Does anyone still use 35mm film cameras?

[Ray S]

In this electronic age film cameras,rather they be 35 mm or some other format are pretty much extinct as far as using goes;at least for non-professional photographers;although most of them have gone digital. Just curious as to whether anyone on here still uses them. I know you must have a bunch of them still around.
My first 35mm was an Argus C-3 I bought in a pawn shop in Jacksonville Florida in 1965. Came complete with flash(bulb-style)attachment,case,and instruction booklet.One feature(or failure)was it's ability to take double exposures either accidentally or on purpose.Took a ton of pictures with it until the cocking lever broke.
Next was a Voigtlander Vitrona with a built-in pistol grip that housed the electronics for the flash unit.Was great until I lost the grip.
Searching for a good all around 35mm SLR(the prior ones had been rangefinder types)I wound up with a Canon AL-1.I bought it mainly because of the easy focus mechanism.I had trouble using a split-image focus setup and the AL-1 was pretty much "idiot proof". Bought the body and a 35-105 Macro zoom lens that was excellent for doing closeups.It would focus down to about 3 inches although the depth of field was just about non-existent. Used it so much the door on the battery case broke and I had to jury rig a bracket to hold it together.It still sits in it's case waiting to be used.
I also acquired over the years a couple of Minolta XG-1's;a Konica and my last one was a Beseler TOPCON with a complete Metz professional grade electronic flash unit and an assortment of lenses in a fitted case for $5! Works great too!
The Beseler was the first SLR to use through the lens focusing;beating Nikon by about a year.
Anyway I will post some pics of them and if anyone wishes to add to this post please feel free to do so.I also have some vintage non 35mm that I will post later on.

[Ray S]

A few more.

[Ray S]

A couple more.

[Chako]

I have not shot film for quite some time now. Here is a link to 2 of my film cameras.

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,52859.msg903522.html#msg903522

And an updated camera list (Both digital and film) that I have.

-Canon G12.
-Canon 50D with battery grip.
-Canon 1D Mark II N.
-Canon Rebel 1000D with battery grip (720nm IR converted).
-Canon A2E (film camera body with grip).
-Canon Elan 7 (Film).
-Pentax K10D with battery grip.
-Pentax K01.
-Pentax SF10 (Film).
-Pentax P3 (Film).
-Asahi Pentax S (Film).
-Rolleiflex K5 4x4 Baby Gray (Film).
-Kodak Retinette 1A (Film).
-Olympus 35 SP (Film).
-Olympus OM10 (Film).
 -Stereo Realist 35mm (Film).

[dks]

no.

I must have over 20 film cameras. some 35mm, some other formats, even a Polaroid.

here are some from a few years ago, as i was totally switching to digital (one is a digital SLR).

[DaveK]

No - no film for me either although I did get an SLR Kit camera a few years ago for Christmas, so I built it and shot that film. Haven't used it since though.

I've pretty much thrown, given away or sold all of the cameras I no longer use by now.

For stills these days I use a Canon 5D MkIII, a Canon EOS/M if I'm travelling light, or most often my iPhone.

I also have a Canon 70D which I use almost exclusively for video - the continual focus with the STM lenses is superb for reviewing or vlogging type stuff - better than a camcorder really!

I did stumble across an old Praktica 35mm SLR in the loft a few weeks back. I left it there



I have a bunch of other video cameras too, but that's a different topic!

[Millhouse]

Gave up film a long time ago. Could never go back to it.

This year at RIAT, shot 14,497 images. Couldn't do that with film.

[Chako]

I agree. I switched to digital for personal use back in 98/99. I haven't missed it one bit. I did teach for a period of 3 years in the early aughts, a photography class. That was with old Praktica 35mm cameras. We used Ilford 125 film and Ilford photographic papers. At times, I do miss the whole wet chemistry aspect. I would always have the class make pinhole cameras as one of their major assignments. That was always a fun project for them.

A 5D! 

[DaveK]

I agree. I switched to digital for personal use back in 98/99. I haven't missed it one bit. I did teach for a period of 3 years in the early aughts, a photography class. That was with old Praktica 35mm cameras. We used Ilford 125 film and Ilford photographic papers. At times, I do miss the whole wet chemistry aspect. I would always have the class make pinhole cameras as one of their major assignments. That was always a fun project for them.

A 5D! 

My Dad used to do all his own developing - he's far more serious about his photography than I am. Even he switched to digital when Pentax finally brought out a DSLR that would take his extensive collection of Pentax glass - lol.

The 5D MkIII is a fine camera. I actually bought it for video work as for a long while it was the only real option for full-frame video work. Not the case now of course and the 70D is just easier to use for the kind of stuff I am should be doing. It's a heavy bugger but full frame is wicked 

[Chako]

My dad, and consequently I, loved Pentax. When it was time for me to move to digital, I had all this Pentax gear...but they were slow in producing a digital SLR to market. Consequently, I started building a Canon system. I still had a lot of Pentax gear. When my dad was ill, I bought him the Pentax K10D so that he could also use his Pentax equipment with a digital SLR. When the K01 became less popular, and became a real bargain to buy, I bought a yellow one. It takes beautiful photos. The K01 is very quirky...but then I do like off beat things myself.

