Film Camera Vs Digital Cameras

[F5user]

ok any has any recommendation if i wanna buy a manual SLR?

and a recommended setup for a beginners? and how much would it cosT?

Ok la.... as the others said.. hang around with ppl when they shoot, or borrow equipment and try try.. that's the best.. get the feel of the equipment... see what u need and like.

But if u really really wanna start soon and fast, the Canon AE - 1 or Nikon FM2 are excellent choices...

Price range: not too sure abt the AE-1 but a 8/10 condition here in the USA will set u back by around 200 usd.

The FM2, a good conditioned one will be around 300 - 400 from Clubsnap ppl, or from peninsula plaze, places like TCW, etc...

Lenses, if u wanna hold on to them for future use, a nikon 50 mm 1.8 AFD new would be around 170 - 190, used (8 - 9/10) 120$ or thereabouts.... sharp good standard lense that u can use on the af nikon bodies...

As for the canon lenses, that one.. i donno.. never had an ae - 1... so mounting might be different from AF bodies... check with other clubsnappers on that.

Yashica or the pentax ones are good too, but lense choices might be tougher... as there are not many lenses out thjere now, compared to the 2 other major brands.. and u can't really use the same lenses for your future systems unless u plan to go towards the yashica, contax SLR ZEISS road. :thumbsup: check around..

Try out the systems, borrow from some of the clubsnappers here who are kind enuff to lend the camera to u... know the camera, read about it, go online, read abt the METERS especially... IMPT!!!

I would gladly lend u my FG, or FM2 to try out but i'm too darn far away... sorry (usa)...

Let us know what u decide on k?

Good luck

 

[w.s]

...My son got the Canon G4 to start off with photography too 3 yrs back... now, he's simply been spending $@!$@!$@! amounts of limpeh's $ on Dslr equipment (bodies alone) and continually wants to upgrade. :nono:

:bsmilie: :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

 

[LustForLife]

But if you are really looking for a manual Camera, I can lend you my Pentax KX with 50mm lens for a month so you can use it. Wait till you feel comfortable with cameras then you can buy one which you will like (And return me the KX, of course). [/QUOTE]

that's very generous of you. but then...i cannot accept such offer lah. paiseh.

 

[LustForLife]

seems like now everyone pushing me to buy a SLR man. heh.

 

[denniskee]

If your budget's $400, get yourself a film camera as mentioned above, a cheap lense, a nice loupe (30$) and shoot slides (3$ per roll online, fuji sensia) Development's 4$ at Ruby's, and you'll be amazed with the results you get.

Just do like me lor, flip study daylight lamp facing up, place a tupperware white translucent cover on top (remember to leave a gap for ventilation. Cut the core of a toilet roll to the length of 25mm. Place your 50mm lens on top as you would for an extension tube. There you are, all ready to go. Remember to use the lens with the front element facing up.

This way, you get very big eye releaf (wrong spelling), so you dont have to strain you eyes as you would with the cheap cheap loup, 10x also no use, very tired for the eyes as you have to use it more like a jewellers scope. Those 10x loup, view 1 or 2 slides and call it a day, thats how bad it was to me.

 

[LustForLife]

F5user....you haven' tell me what's slide pictures

 

[LustForLife]

anyway i'm already looking at a yashica fx3 2000 that someone is selling in the forum for around 250.

 

[denniskee]

Be warn, yashica mount lens more expensive than pentax K mount (pls correct me if I am wrong.)

The other way is like me, get M42 screw mount lens + 1 M42 to K adaptor.

I also use the M42 screw mount lens on my canon system since I have 2 pcs of M42 to EOS EF mount adaptor.

 

[F5user]

F5user....you haven' tell me what's slide pictures

Tell u already la.... go check your message box

 

[blurblock]

But if you are really looking for a manual Camera, I can lend you my Pentax KX with 50mm lens for a month so you can use it. Wait till you feel comfortable with cameras then you can buy one which you will like (And return me the KX, of course).

that's very generous of you. but then...i cannot accept such offer lah. paiseh.[/QUOTE]

Up to you .... anyway, I have 5 cameras, so lending you one KX is no problem for me.

By the way, Yashica cameras uses contax zeiss mount ... you might like to think first if you do require such high end lenses .... each lens is at least 4 digits......

 

[The_Cheat]

Up to you .... anyway, I have 5 cameras, so lending you one KX is no problem for me.

By the way, Yashica cameras uses contax zeiss mount ... you might like to think first if you do require such high end lenses .... each lens is at least 4 digits......

Hee hee~! The evil plan by blurblock is in the process of revival!! :bsmilie:

CZ lens are rather expensive, but they are hell of a lens. You should also consider Olympus Manual cameras OM series... zuiko prime lenses are not any less inferior than most other mounts anyway! Minolta manual cameras are superb too.

But be warned that when you really plunge into a manual SLR, the often out-of-production lenses are hard to find. The frustration of not able to get the lens you want, when you have the means too, could sometimes make one so fed up that he/she sell the whole system away! :bsmilie:

 

[taku1a]

My son got the Canon G4 to start off with photography too 3 yrs back... now, he's simply been spending $@!$@!$@! amounts of limpeh's $ on Dslr equipment (bodies alone) and continually wants to upgrade. :nono:

Trust me. Even if your son gets a AE1 to start photography now, he will still want to upgrade. The way camera and lens manufacturer do business nowadays are much much different from 30 years ago. And Canon probably more so than Nikon.

