YT when I have just bought a Bronica SQAi to help me get back to my roots, learn to slow down and take time to consider my photography, oh and shoot more film a format I thought was dead and buried only to find that it is a itch that I have just got to scratch. Don't get me wrong I love my digital cameras and I am getting lovely images from them but nothing beats that moment when you lift those negatives and/or slides up to the light for the first time and see those images that you have created, images that you have sort of dismissed from your memory as you moved on to whatever your next project was. Great video and a wonderful insight into the Heaton mindset for getting his Hassleblad, thanks Thomas.

Shooting film is only like shooting jpeg if you send away for processing. If you process yourself, and print too, you have a lot of control. Many digital editing techniques are still named after their darkroom grandparents. E6 and c41 are hard to process by hand, but black and white is fairly straightforward. I suppose the only real difference is you can't undo a push/pull on a roll. Glad you are enjoying it!

Great video, Thomas. Reminds me of my A-level photography days with Ilford monochrome film, fixer, developer and enlargers in the darkroom. Happy days! Interested in how you're scanning your negatives and transparencies? I used to love Fuji Velvia, not just because of the colours for landscape photography, but specifically because it was a challenge to expose correctly as it had such a narrow exposure latitude. Thanks again.

Can you please do a video on how you scan your images? Loved the video! As one who has been doing photography since the late 80’s, there are times I miss the process as well. Can’t wait for more adventures of yours with the Hassy.

I still have a very old 1960's 500C Hasselblad. I great camera that I used for years. I needs some work but after watching this I may have to get it out again and have it repaired. It was a joy to use and made me stop and think about what I was doing and why.

Couldn’t agree more. I love my Arca Swiss 4x5. Love the process because it forces you to slow down and be more critical; more deliberate with every decision. And nothing beats viewing that big, beautiful ground glass!

Very inspiring Thomas, thank you! out of curiosity: what scanner do you use? / what's your workflow for getting the images from analog to digital? (maybe it's even worth a video? :-))

"I'd just as soon play tennis without a net than write in free verse." --Robert Frost

P. S, I like your channel because of your honesty about all things, whether it's going well for you or not, you're so honest and open about everything, I keep coming back

I still have my Hasselblad 500cm that I purchased new in 1978! It was and still is the Rolls Royce of medium format film cameras. The Carl Zeiss lens are the real star to this system.

It’s hip to be square! Next video we’ll see you building a darkroom. #oneofus

"A camera that exclusively shoots square; a camera designed to shoot square; a camera that does not crop when you shoot square; is such an advantage to photographers who love square." Sponsored by Squarespace. :)

I have to agree with your points on shooting film. Recently I was reminded that pre-digital a good image was a well exposed and in focus image but now with digital the expectation is so different. With film, I like the smell of the older cameras, film, and chemicals for developing. The sound the paper makes when unwrapping the roll, the tactile feel of loading it, the focusing, and my Bronica SQ-a like the Hasselblad has a great mirror slap. For those that can adapt to a hybrid shooting workflow, there is a lot to be happy about.

Yes Thomas I totally agree a new camera is what is called for but not any old camera, I know a camera accentually is a light tight box but I'm wanting to be able to change the plane of focus move the axis of the film plane relative to the lens axis, you know learn new things. I haven't done any serious photography in years even though I gained a diploma in it many years ago but I need something to get those creative juices going again! A 6x6 film camera with view camera movements what's not to like. The Hasselblad 501 looks like a great camera but back in the 80's I was using a 500 CM with a none T* 80mm lens and one thing I noticed Thomas was that the modern version of this lens doesn't have the ability to lock together both aperture and shutter speed once set so enabling to change the depth of field for example but without changing the exposure. A very handy feature! Great video once again Thomas.

Interesting, but I'm not going back to film. I see all film cameras (even my Leica M3) like you see your intrepid.

"It enhances your lust ..." Wait ? What ? What channel am I watching ? :D

Developing your own film is fast and cheap and very satisfying. No need to wait weeks to see your work. I can shoot in the morning, develop in the afternoon and scan and edit in the evening with ease.

