Best camera for amazing slide film pics

[nicole_hill]

<p>Hello Everyone,<br>

Recently my mother found some old slides and a projecter in the garage and we all gathered around that night and watched them lit up on the wall; i instantly fell in love with the colors and nostelgia of the whole thing. I did a bit of research into slide film and it only made me love it so much more. So i am going back to film, (i have shot only digital for the last 8 years). I was wondering what camera you would recommend for a beginner like me that would make exposure and metering easy, but one that would leave room for me to grow when i get a bit more capable at manual exposure?? can I get great slides relying on just inbuilt meters such as matrix meters??<br>

Thank you for any help that could be offered!!!</p>

[chris_waller]

<p>Well, it all depends on your budget, but at the lower end you could look for a Milnolta X300, but, if your budget stretches a little further, keep an eye open for such as a Nikon FE/FE2 or an FM/FM2. The metering is accurate and once you get to know it you can shoot perfectly exposed transparencies.</p>

[david_henderson]

<p>The problem with slides is that the material is very contrasty and to get good results you must get your exposures spot on. You will also from time to time use filters or fill flash to reduce subject brightness range to fit on the slide film. </p>

<p>So the answer to your question is a camera that you know and understand very well, and can use to make very accurate exposure. In short its not really a camera issue- its a "you" issue.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>If you can get consistently good exposures with in-camera JPEGs using a digital camera (no tweaking in post allowed), you'll get good results with slide film.</p>

<p>If you're accustomed to shooting raw and editing, try JPEGs only for a few days. Set to normal or higher contrast. Daylight white balance only (you'll need filters for color correction, or just shoot during dawn/dusk golden hours). Don't go overboard with in-camera color saturation - some digital cameras can top Velvia for saturation, right out of the camera. If you can nail most of your JPEGs using your preferred metering and exposure methods, you're pretty well set for slide film.</p>

<p>Some folks swear by spot metering, but I found a reasonably selective center weighted averaging meter to be good enough for Kodachrome and Provia 100. Sometimes I'd use a handheld incident meter. I've had good results with everything from an Olympus OM-1 (very non-selective averaging meter) to Canons and Nikons with spot metering.</p>

[nail33]

<p>I shot color slides since the early 80's with a Canon A-1 that cost $500 for the body alone. You can now get that camera with accessories for as little as $5 on ebay. I knew little to nothing when I first started with this camera and it seemed to automatically take great pictures for me. I changed to digital a few years ago when the cost of processing and buying the film became prohibitive for me. I have yet to see any of my digital images match the beauty and quality of my old slides, even though I know a great deal more about exposure. With film it's difficult to practice because of the cost; with digital I can take pictures to my hearts content, and continue to learn by trial and error almost for free. I can't imagine that any modern high quality film camera would not be better than my A-1 for exposure control. You also have the benefit that I did not have (with your digital) as to how to get the exposure right. I used Kodachrome 25 for my slides, and in my opinion, it was the greatest film ever made. Alas, it is no longer made, but I'm sure some of the newer slide films can come close to its quality. Good luck with your quest for getting back into film. I'm sure the quality of the pictures you take will far surpass those of digital, but you will have to be careful not to make too many mistakes (exposure) to keep the cost down. I will envy you every time I look at my old slides on the projector.</p>

[jim_j2]

<p>Nicole,</p>

<p>What digital camera are you currently using?</p>

<p>If you already are using an SLR digital, then I would look for a film body from the same manufacturer.</p>

<p>In my case, I use Canon gear. The majority of the controls on my Canon DSLR are in the same locations as my Canon film bodies, and most of the lenses can be used on both Camera bodies. </p>

[ted_raper1]

<p>I go back and forth between slides and digital. I shot slide film (Kodachrome 25 and 64, and yes, I carried a tripod everywhere) for many years before switching to digital. In my case, it's Nikon equipment (D200 and N90s and F100), but any of the mentioned gear will probably work. The most important thing as mentioned above is to get a camera with an accurate metering system because slides do require your exposures to be spot on. I too used center weighted metering for slides very often, and found it to work well. I still get more of a kick from looking at well exposed slides on a light table than I do looking at digital images on an LED.</p>

[jim_j2]

<p>Initially, I wouldn't spend too much, and would give some serious thought to purchasing used. Because you may be disappointed.<br>

Those slides that you were looking at . . .<br>

As Arnold touched on . . . they were probably Kodachrome, ASA 25 or Ecktachrome, ASA 64 of which neither is currently manufactured.<br>

Choice and availability of slide films and processing will become a "major factor." So, you may want to spend some time researching that side of film also.</p>

[rapyke]

