New to photog..starting w/film

I am just getting started in photography and wanted to start with the very basics. I read online that the Pentax K1000 was a good camera to start with so I purchased one w/ a 50mm lens. I was bidding on a Nikon FM but was outbid at the last minute. I was just wondering if you guys on here felt this was a good place to start. Also do you recommend any additional lenses to purchase for this camera.

Also, any reading material or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

:thumbup:

Good choice, Tony. My first SLR was a K1000. I still use it from time to time, too, though my daily shooter is now a Nikon FE2. Provided the meter works, it's a great camera to learn the link between shutter speed, f-stop, and getting the desired effect. I think you'll really enjoy it.

 

This is the reading material you need, but as far as starting out, I would go digital. It's a bit more pricey, but the learning curve is much quicker. Unless you shoot slide film, you will really find out if your really getting your exposure right. Print film can be a couple of stops off either way, and still get corrected by the print lab. So...you really won't get an accurate reading on how well your doing with exposeure, and....it won't be until you've shot a full roll to figure it out. Digital, you can get instant response from the display on the rear of the camera as to your exposure, especialy when you figure out the histogram. The camera is more expensive, but after all the rolls of film you'll burn through trying to learn, espescially if you shoot slide film, in the end you should come out even. You can put 500 to 1000 pictures on a card before dumping them onto your computer, and that doesn't cost you a penny.

It's all gonna cost you money, but to learn, digital is a great tool as far as the time it will take you to learn. I started on digital, and plan ( in the future ) to buy a Nikon F100 and shoot some film now that I feel like I have a good grasp on exposure. I still need to get better exposure on my digital, but I'm getting close......Once those F100's fall to around $200, I'm going to grab one up.

NOW...somebody will probably debate me, but this is just my opinion, that's all.

 

thank you both for the info, so are there any digital cameras you recommend? I would like to get a DSLR or maybe even an autofocus 35mm SLR. I have been reading alot of information but it feels better when I know people's responses are directed towards me. thanks again!

 

Hi, Tony. Since you have the film camera you might take the money you would put into a D-SLR and sink into film and processing for now. The K1000 is the perfect camera to MAKE you learn the nuts and bolts of photography. Learn how to handle those pesky friggin'-f-stop-thingies and other things that the latest automatic DSLR can make you feel like you don't need to learn. Get 'Understanding Exposure' or 'The Negative' and take control of your photography. Besides, any DSLR you buy will be obsolete in two years. That K1000 is about 30-35 years old and still going strong. Keep on clickin'

 

thanks,

I probably will end up doing that for right now. I just bought a Canon AE-1 today too with a few different lenses. So far its working great. My Penatx k1000 should be coming in a few days.

I also bought a minolta XG7 for 5 bucks...I dont know if its working. I hit something and now I cant see anything when I look through it. I also dont know if I put the batteries in correctly. Any help would be appreciated. I looked at an online manual but didnt see anything about how to insert batteries


thanks again

-T

 

I think you made a fine choice.


*EDIT*

The AE-1 is an OK starting camera, it's easy to read


on the XG7 it sounds like you locked your Mirror up, This is a design aspect of many SLRs for use with long exposures. If that is the case nothing is broken, you'll just have to find the mirror lock and undo it.

 

thank you

 

For precisely that reason, I used to recommend Kodachrome-25 as a learning tool. Latitude was almost non-existent. Unfortunately, it has not been available for some time. B&H still has some Kodachrome-64 available, which is almost as tight.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...lSearch=yes&O=RootPage.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t

 

This has always been my philosophy about film v. digital. My Mamiya doesn't give me an error message. Good cameras you have picked up. I have a, well, you can see below. Anyway, have fun, man.

 

thanks, I had fun today...roaming around downtown..shooting everything.....I posted the pics in another thread.......thanks again

 

No prob, dude.