After having exclusively used digital cameras for a very long time, I recently switched back to using film. I started by restoring an old twin lens reflex camera camera. Since I work on intangible digital products for a living, I found working with cameras that produce physical artifacts to be a satisfying hobby. And, as happens with many things, since I recognized that vintage cameras still existed, I have noticed them in more places. So, I have been picking up the cheap ones - ones that are clearly defective in some way. In most cases I have found that it only takes a little bit of work to make them operational again. Though it can definitely take a lot more work to make them reliable and fun to use again. These are all the cameras which I have worked with so far.
| Year | Make | Model | Film | Lens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Zeiss Ikon | Ikoflex (Coffee Can) (twin lens reflex) |
120 | 80mm ƒ/6.3 – ƒ/22 1/100, 1/50, 1/25, B |
| 1937 | Rollei | Rolleiflex Automat (twin lens reflex) |
120 | 75mm ƒ/3.5 – ƒ/22 1/500 – 1s, B |
| 1953 | Zeiss Ikon | Ikoflex Ia (twin lens reflex) |
120 | 75mm ƒ/3.5 – ƒ/22 1/300 – 1s, B |
| 1954 | Voigtländer | Vito B (scale focus) |
135 | 50mm ƒ/3.5 – ƒ/16 1/300 – 1s, B |
| 1955 | Agfa | Solinette II (folding scale focus) |
135 | 50mm ƒ/3.5 – ƒ/22 1/300 – 1s, B |
| 1955 | Polaroid | Model 80 (Highlander) | Type 30 Instant | 100mm ƒ/8.8 1/100, 1/25, B |
| 1959 | Carl Zeiss Jena | Werra I (scale focus) |
135 | 50mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/16 1/750 – 1s, B |
| 1956 | Argus | C3 (rangefinder) |
135 | 50mm ƒ/3.5 – ƒ/16 1/300 – 1/10 |
| 1958 | Fujica | 35 Automagic (scale focus) |
135 Speeds: 10 – 200 |
38mm ƒ/3.4 – ƒ/16 1/200 & 1/40 |
| 1958 | Minolta | Auto Wide (scale focus) |
135 Speeds: 10 – 1600 |
35mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/22 1/500 – 1s, B |
| 1960 | Yashica | Lynx 1000 (rangefinder) |
135 Speeds: 10 – 800 |
45mm ƒ/1.8 – ƒ/22 1/1000 – ?, B |
| 1963 | Minox | B (scale focus) |
8x11 Speeds: 25 – 400 |
15mm f/3.5 1/1000 – 1, B, T |
| 1965 | Bronica | C (single-lens reflex) |
120 | Bronica C/S/S2/EC mount 1/500 – 1, B |
| 1965 | Minolta | 24 Rapid (rangefinder) |
135 (rapid) Speeds: 25 – 400 |
32mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/22 1/250 – 1/30, B |
| 1965 | Minolta | Autopak 700 (rangefinder) |
126 Speeds: 64 – 400 |
38mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/22 1/250 – 1/30, B |
| 1966 | Minolta | Hi-Matic 7s (rangefinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 800 |
45mm ƒ/1.8 – ƒ/22 1/500 – 1/4, B |
| 1966 | Minolta | Hi-Matic 9 (rangefinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 800 |
45mm ƒ/1.7 – ƒ/22 1/500 – 1s, B |
| 1966 | Yashica | Electro 35 (rangefinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 1000 |
45mm ƒ/1.7 – ƒ/16 1/500 – 3s, B |
| 1966 | Yashica | EZ-matic (scale focus) |
126 Speeds: 64 – 400 |
37mm ƒ/2.7 – ƒ/16 fixed, B |
| 1968 | Kodak | Instamatic 134 (point and shoot) |
126 Speeds: fixed |
43mm ƒ/11 1/50 |
| 1970 | Yashica | Electro 35 GS (rangefinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 1000 |
45mm ƒ/1.7 – ƒ/16 1/500 – 3s, B |
| 1973 | Polaroid | SX-70 (single-lens reflex) ♥ |
SX-70 Speeds: 100/160 |
116mm ƒ/8 1/175 – 22s |
| 1975 | Canon | 110ED (rangefinder) |
110 Speeds: 80 |
26mm ƒ/2 – ƒ/16 1/500 – 8s |
| 1975 | Polaroid | SX-70 Model 3 (scale focus) |
SX-70 Speeds: 100/160 |
116mm ƒ/8 1/175 – 22s |
| 1976 | Polaroid | SX-70 Model 2, Alpha (single-lens reflex) ♡ |
SX-70 Speeds: 100/160 |
116mm ƒ/8 1/175 – 22s |
| 1976 | Rollei | A110 (scale focus) |
110 Speeds: 80, 400 |
23mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/16 1/400 – 4s |
| 1978 | Bronica | EC-II (single-lens reflex) ♥ |
120 | Bronica C/S/S2/EC mount 1/1000 – 4s, B |
| 1978 | Polaroid | SX-70 SE, Sonar, Alpha 2 (single-lens reflex) ♡ |
SX-70 Speeds: 100/160 |
116mm ƒ/8 1/175 – 22s |
| 1979 | Agfa | Optima 1535 Sensor (rangefinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 500 |
40mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/22 1/1000 – 15s |
| 1981 | Olympus | XA (rangefinder) ♡ |
135 Speeds: 25 – 800 |
35mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/22 1/500 – 10s |
| 1982 | Canon | A-1 (single-lens reflex) ♡ |
135 Speeds: 6 – 12800 |
Canon FD mount 1/1000 – 30s, B |
| 1983 | Minolta | CLE (rangefinder) ♥ |
135 Speeds: 25 – 1600 |
Leica M mount lenses 1/1000 – 1/2, B |
| 1984 | Minolta | AF-Sv (Talker) (viewfinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 1000 |
35mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/?? 1/625 – 1/8 |
| 1984 | Minox | LX (scale focus) ♡ |
8x11 Speeds: 12 – 400 |
15mm f/3.5 1/2000 – 1/30 |
| 1985 | Minolta | X-700 (single-lens reflex) ♡ |
