Back to 35 mm...? (Canon, DSLR, Olympus, 50mm)

[averagejoe76]

I have been seeing some deals on used 35 mm's and..
Im playing with the idea of getting one.
Is Film fairly easy to find these days?
I cant afford a new digital pro camera at this point so..
Im hoping to get some great pics with the 35 mm.
Had a point and shoot digital with decent results but..
Im without Camera at the moment.

[Bydand]

Film is easy to find, but expensive in the long run. I still have several of my old 35mm bodies, and drag them out once or twice a year for old times sake, but as soon as soon as the film has to be developed it just drives home how much nicer, and cheaper in the long term Digital is. For run of the mill film and developing it runs me about $9 total for 24 exposures, if I have the developing done at one of those cheap 1 hour places. For the number of shots I took last year alone with the digital, it would have run me around $4000 with film.

I understand the whole "no camera blues" feeling all too well. Yes you can get a 35mm rather cheap right now, and yes film and developing is easy to find. One place to keep an eye on is the Craigslist in your area, or even E(vil)Bay. It is better than nothing at all, but $20 set aside a week will put you into an entry level DSLR kit from just about any manufacturer in 5 or 6 months. Even the entry level DSLR's are better than most point and shoots the same price or less, and most will now match the quality of a 35mm for all but the very largest prints. Sure you CAN go out and drop tens of thousands of dollars for a DSLR outfit, but you can also get very good prints out of DSLR's that run $400-$500 for a body and lens kit. Just something to think about.

[swagger]

I've got an Olympus OM-1 body with a 50mm lens that I'm looking to sell. I also have the T-ring for it that I'll throw in, if you have any intention of connecting it to a telescope. DM if interested - it's just taking up space and I'm happy to sell it cheap.

[WyoNewk]

Yeah, you can get primo 35mm cameras for a song now. I sold a near mint Canon FT with 1.4 50mm and 2.8 135mm on eBay for $50 a few months ago. A year ago I sold an EX+ F1 with Sport Finder and f1.4 50mm lens for around $150. At one time both of those cameras were the best Canon had to offer. They're still great old cameras that are very nearly as capable as new DSLRs.

I'd suggest that you decide with brand of DSLR you're going to want and get the same kind of 35mm -- a late model one that uses the same kind of lenses and accessories. That way when you get your first DSLR you'll already have a start with lenses, etc.

OR, just get a good old classic, such as the OM-1 that swagger mentioned, and don't worry about switching lenses.

The main problem with film cameras is the question of what to do with the film once you have it. If you've got the space for a darkroom, processing equipment is also very cheap. I've got a professional color lab that cost me several thousand. If you want it, come and get it. Bring a few hundred and it's yours -- enlargers, film and print processor, dryer, lights, easels, etc., etc., etc.

Otherwise you've got to get a good film scanner or find a lab that will make **good** digital scans for you at a reasonable rate; then you can treat the digital images just like you would if they were from a digital camera. And that would be my suggestion.