Welcome to a little safe space where I review all of my 35mm cameras.

Let’s set the expectations straight – these reviews won’t be your typical deep-dive reviews. Firstly, because I’m more of a visual person rather than a writer; as a photographer, you can say my preferred way to express myself is through photos, not a pen (or I guess keyboard in this instance). Secondly, I just don’t have much to say haha. I’ll go over a few basics like…

• Photo quality
• Flash
• Beginner friendly
• Focus
• maybe a few other specs if I’m feeling it

Now, before we dive into the main reason you’re joining me today, it’s important to note that not every camera I’ve owned is currently in my possession. Some, like the trusty companion from my post-college days, decided to call it quits on me towards the end of a trip to Mexico and Honduras (sad face). Others, which didn’t quite make it to the favorites list, have found new homes to friends and family or I’ve sold.

Where do you find 35mm film cameras anyway?

Good question, I find them in a variety of different places. Most recently, it’s been thrift stores and estate sales. But, overall here’s where I’ve gotten most of my 35mm film cameras.

• Estate sales
• Thrift stores
• Ebay
• Vintage stores
• FB Marketplace
• My mom

I’ve stopped looking on FB marketplace and vintage stores because most of the time they are on the pricey side, which I get. If you want to make a profit, you do what you have to do. Most of the time, I limit myself to getting cameras that are probably less than $20 unless it’s something really special like my Olympus XA and A11 flash. That I gladly paid more than $25, (but way less than what you see it selling for on eBay, hehe).

How’d you get into shooting film?

To summarize, my film journey is deeply rooted in my family. Both my mom and dad were users of film cameras, and seeing my interest in photography, they passed down their cameras to me. While I can’t quite remember the specific makes and models (a bit of a let down, I know). I clearly remember my teen years taking pictures of random objects around our houses. I even wrote down every setting on a notepad (more so because my dad made me) – ISO, f-stop, aperture – even though I had zero idea what I was writing down.

Fast forward to college, where my relationship with film photography truly grew. Taking film and darkroom classes, I jumped into different settings, explored different formats, and even had months of developing and scanning my film. I even made cyanotypes and experimented with pinhole cameras. I was living the good life, without knowing I was in the good life.

In these incoming blogs, I’m excited to show you some of my favorite film camera finds. With no intention of gatekeeping – I’m all about sharing my love for film photography and cameras. If any particular camera or review catches your eye or brings up questions, feel free to comment below or send me an email. I’m happy to continue the conversation.

List of film cameras I’ve reviewed:

Nikon Zoom Touch 470

(coming soon)

(coming soon)