Film cameras are starting to make a comeback of sorts. Some stores such as KEH Camera in Atlanta, which has the largest collection of film equipment in the world, has seen a 60% increase in film camera sales.
This is still a drop in the bucket compared to digital, of course.
Camera Rescue to the rescue
One group of people in Finland want to make sure that film cameras don’t go away. In fact, one of Camera Rescue‘s missions was to repair or restore 100,000 film cameras before the end of 2020. They came close. By the end of 2020, they had repaired or restored over 80,000.
But now, Camera Rescue wants you to help. And they’re willing to pay you for it. Due to current pandemic restrictions, this year’s students will need to be from Finland. But as restrictions ease, they will consider applicants from the E.U. or farther areas.
The first batch of participants began in April 2021 in Tampere, Finland.
Camera Rescue school
“Mechanical film cameras are the tools that have preserved the memories of humanity for the last 150 years,” Camera Rescue stated on their website. “Now is our time to preserve them.”
Camera Rescue reports that there are no training programs for film cameras. They decided to create a school, giving a full overview of the various types of cameras and equipment, leaving the participants with the skills to inspect them. The curriculum also includes basic electronics, materials and even 3-D printing, included in their 4-month training.
Fancy living in Finland?
“As the aim of the recruitment program is to build up the technician team based in Tampere,” their site states, “an applicant should be ready to relocate permanently to the city if the recruitment program leads to a job offer.”
Be sure to check out more on Camera Rescue’s website.
