35mm, Medium, and Large Format Photography Cameras

Guide to Photography Film Cameras

Film cameras come in a variety of types and sizes for film photography. The most common and popular camera is by far the 35mm single-lens reflex camera. Not only does the 35mm film camera use the most popular film type (35mm film), but it is also a fairly inexpensive and quality camera that offers plenty of options including interchangeable film camera lenses. The SLR format is also available for medium format cameras. While more expensive, this film camera uses larger film types and has even more customizable options than its 35mm counterpart.

Large Format Photography Cameras

The viewfinder camera is the most popular large format camera available. The bulky camera and large film gives large format photography the advantage of unparalleled film and print quality. Plus, the large format camera controls offer the unmatched ability to completely control depth of field, perspective, and focus. However, it’s size and need for a tripod requires time for setup and detracts from the ability to quickly capture moments.

Additional Film Camera Types

Other camera types include the range-finder camera in which the viewfinder does not offer the same view as captured through the camera lens. This is known as the parallax error and requires the photographer to compensate for close-up film photography. Twin-lens reflex (TLR) cameras also suffer from the parallax error, but are a much more inexpensive alternative to medium format SLR cameras.

Please see the film types page to learn more about different film formats for each camera, and the importance of film speed and how it plays a role in exposure settings through the aperture and shutter speed. And for some basic photography tips and techniques see composition, motion photography, night photography, and winter photography.