Canon Rebel G 35mm Camera Review with Sample Photos | Why it's a Great Travel Camera for Beginners (and Professionals too)!

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The Canon Rebel G was the camera my mom used throughout my childhood to photograph me and my siblings. I always loved the way the photos looked, so when my mom stumbled across her old Rebel G, I begged her to give it to me. I finally took it on a trip to Wilmington, NC to test it out and it didnā€™t disappoint. It reminds me of my Canon Rebel K2 in a lot of ways, which makes sense because they are both 35mm Canon cameras released around the same time. The Rebel G was first released in 1996 and the K2 was released in 1999. They were both targeted towards entry-level photographers, so they are super approachable and easy to use. However, what I love about them both is that if you decide to dive deeper into all of their functions, there is SO MUCH you can do with these cameras. I also posted a YouTube video about my trip to Wilmington, NC with the Canon Rebel G, so make sure to check that out here!

MAIN FEATURES OF THE CANON REBEL G

FULL AUTO SETTING

One of the greatest features of the Canon Rebel G is that it has a full auto setting, including autofocus, which is great for photographers of any level. If you donā€™t feel like switching between settings or learning about aperture and shutter speed, you can just turn the main dial to the green auto setting and shoot away! This makes it a great travel film camera because you can get the fun vintage vibe of film photography without worrying about wasting money screwing up your film photos.

EF LENS MOUNT

Itā€™s also compatible with Canonā€™s EF line of lenses, which really expands the options for professional photographers. Canon has a lot of incredible lenses in the EF line so you can get that beautiful sharpness of the EF lenses while shooting film. I havenā€™t tried this out yet with the Canon Rebel G, but itā€™s on my to-do list! Iā€™ll be sure to update this blog post once I do. :)

FLASH

One of the main features I look for in a travel camera specifically is a pop-up flash. I hate carrying around external flashes. Plus, theyā€™re big and embarrassing. I prefer to be an inconspicuous photographer so I can get those street photography shots without calling too much attention to myself. I donā€™t use the flash often, but if Iā€™m traveling and Iā€™m inside a dark restaurant or in an underground tunnel or dungeon (you never know!), then I like having the option. If you have the camera on the full auto setting, the flash will pop up whenever the camera decides the environment is a little too dark. You can also force the flash on or off, depending on your needs.

MULTIPLE EXPOSURES

This is one of my absolute favorite features of this camera. You guys know Iā€™m always on the hunt for cameras with a multiple exposure option, and honestly, this is why I love Canon cameras so much. I run my mutiple exposure button into the ground with my cameras. In fact, Iā€™d say I shoot more multiple exposures than single exposures. I just enjoy the challenge of creating an image thatā€™s never been done before. They arenā€™t for everyone, but Iā€™ve included a few examples below so you can get the gist. Iā€™m obsessed, TBH. I donā€™t know what Iā€™d do in life without multiple exposures!

AUTOMATIC FILM ADVANCE

This is another great feature that makes the Canon Rebel G a perfect travel camera. When Iā€™m on the road, itā€™s hard to find the time to sit down and load film into my cameras. The Canon Rebel G has a motorized film advance system, so itā€™s incredibly easy to load the film. And once youā€™re finished shooting the roll, the camera will automatically wind the film back for you. So you can just pop open the back and remove the roll, pop another one in, and keep shooting!

LIGHTWEIGHT BODY

Camera weight is a huge priority for me when Iā€™m traveling because I like to take so many cameras with me on my trips. The Rebel G is extremely light and unnoticeable. However, keep in mind that if you add on an EF lens, it will affect the weight significantly. I just have the kit lens on the camera (the Quantaray 28-90mm f/3.5 lens) so it only weighs about 1 lb 8 oz.

ENDLESS SHOOTING SETTINGS

One of the best things about cameras like the Canon Rebel G and the Canon Rebel K2 is that you have a million creative settings to choose from if you want to experiment. Some of the settings include: portrait, landscape, macro, sports mode and night mode. And then of course, aperture priority, shutter priority and full manual if you want to challenge yourself as a photographer. Personally, Iā€™m an aperture priority kind of girl, so I tend to stick on that setting for the most part. Thereā€™s also red-eye reduction, a self-timer and film-rewind options. Honestly, it has pretty much every single function you can think of in a camera.

FINAL THOUGHTS

While the Canon Rebel G isnā€™t the fanciest camera in the land, you get a serious bang for your buck with this camera. It runs about $50-150 depending on the condition of the camera. The images arenā€™t the sharpest with the kit lens, but if you use a low ISO film, such as Kodak Gold 200 or Lomography Color 100 film (which I used for the photos in this post), you can kind of trick people into thinking youā€™ve got a super sharp lens. :) Or if you already have an EF mount Canon lens, definitely try that out! You wonā€™t get the quality of images that you might find with a Canon AE-1 Program or Nikon FE2, but if youā€™re a beginner film photographer looking to learn the ropes before investing in a more expensive camera, this is a great option. Plus, both of those cameras donā€™t have autofocus, so I donā€™t typically recommend them for people who are just getting into film photography. I tend to recommend cameras like the Canon Rebel G, Canon Rebel K2 or Minolta Maxxum STsi for beginners.

If youā€™ve stumbled upon the Canon Rebel G in a thrift store or at a yard sale, consider yourself lucky! Itā€™s a super fun camera and might even just become your favorite. Itā€™s so versatile and straightforward that itā€™s kind of impossible to hate it. The fact that my mom was able to use it throughout my childhood without any photography knowledge, proves that. Some of the photos she took with this camera are our most treasured family photos! So yes, maybe Iā€™m biased towards this camera just a little. :)

Iā€™ve included sample photos below, so make sure to scroll down!

WHERE TO BUY THE CANON REBEL G:

Amazon

eBay

Etsy

KEH Camera

Quantaray 28-90mm f/3.5 lens (uses EF mount):

Ebay

Etsy

KEH Camera (a similar lens by Canon)

35MM FILM RECOMMENDATIONS:

Kodak Gold 200

Lomography Color 400

Lomography Color 100

Kodak Portra 160

Kodak Portra 400

Kodak Colorplus 200

If this review helped you in any way, Iā€™d love for you to consider subscribing to my YouTube channel or signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you can get access to unreleased photographs that I donā€™t share anywhere else, as well as early access to my YouTube videos. And depending on which tier you choose, you can receive seasonal prints and other fun surprises!

Thanks so much for stopping by! And donā€™t forget to stop by my B&H Storefront or Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :)

<3 Myles Katherine

(By using the links and/or codes above it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

(click photos to enlarge)