Basic Black&White Camera

[Deleted member 12480]

Hello

I'm not a frequent visitor of this part of the Lounge, so sorry if this has been asked before (I did do a google search, but not much came up.)

I was wondering if someone could advise me on an old film camera that's not too complicated (I'm not great at using cameras!) for my photography project. I just need 'authentic' pictures.

Thanks,

deleteduser

xx

 

[MisterCairo]

Hi Annie!

I'm still a film photographer, but hardly an expert. Nikon made a range of great film cameras, theirs start with "F" (their digitals start with "D" - they kept things simple!). I have the last model they made, the F55. It has enough electronic bells and whistles, but a dial to put the camera into one of several modes, such as portraiture, nature, action, and so on. Automatic is the simplest, as it makes the decisions on aperture setting (how much light is let in) and shutter speed (how long it lets that light in).

It even allows you focus yourself, or let the camera do it (you lightly press the shutter release until you've focussed).

Basically, once you make a setting choice, you point and shoot.

There are many other models still available. You may have a camera shop nearby, or peruse e-bay and other sites.

There is also a British magazine, Black and White Photography, that still deals with film work (B&W of course!). It's available here in Canada, you must be able to find it locally or check their website.

Good luck!

 

[Deleted member 12480]

So... is this a modern camera that produces black and white images that look like vintage camera images?

sorry, getting confused

xxx

 

[MisterCairo]

Hi again!

It is a modern (produced 2002 to about 2006) film camera that can take either black and white or colour film. Using black and white film produces negatives that can only produce black and white prints. I just found one for sale near Toronto for $100 Canadian (maybe 60 pounds or so?).

As for adding in effects, such as sepia toning (that brownish colouring that many old photos have), it would have to be done by a specialist laboratory, or you can scan the prints yourself and then play around with Photoshop or whathaveyou.

These days with digital cameras dominating, there are fewer labs around that develop film, but they can often be dropped off at your local shop then sent out.

Scanning the prints (even scanning the negatives) will allow you to take a true black and white image and do what you like to add effects to "age" it.

 

[Deleted member 12480]

so the results, would they come out very high-contrast or more the 'greyscale' feel that 'black and white' settings on digital cameras have?

(i have photoshop so manipulating them isn't an issue... probaly just the price of getting double-developed if you will!)

 

[Doctor Strange]

Just about any old film camera that uses a film size still being made (i.e., 35mm or 120 rollfilm) will work. The older the camera, the more likely that its vintage lens design/construction will give you a more old-fashioned look. (Yeah, you can shoot with a contemporary digital camera and desaturate it to mimic b/w, but unless you're a real expert, the results won't be close to actually shooting b/w film with an older camera.)

My advice would be to get something of 1960s/1970s vintage, when cameras were still mostly simple mechanical devices rather than being electronics-based. Look for something with manual focusing but automatic (or match-needle metered) exposure. Good bets are earlier Olympus OMs (OM-1, OM-2, OM-10 aka OM-G) and Nikons (F, F2, EM), simple rangefinders like the Canon QL series, basic Pentax and Canon SLRs, and other inexpensive rangefinders.

Unless you are going for the cheapo soft snapshot look, stay away from cameras that are old-school point and shoots (i.e, cheap snapshooters): these have no focus, shutter speed, or lens aperture adjustments, and often Coke-bottle-base lenses too. I know there's a fascination with the flawed images that such cameras produce, but I don't think that's what you're going for here. (I just scanned some prints taken with my first camera - a Brownie StarMite - in the mid-1960s, and while they have fantastic sentimental value, they're pretty poor pictures.)

You should be able to find some of these kinds of cameras very cheaply on eBay, etc, or find people willing to lend/give them to you, as they're now just sitting unused in a camera bag or cabinet...

 

[Doctor Strange]

Contrast is determined by the type of film emulsion you shoot, how it's exposed, how it's developed, what kind of paper it's printed on... and how that paper is exposed and developed. There are MANY variables at play in classic b/w work. That's what makes it an art as well as a craft... So it's difficult to say what your initial results will look like: they can vary quite a bit!

 

[dhermann1]

One of the major factors that gives you that old fashioned look is the lenses. Older cameras have less depth of field, i.e. something a little closer or further from the subject will be fuzzier.
Just to clarify, when you use film, it's either black and white or color. It's 2 separate types.
And you have to be more careful selecting your subject, you only have 12 or 16 chances and then the film is used up. Also, some older cameras will let you take more than one picture on the same piece of film. That's called a double exposure. You have to remember to wind the film every time.
And you have to be VERY careful loading and unloading the film, or you can ruin a whole roll.
I think you'll have a lot of fun doing this tho! Let us see the results!