This brings back memories of hand holding a Mamiya RB67 with a metered view finder on top with a side mounted pistol grip photographing high school sports teams and individual portraits. My right arm bicep was always larger than my left. Happy that todays equipment is lighter for us old school guys... Great to see the Hassy back in action, thanks for sharing.

"in the moment and in tune" something we all need to do more of more of the time.....thanks Thomas!

Hello, I can understand your enthusiasm. I got a Hasselblad 500C for my 50th birthday (one and a half year ago) and many memories have come back. The waiting for the pictures or the negatives is exciting, like in the old days when I still made slides. That was 26 years ago, 1600 slides in one holiday, then the waiting (two weeks) until they were finally there and then the cutting, sorting, framing and again sorting out. Meanwhile I have much more experience in photography and I think about every picture (aperture, time, cropping and composition), nevertheless, digitally you take countless pictures in one day. With the 500C it is different, you only have 12 shots on film. I leave the house in the morning and in the evening I have only shot one film. But the quality/yield of the shots/pictures is better. Taking pictures with this camera (or even analog) let you take much more conscious pictures. Thanks a lot for this emotional video ;o) the Olaf ;o)

I always think that there is something very special about film, holding that negative in your hand, it is unique and is a true witness to a point in time. It was actually there, on that date, at that time when the shot was taken. Light from the subject bounced off its surface.

As someone new to photography it was refreshing to hear you say you're uncomfortable filming in front of other people, I often feel like this even just taking photos in busy places, and while I've gotten used to it to a certain extent I'm still not as comfortable as I'd like, but it's nice to know that even the best out there feel like this at times

I laugh. I am doing the same thing albeit lower budget. Mamiya M645 1000s and I've amassed a small collection of lenses, 55, 80, 150, 210mm none super fast. All manual focus, waist level finder hand held light meter. Black and white developed at home. I love it. It has rejuvenated my photography.

people are always like "gear doesn't matter gear doesn't matter", but I think what's important about that saying is that it's usually in the context of upgrades, not sidesteps into different tech. gear absolutely matters in that sense, and this was awesome to see a video talking about that side of it.

I bought a 500 C/M about 3 years ago and it will be a camera that I will never sell. The camera is in fantastic condition I have the 80mm and the 140mm lens and it really is an intimate way of shooting. I still need to send off 3 rolls of film I actually just have been lazy and I forget everything I've shot on them so it's great to get developed film back and scan it into the computer and see where you've been and what you've shot.

Speaking as someone who never stopped using film (but added digital to the mix when it felt appropriate), I very much grok where you're coming from here, and it's not a film-good/digital-bad thing (nor the reverse), but an acknowledgement that each medium is unique. It was, in fact, my decades of experience with film that informed my approach to digital cameras. And, although my "home" format is 35mm, with rare forays into larger formats, it was the gift of a Hassy 500cm system (from a studio that was getting rid of their film gear ASAP), my visual point of reference has been expanded more-or-less as yours has, and for the most part it's been a blast. Hope the remains an inspiration for some time to come.

I a glad that you are enjoying using a Hasselblad and film. A long time ago I was having lunch with our Hasselblad rep and Kodak's VP of digital science. He said that digital technology was now good enough that they were cutting film processing by 60 percent in anticipation of the change to digital. I promptly sold all my Hasseleblads and lenses from 50mm to 500mm, I would not go back to film now. Yes, you will definitely learn a lot from using your Hasselblad. Enjoy.

Your lead in is spot on in that digital photography has made getting a good image too easy. I am glad to see you are giving film and the need to be the artist yourself, rather than the software allows you to look like an artist, re-inspire your interest in capturing an image. Imagine a software program was marketed that on command would write a novel. I am sure it would sell well and plenty of purchasers would see themselves as great novelists by having mastered tweaking the program but are they? I would not think so. So the argument on paper for using film is similar to the argument for using paper and pencil when crafting the novel where that is making the photographer or novelist the artist instead of having the software's capability delude one into thinking they are....

