Recently I’ve been getting really into film photography again and have been going through my camera & film collection to try to use what I have, and also sell some unused items. I realised that I have a lot of SLR cameras and that the Zenit EM was the one I enjoyed using the least, despite it having an absolutely beautiful lens (Helios-44M) which is known for it’s swirly bokeh. Even with the lovely lens, I still found it would take me a long time to finish a roll of film in the camera, and instead I would prefer to use my Pentax Spotmatic and Canon AE-1 Program. I knew I wanted to keep those in my collection, so unfortunately it was time for the Zenit EM to find a new home.

I listed the camera on Gumtree & Facebook Marketplace and later that day it was sold to a lovely girl called Jessica who was new to film photography. I showed her some basics about how to use the camera, gifted her some film, and sent it on its way! Before she came to pick it up I had to quickly finish off the film in the camera and I had about 5 shots left to take, which ended up being some of my favourites I’d ever taken with the Zenit EM.

This specific roll took about 3 years to finish – I just wasn’t inspired by the camera and I didn’t connect to it the way I wanted to. I really hope the new owner loves it and finds a connection I never had.

Last week I got 5 rolls of film back! I’d been shooting some of them for a long time, and this is definitely one of them.

I got a Pentax Spotmatic with a 35mm lens off eBay back in October 2015 (Cost: $180) and for some reason didn’t shoot much with it. It took me 2 and a half years to finish the first roll of film because I just wasn’t inspired by the camera once I got it. The camera is in great condition, came with a great carry case and a good lens, but I just rarely picked it up.

The Pentax Spotmatic is very easy to use and is fool proof. I would definitely recommend you consider it as an option if you are looking to get your film camera. I also really love my Pentax ME Super – Pentax film cameras in general really work for me. They are more compact which makes them easy to carry around with you.

Shooting film is such a joy and although I wasn’t very inspired by this camera at first, after seeing the results and falling in love with them, I’m very excited to shoot more with it over the next couple of years, especially as my Pentax ME Super (former favourite SLR) needs a repair.