Digital’s rise to fame in the early 2000s did not mean the end of the film camera, in fact, there are several film cameras that we love here at CCR that were produced during and beyond the year 2000!
Cameras Featured in Today’s Show
Cosina Voigtländer Bessa R2m – For John the smaller, the lighter, the better when it comes to cameras these days. And for him, his hands down favourite rangefinder in 35mm is the Bessa R2m, while officially Cosina built, the Bessa R2m offers up the Leica M-Mount without paying the price of a Leica camera. But don’t let that stop you, the R2m is a solidly built camera with full metering, and a line of Cosina glass such as the Classic Heliar and Skopar lenses that will give any optic a run for its money.
Camera Specs:
Make: Cosina
Model: Voigtländer Bessa R2m
Type: Rangefinder
Format: 135 (35mm), 36x24mm
Lens: Interchangeable, Leica M-Mount
Year of Manufacture: 2006-Present
Nikon FM2n – If there’s a classic mechanical camera out there it would have to be the Nikon FM2n, while officially the camera has its start in the 1980s, it just slipped in under the wire being produced into the 21st-Century. For Bill, it’s the perfect carry around SLR, small, light, and mechanical. The batteries only power the meter, plus being able to accept most Nikkor lenses out there it’s perfect for anyone looking for something simpler.
Camera Specs:
Make: Nikon
Model: FM2n
Type: SLR
Format: 135 (35mm), 36x24mm
Lens: Interchangeable, Nikon F-Mount
Year of Manufacture: 1982-2001
Nikon FM3a – The Nikon FM3a is a unique camera in the Nikon line, it is the perfect blend of everything photographer’s love about the FE line with semi-automatic aperture priority AE functions but maintain mechanical shutter speeds as well. Which means even if the camera’s batteries die, you can still sunny-16 it. Sadly the cameras were only produced for a short time and only for the Japanese market, but some did make it to North America. As a result, they are fairly pricey on the used market.
Camera Specs:
Make: Nikon
Model: FM3a
Type: SLR
Format: 135 (35mm), 36x24mm
Lens: Interchangeable, Nikon F-Mount
Year of Manufacture: 2001-2006
Nikon F80 – Don’t dismiss the Nikon F80 easily, this was Alex’s SLR that brought him over from the Minolta line into Nikon. While one of the final AF semi-pro Nikon SLRs, and what a camera, it really brought about his love of Nikon and SLRs as a whole and a constant companion for many years. He does recommend using a battery grip as it makes it look like an F5.
Camera Specs:
Make: Nikon
Model: F80 (Alternate: N80)
Type: SLR
Format: 135 (35mm), 36x24mm
Lens: Interchangeable, Nikon F-Mount
Year of Manufacture: 2000-2010
Scanning Your Film
Film photography has seen a major resurgence of late and that’s mostly thanks to the Internet and specifically Social Media. Websites like Flickr, Facebook, and even Instagram have been able to bring together the photography community especially film photographers. If it hadn’t been for the Film Photography Podcast none of us would be gathered around. But how do we here at CCR get our film shots online. Well, that’s done through Scanning your film. Alex, John, and Bill use Epson V-Series scanners as their main scanner in various models from the V600 to the V850. James also has a pair of scanners, a massive Epson and a rather sleek 120 Scanner that’s dedicated. Like our scanners our software also varies, James prefers SilverFast as it works with both his scanners and he can basically dial in the settings and let the scanners do their work. Bill works with VueScan because he’s a Mac user while Alex and John operate on the stock Epson Scan Software. Post-Processing for all is done through Adobe Products, either Adobe Photoshop (Alex) or Lightroom (Bill). But the best thing to take away is just this, use the gear, software, and techniques you’re familiar with that output the work the way you want to see it. And always, don’t forget to print your work, even if you’re outputting your digital scans through a lab or through an inkjet it’s still a print!
Looking for a good spot to get your gear and material fix check out Burlington Camera (Burlington, ON), Downtown Camera (Toronto, ON), Film Plus (Toronto, ON), Belle Arte Camera (Hamilton, ON), Pond’s FotoSource (Guleph, ON), Foto Art Camera (Owen Sound, ON). Out West there’s The Camera Store (Calgary, AB) and Beau Photo Supply (Vancouver, BC). Additionally you can order online at Argentix (Quebec), buyfilm.ca (Ontario), the Film Photography Project or Freestyle Photographic.
Also you can connect with us through email: classiccamerarevivial[at]gmail[dot]com or by Facebook, we’re at Classic Camera Revival or even Twitter @ccamerarevival