what (still) camera do you use?

[redrice]

i'm thinking of buying a still camera, specifically to learn all the things about photography i never did learn before i got involved with super 8 (and before that, video). i have enough unedited video tape to keep me busy at my PC for a lifetime; and super 8 is wonderful, but Tri-X is quite expensive. so i'm thinking there must be a cheaper way of learning how to manage focus, DOF, aperture, shutter speed, composition, etc, which DOES not need 'editing' like a movie afterwards, and will allow me to make loads of mistakes and remain relatively solvent.

i've asked photographer friends where i should start, but they all tend to recommend their own gear, largely out of lack of experience of much else. and none of them makes films, so things like 'you can always recrop it when you print' keep recurring in conversation...

so i thought i would ask you guys instead: what still camera do you use? and would you recommend it as a learning tool for someone whose ultimate aim is to make films, not stills?

my basic idea is that, whatever type of camera i go for, i will work with one prime lens and one film stock - probably Tri-X - for the first 6-12 months, so that i really get to know them. this will help get me away from the 'zoom to compose' habit i've got into in video, and make me think about the relationship between focal length, DOF and composition.

[confession: at the flea market where i picked up my nizo for a song, the only still cameras that said 'pick me up, try me', where the old rolleiflex TLRs....
so the big question in my mind is: SLR or TLR or rangefinder]

TIA for any advice, anecdotes, flames, etc, which might help me with my decision:

peter

[AlexGfromUK]

If you are working with a reflexive viewing system super 8 camera, I would say go for an slr as this will operate in the most similar way in terms of viewing, and therefore composition. The best way to learn the different controls available in photography is to be totally in control of then all yourself, which you can do by getting an old fully manual slr. good examples of these are pentax k1000s, Nikon FMs(cheap but excellent and compatible with fantastic quality nikkor lenses) and FM2s which cost more but have some minor revisions and upgrades, and are still made. Old minoltas such as the 101 and Srt 100X are fine too. All these cameras are totally free from automatic settings, so you will be in control of everything and get a feel for what does and does'nt work at ground level.

To answer the topic question, I have a Nikon FM2n (n denotes newest version with 250/sec flash sync) with a 50mm 1.8 nikkor.

[Alex]

Peter, excellent premise!

Alex from UK, that is the consumate all in one answer.

The other cool thing about the "older" all manual cameras is that they come with batteries so you "check" your manual exposure settings with the automatic exposure the camera provides.

But should your battery malfunction or need replacing.....you can keep shooting regardless in the fully manual mode!

Sometimes the time-exposure function on these fully manual cameras may not work when you go slower than 1 second, so do check that function out before you buy a used camera.

There is a topic in the archives about using a still camera to learn about film.

I'm glad to see this topic brought up anew!

Although the depth of field for Super-8 is greater than 16mm and even greater still (no pun intended) than 35mm, the 35mm still cameras have depth of field preview function.

I've been without my 35mm still camera for years, and I miss that function.

The cool thing about dept of field preview, is you can use it WITHOUT shooting any film!

-Alex





[This message has been edited by Alex (edited August 08, 2001).]

[Kurt]

Hello!

I would agree with the above posts and really recommend the Pentax K1000 for starting out. A 50mm f/2 lens will be more than enough. I also started out with this camera before moving on to a Nikon FM2. What's nice about the Pentax is that you can find one for cheap and won't be afraid to take it out on the street and use it. It's a real user camera which takes good pictures, a camera which you won't be afraid to bang up a bit, something I can't seem to bring myself to do with my FM2 or Beaulieu Super 8 camera for that matter. Go for the Pentax!

Kurt

[Bolex Bob]

I've used the Canon FD series: A-1, AE-1, F-1 all of my life. The Nikons Alex G. praises are fine as well but I've found on certain web sites that you can get the AE-1 for $100 or less WITH a 50mm lens. You can usually buy additional lenses in any used camera shop for less than $200.00 -- sometimes less than $100. You can't go wrong with these SLRs.

And then you'll have money left over to buy a Rex-3!

[MrObvious]

I just wanted to add that while a basic SLR camera will work great (I learned photography on a K-1000 and now use a Nikon FA and several medium format cameras), you may want to consider getting a moderate zoom lens as well. This will help you with a clear understanding of how changing focal length affects depth of field, and so on.

One thing to try:

Look at your super 8 camera and see what focal length lens it has and try and find the equivalent in 35mm to match. For instance, if it is a 9-30mm lens, you will want to use... around 28-80mm for a 35mm zoom lens. That's not an official calculation, though. Anyone got the standard focal lengths for various film formats?

Marc S.

[Actor]

Definitely the Pentax K1000. Fair price on eBay is about $200 U.S. with the 50mm lens. Try to get the older one with the metal body. Makes an excellent hammer in a pinch and you can still use it as a camera.

[rollemfilm]

athough slr cameras will give you almost the same experience as using a super8 camera, you might want to consider a tlr or an old speed graphic for that matter. these cameras are truely basic, therefore, you will do all the work. and i might add you will not make very good photographs right away. what you will learn though is the ability to produce photographs with the most primative equipment. you will become the photographer, not the camera. you can not afford to be lazy, and when you have gear that does it all, even if it's just the ease of focus via the slr, you are not addressing the harder lesson. try making a film with an old non-reflex movie camera. if you can master that, then all the other gadgets are "options." i recomend these cameras: yashica mat, crown or speed graphic 4X5 or 2 1/4 X 3 1/4, older lieca if you want to splurge (range finder cameras are fast, small and quiet), mamiya c330, any manual 35mm slr such as the pentax, yashica or nikon (i use nikon) or nikkormat.

[ekoe]

i hate the k1000. that's awful, huh?
the reason why is even worse... because people always tout it as a great camera when it's never seemed like more than a hunk of plastic to me. there's so many great cameras out there, and everybody recommends the k1000. furthermore, it's come to embody, in my mind, the academic photographic scenario.
i started with an old minolta 202 super. it's just the same as an srt 101, but it has a faster sync and a mirror lock-up.
the srt's are dirt cheap and solid.
i settled with a nikon fm2(n).
i should have purchased the fm2 directly.
it's a proven workhorse, having been in production for over 20 years. lightweight, fast, completely manual down to the mechanical shutter and compatible with virtually any nikon lense. if you're looking for freelance photographic work, you'll be more respected with an fm2, srt or old nikkormat rather than a k-1000.
sorry, i know this sounds like a bit of a rant on k-1000, but, like i said, i can't stand those darn cameras.
i've always believed you can measure the extent of an individual's knowledge of photography, or any field of knowledge for that matter, by their choice of equipment.

[Nigel]

I still use a Pentax Spotmatic--She is old but still gets the job done.