Need to replace 35mm with used 35mm

[amid chaos]

The school my children attend has an excellent photography program. My son has been using my 15 year old Canon 35mm Rebel but it has developed some issues and repairing it would cost more than a used body.
I have checked ebay, but have used Paypal in the past with some problems so I don't want to use them again, so ebay is pretty much out of the question.
B&H has the exact body for $79.00 with a condition rating of 9 out of 10.
I am heading down to our local camera shop today, but I have little hope they will have what we need.
I have another child who will be going to the school, so this camera could be used for another 8 years.

What should I know about buying used equipment?

Does anyone have any other ideas or options I should consider?

Thanks

 

[Kelly Grannell]

why do you need another 35mm for the photography class? If the teacher insists in using 35mm film camera, it's a hint for you to stay away from that teacher.

 

[mhutchinson]

I have bought several peices of equipement from B&H without ever having an issue, plus their shipping has consistantly been good. And the price you mentioned does not seem to costly.

Mike

 

[amid chaos]

why do you need another 35mm for the photography class? If the teacher insists in using 35mm film camera, it's a hint for you to stay away from that teacher.

Kelly, the school has an extensive dark room which is used for all classes. Kids these days are all computer literate and can do photoshop forwards and backwards. The school teaches the basics of photography from the ground up. It's an impressive program which has many, many students winning awards year round.

Thanks Mike. I think I am leaning towards B&H as I have never had any issues with them either.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Please don't take this the wrong way, there is no more need for actual dark room anymore, at least not for 35mm and medium format. It's nice to know how it works, but it's a wasted skill (note that I didn't say "knowledge") Especially when film itself is a dying breed. Soon there will be no more film, even disposable cameras have now slowly turned into digital disposable cameras (already launched in Japan, many parts of Asia and some parts of the US but not yet in Canada), what will the skill be used for? It's a going to be a good skill but good for nothing.

(yes, I'm anti honing-a-skill-for-nothing type of person, better use that time to learn composition in photography)

 

[Anewman]

While my opinion is not as strong as Kelly's, I agree that I would not wish to even mess with film processing.

But one of the better photo programs(local college) in my area require FILM, in order to get the composition and technique stuff. The Digital programs spend more time on the Computer aspect like file formats, dpi, printing, transferring, etc...

So begining photo is ALL FILM and Digital photo classes really do not work on PHOTO shooting skills.

Teacher explained that old school photographers dont need the Photo skills so they can just take the DIGITAL aspect to catch up. And Non photographers would learn the technique with film, where the crutches such as photoshop would not be there to help them. So no cropping or levels to help you overcome a bad shot, with film you HAVE TO LEARN.

I took the digital Photographer certificate program and it did not help with any technique stuff and all the DIGITAL stuff was pretty basic IMO. But in the same classes there would be great photographers that did not know how to transfer images from their just purchased cameras.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Teacher explained that old school photographers dont need the Photo skills so they can just take the DIGITAL aspect to catch up. And Non photographers would learn the technique with film, where the crutches such as photoshop would not be there to help them. So no cropping or levels to help you overcome a bad shot, with film you HAVE TO LEARN.

You can learn just the same by using ONLY JPEG with natural settings (contrast, sharpness, etc set to zero) and don't allow any post processing.

This way, not only the students will save money in the long run, they can also buy a camera that's actually useful outside the classroom.

Yes, the students can cheat, but that means they are cheating to themselves by not learning to take photos the proper way.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Charade]

I too would not recommend a class that required film and taught dark room basics. Other than a niche hobby, the traditional darkroom is dead.

The cornerstone for learning photography is lighting, exposure and composition. That can be learned with any camera including digital. As long as the camera has manual settings that should be sufficient to learn the basics.

I can not see, in a broad sense, the need to ever shoot film again. Ever.

 

[Anewman]

You can learn just the same by using ONLY JPEG with natural settings (contrast, sharpness, etc set to zero) and don't allow any post processing.

