Retro camera buying tips

The Weekend is Nearly here So, why not go out and see what  film cameras you can buy… you may think that they are no longer manufactured, but you would be mistaken. Fuji, Leica and Hasselblad are just a few of the companies that still manufacture film cameras.

Now is the perfect time to pick up as many film cameras as possible, while people are upgrading to digital and 35mm isn’t old enough to be considered “antique.” And you can still get film at a fairly cheap price. You would be surprised how often you can find great film cameras for a couple of pounds.

Purchasing used and vintage film cameras may seem intimidating if you are not familiar with them, but it’s actually easier than you think. First you have to remember: if you don’t buy the camera from a dealer or shop, there’s always a risk of something being wrong with it, even if it looks perfect. That’s a chance you’ll have to be willing to take. But let’s consider these important points:

First, ALWAYS stop at charity shops. No matter where you are. People give lots of things to these shops and you can always find a gem within the rubbish.

If a camera is less than fiver and it’s not in poor condition, buy it. You can always take it apart and use the pieces for a super cool camera hack or even just display them as a lot of my cameras are just cool display peaces.

The best place to find retro/vintage cameras are at Car Boot Sales. GET THERE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. Seriously, the best chance of getting some great bargain cameras is early morning around 7/7.30am. You do have to keep your eyes pealed as sellers do not show off them off at the best of times.

When you are considering buying a camera, start by looking at the body. Normal wear and tear is no biggie but these are the things you should look for in a working camera:

• A smooth shutter advance
• A back that fully opens and closes
• Shutter pops at all speeds (open up the body and watch the shutter pop to make sure, I usually pop the shutter at least 10 times to verify it’s working properly)
• You can easily slide the aperture ring
• You can easily adjust the shutter speed without the dial getting stuck

On top of these, it is also important that:

• The interior of the body has no mold or fungus

• The lens is free of mold and fungus (very small spots on the lens are okay – they’ll give your photos a vintage touch, but if you look through the lens and it’s cloudy, blotchy or you can clearly see foreign matter, it’s a no-go.)

On another note, beware of people selling their cameras for over £50, and even at £50 it should be a kit with multiple lenses or extra accessories and a big name like canon or Nikon. If someone tells you their camera is worth X amount and they’re not willing to bargain, walk away. *Obviously, this does not apply if you come across a magical suitcase of medium format Mamiyas or something glorious like that.* This also apples to Ebay as you will always pay more on sites like this as people believe they are worth something.

These are the main things that I have looked for and it hasn’t failed me yet. You can also get great deals by buying a body with a damaged lens and then a damaged body with a clean lens and swapping the two (obviously they need to be the same model, but it’s easier to find than you think).

That being said, I now release you into the wild to buy your own vintage cameras. Feel free to submit any gems you find

New Budget Retro Camera – Holga

Holga cameras have been around since 1982 and these fun toy cameras create a unique picture with every shot.

Due to the camera being so cheap you will not get perfect photos due to its lack of precision and light leaks.

These are a great cheap camera which you can have a lot of fun with, also they do lots of different lenses and other accessories  and not just for there own cameras they also produce lenses for some of the big brand cameras (Canon, Sony, Nikon etc.) for film and digital cameras.

These cameras are available from Online retailers such as “instant film direct” , “holga direct” and also Ebay

Using 35mm in a Kodak Brownie

The great this about film cameras is you can always get the most out of them as they last years! The Kodak Box Brownie is one of my favorite old cameras as they are very simple to use and mad very well. the only thing is the 120 or 127 film is expensive to buy and develop. so after searching the internet i found a way to convert your brownie to use 35mm with out damaging the classic camera.

all you need is a few house hold items and a 35mm film which you can still buy on the high street or online.

Below How to from “Classic Cameras” Blog

“Using some scrap film I measured how many holes corresponded to the length of the negative.
In the present case 11cm = 26 holes, including spacing.
Then I needed a way of counting them, the best way is by ear.
For that purpose I taped a ring, from one of those large plastic binding combs, to the film canister, in a way that the pointing end of the ring was in the path of the sprocket holes.
When one turns the advancing knob, the hole passes in the end of the ring and a loud click is heard, just count them.

The film: a Fujicolor 100 ISO, well expired.

I taped a generous piece of used film to the end of the film I was going to use, as a leader, placed the cartridge dead centre, under the metal flap, used to tension the 116 film, very handy in this case.
If your camera is different you may use pieces of Styrofoam, cardboard,… use your ingenuity.
Then I taped the film to the centre of the empty take-up 116 spool.

