Gravitating toward my older Cameras

CLAdictic

CLAdictic

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I have to admit a real fondness for my older film cameras, as opposed to my digital. Case in point, my Canon F-1 new model. I recently acquired an AE finder for my tank. Pick it up, it's heavy, never mind a lens. Match needle meter readout, how many even know what match needle metering is? Film advance lever, rewind button and take up spool. I could go on, but you get my point, it's a camera, not a computer.
 
Oh I hear you. The simplicity is so much more enjoyable than dealing with menus and lots of icons and clutter. Plus B&W film looks so good and is hard to emulate in digital.
 
CLAdictic said:
I have to admit a real fondness for my older film cameras, as opposed to my digital. Case in point, my Canon F-1 new model. I recently acquired an AE finder for my tank. Pick it up, it's heavy, never mind a lens. Match needle meter readout, how many even know what match needle metering is? Film advance lever, rewind button and take up spool. I could go on, but you get my point, it's a camera, not a computer.
Click to expand...

I'm not. What is your point?

Tactile feeling, not the content?

Digital cameras are better tools for getting the content.
It doesn't mean brainless machinegunning, but getting decent photo with content requires exposures.
In my film days I used several bulk rolls of bw films and dozens of color film cassettes per year.
How much film do you use?
Or it is not about exposures, photography, but gear?
If so I'm with you. I like my family FED-2. As the camera.
 
I also am getting more joy out of "simple" cameras. My OM1n kit and my Nikon FM2n have seen a lot more use lately. They long ago became an extension of my being and I don't have to think how to use them.
 
John Bragg said:
I also am getting more joy out of "simple" cameras. My OM1n kit and my Nikon FM2n have seen a lot more use lately. They long ago became an extension of my being and I don't have to think how to use them.
Click to expand...


That's it - pick up camera - take picture - simple...


Regards, David
 
I love taking pictures with Barnack Leicas and Barnack copies. The look of the camera and the act of setting it up and taking the time necessary for photos is adding so much to my joy of photography. I shot digital for years but it is film fun time since 2019 for me.
 
CLAdictic said:
I have to admit a real fondness for my older film cameras, as opposed to my digital. Case in point, my Canon F-1 new model. I recently acquired an AE finder for my tank. Pick it up, it's heavy, never mind a lens. Match needle meter readout, how many even know what match needle metering is? Film advance lever, rewind button and take up spool. I could go on, but you get my point, it's a camera, not a computer.
Click to expand...

(Hand is up) I know! I know! It's when one needle moves when you change the shutter speed, and it points to the new shutter speed. And the other needle shows the amount of light coming through the lens, and when you have it on top of the first needle, you have the right exposure!

I am also a fan of match needle exposure readout, and I prefer it to a digital display such as numbers or blinking LEDs, because exposure is an inherently analog phenomenon, so I feel it's best represented in an analog way.
 
Now and then I like to look at and handle my black Nikon straight F which I bought used in 1974.


I like to shoot with my "old" digital Fuji, an X E2. hmm....
 
Many of us are doing this nowadays. Not only the 'ancients' - I see many young photographers out and about with film cameras of all descriptions, making use of nice old gear that a few years ago was being flogged off on Ebay and in retail shops for the price of a pizza and a coffee. There is yet hope for analog.

It may be telling (at least here in Australia) that few film cameras are being offered on Ebay, compared to a year ago. My theory is many sellers are now sick of Ebay and its latest money-grabbing tactic, but more so, there may be a resurgence of interest in film photography and so we are all hanging on to our film equipment.

Ko.fe is baiting us again, but he is amusing and his images are impressive, so I grin and bear it. To me, photography with film cameras is an entirely different mind-set from the machine-gun happy-snapping many digiheads do and then (alas) post the lot online to bore us all with the 1400+ same-same images they shot during last Sunday's foray in the local park. All the digital users I know ask me to go online and look at their latest bulk posts. I sigh and the thought, "same old same old" comes to mind.

Limiting oneself to 12 Rollei or 36 35mm images imposes a useful mental discipline. One's concentration is improved and the deeper thought processes click in. Brain cells get aired out and cleansed. We look at things rather than just gaze at them and reach for the digi-whatever to make x dozen images of that nice burdock bush in full bloom or the Brutalist-design public toilet block. Analogue is about thinking, and in this rush-rush age we no longer seem to do enough of that.

To be fair, film photography isn't all honey treacle and maple syrup. On the minus-side, there's scanning. Nothing surpasses two hours spent with my laptop and Plustek to remind me that less is most definitely better.
 
A camera is just like any other tool. Does it help me or not? I like fooling around with the old cameras and my wooden 8x10 is a joy to use. For street where I need to shoot fast I prefer something more recent.
 
Use the camera which helps you get what you want.

In situations where I’ve been shooting sports, street scenes, or something where I needed to distribute photos, I use digital - but generally I don’t enjoy it. Others obviously do enjoy it. Even so, long before digital photography, plenty of great photos in those genres were made on film.

Most of my photos are landscape, architecture, nature, and simple scenes with people. When I want to make photos and enjoy myself, I choose film and film cameras. I like the way they operate - the viewfinder, the dials, the displays - it’s all part of the process I enjoy.
 
I changed the settings within the terrifying menus of my Olympus OMD so that the twin dials for aperture and shutter speed move at 1EV instead of 1/3 or whatever they do by default. I recommend it! It changes things when each click of the dial goes up or down, just like an analogue camera dial (within reason, ignoring partial stops on an aperture dial and all that). Adds some simplicity, which is nice.
 
agentlossing said:
I changed the settings within the terrifying menus of my Olympus OMD so that the twin dials for aperture and shutter speed move at 1EV instead of 1/3 or whatever they do by default. I recommend it! It changes things when each click of the dial goes up or down, just like an analogue camera dial (within reason, ignoring partial stops on an aperture dial and all that). Adds some simplicity, which is nice.
Click to expand...

Heh. I always go the other direction and set them for 1/3 or 1/2 stop intervals, just like on most of my film cameras. 🙂

G
 
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