verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ Light leaks - White or red streaks on film created by stray light that enters a camera body. While originally accidental, creating light leaks on images is now a well-known technique loved by many photographers. Half Frame - A type of 35mm camera in which the film plane is half its normal width. This allows you to expose twice as many frames as usual on one roll of 35mm film by taking two portrait-rectangular shots where there would normally only be one landscape-rectangular image. Film cameras fall into different size categories, just as digital cameras to today. 35mm cameras were 'miniature' models, believe it or not, and medium format cameras were called 'medium' because there was a 'large' format above that. These use sheet film, usually measuring 5 x 4", to offer supreme image quality.

F-stop - The numbers on the aperture ring that represent the size of the aperture in your lens (f/5.6, f/8, f/11, and so on). A higher f-stop suggests a smaller aperture, which means that less light is coming through. All you need to remember is: the bigger the number, the smaller the hole. The most typical route into film photography is the form of 35mm cameras, these are the bread and butter for the analog resurgence giving 36 exposures, but because these are popular with beginners from all eras, it’s best to look at the cosmetics of the camera to judge how it has been used, another way is to inspect the film plate and see if it has any marks or fine scratches, these will be caused by friction from the film advancing and rewinding into the film canister when shooting – if there are a lot of visible marks, the camera has had a lot of rolls through it if no marks can be seen then its had a lower use. Which usually means it had not been used that much, another tip is to always ask to see sample images taken with the cameras in question, if you can see they take images and you're happy with the results, then congratulations you've found a film camera to add to your collection.

Why buy used:

The same applies to all medium format cameras, which are the next step in your analog journey. Thanks to their bigger negative than 35mm, it opens up possibilities to enhance your images, as the bigger negative means higher resolution images with greater detail and sharpness. You are also treated to different format cameras that can shoot different dimensions on a roll of 120 film.

Long exposure - This is an effect achieved by setting a long-duration shutter speed so that stationary objects in the field of view appear sharp while moving elements will be blurred. For best results, practice in low-light conditions or with a very slow film speed. Try shooting a street corner with moving traffic and you will not be disappointed. If you’re hoping to find one single roll that rules supreme over the rest, you may be disappointed. Much like flavours of ice cream, there are plenty of truly excellent options but there’s no one single option that’s universally prized above all others. Instead, you’ll find a wide range of quality photographic films, each with its own distinctive characteristics that suit particular moods, scenes and styles. Where can I get camera film developed? Cross Process - There are two types of color film chemistry: C-41 (for color negatives) and E-6 (for color slides). Cross processing is, essentially, dunking unprocessed film in the “wrong” chemistry for its film type. When color slide film is cross-processed in C-41 chemistry, the resulting images have deeply saturated colors and high contrast. Some manufacturers have also been focusing on ways to synergize old and new. We're talking in particular about Hasselblad here, who have made something of a splash with the Hasselblad CFV II 50C, a modular system that can fit directly onto the classic Hasselblad 500 c/m (one of the cameras on our list below). It uses digital technology to give these old film cameras a new lease of life and is an exciting glimpse of the ways analog and digital might continue to meld in the future.It used a vertical metal shutter rather than the horizontal rubberized cloth shutters in most rival DLRs but it was fully mechanical so the FM2 could work without a battery – this was only needed for the internal light meter. Its 1/4000sec top shutter speed and tough copper-aluminum-silicon alloy body made it sought after amongst pros, not just enthusiasts.

Emulsion - The matte side of a film or paper which is light sensitive. When film or photographic paper is exposed and processed, the emulsion reveals an image. ASA - This little acronym refers to how much light you’ll need to expose your film correctly. It stands for American Standards Association, whose photographic exposure system became the basis for the more common International Standards Organization (ISO) film speed system in 1987. It's a bit big and heavy for extended handheld use, though, and it's best used on a tripod. High-quality medium format film cameras are holding their prices pretty well at the moment, and you might have to shop around to get a good working, affordable example.

Collectable

And if the medium format is too small for you, then you of course have large format, which is referred to when a negative is anything over 6x9, but you usually find these cameras in a 4x5 or 8x10 configuration. They offer the most micro adjustments possible when taking an image, however, due to their sheer size and the weight you expose your image onto a sheet of film, rather than a roll. Due to this and their impractical portability, you will only be able to take one image at a time, or two images per film holder.

Another contemporary player in the analog space is Lomography, who produces a tonne of old-style cameras, lenses and films all based around recapturing an analog experience. We've included a section dedicated to the best Lomography cameras which include loads of resurrected old camera designs as well as newer models, using different film types. These aren't the cameras you want if you're hunting for technical perfection, but they're huge amounts of fun. Film cameras come in many different shapes and sizes and some are fully mechanical, while others rely on electronics to function, while some film cameras are a more viable solution than others just because of the lens choice on offer for the system. ISO speed - Controls film sensitivity; the higher the ISO speed, the more sensitive the film is to light. For example: ISO 400 is more light-sensitive than ISO 50.While there are some outliers, the vast majority of 35mm films offer either 24 or 36 shots per roll. This handy guide is lovingly prepared for you by Lomography, a community dedicated to creative and experimental photography. We have been championing our passion for analogue photography for over 20 years!