Choosing a Camera: 35mm SLRs Part I

Issue number four, time to get down to brass tacks already shall we? I intend to be doing this for a while after all, so audience retention is a priority. (On a totally unrelated note, I was wondering if everyone had noticed the 'subscribe' button over to the right.) Curiosity about shooting film may bring some here, but I imagine only active film shooters are likely to stick around long. To that end, for the benefit of those who may be at the dipping a toe in the water stage, let's get you all up to speed. (Don't worry, I mix developer far better than I mix metaphors.)

It starts with a camera of course. You can't do much without a camera. Maybe you have one you've yet to use, which is fine. Whether or not it's ideal you can start with pretty much any camera so long as it doesn't take some oddball film size that you can't get anymore. If you don't have one though all is not lost soon you'll have the benefit of every penny's worth of my free advice giving you a better chance of starting with one that is ideal.

An overview of every decision you could make in the process of choosing an analog camera these days is more of a book length topic and even I'm not that long-winded. Fortunately, when it comes to choosing a first camera, there's a quick way to boil much of the process down to a simple choice of either a) a 35mm SLR or b) something else.

The Nikon FE, one of countless potentially excellent choices for a first 35mm SLR
This one happens to be mine. For some it might be too much, or too little.
For others, maybe even you, it might be ideal.  (No, it's not for sale.)

If it's the something else option then you have your mind on something already and a 35mm SLR isn't it. Smashing! Something's got you inspired and who could argue with that? Maybe the thought of instant photography really appeals to you, or you were drawn to film photography by the low-fi approach and were thinking of something more like a Holga. Well, good on ya in either case, but the title pretty much gives it away, that's not what we'll be discussing today. These are both good topics for future posts though so keep half an eye out but at the same time don't hold your breath.

If you don't already have a particular camera in mind already that's not a 35mm SLR, may I humbly suggest the 35mm SLR. This is probably the kind of camera most people would think to look for on their own, but whether or not you're aware of them, here's a few reasons to go for one.

• They are widely available on the used market (though you can still get them new) which means...
• They can be fantastically cheap, often representing so little financial commitment that if you shelve it a short while later after finding one you like better, you still got your money's worth.
• Even an entry level model is capable of making gallery worthy images if you know what you're doing. (Always a catch, eh?)
• It's the cheapest to use in terms of film and processing costs, meaning you can afford to shoot more and mistakes aren't as costly.
• 35mm is the most universal film size. Even in the digital world when they talk about “full frame” sensors, this is in reference to the size of a 35mm negative. This translates into a wider choice of films available and less chance you'll have trouble getting film when you need it.
• They're the best cameras to learn on. Though other cameras may be easier to pick up and use if you don't know much about photography, the fact that there's so little to learn means you probably never will. Also, most of the instructional literature you are likely to encounter will be based around the 35mm SLR.
• Like any SLR (including DSLRs), the 35mm variety are modular, accepting a wide ranges and other accessories. This allows you to start small and expand.
• There's plenty to choose from when it comes to available features, from fully manual cameras to models that, aside from the need to load film and no temptation to chimp, feel a lot like using a DSLR.

If we take it as a given that a 35mm SLR is what we're after there are still a lot of factors to consider. That will, for the most part, be the subject of Part II. One of those considerations tends to be the first one most people are just itching to have answered, so for the impatient types among you let me address the question here.

“What brand should I look for? What's a good one?”

I promise I'll get to that, but not before I get something off my chest. If you've been looking elsewhere for advice on buying any kind of camera and this or any similar question about what brand to get has passed your lips, stop it. Asking a photographer what brand of camera they think is right for you is like asking a priest what religion they think is right for you. Virtually any photographer is apt to tell you is the best brand is whatever they use. The temptation of course is to think that, well, they know a lot more than you do and that's what they chose. Ask yourself, though, if there might not be photographers out there that are even better who use different brands.

Okay, now that that's out of the way let me go on and once and for all give you my answer to that question:

A good brand of 35mm SLR is any brand that managed to survive in the market long enough to bring a 35mm SLR to the market.

For example, Miranda is a good brand. It might not be the brand for you, but they made good cameras and a lot of Miranda owners just love 'em. It's not one of the more likely names for you see when you're looking for a camera because the were out of production by the end of the 1970s and weren't one of the bigger 35mm SLR makers before this. You never know though. The point is they were on the market for over 20 years and thousands of perfectly smart people who could have chosen any of the other competing brands bought a Miranda instead. More than 35 years after they stopped making them there are still plenty of working examples out there so they can't have been all that poorly made. If you're looking to forgo more modern automated features for a classic manual camera and don't need a huge assortment of available lenses and accessories, a Miranda might be just right for you.

The Miranda Sensorex. It's not likely to be a camera anyone recommends to you,
but who knows, one of these could become your new best friend.
(Image by Flickr user 'squeak' licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0)

For the record, I don't own a Miranda and never have. Out of all the brands I could think of I chose it as an example because it was a) the one that seemed least likely any photographer would recommend if asked and b) one I couldn't say they'd be steering you wrong with if they did, at least if something that decidedly vintage suited you.

I don't want to go to the other extreme and suggest brand is meaningless however. It could mean more or less depending on the situation. If you find a working 35mm SLR at a yard sale for less than the loose change floating around in your pocket, buyers remorse because over the brand name isn't a big concern. If instead you've decided to commit a fair chunk of the discretionary budget, 35mm SLRs being system cameras, you might want to put more thought into what you're committing to. That said, here are a few things you might, and might not, want to consider.

Bad reasons for choosing a brand:

• A really good photographer I know uses that brand and they know more than me.
• A really good photographer I know told me it was the best brand.
• They seem to go for more on eBay so they must be good.

Good reasons for choosing a brand:

• You got a camera for free, or close enough to it, and it happened to be that brand.
• Other brands seem to go for a premium when I know the quality is no better. It's probably because of all the professional level lenses and accessories those other brands have available, but I'll never need those.
• Even though other brands might be a bit cheaper, I'm planning to expand and upgrade as I go and they're just not available with those other brands. Considering what a bargain a 35mm SLR system is these days why not spend just a little extra and start out right.
• You have some sort of emotional attachment to a particular brand.

Given how we're trained since birth anymore to be hard-nosed rational consumers it might seem like I put this last one on the wrong list. Well, we're talking about a camera here, not plumbing supplies. A significant part of the value you get from owning a camera is the relationship you develop with it (in fact I'd say a failure to develop the same kind of relationship with any of the DSLRs I've owned had a lot to do with my getting out of digital.) If you get the warm fuzzies when you remember the old Pentax Spotmatic your parents dug out when it was time to do holiday pictures, it could incline you to feel more attached to a Pentax, more at home with one, so why not get one? Maybe you can even find another Spotmatic. (Or if end up looking into what ever happened to that thing, who knows, maybe the same Spotmatic.)

So in Part II I'll be having a look at some of the things that might make a 35mm SLR right for you. We've established a bit about the proper roll brand name might have in that choice but one thing I won't be doing is getting into specifics about particular brands. I'll leave you to do your own research there. Whatever you find though I urge you to consider the source. The emotional attachments people often form with their cameras means biased opinions are the norm out there.