Hi, and can you recc a film camera? :)

Heidia · Nov 11, 2010

Hi! My name is Heidi. I currently shoot with a dslr. I am itching to try film. Why? I love how it looks. No matter how much I try in post processing, I cannot get my digi black and white pics to look like film black and white, which is so pretty. I look forward to learning alot here. This community looks great!

Could someone reccomend a film camera? I feel so lost...I know nothing about the film cameras, only the digis! Right now, I have a Canon with an EF lense. So, I would love to find an old canon film cam that I can use my EF lense on. Also, I hear the old batteries may not be replaceable if they die, so I would love to find a cam that takes regular batteries I can get at the store(AA, etc.). Want something I can shoot 100% manual with. I will use a light meter for exposure. But, open to other brands too. Please help! And, Thanks, and HELLO!

M.A.Longmore · Nov 11, 2010

.
Hi Heidi,

Welcome To APUG !

clogz · Nov 11, 2010

For battery adapters: www.criscam.com

maarten m · Nov 11, 2010

welcome, hiedia!

you can use any analog eos-camera with your EF lenses, but NOT EFs-lenses.
i use a canon eos 100.

maarten.

Jeff Kubach · Nov 11, 2010

Hello and Welcome to APUG! Check out KEH Used Cameras. They have a lot of good choices. You might look up the old Canon FD stuff. Some are pure manual, also manual focus.

Jeff

alexhill · Nov 11, 2010

Go for a cannon AE-1 and get a 50mm lens for it. Its 100% manual, has a light meter, and is cheap.

Welcome to apug.

SuzanneR · Nov 11, 2010

Never used Canon gear, so I can't help you there, but I'm sure you can find what you'll need at KEH, as mentioned above, and welcome!

guitstik · Nov 11, 2010

What kind of photography do you want to do with a film camera? If you want to shoot 100% manual then you don't need to worry about batteries if you go with an older camera like a Minolta SRT-101 or Olympus OM-1 series of cameras but you should be prepared to have a CLA done adding to the price of the camera. Checking on the B&H or KEH web sites may help you to find a good camera that has already been serviced. Is there a camera club in your area, if so then check it out and see if anyone shoots with film anymore (my club shoots predominantly digi and I think that I am the last film/darkroom shooter there). I have garnered several of my film cameras from those that have moved on to digi and most have been in great shape not needing a CLA (people that gather in clubs tend to take care of equipment). My best advice would be to check the web and ebay for cameras and do your own research because by asking that kind of question on a forum will get you a lot of different opinions but no firm answers.

Oh and by the way, welcome to apug. Be sure to read the rules and feel free to ask questions and consider becoming a subscriber so that when you do get going with the film you will be able to post your prints.

Chazzy · Nov 11, 2010

Welcome to APUG. You already have a Canon digital camera that takes EF lenses, and you have one lens for it already, so it obviously makes sense to get a film camera which is compatible. I would recommend a Canon EOS 3. They are very capable cameras, and the battery, while a little unusual, is still easy to obtain. If you don't have the money for an EOS 3, consider the Canon Elan 7ne or another Elan camera.

j-dogg · Nov 11, 2010

Chazzy said:
Welcome to APUG. You already have a Canon digital camera that takes EF lenses, and you have one lens for it already, so it obviously makes sense to get a film camera which is compatible. I would recommend a Canon EOS 3. They are very capable cameras, and the battery, while a little unusual, is still easy to obtain. If you don't have the money for an EOS 3, consider the Canon Elan 7ne or another Elan camera.

this.....I have the Elan 7e and it's a beast, I use it for all my black and whites

AgX · Nov 11, 2010

Welcome Heidia!

You might consider correcting within your profile that type of camera/format setting. "sub 35" stands (to my understanding) for films smaller than 35mm.

Apug is a great place for special issues. But a newcomer to analogue photography should really try to get hold of some good (2nd hand) books on that subject.

The names of early Canon EF cameras varied, depending on the market. That could be a bit confusing.
Due to your spelling I guess you are situated in the USA.

Sirius Glass · Nov 11, 2010

Welcome to APUG.

First you should figure out what you want, then go to KEH. Otherwise you are entering a candy store on an empty stomach.

