The 35mm Thing
Here’s a photo shot from Millennium Bridge in London.
A snap. Nothing more, nothing less. But shot using an Olympus OM10 SLR and a 50 mm Zuiko lens. And on Kodak UltraMax 400 film.
Big deal. So what?
Here’s what. The camera? 46 years old. But still shoots great photos. The film stock? Often sneered at as “enthusiast” stock. I don’t care. I love the colours it produces.
Now, when I started taking photos, 35mm was the standard way. There was no digital. That would come years later.
But it was great. No time for nostalgia though. I’m talking about photography today. I’m still using 35mm.
I tried digital. Impressive, efficient and cheap (after you’ve bought a camera). But soulless.
I saved hard and bought a Leica. It scared me. Such a brilliant machine. Clever beyond what I was capable of.
But I couldn’t get on with it. Going back to my Nikon FE2 (42 years old) felt like working with an old friend. It never lets me down. And with my ageing eyesight, the bright viewfinder is brilliant.
All of which is very nice. Here’s the thing. Search for a point and shoot 35mm camera. Buy one, stick a film in and off you go. It’ll be the most fun you’ve had with a camera for a while.
You might hate it. Fair enough. You tried. You might also fall in love. And become a 35mm photographer.