Image quality in cameras hasn’t meaningfully improve since ~2008. DSLRs are and will always be fun to use.
Good quality 4k30p video has been widely available since 2015, thanks to mirrorless cameras.
The shift in tech has resulted in a selloff of Canon EOS EF and Nikon F cameras and lenses. It is possible to get absolutely obscene price to performance value on used gear. Lens adapters make it possible to use these lenses on mirrorless cameras.
Used Camera Gear Shopping
My two recommendations for camera shopping are:
Smaller and lighter is better.
Lenses matter more than cameras. Don’t buy an expensive body only to use a kit lens.
All lenses aren’t equal, especially when it comes to vintage and early digital camera lenses. Modern lenses will give you images that are razor sharp corner to corner. Vintage lenses can set themselves apart by how they render, the color you can get with them, interesting bokeh, or other characteristics not valued by current photographers.
On the other hand, many vintage lenses are not good. Their performance may not be good enough to set them apart from other lenses. Worse, as time has gone on some lenses have defects such as haze, fungus, balsam separation, or degraded grease, that will render them worthless because of the difficulty in repair.
I’m somewhat indiscriminate in my purchasing of gear, so I get a mix of good, bad, and average. The lens reviews will help you find a lens worth owning. These are popular film cameras that recieve frequent lens questions.
Have you ever been paranoid about the capacity of a battery? Especially if it was from a third party? I was.
I have figured out how ANYONE can inexpensively capacity test camera batteries. I have written a guide on how to capacity test camera batteries. It is a simple DIY project that only requires a screwdriver and pair of wire strippers.
If you’re cheap like me, you don’t want to pay the high-price for an OEM Sony NP-FW50 battery. The price isn’t terrible if you only need 1 extra battery. Unfortunately, one of the problems with the Sony A7 is the short battery life.
You can get third party NP-FW50 batteries for much less than an OEM Sony battery.
This begs the question, is there a difference in quality? To find out I purchased and tested the capacity of batteries from RAVPower, Neewer, Powerextra, Wasabi Power, and the cheapest I could find on eBay.
The Nikon SB-24 Speedlight was released in 1988. This is the flash that allowed Nikon to claim the throne of having the best flash on the market.
Some of the impressive features included are:
Matrix, and Center-Weighted fill flash. Automatic TTL flash exposure control. Repeating flash for stroboscopic effect. Front and Rear Curtain sync. Zoom head covering 24mm to 85mm focal lengths. AF assist infrared beam capable of working in total darkness.
The Pentax K1000 is one of my favorite 35mm film cameras ever made. K-mount lenses, sometimes listed as PK lenses, are affordable and easy to find.
The three first lenses I would consider would be the SMC Pentax-M 50mm f1.7 ($50), SMC Pentax-M 28mm f2.8 ($60), and the SMC Pentax-A 135mm f2.8 ($100). They produce beautiful sharp images without being difficult to find.
Stay away from zooms as they have not aged well.
This guide will show you how to load film into your Minolta SRT-101 and how to make sure the camera is functioning properly. If this is your first time using your Minolta SRT-101, make sure to read through the before you load film section.
Before You Load Film Check the Battery The Minolta SRT-101 has a mechanical shutter so it will work without a battery. However, if you want to use the built-in light meter, you will need a battery.
This guide will show you how to load film into your Nikon N50. This will also show you how to make sure your camera is functioning properly so you don’t waste a roll of film.
If this is your first time using your Nikon N50, make sure to read through the before you load film section.
Before You Load Film Check the Batteries The Nikon N50 requires a battery to operate as all functions are electronically controlled.
This guide will show you how to load film into your Nikon N65 and how to make sure the camera is functioning properly. If this is your first time using your Nikon N65, make sure to read through the before you load film section.
Before You Load Film Check the Batteries The Nikon N65 requires batteries to operate as it has an electronic shutter and built-in motor-drive.
The Nikon N65 uses two CR2 batteries , which can easily be found in stores and online.
