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Beginning Photography camera.

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  • Beginning Photography camera.

    My little brother is into photography stuff with scenes and random artsy poses and whatnot. He's looking into buying a real film camera since he's just been toying around with our cheap digital camera. Is there anyone who can forward me some advice about what camera I should tell my brother about? Keep in mind he is a beginner and I dont want him buying some 800 dollar film camera he doesnt know how to use.

    After doing some research, I find that the Canon Elan is a good starting camera. Can find some pretty good priced ones on ebay around 150.

    Any other opinions?
    I hope to be a Biochemist someday

  • #2
    Re: Beginning Photography camera.

    The Pentax K-1000 is an affordable, fully-manual, reliable camera. So many of them were sold (it seems to me) that there are always readily available parts for it if something goes wrong or if you want to accessorize or expand. You didn't mention how old your brother is, but I learned to use a fully manual 35mm SLR in seventh grade, and it led to a lifetime of photographic love for me.

    This isn't the best of the low-end SLRs I've used, but it was the most rugged. If I were buying a camera for my kid, I'd probably start him or her off on one of these.
    But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
    GrouchyTeacher.com

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    • #3
      Re: Beginning Photography camera.

      The epitome of learning good photography is quick feedback and lots of practice.

      I would recommend getting a good digital camera. Don't bother with film. It's expensive and slow. Many of the best professionals aren't using film anymore for commercial or news photography.

      And the camera is only the front end. The other half, which is equally important, is knowing Photoshop and how to apply it to control tonal scales in a finished image.

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      • #4
        Re: Beginning Photography camera.

        While digital is affordable and allows you to take plenty of pictures without all of the expense, I think if the kid actually wants to learn the basics of photography, I'd definitely recommend an all manual film camera. Most of today's low end digital cameras are all automatic and don't offer a manual setting where the user has to set shutter speed, aperature, and even focusing. That stuff is usually in the realm of higher end digitals which are generally expensive up front.

        I am sure if you scour ebay or go to yard sales, a good manual film camera such as the Pentax K-1000 mentioned previously can be obtained. Another good all manual film camera is the Minolta SRT 100 or 200 series. They're bigger than the Pentax but fairly rugged. Ditto for older Nikon F series, which are probably more expensive on the used market than the Pentax or Minolta.

        Can't find an all manual? Many of the low end film SLRs also have manual override mode, so that they can function the same way as the all manual ones mentioned previously.
        I'm still here. Are you?

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        • #5
          Re: Beginning Photography camera.

          I have a Canon AE1 if you're interested.

          Let me know
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          • #6
            Re: Beginning Photography camera.

            Originally posted by PatrickBABOON View Post
            My little brother is into photography stuff with scenes and random artsy poses and whatnot. He's looking into buying a real film camera since he's just been toying around with our cheap digital camera. Is there anyone who can forward me some advice about what camera I should tell my brother about? Keep in mind he is a beginner and I dont want him buying some 800 dollar film camera he doesnt know how to use.

            After doing some research, I find that the Canon Elan is a good starting camera. Can find some pretty good priced ones on ebay around 150.

            Any other opinions?
            The best affordable camera in the woeld is "NIKON". They are expensive when purchased new, however you can get a used one pretty reasonably at a camera shop. If you want a camera that requires setting up by the user, I suggest the "Nikon FM2".

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            • #7
              Re: Beginning Photography camera.

              There is no doubt that Nikon cameras are fine instruments, but don't fall in love with a brand name. When it comes down to it, for basic, fully manual beginners' cameras, one is pretty much like the next. Almost twenty years ago, I spent $20 bucks for an old Olympus I saw at a swap meet, and it has been a wonderful camera for me ever since. The hot shoe went out (broke off, actually!) a couple of years into my ownership of the camera, but I bought a mount and just use a synching cable now, which really works better anyway.

