Which film camera is best for you? – A beginner’s guide
Introduction
Which film camera is best for a beginner? Well, there is no straight answer to that question. The answer begins with “it depends”..
It depends on what your objectives are. For beginners, I always advocate that you do a self-reflection and pursue this as a true and honest adventure, not out of peer pressure, in order to get the best out of the hobby. Your objectives also determine which film camera is ideal for you, because choosing the wrong camera can actually frustrate you and destroy any passion you have nurtured for the hobby.
In this article, I will break down my recommendations for the ideal camera based on these categories of prospective shooters. My recommendations are all based on cameras that I actually own and have used, so they are genuine and based on my own working knowledge of them.
The Drive-By Hobbyist
You are the most casual of the hobbyist film shooters. You are just in this for the curiosity factor and have no commitment for longevity in this hobby. This is likely only a phase for you, and you are happy to indulge in this while this film remains “cool”. You don’t want to miss the wave and are eager to post some cool and grungy film photos on your social media. Not to worry, I got you covered.
The ideal camera to suit your fleeting interests is a point and shoot film camera. Point and shoot cameras are deceptive in their simplicity in that they actually do pack a lot of advanced technology in their small bodies. Many come with convenient features such as auto-focus, built-in flash, red eye correction, and auto exposure metering to help you get some decent looking photos with a bare minimum effort. You see something that moves or stands still, just point and click! Simple.
Several models come to mind in this category, such as the oft-hyped and oft-overprized Olympus mju shooters or the much cheaper alternative, the Minolta Riva 75w Zoom.
Some other great alternatives are the Minolta AF Big Finder, and the underrated (but yet pricey) Nikon point and shoot cameras.
I would almost also recommend a Polaroid camera. Almost. The timeless Polaroid camera is ubiquitous with pop culture and has in recent years seen a sort of a healthy resurgence in popularity among the Gen Xers and Millennials. These devices are very easy to shoot with, once you get the hang of it. However, I would only recommend them for a more invested shooter as the price of the film packs can be quite of a limiting factor, and this cost can curb your middling enthusiasm for film quite quickly. Also, the vast majority of Polaroid cameras on the market are used and tend to be a bit temperamental in their use, as I found out.
The Casual Hobbyist
You are in this for the long-haul, but you are not in the position to commit the time or resources for a deep dive into the hobby. A camera that would enable you to access some advanced features but packaged in an easy to use format would be ideal for you. My recommendation for you would be an automatic SLR. These cameras have the advantage of enabling the user to access some higher functions whilst also removing the guess work from the shooting process. They can pack features such as auto focus, auto exposure lock, auto film loading and film advance and rewind, as well as a built-in flash.
Several cameras meet this specification. My favorite models in this category are the Ricoh Mirai and the Minolta Maxxum 7000 cameras. The Ricoh Mirai, although much maligned for its eccentric design (which I actually love), is indeed a very capable bridge camera, feature-packed and able to hold its own against the most advanced SLR.
The beauty of the Minolta Maxxum 7000 on the other hand is the versatility of the camera and the amazing quality of the lenses. Other than very cosmetic common bleed through issues with the LCD screen, these cameras are very robust and produce amazing images.
I would also recommend another bridge camera for you, the Olympus IS-3. This camera is not only easy to shoot with, but it is also feature packed with a great lens. The shooting modes are diverse, even including a manual mode. Even better, this camera has not yet hit the “hipster hype train”, implying that they are still going for a steal online.
For you, I would even go a step further to also suggest the semi-automatic cameras as a bit of a power-up challenge. These include cameras such as the over-hyped but good Canon AE1 and AE1 Program cameras and the really amazing sleeper Olympus OM series of film cameras. These cameras will provide you with the convenience of different shooting modes such as aperture priority or shutter priority and even an assisted manual mode in some models.
The Enthusiast Hobbyist
Forget those middling hobbyists, you on the other hand are in this for the long run and have the enthusiasm to match. You are willing to spend some money for a decent gear and spend long hours researching and learning about film gear and photography techniques. Congratulations, you deserve a camera to match your high level of emotional investment.
For your kind, may I recommend that you ditch the formalities and go straight for a manual camera like the Minolta SRT series. These cameras are superb in their ability to produce amazing images that scream “film look” while having the convenience of a built-in light meter. The advantage of these manual cameras is that they force you to rapidly advance in your understanding of film theory and the principles of photography. They also do not require batteries to operate and may even challenge you to learn some advanced principles such as the Sunny 16 rule of exposure. Some models even accommodate a battery to operate a built-in light meter.
It gets better. You do not even have to stop at the manual cameras. I would also recommend Rangefinders to you as well. While some may assume rangefinders to be simple cameras akin to point and shoot cameras due to their outward appearance, I do recommend them only for the most enthusiastic of hobbyists for these two main reasons.
They require a lot of attention in the focusing department, which can frustrate the casual hobbyist
They are notoriously difficult to use on moving subjects such as children and require some more advanced skillset such as zone focusing, which may frustrate the casual hobbyist
What are Rangefinders? I got you covered.
The Super Hobbyist
You are simply obsessed with all things film photography! You are willing to go the full distance with your new-found passion for film, and you are on your way to developing a healthy case of Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS). What could possibly go wrong?
For you, and for your kind, I have a special offering of cameras, help yourself to the above recommended lists because, why not? And, while you are at it, here are some more cameras to feed your addiction, err, passion.
Medium format cameras are a great treat and will satisfy you to the max. Try your hands at Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) cameras or the SLR type medium format cameras. My recommendation for TLRs will be the Yashica 635 because of its simplicity and easy to use functions.
The SLR-type medium format cameras are great, and from the few cameras I own that belong to this class, the Mamiya M645 1000s is by far my favorite. This camera is versatile in its function and has a look that somehow draws less attention to it (it looks like a camcorder). I have had the great pleasure of shooting with this camera and it is always such a treat. Pair it with some good film stock and you will be set to making some great images.
Like a good ol’ tv salesman, I would be remiss if I did not mention another class of film cameras that you would absolutely find fascinating, like I did: the half-frame cameras. When I discovered this class of cameras, my mind was quite blown. These were cameras that could take images on half of a full frame, and therefore allow you to shoot twice as many photos for a roll of film. These cameras also allow you to create diptychs, a side by side dual image that tells a story in its composition, allowing you to be creative to the max.
Conclusion
There is no perfect camera for all beginners. The camera you choose must fit your needs and lifestyle. Although this is not an exhaustive list, this should very much get you started on your newfound hobby. Film photography is fun and versatile, however, choose the wrong camera, and you will find it laborious and tasking. In this article, I have given you a generous helping of various classes of cameras to suit your needs. However, there is one class of film cameras that I would urge you avoid at all cost as a beginner, that is large format cameras. These are pro-level gear that I would only recommend for the advanced enthusiast.