Why is film photography so cheap? (Canon EOS 1000)

What? I hear you exclaim! As you press the “Continue to Basket” on a roll of Portra at £20! Stay with me…

The Camera has a “Green Auto Mode” this takes control of the camera and does every thing for you – there is also a (very similar) “Programme Mode”. Should you wish to take control there are the traditional Shutter Priority (TV – time value in Canon Speak) and Aperture Priority (AV), there is also a full manual exposure setting (M). There is a rather clever “Depth of Focus Mode” where you can focus on a close object, you wish to be in focus, take reading 2 of the farthest you need sharp, and the camera will calculate what to do to achieve that! It may give you a very slow shutter speed, but that’s life! There is a 12 second timer, that will even play you a song rather than a beep! The camera is DX coded, but you can override this. It also has “Picture Modes”, these are automatic, and simply tailor the options towards “Portrait / Landscape / CloseUp and Sports” subjects. All of these can be selected from the main control wheel on the top of the camera.

Add to that TTL metering, and LCD data screen, and hot shoe with dedication for TTL flash, the shutter release and a wheel that can be selected via two buttons to either change shutter speed or aperture and you have the top plate covered. It’s motorised and will automatically rewind the film at the end, but should you wish to remove it before then there is a button on the bottom to do so, next to the standard tripod mount.

Typically the camera was supplied with a 35-80mm f4-5.6 short zoom. This can be used either manually or auto focus, power is supplied courtesy of a 2CR5 battery. Timed shutter speeds are from 30 seconds right through to 1/1000th, I suspect this is why it’s named the 1000 – there is also Bulb (B) for long exposures.

You’d think all this would be hundreds – nope, £49 with a 6 month warranty! That’s an awful lot of camera for very little. The same store had Agfa Single use cameras at £16:99 each. I realise this also means three rolls of film, but why would anyone buy those when for the cost of just three of them, you could own something so so much better!!

I also realise that one can pick these up even cheaper on internet auction sites without a warranty or handling first, but lets support an actual photo company!! I’ll come clean and admit I didn’t buy it – I just don’t need another 35mm SLR, I have too many already. I already own two EOS 30’s, which I like. One of those only cost me £30!!

One could have all the above, fresh battery and a 3 pack of film, and change from £100. I reckon that would be a great start into FILM photography – and not expensive!