The best film cameras in 2024: recapture the magic of film in the digital age (2024)

Once thought dead, film photography has made a big comeback in recent years, largely buoyed by Instagram and sites like Analogue Wonderland, as more and more photographers discover the addictive pleasures of analogue shooting, an alchemical thrill that can't be replicated in digital megapixels.

Why do people still shoot film? There's a lot to love: the physical permanence of it, the excitement of trying different film stocks, and seeing how different they look. And there's also the delayed gratification, which may seem a strange thing to say, but there is something exciting about the unknown quality of shooting film, and the delay between pressing the shutter and actually seeing the image you captured.

It's exciting! Then there's also the fact that many film cameras simply look cool, and are built with metallic durability that's arguably superior to the disposable plastic of today.

The Quick List

The best film cameras in 2024

Best Nikon 35mm film camera

The Nikon FE was an advanced semi-professional 35mm SLR camera, manufactured by Nikon in Japan from 1978 to 1983. Today, it's possible to pick it up secondhand for under $150/£150.

The FE has aperture priority and manual exposure modes, making it a good choice both for advanced enthusiasts, as well as beginners who want a film camera with a retro aesthetic. Its shutter has a range of 1/1000sec to a maximum of 8 seconds, while Bulb mode is mechanical and unlimited. Flash sync speed is 1/125th of a second, while the ISO ranges from 12 to 3200.

Its viewfinder is clear and bright, and depth of field preview is effective, and the camera offers enough controls to leave you fully aware of how you're shooting. The Nikon FE is still a very capable SLR with a lovely design, and perhaps the perfect model for those wanting to delve into film photography.

Read our full Nikon FE review

• Find used Nikon FE deals on eBay (US)
• Find used Nikon FE deals on eBay (UK)

Best Canon 35mm film camera

The Canon AE-1's plastic construction kept the price affordable for novices and enthusiasts, while its electronically controlled cloth focal plane shutter offered a wide and repeatable shutter speed range. This meant it needed a battery to power its operation but offered more potential consistency than mechanically operated shutters.

The AE-1 used Canon's FD breech-lock bayonet mount, which has since been superseded by its EF lens mount, though adaptors are available. Metering was carried out by a single silicon photocell offering a center-weighted meter. The AE-1 was unusual for offering shutter-priority automation at a time when most makers favored aperture-priority operation. The AE-1 Program was a later variant that added a fully automatic exposure mode.

Read our full Canon AE-1 review

• Find used Canon AE1 deals on eBay (US)
• Find used Canon AE1 deals on eBay (UK)

Best film camera for enthusiasts

The 1970s were a golden age for 35mm SLRs and one of the top models of the time was the Olympus OM-1. It was a purely manual SLR, flanked by a more expensive OM-2 and cheaper plastic OM-10 with added aperture-priority exposure modes. The OM-1 was designed by the same team that produced the PEN and PEN F, the models that inspired today's digital PEN models.

The OM-1 was tiny compared to other bigger, heavier SLRs at the time, yet still boasted a big, bright optical viewfinder that even had interchangeable focusing screens. Unusually, the shutter speed was adjusted via a ring around the lens, while a big dial on the top of the camera was reserved for setting the ASA (ISO) value for the in-built light meter – this was before the introduction of DX coding on film canisters.

Read our full Olympus OM-1 review

• Find used Olympus OM1 deals on eBay (US)
•Find used Olympus OM1 deals on eBay (UK)

Best film camera for beginners

With a little something for everyone, the Pentax ME Super is a real crowd-pleaser. With full manual controls for seasoned photographers to get creative, or an excellent semi-automatic mode for those just getting into photography, one thing you can guarantee is anyone can get stunning shots from this camera.

With Pentax’s incredible legacy of lenses, you can rapidly expand into all areas of photography. Super lightweight, and incredibly intuitive to use, this might be one of the best 35mm SLRs ever made.

Read our full Pentax ME Super review

• Find used Pentax ME Super deals on eBay (US)
• Find used Pentax ME Super deals on eBay (UK)

Best modern film camera

The Nikon F6 is like the missing link between old-school 35mm SLRs and modern digital SLR cameras. Many of its specs will seem quite familiar to modern digital users, including its full program AE, aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and manual modes, powered film advance at up to 5.5fps and an 11-point AF system backed up by Nikon's 3D Color Matrix metering system. Styled by Giugiaro, the aluminum alloy body looks like a dream, but the 5.5fps continuous shooting speed is modest by today's DSLR standards.

Nevertheless, the F6 offers a chance to get a beautifully designed and made film camera is as-new working order with modern controls and technology. The Nikon F6 is available now in some places but has been discontinued in many countries.

• Find used Nikon F6 deals on eBay (US)
• Find used Nikon F6 deals on eBay (UK)

Best film camera for students

The K1000's reputation has developed through what must have been seen at the time as simple cost-cutting. It was the cheapest of Pentax's DSLRs and even had the self-timer and depth of field preview on other models removed, just to save money. It's an entirely manual camera, and although it does need a battery for its meter, the mechanical shutter will operate without one.

