I was recently gifted something I haven’t owned or used in years, a film-based camera. Specifically, a Canon AT-1, manufactured in 1977. This particular camera had been in storage for more than 30 years, as the previous owner had placed it into its case and into a closet, where it had stayed since some point in the 1980s.
After some discussion between friends at the Blackstar Volkswagen Campout, the camera and its accompanying equipment (lenses, flash and carrying case) were presented to me. I have to thank Eric G, Jeff G, and Jon W who was the original owner.
I did some research on this model of Canon, and found it to be somewhat rare. It is a completely manual machine, which made it much less popular than the Canon AE-1 or AE-1P which both had some automatic functions built it. The AT-1 relies on the user to dial in every single setting and focus. In other words, you better know what you’re doing if you’re going to use this thing!
The time came to give the camera a run through and see if it still worked. I installed a new battery, which only operates the in-camera light meter and self-timer, and everything was good so far. Time to get some film and take some photos!
I purchased some Kodak 200 ISO film and loaded a roll into the camera the day before Buses By the Bridge. While at BBB, I took a handful of photos with the AT-1 as I walked around the event. Here are a few:
Click the photos for a larger view.
Some shots I took in tandem with my digital camera, a Canon R6 Mark II. Here they are side by side so you can see the difference. These were taken within a minute of each other.
Film Camera
Digital Camera
Film Camera
Digital Camera
Click the photos for a larger view.
After Buses By the Bridge, I still had some film left on the roll, so I went around taking shots either in my home or while out walking the dogs:
Click the photos for a larger view.
It’s interesting to shoot with a film camera again, it’s been a couple DECADES since the last time I had done it. A fun reminder of how easy it is to miss focus, or to get the exposure incorrect, like in these shots.
Missed focus photo of my dog, Benny
Missed exposure photo of my dog, Gracie
Hey I’m not perfect, I just missed. The one shot is underexposed because the camera’s light meter read for the overall scene, which was lit from the back, not the subject which was in the foreground shadow; That’s something a handheld light meter would fix. The out of focus shot was just a miss in camera. Either I moved after I dialed in the focus ring, or I moved the focus ring at the last second.
Shooting with film again is like getting my hands dirty with photography. There’s no safety net, you either get the shot, or you don’t. You either know your settings, or you don’t. The experience definitely made me slow down and think about each shot before I took it.
My Canon R6 Mark II is so loaded with technology it will detect a running dog’s eye in a field, and will lock focus on a car at any rate of speed, but there was something special about having to step back, take a deep breath and dial in that focus as best as possible.
Setting aperture and shutter speed manually is something I do all the time, even on my digital camera, that’s just my style of working. However, the digital camera has the display right there in the viewfinder, and all the controls are at my fingertips. I don’t have to pull the camera away from my face to make any changes at all, I can see every number right before my eye. The AT-1 has no such luxury. Every big dial must be manipulated with purpose and thoughtfulness. Again, breathe deep and think.
Plus, the look and feel of those film photos is just different. Look at the side-by-side examples above. Even though the shots were taken within a minute of each other, they look worlds apart. Could the digital shots be edited to look vintage? Probably. Would it be the same? Doubtful.
Of course, there’s the expense of shooting film too. Digital photos are ‘free’-ish; take as many as you want. Film costs money, developing film costs money, prints costs money, scanning of prints costs money…and the cycle repeats every time you want to do it. Shooting film is a labor of love. Not only do you need to be good at it, you need to love it, too.
So, will I take more film photos with this Canon AT-1? I’d say that’s pretty likely. Perhaps at the next car show I’ll try to go through an entire roll. Maybe someone would like to get a film photoshoot of their car? That would be pretty interesting to do.
What do you think? Is this something you would like to see more of?
Are you ready? I'm ready.
Eric
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