Digital and Film

magicmonkey · Apr 28, 2006

No, I really don't want to go into the debate of which one is best

I have a canon 350D and lenses to fit but I'm contemplating getting a canon film body to carry around in my bag and use as a once in a while experimental thing. I haven't used a film SLR in a good few years though so I won't be used to it at all, could anyone reccomend some models or features that I might find useful? Or even tell me if it's just a rubbish idea and a waste of money?

Rob · Apr 28, 2006

The EOS3 was a great camera, they're about the fastest Canon produced except for the 1V. The EOS5 is a good one too! Both are available cheap from places second hand.

Rob

stingray · Apr 28, 2006

i can recommend an EOS10 too... bit cheaper than the above i presume. mine's working quite well and can be used with infrared film... probably a thing that is good to have considering it's one of the more film oriented processes..

Meysha · Apr 28, 2006

I have a Canon 350D too... and my second camera... well to be perfectly honest - it's my first camera and the digi is my second. But anyway, it's a Canon EOS 100. (seeing as though we're mentioning IR - you can use this cam with IR too.)

When you're looking around... look for a model with a maximum of 2 zeros. So pick a 1,10 or 100 over a 1000, or a 3, 30, 300 over a 3000. (Did they make a 30?) That way you'll be in sort of the same 'level' as your digi.

Or even tell me if it's just a rubbish idea and a waste of money?

No it's not a rubbish idea. If you haven't used film for a while (or a loooong time) then you'll find it a huge learning experience. You'll think about photography in a completely different way and you'll pay a lot more attention to those flashing green numbers in the view finder than you ever have before.
Plus film rules!

Azuth · Apr 28, 2006

I have an EOS 1000 that I picked up cheap years ago, and Meysha has it right, lower numbers are better. That having been said, I've heard the 630 is built like a tank, probably does everything you'd want, and are dirt cheap.

Torus34 · Apr 28, 2006

What matters is the final print. Whether you get there through film or binary code is, in the final analysis, of no importance whatever. If you show your result to non-photographers [either untutored or artistically sophisticated], they will quite rightly judge the print on aesthetic grounds and not on sharpness, graininess, bo-whatever, or any other photo-wonk catch-word.

Use whatever tool fits your hand and mind. If the one you're using doesn't do the job, then change.