<p>I shot slide film exclusively for many years with my Nikon FE - I didn't realize I had to be super careful with exposures - it just simply got the job done for 15 or 16 years. It is a small, light camera that... just works.</p>

<p>I had almost the same kind of success with my Olympus OM2, which I agree, has an amazingly accurate averaging meter.</p>

<p>The advice given to stick with the same manufacturer is also very good.</p>

<p>So, to sum up then, Canon, Nikon and Olympus can all do a good job... from there, it is up to you. Same as any branch of photography.</p>

<p>Have fun!</p>

 

[m_tt_donuts]

<p>It's actually really simple. The Nikon F5 and Nikon F6. </p>

<p>Canon, Minolta, Pentax, most Nikons even all their meters are grayscale and get fooled by colors. It takes time to learn, but just get a camera that doesn't have a grayscale meter to begin with as slide film needs it spot on. I spent years trying to beat my F5's meter using slide film and 98% of the time ended up with the same result or it being better than me so I went with it.</p>

<p>The Nikon F5 and F6 are the only 35mm film cameras with color metering that I'm aware. The F6 is likely out of your budget even used, the F5 used might be okay. Take pictures of snow scenes with them and they won't underexpose they know snow is supposed to be white. Take pictures of black lava/cats and also get it right and not overexpose. I took an F5 to antarctica, white glaciers/icebergs on top of black lava flows and it got the exposure spot on everytime. Penguins too with their white fronts and black backs using slides. </p>

<p>I'd look at a Nikon F5 used, it's big & heavy camera (at least the F6 can go small) and eats batteries for a film camera but it's the only one of two film cameras with color meters that don't get fooled and you're welcome to go manual. With slide film, it is nearly perfect every time at getting the exposure. Just be aware going back to film isn't as easy as you'd think. You've probably gotten use to RAW (with extremely high dynamic range), HDR, editing, auto-whitebalance, instant preview... with film you need white balancing filters, ND Grads, polarizers, and such to try to bring the dynamic range down to within the limits of slide film. </p>

[andylynn]

<p>Whatever you choose, make sure it has a very well calibrated meter. I've had great results with Minolta manual focus (newer models with silicon type meters like XD11 and X700) but Nikons, Canons, Pentaxes, etc., are equally good. In more modern equipment I've had good luck with Nikon F100 and (for the budget or size/weight conscious) F75 - which is a great little camera but somewhat limiting in that it can only get the ISO from the DX code on the canister, doesn't meter with manual focus lenses and has a smaller viewfinder than larger 35mm cameras.</p>

<p>The F5 suggestion is a good one if you're prepared for a heavy camera, but if you find a used one make sure it's from a reliable source. Since it's a pro camera, the ones on the market were mostly used by pros, and they can be hard on equipment.</p>

[devon_mccarroll]

<p>Hi Nicole,<br>

Another option, if you decide to stick with digital, is to get Alien Skin's Exposure 2 software. It mimics different films like T-Max, Tri-X, Kodachrome, and many others. It's pretty fun to play with. I got the demo one time and may still buy the software one of these days. Yes, it's a "cheater" way to do it, but it also saves on those processing costs!</p>

[hjoseph7]

The canon EOS-3 is an autofocus camera that has an extremely accurate exposure meter which is what you will need for slides. Next on my list would be the Nikon FM2 which is totally manual, but the exposure meter is dead-on.

 

I switched to digital before I even had a chance to get into slides however, last year I bought myself a projector(very noisy) and a screen, so now I enjoy looking at my slides at home without having to get them printed or under a light-table. I just wish that projector was a little quieter.

[steve m smith]

<blockquote>

<p>The problem with slides is that the material is very contrasty and to get good results you must get your exposures spot on. </p>

</blockquote>

<p>It's not a problem, it's an advantage. It will quickly teach you how to expose properly.</p>

[dried_squid]

I agree with Steve Smith. I depend on transparency film to learn. I learned a lot. I'm still learning. I enjoy the learning, and slides are my preferred medium.

 

I would further suggest an inexpensive light table and a loupe to view bracketed shots side by side. Differences in color saturation and shadow detail are more obvious than from scans. After all, a scan is a second-generation image. And a slide is an end product.

 

I don't know digital cameras, but apparently metering for digital is similarly sensitive.

 

Try page 12 from this L-358 brochure at sekonic.com

www.sekonic.com/images/files/SekonicL-358_L-558RBrochure.pdf

 

The title reads "Film or Digital ... It's still light".

 

Good luck. Enjoy.

[dried_squid]

Harry Joseph - Have you seen the Mad Men Don Draper clip. There was a post on the Kodachrome Project forum. I think the sound is characteristic. Same for home movies on film.