              I totally, totally disagree with Composite 2992's assessment of analog photography. Fully manual digital cameras, as Mel says, are quite an investment, and understanding the basics of exposure, film speed, aperture, and focus DO help you use a digital camera better. I'd much sooner recommend spending $100 on a Pentax K1000 (which is what I saw one go for last night, and is not much less than what that camera probably cost brand-new fifteen years ago!) so that if and when the beginner wants to go digital SLR, he or she will know what it is he or she wants. And if that's not in the cards, he or she will at least better understand what to do with a digital point-and-shoot.
              But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
              GrouchyTeacher.com

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              • #8
                Re: Beginning Photography camera.

                One could also try an inexpensive 35mm camera from Wal-Mart just to get the hang of dealing with traditional film cameras. It also helps to have membership to either Costco or Sams Club since their film and processing prices are much cheaper.

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                • #9
                  Re: Beginning Photography camera.

                  Having spent a quarter-century as a professional photographer, I found a genuine change of learning curve when going to digital, even at my level of experience. I have more negatives than you could fit in the trunk of a car. And I can say with absolute certainty that a beginner would learn more about the craft of capturing images with a digital camera than he or she would if they're reluctant to trip a shutter because of the cost of film.

                  There's a long delay between shooting film and seeing the results.

                  In addition to the long turn-around between effort and results, the cost of film and processing can discourage experimentation, which is a very important aspect of learning the art of photography.

                  And when you do see these drugstore prints, the pictures you see are only a poor representation of their potential. A LOT of photography is not just the shooting but mostly what you do afterward. A classic example: Ansel Adam's "Moonrise over Hernandez" was possible only because Adams was able to do a great deal of work to create a print. A straight print from that neg actually looks terrible.

                  Adams was a firm believer in the importance of working a negative to create a final print. And every print he ever made went through significant hand work.

                  That's why learning Photoshop is crucial to anyone who is truly serious about getting the best out of their photography. Most photographers hardly scratch the surface of what this program can truly do to make their images reflect what they saw in their mind's eye.

                  Going to film means going to a darkroom. And I wouldn't want to wish that chore on any beginner if they could avoid it. It's certainly an interesting process but not one that any newbie needs to go through to learn the art of photography. Any more than learning calligraphy with a quill pen is to developing the art of writing.

                  Film cameras are slowly going the way of the flash bulb. It's still a viable medium, but not one that you need to delve into if you're interested in shooting a LOT and learning from your mistakes.

                  Some of the "point-and-shoot" digital cameras do allow all-manual shooting. You can override the exposure settings and over-expose or under-expose. I have an Canon S-80 which does a really nice job, both on programmable modes and manual modes. Not too expensive at approx $500. Unless you're trying to shoot sports. In which case digital SLR's start to get very expensive. Then again, kids learning to play pianos and violins get instruments that cost a few thousand bucks, too.

                  What's most important is seeing composition and understanding timing, especially with "real-life" photography. Being in the right place at the right time. Paying attention, recognizing a developing situation, and being able to record that moment in time. All of this takes experience. And, as with learning music, it takes practice, practice, practice and learning from your mistakes. With film, you end up paying for all your mistakes.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Beginning Photography camera.

                    There are pros and cons to both digital and analogue formats.

                    I learned photo using a film camera. Some Nikon N6000 or something. Of course this was at UH and I had ample access to darkrooms. It was expensive, though, even though I bought my film and paper in bulk.

                    I switched to digital in 2001 when I started at the Bulletin. It was pretty primitive back then, we were issued Kodak cameras which were heavy and slow. I also had a Nikon D1.

                    Technology has come along since then, and we now use Canon digital cameras. Which I highly recommend. You can get old used 10d or 20d bodies for fairly cheap now, and they're great cameras. I often find myself liking the look of my photos shot with a my 20d more than my 1D Mark II.

                    It did take a while to get used to the crop factor involved with most digital SLRs. But now I don't really notice it. It is strange, though, to look through a full-frame camera's view finder and see how "huge" it seems.

                    But whatever. I think the main thing is that you find a camera that has a full manual mode. The less fancy the camera the better. I shoot in manual most of the time anyway.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Beginning Photography camera.

                      And while you're at it, Google the non-credit courses available at the University of Hawaii. They're offered every semester, and I'm pretty sure an introduction to photography with a digital camera is part of the curriculum.

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