Get Out Your 35mm Camera
Do you have an old 35mm camera sitting around gathering dust? A 35mm film camera outperforms digital cameras in taking rapid series of photos, and is still the preferred instrument for fine art photography. A 35mm camera is ideal for learning the basics of photography, because it gives the user complete control over lens openings, focus, shutter speed and medium.
Instructions
1. Check the battery on your 35mm camera by turning on the power switch and checking the exposure meter. You may have to advance the film wind lever or slightly depress the shutter button to activate the meter, which is usually on the right side of the viewfinder. You will either see lit LED’s or a needle that moves when you point towards the light or change the lens opening.
2. Remove the battery, usually located under a screw cap on the bottom of the body, if the meter isn’t working. Buy and install replacement battery. If your 35mm has a motor drive for film advance, it will have separate batteries.
3. Buy film for your camera. Film comes in color or black and white for prints, or color transparencies, with speeds ranging typically from 100 to 800 ASA. Faster film can be used with faster shutter speeds to stop motion, but produces grainier results than slow film.
4. Load the film by opening the camera back using the locking device usually activated by pulling up on the film winding lever. Pull the winding lever all the way up to slide the film cartridge into the cavity on the left side of the body. The flap of film should face to the right. Push the winding lever down to lock the film case in place.
5. Pull the film strip to the right about an inch past the winding spool. Insert the end of the film into the spool slot and wind the film spool clockwise about two turns by hand or with the film advance lever. Make sure the film advances when you push the advance lever, and close and lock the back of the camera body.
6. Advance the film one frame and, using 1/500 or 1/1000 speed shutter setting, press the shutter button, covering the lens with your hand. This will position an unexposed piece of film in front of the shutter for your first exposure.
7. Familiarize yourself with all the functions of the camera. Locate the shutter speed dial, usually next to the film wind lever, which may have a small unlocking button or a pull-up to unlock function.
8. Try different shutter settings. The ‘A’ setting is automatic, which automatically adjusts shutter speed to correspond with the lens opening selected. The ‘B’ setting stands for ‘bulb’, which keeps the shutter open as long as the shutter button is held down. The numbered settings are all fractions of a second, with ‘60’ or 1/60 of a second being a normal speed setting, and quicker speeds being used to stop motion.
9. Look for the self-timer shutter lever, which is usually on the front of the body and is cocked to time-delay the shutter if you want to get in the picture. If your 35mm camera is of a certain vintage it may also have a mirror lock function located close to the lens mount. The mirror lock is used mostly for tripod shots to eliminate the motion of the mirror during shutter activation.
10. Shoot your first roll of film using as many different functions and settings as you can. Learn to use small lens openings to increase depth of focus, by turning the aperture setting on the lens to f11 to f22. Use your widest lens opening, like f1.8 to decrease depth of focus and blur the background.
Tags: lens opening, shutter button, shutter speed, winding lever, 35mm camera, 35mm camera, advance lever
