Don't Throw Out Your Old DSLR Camera - Use It To Take Incredible Vintage Photos Instead

It's the start of the spring season, which means many are undergoing the spring cleaning process. Whether you're planning on selling, donating, or downright throwing out your old stuff, there may be some attic or garage finds worth keeping around. In an ever-advancing technological world, an old DSLR might not seem like something worth putting in the keep pile. However, even in an age where cameras have become somewhat niche, with their presence on phones being considered "good enough" for most people, many find it worthwhile to keep and use a DSLR over a smartphone camera or more modern digital options.

One of the main reasons to stick with your old DSLR, aside from the comfort of using a camera you have for so long, is the style it brings to the table. DSLRs can bring an old school flare to photography and the images you capture. These are older cameras, after all, so the pictures they snap will look delightfully vintage, from the distinct colors to that soft, grainy look. 

Sure, you can mess with settings to achieve similar aesthetics on a smartphone camera, but it can't deliver that DSLR photography experience, from the effortlessly aged, vintage look to the images to the physicality of holding, adjusting, and snapping photos with a real-deal camera. To top it all off, if you want to go all-in on giving your old DSLR a new lease on life, you're in luck. Upgrading many of these models isn't a difficult or costly endeavor.

So, you've decided to keep your old, outdated DSLR around for a while longer. However, you want to really see what you can do with it, so you're interested in getting some new accessories. Stuff like bags, neck straps, and tripods are all important, but they'll only take you so far on your vintage photography journey. That's where different lenses can help, as they can quite literally alter the perspective of your photography. While you can likely find brand-new normal, telephoto, and wide-angle lenses that fit your DSLR, or could with the aid of an adapter, where's the fun in just running to Best Buy or some other tech store and shelling out big money for them?

That option will do in a pinch, but another great way to go, especially for vintage-looking DSLR photography, is secondhand. Exploring garage sales, flea markets, and online sources like eBay for new lenses is a great way to build your collection and enhance your photography. Not only is it fun digging through the mountains of old tech for sale, but you can save a ton to boot. More often than not, old lenses will only cost a fraction of what brand-new ones go for. Better yet, on eBay and other auction sites, you could even get lucky and score multiple in one lot for dirt cheap. Just keep some key things in mind when buying used lenses and ensure they're compatible with your camera, or could be with some added hardware.

With old lenses and a dated camera, shooting with a film-equipped camera would undoubtedly have your photos looking vintage. With a DSLR, though, you're working with digital photography, so a little more is needed to achieve that classic look.

Adding an old lens goes a long way in giving DSLR photos a vintage look, but there's more you can do in your preferred editing suite. A simply yet effective method is to just add a filter of some kind, be it sepia, monochrome, or another that simulates the tones of old photographs. Alternatively, you can delve a bit deeper to achieve your desired look. First and foremost, you want to consider your color values. Increasing and decreasing specific ones, like increasing the red and yellow of the mid-tones and decreasing the blue of the shadows, can emulate the harsh yet vibrant look of an old school photo.

Speaking of shadows, your light values can be adjusted to great effect, too. Increasing the highlights while downplaying the shadows is great for bringing out a washed-out, film-like quality to an image. This can very much compliment the color changes, helping them to appear more authentic and not like they were mere after effects. To further seal the deal, you can add vignetting effects around the edges to bring in some slight shadow and dimension. In addition to that, adding just a little bit of artificial grain isn't a bad idea. Between Photoshop and its many excellent alternatives, the editing possibilities are virtually endless.

It might not be on the cutting-edge of camera tech anymore, but there's still a lot of photography fun to be had with your old DSLR. As evidenced by all it can offer in terms of vintage-looking photography, it's a clear example that newness doesn't always surpass style.