Steve

faustotesta · Nov 11, 2010

Welcome. Market is full of analog stuff at (sometime) symbolic prices. With internet you won't have problem in finding what you're looking for. I tried KEH and had no problem. You may also have a look at classifieds here on APUG. I would also recommend to build on the gear you already own. Canon users have already started to suggest. Stay here. This is a great place to be.
Ciao

papagene · Nov 11, 2010

Heidi - hello and welcome to APUG. I also recommend the Canon EOS Elan 7.

hpulley · Nov 11, 2010

I have an original Canon EOS 650 which I like though I wish it had an option to leave the leader of the film out since I process my own. If you drop it off for processing at a lab then they won't care if the leader is in or out (I do open the film cans from my 650, it is just a bit of an annoyance). My EOS-1N RS is my favorite so far, it and the EOS RT have pellicle mirrors so you can see the image in the viewfinder all the time like a rangefinder, there is no 'blackout' while the mirror is up.

Almost any Canon EOS will do well for B&W but if you think you'll try Infrared film then you need to be careful as some bodies use an IR diode inside the film back which fogs IR film. The EOS-1 and the EOS 650, 620 and 630 bodies are fine.

I like the full featured EOS-1 bodies the best but for starting out get something used from Adorama or KEH or from a local camera store, ELAN, 50, 5, doesn't really matter for the most part all will take good pictures, just different numbers of frames per second, number of AF points, etc. Don't buy new, new EOS bodies are still quite expensive for some reason while you can get an EOS-1 top of the line for under $100 if you look.

ntenny · Nov 11, 2010

I don't think there are really any bad EOS cameras, and the older and/or lower-featured ones can be ludicrously cheap. (I got my Rebel X for six bucks from KEH!) To me it makes no sense *not* to buy an EOS body to share lenses with your DSLR. I absolutely love the older Canon manual stuff, but it isn't interoperable with the EOS system (well, you can get an adapter to mount FD lenses on an EOS body) and is probably a good thing to get addicted to later.

Learning to develop your own b&w film is easy as pie, by the way. (Actually, making a good pie can be a little challenging, so why do we say that?)

Oh, and welcome to APUG!

-NT

RPippin · Nov 11, 2010

Hello and welcome Heidia. I just recently traded in my Canon 50D for a Nikon FE3 with a battery grip and 105mm lens. Love it, and it's opened a whole new thing for me. Usually I carry around a Bronica SQA or a Mamiya C330 for quick and dirty shots, and shoot with a 4X5 the rest of the time. Love the camera and the Nikon lenses are hard to beat.

ignatiu5 · Nov 11, 2010

Hi Heidi, and welcome to APUG!

As maarten m mentioned, if you have an EF but not EF-S lens, youre golden with any analog Canon EOS body. If thats the case, I concur with several others that the Elan 7 series or an EOS 3 are great cameras (I have/shoot several); highly recommended. I can also recommend shopping at KEH.com. Batteries for pretty much any EOS film SLR are easy to find, at least in the US.

However, if you just want a cheap route to see if you like burning film, I present to you an option in the time-honored tradition of APUGers initiating the addiction... I mean... helping film newbies out:

For the cost of shipping, Ill send you a Canon EOS 650 to play with as you wish. Solidly built, manual control of shutter speed/aperture/exposure compensation with auto options should you so desire. Its a simple EOS camera, no muss, no fuss, but it will get you started.

The catch (theres always a catch, isnt there)? Here, there are two:

1. You promise to send me a darkroom print, at some point in the future. Any subject, any size, any quality, any time. Could be a goof of your thumb in front of the lens; I dont care, I just want you to smell the fixer.

2. You hand the camera off to somebody else when you upgrade (and, oh, you will upgrade. Just search for GAS here on APUG).

If thats acceptable, send me a private message (PM) and well get the details done.

Cheers,

Ignatiu5

John Koehrer · Nov 11, 2010

Not a Canon person but the Elan 7 gives a very good value especially if you already have a lens It's also very light if that helps.
I think the battery concern you're thinking of is for the oldest FD mount cameras, they used mercury 1.35V cells that are no longer available.

