PHOTOGRAPHERS! NEED HELP! Please

[Luís]

Ok, I'm looking for an SLR. No digitals!

Around here there are only two stores and a Staples and no one deals with fully mechanicals anymore.

One of the stores is selling their old ones, tough, a few Canon EOS 5's.

I've read around but couldn't find their original prices. Do you have any idea on what something like this should cost?

I mean, a camera that hasn't been sold in a few years should have lowered in price right?

Also, is it a good purchase and at what price?

Have any of you used one?

[tone4days]

they should be giving them away .. and be careful about the availability of accessories, compatible lenses, etc ...

as for quality, yeah, the canons were fine ... are you talking about 'good enough for snapshots of vacation / family / etc' or something of high end art photography?

be sure you want to get into the cost of buying film and paying for processing film / printing pictures ... my wife refuses to embrace the digital age and we are finding the costs are going up and the quality is going down ... places use to change their chemicals MUCH more frequently when the volume of processing was high ... nowadays, i bet they dont do but a handful of rolls per week and aer not using fresh checmicals ... result is poorly developed negatives and substandard prints

[PFDarkside]

I know the 5 is a higher end model than the Rebel, but you can get a Rebel G or 2000 (300N or 500 outside of the US) on ebay for a song. (~$40) Fully auto and if you look you can find one that has been hardly used I bet.

(The only Film SLR currently made by Canon is the EOS-1V. The 5 was replaced in 1998 with the 3 series)

[wickedmartini]

What are you looking for? Do you already have a brand and model in mind? What features do you need? If you know what you're looking for, the best prices are through online dealers. You can save yourself a ton of cash.

[wickedmartini]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...t=Submit+Query

[Carl762]

I see nothing wrong with a Canon Digital Rebel SLR. All the features of an SLR, but hi-res digital.

[PFDarkside]

Shooting film like Velvia, T-Maxx and Infrared are all great reasons to shoot film.

(My cam is a Rebel XSi/450D, excellent digicam, and the EF Lenses work on all EOS film and digital cameras)

[uOpt]

This is explicitly not for digital cameras.

I'd still like to know why. So - why?

Either way, the old camera fans have in no way died out, and they keep the prices for the old high-end material up.

Either way, most of the work in making a photo look good is in the postprocessing, and that applies for film SLRs, too. But they are a pain in the neck to get the photos first developed and then scanned, or hire some lousy service that screws up both at the same time.

[Luís]

they should be giving them away .. and be careful about the availability of accessories, compatible lenses, etc ...

as for quality, yeah, the canons were fine ... are you talking about 'good enough for snapshots of vacation / family / etc' or something of high end art photography?

be sure you want to get into the cost of buying film and paying for processing film / printing pictures ... my wife refuses to embrace the digital age and we are finding the costs are going up and the quality is going down ... places use to change their chemicals MUCH more frequently when the volume of processing was high ... nowadays, i bet they dont do but a handful of rolls per week and aer not using fresh checmicals ... result is poorly developed negatives and substandard prints

I looked around and it should work with all EOS lens systems save for digital ones.

I just want a camera that lets me control it and isn't fussy about batteries, and involves computers as little as I can. Don't get me wrong, I can work a digicam as well as the next guy but I'm tired of them. Some of the best pics I took were with my old Olympus Trip and I had to work the aperture and all that. I knew what I was doing there and you had to do it (unless you set it to auto but then again it had a selenium meter for something, and it worked better than most digis I've tried). I want to go back, I already work so much with computers that I want something that requires the least ammount of technology (electronics, at least) possible.

As far as the end use... I won't be shooting weddings but I want something to take some good pictures, the stuff you can't take with a regular 35mm compact camera and without getting into digitals.

As far as develloping, yeah, it costs around 15€ to devellop a film around here and I bet their chems could be better but I'm also considering devellop them myself if the hobby sticks.

