How should I learn manual photography before using an older film SLR, and should I buy lenses for it?
Asked 12/19/2010
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I have a basic Canon digital camera and also found my dad’s old Sears KS-2 with a standard 50mm lens. I want to learn manual photography, but I’m not sure what technical basics I should study before I start shooting film.
What should I focus on learning first? Also, is it worth buying more lenses for the KS-2 now, or should I keep using the 50mm and save for a newer camera instead? I’ve also heard about adapting old K-mount lenses to newer cameras—does that make sense for a beginner?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
5
The best way to learn is to start photographing more — both for the basics and for more advanced photography.
This is a particularly good answer to the "should I buy more lenses for the KS-2" question, because a lot of the answer depends on whether you find yourself really enjoying using it.
But, of course, film requires a greater time and patience commitment, and the per-shot costs (along with delay until you see results, and lack of automatically-recorded metadata) make experimenting a different process. That difference is not necessarily bad — in fact, arguably it's a great approach to serious learning — but it's not for everyone.
So, if you're going to spend some with film and aren't comfortable with the very basics, it's not a bad idea to make sure you understand what's happening with the basics of exposure — aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. There's dozens of books and web sites, and any of them can teach you about this, if you don't forget the key point, which is: the relationship is actually quite straightforward, so if you get confused, your teaching resource is probably broken in some way. (No problem: ditch that book or web site and pick up another.)
Beyond that, I find it nice to learn and mentally process while I'm working, a little bit at a time. Make sure to make at least one picture every day, and make sure every week to look at the pictures you've taken. (If you end up taking lots, take that time to weed out the very best.) And, at the same time, find a good book, and read it just a page or two a day. (Michael Freeman's books are well-suited for this; I just finished Perfect Exposure in this way, and am about to start on The Photographer's Mind.)
So basically: don't let being worried about lack of knowledge keep you from getting started. Mistakes are great to learn from, and if you're busy researching, you can't make any.
Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Start by learning the exposure triangle: ISO/film speed, aperture, and shutter speed. Those three controls determine how much light reaches the film and also affect the look of the image, especially depth of field and motion blur. Along with that, practice focus, exposure, and composition.
The strongest advice from the answers is: shoot more. Hands-on practice is the best teacher. Film can be a great way to learn because it slows you down and makes you think before each shot, though it does cost more per frame and gives slower feedback than digital.
You do not need more lenses right away. A standard 50mm lens is enough to learn a lot, and many photographers have done excellent work with only that focal length. It makes sense to wait and see whether you enjoy using the KS-2 before spending more money.
If you have a digital camera, you can still use it for important shots or for extra practice, but if your goal is to understand manual control, the film camera can teach that well. Adapting old K-mount lenses to newer cameras may be possible, but for now it’s probably better to focus on learning with the gear you already have.
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