[WIP] – prices as of September 2023
This document is for people who are interested in getting started with film photography and are .
These are all 35mm cameras, since I think 35mm is the best film format to start with.
This seems like a great little camera for beginners who want something they can throw a roll of film into, take anywhere, and get nice images with. It’s an autofocus, autoexposure camera with a pretty good zoom lens and built-in flash.
Since it doesn’t have a big viewfinder like an SLR (see below), I don’t recommend it if you’re looking for lots of creative control or want to get deeper into photography.
It’s a great buy at current prices, though.
My camera kit reflects my preference for small cameras. I shoot with a variety of cameras that I think strike a great balance of image quality, handling, size, and cost.
Your family may already have film cameras! The first film camera I called my own sat in the attic for my whole life, and my parents only told me about it once I had already started shooting film. So ask around, you may be surprised!
Single lens reflex (SLR) cameras let you preview your picture by looking straight through the lens that will take it. They’re great for learning photography, since they fill your eye with the view of your camera, immersing you in the image and forcing you to see the world in a new way.
Pentax is not as well known as Nikon or Canon, but they made some wonderful SLRs with solid, compact bodies and some of the biggest, brightest viewfinders on the market. They’re common on eBay and regularly go for good prices.
Pentax MX
A reliable, fully mechanical SLR with great handling and nice features like depth-of-field preview and a window for viewing the aperture setting in the viewfinder. And one of the smallest mechanical 35mm SLRs ever!
Pentax ME Super
An even smaller SLR with aperture priority autoexposure. As much as I love this camera, I am hesitant to recommend it, since many end up with shutter and electronics issues. Purchase with caution. Not a great first camera, because of the reliability issues.