Do you know...

...what this is?

(Hint: nope, it is NOT a superlong fly-catcher.)

Actually, this is a roll of 120 mm film. 

The one that I bought a few days ago, and screwed up. I decided not to throw out  this first roll of mine though. The proof of my learning process shall remain right in front of my eyes from now on. It looks really good on the wall, doesn't it?

So I had some trouble loading my Fotobox camera - after all I am the poster child of the digital age, and Fotobox is pretty much the most manual camera you can ever have. It took me some time to figure out how rollfilm works, and how I should (have) load(ed) it in Fotobox, and in the end it got some light (did it? I am still not entirely sure...) because most of the roll of film unrolled at some point of the loading process... So I decided to take this roll out, and not to shoot on it, because I will probably not be able to have it developed. I highly doubt anything would show on the film upon developing. 

So there goes one excellent roll of 120mm film down the drain... but that's how I am, I prefer learning in practice and not from text books. By the way, the exact same thing happened to me about 11-12 years ago when I got my first analogue camera: after loading the roll of 35mm film and taking a number of photos with it, I kept opening the door of the filmcarrier (I have no idea how that door and that compartment of the camera is officially called, I'm afraid I have got no training in photography at all...), just to make sure that the film was loaded properly and everything was all right inside. Naturally, the film caught some a lot of light, and most of the photos were either rubbish or could not have been developed at all. But, by the second roll, I knew how to load a camera, and how the whole process of taking photos worked. The case is the same this time: I will have to buy another roll of 120mm film, but next time I will be super careful, will be sure how to load the Fotobox, and will not make such a mistake again. 

Well, hopefully, I won't, 'cause Fotobox still feels like a toy camera, and not a real one. It hardly makes any noise when I push the exposure button. Is it how it should work? Shouldn't it make more noise? Does it able to take a photo by making only that tiny little clicking sound? Plus, it's so weird that I have to forward the film manually by turning a handle on the side...this is so weird. Hence the numbers on the back of the roll: a little red window on the back of the camera shows how much I have to forward the film and what shot I am on. Sooo much has changed since 1960!

Anyway, 120mm roll film is not that rare, as not only such vintage cameras use it, but some of these new, lomography toy cameras too, such as Holga and Diana. Plus, I think I found the best traditional photoshop in town: it's Soós Kereskedés in Wesselényi utca, 5 minutes walk from Astoria metro station, right across  the back exit of Zsinagóga. They don't only offer 35mm films but a wide range of roll films too at a reasonable price. Not to mention that they can also develop and scan the photos for me.

Even if you don't plan to buy anything, it's worth to walk by and take a look at the shop window at least. It's filled with beautiful vintage cameras, all for sale. But don't stop there, in front of the shop, once you're there, don't be afraid to go in. They not only sell all sorts of analogue films, but they have a wide range of vintage cameras, photo accessories, typewriters, books, old photographs, postcards, all sorts of nick nacks and bits and pieces. It somewhat reminds me of an antique store (well, actually, it is one, partly) and a history museum of photography. Well, it is the combination of both. I guess I'm gonna become a faithful visitor/costumer of theirs in no time.