Story help, please -- camera

[PennLady]

Okay, I got a frakking plot bunny for a story and can't get rid of it so I guess I'll see what I can do about it. Anyway, I need the make/model/whatever of an older, non-digital camera. (Yes, young ones, there were cameras that used this funny stuff called film.)

I can give more info on the story, but only via PM. I don't think it actually matters what the camera is, but I don't know cameras and so I'm sure I'd say something wrong. I think I'm looking for one that would have multiple lenses, a flash, and ... that's probably it. Something perhaps a bit clunky but not too much so.

I suppose later I might need more info on developing, or camera tech stuff, but not sure yet. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[oggbashan]

The Russian-made Zenith 12 would seem to fit. It was a 35mm Single Lens Reflex, operated mechanically with a crude through the lens meter which used button batteries. It took Pentax Screw lenses which were available cheaply, including Russian Helios brand ones. An electronic flash attachment could be fixed to the hot shoe. They were made in the 1970s and became cheap secondhand starter models in the 1980s. I have several including an FS12 Photosniper.

It was clunky. It was tough. I've dropped several with no ill-effects. My youngest daughter on a safari trip in Africa was being photographed with a lion cub that became too aggressive and came at her with claws extended. She hit it with her Zenith camera and long Helios lens. The lion cub shook its head and backed away. The camera and lens were unaffected but the lion cub seemed to have a headache.

 

[Handley_Page]

The Russian-made Zenith 12 would seem to fit. It was a 35mm Single Lens Reflex, operated mechanically with a crude through the lens meter which used button batteries. It took Pentax Screw lenses which were available cheaply, including Russian Helios brand ones. An electronic flash attachment could be fixed to the hot shoe. They were made in the 1970s and became cheap secondhand starter models in the 1980s. I have several including an FS12 Photosniper.

It was clunky. It was tough. I've dropped several with no ill-effects. . . . .
She hit it with her Zenith camera and long Helios lens. The lion cub shook its head and backed away. The camera and lens were unaffected but the lion cub seemed to have a headache.

Oh I really fancied the photo-sniper outfit. I had one. It was a nice camera; then I got a Practika MTL5 and some lenses (I still have it) and I've not looked back since, despite using a Canon DSLR these days.

 

[oggbashan]

Oh I really fancied the photo-sniper outfit. I had one. It was a nice camera; then I got a Practika MTL5 and some lenses (I still have it) and I've not looked back since, despite using a Canon DSLR these days.

I had two. One was based on the Zenit E but I gave that to one of my nephews who was a planning officer for his local council. He used it to take pictures of buildings modified without planning permission - from a safe distance!

 

[PennLady]

I still have a little pink 35mm camera somewhere, and a nicer one that did panoramic photos but I'm out of my depth after that. Thanks Handley and Bonnie for writing.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

If you are looking for something that was readily available in the US, widely used, versatile, and affordable, I would suggest that you go with a Canon AE-1. Other popular brands you could consider include Nikon, Minolta, Olympus, and Pentax. The flash should be a Vivitar. The make and model of the lenses will depend on the camera and the particular usage. Of course, the age of the camera is a factor in determining the availability of a particular model.

 

[PennLady]

If you are looking for something that was readily available in the US, widely used, versatile, and affordable, I would suggest that you go with a Canon AE-1. Other popular brands you could consider include Nikon, Minolta, Olympus, and Pentax. The flash should be a Vivitar. The make and model of the lenses will depend on the camera and the particular usage. Of course, the age of the camera is a factor in determining the availability of a particular model.

I don't know how specific I need to get, so I may need a beta reader to tell me. Those all sound like good ideas. The protagonist is an amateur photographer, probably more of a hobbyist than someone making it a career. The camera was given to him by his father or something, so I think I have some flexibility on the type; if it was given to him, he could be using something older even if it was discontinued or something like that.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

I don't know how specific I need to get, so I may need a beta reader to tell me. Those all sound like good ideas. The protagonist is an amateur photographer, probably more of a hobbyist than someone making it a career. The camera was given to him by his father or something, so I think I have some flexibility on the type; if it was given to him, he could be using something older even if it was discontinued or something like that.

