Break into Analog photography cheaply, like a boss - In praise of plastic Canon

bitbuddha (58)in #photography • 8 years ago

This text is for you> either you want to enter magnificent world of emptying your pockets all the time, AKA analog photography, or you are already familiar with 35mm world, and are willing to consider these thoughts, how you can have additional cheap camera that will produce gorgeous photos. If you do not find yourself in these categories, you can maybe just enjoy my photos at the end of this article :) This post is not that technical, more practical, who cares when it was produced and how many electronic blah blah yakiti yak.

Anyways, let's say you want to hipster yourself and impress your friends and family with some analog photos. Need a camera, and film, obviously. But, I suspect that you already have some digital SLR camera? M? I hope so? Canon for example? So, consider this: you can get really really cheap Canon analog camera body, and then use your superb digital lens with it. And auto-focus will work also! Great! Model I will focus on here is Canon EOS 500N, also called Rebel G.

You will maybe encounter similar looking models. These are also good. See some comparison charts here.

Why this camera? Well, as I said, you can use your digital lenses with it, with great results! Then, with cheap adapter (10-15€), you can attach various kind of legacy lenses (that is what I am doing): from Nikon, Olympus, Contax, etc... And, major point is this - you can easily find this body for around 5€! At least in Serbia. But wherever you are, if you pay more than 10 euros for it it is foolish. Other thing is, if you find it dusty and old, scratched and looking like it survived Hiroshima, 99% it is working! Seems like damn thing is indestructable.

So, that does this Canon can do, except you can lens it with various glasses? It rewinds film automatically. In camera lightmeter is working fine, of course. If it is DX film, camera recognizes ISO settings, but you can always set it manually also. Films up to 6400 ISO are supported. Also, you can double exposure your photos - up to 9 times per picture!

So, you attach pro lens to it and make some pictures, but... They look too good? What to do? You want to be more hipsterish? No worries! Find Helios 44 lens (from Zenit cameras) for around 10 euros, and m42 adapter and voila! (with m42 adapter you can use many lenses. I am sorry if you are pro and reading this and I am insulting you with basic info's). Buy yourself some expired crappy film and there you are!

Another potential downside is aesthetics. There are black and more common, gray model you see in the pictures. But you want that metal look of old cameras, and you want to rewind film by yourself... BLAH BLAH. Come on, analog photography is already impractical, now you want to be impractical more? It's about images isn't it? :) Well, ok, but, it's a compromise. You can do many things with this plastic box, yo can not do with , let's say, highly popular Canon AE-1 camera, also known as "hipster's dream"

The price for this one goes up to 100€ (with lens). And you can't attach any other lens. No auto focus! No multiple exposures easily! And one more things - it is heavy, it's metal! Or, try beloved Nikon F2 with prism, it's more than 100 euros body, and many people are religions about it. COME ON! Where are you going, to shoot or to build a house?? It's a brick, not a camera.

I am sure someone can customize plastic Canon to look more cool with some custom grip leather, nice strap... Get yourself some good looking camera bag?

This is my Canon with Nikon's Nikkor 35mm f2 manual focus lens. Attached with 9€ adapter.

You will need two of these to operate it:

Just look for CR123A batteries. They are around 5€ for piece. Yes, more expensive they are than the camera :) But they last wohoo. I bought two Varta CR123A in october, and shot around 8 film rolls - battery indicator did not move.

Let's summarize the way I see it:

PRO'S
- very cheap
- you can use digital lenses and auto focus
- many adapters for canon for legacy lenses
- fast and easy to use
- lightweight
- immortal

CONS
- girls or boys will not fall on your feet when they see it (but maybe they will when they see pictures)
- viewfinder not the best in the world
- maybe you love to rewind film by yourself (then have this as B camera, why not?)

As promised, some pics I made with my beloved Canon plastic box. Various lenses and locations.

Here is Francis Ford Coppola, buying some groceries in Belgrade.