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A Quick Buying Guide for Vintage Camera Lovers

Chris Gampat
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04/15/2022
3 Mins read
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There aren’t many things that bring some of us joy like vintage cameras. Vintage cameras have a lasting appeal that so many modern cameras don’t at all. There’s the feeling of metal, the knowledge that it will work, and so much more. Your vintage camera might even outlive you and you can pass it on to someone else. So if you’re considering buying one, we’ve got a fair amount of info for you. Here are three photography cheat sheets for those interested in vintage cameras.

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Specifically, this guide will focus on film cameras. Yes, it’s insane to know that a Vintage Camera these days could be referring to early digital cameras. Sure, there are folks who like shooting with an old digital Vintage Camera. But there aren’t many, to be honest. Most of us want the older film cameras that are big, heavy, and have a very specific feeling to them. Plus, they have soul. We’ve whet your appetite enough I’m sure. So dive into this quick guide!

Know What You’re Getting Into if You Want a Vintage Leica

Most Leica cameras are rangefinders. It may require some getting used to if you’ve only shot with SLR style camera bodies. You’ll also get the most out of your used Leica rangefinder by zone focusing. If you’re not familiar with the technique, be sure to check out our Guide to Zone Focusing Your Camera’s Lens. If you’ve only shot with digital cameras and you’re just getting into analog photography with your newly acquired used Leica, take the time to learn the ins and outs of its operation. Shooting with an analog Leica is a unique tactile experience that, once mastered, can be very rewarding.

For more, check out this blog post.

Electronic or Mechanical? A Very Big Question

While many vintage cameras are completely mechanical, some of the best examples we’ve seen in the past combine both mechanical and electronic elements. If a vintage camera features electronics built-in, it will need batteries in order to operate. Ensure that the battery compartment is free of any corrosion. Sometimes dead batteries are accidentally left inside vintage cameras, and the lead acid will leak out over time. This will lead to the battery terminals becoming corroded. While they can sometimes be cleaned, it’s best to try and find vintage cameras that are corrosion-free.

Be sure to check out more at this blog post.

Considering a Point and Shoot: Think About All the Moving Parts

“Point and shoot cameras are often self-contained. Unlike other types of cameras, their internal components are often tucked away and challenging to inspect. It can be hard to tell if something is broken or not, so you’ll want to be extra thorough when inspecting a vintage point and shoot. Is the lens focusing correctly? Are you able to adjust the aperture? Do all the shutter speeds work? If there are LCD screens, are all of them working and displaying the correct information? Be sure to dot all the I’s and cross all the T’s and give everything a once-over.”

Be sure to check out more at this blog post.

Cameras cheat sheet film cameras infographic leica photography cheat sheets point and shoot vintage vintage camera
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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
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