If you want to get your hands on the camera before you buy, then check out vintage markets – but without the safety net of eBay or Amazon, you have to know what to look out for. Other great options include the (almost) indestructible Pentax K1000 and the Olympus OM-1. But any camera with a program mode is good for a beginner.” Program is an exposure function that does all the hard work for you, until you feel ready to manually alter your shots.įamed for bridging the gap between photographers and hobbyists in the seventies, both Canon cameras come fitted with ‘shutter priority’, which means “you can choose your shutter speed, and your camera will automatically choose an aperture” (that’s the hole in the lens which dictates how much light travels through the camera body). “You can pick a classic, pre-owned Canon A1 up for around £80, or an AE-1 Program for slightly more, and they can do everything. 35mm film cassettes can also be bought cheaply on Amazon. They’re all basic, hardwearing, top quality and shouldn’t come at too much cost. Opt for a model from one of the big five brands from back in seventies: Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus or Pentax. “A 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera would be your best bet.' “There’s bags of stuff on eBay, and that’s probably the first place to start,” says John. But who better to start you on your journey than John Wade, author of Retro Cameras: The Collector’s Guide to Vintage Film Photography? No one, that's who.

Well, It’s not as simple as you might think. Driven by a desire to stand out from the brunch crowd and grow their follower count, millions of people have dived into the world of #35mm cameras over the past few years – and needless to say, you want in too. Still, what an Instagram it is! And they’re not alone in their obsession. Would defend their Instagram ‘aesthetic’ with their lives, if it came down to it. Spends each weekend wandering aimlessly around the Barbican, photographing leaves and balconies. Sensor: 43.Chances are you have a mate who carries a vintage camera at all times. If you like the anticipation of waiting until you get home to discover how the shot came out, it’s for you – but you’ll pay a hefty price for it. The M-D goes one step even further and does away with a rear LCD screen altogether, you know, just like the old days of film cameras. While other manufacturers have striven to produce modern masterpieces, sometimes it seems that Leica is going out of its way to attract traditional users. Many photography aficionados long to own a Leica – it’s been a familiar name for over 100 years. There’s an electronic viewfinder so you don’t have to rely on the screen, and although it’s designed for fans of retro, it doesn’t skimp on modern features either – with a touch-sensitive articulating screen and built-in Wi-Fi. There’s direct access dials and buttons, and again it’s the black and silver version which has the sleekest of looks. It also takes excellent pictures, featuring a 20.3 megapixel Live MOS Four Thirds sensor. The PEN F has been designed based on the 1960s Olympus designs, so the retro-style is baked right in. If you’re an existing Nikon owner, then this could be a good option for you – it has a full-frame sensor which comes from the D4, so you should get some great shots. It has an array of dials and buttons, with the silver and black version looking the most traditional. This camera is so retro that Nikon decided to even remove the capability of recording video. Nikon has never updated its Df camera, which suggests it may not have been as popular as anticipated, but there’s no denying its good looks and charm. Sensor: 16.2MP FX format (full-frame) CMOS It’s also a 16 megapixel sensor which has proven to take extremely high quality shots, while there’s a good range of lenses available for the X system now, with more being developed all the time. With its classic rangefinder build and stacks of dials and buttons, the enthusiast will love the controls of this compact system camera. However, in terms of all-out good lucks, we’ve chosen the Fuji X-T1. You could really pick almost anything from its now reasonably extensive range, including both compact cameras and compact system cameras. There’s nobody else who consistently makes cameras that induce a little drool when you see them. Fuji X100Tįuji reigns supreme when it comes to out-and-out style. Here’s our pick of some retro-style models that are sure to attract some admiring glances, as well as take some great shots. And why not? There’s no reason why you can’t have a great looking camera that is also up to the job. The trend for retro style cameras looks set to stick around for some time.

Digital camera retro