 

[dhermann1]

I just looked on Ebay. I'm not an expert on antique cameras, so I'd be curious to see what some of the other guys will have to say about these selections.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kodak-Duaflex-V...ography_VintageCameras_SM&hash=item5888e49d1f
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-OLYMPUS...ography_VintageCameras_SM&hash=item335f5ba331
http://cgi.ebay.com/Argus-C4-vintag...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c14587c44

This might be a little too esotereic, but this shows you how cool old cameras can get.

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-VOIGTLA...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3caf8aee9d

What NOT to get:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Kodak-I...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f33e8b98

 

[Doctor Strange]

Well, I already recommended the Olympus OM-10... The Argus would be a good choice too... and its 1950s lens will surely give an old-time look. I would only consider the Kodak or Voigtlander if they take 120 film (no time to look them up now)... and even then, I think you'd be better off with a 35mm camera. 120 film is still made and supported, but being a "professional medium format" thing, it's harder to find and more expensive to process.

 

[MisterCairo]

Annie, here is the link to the magazine I mentioned:

http://www.thegmcgroup.com/item--Black-and-White-Photography--1003BW.html

And as noted above, there are many choices regarding film cameras. The F55 is just one newer option.

There are in fact brand new cameras being made that can give vintage looking prints, particularly of scenery. Pinhole cameras for example.

B&W Photography magazine is a great resource for your budding hobby.

 

[Deleted member 12480]

thankyou for your help! Despite the low price of the cameras I think i will have to save for a while before i can get one off ebay, but when I do i will be appealing for your help!!


Thankyou!

 

[rlk]

It would be helpful to know what "vintage" period and style you seek to emulate with your images. An old family snapshot or a classic Hollywood portrait would be completely different and use different equipment and lighting
techniques. A modern(last 50 years) high quality lens will give a sharp image when properly focused and held still. A cheap limited control(the point and shoot of its day) has a bit softer look and requires either a flash or fairly bright conditions. If your idea of vintage is 19th century or early 20th that has different issues. Landscape is another set of problems(opportunities) . Sharp b & w images of a tonality similar to today have been around for over a 100 years. If the final image is shared electronically much of the unique characteristics of a film and paper choice are somewhat hidden. The camera, being only a tool, can do little other than create certain limitations. However, there is a best tool for a particular job.

 

[swinggal]

Hey there Annie,

I am an amateur photographer and use a modern camera to do all my black and white shots. I wouldn't bother with an old camera. As a graphic designer I can tell you that there are so many settings and vintage brushes for photoshop now that you can even download for free, that make the antiquing of photos so easy.

Crimped edges of frame, adding dust, blur, sepia...it's all there. Send me a pic your would like antiqued and I'll give you an example of what can be done and post it here. I've been using photoshop for about 13 years in my job as a designer so I can help.

 

[Deleted member 12480]

For my coursework I have to compose a folder showing how i have taken inspiration from other photographers work to improve my own work.

I would like to incorporate actual old techniques as my starting photographers are a portrait photographer from the 30s and the Picture Post images (I found an annual in the School Library). My teacher may tell me that using film may be too time-consuming and unpredictable, in which case I want to use it just for my own experiments. I don't want anything overly confusing and expensive, because I really am a complete dunce where cameras are concerned. (other than recognising a good photo opportunity and pressing the shutter, I'm not great with cameras)

Then I will just use my DSLR to make high contrast, more modern looking pictures, inspired by film photography.

xx

 

[Deleted member 12480]

Swinggal - I had a go just messing around with photoshop a couple days ago:

any chance you could educate me further?

xx

 

[swinggal]

I'll have a play with this and tell you what I've done. It's looking great already though, you have the idea Back in 10...

 

[rlk]

A large element of the look of 1930's formal portraiture is the lighting. Information is available for reading and learning. Both size of the light source(s) and their positions are important and change skin textures and mood. This is completely independent of the type of camera employed.

 

[Deleted member 12480]

just like to emphasize i'm a complete numpty with regards to cameras made before 2009

haha. I'm starting to feel pretty overwhelmed.

 

[swinggal]

A large element of the look of 1930's formal portraiture is the lighting. Information is available for reading and learning. Both size of the light source(s) and their positions are important and change skin textures and mood. This is completely independent of the type of camera employed.

I dont think she's trying for the formal 30s formal portrait style. I have done a fair bit of that myself. I think she wants to reproduce the look of old every day photos of the era. Lighting is everything for 30s glamour shots for sure and A LOT of negative retouching was done, but this is what I think Annie is getting at;