Everything You Should Know Before Buying a Film Camera

If you are into photography, chances are you’ve considered buying a vintage film camera to play with. It might sound intimidating at first – after all, most of us don’t even remember how to load a film -, but taking pictures with an analog camera can be really rewarding. There is something so cool about not knowing what your pictures will look like until they get developed.

Our first tip is to buy a camera that was commercially successful back when it was released. This might sound strange, but we promise there’s a reason. Buying a camera no one has heard of will make your life a lot more difficult if you ever need to replace any parts in case your camera breaks. Besides, there are lots of tutorials on how to use some specific film cameras on YouTube – buying a popular camera will allow you to take advantage of them.

Getty images / Image Source/ Monty Rakusen

Another tip is to buy a camera that has more features than you might initially think you need. We know, it might be scary trying to work out the right ISO, aperture, exposure, etc. in the beginning, but eventually, you’ll grow tired of taking pictures using your camera’s automatic mode. As you get more practice, you will want to explore the different features a good camera offers, so you should take that into consideration when choosing a camera model.

One last tip is to buy your camera from a reliable store. It might be tempting to buy a cheap camera you found at a thrift store or on eBay, but you never know what you’re going to get when you buy from these places. Camera stores are trustworthy and will normally test their products before selling them, so you know you are buying a vintage item that still works.