In a world that rushes by in a digital blur with everything happening quickly, I found a profound satisfaction in embracing a slower, more deliberate path, especially when exploring new photographic horizons. This path is paved for me with film cameras’ clicks and whirs and their tangible nature.
Traveling with film cameras isn’t just about the photographs I bring back but the analog process—a voyage of mindful interaction, patient uncertainty, and a deeper relationship to the moments I aim to preserve. Each of my film cameras offers a unique ritual and process, transforming the act of photography into a critical and joyful part of the adventure.
Loading a roll of film, feeling the tension of the advance lever, hearing the sound of the shutter—these tactile sensations ground me in the present, a welcome counterpoint to the often immaterial nature of modern travel we all know so well.
I started paying more attention to film cameras and analog photography during the pandemic to help me pass the days and understand our time warp. I started researching and got a disposable camera to see if I liked the aesthetic and the process.
From there on, my path has been covered with different cameras and films. Let me share how the unique processes of my favorite film cameras enrich my explorations.
Below, you can take a look at all the cameras I have.
Adventure Through Analogue: A Traveler’s Guide to My Favorite Film Cameras
My Canon F-1 and the Photographer’s Craft
The Canon F-1 embodies the meticulous joy of the traditional analog process. This fully mechanical SLR demands engagement, so it is my go-to camera whenever I book a trip. I bring it with me wherever I go, and it captures everything I need it to.
Every step is a conscious decision, from selecting the aperture and shutter speed to manually focusing through its bright viewfinder. The satisfying heft of the camera, the solid click of its shutter, and the smooth travel of its focusing ring in each one of the lenses I have are the haptic rewards of working with such a beautifully engineered machine.
Using the F-1 while traveling to capture the intricate details of ancient architecture in Ostia or a summer day around Tempelhof is a deeply immersive experience. It forces me to slow down, observe the light, and craft an image.
I look forward to seeing these thoughtfully composed shots developed as they reflect a genuine collaboration between the photographer, camera, and moment.
Reaching the Zen of Spontaneity with a Lomography LC-A+
The Lomography LC-A is a masterclass that joyfully embraces the analog process. Its motto, “Don’t Think, Just Shoot!” might seem counterintuitive to a mindful process. Still, it’s more about trusting your instincts and the camera’s quirky personality. The act of zone focusing—estimating distance and clicking the lever—becomes a quick, intuitive dance.
There’s a thrill in setting the aperture and then letting the camera’s unique Minitar 1 lens interpret the light and color of a bike ride to Denmark or a winter photowalk in Tallinn. The anticipation of seeing those signature vibrant colors, deep contrasts, and moody vignettes after development is a huge part of its charm. And I’m a big fan.
Each roll shot with the LC-A is a small lesson in letting go and finding beauty in the unexpected, a core tenet of the analog journey.
The Wide-Angle Ritual of the Reto Ultra Wide & Slim
For a truly expansive view and a wonderfully straightforward analog experience, the Reto Ultra Wide & Slim is a modern plastic marvel. I love carrying it around with me. With its fixed 22mm lens, this featherlight camera strips the process down to the essentials: composition and the satisfying click-and-wind.
There’s a distinct joy in its simplicity and the lo-fi results that it brings. The manual film advance wheel and the basic viewfinder force a more direct and physical interaction with the scene. Before each shot, I consciously consider how that super-wide perspective will transform the view, whether it’s a cityscape or a forest path.
The process is about anticipating that unique distortion and breadth, and the lightweight design means it’s always ready for that moment of wide-angle inspiration without any fuss. Every frame captured represents a carefully selected glimpse into the journey I took.
Mamiya C330 Professional aims for Deliberate Artistry
The Mamiya C330 Professional offers the most meditative analog process in my collection. This medium-format TLR requires an entirely different pace.
The ritual of loading 120 films is more involved, demanding care and attention. Composing on its waist-level finder, seeing the world reversed and in a luminous square is an almost contemplative act. The bellows focus is precise and deliberate. Each click of its substantial shutter feels significant, knowing the large 6×6 negative captures incredible detail.
Traveling with the Mamiya camera, as I did for capturing infrared urban landscapes in Berlin, requires a strong commitment. However, the rich, detailed negatives it produces are a profound reward for the patient and demand a mindful process.
Crafting Panoramas and Wide Views with the Vivitar Panorama
Even simple film cameras bring their own procedural joys. The Vivitar Panorama, with its charmingly lo-fi approach to wide shots, is all about embracing limitations. There are no settings to fuss over; the process is straightforward – point, shoot, and wind. Done.
The delight comes from seeing how its fixed nature translates a grand landscape or a quirky street scene into its signature elongated frame. It’s a reminder that the analog process doesn’t need to be complex to be rewarding.
Knowing I’m capturing such a broad perspective with such a minimalist tool makes scouting for those dramatic wide angles even more engaging.
Sequential Storytelling with the Superheadz Golden Half-Camera
The Superheadz Golden Half Camera doubles the joy of the analog process by giving you twice as many frames per roll. This isn’t just economical; it changes the entire rhythm of shooting. Each click of the shutter, capturing a half-frame image, feels like collecting a precious snippet. That is why I always carry this camera around Berlin and beyond daily.
The process of advancing the film, knowing you have another shot immediately available on the same standard frame, encourages a different kind of observation. In diptychs, consciously look for pairs of images that tell a small story or create an interesting visual dialogue.
Holding a developed roll, packed with 72 little moments, feels like a treasure trove, each one a testament to the deliberate choices made during my travels.
Embracing Imperfection with the Fanta Camera
Then there’s the pure, unadulterated fun of the Fanta Camera. This simple promotional tool strips the analog process to its essentials: load film, point, shoot, and hope for the best!
There’s a certain liberation in its utter lack of control. The joy here comes from shooting itself with zero pressure. Winding the little thumbwheel, hearing the plastic shutter click—it’s all part of its charm. The real magic happens when the film returns, revealing wonderfully unpredictable, light-leaked, and often surprisingly artistic images. They usually look like glimpses of a late-night party, and I’m here for that.
It’s a delightful reminder that the analog process can be playful and that surrendering control can lead to wonderful surprises.
The Enduring Magic of the Analog Process on the Road
Choosing film cameras for my travels involves selecting a richer, more engaged experience that may sometimes make things less practical. But I often mix digital with film since I still need some pictures to write the articles you see here. You know what I mean. However, the analog process tests the moment. It embeds the memories deeper, from loading the film to receiving the developed scans or prints.
These are the film cameras I have now, each offering me a different visual result. It’s all about the feel of the camera in my hands, the sound of the shutter, and the finite number of exposures that make each one count.
The joy of anticipation, the happy accidents, and the tangible artifact connect me to a time and place. This process makes me a more mindful traveler and deliberate photographer, ultimately bringing a more resounding joy to exploring the world around me. And that is all I look forward to with the pictures I take.
