Hi! I'm 16 and I'm thinking about specializing in black and white photography. I don't know too much about it but I'm working on it. I'm wondering how should I get started and where can I find a decent camera at a decent price? I would greatly appreciate it if you can answer my questions. Thanks, Michelle ((:

-- Michelle Marie Degeyter (mmarie_degeyter@hotmail.com), March 01, 1999

Answers

I have to admit I am a bit prejudiced in favor of a larger negative format than 35mm for black and white photography. If I were limited to one format it would be the 120 square negative. That is 6 x 6 cm, or a negative area about 2 1/4 inches square.

Film for that format is available in just about any type your could want from many black and white films, color negative and color transparency. A contact print from that size negative is big enough to view easily without a magnifier. It enlarges beautifully to as big as you care to go.

It comes in 12 exposure rolls, which is just about right for a photographic outing without worrying about what you are going to do with the other 15 or 20 exposures on the roll that you didn't fill up.

I think a perfect starting out camera for this format is the Yashica Mat 124-G. It is a twin lens relfex camera, and some models come with a built-in light meter, which saves having to carry an extra piece of equipment around your neck. They are available used for somewhere in the neighborhood of $85 to $125 or so depending on condition. If the lenses look clean and the body is not banged up and the winding and focussing mechanism work, go as cheap as you can find.

Even if you dont have an enlarger right off, you can make contact prints of your negatives and get a good idea of how you are doing in learning black and white photography. Good luck.

-- Tony Brent (ajbrent@mich.com), March 01, 1999.

I also think that the Yashica camera is a great one to start with. But finding one can sometimes be hard going. Don't over look the 35mm slr, you can find some great deals even on an old Nikon. Look in the classified pages of your local paper. Search the internet, buy and look at all the ads in Shutterbug Magazine. I started on an old Yashica, then moved to a Crown Graphic. The 4X5 camera is the ultimate tool in still photography, but it's slow. Get a manual camera, you'll learn many more skills that way.

-- D.A.Galgozy (ae571@acorn.net), March 01, 1999.

I would suggest you investigate classes in your area. There is quite a quantity of learning initially (lenses, exposure, development, printing) and having someone to guide you through these stages is a great help. The critical part is that someone can look at your negatives and prints, and tell you how they can be technically improved.

Regarding formats, I sometimes sugest that people should start in 5x4 format. I am only half joking. Unfortunately, goood cheap gear is not common, at least here in the UK. This is another reason for finding classes: they might have a variety of formats for you to try, including darkroom gear.

I have always suggested that people start with fully manual gear. Preferably with a separate light meter. I realise this is partially prejudice on my part. But even if you go automatic later, you will then understand what your camera is doing.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), March 02, 1999.

The truth is, you can learn to do b/w with almost any camera. Start with what you have now - using a humble point&shoot isn't necessarily the worst way to begin. If you don't have access to a darkroom, try shooting one of the C-41 "b/w" films like Kodak T-Max T400 CN or Ilford Super XP-2. That way, you can get b/w prints from any one-hour lab. It's not a bad way to start...

More than the camera and the mechanics, the important thing is to start THINKING in b/w, which is quite a different animal from color. You have learn to think in terms of composition, form, and light/dark - where and how shadows fall, and how to properly capture them. Watch the light... Move into position... Wait for the decisive moment...

Black and white is an abstraction by it's very nature, and you can't approach it along the same "naturalistic" path you begin with in color photography. When you do b/w, you're not capturing reality so much as stylizing and manipulating it. It takes practice, creativity, and the application of your IMAGE-ination.

As to equipment, I'm also a manual-camera luddite. No question, you will learn more using a camera with manual controls for focus, aperture, and shutter speed. A great kit to start with would be a used Nikkormat FTn and a pair of used lenses, say 35mm f/2 and 105mm f/2.5, and a tripod. (If you're on a low budget, can just start with a 50mm lens and work your way up to a wide-angle and long lens.) This old Nikon equipment is a pleasure to use, amazingly well-built, and pretty darn cheap through the used camera dealers - an Ex condition Nikkormat body is roughly about $175, each of these lenses somewhere around $100.