I do not make the rules.
I may or may not agree with the logic but I do understand it.
Most of us are pretty computer literate, and trust me you would be shocked at how some great photographers(mostly older) ask some very(VERY) basic computer stuff. Advanced but computer illiterate photographers would not be able to keep up with the digital aspect in an ADVANCED course, and they would be bored with the photo basics in a beginner class.

 

[donaldduck1967]

Please don't take this the wrong way, there is no more need for actual dark room anymore, at least not for 35mm and medium format. It's nice to know how it works, but it's a wasted skill (note that I didn't say "knowledge") Especially when film itself is a dying breed. Soon there will be no more film, even disposable cameras have now slowly turned into digital disposable cameras

In CVS the other day I saw a disposable camcorder

 

[amid chaos]

This has turned into an interesting topic...it suire gives some thought to dark room instruction.

Have the "basics" changed for the young photography student?

Is the digital "darkroom" the ONLY way to go these days?

 

[mhutchinson]

I would totally agree that lighting, exposure, and composition are more important these days than processing prints in a dark room. But there are merits and lessons that can be learned there as well.

To a person that is already experienced at applying corrective changes to parts of a photo (overexposing or underexposing), this may seem not neccessary. But the darkroom does help teach a student what and where to look for areas to correct as well as how they can apply changes to either fix the picture or to better improve it. And although they could pick this up in photoshop, the dark room processing makes more of a lasting 'hands on' impression. Thinking back over the many decades since I took a class like this I can see some value in teaching a student this (if not to show them what us old timers went through ).

Tidbit of useless information: A very over exposed 35mm film photo can be better recovered than a digital picture of the same exposure by at least 2 stops.


Mike

 

[Kelly Grannell]

I would totally agree that lighting, exposure, and composition are more important these days than processing prints in a dark room. But there are merits and lessons that can be learned there as well.

To a person that is already experienced at applying corrective changes to parts of a photo (overexposing or underexposing), this may seem not neccessary. But the darkroom does help teach a student what and where to look for areas to correct as well as how they can apply changes to either fix the picture or to better improve it. And although they could pick this up in photoshop, the dark room processing makes more of a lasting 'hands on' impression. Thinking back over the many decades since I took a class like this I can see some value in teaching a student this (if not to show them what us old timers went through ).

Tidbit of useless information: A very over exposed 35mm film photo can be better recovered than a digital picture of the same exposure by at least 2 stops.


Mike

Agree almost 100%, but other than to witness "what's usually done in the darkroom" experience, the course about under/overexposing pictures still can be done by teaching how to do that by converting RAW.

Now with regards to salvaging overexposed picture, Bullzeye 3 can exapnd the histogram too therefore salvaging overexposed shots.

 

[Charade]

Tidbit of useless information: A very over exposed 35mm film photo can be better recovered than a digital picture of the same exposure by at least 2 stops.


Mike

It's only a matter of time when digital (for the masses) will have, and surpass, the dynamic range of 35mm negative film.

But with digital you can extend the dynamic range of your images by using multiple exposures. Just as you could with film but it's easier IMO with digital.

 

[Anewman]

Now with regards to salvaging overexposed picture, Bullzeye 3 can exapnd the histogram too therefore salvaging overexposed shots.

According to their sales pitch.
But the way I see it once a highlight hits 255 in all three channels, there is no data there period. Any "recovered" data would be a guess and nothing more.

But with digital you can extend the dynamic range of your images by using multiple exposures. Just as you could with film but it's easier IMO with digital.

I agree 100%.

And no need for in camera bracketiing. Multiple RAW conversions with multiple exposure compensation values and then merge to HDR.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

extrapolated data indeed. Just like the way Fox HD channels extrapolated 480i signal to 720p. Not as great as true 720p signal, but far better than the original 480i signal.

 

[sanfran22]

i guess getting back on topic. i have a canon kit if you still need one..i only used it about 10 times and have no use for it now...i too have succumbed to the digital age lmk...

 

[amid chaos]

Sanfran...sent you a private message.