Film Camera for Photography Class

[MartinCrabtree]

Nikon is still making the FM10 and it's full manual. $337 MSRP ain't too bad for a new Nikon. Then again you can pick up a used F5 for about the same. And they have a manual mode as well. And you'll never outgrow an F5.

 

[timor]

Find a college that has crossed over into the 21st century along with photography and will teach you using your T2i which does provide full manual control.

Joe

Crap answer most Uni's in UK still teach with film **** digital

I can't speak for what they're doing in the Old Country:

View attachment 46181

But here in the New World I live in St. Louis with a metro area population of nearly 3 million. If you wanted that camera new today in St. Louis, you'd be out of luck. The number of available new 35mm films cameras in stock and ready to sell here in St. Louis = 0. So teaching a photo class based on access to a 35mm film camera means relying on the used market. Seriously? In other words on the first day of class the instructor has to say this: "There aren't enough people left on the planet that do this to justify selling new hardware so you'll have to hustle right away and find a used camera. Check with your Grandma."

Joe

Joe, first check. Just yesterday someone is posting Canon FT with a lot of auxiliary stuff on craigslist. I wouldn't believe you a 1 second, that St. Louis population was never interested in film photography and waited thru all history for digital.
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/pho/3832837886.html

 

[texkam]

But here in the New World I live in St. Louis with a metro area population of nearly 3 million. If you wanted that camera new today in St. Louis, you'd be out of luck. The number of available new 35mm films cameras in stock and ready to sell here in St. Louis = 0. So teaching a photo class based on access to a 35mm film camera means relying on the used market. Seriously? In other words on the first day of class the instructor has to say this: "There aren't enough people left on the planet that do this to justify selling new hardware so you'll have to hustle right away and find a used camera. Check with your Grandma."

Like taking a drafting class and being required to have a T-square and rapidiograph.

 

[Ziggee]

U got with that bug under your name. I try to kill it.

 

[Ziggee]

Kindly disregard last replay. I sent to you in era. :er:

 

[gsgary]

Find a college that has crossed over into the 21st century along with photography and will teach you using your T2i which does provide full manual control.

Joe

Crap answer most Uni's in UK still teach with film **** digital

I can't speak for what they're doing in the Old Country:

View attachment 46181

But here in the New World I live in St. Louis with a metro area population of nearly 3 million. If you wanted that camera new today in St. Louis, you'd be out of luck. The number of available new 35mm films cameras in stock and ready to sell here in St. Louis = 0. So teaching a photo class based on access to a 35mm film camera means relying on the used market. Seriously? In other words on the first day of class the instructor has to say this: "There aren't enough people left on the planet that do this to justify selling new hardware so you'll have to hustle right away and find a used camera. Check with your Grandma."

Joe

My 30 years + Leica M4's will still be going and be able to be repaired when your digital is dead

 

[amolitor]

So, there's one person in this thread that Actually Teaches Photography. Let's just keep that in mind here.

That said, well, the OP needs a film camera. The class is about film. Best get a film camera. I think trying to pick up a cheap FD-mount body sounds like a good plan.

 

[gsgary]

So, there's one person in this thread that Actually Teaches Photography. Let's just keep that in mind here.

That said, well, the OP needs a film camera. The class is about film. Best get a film camera. I think trying to pick up a cheap FD-mount body sounds like a good plan.

So he says :er: you wouldn't think so by some of the posts

 

[terri]

So, there's one person in this thread that Actually Teaches Photography. Let's just keep that in mind here.

That said, well, the OP needs a film camera. The class is about film. Best get a film camera. I think trying to pick up a cheap FD-mount body sounds like a good plan.

So he says :er: you wouldn't think so by some of the posts

It may be the way his particular school has transitioned, but don't think that is the standard across the USA. Many universities and colleges still have darkrooms and the classes they are offering do count towards Art degrees. There is a community college 5 minutes from me with a traditional darkroom and several class offerings that count as credits. There was an interesting article posted at Freestyle Photography where the question was put to their Board of Advisors about the ongoing viability of teaching traditional darkroom techniques; the majority of them were united in solid support of them (they've recently changed their website around and I can't find the link atm!). Another member here, Ann, teaches at an art school in Atlanta, both digital classes and traditional - to hear her tell it, her darkroom classes are packed every session.