Ottrdaemmerung · Nov 11, 2010

You probably won't find any film cameras that take AA batteries, unless they're cheapie point-and-shoots. Most take small coin-type batteries and if you look around you'll find that these batteries are still being made, or you can easily adapt another type of battery to fit, since what really matters is the voltage.

You'll probably start out with 35mm, and the good news in film cameras is that all you really need batteries for generally is the meter; the film is wound by hand on all but the most modern SLRs. If you're using a handheld meter, you may not want to use the one made into the camera. Some cameras, even ones with meters, don't even need batteries at all! You should easily be able to find a camera to fall in love with, that feels right for you.

Also, if you start getting into film seriously, I highly recommend learning to process your own B&W film. It's SO easy and will give you a huge feeling of accomplishment. When I shoot a session with digital, I feel the burden of pictures that need to be adjusted and edited. When I shoot film, I can hardly wait to retreat to my bathroom to develop the rolls.

MattKing · Nov 11, 2010

Welcome to APUG!

I'd recommend a Canon EOS film camera, so that you can share lenses across platforms.

The Canon EOS cameras use a variety of batteries - I recently acquired a seven year old Rebel 2000 that uses two "CR2" batteries. They are readily available in the photo department just down the street from where I live, and on the internet as well, for quite a bit less. I also found a battery grip for it that allows me to use AA batteries instead.

Have fun!

hpulley · Nov 11, 2010

The Canon EOS-1 and EOS-3 battery grip/power boosters can often take 8-AA cells or something like that. My EOS-1N RS takes 8 AA cells which is good because the old NICAD batteries are loooong dead and every one I've ever found at a store will not take a charge. The later NIHM batteries and of course modern lithium cells are much better.

The first EOS 650 body and some later ones take the same 6V 2CR5 lithium battery which is still very common and easy to get today. Energizer, Panasonic, make them and all camera and electronics stores sell them, probably department stores too. Later cameras take CR2 or CR123A batteries, all are available today.

The only cameras which have battery problems today really are the older cadmium cell metered cameras. They mostly took Mercury cells which have been out of production for years now due to environmental reasons. I bought a box before they went out of production and they still work today though with those cameras when the batteries die you just lose the meter, the shutter still works so you can just use a proper external meter instead. Edit: and some Mercury cell cameras can be converted to silver cells with adjustments. Or there are Wein cells...

Tom Kershaw · Nov 11, 2010

Ottrdaemmerung said:
You probably won't find any film cameras that take AA batteries, unless they're cheapie point-and-shoots. Most take small coin-type batteries and if you look around you'll find that these batteries are still being made, or you can easily adapt another type of battery to fit, since what really matters is the voltage.

You'll probably start out with 35mm, and the good news in film cameras is that all you really need batteries for generally is the meter; the film is wound by hand on all but the most modern SLRs. If you're using a handheld meter, you may not want to use the one made into the camera. Some cameras, even ones with meters, don't even need batteries at all! You should easily be able to find a camera to fall in love with, that feels right for you.

Also, if you start getting into film seriously, I highly recommend learning to process your own B&W film. It's SO easy and will give you a huge feeling of accomplishment. When I shoot a session with digital, I feel the burden of pictures that need to be adjusted and edited. When I shoot film, I can hardly wait to retreat to my bathroom to develop the rolls.

Nikon motordrives and auto focus film SLR bodies take AA batteries.

Tom

AgX · Nov 11, 2010

Ottrdaemmerung said:
You probably won't find any film cameras that take AA batteries, unless they're cheapie point-and-shoots.

The professional Canon T90 takes AA cells (four of them).

Ottrdaemmerung · Nov 11, 2010

Tom Kershaw said:
Nikon motordrives and auto focus film SLR bodies take AA batteries.

I didn't mean motor drives, just cameras. And evidently some film bodies do take AAs, but it looks like they tend to be newer ones. I should have known, since I have a Nikon N5005!

I stand corrected... and stand develop.

Hi, and can you recc a film camera? :)

Heidia

M.A.Longmore

clogz

maarten m

Jeff Kubach

alexhill

SuzanneR

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guitstik

Chazzy

j-dogg

AgX

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ntenny

RPippin

ignatiu5

John Koehrer

Ottrdaemmerung

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Tom Kershaw

AgX

Ottrdaemmerung

Hi, and can you recc a film camera? :)

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