Don't get me wrong. I've enjoyed some of what my Canon 450D has produced. We've had fun together. He's very handy sometimes. But to tell you the truth we're not the best of friends. We don't always get on. Sometimes we positively hate each other. But that's alright. It's no big deal to feel that way. What I love, what I have always loved is analogue photography. Ever since I was a kid and my stepdad put the family camera in my hands for me to play with. Then when I had my own camera and would take photos of my toys and my family. Even buying the black and white disposable cameras that Boots used to sell. I just love film. I don't currently develop my own prints but gosh I sure would love to learn how to. I should look for a course that teaches you. But handing in those little rolls of films and awaiting the results is just so exciting to me.
Now I've mentioned before how when I went to Seville I shot almost entirely on my Diana F+, a Lomography film camera. And I spoke about how much I planned to utilise my Diana F+ whilst I was in Portugal (films are still in the developing stage at the moment). I came back with 13 used rolls of film. But all the time I was there I was dreaming of owning a proper 35mm film camera. The Diana F+ is after all technically a toy camera. It's made of plastic for folks' sake. I wanted something more, I wanted something with more than 3 apertures, I wanted something without parallax.
So on Monday 26th Sept, you know the day, when I saw Harry Potter and The Boy With Tape On His Face, I took myself to The Real Camera Company. I've walked past this shop a hundred times and awed at the sheer volume of amazing cameras that they sell. So when it came to finally investing in my own proper camera there was no doubt in my mind that I would go there for help. Now I must admit I wasn't 100% sure on what I was doing. I know very little about film cameras. I only know I like them and I wanted one. I kind of had it in my head that I'd buy a Canon AE1 or AV1 since I've seen quite a few posts on other blogs from people with those cameras. And I'm technically a Canon girl. But as I was shown camera after camera by the lovely gentleman shop assistant I was overwhelmed by the choice. I explained how little I knew, how I needed something I could learn on, something that was versatile to any condition I used it in. We bandied about a few more cameras. I carefully picked them up, held them to my face and checked out how they felt mock shooting with. I wasn't instantly bonding with any of them so far. Then he popped down one last camera for me to try out.
It was an Olympus OM10. Now this is predominantly an aperture priority camera. Unless you have the manual adapter in it. Which the kindly gentleman happened to have and popped on the camera for me. I picked it up. I held it to my face. I looked through the lens. I adjusted the focus. I felt us click. I'd found it. This was the camera for me. Now the kindly gentleman shop assistant, without me even trying to haggle, talked the price down from £75 to £60. I know you can get these cameras for less online but I like to handle a camera before purchase. It's a good idea to do so. For their service, for their patience and for the camera itself £60 sounded just fine to me.
So there it is. My first proper film camera. They kindly threw in some spare batteries, a free film of my choice (I went for black and white) and an original Olympus canvas strap as seen separately above. Now here's where I'll probably show some of my true colours. Since the camera didn't come with an instruction manual I had to look up one online. Easy enough, found one straight away and downloaded it to read when I got chance. So eventually when I got chance I sat down with the instruction manual up on my laptop and my camera in hand. I had a film ready for insertion. Ooh er. But could I get the back on my camera to open? Could I balls! I don't know what was wrong with me that day but I kept looking at the instructions then looking at my camera and just couldn't work it out. How did the back open? I got so annoyed. I got so frustrated. I put the camera down on one side and stopped being its friend for a couple of days. Then I tried again. I slowly read the instructions this time. Oh ah right okay I saw it then. I actually followed the instructions this time and POP hello open back! I'm still ashamed of my impatience. But I got there in the end, back opened, film loaded, ready to go.
I have just a couple more shots to shoot and I'll have finished my first roll. Then it'll be off for development. And it'll be picking out the best to publish on here. I'll have them by the end of the week I promise.
But let's just take one last look at it shall we?
Oh I do love it.
Laters,
P x
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