The best film cameras

The history of analog photography dates back to the distant XVIII century, when the world was already aware of the first experiments with a pinhole camera, invented magnifying lenses and chemical image fixers (for example, a mixture of lavender oil and kerosene; silver chloride solutions) on metal plates or paper.

With the advent of digital photography at the end of the twentieth century, film shooting predicted a quick death, but this not only did not happen, but on the contrary, we can safely say that analog photo art is currently very popular. Inspirational and eye-catching works by Alec Sot and Laura Letinsky, nostalgic and philosophical photographs of Yevgeny Mokhorev, Ilya Mukhin and other artists, “painters,” are presented in museums and exhibitions around the world.

The dramatic play of natural light and shadow, softness and “lamp-like”, the effect of grain, the ability to independently engage in development and creative experiments in the darkroom, the need to manually adjust the exposure and carefully approach each shot - all this gives film photography value and sincerity. It doesn’t matter if you are a professional or a beginner, whether you turned to analog photography simply because you are tired of numbers and would like to try something else, or because you seriously decided to devote yourself to this hobby and art, this material will be useful to you.

Below are the main characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of this classic technology, as well as a review and comparative analysis of the best modern film cameras. We should also pay tribute to the cameras manufactured in the USSR (Zenit, Kiev, LOMO), which in terms of technical specifications were practically inferior to their imported competitors - Canon, Nikon, Olympus. However, analog shooting technologies do not stand still and are developing rapidly, so we made a brief rating and review of the 5 best (most ergonomic and top-end) modern film cameras.

Advantages and disadvantages of film cameras

pros

1. Ideal for beginners. Many photo schools teach you to film first. She disciplines a novice photographer, influences his taste and vision, develops a sense of frame and composition, and teaches proper exposure settings.
2. It gives more opportunities for creative experiments: starting from the moment of setting the shot, ending with the development process, provided that you also decided to do it yourself.
3. Low cost of the film camera itself. This applies even to compact rangefinder cameras.
4. A number of models do not require regular recharging, therefore, they cannot even sit down at the most inopportune moment.
5. The superiority of the film over the number in the dynamic range allows you to capture a realistic and natural play of light and shadow. In addition, the film is esthetically appreciated for its softness, the effect of artificial aging of photography and grain.

Minuses

1. Regular expenses for consumables (film) and additional services for developing, scanning and digitizing photographs.
2. From a technical point of view, the processes of manually adjusting the exposure, as well as developing images are quite time-consuming, require attention, patience and an extremely thoughtful approach. In most cases, you won’t see the result of shooting right away, and errors can cost corrupted frames: lighted, blurry, darkened.
3. Digitization of film in computer programs to some extent leads to a loss in image quality.
4. There is no white balance function in the settings of analog cameras, and light sensitivity (ISO) depends on the selected film. If there is insufficient light and the aperture is set incorrectly, then the pictures will be too dark.In addition, you cannot shoot video on a film camera.

How to choose a film camera?

Step 1

Look at home and ask relatives: in Soviet times, photography was a fairly common hobby. In almost every family you can find relics from the simple “Change”, ending with a variety of “Zeniths”, “Vigilant” and “Amateur”. For an initial acquaintance with the mechanics and structure of an analog camera, any of these models is suitable for you. Read the instructions, take a few pictures and be sure to look into the informative book “Quick reference to amateur photographer”, which was published in the publishing house “Art” (Moscow) and is full of useful facts.

Step 2

If you do not want to go into details and comprehend all the basics of film photography, then stop at the automatic soap dish. You do not have to bother with the aperture, focus, shutter speed and exposure control settings for a long time, and you get good film shots at the output. In addition, these cameras are compact and offer a built-in flash. There are also inexpensive disposable cameras on sale, whose life cycle is 36 frames.

Step 3

If you know that you will not be engaged in development yourself, then it makes sense to seek advice in the photo lab of your city. Before purchasing this or that model of camera and film for it, specify whether they will be able to provide you with these services. For example, a situation may arise that the photo studio does not develop 4 × 5 inches or 8 × 10 inches film, which is used in widescreen cameras. So, you need to look for either another darkroom, or choose another camera.

Below we will talk about the five best camera models that are relatively easy to use and have a set of good technical specifications.

Modern film cameras

1. Fujifilm X-T10

The new mirrorless camera, stylized as a classic, allows you to not only fine-tune exposure compensation and shutter speed, but also choose the shooting mode and shutter operation. You can take a panorama and, moreover, immediately apply an effect to the frame, for example, lomography or enable multiple exposure. Therefore, on the top panel of a durable metal case, there are not two tuning wheels, but three.

Especially for this model, the manufacturer has developed a unique color and photosensitivity sensor - X-Trans CMOS 2. The resolution is 16.3 megapixels. The camera has high speed and focus accuracy. She captures the image in 0.005 seconds, and this is one of the best indicators to date. The Fujifilm X-T10 model allows you to shoot video in Full HD (resolution 1920x1080).

You can connect a microphone to it, attach a tripod or “smart” lens XF 18-55 f2.8-4, thanks to which the images are clear and with soft edges. Wi-Fi is built into the camera and, perhaps, its only drawback is the need for charging. Price Fujifilm X-T10 from about 40 000 rubles.

2. Lomography LomoInstant Automat White LI150W

This camera is designed to create photo cards in the style of “lomography” with a size of 86x54 mm, for which the Fujifilm Instax mini film is used. The camera is configured automatically and manually. The brightness balance (+1 or -1) can be adjusted, so when shooting with the Lomography LomoInstant Automat White LI150W, you can not worry that the image will turn out dark. The flash is built into the minimalist and modern body of a compact camera. The maximum shutter speed is 8 seconds.

When photographing, you can use color filters, a multiple exposure or an additional nozzle - a splitter, which divides the frame in half and allows you to mix parts with each other. Fujinon Lens optics are installed in the camera. The kit also includes a remote control (which is very convenient in the case of group photo shoots) and three lenses: wide-angle, fisheye and for macro photography. The camera also needs recharging. The cost of Lomography LomoInstant Automat White LI150W starts from about 7,000 rubles.

3. Leica X (Typ 113)

This SLR camera, whose body is made of durable metal and covered with leather, is reliable and indispensable for shooting in extreme conditions. Its fast lens is not sensitive to glare and ghosting.Resolution - more than 16 megapixels. Video in Full HD is also possible. The price of the model starts from 100 000 rubles.

4. Lomo Instant Automat South Beach

Bright, light and stylish camera. As for the technical characteristics, they are almost identical to the Lomography LomoInstant Automat White LI150W. However, the shutter speed indicator has been improved - up to 30 seconds and the night shooting mode has been added. The price of the camera is from 8,000 rubles.

5. Leica M Edition 60 Kit

Exclusive stainless steel and leather camera (Audi Design), released in 600 copies. The resolution is 24 megapixels and the maximum shutter speed is 60 seconds. Add to this the CMOS matrix, the DNG image format, the ability to record video and sound and get a revolutionary model of a film camera, which is better not to be found. And this is contrary to apparent simplicity - in place of the display you will see only the ISO change disc. The price of the camera starts at 960,000 rubles.

The choice of these five models is associated with several factors. These are unique properties and qualities, brands and opportunities for creative expression. Which one to choose, and what is really better - classic or modern, analog or digital, DSLRs or mirrorless cameras, modern or from the USSR? These are the questions that you have yet to answer.