Travelling With Film Cameras Today

Updated on December 15th, 2023

I have no illusions that taking photos with film in plain 2023 is not for the faints of hearth and it's more for stubborn people like me.

Although we can still buy fresh film in 2023, it's near impossible to buy new film cameras, even more, good ones. And the cost and variety of films aren't exactly pleasent news.

But there are plenty of camera bargains in the second-hand market, or even on some forgotten drawer, or somewhere else.

The problem that bugs me is how reliable these old cameras are today. If you are like me that has a fixed idea of always try to shoot with film for fun, it's better to triple-check your equipment before going in a trip with untested cameras and come back frustrated because they had a working problem.

First rule:

Always test/check old cameras from time to time. It's a common problem to have sticky shutters with long time unused cameras. Exercise the shutter from time to time, they need a little workout every 6 months minimum. If they are sticky, send it to a technician for CLA. Check also for the light-seals.

I have a friend that travelled to the Atacama desert and the Bolivian Altiplano with a venerable Minolta SRT101 and had issues caused by low temperature and old lubricants. The camera mirror stuck in 50% of the times. Not a catastrophe but indeed very annoying and frustrating.

The cameras I usually carry are:

For Medium Format:

Rolleiflex (Tessar F3.5) or Yashica-Mat

They are extremely reliable, light and with a very good optical quality, but some people may think they're clumsy. This is somewhat true, TLRs can be quirky.

Zeiss Ikonta, Agfa Isolette, Voigtlander Perkeo folders

Very compact and they can deliver very high quality images if properly used. They are a bit awkward to set up (open and prepare) but they are usually very inexpensive.

Mamiya 645 if you're brave and strong

The M645 is a workhorse, extremely reliable and has interchangeable lenses. But it's a heavy camera.

For 35mm SLRs there are plenty of options, but besides some very few exceptions I would tell you to stay away of electronic cameras and stick with the ones with mechanical shutters that works independently of batteries.

My picks are the Olympus OM-1, the Nikkormat FT2, The Pentax MX, Minolta SRT series and the Cosina OEMs like the Ricoh KR5.

They are reliable, not too heavy neither expensive and there are plenty of stunning optics tu use with them. Some will argue why not the Nikon FM2... Well I hate this camera. Its shutter is very unreliable, specially the 1st version with a hexagonal pattern. It WILL jam at some point. It always does.

If we are talking about compacts, my personal picks are the Olympus 35RC, PEN-S and PEN-D because they are compact, inexpensive, have impressive optics and are all-mechanic.

Second rule:

Always have a second camera as a backup. I'm not kidding. Even a small, compact camera can save you from frustration and anger.

Imagine that you spent a good money on film and had your camera dead. 

I would suggest you something like an Olympus 35RC, Trip 35 or whatever you think it will be good. There are plenty of good compacts for just a few bucks. Do not overlook those old brands, like Konica, Yashica, Petri, Agfa, Kodak, Chinon, etc. because some of them are simply outstanding. 

Be careful with electronic cameras. Triple-check them before using.

About films:

If you have access to a fully analog lab to develop prints, please use the best possible film you can find. If your goal is to scan the film, then you may not need the "best film ever", since many image look parameters can be adjusted using a photo editor.

Fresh film is becoming a luxury article and the brands and types now are a fraction of what were in the past.

Depending on where you live, it can be nearly impossible to find a lab to develop E6 process films (diapositives).

And if everything fails you can develop black and white films by yourself. It's simple and inexpensive, but needs patience and practice.