After seeing the infamous “35mm” hashtag on Instagram for the past decade, I finally decided it was time to take up another hobby. This led me to Photodom in Brooklyn, where I purchased my first film camera: the Dubblefilm SHOW 35mm reusable camera (which I unabashedly purchased in pink).
I did some research before going in and knew I wanted something that could only be described as the camera equivalent of a “beach read.” Something to do; something to get my feet wet; something that, if I wanted to eventually do more of, knew I could dig deeper.
As a plastic point-and-shoot camera with flash– note: you need an AAA battery– it does exactly what it’s marketed to do. It is incredibly intuitive and a leg up from just a run-of-the-mill disposable. The camera also comes with a handy wrist strap (perfect for ensuring your camera doesn’t fall in the subway tracks), and a neon orange case (perfect for when you’re trying to find it in your bag at 2 am).
In terms of indoor scenes and night scenes, the closer the better. The Dubblefilm SHOW website says to always take a photo with flash if you’re shooting indoors (unless you’re trying to highlight light passing through windows), and never have your subject more than 1 m (~3 ft) away. Learn from my mistakes: they will not show up!
The aperture– the amount of light that passes through the lens– is set at a fixed f.8, so definitely keep this in mind as you start shooting toward sundown. And remember: the higher the f-number, the less light passes through.
Here are some more specs to keep in mind:
Lens: 32mm
Focus: 1m – ∞
Aperture: f.8
Shutter speed: 1/125 s
With the focus at 1m- ∞, you’ll notice that the edges of the frame soften. I notice this mostly when I shoot trees, as the leaves won’t appear as sharp.
It’s also extremely light weight (~100 grams), which, if you live in an urban city, you know is a plus. I’m able to throw it in my bag and head out the door, which is great because I often do the “Ehh, should I bring my camera?” monologue in my head when I have my DSLR. With the Dubble, it’s not an issue.
Overall, if you’re a real camera connoisseur, this probably won’t do it for you. But if you’re new to the game or want to see what all the hype is about, I think it’s a great starter camera. Just remember that this camera loves the sun. And if that’s what gets me outside more often, I’ll take it.
