How to Collect Film Cameras
Yes, film is dying. The digital photo revolution has made photography so simple that people have abandoned film like rats jumping from the Titanic. Still, film cameras have a long history and are quite collectible. Right now is a good time to start collecting film cameras, because nobody seems to want them anymore. That means they can be inexpensive and still in relatively good shape. Old film cameras also can produce photos of higher quality that new ones.
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Instructions
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Do a little research into the history of film and cameras. Actual photographs appeared in 1839 after a dozen or more years of research and experimentation. The first consumer cameras were introduced in 1888 by George Eastman’s Kodak company. They essentially were boxes with film in them, a lens and a shutter. The entire camera was shipped back to Kodak where the film was removed, processed and printed. The photos and the reloaded camera were then shipped back to the customer. Around the turn of the century, Eastman introduced the Box Brownie that was the first mass market camera. Kodak and others like Hasselblad and Leica expanded and improved photography through the twentieth century.
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Decide what your collection will be. Will you collect low-end consumer cameras or high-end professional cameras? Will you focus on traditional film or Polaroid instant film? Do you have a fascination with bellows cameras, twin-lens cameras or single-lens reflex cameras? The choice will determine your budget and where to start looking.
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Start looking around. For consumer-level cameras, antiques stores and flea markets can give you a start locally. Ebay, of course, also will have an ever-changing selection of cameras for sale. For higher-end Hasselblad, Leica, Bronica and other medium format cameras, eBay also is good, but local photo shops—the few that are left—also tend to have used camera displays. This can be a good place to look because as professional photographers switch to digital, they trade or sell their old equipment. And the pros tended to take care of their equipment well because they were the main tools of their livelihoods.
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Decide whether to simply display your “new” old cameras or to actually use them. Displaying will entail cleaning and polishing, but few repairs. If you want to use them, old cameras might need new bellows or shutter repairs or a new lens. You can do most repairs yourself, but there also are camera shops in cities or online that can make the repairs for you.
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Find film. While film is dying, it isn’t gone yet. Standard sizes like 35 mm or 120 or 220 rolls still are available from the manufacturers, in stores or online. To use older cameras that take now-obscure film formats like 828 or 620, you will need to get empty film holder rolls and load them with film yourself. This isn’t difficult, but it must be done in the dark. For 620 film, buy 120 film and load it onto the 620 reels. For other sizes, it may be a bit harder. There is at least one website where one can purchase obscure film rolls (see Resources below).
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Develop the film yourself. Most consumer photo development services only process 35 mm color film (or black and white that can be processed in color chemistry). Some photo stores still will develop 120 and 220 film, but usually only in color. For black and white development and to have greater control, you can develop film at home. You just need a film tank and reel and the right chemicals. If you’re just developing 35 mm or 120/220 roll films, the best tanks and reels are stainless steel. If you have a variety of film sizes, get an adjustable tank-and-reel set. Tanks, reels and chemicals are available from photo stores and online, or directly from Kodak or Ilford or other film companies.
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You can use an enlarger and photo paper to make your own prints, but after developing the film, you can simply scan it into your computer and work on it in a photo manipulation program such as Adobe Photoshop.
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Tips & Warnings
Start small and collect from local antiques dealers and flea markets.
Old cameras are great, usable collectors items, but film may be difficult to come by.
Resources
- Photo Credit Carole Anne Tomlinson, Shawn M. Tomlinson
