Combining things you love can be great. What’s not to love about slapping Portra 800 into a Nikon F5, or even better, combining film photography with other hobbies. For me, that’s often mountain biking.
In this week’s film Friday post, I take my Nikon F5 and Portra 800 for some bike rides. I love photography. I’m also wild about riding bikes. Getting out on mountain bikes with a couple of friends and a film camera is a great way to unwind on the weekends.
Why the Nikon F5 and Portra 800?
The Nikon F5 is the most modern film camera I own. It’s a highly capable 35mm SLR. Between its decent autofocus and excellent metering capability, I figured it’d be perfect for getting mountain bike action on film. I was also able to borrow a Sigma Art 35mm f/1.4 for it, and couldn’t wait to try that lens on film.
I chose to pair my Nikon F5 and Portra 800 for similar reasons. I’ve found with mountain bike action, getting fast shutter speeds is important. For optimal sharpness, at least 1/800 tends to work best. With the 800 ISO Portra, I never had to worry about slow shutter speeds. Also, it’s just a lovely film!
There are some downsides, though
The Nikon F5 and Portra 800 pairing mostly worked out great. However, there are some downsides. First, the F5 is a beast of a camera. With its eight AA batteries and rugged build, it’s like carrying bricks in your camera bag. I also usually carry a spare set of batteries just in case. Doing technical hill climbs with a heavy backpack on isn’t the greatest.
However, the Nikon wasn’t the only problem I faced. One of the days was rather bright. I was wanting to shoot the Sigma wide open a lot, and couldn’t. With Portra 800 loaded up, 1/8000 max shutter speed set, I still had to stop down to f/2.2 for several shots. Not a big deal, but part of the fun of that lens is being able to use f/1.4.
Exploring with the Nikon F5 and Portra 800
Sometimes I get too into the riding and don’t take enough photos. That happened on the day I was riding with Ryan and Josh. Suffice to say, I had more film left after that day. I took the F5 on another bike ride or two to see some sights and make some photos. One ride was an icy day at Blowing Springs.
Another ride was needed for me and the film to be finished. For that, I loaded up and rode around the Back 40 on a section that would take me to a waterfall. I also had my Yashica Mat 124G along with some black and white loaded. I liked those shots a little better for that day, but that’s another Film Friday. At any rate, mountain biking was an excellent workout and a great way to get to these sights.
Even after all of that, I still had a few photos to finish the roll. Sometimes a 36 exposure roll is just too much! As a result, I made a stop after work one evening to get a long exposure photo from a nearby hilltop. As often is the case, I wasn’t wild about the photo. However, I did turn around and get a photo of the tire shop I was parked at. I ended up liking it better, even though it was kind of an afterthought.
End of the roll
Overall, I’m pretty happy with this roll of Portra 800. I got a few nice action shots of the guys, some decent landscapes, fun memories of a bike ride or two, and even a couple of mediocre night shots. They can’t all be winners, but it’s still a great time. The Nikon F5 and Portra 800 did their parts well.
Despite the camera being such a porker, I don’t regret choosing it for this roll. However, next time I have access to a super-fast prime, I think I’ll load up Portra 400 or maybe even Ektar instead. I’ve been having a blast combining cameras and bikes lately. I can highly recommend pairing your hobbies.
Note: All scans were done with a Plustek Opticfilm 8200I AI using Silverfast. Check my review of the scanner out here!
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