 

The film circuit was ready.

A very important step:

 

Cover the red window, on the back of the camera, with black gaffer tape, both inside and out, to avoid film fogging.

I closed the box advanced the 26 clicks of the length of the exposure and 20 more for safekeeping.”

Other Ways to modify

Kodak Brownie No2A from – “On The Process” Blog

 

Other Brownies to take 35mm

Kodak Brownie 127

Retro Event

Why not visit this Retro Event this bank holiday weekend. Great fun for all the family and some vintage displays.

Creating a Retro Look – Photo Editing

Just a quick one from me today, i was scanning the internet and cam across the cool fun website.

it is a simple photo editor but they still of it made me like it even more!

you get different stages (just like really photo developing)

 

The developer stage

Adding effects

and the mounting stage.

this is great fun and only takes a few minutes, have a go and have fun! why do shoe us what you have done on our Flickr Page

Here is the link to the above website pixlr.com/o-matic

Developing your film

Developing a film is one if the biggest parts to film photography. The age we live in has lots of different ways to get your shoots to kthe printing stage. Most large supermarkets still process film and give you different options on what media you to have your images i.e. Prints, On CD or just your negatives developed.

Another option is to hire a darkroom. There are a few round the country, i would say they are not cheap but it will let you understand the full film developing process and also the photo process. It’s great fun to do and nice to see the out come, as we may take it for granted these day with printers etc. click here to find one near you.

The final way is the DIY/ do it at home. You can develop your film at home with a few bits of kit. The kits can be got from online shops like eBay and Amazon. The price ranges from £30 – £75, which is not to bad and won’t break the bank. There are a few things that you would need to sort out before you go out and spend some money on one of these kits.

1.  A place you can great a fully blacked out room, no light at all is allowed when processing film.
2. Running water is needed during the processing, so a good supply is needed like a kitchen or bathroom.
3. Take care, you will be working with different chemicals so gloves and goggles would be a good idea to protect your hands and eyes. Also a apron and old towels which can be placed in the bin afterwards.
4. A bath thermometer. There are thermometers designed specifically for photo labs, but you can use a thermometer for a baby’s bath, that will work as well.

The kit you buy will have step by step instructions, but if you would like to read more about this try this good websites step by step – Click Here or try this one Click Here

The Instant Camera

As you will all know that in the “Digital Age” we simple take thousands of photos hopping to get a good shot! I am one for taking 2-4 photos of the same thing to make sure that the first was not burled etc.

This bring me on to the “Instant Camera” the icon of this group has to be the Polaroid Camera but others did try their hand at this type of film – Kodak, Fuijifilm and a few more some brand cameras. So after getting my hands on one of these I got a bit excited, as I have always seen these when I was a kid but due to the cost of using and the film I never had a chance to have a go.

Polaroid Spirit

I can see the love for this iconic cameras as they look cool and also there style of photo are still used today in different ways from the classic Polaroid image with the white edges to their branding and style which Instagram and other site have used.

But as most things are these are not perfect! These cameras were not cheap and the films too. Also you only got 10 photos out of one cartridge. So taking lots of photos with it was not a thing you could do!

So 30 or more years on the Film Packs are still not cheap! A company in the Netherlands has been producing instant film since 2008 when Polaroid stopped the production. The Film Packs are available on the Web from sites like eBay, Amazon and other online retailers. The film price can range from £15 – £20 which for 10 photos this is a lot! But even with the price being so high people are still buying them as they are such fun, which I will be purchasing one film just to give it a go. So watch this space for my photos

Love Capturing Memories, Love Old Film

Welcome to Retro Cameras, this Blog/Website is here to help and show that the love and fun still has not gone out from using good Old Film cameras. All the information and stories are here for all age ranges and also for any experience! So if you have never picked up a film camera before or a pro at them i hope you will find some or all the information handy.

This Blog is not just for me to tell you about things, I would love to hear from you about your problems, Loves and tricks when using classic cameras. I will also like to help Sell and Buy your unwanted cameras. Simply email me a Photo and any information you have and the price you are after and we will see what we can do by placing it on this blog!

Most of this information on this blog has been put together from different articles  and forums so you should be able to find all the information you need in one place. if you do have a story or any useful information please email me.

 

I hope you enjoy what we have so far and look forward to hearing form you.

 

Kodak Brownie New look

A cool idea i found on the web, making your brownie different and also stylish!!

why not give it ago? – CLICK HERE for more info

 

What Hidden Treasures do you have? – let us know what film cameras you have and love