New life for old SLRs
Monday, September 18, 2006
The move to digital SLR cameras is gaining pace, as prices drop and enthusiasts look to improve on the sturdy but not spectacular results they're getting from their point-and-shoot digitals. But this is also good news for people still shooting film.
The move to digital SLR cameras is gaining pace, as prices drop and enthusiasts look to improve on the sturdy but not spectacular results they're getting from their point-and-shoot digitals. But this is also good news for people still shooting film.
First get your camera
A quick trip to eBay reveals hundreds of bargains on quality film SLR gear, as people upgrade and dump their old cameras. And there's no doubt that many recently-purchased lightly-used cameras can deliver some excellent shots.
i've recently returned to using my old SLR (a first-generation Canon EOS autofocus) after several years in digital land, and as well as the tactile (and now slightly retro) fun of shooting film, I've been impressed with some of the shots I've ended up with (largely due to the camera, it has to be said).
A mediocre SLR still gives you greater control over depth of field and shutter speed than the most expensive point-and-shoot digital.
And while it might seem like a waste of money to buy a film SLR now, when you remember that many of the lenses you buy will be compatible with digital bodies if you go that route in the future, your new kit might have a longer life than you think.
No more chemicals
But there's no getting around the fact that shooting, developing and printing film is more expensive than filling an 1G card with digital shots. Which is where Shutterfly's (http://www.shutterfly.com) film developing service comes in.
You shoot your roll of film (and I found good prices on film from http://www.acephotodigital.com), send the roll to Shutterfly in the prepaid envelope, and they develop the roll and upload the photos to your account (before sending the negatives back to you). Then you choose which and how many prints you want - perfect if (like me) the quality of your shots is patchy.
Developing costs around $4, and with cheap prices on prints, you can minimize the expense while enjoying the world of film cameras. And of course, your shots are all digitized for you, saving you hassles with scanners or poorly-produced drugstore CDs.
Other online photo stores offer similar services (including Kodakgallery - http://www.kodakgallery.com/ - but they're more expensive), and it seems like the perfect halfway-house between completely analog and completely digital.
So dig out your old film camera (or pick up someone's castoff for a good price), and get shooting.