Great vid Thomas. Clearly remember the Hasselblad was THE pro camera, especially for high end fashion & portrait photographers. Like most back in the day I just used to drool over the images but the price tag was so high it wasn’t for the likes of us pro-sumer photographers. I used to use an Olympus OM1 and do my own B&W developing & printing. Just so satisfying to be able to dodge & burn to create an image I was happy with. Most of all I had a very high failure rate initially because of the whole ‘take a picture then wait for the prints to come back’ thing, mainly colour. BUT, I totally agree that it was a great discipline to slow me down and really make me think about every aspect of the shot. 👍👏

LOL. First of all congratulations on choosing the 501 CM. I have had one of those since the early 80s. These cameras are for ever. Comeback in 35 years time and see how many of these dangle fangle technological marvels of today are still capable of the being turned on never mind taking photos. For film photography you have to change your mindset. It is like getting ready for meditation. Slow down and think about what you want to say with your photograph. Keep the 4X5 and don't loose it even though it seems unloved for now. Once you master its capabilities, you will not touch anything else. Digital for business, film for the soul. Very good and honest presentation. thanks.

I spent a few years at art college pre digital, and pre photoshop, with Hasselblads and dark rooms.... and I now make a living as a photographer. I really did enjoy the analogue process... but for me, digital has obviously changed everything, and 99% for the better... but all power to you for trying it out.

Just bought my Hasselblad 503cx and am now on roll 20 of various different types of film. Having shot film back in the 90s, I'm so excited to be back. Great video and love seeing other photographers shooting film.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Haven't shot on film in... well it's been a long time. One theme here that resonated with me that I think has good life even w digital cameras is that the equipment we shoot with can affect how we see the world around us and drive our creative processes in specific directions. Consciously limiting our kit can be a useful exercise to break out of habits, good & bad, or shake us out of the abject laziness into which we all fall from time to time. So occasionally I take what I call a One Day: One camera body, one lens (usually a prime but sometimes an ultra-wide zoom), one battery, one v small memory card that's otherwise useless, & perhaps one filter and head to a location to learn something new about creating with that fixed kit. The goal isn't necessarily to come back with portfolio pieces, although I have a number that were shot on One Days, but to let the kit kick my seeing and thinking into another gear. As a last note, the Provia 100 was one of my favorite films in my pre-digital days. Another was Velvia (ISO 50 & 100). Perhaps their characteristics are cliche in the modern day but I still love their looks, especially the rich saturation one can get with Velvia. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. Cheers.

Thomas, your video brings back many good memories when I used medium format Mamiya RB67 and the Mamiya 645. You had to slow down your photography, choose the right film for the job, meter the scene and make sure everything was right before you pressed the shutter...because you did not get a second chance that digital gives you today. You would be so relieved when you got your negatives back, that you had done a good job. Thank you for sharing this new camera of yours!

If Thomas needs motivation and inspiration he needs to go out and get a Hasselblad, all I need to do is watch him using it and describing the joy of photography and I'm all good to go shoot with whatever I have nearby. Thanks for the brilliant videos, they are my film and metering.

I loved my Hasselblad 503 CX, but (not to put a damper on your fun new purchase) I've since sold it to fund my GFX 100... I like film, but overall the film scanning is just a pain. I'm so much happier with the GFX 100... the images make me so happy. So much detail and the tonality is unlike anything I've ever used. It's magic.

I do photos as a hobby and have several film cameras that I will never get rid of. I started off with the 35mm format in the 1980's and then discovered medium format film which has such a great quality for both landscapes and for people. I liked the 100 asa slide film for color. My lab tech new how to recover highlights overexposed by 4 or 5 stops ...this is becoming a lost art. So I guess it is easier to use the print film and not worry about overexposure. I get the best results intentionally overexposing print film by one or two stops and no post processing tinkering. The scans back into digital can be done at very high resolution say, 80 megapixels. I my tiny experience, I discovered that the high resolution scans convert back to extremely beautiful small prints. People say they have no use for lots of megapixels. For me I see the quality of a 5 by 7 is totally different when it is reduced from an megapixel scan of medium format film.

