Originally posted by Photos-by-Chas One important thing I discovered, the film must be advanced after each shot.
That still trips me up once in a while with my older cameras, especially the Ricoh Diacord which has no interlock between the winder and the shutter. I've gotten a couple of funky, unplanned, double exposures out of it. The Diacord requires so many discrete steps for every shot, it demands mental focus to operate. (But the images I've gotten from it are outstanding!)
Quote: Also, I cannot rely on the camera to make settings decisions. Film limits the sensitivity (ISO) and thus the only adjustments one can make are the shutter or aperture setting. It certainly slows the process for me.
With my Ricoh XR7 it's got a coupled light meter and aperture priority, so the decision is easy: simply aim the camera and turn the aperture ring until the shutter speed goes into a range that I'm OK with! There are situations where one must be more mindful, such as taking action shots or manipulating the depth-of-field (and the XR7 has a DOF preview lever!), but for most everyday snapshots the exact balance of aperture versus shutter speed doesn't really matter that much.
It's not as fussy as the old Diacord, but the XR7 still requires me to have my brain engaged. I recently shot a whole roll of film at ASA 400 speed. It was Kodak Ektar 100. The results were not good. Sometimes I forget to wind it after a shot, then have to fumble around with the next shot. Sometimes I forget to focus (although not often, with the split prism and microprism screen right in front of my eye). Sometimes I forget to check the exposure. So, I flub a few shots. But you know, if you have a camera with everything on automatic, it's going to make the wrong assumptions and flub a few shots too, and you never know when it'll happen. At least with the XR7 I know when I'm paying attention and not too hurried, I can definitely get it right.
I also got a Pentax ZX-5n off eBay for $50. It really does a good job of automating things -- DX code, program mode, motor winder, autofocus -- without adding all the bulk and complexity that plague DSLRs. There are no menus and no "scene modes". I feel like it's just about the perfect user interface for a film camera. It's more forgiving when I'm in a hurry, but I still have full control when I want it. (I do miss the split prism focuser sometimes, though.)
Quote: Another thing I found myself doing, looking at the back of the camera for the preview that did not appear.
You'll get over that pretty soon.
I've also done the opposite, raising my K-01 to my eye before realizing there's no VF to look through!