Not everyone buys new cameras from a store. Those of you who buy used cameras may be happy to learn that you can easily get manuals for them. There are plenty of online sites that let you download manuals in some form. Finding manuals for digital cameras is relatively simple at sites like this.
In these types of sites, you just select a manufacturer and then download a file. Different manufacturers supply different types of files. On the Cameratown site, for example, Canon supplies html files, while Pentax uses pdf.
But maybe you have some weird camera you picked up at a yard sale, or a vintage film camera. Anyone with an older or more unusual camera should go to Michael Butkus Jr.’s site. This is a treasure trove for certain camera owners. Here you will find manuals for not only for older film cameras but also for their flashes and light meters.
One of the most fascinating resources on the Butkus site is the information about “orphan cameras,” or non-brand name cameras. I’ve never even heard of some of these, but I loved the names, which include Baldessa, Kowa Six, Paxette, and the Universal Buccaneer.
The Butkus site site also provides links to other camera sites with manuals, but these links are a bit iffy. Some led to long, dense lists of links, while others went nowhere. Still, the Butkus site is so chock full of information on vintage cameras and related equipment that you may never need the links.