If it was his father's old camera, that opens up another world of possibilities. One more thing to keep in mind, as an amateur, he is going to doing black and white photography if he does his own darkroom work. A color lag would be too complicated for most amateurs.

 

[PennLady]

If it was his father's old camera, that opens up another world of possibilities. One more thing to keep in mind, as an amateur, he is going to doing black and white photography if he does his own darkroom work. A color lag would be too complicated for most amateurs.

I'm debating, but if B&W is more realistic/accurate/plausible, then that's what I'll go with. I'll have to get a bit more done, I think, and then have someone read and tell me what they think.

 

[TE999]

Check out some of these old cameras, Penn. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_kw=old&_kw=cameras

 

[CarlusMagnus]

Okay, I got a frakking plot bunny for a story and can't get rid of it so I guess I'll see what I can do about it. Anyway, I need the make/model/whatever of an older, non-digital camera. (Yes, young ones, there were cameras that used this funny stuff called film.)

I can give more info on the story, but only via PM. I don't think it actually matters what the camera is, but I don't know cameras and so I'm sure I'd say something wrong. I think I'm looking for one that would have multiple lenses, a flash, and ... that's probably it. Something perhaps a bit clunky but not too much so.

I suppose later I might need more info on developing, or camera tech stuff, but not sure yet. Any help would be appreciated.

There've been quite a few replies, but they're kind of scattershot.

It might be helpful if you could give us, say, a decade when the camera was bought. Was it a 35mm camera? or some other format? (If your story line is placed in today's world, you probably want to avoid 110 format---you can't get that kind of film now unless you know someone or something.)

 

[PennLady]

Check out some of these old cameras, Penn. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_kw=old&_kw=cameras

Thanks, TE.

There've been quite a few replies, but they're kind of scattershot.

It might be helpful if you could give us, say, a decade when the camera was bought. Was it a 35mm camera? or some other format? (If your story line is placed in today's world, you probably want to avoid 110 format---you can't get that kind of film now unless you know someone or something.)

Okay, I've been trying to keep too much plot from leaking out (eewww), but here we go -- the story is set in the current day. The male protagonist (MP) is a photographer, level undecided as of yet. He has an older camera, perhaps given to him by his father, or even picked up at a pawn shop. MP is enough of a camera buff/operator to know lenses, etc., and develops his own pictures at home in his darkroom. So the age of the camera isn't exactly relevant, except that I want it to be a film camera, not digital, one that can change lenses (or whatever else can be changed on a camera), and recent enough that he can still get film for it (or perhaps he has a stash).

He may even keep this camera for special use, and use a more modern one for his job (if his job involves taking pics, which I'm not sure yet).

I guess it comes down to I don't know the age of the camera, b/c I don't know cameras. But it doesn't really matter, as I can work with the info people give me.

 

[estragon]

An early love, from the early 1970s--Olympus OM-1, with 28 mm, 50 mm and 180 mm Zuiko lenses. Swift and light.

 

[OX2]

My dad brought back a pentax 35MM from Vietnam. Is that old school enough? That or anything Cannon should work for modern folk that just understand digital

 

[Boxlicker101]

It could even be an old Brownie box camera. They were around in the 1940's and later. The shape was a cube, about four inches on the side, and you used them by holding them at waist level and squinting down into a square glass which reflected the view something like an upside down periscope. I don't remember now if they had any kind of flash or not but, if they did, it would have used flash bulbs.

 

[oggbashan]

It could even be an old Brownie box camera. They were around in the 1940's and later. The shape was a cube, about four inches on the side, and you used them by holding them at waist level and squinting down into a square glass which reflected the view something like an upside down periscope. I don't remember now if they had any kind of flash or not but, if they did, it would have used flash bulbs.

Most Brownies used 120 or 620 film. The 120 size is available but expensive compared to 35mm, but all Brownies produce poor quality negatives compared to a 35mm SLR.

If someone wanted to do black and white photography in 120 size, a Lubitel would be a cheap starter.

But neither Brownies or Lubitel fit PennLady's desire for interchangeable lenses.

