Film Cameras And How To Use Them

Because this class is really based around the SLR type camera, we will focus on the different settings that allow you to be able to take pictures that are geared toward the assigned projects. Some of the assigned projects require a SLR in order to be able to take them correctly. This is not to say that a point and shoot camera won't take good pictures, it just does not allow for control over aperture and shutter like the SLR does. SLR style cameras are available in both film and digital versions, if you have access to one of these it is ideal for this class.

Parts of the Camera: See picture below for locations on most cameras.

Lens- The lens collects the light that will enter the camera and focuses those light rays.

Zoom- allows you to make the image larger (not on all cameras/lenses)

Aperture- Determines the amount of light that will be let into the camera for film exposure, think of this like the pupil of your eye. The larger the opening the more light it lets in, the smaller the less light it lets in.

Body- houses the shutter and film. User controls that are not part of the lens are also located here such as; light meter, shutter speed selection dial, LCD display, levers/motors for film advancement, batteries, etc.

Shutter- located inside the body of the camera this determines the length of time that the light entering the lens will be exposed to the film.

Film advance lever- advances the film to the next frame after taking a picture.

Light Meter- tells you when you have the proper balance of light to expose the film properly

Parts of the Camera



Using Your Light Meter
The light meter is how the camera tells you when you have the proper settings to expose the film properly. There are many types of light meters and can vary greatly in their appearance, however they all have the same function. They range from a simple "needle and lollipop" to the newer fully computerized fully automatic exposure version. I will cover what I consider to be the six basic types of in camera light meter. In all types, except fully automatic modes, you need to change either your f-stop or shutter settings in order to get the correct exposure. **Don't forget that the ISO speed must be set on your camera to match the film speed in order for your light meter to work properly**
The Light Meter is located in the viewfinder of all cameras, some newer ones also have it on the LCD display on the body of the camera.
Type 1- What I call "needle and lollipop", in this case you will have a needle that will move according to how bright the scene is, and a lollipop that will move as you change either shutter or f-stop settings. The goal is to line the lollipop up with the needle, when it is you can take the picture.
Type 2- is very similar to the first type only the lollipop is eliminated in favor of making you put the needle in the middle of the viewfinder between two black markings.
Type 3- In this type you have a red "+", red "-", or greed dot. As I am sure you already figured out, you need to have the green dot lit to take the picture.
Type 4- Aperture Priority Cameras-Now we have entered the AE (Auto Exposure) computer controlled exposure models. In this type of camera you will see the shutter speeds inside your viewfinder. As you change your f-stop setting you will see a different shutter speed light up. the one that is lit is the shutter speed the camera will use to obtain the proper exposure. If you see a flashing "+" or "-" than the f# you have chosen will not work given the lighting conditions.
Type 5- Shutter Priority Cameras- these work the same way as the Aperture Priority models only you choose the shutter speed and the camera chooses the f# for you.
Type 6- Fully AE Cameras- These allow you to choose between, manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, and fully automatic modes. For this type it is best to check your owners manual, as there are many different types and styles of these cameras.
Courtesy of: Glastonbury Public Schools, Glastonbury CT