I have tried almost all of reasonable old lenses and I recently feel my blog get into a rut. I felt the necessity of new topics.

I found it.
Right under my nose.

The topic about film cameras which I hardly used.

When I bought lenses, these came with them. In general, most of this kind of cameras are junk and do not work properly. But in case of these cameras their shutters work properly.

According to my friend who is familiar with film cameras, as long as the shutter works, we do not have any problem to take photographs.

I used a film camera for almost first time. I have just used Japanese instant film camera called “Utsurun-des” a few times in my life.

So I am going to write what I felt through the eyes of super beginner.

The things confusing me and others

Well, I was wondering which one I should try first.

Since the brand of these 2 cameras are same, the atmosphere are similar.

I think there are a variety of grades based on the cameras, well I do not mind that in the beginning.

When I took a quick look, I found the shutter speed of this camera “PRAKTICA PLC3” is 1/1000. So I am going to use this one.

I often use digital cameras for street photo shooting whose shutter speed is 1/1000 at open aperture.

Anyway, I can not figure out how to open the cover to put the film.
I remember having open it before..

When I tried to open it with my nail, the texture on the surface peeled away and I was hasty in searching.
I need to pull up the rewind crank on the left side.

I took a quick search of other matters. I will explain from right side. Film advance lever, shutter speed dial and rewind crank after shooting. They are used to do basic operation. Before digital type was released, Most of cameras have same arrangement of operation parts and functions.

On second thought, I thought film cameras have the mechanism that subject images is directly captured on film. So where the differences of each model lie?

In case of digital cameras it depends on imaging sensor, but every film camera directly captures the image on films.

PRAKTICA super TL that I did not chose this time has a sun mark. What does it work for? It does not work by itself.

It might be broken.
Well. These cameras are full of unknown things, but I should not be top-heavy. I am going to shoot first.

Let’s take photographs

I was highly motivated from the beginning and bought the box of films. It is much cheaper.
Actually I intended to buy ISO400 half of it. But when I checked my purchase history, it showed that I had ordered 2 bulks of ISO100 by mistake. Well, I guess unless I do portrait photography in a room, I do not use ISO400. I will use ISO100 to work with a great deal of discipline.

I chose Helios 44-2 this time which is the representative of old lenses.
The open value is F2.0 and I think it would make it easier to adjust the diaphragm value.

The tense moment to load film in the camera.
I could somehow put the film in the camera with searching on the Internet.

When I looked through finder, I found this is the type of camera which enable us to focus on subjects by upper and lower deviation of the circle in the finder.

The hemicycle in the center (the extreme left in the picture) is an exposure meter and one side will be changing into black whether it is dark or bright.

But I am going to take photographs one by one with measuring by using an exposure meter application.

I am not sure what “+○-“on the right side is at the moment.
I thought it is the exposure meter at first, but the in the center works as an exposure meter.

I see. Product condition depends on whether this kind of indicators work or not.

When I put AA size battery which I thought would fit into the battery compartment at the bottom. But it does not work. It might be broken.

In the first place, I am not sure AA size is the correct size.

Walking about Shimokitazawa

Therefore, I walked around Shimokitazawa whish has many shooting spots. I took a photograph of today’s buddy with iPhone over coffee.

At any rate, something strange…
I am sure I put a roll of 24‐exposure film, but even though I took more than 36 photos, I feel I can still take photographs.

Something wrong with the camera or I intended to put a roll of 24‐exposure film, but it was 36‐exposure film.

I had a bad hunch but there is nothing I can do. So I started rewinding the film.
Rewinding finished in a moment…..

I found the film was not set neatly, only the counter was working.

It became unavailable, because the first photograph was multiply-exposed equivalent of 36 photographs and caught in the tube of film.

It was bittersweet debut..

Check the problems

When I searched further information, I found that has the way to set the film is different between Praktica cameras and Japanese cameras. You have to hook a film in accordance with the green positioning mark on the right side.

You will dread for a moment that the film will be crushed to a pulp.

I learnt when rolling up the film one by one, this part should be turning round.

I will take a revenge, when it is a sunny day.

The hand-held camera is quite heavy. So I bought a strap.

I went to Yodobashicamera in Shinjuku, because I could not find any strap with a fine point for the film cameras in Amazon.

Looking good!
The reason why I feel HELIOS dose not match this camera is that one is from Russia and another one is from Germany.

For more information to purchase PRAKTICA PLC3 and Helios 44-2

The camera itself is sold for $30〜$50 at a good price in eBay, but the conditions is from the best to the worst.
I am not sure evaluation standard yet.