Is anyone still using 35mm?

[bmmeup]

Just wondering if anyone out here is still using 35mm. My father was an avid shutter-bug and offered me three of his 35mm Canon cameras with lenses. Should I take him up on his generous offer? It isn't possible to convert them to digital format is it or is that cost prohibitive? is it expensive to shoot 35mm these days?

[Vintagehamiltons]

I sold all my 35mm gear two years ago when I determined I was never going to use it again. If you have a Canon digital SLR camera, the lenses should be usable.

[JBHII]

The lenses MAY be useable, but maybe less than ideal depending on the lens and the application.

[Tom Barry]

If your dad's film-era Canons are from the EF (autofocus) series (EOS 1, 1N, EOS 3, and so on) the lenses will work with no need for an adapter. If you use a Canon DSLR with the APS-C sensor, there will be a multiplication factor of 1.6 - that is, a 50mm EF Canon lens will act like an 80mm short telephoto, etc. If you use one of the Canon digital cameras with the full-size sensor, the lenses will work as designed - a 50mm is a 50mm, etc. I use all my film-era EF lenses on my Canon 30D and they provide excellent quality images. The multiplication factor can be a plus - the lenses' sweet spots will cover the sensor area and a 200mm telephoto becomes a 320mm supertele. If your dad's cameras are from one of the earlier manual-focus series such as the F1, the lenses may work with an adapter, but of course there will be no autofocus and there may be loss of some of the digital camera's functions - you may have to use manual settings. I can be more specific if you provide the model(s) of Canons your dad is offering you.

I still use 35mm film, though not with great frequency, and have retained all my Canon, Rollei, and Contax film cameras and lenses. I still find it hard to beat good slide film and good color-print film for some purposes. I use the Carl Zeiss lenses designed for Contax on my 30D via an adapter. Everything must be done manually, but the results of Zeiss glass on digital-era Canon cameras is most satisfying.

[Steve]

I still find it hard to beat good slide film and good color-print film for some purposes.

Man, there's nothing like slide film!

My daughter was shooting with a Nikon D50, and went out and bought herself a Mamiya 645 Pro medium format camera. She did that out of the blue, with no idea how to use it, and she gets some amazing results with it...

[Tom Barry]

Good for her! I'm still kicking myself for letting go of my Pentax 645 and lenses in one of those complicated trades that it seems I always regret later.

[bmmeup]

The cameras arrive via UPS today. I will update when I find out the cameras and lenses he sent. Thanks for all the info thus far!