The 5 Best Film Cameras for Beginners
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“What’s a good film camera for beginners?” We answer this question every day, and sometimes it’s hard to make the right decision on your first camera. We decided to share our thoughts and recommendations to help you start your film journey.
The Nikon L35 AF
The Nikon L35 AF also, nicknamed the Pikaichi (meaning top-notch), was one of the first film cameras I picked up when I starting shooting film. It has some nice features that make it great for both beginners and experienced photographers. In comparison to other film cameras, the L35 is a simple point-and-shoot with a fixed lens that was made to do it all - it’s both fast and sharp.The L35 includes Nikon’s first-ever auto-focus system in a compact camera, automatic aperture control, automatic metering, automatic film wind, and automatic pop-up flash. The camera is perfect for beginners that want a super easy-to-use camera that takes amazing photos and is an alternative to disposable cameras.
The camera has a few extra features that make it very popular with more experienced photographers too. The first is the 1000 iso setting, along with a self-timer (10 sec.), and +2 exposure compensation which allows you to manually adjust the exposure of a photograph by a set amount. Below are some sample photos for your viewing pleasure.
Nikon L35 AF
Nikon L35 AF Cinestill 800T
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Minolta Hi-Matic AF2
The Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 is perfect for beginners because it’s easy to operate. The Hi-Matic produces photos that are quite sharp, which is a nice surprise for those just starting out with film. The camera features a pop-up flash, self-timer, and the ability to change your ISO.
Two of the best things about this camera are the bright viewfinder with the accompanying frame lines, which makes composing your shots a breeze, and the manual film advance which helps make this camera more reliable than most point-and-shoot motors. Pro Tip: If you press the shutter button down halfway it locks in your focus. The two icons you see in the viewfinder will be a face for portraits or mountains for infinity focus.
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Canon AE-1 Program
The Canon AE-1 Program is the upgraded version of the #1 best-selling Canon AE-1. The AE-1 Program is very reliable and has both basic and advanced features. This SLR camera is easy to travel with, and it feels really good in your hand.
Also, as you grow and begin experimenting with different camera lenses, you have a wide range to choose from. If you want to stick with official Canon FD lenses you can, but if not there are several third-party lenses available that work well with this camera.
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Olympus Stylus Epic DLX (MJU II)
The Olympus Stylus Epic DLX, also known as the MJU II in Japan, is one of our favorite point-and-shoot film cameras. The Stylus is compact, easy to use, and has such great lens quality. The first thing you notice is how little it weighs; with a battery, it only weighs 150g. The Stylus, with the super-sharp f/2.8 aperture lens, delivers high-quality photos that can sometimes rival a professional camera.
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Pentax ME Super
- Drake Woodson