Also, hope you turn this stuff into a book soon! I'm rootin' for one! — Asked by ventilare-deactivated20110928
Let me preface everything that follows by saying that my experience with film cameras is very limited. I was an early adopter with digital and have been shooting it exclusively since 2000 up until my Leica Year started. Prior to that, I shot 35mm film with various Nikon cameras off and on, but not in any serious way. My first film camera was a Kodak Pocket Instamatic. It took funky 110 format film and used disposable cube flashes.
So, with that in mind… whether you’re a beginner to photography, or just a beginner to film, I’d recommend starting with a 35mm SLR. Specifically, I’d suggest a Nikon FM or its newer version, the FM2. They’re good reliable cameras and the F mount is ubiquitous. That being said, probably any comparable Canon, Pentax, or Olympus SLR would suffice too. I only suggest the Nikon because I have experience with them and appreciate Nikon’s efforts to stick with the F mount over several decades—making the old lenses still useful on modern DLSR bodies.
A rangefinder may be a good alternative for you, but I’m hesitant to recommend one without knowing more about you or what your interests are. They’re fantastic for certain kinds of photography, but pretty much suck when it comes to others. SLRs are more or less good at everything so are a safe choice… especially if all you really want to do is try film. Regardless of what camera you end up with, I think you’ll have fun and learn some stuff.
As for the book… Thank you! I’m flattered by your interest in one. I’m not ready to talk about my plans there, but I’ll be sure and post something about it before the project is over.
Keep in touch and let me know how your film experience goes.
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