Vintage cameras

[Ease]

Anyone on here use vintage still cameras?

I'm interested in getting into it... A few of my friends are getting into photography with DSLR cameras, and it seems like everyone wants to shoot in black and white or photoshop their pics to make them look vintage.

So if one were looking at casually getting into real vintage, what should I look for in a decently easy to operate camera?
Too much to ask for something that can be developed at a camera store? What are my options?


I'll mostly be taking shots of people, shows (bands) and a few of the bikes of course...

 

[cholland_]

I've got one of these I've got to use standard 120 film. I think I got it used at a flea market for $5.

It's pretty neat, fixed shutter and aperture, but can make some cool 50's-looking photos. Here's an example of b+w (unfortunately I don't have any colour pictures online).

When I'm trying to be more 'pro', I use an 80's era Pentax SLR for black and white 35mm, and I've got a Pentax 645 camera for when I went to go all out. Although I have to admit I use my D-SLR most of the time these days... its just easier (and cheaper).

 

[Ease]

Nice!

I like the pics from the $5 camera.

Kinda what I'm looking for. Like the pics you find in the family's old photo albums.
If I need super high quality I'll just use a buddy's DSLR and photoshop it.


So what should I look for when buying an old used camera?
And what kind of film can I still bring to a local walmart or photolab to get developed/digitized?

*Edit: I'd like something that can take color pics too.

 

[DrJ]

Your only sensible choice would be a 35mm SLR. There are millions of film cameras out there and they are pretty cheap these days, $100-$200 for a body. You can get a great kit for less than $500. Walmart or Shoppers Drug Mart can't process black and white, you need to take that to a specialty shop. if you feel adventurous you can get darkroom equipment and process your own. I used to do that a lot.

 

[Ease]

Cholland_, where / how did you get the film developed for your 120mm camera above?

Cause for $500 I could get a DSLR that's a few years old with a couple of lenses.

I'm looking for somthing that's cheap, takes pictures like it's a joe blow camera from the 70's and that I can get developed without my own darkroom.
I'd be willing to send the negatives out somewhere if that's necessary.

Like I said, my friends have good cameras, I'm just bein 'artsy'. haha.

 

[cholland_]

I develop black and white 120 for that little toy camera and my medium-format myself, and get colour developed at Henry's (I worked for them for three years, so sometimes still get it done at a discount). Most photo places have labs they can send it out to. I scan them myself with a cheap flatbed with film attachments (which is why they all look like shit )

And here's an example of what comes out of the Brownie Hawkeye with colour film:

 

[mondo]

Shoppers Drug Mart's labs will develop 120 film, but no scan/printing.

If you go the 35mmm film SLR route, Kodak and Ilford both make nice-looking BW film that can be processed C-41. Here's an example of Ilford XP2 shot with a Minolta X-700 and drugstore developed like a regular colour C-41 roll:

 

[liam]

i don't know what sort of thing you're looking at, but i bought a yashica electro 35 for about $AUS 35 on ebay, 70's rangefinder with auto light meter, and took some decent shots. i got sick of messing up rolls of film though :-[. but film cameras are so cheap, specially not SLR's that you can buy one, run a few rolls of film through it, and then buy another one if you wanted. if you're keen on a certain type of camera, try searching flickr to see the photo's people have taken with it, there will generally be a few.

a half frame camera would be good. something like the pen-f. twice the photo's for the same cost.

when buying an old camera, look for fogging on the lens, poor light seals in the back, perished rubber etc, also strange battery sizes-the yashica takes a modern 6 volt that needs a shim of cardboard and a spring to fit, so there are workarounds.

 

[jay_kent]

I bought an olympus Trip 35 for $10 bucks from Value Village. B&W film, or colour, it took some great shots.

Not mine. Mine was more rough.

Jay

 

[mondo]

Those Trip 35s could take a beating (I can see the front of that one's dinged like the one I had in high school)...and they have great lenses!

Mine keeps going and going and going...

 

[Mach-5(50)]

im with mondo on the c-41 B&W film. i shot a lot of kodak, but its been a few years. You can do lots of interesting stuff with a modern film, to make it look vintage. just play around.

35mm slr's are going to give you the best versatility. i would look for a nikon FM2, or similar. i have a Nikormat FT still. it is getting hard to find the little battery for it though. i guess i will have to find my notes on basic daylight exposure.

later

 

[Ease]

Awesome, thanks for all the good info... Now I have to get on the hunt at the flea market.

 

[Screwed and Tattooed]

Awesome, thanks for all the good info... Now I have to get on the hunt at the flea market.

excel
Ive got a mid 90's minolta maxxum 300si body i will sell you really cheap , excellent condion , its fully automatic , its an slr but has limited manual settings (a good thing if you dont know what your doing , a bad thing if you do ). its really fool proof ,ive taken some excellent photos with it . 20 dolars plus shipping

Im a strong believer in film , although i do own a dslr , i almost aways grab one of my film slr's for the fun stuff

if you want to look for a solid old camera a cannon ae1 is my top pick

 

[mondo]

Lots of Pentax k1000 SLRs kicking around as well. they are solid and 50-60 bux gets you one on ebay.

 

[Mach-5(50)]

Lots of Pentax k1000 SLRs kicking around as well. they are solid and 50-60 bux gets you one on ebay.

Nice call. who didn't shoot with a K1000 in high school photography class? classic.

 

[hotfunk67]

The olympus trip is a great little camera I have 5 of them they dont need batteries and are dead easy to use. They have a big following and are easy to get hold of for under $20
If you want an slr then the nikon fm2 is a classic and can work with no batteries (just no meter) or the fe2 is up there as well
minolta st101 or any from that series are very rugged easy to use cameras.
The list is endless but anything that takes 35mm or 120 film will be the go as far as processing goes.

 

[arsey]

i guess i will have to find my notes on basic daylight exposure.

The Sunny 16 rule (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunny_16) is supposedly a good method. I stumbled upon it online while I was reading about a battery conversion for my olympus OM-1. They don't even make the batteries for its light meter anymore.

 

[CCRider]

The Sunny 16 rule (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunny_16) is supposedly a good method. I stumbled upon it online while I was reading about a battery conversion for my olympus OM-1. They don't even make the batteries for its light meter anymore.

You can find new light meter batteries for OM-1's on ebay. A few places sell light seal replacement kits and batteries (the two killers of OM-1's)

CC