After years of digital convenience, I’ve finally caved: I’m going back to film.
I wanted to share the little research journey that led me to this compact setup—and why film still has a place in my life.

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Photography has always been a quiet passion of mine. I’ve never tried to monetize it or turn it into content. It’s just something I do for myself—a way to document life beyond the endless scroll of the iPhone camera roll.

Even when shooting digital, I’m not the kind of person who takes 200 versions of the same shot. I like photography to be calm, deliberate, even meditative. So honestly, switching back to film doesn’t feel like some dramatic departure. If anything, it feels like coming home.

Why Film, Again?

There’s something grounding about film.
I love the physicality of it—the weight of the camera, the click of the shutter, the rituals around loading film, developing it, waiting. There’s a mysticism to the process. Sometimes the final image almost feels like a bonus, not the goal.

It’s a healing hobby for me. A way to slow down, look closer, and be present.

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I already had a few film cameras lying around, but none that were actually usable. More like decorative paperweights with emotional value.

So I dove into the point & shoot rabbit hole: Contax T2, Yashica T4, Nikon 35Ti… all beautiful, all tempting—until you remember that most of them rely heavily on aging electronics. And when those go, they’re gone for good.

I even considered going full rangefinder, or something wild like the Fujifilm GA645Zi medium format. But same problem: gorgeous gear, fragile guts, and painful price tags.

That’s when I found the Contax 139Q.
Yeah, it’s still electronic. Yeah, it could die someday. But it’s affordable, well-built, and if it fails, I won’t be emotionally or financially wrecked.

It’s small for an SLR—almost pocketable, especially with the 45mm Zeiss pancake lens. The viewfinder is bright and displays your aperture inside, which I love. The camera takes C/Y mount Zeiss glass, so there’s no compromise in image quality. Aperture priority mode gives it that point-and-shoot ease, and the shutter sound is incredibly satisfying.

I’m not shooting street or fast-paced stuff, so a compact, affordable SLR like this made way more sense than chasing fragile hype cameras.

One day I’d love to set up a home lab for developing and scanning—just the idea of shooting, processing, and bringing it all to life in one space feels like a dream. No room for that now, but it’s on the wishlist. One step at a time.

I’ll be back soon with my first developed rolls.