It's also worth checking if replacement batteries are still available for your chosen camera. “As you pick them up, go through all the shutter speeds and make sure they're not sticking - that is, opening but not closing. If you want to get your hands on the camera before you buy, then check out vintage markets – but without the safety net of eBay or Amazon, you have to know what to look out for. Other great options include the (almost) indestructible Pentax K1000 and the Olympus OM-1. But any camera with a program mode is good for a beginner.” Program is an exposure function that does all the hard work for you, until you feel ready to manually alter your shots.įamed for bridging the gap between photographers and hobbyists in the seventies, both Canon cameras come fitted with ‘shutter priority’, which means “you can choose your shutter speed, and your camera will automatically choose an aperture” (that’s the hole in the lens which dictates how much light travels through the camera body). “You can pick a classic, pre-owned Canon A1 up for around £80, or an AE-1 Program for slightly more, and they can do everything.

35mm film cassettes can also be bought cheaply on Amazon. They’re all basic, hardwearing, top quality and shouldn’t come at too much cost. Opt for a model from one of the big five brands from back in seventies: Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus or Pentax. “A 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera would be your best bet.' “There’s bags of stuff on eBay, and that’s probably the first place to start,” says John. But who better to start you on your journey than John Wade, author of Retro Cameras: The Collector’s Guide to Vintage Film Photography? No one, that's who. Well, It’s not as simple as you might think. Driven by a desire to stand out from the brunch crowd and grow their follower count, millions of people have dived into the world of #35mm cameras over the past few years – and needless to say, you want in too.

Still, what an Instagram it is! And they’re not alone in their obsession. Would defend their Instagram ‘aesthetic’ with their lives, if it came down to it. Spends each weekend wandering aimlessly around the Barbican, photographing leaves and balconies. Chances are you have a mate who carries a vintage camera at all times.

Film camera retro