The Best Beginner’s Film Camera
You’ve probably seen those vintage and grainy looking photos on social media. You can replicate that with any old filter but it doesn’t feel authentic since it was digitally crafted. Film is simply thin strips that store images after being exposed to light. I was chasing the authenticity. My first experience with film cameras was using a disposable kodak camera. It was fun using a point and shoot and anticipating how it would come out after I went to get it developed. I feel that film photos really shine when people are just being themselves and having fun. Of course the disposable had no use once the roll was out. Then I came across the Kodak Ektar 35. This was a reusable film camera from Kodak. This meant I could get the same point and shoot feeling, keep the camera, and reuse it by refilling the rolls. I loved the way the body looked with its vintage aesthetic. I’ve received compliments about it in public.
Travel Friendly
This camera is so lightweight and travel friendly. It comes with a wrist strap and is about the size of your phone. It’s perfect to have lying in your car for a road trip. I took it to New Orleans and strapped it to my arm. I had an additional mirrorless camera around my neck. It was so easy switching from my mirrorless to my film camera whenever I wanted to take a different style of photo since it was accessible from my arm. Even if you don’t have any other camera with you, leaving it hanging down your arm makes it easy to pull out for a quick shot. However, do keep in mind the constraints when carrying film rolls on planes as x-rays can overexpose the film rolls. I haven’t flown with this camera but it is worth being cautious.
Sample Shots
Film Rolls: Kodak Ultramax 400, Cinestill 800, Kodak Portra 800.
Half Frame Film?
A typical film photo size is 35mm. This camera shoots half-frame meaning it shots half of the 35mm frame. This doubles the amount of roll available for photos since you only use up half of the frame per photo. A typical roll can take 32 photos, but with the half-frame camera, you can take 72 photos! This means you don’t have to spend so much money on new film rolls. However, the downside is that the resolution is halved. This creates a more grainy look. This isn’t a problem for me as I’m aiming for a grainy look in my film photos. Another thing to note is that since we are shooting half-frame, when you hold the camera horizontally, the photo will actually come out vertical. When you hold the camera vertically, the photo will be horizontal. This is inverted from what we are normally used to but the viewfinder makes it more clear.
Pros
- Point & Shoot
- Lightweight, travel friendly
- Cheap entry price
- Produces quality film photos with unique charm
- Aesthetic body
- Half Frame film lets you double the amount of photos taken (saves money on rolls)
Cons
- Viewfinder is not accurate to the shot (just close to it)
- Flash seems to be required for good exposure (needs battery)
- No customization without accessories
- Plastic (toy-like) feeling
- Half Frame film reduces resolution of photo
Tips for Shooting
- Use flash in almost all scenarios, especially if shooting indoors
- Make sure to capture the shot slightly under the viewfinder
- Look into accessories for customization like double exposures and filters
Conclusion: A Great Christmas Gift
I put this camera on my Secret Santa wishlist, not really knowing what it was. I was genuinely surprised to open my Christmas gift and see this new baby. I thoroughly recommend this product to anyone interested in getting into film photography and don’t want to dump a ton of money on a film camera and rolls. There is a newer version called the H35N, which has a glass lens and slightly different body, however, I prefer the aesthetics of the original and have desire to upgrade. This camera shot up my desire to find full frame film cameras with the same size as it’s hard to beat the travel friendliness. I hope to build a collection of cameras and particularly learn more about full frame cameras that aren’t just point and shoot.