What I've Learned So Far Shooting 35mm Film
Created: August 15, 2026
Shooting my first few rolls of 35mm film has been a huge learning experience for me. Coming primarily from digital, I'm used to seeing the results immediately. Shooting film forced me to pay closer attention to the overall composition, lighting, and camera settings. There's something really enjoyable about not knowing exactly what you captured until the film is developed. I felt like a kid waiting for Christmas morning, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the process changes the way I photograph moving forward. This journal entry documents my experience using an analog camera and everything I learned along the way.
Minolta SR-T 101 camera Minolta SR-T 101
The Minolta SR-T 101 is a classic 35mm film camera manufactured in 1966, with a fully mechanical design and a built-in light meter. I found this camera on a whim at an antique shop in town and have loved taking photos with it so far. With it, I purchased three Kodak Gold 200 rolls to try out all the features and had a blast.
It's a bit heavier than I'm used to with the Sony, weighing in at just over two pounds. So, I also purchased a 1.5 inch cotton neck strap so the weight is spread over a wider contact area, putting less pressure on the back of my neck.
What I Learned
The Minolta has a built-in light meter that was designed to use a 1.35V mercury battery. Since those batteries are no longer available because of their toxicity, I switched to a 1.5V silver oxide battery instead. And, to compensate for the slight difference in voltage, I decreased the ISO from 200 to 100 as a precaution against overexposure. The combination seemed to work well for most of the scenes I photographed, and the meter gave me a pretty consistent starting point for setting the exposure.
Looking back at the rolls, I think I could have gone a little further and set the ISO to 50 for the brighter, sunnier scenes. I stayed pretty consistent with an f/8 aperture for the outdoor scenic shots, and f/2.8 for the up close shots, and adjusted the shutter as needed. A few of the photos still had more light than I needed, while the lower-light scenarios seemed to suit the camera and film much better. The slightly underexposed, moody look and the muted colors that came out of most of the photos ended up being exactly what I was hoping for and match my style perfectly.
For future rolls, especially on bright and sunny days, I'll probably bump the ISO down to 50 and see how that changes the results. I'm still getting a feel for how the meter, film, and camera work together, so there's definitely some experimenting left to do.
I also really appreciated the light leaks that showed up near the ends of the rolls and almost cried tears of joy when I saw them! They weren't something I planned for, but they add a certain character and imperfection to the shots that make the outcome just incredible. The shot of the Telegram Building in Portland, the garden view, and the espresso machine were both taken at the ends of the rolls and ended up being some of my favorite frames.
The Outcome
Here are some of my favorite photos from the experience. Enjoy ❤️