I know the 5 is a higher end model than the Rebel, but you can get a Rebel G or 2000 (300N or 500 outside of the US) on ebay for a song. (~$40) Fully auto and if you look you can find one that has been hardly used I bet.

(The only Film SLR currently made by Canon is the EOS-1V. The 5 was replaced in 1998 with the 3 series)

I don't really have a choice but I hope I can use that as a bargaining chip if the price is too high. These were cameras the photographers at the store used a lot so I hope that works to my advantage too.

What are you looking for? Do you already have a brand and model in mind? What features do you need? If you know what you're looking for, the best prices are through online dealers. You can save yourself a ton of cash.

I want the basics. Aperture, exposure time, all mechanical (no need for auto shooting/advance), replaceable lenses. After looking around I reckon a Nikon FM10 would be cool but some people can't get their heads around the fact it's an entry level machine and so the plastic body is where they save their money.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...t=Submit+Query

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...Body_50mm.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._Kit_with.html

Those two are the most basic fully manual camera's, hence what I want. I already knew about the Nikon, glad to see Vivitar is also an option.

I see nothing wrong with a Canon Digital Rebel SLR. All the features of an SLR, but hi-res digital.

I see a problem... It's digital. I don't want that instant gratification, I want to think and shoot and wait for the filme to devellop and be surprised. Digital is good for legal stuff, for when you positivelly need to know how that picture is going to end up. I just want to get away from that.

Shooting film like Velvia, T-Maxx and Infrared are all great reasons to shoot film.

(My cam is a Rebel XSi/450D, excellent digicam, and the EF Lenses work on all EOS film and digital cameras)

The guy told me it won't work with any of the digital lenses, but I'm sure they still make lenses for it.

[Luís]

This is explicitly not for digital cameras.

I'd still like to know why. So - why?

Either way, the old camera fans have in no way died out, and they keep the prices for the old high-end material up.

Either way, most of the work in making a photo look good is in the postprocessing, and that applies for film SLRs, too. But they are a pain in the neck to get the photos first developed and then scanned, or hire some lousy service that screws up both at the same time.

That's the risk I'm willing to pay. I'm not doing jobs with the camera so there is no real lose save for my own time work in taking those pics. Then again, that has always happened before, I lost plenty of films to 1 hour places before finding a decent place.

Funny how that is, you used to be able to find all sorts of places develloping film and selling camera's, now it's either digital or they just shoot and sell you frames and digital copies...

Thanks for all the replies so far, fellers.

[PFDarkside]

The only lenses it won't work with are "EF-S" lenses, any "EF" EOS lenses (made since the mid 80's) will work. EF-S lenses are about 10% of the current lineup.

[uOpt]

I still don't understand why you want film instead of digital.

Is that because you think you get a better camera cheaper because it is obsolete?

If so, that plan won't work out, I'm afraid. The cool film stuff is still sought after and the money for the film and picture development will add up quickly.

Plus as I said, even a mediocre digital + postprocessing will beat a film camera with no processing any day. And this is 10 times so for a beginner since you have to do more of the composition after the fact. And you have less chance of using the full bandwidth of the medium with the exposure that you come up with.

It's like the gain on the mixing desk, except you literally only get one shot and can't observe. You need a lot of experience to use the full bandwidth of the mixer.

[Luís]

I still don't understand why you want film instead of digital.

Is that because you think you get a better camera cheaper because it is obsolete?

If so, that plan won't work out, I'm afraid. The cool film stuff is still sought after and the money for the film and picture development will add up quickly.

Plus as I said, even a mediocre digital + postprocessing will beat a film camera with no processing any day. And this is 10 times so for a beginner since you have to do more of the composition after the fact. And you have less chance of using the full bandwidth of the medium with the exposure that you come up with.

It's like the gain on the mixing desk, except you literally only get one shot and can't observe. You need a lot of experience to use the full bandwidth of the mixer.

