The price to performance of used cameras is absurd. My view is that digital photography tech hit maturity in 2008 with the release of the Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D700.
There is an overwhelming amount of professional gear out there at rock bottom prices. Consumer gear can be a blast when it’s cheap enough. The right camera for a style of shooting is going to be better than whatever the newest camera happens to be. (Unless you’re doing sports/action/wildlife. AF tech is getting absurd.)
Third Party Battery Paranoia
I have had batteries fall apart, fail within months, and with a capacity far below what’s on the label. It’s difficult to find good quality third party batteries.
There is an easy way ANYONE can inexpensively capacity test camera batteries. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to capacity test camera batteries. It is a simple DIY project that only requires, ~$30, a screwdriver, and pair of wire strippers.
Picking Out Vintage Lens Winners
All lenses aren’t equal, especially when it comes to vintage and early digital camera lenses. Modern lenses will give you images that are razor sharp corner to corner. Vintage lenses can set themselves apart by how they render, the color you can get with them, interesting bokeh, or other characteristics not valued by current photographers.
On the other hand, many vintage lenses are not good. Their performance may not be good enough to set them apart from other lenses. Worse, as time has gone on some lenses have defects such as haze, fungus, balsam separation, or degraded grease, that will render them worthless because of the difficulty in repair.
I’m somewhat indiscriminate in my purchasing of gear, so I get a mix of good, bad, and average. The lens reviews will help you find a lens worth owning. These are popular film cameras that recieve frequent lens questions.
The Minolta SRT 101 is a classic camera and a pleasure to use with a great lens. It was one of the first film cameras with full aperture TTL metering.
There are a handful of lenses that were popular when the camera was new. They cover all the popular types of photography.
I’m going to focus on lenses that a small, light, inexpensive, and fun to use.
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The Nikon FM2 is a fully mechanical 35mm SLR film camera manufactured in Japan by Nikon from 1982-2001. When released, it filled the middle of Nikon’s camera lineup, behind the F3.
The target customer for the FM2 would have been a camera for professional photographers or advanced enthusiast. Every review you’ll come across is likely to have given this camera five stars.
Don’t expect a camera designed with business in mind.
Need to know how to load film into your Canon AE-1? No problem, this guide will make sure that you are successful. Every step will be covered with a few tips and tricks along the way.
Before You Load Film Check the BatteryMake sure the battery is not dead. You will need to be able to operate the shutter.
If you do not have a battery, you will need LR44 batteries .
All of the steps needed to safely rewind a roll of film from the Canon AE-1 will be covered. Additionally, the options to get the film developed are covered.
If you need help on loading film into the camera that has already been covered in this step by step guide on how to load film into the Canon AE-1.
How to Rewind FilmTime needed: 1 minute.
Here are all the steps you need to follow to successfully rewind film from your Canon AE-1.
This step by step guide will show you how easy it is to load film into the Pentax K1000. Every step is covered to make sure you will be successful on your film photography journey!
Here is an explanation on how to rewind and remove film from the Pentax K1000. You will need to do this if there is film in the camera.
Film CompatibilityThe Pentax K1000 uses 35mm film that comes spooled up in a light tight canister.
Checking and adjusting settings based on what you see on your camera screen is not fast, accurate, or professional. If you’re doing analog film photography, you don’t have a screen to check.
A light meter is an important tool for photographers, videographers, and cinematographers. Without a light meter, you’re not going to be able to accurately recreate lighting setups.
This list of the best light meters will help you choose one that fits your needs.