 

[MartinCrabtree]

The AE-1 will suit the job well. And they're everywhere cheap. I have 3 of the damn things.

Really?

 

[vintagesnaps]

You could probably go with Canon FD mount and find some good options; I have an F1 (which was pro in its day) and there would be a number of different models that could work. For M42 the Pentax Spotmatics seem popular, I have some Ricoh screwmount and a Praktica but I've found it more difficult to find screwmount than Canon FD mount.

I've gotten into Leica M39 fairly recently but don't know if those would be as common to find and could be more costly; but then again you could end up with a keeper you could use for years (the lens I got recently is a thing of beauty). I've done well buying from KEH for used cameras and lenses, and Pacific Rim for more vintage/antique hard to find items particularly. Will send you a PM about a couple of local sources.

One thing about learning with mechanical cameras is that I think it helps you understand how a camera works. It seems like as cameras got more auto in an effort to make them easier to use, lots of bells and whistles got added - I get the impression that often people aren't necessarily developing a real understanding of how a camera functions. Of course there's no right or wrong; I use mechanical cameras and have done darkroom work and that's what I like, it just may not be for everyone. I hope you have a good experience with your class.

 

[gsgary]

It may be the way his particular school has transitioned, but don't think that is the standard across the USA. Many universities and colleges still have darkrooms and the classes they are offering do count towards Art degrees. There is a community college 5 minutes from me with a traditional darkroom and several class offerings that count as credits. There was an interesting article posted at Freestyle Photography where the question was put to their Board of Advisors about the ongoing viability of teaching traditional darkroom techniques; the majority of them were united in solid support of them (they've recently changed their website around and I can't find the link atm!). Another member here, Ann, teaches at an art school in Atlanta, both digital classes and traditional - to hear her tell it, her darkroom classes are packed every session.

Thats great to hear, all the photography teachers i have met would never knock film most of them use it more than digital and the art world still want film

 

[amolitor]

The local community college here closed their darkrooms a couple years back.

 

[starscream59]

I didn't mean to start a Film vs Digital War, I believe each has it's place. I am currently watching a couple T90's and have a bid on one. Eventually, I will probably pick up a Russian Rangefinder for a little experimenting and having a little fun with. Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[Ysarex]

The local community college here closed their darkrooms a couple years back.

I think that's unfortunate but if it was a small program it's hard not to understand when you factor in the costs. I've done a lot of arguing lately to keep college darkrooms. It's a tough sell to the administration -- I've been a vocal advocate for keeping the darkroom on the three different campuses where I teach. We should make a commitment to teaching film and plan to do that with no end in sight. But it belongs in its proper place now as an alternative process with particular interest for the fine artist. The admin. has figured that out already and when they look at the spreadsheet they start asking questions. The career-focused-fine-art photographer makes up a very small percentage of the whole. In an intro or basic Photo I class the curriculum should reflect mainstream practice in the discipline. Anyone who wants to argue that film continues to represent mainstream practice is delusional. All you have to do is walk into your local camera store and look at what's for sale. To stay in business they have adapted to economic realities and reflect mainstream practice. Education should be doing the same and it is, but it's dragging it's feet.

I didn't mean to start a Film vs Digital War, I believe each has it's place. I am currently watching a couple T90's and have a bid on one. Eventually, I will probably pick up a Russian Rangefinder for a little experimenting and having a little fun with. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Sorry about that, I didn't either. The film shooters here know I don't hate film -- lord knows I've shot enough of it and I still enjoy teaching a film class now and then -- but I am a realist and in my job I owe it to my students to make course content reflect reality. So I stand by my original comment. If you're taking an intro photo class as a humanities elective and your institution's photo program is forcing you to do that with a film camera in 2013 then they're doing your entire campus a disservice. I'm glad you hope to have fun with film in the future. I also noted in your original post that you said you've been interested in photo for a long time. That's what made me respond in the first place. You're excited about your new camera and with a long standing interest you're a potential future photographer. Your experience in that intro class at this stage should move you farther forward and reinforce the experience you're having with the new T2i, not take you off on a tangent at this point. There can be time for that later if your interest continues.

Joe