Here is a list of most of my Pentax lenses: I am missing a few older screw mounts. The biggest strength of the Pentax system was its versatility in using lenses from screw mount to the Pentax K Mount.

-Pentax DA XS 40mm F2.8.
-Pentax DA 16-45 f/4 ED/AL.
-Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4.
-Pentax DA 10-17 f/3.5-4.5 ED Fisheye.
-Pentax DA 50-200 f/4-5.6 ED.
-Pentax DA 18-250 f/3.5-6.3 ED/AL [IF].
-Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2.
-Magnicon 70-210mm f/4.5 AF.
-Magnicon 28-70mm f/3.5-4.5 AF.
-Magnicon 28-70mm f/2.8-4.5 AF.
-Samyang 500mm f/8 Mirror lens.
-Cosmicar MC 28mm f/2.8.
-Kiron 2x teleconverter PA/RX
-MC Hanimex Automatic Zoom c-macro 80-200mm f/4.5.
-SMC Pentax A 50mm f/2.0.

[DaveK]

My dad, and consequently I, loved Pentax. When it was time for me to move to digital, I had all this Pentax gear...but they were slow in producing a digital SLR to market. Consequently, I started building a Canon system. I still had a lot of Pentax gear. When my dad was ill, I bought him the Pentax K10D so that he could also use his Pentax equipment with a digital SLR. When the K01 became less popular, and became a real bargain to buy, I bought a yellow one. It takes beautiful photos. The K01 is very quirky...but then I do like off beat things myself.

Here is a list of most of my Pentax lenses: I am missing a few older screw mounts. The biggest strength of the Pentax system was its versatility in using lenses from screw mount to the Pentax K Mount.

-Pentax DA XS 40mm F2.8.
-Pentax DA 16-45 f/4 ED/AL.
-Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4.
-Pentax DA 10-17 f/3.5-4.5 ED Fisheye.
-Pentax DA 50-200 f/4-5.6 ED.
-Pentax DA 18-250 f/3.5-6.3 ED/AL [IF].
-Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2.
-Magnicon 70-210mm f/4.5 AF.
-Magnicon 28-70mm f/3.5-4.5 AF.
-Magnicon 28-70mm f/2.8-4.5 AF.
-Samyang 500mm f/8 Mirror lens.
-Cosmicar MC 28mm f/2.8.
-Kiron 2x teleconverter PA/RX
-MC Hanimex Automatic Zoom c-macro 80-200mm f/4.5.
-SMC Pentax A 50mm f/2.0.

Sounds as though you were in the same boat as my dad then - waiting for that digital Pentax, lol. I honestly have no idea which Pentax cameras / lenses he has (I know nothing about Pentax personally) , but I'd say the length of his list of kit is roughly similar to yours

Haven't Pentax recently brought out a full-frame model? Are you going to take the plunge (if you haven't already)? 

[Chako]

I believe they still make several APS-C models.

I firmly believe that since Ricoh has taken over the helm, their camera's aren't as good as the older models.

[shibafu]

A while ago I went through a phase of buying old 70s Japanese fixed-lens rangefinders and servicing them back to working state.  Even made a shutter speed calibrating device.  But I'm afraid the novelty of shooting on film wore off after a while and I got fed up of lugging them around.  Even the little Olympus 35RC below weighs almost a pound.  But they are beautiful pieces of engineering, especially the Canon QL17 GIII.  The mechanisms inside are a marvel.

[Chako]

I bought this K-01 Pentax a year after they came out. I got it for a steal as it is the most reviled Pentax ever made. It was created by an Australian Designer named Marc Newson, who designed a strange camera that most traditional photographers didn't like on appearance. The biggest disadvantage with this camera is that Marc Newson is not a photographer, and thus placed buttons in an odd configuration that was less than ideal for using the camera without looking at it. With that said, I sort of enjoy using it. I bought the yellow so that it would stand out. I also liked that it is the only mirror-less camera that could use the full Pentax line of lenses. The photos it takes are superb. Once you can get past the quirkiness of this camera, it is a very nice piece of kit. Mind you, I don't think they made many as it was on sale for a year or so...and they had to fire sale the rest as most Pentax photographers stuck their nose at it. Probably will be a collectors piece sooner or later.







And a bonus photograph of 2 film cameras. A Pentax P3 and a Pentax SF10,


And a very rare Pentax Asahi S.

[Ron Who]

No.

I still have a 35mm cam, but it never got much use. Photography became affordable to me only after I went digital.

That said, I have been making photographs for nearly 50 years. My first camera was a Polaroid. My father taught me how to work in a dark room when I was about the age of six. It was fun, but too expensive for me.

My current camera is a Sony HX200V.