It is good to go out and use film because it makes you think. I have a Nikon f4 and love using it from time to time.

I agree with all your assessments on square format. I learned photography on a Rolleiflex and purchased my first Hasselblad in early 1970. I have five of the most common lenses. I used it primarily for prints, mostly black and white and some color. I still use it even though I have moved over to digital after decades of struggle. Your example shots are exactly what I would expect from this camera. There is something about the Zeiss prime lenses that give you image quality that is second to none. Join the club and enjoy.

“any possible excuse not to go out and shoot”. Yep, completely understand, but I have a habit of taking it too far... after 6 years of highs and lows of landscape photography, many awarded images and many many RU-vid vlogs (this Thomas Heaton bloke inspire me lol) I decided to take a career change to become a primary school teacher. I admit this is the first of your vlogs I’ve watched in well over a year and so glad you’re still shooting them. Your images have always been so natural and inspirational, and I find by watching a vlog I’m at least a little inspired to head back out and get behind the camera, something I haven’t felt in a long time. So for that Thomas, thank you. Keep up your amazing work ☺️

I shot medium and large format for over 10 years (showing my age!) and would never go back to all that heavy, bulky kit, the limited dynamic range, and faffing with film processing and scanning. I feel I can recapture some of the craft of those old methods by limiting my options with digital, shooting with 2-3 carefully chosen primes for example, rather than trying to cover every focal length from 14-400mm, best of both worlds IMHO. Good luck!

From my Box Brownie and for many years, I developed and printed my own black and white images . I used to put the film in the developing chamber under the bed sheets and print under infra red in the toilet with a blacked out window and door. I have just bought an old Canon film camera to start B&W photography again.

Very timely. I have just bought a 500c/m off my best friend. Its a beautiful thing to use and I have found sometimes just looking at compositions through that amazing viewfinder is enough. They would be shots I would have taken with a dslr half heatedly then not processed. Using this system slows everything down and (for me) has moved the emphasis of the composition from being movement across a frame to depth within it. Thanks for another fab video.

@14:38= the heart/ soul and crux of this video for me. Thank you!

When I saw you'd bought a new camera, I nearly unsubscribed but luckily I didn't and I watched the video and I really enjoyed it. I just want to point out that one thing that keeps me here is that you buy all your own equipment and don't accept freebies from companies. I think that makes you unique and you can give genuine feedback and reviews rather than having to bow down to the freebie givers. Well done Thomas and good luck with shooting film.

I've been waiting for 15 years for an affordable digital back for my blad. Sadly they are still too expensive and second hand ones often use old operating systems. The solution it seems, as you have found is to shoot film and scan ! This means the image quality so well captured by the blad is now entirely dependent on the quality of the scanner ! Could you make a vid about your selection of a suitable scanner for 6x6 ? After all a good one would cost more than the £1800 you spent on the camera !!! Keep up the good work Thomas !

Welcome in the analogue world, since more than 5 years I shoot for 60% analogue which is fun . You will enjoy it !

Being a beginner photographer who still has very much to learn I never felt a strong urge to shoot film just for the same simple fact that you made of instant gratification. Digital allows me to have a better understanding of my settings and their effect all in real time allowing me the ability to learn and experiment. Especially mirrorless, obviously bringing size, ability and price into the equation. But the way you’ve described the added entire experience of shooting film, more so than other people I’ve heard talking about film, has given me that inspiration to later in life explore that a little bit and see the difference and how much film can teach me over digital. Great video Thomas, I wish you well with the new camera!

I have a Mamiya RB 67 as old as me... 44 years and love it. Also excellent choice and « affordable »

I loveeeee my hasselblad. Goes everywhere with me

Nice mixture of youthful enthusiasm, gleaned from you, with a healthy splash of nostalgia; I'm probably useless the rest of the evening. Fifty or sixty years ago, I went from an Olympus PenF (called ostentatiously a "single frame reflex 35") to full-frame 35, to 6X6 (a Kowa Six), to a 4X5 I built from a kit. I've punched my share of soup. Thanks for a nice evening.

