Looking to (re)start shooting on film. Advice please.

odds

odds

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owen
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Hi,

I'm looking to start shooting on film again fro personal use. Currently have an old zenit EM but shoot nikon digitally. I'd like to buy a nikon 35mm. My go to 35mm would be an FM2 but am being swayed toward an F3. My main reason for this is I have a few G series lenses which I believe should work with the F3 but not the FM2. What's everyone's thoughts? I'm also tempted my a medium format Mamiya RZ67 but that may have to be a different thread.

Thanks,

O
 
Hi Owen, FM2 and the F3 are really great cameras, I shoot with both. However neither will work with your G lenses as there is no way to control the aperture setting. You could use an F100, but are your lenses designed for full frame digital, if not they will vignette. You could get an FM and an older Nikkor AI lens?

What ever you decide welcome and film shooting is very engaging, indeed addictive!
 
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Cheers guys. I mainly shoot 35 or 50mm so would most prob just pick a pre G series lens up.

What are the major wins/looses between the fm2 and f3? The seem to be pretty neat in price.
 
Pretty much all the pros and cons are discussed here http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-45393.html

Personally I'd go for the FM2, it's a thing of simple engineering beauty and a joy to use, while the F3 is one of the best manual focus cameras ever produced it's so ugly it could have been designed by the man that designed the Canon T70,
 
RaglanSurf said:
Pretty much all the pros and cons are discussed here http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-45393.html

Personally I'd go for the FM2, it's a thing of simple engineering beauty and a joy to use, while the F3 is one of the best manual focus cameras ever produced it's so ugly it could have been designed by the man that designed the Canon T70,
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Ah the T70......Well I'd always recommend a T70 for anyone who who wants to try film...because you can pick the body (maybe with lens) for under a tenner and you'd have to pixel peep to see any difference between Canon and Nikon lenses. The most useful feature for a newibie is SS (safety shift), if you get the exposure wrong by shutter speed the camera will shift to the correct shutter speed (easily done if you say set the camera for midday and forget to change shutter speed when the sun is going down) and because of SS there is none of the nonsense with say a Nikon 401 that wont fire because of incorrect shutter speed and you miss an important action shot :eek: :( :D ..of course you can override all this on a T70 by just using manual all the time.
My Nikon F90x annoyed me the other day when I was taking a close up shot and it wouldn't fire h'mm WTF...oh! to near to the subject for AF, I'm in two minds whether this is a good idea or bad as in a quick action shot of say a celebrity I'd rather have a result of something than nothing. :rolleyes:
Rant over folks :D
 
Another one here who shoots both & they are both nice cameras to shoot with. If I had to give one up though I think that it would be the FM2.

Pros for the FM2...... Faster top shutter speed (1/4000 as opposed to 1/2000) & way faster flash sync (1/250 against 1/80) although flash is not TTL like the F3. Takes a standard flash. F3 doesn't. Battery only needed for the meter. F3 needs one for the shutter unless you are happy to be stuck with one speed.

Pros of F3. Both aperture priority & manual. Auto can do some really slow shutter speeds. System camera so far more options available in focusing screen & finders, but not everybody needs that.

Other pro's that I have for the F3 are personal. The F3 feels smoother to use. Not saying that the FM2 is poor, but just that the F3 feels a step up to me. I prefer LCD vs LED's in the viewfinder. I prefer the F3's 80/20 meter to the FM2's 60/40. It is kind of like a broad spot & very accurate. Depth of field preview falls under the finger easier. I find it hard to get to with an MD-12 on the FM2. Don't think my fingers are particularly fat either.

I don't think that you would go wrong with either.
 
Ha! That T70 looks like an Aardman model of a camera from Wallace and Gromit!!
 
Is this a case of "either are great but *insert personal favourite here* is better in my opinion."

Like I said, I always shoot manual and mainly shoot primes 35/50 and quite like to stop it down quite low so with the faster shutter on the FM2 that seems to suit me better.

Let's see what ebay throws up. You never know, I may end up with both!!

The next question will be about processing labs and all the options there. I used to just take stuff to boots but that seems like I'm doing film a disservice. Perhaps this may be another thread.

Looking forward to getting my film on!!
 
My main reason for this is I have a few G series lenses which I believe should work with the F3 but not the FM2.

Hi there and a big welcome,you will not leave,:)

Your G lenses will not work with the bodies you would like,you have to be much later and I think for G lenses it has to be F70,80,90 and onward.

This may help.

.www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm
 
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odds said:
Is this a case of "either are great but *insert personal favourite here* is better in my opinion."
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Yep. I'd say definitely go Nikon as while you can't use your G lenses properly on the older cameras, you can use the manual lenses on your newer bodies.

As for processing, check the stickied thread of where to get films developed. Don't forget to send a roll to AG so that you can join in on the "when's my film coming back" mystery extravaganza thread ;)
 
odds said:
Ha! That T70 looks like an Aardman model of a camera from Wallace and Gromit!!
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:D Ah but you might be worried about a FM2n or F3 but no one would bother to nick a T70 :D...drop or lose it, no tears just buy another for under £10 ;)
 
^^^^^^^^^

LOSER: ::p
 
medwaygreen said:
^^^^^^^^^

LOSER: ::p
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Do you want to take pictures or be a poser :rolleyes:...the best advice for anyone who wants to try film is:- to get a good camera at a cheap price and if you prefer digital after all, there is no great loss, although I suppose if you did fork out for FM2 or F3 you could get your money back on the bay.
 
