Choosing the perfect camera with the perfect lens and accessories to complement it all can be difficult. But once you have chosen your perfect camera set-up, you will begin creating your best images. We have broken down the key elements of building your perfect camera set-up and advice to help you make the right decision. 

Your camera body is the tool to create images with. The lens is where image quality is decided, so the camera body only needs to have all the necessary features for how you would like to photograph. 

Our blog post below goes into more depth about whether an automatic or manual SLR camera would be right for you.

If you want your film camera to be fully automatic, you will need to look for a camera that has automatic shutter speed modes and is compatible with an automatic aperture lens. A great example of a camera that does this is the Canon AE-1 Program.

If you are looking to use aperture priority, look for a film camera that has automatic shutter speeds with a manual aperture lens. A great example of this type of camera is the Pentax MV and MV-1.

If you are looking to use shutter priority, look for a camera that has manual shutter speed settings paired with an automatic aperture lens. A fantastic example of this type of camera is the Canon AE-1.

If you are looking for a fully manual camera with manual shutter speed and manual aperture, you will need a camera that includes the option for both of these manual controls. Typically these cameras can be more reliable as they are typically fully mechanical and do not rely on complex electronics to work. A fabulous example of camera that does this is the Pentax K1000. 

The next factor of your camera body search is the focus method. Most of the cameras we sell have manual focus due to their age. Autofocus cameras were introduced in the 1970s and some of these early autofocus cameras have exceptionally great focusing.

Manual focusing on your film camera can have its advantages as you can choose the focus yourself and the camera will not change focus as the subjects in your image change, unless you change the focus manually yourself. This is particularly helpful if you are focusing on a subject that is not in the centre of your frame. Manual focus is also preferable to landscape photographers and most film photographers in general.

Autofocus film cameras allow you to forget about the focusing when you are photographing. This is ideal for quick moving subjects, such as sports. Autofocus cameras and lenses will typically be much more expensive than manual focus and particular care must be taken to make sure the autofocus is tested and working. 

Below are a few examples of 35mm film cameras with autofocus.

The next thing to consider, but is not a major consideration, is the advance method. Some film cameras come with automatic winding, whereas others rely on using the advance lever manually. If automatic winding is important to you, it is not essential to get an automatic winding camera. You can add an automatic winder to most manual 35mm film cameras. It is important to check that your camera would be compatible with a winder, but most popular film cameras are. Adding an automatic winder (also known as a power winder) would likely be more cost effective than buying a camera with automatic winding.

Lenses are where the quality of your image is really controlled. A poor quality lens will lead to poor quality images and a high quality lens will lead to higher quality images.

Typically, lenses with a faster maximum aperture are higher quality than those with a slower maximum aperture. For example, a f/1.4 lens will be significantly higher in quality than a f/3.5 lens.

Read our full blog post about aperture here.

The lens quality also depends on the manufacturer of the lens. Canon, Pentax, Nikon and Olympus are all known for their high quality lenses for their cameras. This can be a substantial difference in quality when compared to manufacturers such as Vivitar, Centon and Sirius.

Amateur photographers are unlikely to notice a difference in their images when using lower quality lenses, so do not rule out affordable lenses if these are the ones within your budget.

Higher quality lenses will be sharper across the entire image with less distortion. The sharpness will particularly be noted on the edges of the images and in the shadows.

Your lens choice also does not need to be limited by the mount your camera has, as there are plenty of adapters available to convert the mount of your lens to the same mount as your camera.

Other considerations to take into account when choosing a great lens for your camera is the focal length. Most 35mm film cameras will come with a 50mm lens as standard. This is an ideal length for portraits and other general photography.

We will talk more about focal length in the next part of the article.

Once you have decided on a lens for your camera, do a quick online search for examples of photographs created with that particular lens. Take note of the sharpness across the entire image and whether the subjects look “true to life.”

Some of our most popular lenses:

Many photographers will choose one lens for their camera and never really consider changing the lens at all. Lenses do not need to limit your photography and there are plenty of great lenses out there for all budgets and applications.

Building a great camera set-up can involve purchasing multiple lenses. Wide angle lenses and zoom lenses are two options to consider when increasing your camera kit.

If you were looking for a slightly different perspective in your images, many photographers recommend trying a 35mm or 28mm lens. These offer wider angles of view in your images and often add more context to a scene you are photographing.

For photographers interested in landscape photography, zoom lenses are a great option as they offer versatility when out and about with your camera. One thing to note is that zoom lenses will typically have a lower quality than fixed focal length lenses, but this is often not noticeable for amateur photographers. Often, the great versatility of zoom lenses negates the slight loss in quality.

There are fixed focal length lenses that offer a zoomed in effect, however. Lenses such as 135mm or 200mm can often be found for a wide range of cameras. These lenses are ideal for those looking to explore landscape photography whilst retaining image quality. 

Accessories are an ideal thing to add to your photography set-up as and when you need them. You may find yourself in need of a particular filter to adapt your images slightly. The main thing to remember is that there is an accessory for everything. So if you ever feel that your camera set-up is limited in some way, do some research to find out if there is an accessory than can help you achieve your goals.

We have an entire blog post all about filters which you can read here. 

You cannot build the best camera set-up without considering which film stocks you will be putting into your camera. The film you use will have a massive impact on the colours, tones, shadows, highlights and overall look of your images.

When you first start out with film photography, it is important to try lots of different film stocks to find out what you like the look of. The easiest decision to make is whether you use colour or black and white film. From there, there are lots of different films you can try.

The most common films used by film photographers are Kodak Gold 200, Ilford HP5 Plus, and Kodak Colorplus 200. All of these films offer consistent and predictable results across a wide range of applications. 

Now you have considered all of these elements, you are ready to build your ideal film camera set-up. If you need help finding anything, feel free to get in touch with us. We would love to help you find your perfect film camera and its accompanying accessories.

Key points:

• Choose a film camera that has the correct functions for how you would like to shoot. 
• Add a high quality lens. 
• Add additional lenses that offer the right perspective for your photography.
• Add accessories to make sure your camera is protected.
• Choose the right film stock for the images you are creating.

Still stuck on which film camera to buy?

Try our film camera quiz. All you have to do is answer a few questions, and then you will get a list of personalised camera recommendations. 

Or send us a message on Instagram, send us an email, chat to us on our live website chat, or read some more of our blog posts!

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