Generations of students have come to love this camera for its low cost, simplicity, and durability, while generations of lecturers have chosen it for its purely manual controls and the way it forces you to learn exposure theory. The K1000 uses the Pentax K bayonet mount still in use today (though with some revisions for autofocus and electronics).

Read our full Pentax K1000 review

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• Find used Pentax K1000 deals on eBay (UK)

Most iconic rangefinder camera

Leica M rangefinders will always be controversial and can take a bit of getting used to. However, the rangefinder focusing is fast and precise in the right hands but takes some learning. But once mastered the M6 can produce some fantastic results, it has been a fan favorite for some time, and now has a rather cult following in the film community. The M6 was first introduced in the Sixties, and old models still demand a high price secondhand. But the good news is that Leica introduced an updated version in 2022, that you can buy new - heralding a new era for film photography.

• Find used Leica M6 deals on eBay (US)
• Find used Leica M6 deals on eBay (UK)

Best pro medium format film camera

An evolution of the RB67, introduced in 1970, the RZ67 keeps the revolving back that gave the earlier system its name, and the just-off-square 6 x 7cm image area.

Just to put this in context, this is far larger than the 6 x 4.5cm area of the largest medium format digital models today. Like the Hasselblad 500 C/M, the RZ67 is a modular camera with interchangeable lenses, viewing systems, and backs.

It's a bit big and heavy for extended handheld use, though, and it's best used on a tripod. High-quality medium format film cameras are holding their prices pretty well at the moment, and you might have to shop around to get a good working, affordable example.

• Find used Mamiya RB67 deals on eBay (US)
• Find used Mamiya RB67 deals on eBay (UK)

Best film camera for travel

The Nikon FM2 came out at a time when other makers were bringing out smaller, cheaper SLRs and new electronic controls, so it seemed a bit of a throwback even then. But its handsome looks and its reputation for longevity and durability drew lots of fans and kept it in production right up until 2001. If you think the current Nikon Df looks good, you need to pick up an FM2.

It used a vertical metal shutter rather than the horizontal rubberized cloth shutters in most rival DLRs but it was fully mechanical so the FM2 could work without a battery – this was only needed for the internal light meter. Its 1/4000sec top shutter speed and tough copper-aluminum-silicon alloy body made it sought after amongst pros, not just enthusiasts.

Read our full Nikon FM2 review

• Find used Nikon FM2 deals on eBay (US)
• Find used Nikon FM2 deals on eBay (UK)

Best affordable rangefinder

If you buy a camera for its looks alone, then let it be this one, the Canonet G-III QL17 is one of the prettiest cameras out there, with a classic rangefinder design in a small compact body, but still, it is built like a tank.

The image quality from the fixed lens is simply superb and lives up to its lofty reputation as the 'poor man's Leica'. This camera falls down with its ease of use, with tricky focusing, and an unpredictable light meter, you will want to invest in an external light meter.

The camera is also a little fiddly to focus, with the focus tolerance being razor-thin. This is a camera for the more dedicated film photographer with time to compose their shots.

Read our full Canon Canonet G-III QL17 review

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Best point and shoot film camera

The Canon AF35ML is a cheap and cheerful 35mm film camera for taking some quick snapshots without having to do all that much work. While this isn’t the coolest camera to come out of the film era, it has a unique following of its own.

It also outputs clean and consistent photos, and with a wide f/1.9 aperture lens and built-in flash, it makes it great to take out at night as well. This isn't a camera for capturing great artistry, but for capturing memories with ease, this is certainly a fantastic option.

Read our full Canon AF35ML review

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Best film camera for big negatives

The great thing about film, and especially medium format 120-roll film, is that it's so flexible – both literally and metaphorically. The film rolls are 120mm wide, but it's up to the camera maker how much width they want to use.

6 x 4.5cm medium format cameras shot rectangular images 'sideways' on a roll, whereas regular 6 x 6cm cameras shot square images so it didn't matter which way you turned the camera, but other cameras like the RZ67 above and the Fuji GW690 shot extra-wide images.

You got fewer exposures on a roll, but extra-large negatives and transparencies. The GW690 is a no-frills fixed-lens manual exposure camera that offers huge images in a comparatively portable package.

• Find used Fuji GW690 deals on eBay (US)
• Find used Fuji GW690 deals on eBay (UK)

Best film camera for square format

Looking at the Hasselblad 500 C/M now, it's hard to believe this camera design first arrived in 1957. Its utilitarian box-shaped design looks as if it could have been designed yesterday, and modern high-end medium format cameras still use its flexible, modular design.