 

 

http://www.kodachromeproject.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3544&postcount=1

 

 

Incredible Scene from "Mad Men"

 

 

Don Draper pitches an ad campaign to Kodak which will introduce their new slide projector. This scene powerfully articulates my interest in preserving images, and indirectly, considering the era, is a love letter to Kodachrome:

 

 

 

 

If Don was doing Kodak's promotion today, Kodachrome might have a brighter future.

[jpo3136b]

<p>I recommend keeping slide shows (actual slide shows, not their digital simulants) below five minutes. They used to be notorious as a form of social "torture." </p>

<p>For the cameras, any with a light meter will do. If you need to spend some $$$$ on practice, I recommend getting some "negative only" C-41 color print scans before switching to E-6 films. The color slide films will have a narrower tolerance for editing, so you need to learn how to predict and nail your desired exposure by observation.</p>

[mark_drutz]

<p>I'm most familiar with Nikon. The last 35mm SLR I was using was a Nikon N80 and I loved it. It's relatively compact, well made, and can be used fully auto, fully manual, or in between. They are very inexpensive. Try keh.com, B&H, and Adorama for a good used one. There are very few new 35mm SLR's made today. You are best off with a good used one that is not too old.</p>

<p> If you have a DSLR now, chances are that if you have DX lenses (which most consumer lenses are) they will not be fully compatible with a 35mm SLR from the same maker.</p>

[dan_south]

<p>If you can find a used Nikon N80 (F80 outside of the USA), F90s, or F100 in good condition, you'll have a camera that's capable of capturing excellent slides.</p>

<p>For film I would recommend Fuji's Astia 100 for natural color (great for people and pets) or Velvia 100 for more saturated colors (great for flowers and landscapes). The popular Velvia 50 has extreme contrast and is very difficult to expose properly in many cases (see below).</p>

<p>There are challenges that you have to deal with when shooting slide film.</p>

<p>(1) Latitude and contrast - shadows look very dark and it's easy to blow out highlights. You'll have to learn how to meter your shots very carefully (preferably using a spot meter). At first, stick with evenly lit scenes or learn how to use graduated neutral-density filters to darken the brighter areas of your images (e.g. skies). Don't be surprised if a lot of your early experiments don't work very well.</p>

<p>(2) Color of light - blue light before sunset, after dusk, and on cloudy days may have to be "warmed up" with an amber filter such as the 81B. Yellow light from incandescent light bulbs requires a blue filter to "cool it off." Try the 80A filter. Fluorescent lights require an even different set of color balancing filters depending on the type of fluorescent bulb creating the light.</p>

 

[andrewg_ny]

<p>Honestly pretty much any SLR from a major company can do it; its up to you to learn to control it. Expect to burn off some extra frames while you get more comfortable with the metering.</p>

<p>You might find some benefit from a camera body that can relatively easily adjust exposure in 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps but this isn't a hard requirement. Many classic manual focus cameras only offered whole steps, particularly for shutter speeds, and aperture could be adjusted in 1/2 steps, but sometimes not across the entire aperture range. In some sense though this might not matter because if used in autoexposure mode (such as aperture priority) most of these cameras had continuously variable shutter speeds so were not constricted to 1EV steps for shutter. ISO is usually adjustable in 1/3 EV steps, you would probably want a model where you can override auto (DX) ISO if you want to. Auto bracketing features might be handy.</p>

<p>Looking at the other responses here lots of people have their favorite film cameras, and they're all pretty different, but all can do the job. Consider your budget, including what lenses or other accessories you might want, the size/weight you're willing to carry/pack, how rugged the gear needs to be, etc. Do you already own some compatible equipment for a digital SLR? Are there certain features you think you might miss if not present? Do you think you want an in-camera spot meter? If so, that would shorten the list of eligible candidates considerably.</p>

[plasma181]

<p>I have done a little slide work with my FM3a. You have to be careful with metering, just like digital. </p>

[randy_johnson5]

<p>Since proper exposure with slides has less room for error than negatives, I would suggest you buy the best used film body you can afford from Nikon or Canon that uses auto-focus lenses. Metering systems improved with the last generations of film cameras and in my experience were much more accurate than any of the metering systems with bodies that used manual focused lenses. Stay with auto-focused lenses since they can be used with digital bodies as well and will hold their value. My guess is that you will like to shoot digital sometimes and slides other times. Pick Nikon or Canon and build a system around the lenses. I have a Canon A2E body and it gives great exposures and it has the flash metering capabilities that interface with the electronics of the body. Stick with Nikon or Canon because they hold their used value better than other brands. Have fun! </p>