All About Film Cameras

35mm Cameras still lead market quality

Film cameras have certainly taken a back seat to the digital market, recently, but the film camera still has quite the allure for the photography enthusiast. While the digital market has made extraordinary leaps in quality in the last few years, traditional photography still leads the industry in quality and versatility even if the learning curve is far greater, as film is a less forgiving medium than an erasable memory card.

What a range

Like any product, there is a huge range of quality and features for 35mm cameras. Manufacturers have produced a multitude of cameras from convenient, compact point-and-shoot models, cameras with water-proof casings for under-water photography and even standard film cameras with led viewfinders, similar to digital cameras.

In the end, the use of the camera determines the kind of camera that is needed.

The low end of film cameras is the typical snapshot models and disposable cameras, with focus-free lenses, little to no zoom and few customizable features.

Since camera technology has been developing for so long, even these low-end cameras are quite capable of taking generally good pictures. These are a good choice for people who just want an easy, low-cost solution to capture life's little moments.

Another easy-to-use option is the Polaroid camera, an instant picture system which eliminates the need for professional development by using a proprietary type of film sheet. While convenient, Polaroid cameras lack the quality of even the cheapest disposable camera.

Better quality film cameras often use modifiable apertures (a filter which determines the exposure to light), and auto-focus. Light meters are often added to improve exposure and overall quality, along with better lenses and can perform in a wider variety of situations.

This range offers the best balance of quality and price, but sacrifice the portability with their typically larger sizes.

High-end, professional cameras, like the typical SLR-style camera, boast a variety of interchangeable zoom lenses, sensitive manual focus and exposure systems, wider apertures and better lenses.

Manufacturers such as Olympus, Canon, Nikon and Kodak have dominated this market for a very long time and offer the best film cameras in this class. However, this level of quality comes at a price and this world is often far more expensive than the novice is willing to invest in.

Diversity

Camera film is just as diverse as the cameras that use it. 35mm celluloid film is the most common type of film. Photographers can choose from a huge variety of film types, featuring different exposure ratings, roll sizes, black & white options, and speed (the rate at which the image is recorded onto the film).

The 35mm camera may be seen as a dying technology, as digital cameras catch up in quality, but manufacturers still are developing and supporting technology. In fact, the film camera continues to improve in quality and prices are dropping so rapidly that this is an excellent time for the blossoming shutterbug to upgrade to high-quality equipment without a premium price tag.

More information on film cameras