{"id":48329,"date":"2025-08-25T14:46:49","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T06:46:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/blog\/48329"},"modified":"2026-04-05T09:21:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T01:21:56","slug":"ep268-%e5%87%ba%e5%9c%8b%e5%89%8d%e7%9a%84%e8%b5%b7%e6%89%8b%e5%bc%8f%ef%bd%9ckonica-big-mini-hg-bm-300-35mm-f3-5-%e8%88%87%e7%be%8e%e7%89%88%e5%af%8c%e5%a3%ab-fujifilm-400-%e5%bd%a9%e8%89%b2%e8%b2%a0","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/blog\/48329","title":{"rendered":"EP268: The Pre-Trip Routine \u2014 Konica Big mini HG BM-300 35mm f3.5 with Fujifilm 400 (US Version)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\nRoll 268<\/p>\n

Film: Fujifilm 400 (US version, airport X-ray scanned inside a lead bag)
\nDeveloped & scanned: DEP Lab 2025\/8\/5
\nCamera: Konica Big mini HG BM-300 35mm f3.5<\/p>\n

-<\/p>\n

Every time before traveling abroad, I fall into the same dilemma, deciding which cameras and which films to bring.<\/p>\n

My first experience bringing film overseas was in 2023, when I went to Nagoya, Japan. At the time, I wanted to save money, so I brought a large number of repackaged film rolls. Most of them were Kodak Vision3 500T\/5219 cinema film. I thought using high ISO film for everything would be convenient, since it could handle almost any situation.<\/p>\n

But when I started organizing the photos afterward, it became a bit confusing. Too many images looked similar. When sorting them by timeline and matching them with roll numbers, I often had to double-check everything.<\/p>\n

So when I traveled to Tokyo in the spring of 2024, I changed my approach. I brought only one roll of each type of film, making sure none of them overlapped. This turned out to be a great decision. When reviewing the photos later, everything felt more interesting, and each image had a stronger sense of uniqueness.<\/p>\n

In the summer of 2024, when we traveled to Kumamoto, I continued using the same approach of bringing non-repeating film. The process was still enjoyable. However, that time I chose convenience over caution. I did not use a lead bag and did not request a manual inspection. I let all my film pass through airport X-ray scanners.<\/p>\n

The results were not great. Not in the sense of visible X-ray damage, but the overall contrast dropped, and the grain became more pronounced. On top of that, I brought several cameras I had never used before, so I was not even sure if the issues came from the film or the cameras. Overall, that trip was quite a mess.<\/p>\n

The reason I let the film go through X-ray back then was because someone told me it would be fine. So I decided to try it myself. It turned out not to be fine. The funny part is, that person had also heard it from someone else.<\/p>\n

For this Chicago trip, the variation in film was relatively limited. Most of what I used was Kodak UltraMax 400 and Fujifilm 400 (US version). In addition, there were two rolls of Kodak Vision3 200T\/5213, one roll of Lomography LomoChrome Turquoise 100-400, and one roll of Fujifilm 200 (US version).<\/p>\n

Looking back at the photos, this combination resulted in a certain level of visual fatigue. But I had anticipated this before sending the film for development. So I split the rolls between two labs, DEP Lab in Shulin and Li-lai Photo in Xinzhuang, to compare how each lab handled the same film stocks.<\/p>\n

Simply put, if you want to evaluate your photos under stricter standards and clearly see potential issues, DEP Lab is a good choice. If you prefer more technical adjustments, such as exposure correction or contrast balancing, Li-lai Photo tends to apply more intervention.<\/p>\n

After this experience, for my next trip, if there is one, I will go back to using non-repeating film again.<\/p>\n

-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#1
\nOne of the main highlights of this Chicago trip was riding the train system. Whether you call it metro, subway, or rail, I have always been drawn to experiencing public transportation in different countries. It feels like a way to get closer to everyday local life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#2
\nFrom where we stayed, we took two stops into downtown Chicago. Our destination was a local film camera shop. This was the street we saw right after exiting the station. Chicago completely changed my perception of what a city should feel like. It is not just modern. There is a strong presence of history. And those older elements do not feel worn out. Instead, they feel like they carry stories.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#3
\nA restaurant that already felt special just from its sign. While writing this, I looked it up and realized it is The Berghoff, established in 1898. Even The Dark Knight was filmed here. Surprisingly, the menu is not particularly expensive.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#4
\nThe main stop of the day, Central Camera, established in 1899. I learned about this store first, and only later found out that Vivian Maier also developed her work here.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#5
\nAfter browsing inside, I left without buying anything. Not because I did not want anything, but because I did not see anything I specifically needed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#6
\nChicago's elevated rail system dates back to 1892. That was surprising. At that time, Taiwan was still in a completely different stage of development.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#7
\nJust like in Taiwan, the train slows down when turning. The seating arrangement felt quite compact.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#8
\nDuring non-peak hours, it was common to see people bringing bicycles onto the train.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#9
\nI once attended a safety course on electrical work. The instructor emphasized that high voltage electricity can be dangerous even without direct contact. This is known as \"arc discharge.\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#10
\nWe took the wrong train on the way back. Fortunately, the system is not too complicated, so we just waited for the correct one.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#11
\nA beautifully designed train car. I was actually trying to capture the small \"no firearms\" sign.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#12
\nEmergency instruction signs are commonly seen inside the train.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#13
\nThe door connecting train cars.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#14
\nThe train car is quite narrow. It reminds me of action movie scenes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#15
\nExiting the station, I noticed they use \"Out\" instead of \"Exit.\" The distinction is subtle but interesting.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#16
\nTraffic signs with the word \"Only\" are very common here.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#17
\nA historic-looking church.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#18
\nWe visited a campus store at the University of Chicago.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#19
\nMy son wanted to buy a Pokemon book. I gave him money and let him check out by himself.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n#20
\nThe library at the University of Chicago. It looks almost unreal.<\/p>\n

-<\/p>\n

This is the full set from this roll, shot with the Konica Big mini HG BM-300 35mm f3.5 and Fujifilm 400 (US version). Thank you for viewing, and thanks to DEP Lab for development and scanning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Roll 268 Film: Fujifilm 400 (US version, airport X-ray scanned inside a lead bag) Developed & scanned: DEP Lab 2025\/8\/5 Camera: Konica Big mini HG BM-300 35mm f3.5 - Every...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1842,1932],"tags":[1795,2024,2025],"class_list":{"0":"post-48329","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fujifilm-400-usa","8":"category-konica-big-mini-hg-bm-300","9":"tag-35mm-fixed-focus-point-and-shoot-camera","10":"tag-iso-400-color-film","11":"tag-deplab"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/000862560026.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48329"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48329\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48331,"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48329\/revisions\/48331"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeals75.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}