My Zeniths are often used by students studying photography at our local Art College. I have supplied them, as a result of FreeCycle requests, to some students for the last four years' intake.

The Zeniths, being all manual with no automation or clever computing, demand that the photographer chooses the lens, the aperture, and the speed to suit the subject. That makes it ideal for teaching the basics.

 

[PennLady]

I will probably go with some kind of Canon or Nikon. A Brownie camera, or some of the other very old ones, are simply too old. Someone also suggested the Asahi Pentax, which I think is just a great name. I realize you can still buy film cameras today, but I wanted something older. 60s or 70s, I guess.

Ultimately the exact model does not matter. Mostly that it is older, pre-dating digital cameras.

 

[PennLady]

And NOW, after a brief breakthrough while taking a shower, I need him to have a real digital camera b/c he's a professional photographer. I hate when those things happen and I'm not in a position to jot them down.

On the other hand -- hockey starts tonight!

 

[estragon]

And NOW, after a brief breakthrough while taking a shower, I need him to have a real digital camera b/c he's a professional photographer. I hate when those things happen and I'm not in a position to jot them down.

On the other hand -- hockey starts tonight!

SA Penn Lady, didn't we have a discussion of digital cameras just a week or two ago? I would think a professional would have at least one of the top-of-the-line Canon SLRs with a variety of lenses, plus a pocket model Canon or Sony as a back-up. One professional photographer, my oldest friend, likes the pocket-sized digitals for taking pictures where no one can see he's taking pictures. He calls them "hipshots"; even published a book of that kind of photograph.

 

[Handley_Page]

And NOW, after a brief breakthrough while taking a shower, I need him to have a real digital camera b/c he's a professional photographer. I hate when those things happen and I'm not in a position to jot them down.

On the other hand -- hockey starts tonight!

A decent Canon. 10MP at a minimum.
Lenses no sweat, bayonet fitting.
And I think the Pentax is the better "old" camera.

 

[PennLady]

SA Penn Lady, didn't we have a discussion of digital cameras just a week or two ago? I would think a professional would have at least one of the top-of-the-line Canon SLRs with a variety of lenses, plus a pocket model Canon or Sony as a back-up. One professional photographer, my oldest friend, likes the pocket-sized digitals for taking pictures where no one can see he's taking pictures. He calls them "hipshots"; even published a book of that kind of photograph.

We did indeed discuss such things, but that was because I was wishing I myself had a digital camera. This was before I got my plot bunny. I still would like a camera, but it definitely does not have to be one of the Canon SLRs that you're describing. However, I think such a thing will work for my story.

A decent Canon. 10MP at a minimum.
Lenses no sweat, bayonet fitting.
And I think the Pentax is the better "old" camera.

Yes I think I'll go with the Pentax. The more I think about, the more I bet I'm going to have to learn a little about developing. Psssh. Why is it plot bunnies keep demanding more detail?

 

[Neonurotic]

I'm hobbyist photographer and use a Nikon DSLR 3000. Before the digi cameras I had a Cannon, but used a Pentax for photography school. I took a few BW classes where I especially loved the darkroom and still do.

 

[PennLady]

I'm hobbyist photographer and use a Nikon DSLR 3000. Before the digi cameras I had a Cannon, but used a Pentax for photography school. I took a few BW classes where I especially loved the darkroom and still do.

Photography is one of the many things I wish I'd had more time to learn about.

 

[sr71plt]

The early 50s I had a Brownie (it still has the film in it from 1955). Later 50s I had a Minolta (SR-1?). It was 35mm, I think.

 

[CarlusMagnus]

I will probably go with some kind of Canon or Nikon. A Brownie camera, or some of the other very old ones, are simply too old. Someone also suggested the Asahi Pentax, which I think is just a great name. I realize you can still buy film cameras today, but I wanted something older. 60s or 70s, I guess.

Ultimately the exact model does not matter. Mostly that it is older, pre-dating digital cameras.

There are two schools of professional photographers: The Canon school, and the Nikon school. Almost all pros use one or the other. Most own several camera bodies and thousands of dollars worth of glass (i.e., lenses).

Google "B&H Photo" to find a large, well-known supplier, where you can see what's available and how much it costs.