The last thing Canon want is a customer who buys a camera and a 50mm prime and use them for 30 years. So it's a new version of the same lens and camera every other year. Not even manual camera users are impervious to such temptations. :bsmilie:

 

[taku1a]

F5user....you haven' tell me what's slide pictures

And you're going to start with a manual SLR with a fixed prime? Hmm... :think: I say better start making friends who shoot manual or join a photo club. You really need like-minded friends when you start on this character-building path.

 

[Parchiao]

Don't even for one moment think that you should start off with a manual focus camera. Chances are that your learning curve will become steeper, and a lot more expensive. When you grow out of your manual focus camera, it more very likely that nobody will buy it from you unless you sell them at cut throat prices. Use adapters someone says? They did not mention to you that depending on the lens mount, adapter and camera mount combination, you might end up using your camera in manual mode i.e. you adjust the aperture and shutter speed manually.

P.S. When I say manual focus cameras, I was referring to those M42 screw mounts like the Takumars, Canon AE mounts and even in time to come the Contax Yashica mounts. The Nikon and Leica mounts are still viable options in the forseable future.

 

[chenchengcai]

Am really interested in starting photography but i don't know which type of camera i should get in order to pursue my interest. however i have a tight budget of just about $400 to start off with.

have a deal of a second hand sony 707 - is that a camera to start of photography?

or should i just get a film SLR with that kind of money to start of photography??

my thoughts are that using digital cameras i do not have to waste money on developing films and i could actually see if i have made mistakes while taking pictures immediately after taking them thru the lcd on the digital camera.

but i'm afraid that by using a digital camera i would lose basics of photography that is compromised because the fact that i don't have a DSLR and personally i feel that taking pictures using film cameras are better than digital cameras.

correct me if i'm wrong in anything. suggestions and recommendation would be deeply appreciated. thanks .

digital is good for beginners but dun spend too much for a start, esp due to digital body is expensive compared to film. most importantly, there is someone to guide you thru the basics.

its nice to learn film like shooting the costly yet addictive slides film (fantastic to view slides with lightbox and lupe!),
black & white film hand dev & printing (read up on the printing part, its pretty interesting on how the masters dodge and burn the photo,balancing, to a fantastic photo!).

i use film SLR, digital still too expensive for me.

 

[denniskee]

1) Sorry, as per what Parchiao stated, yes, you may have to manually set the aperture and shutter speed in mordern camera (if you up grade the SLR or to DSLR).

For canon, for most of the model, you can set in Av mode (some can also use in P mode), the camera will select the shutter speed. Or if you want, use it in M mode so you decide both aperture and shutter speed.

It may also lead to inaccurate ambient metering from the camera (eg eos30,33).

But hey, if you are well verse in full manual camera, chances are you can meter well base on your on eye and judgement.

2) If you buy used legendary full manual camera, most likely, they are not going to drop too much.

If you buy used normal full manual camera, chances are the prices are already low now, just keep it as backup lor.

For most of my friends who shoots in digital, they still keep a film camera, of which, some of us still keep a full manual camera.

3) IMO, it is also because of $$$, it will force you to be very critical in every shot. Recording the setting also helps in the learning.

4) Best way for you, IMO, take up the friendly offer by fellow CSer, try out the camera, be it digital camera, Auto everything film camera or full manual camera. Join the photo shoot outing they have here. After a while, you will know what you want, than its good time to take the plunge.

 

[taku1a]

Chances are that your learning curve will become steeper, and a lot more expensive.

Steeper learning curve, likely. A lot more expensive? Depends. I must admit that certain option like DSLR is still much more expensive than a manual film SLR.

But I don't see the logic supporting the argument that using a manual and/or film SLR will force one to learn more about composition, technical analysis, etc.

Unless someone tells me that a manual camera shutter button is designed to refuse to operate when the photographer makes a "wrong" composition.

If worrying about the cost of film makes the photographer becomes careful of what he shoots, that's even worse. I think it is a mistake if the photographers decides to scrouge on film or development costs. They end up shooting little and learn even less. And they almost never experiment.

 

[Parchiao]

I am of the opinion that someone who starts out should try out digital cameras like the Oly 5050 or 5060, Canon's G series and Nikon's 5400 and the excellent 8400 etc. These cameras provide for sufficient functions that mimicks most of the functionalities that you would find in a film SLR.

If the option is to take the film SLR route, go with something more current like the Canon 30v or Nikon F80 and a good all round lens in the range of 24-85mm. A reasonably good body means that you don't have to upgrade unnecessarily, maybe just the lens.

 

[denniskee]

Theres always more than 1 way to look @ the same subject, depending on your own charactor / preferrence.

A 1/2 fill glass can also be said to be 1/2 emptied.

I do agree that most of the time, I use digital for expt photog. Once I think I am there, I will switch to slides to take afew final shots. But thats for expt. photography.

For getting the basic solid, full manual camera should be better. But this is just my thoughts.

 

[shioks76]

Ever heard of the microsoft gospel do more with less.
Modern cameras film or digital come with advanced metering and stuff.
With full manual u have to spend much time at one place just adjusting the focusing, metering etc.

With the more modern cameras, you can focus on a lot of other things that matter just as much or even more. Like composition. Some momments happen in an instant, by the time u focus and meter properly, the particular momment might have been missed.

Also if u want to try things like sports, nature shots like animals moving, insects.
etc.

Full manual cameras might be good for landscapes and situations where people are willing to pose for u. For all other situations its a liability. Think long and hard b4 u get one.