5 Frames with a Mamiya 6 on expired Fujifilm Pro 400H

Something very specific happens to my brain whenever I load up a medium format camera with expired film. It’s probably 90% fear. You never quite know what you’re going to end up with: shifts in colour, softer contrast, maybe even the surprise flame of light leak (if the photos even come out at all). Did the seller on eBay really store it in the freezer for 10 years, or did they just find it on a shelf in the garage last week? Regardless, the other 10% is a sort of optimistic excitement that’s enough to keep me going. Maybe these shots will look great, I dare to think.

Practically, a replacement box of Fujifilm Pro 400H (my personal favourite film stock) is now up in the hundreds of pounds for medium format. Production was discontinued in 2021, so presumably the prices will only increase as stock dries up. The only “film” Fuji is interested in now are  their digital simulations, but we can lament that another time. The point is, you really have to make your 12 shots count.

On top of that, this was my first time shooting with this camera. I needn’t have worried too much though. After an initial struggle to get the film leader to take up (my own fat-fingered fault), I found the Mamiya 6 a joy to shoot with. Well built, quiet, surprisingly portable for medium format. The focus throw on the 75mm lens feels like stirring a pot of honey.

I took it for a quick test run in my local park to shoot a particularly imposing tower block I’d had my eye on for a while. It was dusk, and the light was quite beautiful – the perfect time to try and capture some of those romantic Fuji tones (more on that later). My biggest concern at this stage was the dirt cheap tripod I was set up on. The mildest summer evening breeze had the hefty Mamiya wallowing around all over the place. I’d have been better off balancing it on a cocktail stick.

Tripods are very, very dull things to think about. Nobody gets Gear Acquisition Syndrome for different brands of tripod. But the lesson here is do invest in a good one.

I also vastly overestimated the Mamiya’s “half press” of the shutter release for an exposure reading. This thing would take a photo if a feather landed on it.

The true test

A couple of shots later and I packed it up ready for a trip down to England’s south coast, where both camera and film could flex their muscle on some slightly more impressive landscapes. This is where Fuji’s beautiful cooler tones and gentle green cast really came into their own.

Fujifilm became known for its airy, pastel rendering of highlights, which I find more forgiving and flattering in bright light than many competitor stocks. And there’s something to be said for its softer, more neutral tones; particularly in an Instagram world where so many images seem to have the yellow slider turned up to 11 for golden hour.

In some ways, you would think the clinical sharpness of the Mamiya would be at odds with Pro 400’s dreamy, painterly look that I love so much, but it seems to me a match made in heaven. If I was a better photographer, I’d probably say something like “this balance of practicality and artistry stands as a reminder of why film endures in the modern photographic landscape.”

But I’m still a rank amateur, and for now my conclusion is much simpler: I can’t wait to take the next gamble on loading some more expired film.

If you want to argue with me about Fuji Pro being superior to Kodak Portra, you can connect with me on Instragram, or even Flickr, if you’re of a certain vintage.

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