Film Camera Zen: A Guide to Finding the Perfect Film Camera

Digital cameras supplanted their film-using predecessors some years ago, so that most of the major names in film photography have either gone out of business altogether or now only manufacture digital cameras. But shooting on film never entirely died out; arguably, it’s more popular today than ever. This friendly and accessible book, authored by a Tokyo-based camera seller and true fan of film cameras, is a fun and informative introduction to selecting and using cameras manufactured in the 20th and early 21st century. The text consists of short, four- to five-paragraph descriptions and photos of some 80 cameras, ranging from the best-known brands (Leica, Nikon, and Canon, for example) to rarer models that camera collectors will enjoy hunting for. Each description includes a key indicating the camera’s difficulty-to-use level and relative affordability. A couple of minor quibbles: a brief section about currently available films and another on digital scanning technology are too short to truly inform. Also, the text uses, but doesn’t define, several essential terms (e.g., “medium format,” “rangefinder”) that a beginner would need to know; a glossary would have been helpful.