Film camera for a beginner

Intro

Getting into film photography can be a little bamboozling, but the best film cameras for beginners will help you start shooting and developing your analogue snaps in no time at all.

focal plane shutter

Girls gathering in a park

How to choose the best beginner film camera

Film photography has a steep learning curve. Not only do you have to learn all the same physical principles as digital photographers such as balancing aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivity, getting composition nailed, and using accessories like lens filters, you also have to do all this without being able to see the image before it’s developed. That’s why, when first starting out, it’s important to look for film cameras that offer a graduated blend of automatic and semi-automatic features.

Look for film cameras that will auto focus with sets of lenses, or are perhaps compatible with zoom lenses, to help with composition. Semi-automatic modes like aperture or shutter priority are useful as they remove the need to balance both aperture and shutter speed, alongside the ISO of the film and instead rely on the camera’s built-in metering system to decide on the correct exposure settings themselves.

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