There is my reason. Price is equal, some things are cheaper, some or more expensive, in the end it's all the same. My main reason is nostalgia if you will. I want a decent camera that has the least amount of automation, even if I can jump in and go manual. I want to make mistakes and see them, not just erase the picture and taking another. Thats for when I have to take a pic of my dad's work or for something where there is no feeling, just an accurate representation of something.

I should also mention I'm making a pinhole camera if it helps you understand.

[Chaos]

I have a few old Nikon bodies and lenses boxed up somewhere around the house. If you are interested I'll look around for them. (Nikon "F" and "FA" bodies if I remember correctly)

[SlowGroove]

I do not know much about canon products, but ask me about ANY (from 1980 onwards) 35mm NIKON film camera and i can help out !

I still shoot on film myself, and print my own B&W in my own lil darkroom - it's the best !


James

[SlowGroove]

be sure you want to get into the cost of buying film and paying for processing film / printing pictures ... my wife refuses to embrace the digital age and we are finding the costs are going up and the quality is going down ... places use to change their chemicals MUCH more frequently when the volume of processing was high ... nowadays, i bet they dont do but a handful of rolls per week and aer not using fresh checmicals ... result is poorly developed negatives and substandard prints

This unfortunatly very true - but i develope my own B&W by hand !
It is much better this way, as i can 'push & pull' my film any way i like !
Negative developing machines can NOT !



James

[wickedmartini]

I have a few old Nikon bodies and lenses boxed up somewhere around the house. If you are interested I'll look around for them. (Nikon "F" and "FA" bodies if I remember correctly)

Me! Me! Me!

[wickedmartini]

I still shoot both film and digital. But I'm wacky like that. They are two different animals and each have their merits. I shot a job tonight and had to change batteries twice in my DSLR. Never had to do that with film. Love the instant gratification with digital but film still has a certain kind of magic. It's like the difference betwenn plugging my Strat into a POD or plugging into my old Fender Twin. Both have their merits but there are some things that one can't offer that the other can.

[Luís]

I have a few old Nikon bodies and lenses boxed up somewhere around the house. If you are interested I'll look around for them. (Nikon "F" and "FA" bodies if I remember correctly)

Thanks, I'd appreciate that, bro.

I do not know much about canon products, but ask me about ANY (from 1980 onwards) 35mm NIKON film camera and i can help out !

I still shoot on film myself, and print my own B&W in my own lil darkroom - it's the best !


James

If I find some Nikons I like I'll remember to ask, thanks

I still shoot both film and digital. But I'm wacky like that. They are two different animals and each have their merits. I shot a job tonight and had to change batteries twice in my DSLR. Never had to do that with film. Love the instant gratification with digital but film still has a certain kind of magic. It's like the difference betwenn plugging my Strat into a POD or plugging into my old Fender Twin. Both have their merits but there are some things that one can't offer that the other can.

That sums up all I've been trying to say beautifully

[KoreanGuitarMan]

Shoot film because you love the grain structure of T-max or the dramatic contrast of Fuji slide stock, or even because you just have fun in the dark room. Don't do it because you think shooting film is more pure. That's bollocks. Shooting film is just as complicated as shooting digital, it's just that you've been shrouded from from it by having someone else to do darkroom duty for you. If it's not a setting in the camera, it's film selection, exposure time on the enlarger, etc.

Cheap point and shoot digicams are one thing (and even those can take spectacular pictures if you know what you're doing), but If you shoot better pictures with a full manual film camera than you do with a DSLR, the problem is not with the equipment but with the operator. I think the problem is a lack of deeper understanding in how digital cameras function. That, and placebo. DSLR cameras do have full manual modes, and they more or less operate just like film cameras do. If you know the ins and outs of shooting 35mm film, DSLRs are easy.

My only advice if you're really set on getting into film right now is to look into a used Nikon F4, F100 or the like. They're available cheap and you've got nearly 40 years worth of lenses you can work with. Old Nikon lenses will work on DSLRs as well.