35 MM Format Cameras

35 mm format cameras use roll film with an image dimension of 24X36 mm, which is the smallest format currently used in the professional market. The small format means that the camera body is smaller and lighter in weight than medium format or view cameras, and that is why it is the most portable of all three.

Using equipment of this size means that you can carry around a comprehensive set in a small, light case. There is a huge range of lenses and accessories available, and the whole system will incorporate the very latest developments in the industry.

The majority of cameras in the 35 mm market are single lens reflex (SLR) cameras, although the format also encompasses compactcameras and rangefinders.

35 mm cameras probably represent the best value for money because prices are highly competitive. They sell to a huge market of photographers (both professional and amateurs), and the 35 mm format is the one that has moved furthest away from traditional mechanical operation towards more and more electronic control, on-board processing and in some cases complete automation.

In more recent years a type of hybrid cameras, the Semi-professional, more recently known as the "Prosumer" (Professional Consumer) camera has appeared. These SLRs tend to have more of the features of the professional ranges, but are cheaper and targeted at the serious amateur. Often, the lower price results in a lower build quality and lens performance, and tend to be more programmable offering more automatic features. These models are updated quite rapidly, and bristle with every imaginable feature. This is sometimes more to upstage competitor brands than to improve your photography.

One of the useful features 35 mm cameras tend to include as standard is through-the-lens (TTL) exposure metering. This, of course, means that the whole imaging process is faster than it would be if separate exposure metering was required. TTL means that metering can be performed while looking through the viewfinder and in many cases, the camera controls are designed to be easily adjusted accordingly. Modern SLRs often include a number of TTL metering modes, such as center-weighting and spot metering, and with knowledge and experience every shot you take can be correctly exposed. This is a factor that really defines how the cameras are used; they are portable, all-in-one units, allowing the user to capture fleeting shots without spending a long time setting up their gear. Although they may indeed be used in a studio setting, they are also designed for all other types of photography and they far exceed the other formats in their versatility.

Many 35 mm ranges also include dedicated flash units and at the more expensive end, these may include TTL flash metering. Later models of independent flash units may also be adapted to use the TTL metering systems of 35 mm cameras. This is a huge plus when using on-camera flash and is particularly useful in photojournalism.

Because of the small image format, lenses for 35 mm camera systems are the shortest, with a standard lens of focal length 50 mm, telephoto lenses longer than this, wide-angle lenses beginning at around 24 mm and extra wide-angle lenses at 20 mm and below.

Depth of field is affected by a number of factors, such as focusing distance, aperture (f-stop), and lens focal length. Shorter lens focal lengths produce a larger depth of field, especially useful when subjects are close. Another important characteristic of shorter focal length lenses is wider achievable maximum apertures (f/1.0-f/1.4 at the more expensive end of the 35 mm market), therefore the lenses are also faster. The result of this is that they are the most versatile in low light conditions. The smaller camera size means that they are already the most portable, but with faster lenses, they are also the easiest to hand-hold in existing light, meaning that fewer accessories such as tripods and additional lighting may be necessary. Large apertures also allow the selection of faster shutter speeds to freeze motion, particularly important in areas such as people and sports photography.

As previously mentioned, modern 35 mm cameras tend to rely heavily on electronics to control everything from exposure metering, film winding, ISO setting, exposure compensation and bracketing to sophisticated program automated modes. A downside of this is the possibility of camera failure either as a result of failure of the power supply, or because of a fault in on-board circuitry, which can be expensive to overcome. Excessive control buttons or, alternatively, total automation can also stand in the way of serious work. The many mode options and viewfinder signals get in the way, even lead you into errors - perhaps through mis-selection or distraction by data displays at the key moment of some prize shot. Any camera for advanced amateur or professional work must also offer complete manual control. You need to have the assurance that you can take over and choose your settings to get the result required, including special effects.

A fully automated camera is well worth considering however, for fast, candid photography (including situations where you must shoot over your head in a crowd). Auto-focusing can be useful, particularly if panning and focusing on a moving subject, but it is important to remember how power-consuming continuous focusing is. There can also be a tendency for the focus to slip between different subjects and it can sometimes be easier to change focus manually. The more sophisticated models have a range of auto-focus zones within the frame, which are useful if the subject is off-center. Some of the highest quality (and of course most expensive) lenses have ultrasonic image stabilizers to combat camera shake which can result in a huge improvement in image quality and sharpness, but as this is also a form of continuous auto-focusing, they will consume more power shortening battery life.

It is important to remember that these cameras are only artificially intelligent. For example, they go for the greatest depth of field in bright light conditions, and they can easily be focusing on, or exposing for, the wrong part of the scene. So make sure that there are convenient reading lock facilities for auto-focus and for TTL metering. Other features you may well rate as essential for any SLR camera include a stop-down button to preview your actual depth of field with all preset aperture lenses.

Because film structure is the same regardless of frame size or format, noise is another concern. Film grain is the result of either specks of silver (black and white) or clouds of color being formed in the emulsion layers during processing. When enlarged for printing, beyond a certain level, film grain becomes more and more visible. The random structure of film grain can be used for creative effect, but it can also degrade the image appearance in terms of sharpness and noise. The size of developed grain is also a limiting factor in the resolution of the film, or its ability to record fine detail.

Relative to a 35 mm frame size, film grain will be much larger than it is in the larger formats. 35 mm film therefore has the lowest effective resolution of the three (35 mm format , medium format, and view cameras) which means that if enlarged to the same size, the images will be less sharp, noise will be more evident and generally they appear to be of lower quality. Scratches and blemishes will also be much larger when the film is printed, and often more difficult to remove. The lower image quality may be problematic if the images are enlarged much beyond 8 x 10 inches (203 x 220 mm), however other factors can compensate for this, such as variations in the processing chemicals, and also in the distance at which the prints are to be viewed.