My Favorite Cameras For Capturing Everyday Life
I have grown to love photography as a hobby over the years. I love to document little moments of our life and home and travels. Over the years, I’ve tried out different cameras and each one has a different purpose which I feel helps tell the story of the subject better by switching which camera I use. Some get more use in different seasons and they are all beginner-friendly. I consider myself still a beginner and purely enjoy this as a side hobby.
Something I think photography has helped me with is the mindset of creating every day. To be in a mindset of seeing the beauty around me and noticing the little things. I may not have time every day to sew or finish a craft but I can pick up my camera for two minutes and practice a craft and have a memory to go along with it.
This is the camera I use for filming for my business, Rooney Sewing Patterns. I also use this for capturing moments of our home and family. I previously had the Fujifilm XT-20 and love all of the X-series Fujifilm cameras because of the way they mimic film. This comes pre-loaded with film simulations that you can choose from to get a film effect and you can also create your own. There is a large community of photographers who share their film recipes which is fun to try out to find something that reflects your style!
2. Nikon FE 35mm
This is my husband’s film camera that I like to borrow as well and I have the least amount of experience with. My goal has been to practice film photography and I have a lot to learn! We found this at a local photography shop so if you want to find a film camera, I would check with your local shop first.
I’m learning a lot through Sara Covey’s film course right now if you are interested in learning too!
3. Kodak Ektar H35 Half-Frame
I got this camera over the summer and it is so fun to use! I was drawn to it because it is a great replacement for disposable cameras. A half-frame means that you get two photos per exposure. So for a Kodak Portra 400 roll, you receive 72 photos! This helps reduce the cost of shooting film and gives you more room to play around. I’ve learned so much from shooting with this camera about lighting and your film choice because it is just a point-and-shoot camera where you can’t change any of the settings other than choosing to use a flash or not. I highly recommend this if you want a film camera look without a lot of trial and error and are not concerned with your photos being high-quality or perfect. With film, each photo is a fun experiment!
4. Kids Digital Camera
An honorable mention: my daughter’s digital camera! We got this for her when she was about two and a half and is one of our favorite gifts ever. Seeing everyday life through her eyes is magical and the low-quality photos just add to how special each moment is. It is fun to see her grow and have ideas of how a photo should be and I like to pick up her camera every now and then and capture her as well. I highly recommend this for any child!
This one has a selfie mode, a video camera, and a little tripod which is cute too.
Side note — I bought a couple of kids cameras to compare when choosing which one to give her and this one was my personal pick! I don’t like how all of the cameras I found for kids have games on them. It feels unnecessary and this camera had the least focus on the game feature. Also, the camera sound can be turned off and you can change many of the settings on the camera.
