Just thought I’d share a couple of things on photography. Many a times, I have friends who come up to me asking for advice on what camera they should buy and what they should look out for when buying a camera. Here is a couple of Cameras for your viewing pleasure.
Canon AE-1 Program, Built in 1979.
Canon T-60, built in 1990
Canon EOS- 1V, built in 2001 and the last film camera still in production as of Nov. 2008
EOS 1Ds Mk3, Canon’s Flagship Camera Together with the EOS 5d MK2 
Photography is definitely one of the most rewarding hobbies around to date, yet in that same aspect, it is also one of the most expensive. More often than not, consumers are allured into buying a DSLR just because the quality of the pictures are really good and that is now relatively cheap. Bear in mind that when I first started out, it was not cheap at all. I have suffered much to get the where I am with my collections. Also, do not be mistaken for someone who has a big and new DSLR for pro. Pro is not a term that used by photographers actually. Most photographers like myself are more interested in learning more and appreciating the art of photography rather than being labelled as a pro. We’re all learners and there is probably only one or two masters of photographers in the world.
Purchase Rules
It’s recommended that you have purchasing rules to guide your start in looking for a 2nd hand shooter. We all are conscious about acquisition cost so one of your rules should be a limit on your budget. Say, for example, your starting budget would be US$ 500 so you look for D/SLRs that are within this price range. The amount you budget depends on two factors: the amount of money you want to part with and the age (plus possible condition) of the camera you’re looking for. The second item on your book of rules could be the seller selection criteria – this is most important for those of us who transact through eBay. You might want to draft out a criteria that you can use to gauge sellers that you might possibly want to do business with. We all don’t want to get from a seller who has a bad reputation. The third could be the working condition of the camera e.g. you would only buy cameras that are in full working condition; you could buy cameras that are not in 100% working condition but fully-repairable at minimal cost, etc.
Selection
In selection a camera, there are two important items that should be on your check-list: the film format (if you’re looking for a film shooter) and the lens mount. For the film type/format, you obviously want to get a camera that uses 35mm film. Stay away from cameras that don’t offer you the capability to buy film from your neighborhood film store. For the lens mount, you want to get a camera that can offer you the use of different lenses. One of the most common mount is the the Canon EF mount (bayonet mount) and the Canon F/FD/R mount ( breechlock). While there is nothing wrong with the screw-mount, the bayonet mount and the breech-lock mount can offer you faster times in terms of changing lenses since you don’t have to twist and turn several times to remove the lens. Between the bayonet mount and the breech-lock mount, changing lenses on cameras using bayonet mounts is faster.
Pictures on web-pages and ads don’t tell the story behind the camera, Even if it’s being sold by a “reputable” seller, it would be prudent of you to take some time and do an ocular inspection of the camera itself- if you can. If it’s not possible to have a physical look at the camera, try to get in touch with the seller and ask for information, Your objective: gather enough information to somehow assure you that the camera your thinking of buying is in working condition.
1. Check the Lens – from assembly, optics to the shutter
From the optics to the lens body. See if it is free of deep scratches, fungi, mildew, haze and/or fog on the optics. The anti-reflective coating of the optics must not be scratched or damaged i.e. intact. When checking the lens, wipe it with a microfiber cloth or with a lens tissue. Old cameras that have old lenses can have lens separation. Lens separations means that the bonded parts of the lens are starting to fall apart. This can be characterized by a faint white line on the sides of the parts that are bonded. Lens separation won’t be easy to fix. It’s very hard to fix because it requires…re-centering the lens optically and this is a next-to-impossible thing to do. You also need to check if there are spots. Spots on the optics is not good – this means that the lens coating is breaking down or has broken down. Look for dents on the lens body. If there are dents, check if does not impede the effective use if the lens e,g. still allows you to select the proper shutter settings. If the seller permits you, test the lens using all shutter speeds available, You need to “see” that the shutters are not “sticky”. You would know that the shutter is starting to “stick” when you feel and/or here some friction. To test if the shutters have friction, shoot pointing downwards. You might also want to check the diaphragm of the lens. Like the shutter, lends diaphragm tends to stick with age. To check, set the diaphragm of the lens to the smallest aperture setting available, set the shutter speed to bulb. Now, look directly inside the lens and fire. If you see that the diaphragm closes the moment the shutter opens, the diaphragm is still okay.
