My first camera was handed down from within my family when I was quite young, maybe 11 or 12 years old. It was a Halina for 35mm film, but I can’t remember the exact model. It looked like the one below.
I went online and found a user guide that looks like my vague memories of it. It made me chuckle at how hit or miss things were back in the day. The basic operation was as follows
- Set the shutter speed – 1/50 to 1/200 second
- Set the aperture ring dependent upon the light conditions and shutter speed – 3.5 to 11
- Estimate the distance between you and the subject and set the focal distance ring
- Wind on the film
- Frame-up in the viewfinder and snap!
Although there is a chart in the instructions, I remember memorising much of it and then, through much trial and error, getting quite good at dialling in the rings quite quickly.
I had a lot of fun with that camera. I took it on holidays and trips and often got experimental with it with flashcubes/bulbs and such like. More often than not I got my photos back from the processors with a little label on explaining that my settings were probably wrong because it was too dark or too bright. It was great to get some reasonable results back to go into the photo album.
The thing is, it has helped me in understanding photography and light theory and practice. I’m not daunted by putting my DSLR into manual mode. At least I don’t have to estimate the distance of my subject.
Bringing things a little more up-to-date, read my article: From a Smartphone to a Dedicated Camera.
What was your first camera?
