6 More Great 35mm Film Cameras for Beginners
If you checked out our earlier post on the 6 best 35mm cameras for beginners but still couldn’t make up your mind on one - don’t worry, there’s no shortage of amazing models out there. We’ve put together a list of 6 more great options to choose from.
One of the obvious benefits of shooting with a 35mm film camera is easy availability of equipment and processing. And as long as you’re printing smaller than wall size images – the results you get are almost as good as a professional camera would produce.
Unlike larger format cameras, however, 35mm cameras are designed both for professional photographers and hobbyists. As such, some models may have a few unnecessary or not-so-important features, leaving out features you would actually need. In comparison, large format cameras almost always come with the right features for professional photography. This simply means you need to check out the features more minutely when choosing a 35mm film camera. Here are the six more options.
{Nikon FG-20 by Kenneth Lu via Wikimedia Commons}
The lightly built Nikon FG-20 is perhaps the smallest fully-featured 35 mm single-lens reflex film camera Nikon has ever produced. It features both manual exposure and aperture-priority exposure. Manual mode allows you to control the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed for a perfect exposure, while aperture-priority exposure means that you can control only two exposure settings – aperture and ISO. When shooting in aperture priority mode, you’ll set the aperture and the ISO, and the camera will set a shutter speed accordingly. However, both exposure options in Nikon FG-20 are battery dependant. While shooting, if your battery dries out, you’ll need to replace the battery right away – or you’ll be restricted to shooting with a shutter speed of 1/90th.
With Nikon FG-20, you have to focus manually by adjusting the focusing ring on the lens hood. It is small and lightweight, so you can carry it around easily – great for outdoor photo shoots. Also, the camera comes with the Nikon F mount, making it compatible with a wide variety of lenses, including Nikkor AI and AI-S, and the contemporary AF lenses. It even accepts the less expensive third party lenses from Zeiss, Tamron, Sigma, Tokina, and Vivitar. However, Non-AI lenses and the modern G lenses are not compatible with FG-20. We strongly recommend, that you choose the name-brand lenses over cheap third party lenses for a better picture quality.
{Canon EOS 1N by ShikikanZero via Wikimedia Commons}
Canon EOS 1N is another 35mm SLR camera that deserves your attention for its fast maximum shutter speed, sturdy built, and ability to set up custom functions, among others. After it was launched in 1994, the camera quickly rose to #1 position as the top selling camera, and retained its popularity among both beginners and professionals for a long period. The best part of EOS 1N is it comes with up to 1/8000 sec shutter speed, letting you capture clearer picture of fast-moving subjects. It is heavier than Canon AE-1, but that makes it look like a high-end SLR that you can proudly hang around your neck.
Cannon introduced its first (Electro-Optical System) EOS autofocus SLR camera in 1987, responding to the AF competition from the then popular brands like Nikon and Minolta. After two years, the first professional EOS model from Canon, EOS-1 was introduced. EOS 1N is the successor to EOS-1. It features a more advanced autofocus system that works with five focus points spread over the frame.
What’s more, Canon EOS 1N is compatible with a wide range of EF lenses, allowing you to try almost all focal length lenses – starting from 8mm to 1200mm or higher. If you want, you can also use third party lenses from Rokinon, Tamron, Sigma, Samyang, and Tokina.
{Olympus Pen F SLR Camera; Photo by Joe Haupt via Wikimedia Commons}
The Olympus Pen F Series comprises several half-frame 35mm SLR cameras, including Olympus Pen F, Pen FT and Pen FV. The original Pen F was manufactured in Japan between 1963 and 1966, while the production of Pen FT started from 1966 and continued until 1972, and Pen FV was produced between 1967 and 1970. All of them have almost similar features, with the only exception being an integrated light meter in Pen FT.
For beginners, Olympus Pen F would be a prized possession. Why? Because this half-frame camera allows you to take 72 snapshots on a standard 36-shot roll. So you get more frames to practice and you don’t have to worry about the economy of film.
The design and size of Olympus Pen F may fool you for a moment. It looks like a rangefinder, but it’s actually an SLR with an in-built mirror system to let you see through the viewfinder exactly what the lens is seeing. Unlike most other half-frame cameras, Olympus Pen F has a portrait oriented viewfinder. So when you hold it in the conventional normal landscape orientation, you’ll actually take a portrait photo.
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