Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
09-01-2007, 12:38 PM   #16
DAP
Senior Member




Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 151
Let me back up and change my recommendation for a film camera...if you have never worked with or developed film before, skip medium format (for now at least) and buy the cheapest working (ie. something that has not been abused, trashed, used as an anchor, etc.)35mm slr and matching 50mm prime you can find - I wouldn't concern myself about the brand too much (canon FD, Minolta, olympus,and Konica are all old dead-end manual focus 35mm systems that offer high quality cameras/lenses at better prices 2nd hand than Pentax manual focus gear). Shoot film for a bit, try your hand at developing, printing, etc. If you end up enjoying it and want to delve into it further then consider going the medium format route (I don't want to convince you to spend a lot of money on a medium format camera only to discover that you hate working with film).

As far as doing your own developing/printing is concerned - it is a worthwhile pursuit IMHO. Take your film class and see if you like it - if you feel inspired (and a lot of people do the first time they work in a traditional darkroom) consider setting up your own darkroom at home. If you are content working in just B&W (I dabbled in color - but I never enjoyed it much), the equipment needed is minimal and you don't need much more than a dark closet or bathroom to work out of. Check out craigslist - you should be able to find whole darkroom setups pretty cheap (the bottom fell out of the darkroom market when digital took over - you can find a lot of high quality equipment selling for a fraction of their original cost).

I would recommend that you check out the following web pages to get a feel for the equipment involved:

The Guerilla Darkroom

More Lessons From the Guerilla Darkroom

I would also recommend that you go to the library or used book store and get a copy of David Vestal's book "The craft of photography" - easily one of the best books ever written on B&W film photography/darkroom work.


Last edited by DAP; 09-01-2007 at 01:30 PM.
05-10-2009, 08:34 PM   #17
Senior Member
j0n4hpk's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Ohio
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 293
Hello j-pol:

In regards of Pentax cameras with forward lenses compatibility (since, say 1975), get the KX, KM and/or K1000 35mm film SLR cameras and/or the K2DMD, KX-Motor and KM-Motor pro 35mm SLR cameras too and try getting/using only FA and / or F series lenses for them by all means. There may still be a few of these lenses still available new.
05-10-2009, 11:23 PM   #18
Veteran Member
ryan s's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Madison, WI
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 2,383
Ummmm...did you notice the original thread's date? I'd bet the photo class is long over...
05-11-2009, 06:33 AM - 1 Like   #19
Veteran Member
Mike Cash's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Japan
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 6,950
QuoteOriginally posted by ryan s Quote
Ummmm...did you notice the original thread's date? I'd bet the photo class is long over...
The burning question of which camera/lens he ended up getting still remains, though.

Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
threads
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
MZ-30 fSLR help danielleb3ar Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 4 11-10-2007 11:25 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 07:47 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top