The camera is the central box, to which you can fit a wide variety of lenses, a number of different viewfinder attachments, and different film backs. The interchangeable backs deserve a special mention – you could swap backs in moments, with your assistant loading new films into a spare back as you shoot, swap between the square 6 x 6cm or 6 x 4.5cm formats, or even clip on a Polaroid back to test lighting and composition – this was instant playback (or near it) before digital capture was even invented.

And best yet, new life has been breathed into the Hasselblad 500 C/M with the release of the Hasselblad 907X 50C, a state-of-the-art digital back that fits straight onto the 500 C/M with a series of satisfying clicks and clunks. A tactile analog experience meets digital perfection, it adds another point in favor of this fantastic film camera.

• Find used Hasselblad 500 C/M deals on eBay (US)
• Find used Hasselblad 500 C/M deals on eBay (UK)

How to choose the best film camera

Film cameras come in many different shapes and sizes and some are fully mechanical, while others rely on electronics to function, while some film cameras are a more viable solution than others just because of the lens choice on offer for the system.

The most typical route into film photography is the form of 35mm cameras, these are the bread and butter for the analog resurgence giving 36 exposures, but because these are popular with beginners from all eras, it’s best to look at the cosmetics of the camera to judge how it has been used, another way is to inspect the film plate and see if it has any marks or fine scratches, these will be caused by friction from the film advancing and rewinding into the film canister when shooting – if there are a lot of visible marks, the camera has had a lot of rolls through it if no marks can be seen then its had a lower use.

Which usually means it had not been used that much, another tip is to always ask to see sample images taken with the cameras in question, if you can see they take images and you're happy with the results, then congratulations you've found a film camera to add to your collection.

The same applies to all medium format cameras, which are the next step in your analog journey. Thanks to their bigger negative than 35mm, it opens up possibilities to enhance your images, as the bigger negative means higher resolution images with greater detail and sharpness. You are also treated to different format cameras that can shoot different dimensions on a roll of 120 film.

For example, the typical and most commonly used ratio in medium format cameras is 6 x 4.5, or 645 for short, however, if you want to double or even triple the size of a 35mm negative you can get medium format cameras that shoot 6x6 square format, like the popular Hasselblad 500 system, or other ratios of 6x7, 6x8 and the highest you can go on a roll of 120 - 6x9 when using a camera like the Fuji GW690. But bare in mind that the higher the ratio, the fewer images you will fit on a roll of 120 film. For instance, 645 cameras can produce either 15/16 shots on a roll, while 6x9 can only expose 8 - so choose wisely.

And if the medium format is too small for you, then you of course have large format, which is referred to when a negative is anything over 6x9, but you usually find these cameras in a 4x5 or 8x10 configuration. They offer the most micro adjustments possible when taking an image, however, due to their sheer size and the weight you expose your image onto a sheet of film, rather than a roll. Due to this and their impractical portability, you will only be able to take one image at a time, or two images per film holder.

What to look out for when buying a used film camera

Buying used film cameras is a bit of a minefield, but like film shooting itself, is a lot of fun for its unpredictability. You can't rely on warranty and digital retailers, and instead have to become a savant at sorting the deals from the dross, using eBay and other second-hand sites, and perhaps even rummaging through a car boot sale or flea market.

Of course, you aren't limited just to buying second-hand. There are relatively new film cameras being made, and while they can be a little specialized and come at high price tags (the people who make them know they're the only ones in the business), if you're willing to spend a little, you can get a truly modern analog experience. The modern Leica M-A hearkens back to classic rangefinders and gives them a contemporary touch.

Beyond 35mm film, there are also large-format 'view' cameras. These take larger film formats like 120 and sheet film, and though they're slower to shoot and more expensive to prove, they deliver image quality that's pretty much unrivaled, with astonishing depth of focus and gorgeous latitude.

Some manufacturers have also been focusing on ways to synergize old and new. We're talking in particular about Hasselblad here, who have made something of a splash with the Hasselblad CFV II 50C, a modular system that can fit directly onto the classic Hasselblad 500 c/m (one of the cameras on our list below). It uses digital technology to give these old film cameras a new lease of life and is an exciting glimpse of the ways analog and digital might continue to meld in the future.

Another contemporary player in the analog space is Lomography, who produces a tonne of old-style cameras, lenses and films all based around recapturing an analog experience. We've included a section dedicated to the best Lomography cameras which include loads of resurrected old camera designs as well as newer models, using different film types. These aren't the cameras you want if you're hunting for technical perfection, but they're huge amounts of fun.

In that vein, remember disposable cameras? Single-use cameras are still fantastic for holidays, family time, parties and more, and these days you can get cheap disposable cameras loaded with full 35mm film, giving you real quality at your disposal. One is even underwater, and however good digital may be, it can't give you an underwater camera for $15/£15.

We've collected it all for this list. One thing to note though is that if you're looking for the knockabout fun of the instant film, Polaroid-style, then our dedicated guide to the best instant cameras is where you want to be.

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