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INSPIRATION
ALL ABOUT FILMIn the second of a three-part extract from Chris Gatcum’s Mastering Film Photography
book, we look at the many types of cameras available for the would-be film user.O
ver the last 200 years there have
been countless variations on the
basic premise of the light-tight
box. Although some of these are
now obsolete thanks to the discontinuation
of certain film formats, many more remain
usable, and this is one of the joys of shooting
film: there is so much more on offer than
there is in the digital realm. So, whether you
opt for a large-format wood and brass field
camera, a fully manual Leica or Hasselblad,
a high-end 35mm SLR, or something in
between, there is plenty to choose from. Here
we cast an eye over the various usable camera
types you are likely to encounter today.In the loosest sense, a compact camera is
simply a small and pocketable camera with
a fixed lens. This covers a wide range of
camera design and styles from the past 50
years or so, from cameras offering point-and-
shoot simplicity through fixed lenses and
limited shutter speeds, to high-end models
with bitingly sharp lenses and manual and
semi-automatic shooting options.
Between these extremes lies a smorgasbord
of plastic-shelled automated cameras, some
with fixed focal length lenses and some with
zoom lenses covering a useful range of focal
lengths from modest wideangle to mild
telephoto. A few of these cameras were good
(surprisingly so in some instances), some
were bad, and the majority were decidedly
average. However, they did what the non-
photographer of any age needed them to
do and they did it without any fuss, making
them the mass-market go anywhere memory
taker in the pre-digital, pre-smartphone age.Right
A mechanical film camera relies primarily on
screws and gears to make it function, meaning it
is possible to strip down and repair a lot of vintage
kit. This is not always the case with electronic
cameras, and electrical failure can leave you
with a camera-shaped paperweight...Above
With a bitingly sharp Carl Zeiss lens housed
in a titanium body, the Contax T2 is one of
a handful of premium compact cameras that
can command an eye-watering price.Tips
Mass-market compacts are best suited to negative film as its wide exposure latitude can often
accommodate wayward exposures.
Premium compacts, such as the Contax T2 and T3, Minolta TC-1 and 35Ti, and Ricoh GR models
(film, not digital) offer greater exposure control, making transparency film a more viable option.
Beware of compact cameras that use obsolete batteries, especially mercury cells. Although
silver oxide batteries of the same dimensions are available, these can give spurious light
readings: using a specialist battery adapter is a better option.COMPACT CAMERAS© Shutterstock© Shutterstock