(I'm also a big fan of the Olympus OM system - small, elegant, well- made, a real pleasure to use. Other folks like Canons, Pentaxes, and Minoltas. Folks with more evolved tastes and bigger budgets like Leicas, Contaxes, and Rolleis. Remember - ultimately, a camera is just a light-tight box with a lens and a shutter; any halfway decent camera will produce an okay image. Sure, some cameras are "better" than others, but you can certainly learn to be a good photographer without access to classy equipment. Still, I don't think you'll go far wrong with old Nikon equipment... There's lots of it around in great working condition, and it was THE pro 35mm system of the 60s and 70s for some VERY good reasons.)

You can also go for a twin lens reflex, as has been suggested, like a YashicaMat, Minolta Autocord, Mamiya C series, or Rolleicord. All of these turn up used in good condition in the $200-300 range. A bigger negative in a square format is great to work with, and when you get into darkroom work, it allows you to make larger prints more easily than with 35mm. But you might not want to start with medium format... for many, it's something you eventually work your way up to.

And yes, if you're serious about b/w, save some money and a whole lot of time for learning how to do your own processing and enlarging. One of the first lessons I learned from my Dad (a commercial pro who learned photography in the 30s/40s and opened his studio in 1946... and he's still working now!) is that "many a great photograph is made in the darkroom, NOT in the camera"! It takes a long time to become a darkroom ace, but it's absolutely worth it. Find yourself a teacher, or join a photo club and spend some time watching others.

One more note on cameras: ALWAYS carry one. Sure, you can't keep a SLR slung over your shoulder all the time. That's where your old p&s comes in. Put in some Tri-X, throw it in your bag or glove compartment or coat pocket. It WILL come in handy. Get into the habit of ALWAYS looking with your photographic eye for interesting images; having a camera with you all the time will definitely help. New pocketable p&s cameras like the Olympus Stylus Epic are great for this. So are old rangefinders like Canonets, which cost less than $100 used nowadays and have very good optics. You can even go the subminiature route if you're that kind of maniac. (I am - I always have a Minox IIIS loaded with b/w at hand in its trusty belt case!)

Anyway, my essential point was: sure, the hardware is fun, as is learning about exposure, films, darkroom work, etc. But even more than getting the technique down, becoming proficient in b/w photography requires a new kind of thinking. It can be a hard transition, but that leap of faith, once taken, may be your start along a tremendously fun and satisfying journey...

-- Michael Goldfarb (mgoldfar@mobius-inc.com), March 02, 1999.

If you are in the market for something new in the 6X6 size Calument has a online special on a Seagull TLR camera for $119.95. This is the latested version, with 4 element lens and much higher quality then the past models. I have one and am surprised at the quality and performance for the money. It is no Rollie, but does make good images and has not been around since the 60s as most of the used TLRs have

-- Larrye Edye (WA4GMS@webtv.net), March 07, 1999.

getting started

Most of the suggestions that have been made I would agree with in one sense or another, but---- when first starting out in the medium it is important to shoot alot of film. This helps you get a feel for looking through the view finder and translating the world into black and white. A 2 1/4 camera is a terrific piece of equipment, as is a 4x5, but for someone just beginning the per image cost vs the learning potential of using a 35 mm camera can be prohibitive. You can always "up grade" in the future. Also to begin with you will not be printing larger than 8x10 or 11x14, and modern films can easily give you more than exceptable results at those sizes.

-- jim megargee (mvjim@interport.net), March 07, 1999.

I'm agreeing with what the others said -- manual camera, 120 roll film. But why spend hundreds? A truely amazing (optically) camera was the old Kodak Tourist. Don't get the one with the super slow f:12 lens, look for the f:4.5 (or thereabouts). There's a couple over on Ebay right now. They're always over there. What a deal. They can be had for about $25. Get more than one so you have a back up. The neg you get is pretty giant. 6x9cm. My old one lost a rivet at one of the strut points, easy fix, but keep eye the lens/shutter being parallel to the film plane. Oh when you finally want to trade up in image quality... Good Luck! You'd need a Hasselblad

-- Larry Welker (lwelker@turbont.net), April 12, 1999.

Find your self a cheap 35mm joby, say a pentex K 1000, there a dime a dozen but they work well and if you want more lenses than the 50mm it comes with, they can be found anywhere at a cheap price. Try kodac tmax-400cn(color negitive) it is processed in color chemicals (meaning cheaply at the corner store) but the results for a minimum amount of money will be in Black and White. After you have learned what you need to know(composition,exposer,ect.) you can decide then if you want to continue and spend more money on a fancey rig.

-- Scott Fitzpatrick (efizpat@mail.pris.bc.ca), May 16, 1999.