Canon IV SB: Knowing when it's time to let go

Canon IV SB

This is going to be half a review of the Canon IV SB. Or maybe a quarter? Mostly I just want to talk about the camera that got me into 35mm film photography and why now, after about 4 years I have finally decided to let it go.

It all started in December 2018 when I was scrolling through Ebay looking to get my very first film camera. The urge to get one has been there since the year before, however the thought of having to develop the film and lack of knowledge that there are still plenty of film labs operating in Sydney just kept the idea in the closet at least until that fateful Thursday in December. I had researched my options at that time and knew that I was going for an LTM rangefinder. Why rangefinder? I was hooked on the design and relatively compact size. Why Leica thread mount? Because there are options for cheaper lenses. Long story short I found myself choosing between the Canon IV SB and Canon VT. If it isn't obvious enough I did go for the Canon IV SB for a purely aesthetic reason. If you have read my 2019 revisited series you would have read about a story about me buying the wrong lens for the camera, a Jupiter-12 35mm lens that is not compatible with the camera, not to mention that the Canon IV SB doesn't have a 35mm frame line. But the problem was quickly solved by replacing the lens with a Canon LTM 50mm f/1.8. Being my one and only film camera at that time both quickly find a regular place in my bag or jacket pocket following me anywhere from a regular commute to some road trips of my early twenties years.

I can say that the Canon IV SB is perfect for what it is. It's a tough fully mechanical and manual camera that just works. I'm not saying that it is the best camera ever, I don't believe that there is such a thing anyway. To me it's a matter of finding one that you're comfortable with and I was comfortable with the Canon. Well, to some extend anyway. As the camera does have it quirks.

Aside from all the good things there is still one thing that I wish were different. The viewfinder. It is very small. Keep in mind that I didn't have a point of comparison as there was no film camera for me to compare it with but I already felt that way especially because I wear glasses. Eventually I got used to it but it left some scratch marks on my spectacle lens. The lack of 35mm frame line forced me to stick with 50mm focal length and learn to use it. Other than that... I honestly don't have any other complain about the camera. Some might say that the advance and rewind knob is not as easy to use but you'll get used to it in no time.

Eventually the idea of getting an upgrade came to mind even though I had thought that I would keep Canon IV SB forever, at the very least for it's sentimental value being my first film camera or for the fact that I'm a hoarder. But now that I've found a camera to replace it with for quite some time, I have finally decided to let the Canon IV SB go. It's been sitting on the shelf gathering dust for 1 solid year and honestly it is quite painful to watch. It is a beautiful piece of gear that is meant to be out and about being used to take many great pictures. I was thinking to put one last roll through it but I keep on shooting with my other cameras instead. So here's some of my favorite photos taken with the camera over the years.

The journey of finding that replacement camera started in 2019 and I have finally found the one camera late last year. I won't tell you what it is just yet as I'm planning to do a review of each of the camera I tried before finally nailing down my option. Take this as a start of a new blog series on my search for the one camera. Soon enough the Canon IV SB will leave the shelf whether by getting sold or me giving it to someone. But part of it will always be with me through the photos it left behind and the scratches on the lens of my glasses.