As a commercial driver in the 80's I fell in love with Whitley Bay. Stayed over every Thursday night for three years. The coast line is incredible. The night life (at the time) is... questionable. Something, shall we say, for all tastes. I live near Niagara Falls now, in Canada. It's a beautiful place. But I would love to ride that East coast road again. One more time.

Good insight Thomas. I'm 66yo and raised in the era of FILM ONLY. I have a Pentax ASAHI K1000. 35mm camera still stting on my studio shelf. I often look at it and think I should be brave a nd get out and shoot a role of 12 FRAMES!!. You've triggered the desire and WILL to do it. I'll do a shoot withe both my Pentax and my Canon 5DS R and look at what and how the images differ. THanks as always TH. Cheers.

I've been shooting analog for a few years next to digital. It has impacted the way I look to photography too. It thought me that making a picture is not about which camera or process you use, it's about how you approach your subject. Analog photography defenetly got me back in the world instead of being "inside" the viewfinder all the time, and slowed me down. Being more "in there" is really what it is about for me. This is one of the main reasons I still pick up my old cameras once in a while. But to be honest, I think the occasion dictates the choice for the appropriate camera (at least in my case). It's all about being practical in the end. Thanks very much for sharing and inspiring! My tip; Try to shoot some fuji 400h. I think it looks great overexposed (2 stops), it might just fit in to you minimalistic approach/desire.

Having digital will never let you down. Your will come across many instances were you will lose the moment which could have been captured with digital cameras. I follow you to learn thee skills and found you to be the best landscape photographer. I want to stay with you and continue learning. Film 🎞 isn’t the future and not a learning curve. I will miss the canon shoots your plan for hours.

You have just described how i have felt about photography since digital came out.. used to shoot a kowa 66. hasselblad 500c and a Mamiya RZ67. Love the square..

Man... I TOTALLY get you. I went from film (started in college, and lasdt year of HS) to digital and back to film (alongside digital) and I just feel like there's not much fun or a challenge to shooting digital anymore. I just purchased a 500C/M but have not even had the motivation to get out with it yet just because of the lack of traveling. Part of my inspiration is to go somewhere new. I also have a 4x5 camera, but like you,I find it really requires a lot and I think medium format is a nice compromise. I won't give up on 4x5, but I tell myself it's really for very special work, though I would not even grab it for traveling to another country as an example, but I did take my Rolleiflex as my only camera to Ireland (for the last trip I did) and it was a blast. I'm looking forward to challenge of the Hasselblad and continuing with the square format.

Love seeing more people shoot film, and it's great seeing you excited about your photography! Its funny I actually found myself doing the exact opposite. I got a Kiev 88 (Hasselblad clone) and found it didnt really do anything for me and is gathering dust on a shelf. I picked up an Intrepid 4x5 at the beginning of this year and it really got me excited to get out and take photos and learn more about photography. I've reached for it more than any other camera this year and I've got an upcoming project on 4x5.

I totally agree! Lately I started using film cameras too (even though my digitals remain the first choices for trips and other kinds of scenario) and can confirm that shooting film is something totally different! Call it a philosophy, call it how you want, but having such limitations as the impossibility to see your photo immediately, pushes you to think and rethink about what you're doing.

So glad I bought a 501cm like 3 months ago because prices are about to go up 😂🤙🏻. This video was a joy bro glad to see you getting back to the basics and seeing things differently again. You’re going to become obsessed!

I've used a 1997 501CM since 2012....use it pretty much exclusively; landscapes, portraits and even weddings. Work horse of a camera. Needs a service every few years though to keep it tip top. Just sent an A12 back of for a full makeover...put me back £100. Used it as well to capture the family during Coronavirus lockdown and made a zine from it :-) Provia is my preferred film but its dynamic range is a shy less than described. It's reciprocity failure, on the other hand, is insane at around 120 seconds.

I made the switch back to film with Hasselblad and Chamonix F2 LF for the same reasons that you expounded upon. Glad you too have see the light, photography square light. Yes, I still shoot 10% digital with film at 40% Hasselblad and 50% LF. Thanks for sharing.