Getting started

You don't need an expensive camera. You need one that works and a roll of film.

A compact 35mm film camera from the 1960s

Which camera

  • Point-and-shoot: automatic, pocketable, great for snapshots.
  • Manual SLR: the best way to learn; mechanical models from the 1970s–80s are plentiful and repairable.
  • Medium format: bigger negatives and more detail, but fewer shots per roll.

Buying used

  • Fire the shutter at several speeds and listen for a clean, even sound.
  • Look through the lens for mould or haze.
  • Check the light-seal foam around the back door; crumbly seals let light leak in.
  • Ask whether the light meter works and which battery it takes.

Your first roll

Use a forgiving colour negative film around ISO 400, shoot outdoors in daylight, and get it developed and scanned at a lab before doing anything yourself.