Anscomark M Film Camera. First Impressions.

Anscomark M Film Camera

The Anscomark M is the sturdiest camera I have ever held. "Built like a tank," is one of the most overused expressions when it comes to cameras, but it really does apply here; We are talking WWI era tank to be clear ;) This camera is feature-full from built in selenium light meter, threaded cable release hidden below the shutter button, to it's interchangeable lenses. Unfortunately it can be very hard to find lenses for this camera if you can even find the camera at all. I am looking forward to shooting with this camera and I'm very excited to share my results with you all!

My First Impressions

I picked this camera up just because of how strange it appeared. I knew very little about it and to be honest when I find a new camera I’ve never heard about, I prefer to experience it before doing my research. That’s not to say I do not research it at all: I just do enough research to know what I’m getting into.

The first thing that stood out is the Anscomark m’s styling: It is unlike any camera I have ever seen. This camera resembled a 1960’s classic American car more than any other camera.

When it comes to it’s build quality, there’s something very unique here too… rather than having the feel of a well engineered watch like a Leica M 3, the Anscomark M feels more like an industrial toaster or classic car. It feels substantial and heavy. It has hard lines and edges, not something you’d typically see in something you would be handling often.

That’s it for now, but I’m really excited to start using the camera and sharing my thoughts.

I have been a professional event photographer for 10 years while teaching photography at the same time. Follow the links below to see my work. Instagram | @retrograding https://www.instagram.com/retrograding/ Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/mikmilman/ www.mikmilman.com Instagram | @retrograding https://www.instagram.com/retrograding/ Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/mikmilman/ www.mikmilman.com

5 Tips for getting Into Film Photography

Today I have Five tips for those of you just getting into film photography!

5 tips for getting into film photography

 

#1 Understand your fundamentals.

Contrary to what many say, (specifically people who have never taught a photography class) I recommend you understand your photography fundamentals FIRST, before attempting to shoot in manual. Yes, an all manual film camera distills photography down to the basics, but if you’re just learning, not being able to see instant results, will slow the process of learning down, as you will not be able to immediately correct for mistakes. And that's not to mention that by the time you see your work, you may forget what your settings and lighting conditions were. If you still want to jump right in, I recommend you get either a point and shoot or any camera with an auto feature. DO NOT LISTEN to people saying you learn best on a manual camera. That sounds good on paper, but in practice getting a blank roll back is a huge disappointment and very off putting. You want to be able to get excited about the process, and the best way to do that is to go out and shoot and not feel bogged down by settings or frustrated by blank rolls. Get passionate about photography first, the technical stuff can come later.

#2 Start with Black and White Film.

Maybe you’ve heard that black and white is more pure and all that- and that may be true. But if you’re just starting out I recommend shooting black and white because you have a greater leeway when it comes to properly exposing your image. Color requires you to be much more precise, so there is more room for error. And while on the topic of Film...

#3 Start with ISO 400 Speed Film.

400 speed film will give you good amount of flexibility in getting a proper exposure in varying lighting conditions. Sure, it's technically not as “sharp” as a slow speed film, but if you want perfect, you may as well shoot digital.

#4 When in Doubt, Over Expose.

Film photography is better at preserving the highlights and... When exposing film it’s better to have too much information than too little. Ideally, you will nail your exposure, but when in doubt, its always better to over expose than under expose.

#5 Take Your Time and Enjoy the Process.

One of the many reasons to shoot film is because of how enjoyable the hands on process can be and it’s ability to put you in the moment. Never forget that and have fun!

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Using Vintage Lenses on the Canon M50

Shooting with vintage lenses on the Canon M50 is so much fun. Even though you lose your autofocus when doing so, getting footage with character is awesome- and affordable! I will be experimenting with shooting with my m50 and vintage lenses for a while. I have to say, I am liking the m50 more everyday.

In the above video, I compare the Canon fd 50mm 1.8, Pentax 50mm 1.4, Minolta 58mm 1.4, and the Yashica 50mm 1.4.

What do I think?

The Pentax SMC 1.4 is still my favorite vintage lens of all time- even if this particular test wasn’t amazing. There’s something about the build of the Minolta I love, but it skews green. And lastly, I was quite impressed with the Canon fd 50 1.8. I like it a lot more than I thought.