2. Check the Reflex Mirror and the Viewfinder
An SLR camera with flawed SLR mirror is next to useless. So, you need to check the reflex mirror. Easy thing to do. See that it “opens and closes” properly when you release the shutter. Reflex mirrors have extremely sensitive coating. Check if these have any smudges e.g fingerprints. If the mirror does, forget it since it would be a chore to remove the smudge. If the mirror has even the slightest scratch, forget the camera and go look for another one. As for the viewfinder, you need to check if there is already fungi or mildew build-up. If you see that the fungi has started to eat into the optics of the viewfinder, then it is a sign that you need to look for another camera. The pentaprism or pentamirror is kind of difficult to check but any flaws e.g. fungi, mis-alingment, etc, on the pentaprism or pentamirror would show when you test shoot a couple of rolls of cheap film, Then again, if the pictures come out flawed, it doesn’t automatically mean than the there is problem with the pentaprism or mirror – it could have been caused by a myriad of other problems.
3. Check the Camera Body
The camera body has a lot of working parts. While you might not be able to have a look-see at the innards, there are parts that you can get easy access to. If you’re looking at a film camera and that camera has uses a focal plane shutter, you need to test if the FPS works. Test the FPS as you would do testing the lens shutter – test from every available option. See if the FPS curtain returns properly. The FPS curtain needs to be smooth (no wrinkles, no folds – a fold would be really bad) and should not have holes. To check for holes, point a bright light source at the FPS curtain while the holes – quite bad. If the FPS curtain has any tear of sorts, forget the camera. You would also want to check the film transport. If the SLR you’re testing is full manual, turn the film advance a few times to see of the cogs work. The film rails need to be smooth and free of abrasions, scratches and especially rust. You might also want to check if the self-timer is firing the shutter off at the right amount of time as specified by the camera manufacturer. If you are into cosmetics, see of the plastics or the leather of the camera body is severely worn or damaged. While it does not affect the performance of the camera, it does affect the overall aesthetics and market value of the camera body. You also need to check of the shutter release button does not get stuck when you fire off a shot. You also want to check if the seals are all light-tight, meaning no light seeps in. Unfortunately, the only way to effectively test this is to test shoot a couple of rolls. If the camera has semi to automatic features, then camera uses batteries, Check the battery terminals for marks of battery leaks or corrosion. Corrosion can easily be removed but damage caused by a severely leaking battery is another story.
4. Check the Features of the Camera
If the camera features exposure metering, you would want to check this also. To test the metering system, you need to test the reading being done by your camera. To test, set the camera at around IS0-100 and set the F-stop at f/11. Set the shutter speed to 1/125 and take a reading. Go indoors and take another reading without changing the settings. The reading should drop by about 4-5 stops. If the camera offers semi to automatic features, you might want to check them out as well, most especially of you have the tendency to let the camera do all the measuring work for you most of the time. For semi and automatic cameras, you would also need to see if the electrical system still works since the camera uses batteries.
Except for having the need to test shoot a camera using film, most of these checks can be accomplished in half-an-hour – maybe even less of you are already an expert. But one thing is for certain: you do need to know what you’re investing in even if the investment is a used gadget, You need to spend some work testing the camera that you are thinking of buying. Close and meticulous scrutiny is always required when you are to purchase a used camera. After all, you didn’t pick the money you would buy the camera with from a tree – and I’m pretty sure you don’t want to spend several thousands of pesos on a lemon, most especially on a rotten one.
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