Old Film guy needs advice

axle64

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Many years ago as a young man I shot a lot of film. I had my own darkroom (B&W) and loved the smell of dektol...lol. Shot mostly cop stuff... crime scenes, car wrecks plane crashes etc. I understand the mechanics of photography. Shutter speed, f stop, film ISO, focal length, how to figure flash range, long exposures, all that stuff. Then along came kids, job and life. 25 years later I would like to get back into it. I'm looking for a camera that will do everything (and more) that my old SLR would do, such as change the iso, bulb setting for long exposures, adjust f stop and shutter speed manually, control depth of field etc. I DON'T HAVE A CLUE WHERE TO START! Suggestions?
 
What was your old camera? Buy another one! Used film stuff is ĂĽber-cheap these days. Just make sure to find one that either has been CLA'd, or spend the money to CLA it once you get it.
 
Still Have a Cannon AE1 P all the lenses and my dad's 1950's Contessa with a Ziess lens
But I think I want to go digital
 
Uhhhh..... CLA?
 
Uhhhh..... CLA?

Clean, Lubricate & Adjust.

Still Have a Cannon AE1 P all the lenses and my dad's 1950's Contessa with a Ziess lens
But I think I want to go digital

If you want to 'go digital', just about any entry-level DSLR will work just fine for you.
 
Clean, lube adjust?
 
Uhhhh..... CLA?
You made it sound like you wanted to shoot film again. Clean, Lubricate, Adjust. That's what you want to look for when buying a film camera.

Since now you said digital, what type of photography you interested in?
 
OK..... so what is an "entry level" camera? What kind of price range?
 
I'm interested in something that is fairly versatile. Mostly outdoor stuff. Some family and friends. I guess I'm looking for a step up from the point and shoot stuff where I have some control.
 
OK..... so what is an "entry level" camera? What kind of price range?

Entry-level = low-end models. Nikon D3400, Canon Rebel T5....
 
For a DSLR, a Nikon D3400 would be a nice starter body. You could start with the kit lens, 18-55 and take it from there. Pentax makes some real nice entry level DSLR's as well.

You could also go with a Sony A6000 or NEX6, mirrorless and buy an adapter for your current glass you have, it would be manual focus only but give you a nice start.
 
As a film guy, you'll probably appreciate a 'full frame' digital SLR more than the 'crop' size sensors.

The 'full frame' DSLR has the same field of view as the old 35mm film cameras. Maybe look at the Canon EOS 6D if not out of your budget.
 
Many years ago as a young man I shot a lot of film. I had my own darkroom (B&W) and loved the smell of dektol...lol. Shot mostly cop stuff... crime scenes, car wrecks plane crashes etc. I understand the mechanics of photography. Shutter speed, f stop, film ISO, focal length, how to figure flash range, long exposures, all that stuff. Then along came kids, job and life. 25 years later I would like to get back into it. I'm looking for a camera that will do everything (and more) that my old SLR would do, such as change the iso, bulb setting for long exposures, adjust f stop and shutter speed manually, control depth of field etc. I DON'T HAVE A CLUE WHERE TO START! Suggestions?

I'd say a Nikon d-slr would be a great place to get back into it. Buy one that will LAST for a decade, without you wanting to "move up" too quickly. I'd actually buy a USED one, like a D600 full-frame or a D610 full frame, or a D750 full frame. Full-frame in Nikon at this level (the mid-level, not the entry level bodies) will give you access to about 60 million Nikkor lenses on the used market, and as many as they make every year on the brand-new market.

I would NOT go back to an APS-C camera if your last camera was a 35mm film SLR...full-frame has the most models of the good zooms and the most full-frame-capable primes in F-mount.
 
Digital is much more forgiving than film. I strongly suggest Fuji, either a X-Pro 2 or a X-T2. Neither are entry level cameras, but if you had a darkroom, you do not need an entry level camera. The Fuji cameras are designed for old film guys like you and me. The controls, shutter speed and ISO are on top the camera and the aperture is controlled via a ring on the lenses. Fuji cameras and lenses are not cheap, but they are well built, not like cheap plastic and the lenses are extremely sharp. The X-T2 and X-Pro2 feel and handle like film SLR's.
 
I'm a film guy and I use a Fuji GX1 because I have adapters to use all my Zeiss, Leica, Nikon manual lenses. Adapters are cheap. You can get an electronic cable release and take long (bulb) exposures too. I love it.

For the record, I still do film stuff. 90% of my work is film, but digital has its place.

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