Thanks for the advice on the T70. I already have a zenit Em which I enjoy using but max shutter speed is a bit low and I'd like to use some faster film. Think the business needs to spend some money anyway ;)
 
odds said:
Thanks for the advice on the T70. I already have a zenit Em which I enjoy using but max shutter speed is a bit low and I'd like to use some faster film. Think the business needs to spend some money anyway ;)
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Good luck in your choice and I do wander off in threads like these as newbies (I'm not saying you are) do read them and even wandering off topic it's all general info for them to make decisions.
 
odds said:
Is this a case of "either are great but *insert personal favourite here* is better in my opinion." !!
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Guilty in the case of my reply I suppose, but personal opinions for users can be handy I suppose? :)

If the business needs to spend money then maybe look at an FM3a? All the joys of an FM2 with aperture priority added. Rather more expensive, but we are always happy to help people spend their money here :naughty:
 
excalibur2 said:
Do you want to take pictures or be a poser :rolleyes:...the best advice for anyone who wants to try film is:- to get a good camera at a cheap price and if you prefer digital after all, there is no great loss, although I suppose if you did fork out for FM2 or F3 you could get your money back on the bay.
Click to expand...

:) You are right,but,OP states Nikon in original post.
 
odds said:
Hi,

I'm looking to start shooting on film again fro personal use. Currently have an old zenit EM but shoot nikon digitally. I'd like to buy a nikon 35mm. My go to 35mm would be an FM2 but am being swayed toward an F3. My main reason for this is I have a few G series lenses which I believe should work with the F3 but not the FM2. What's everyone's thoughts? I'm also tempted my a medium format Mamiya RZ67 but that may have to be a different thread.

Thanks,

O
Click to expand...

I'd be looking into at least medium format myself, whether it's an RZ67, RB67, SQ-A, TLR, or similar.

Personally, I see little point in shooting 135, but to each his own. Just pick up something that suits your style and/or interests.
 
skysh4rk said:
I'd be looking into at least medium format myself, whether it's an RZ67, RB67, SQ-A, TLR, or similar.

Personally, I see little point in shooting 135, but to each his own. Just pick up something that suits your style and/or interests.
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Agree as digital cameras are so good now why bother with 35mm C41 or B/W film, if I had somewhere local that would dev 120 film at a reasonable price in about 1 hour I would only use 35mm occasionally ...15 shots for 645 is still a lot when you are used to choosing each shot carefully, but 10 shots on a RB is about right for me, but the camera is so damn heavy :eek:
 
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oooh the FM3a looks good. Not a massive jump up the money scale but still.
 
skysh4rk said:
I'd be looking into at least medium format myself, whether it's an RZ67, RB67, SQ-A, TLR, or similar....
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I've been looking at the 67s for a while. I like the idea of using a instant film back on it as well as the other medium format backs.

skysh4rk said:
Personally, I see little point in shooting 135, but to each his own. Just pick up something that suits your style and/or interests
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I really like shooting people and want something that makes me think and will benefit my digital work. From what people are saying, is digital now is pretty close to 35mm? If I wanted to step up would medium format be the place to go?
 
The problem with 35mm neg film is in getting the best results from it which needs an expensive scanner, for medium format even a cheap scanner can give very good results....anyway medium format plus has always beaten 35mm for quality even in the old days of darkroom and chemicals.
Maybe 35mm slide film can still give a very good digital camera some competition? But digital surpassed 35mm neg film a few years ago. :(
 
RaglanSurf said:
... the F3 ... so ugly it could have been designed by the man that designed the Canon T70,
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No no no - the F3 looks like engineering, as well as behaving likewise. The T70 just looks like a cheap fashion statement - as if designed by Mary Quant. But that'll be before your time for most of you.
 
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In my view there are pros and cons to both 35mm and medium format. I have used medium format for the past few years and for landscape it's certainly much better, especially if you want large prints - the detail in a drum scanned 6x7 Velvia transparency is amazing. I recently brought a couple of 35mm cameras though, out of curiosity as much as anything, and whereas the quality obviously isn't as good, I can still get very pleasing results.

Scanning is an issue - my V500 isn't great for 35mm, but I've got around that by sending film to be developed and scanned by UK Film Lab (£15 for large scans including processing), who do an excellent job to the extent that for general photography for just posting on the web or making small prints 35mm is fine, particularly when you factor in the lower weight, and the fact that you get 36 exposures to a film rather than 10 or 12. Metering and focussing can be easier too, and you can use faster lenses. Also, even if digital is objectively "better" by today, you still get the film aesthetic whichever format you use.

Having said that though, in terms of having something that makes you think, medium format is excellent. Certainly in my experience, it makes me think far more before pressing the shutter, and I would get as many keepers from a roll of 120 as I would from a roll of 135. I'm sure the same would be true from large format too, which I hope to try in the near future.
 
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