135 Speeds: 25 – 1600 |
Minolta SR/MC/MD mount 1/1000 – 1, B |
| 1986 | Minolta | X-370 (single-lens reflex) |
135 Speeds: 12 – 3200 |
Minolta SR/MC/MD mount 1/1000 – 1, B |
| 1989 | Canon | Snappy AF (viewfinder) |
135 Speeds: 50 – 1600 |
35mm ƒ/4.5 – ƒ/32 1/125 – 1/40 |
| 1995 | Minolta | Freedom Zoom 140EX (viewfinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 3200 |
38 – 140mm ƒ/3.5:9.4 – ƒ/9.4 1/500 – 4s |
| 2000 | Canon | EOS ELAN 7e (single-lens reflex) ♡ |
135 Speeds: 6 – 6400 |
Canon EF mount 1/4000 – 30s, B |
| 2001 | Canon | PowerShot Pro90 IS (through the lens) |
CCD Speeds: 50 – 400 |
37 – 370mm ƒ/2.8:3.5 – ƒ/8 1/1000 – 8s |
| 2003 | Sony | Cyber-shot DSC-P72 (through the lens) |
CCD Speeds: 100 – 400 |
39 – 117mm ƒ/2.8:5.6 – ƒ/10 1/1000 – 2s |
| 2005 | Canon | PowerShot S2 IS (through the lens) |
CCD Speeds: 50 – 400 |
36 – 432mm ƒ/2.7:3.5 – ƒ/8 1/3200 – 15s |
| 2011 | Canon | EOS Rebel T3i (single-lens reflex) ♡ |
CMOS Speeds: 100 – 6400 |
Canon EF-S mount 1/4000 – 30s, B |
People have asked me which camera is my favorite. I don’t have a single favorite. I have favorites for certain situations or applications and I have favorite format-specific all-arounders, but the rotation evolves over time. For a while I was heavily into fixed-lens Minolta rangefinders, at that time the Hi-Matic 9 was my weekender. Currently, I favor the versatility of interchangeable lenses, so I frequently grab either the Bronica EC-II or the Minolta CLE for weekend shooting. For sports I switch to more modern Canon equipment, specifically the EOS ELAN 7e and the EOS Rebel T3i, which share some amazing modern glass. For afternoons out the Polaroid SX-70 or SX-70 Sonar gets stuck in my back pocket, except when I want something low-key or with more film and setting choices, then I opt for the Olympus XA. Evenings out call for a camera with high ISO metering capabilities, so the Canon A-1 paired with a fast f/1.4 lens becomes the choice. For camping or backpacking I tend to pick more durable and less valuable options. The Minolta X-700 is the top pick, but I actually take a very old Agfa Solinette II when I really want to optimize for rugged packability. I guess I try to enjoy each camera for the purpose in which I feel it excels.
A quick note on the photos in these posts. The photos were selected to give an idea of how the camera performs under different conditions, not to demonstrate the photographer’s [lack of] ability making photographs. Given that the photographer is a slightly below average amateur, if the photos are pleasing then that is a testament to the camera. On the other hand, if the images are terrible it’s probably due to the photographer, but it could also be due to the camera. Most of the cameras are really old.
Since the intent it to showcase the cameras, no manual editing is done on the images, except for dust and watermark removal. The negatives are digitized using a light box and a T3i. Then, the digital images are inverted using a custom python script and the frame borders are cropped out. The images are optimized for the web prior to being uploaded, which can unfortunately degrade some of the images.
If you have old cameras then you’re also going to have a few old light meters. I have tested the meters I have against my dSLR and when used properly the selenium meters would all underexpose by at least a stop. So, I don’t use them, but if I did I would cut the ISO (ASA) on the meter in half. For example, when I have ISO 100 film in the camera I set the meter to ASA 50. This makes sense to me since according to the Wikipedia article on ASA film speeds, “an Ilford HP3 that had been rated at 200 ASA before 1960 was labeled 400 ASA afterwards without any change to the emulsion.” Conversely a modern 400 rated film would have been rated 200 prior to 1960. So the meter needs to use the old, halved number. I will further guess that even though ASA PH2.5-1960 was introduced in 1960, it probably took a while to take effect. Even if it were possible to determine the exact manufacture date of a particular light meter, it probably wouldn’t be clear exactly when a manufacturer may have implemented the new standard. It’s best to test an old meter before trusting it.
| Year | Model | Type | EV | ISO | ƒ-stops | seconds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c1950 | GE PR-1 | selenium | 7 – 17.5 | 0.2 – 1600 | 1 – 128 | 1/3000 – 120 |
| c1962 | Bewi Quick | selenium | 5 – 16 | 10 – 3200 | 1.4 – 22 | 1/1000 – 30 |
| c1966 | Sekonic Micro-leader |
CdS | 3 – 18 | 6 – 12,800 | 1 – 32 | 1/2000 – 8 |
| c1982 | Gossen Luna-Pro |
SBC | -5 – 24 | 0.8 – 100,000 | 0.7 – 128 | 1/4000 – 8h |
| 2020 | Sekonic L-308X-U |
SPD | 0 – 19.9 | 3 – 3000 | 1 – 90.9 | 1/8000 – 60s |