Erica Leig
I've dabbled in a bit of film photography and finally want to invest in a film camera of my own. I'm just conflicted on what camera I should get.
I know I want a older camera from the 70s or early 80s, and I've narrowed it down to the brands Minolta, Nikon, and Canon.
But from there I'm lost.
If anyone has any camera recommendations I'd very much appreciate it!
Thanks in advance :)
Answer
Good question Erica!
You're going to get a ton of completely subjective answers here. Everyone is just going to tell you their personal favourites. And like everyone else, I have mine also. However, I think we can break things down into some reasoning for particular cameras for you.
I believe the best first cameras are those which are 100% mechanical/manual with no unnecessary auto features to distract the student photographer. 100% manual cameras are also cheaper and more reliable than those with auto features. Auto features are usually very timely to when the camera was made and don't always apply to all other cameras, however, all the manual settings on every camera ever made revolve around the same principles, so learning them will allow you to move into any other type of camera you are interested in.
If you are down with that method of learning, and it is usually required by the class anyway, the next question then becomes, what are some of the best 100% mechanical/manual 35mm slr's? After about 10 years of shooting and buying and selling many different model 35mm slr's, there are two which stand out to me as the most reliable, easy to come by, easy to resell and easy to find accessories for but also aren't too expensive for someone just starting out yet give professional results when used properly.
They are the Pentax K1000 with Pentax SMC-A or M 50mm f2 or 1.7 and the Nikon FM with Nikkor 50mm 1.8 or 1.4.
I have owned many of these cameras as well as other similar models but these served the functions I described the best, in my opinion. I feel completely comfortable suggesting them to a student and knowing that they will get their full value of both learning and enjoyment out of these models.
You can buy them at www.KEH.com and there are tons of great reviews of these cameras if you search for them online. DO NOT BUY FROM eBAY! Often the prices are not much better than KEH.com and you're not getting much, if any of a return policy. Plus, do you know how to assess the functional condition of vintage camera? Neither do more than half the people selling them on there. Not to mention that vintage cameras need to be serviced. KEH does that, or at least checks for it with all their cameras. If you find anything wrong with the camera, you can send it back to them and they'll replace or repair it. Not many eBayer's are offering that! Ebay is really a waste of time in hopes to save a little money. Once you get more experienced with buying old cameras, eBay is wonderful. But I think it's irresponsible of anyone to recommend buying your first/only 35mm slr there.
You can download users manuals for them for free and you'll want to pick up a basic photography manual also.
Canon never really made many affordable 100% mechanical cameras and no longer offers one as far as I know. The lenses of their older, most affordable manual SLR's also do not fit their modern DSLR's but Pentax and Nikon's do. So when you buy vintage Pentax and Nikon lenses, you can keep them for a digital camera you may buy later. Because they are so compatible, they hold their value better than Canon lenses also. Canon makes excellent gear but I personally don't see much sense in looking to them for a camera of this type.
Minolta SLR's are generally not very rugged to my experience. I've handled/owned over 10 various bodies and they all broke or were broken except for one! Others obviously have different experiences and much of it probably depends on what climate region they are located in, but I NEVER hear about this many issues with K1000's or FM's. What is nice about Minolta SLR's though, is that the lenses can be used on their newer cameras and Sony DSLR's.
I hope that whatever you choose to buy, you enjoy learning about film photography and do some work you are really proud of. Feel free to email me at any time for questions.
JohnnyMartyr@Hotmail.com
Good question Erica!
You're going to get a ton of completely subjective answers here. Everyone is just going to tell you their personal favourites. And like everyone else, I have mine also. However, I think we can break things down into some reasoning for particular cameras for you.
I believe the best first cameras are those which are 100% mechanical/manual with no unnecessary auto features to distract the student photographer. 100% manual cameras are also cheaper and more reliable than those with auto features. Auto features are usually very timely to when the camera was made and don't always apply to all other cameras, however, all the manual settings on every camera ever made revolve around the same principles, so learning them will allow you to move into any other type of camera you are interested in.
If you are down with that method of learning, and it is usually required by the class anyway, the next question then becomes, what are some of the best 100% mechanical/manual 35mm slr's? After about 10 years of shooting and buying and selling many different model 35mm slr's, there are two which stand out to me as the most reliable, easy to come by, easy to resell and easy to find accessories for but also aren't too expensive for someone just starting out yet give professional results when used properly.
They are the Pentax K1000 with Pentax SMC-A or M 50mm f2 or 1.7 and the Nikon FM with Nikkor 50mm 1.8 or 1.4.
I have owned many of these cameras as well as other similar models but these served the functions I described the best, in my opinion. I feel completely comfortable suggesting them to a student and knowing that they will get their full value of both learning and enjoyment out of these models.
You can buy them at www.KEH.com and there are tons of great reviews of these cameras if you search for them online. DO NOT BUY FROM eBAY! Often the prices are not much better than KEH.com and you're not getting much, if any of a return policy. Plus, do you know how to assess the functional condition of vintage camera? Neither do more than half the people selling them on there. Not to mention that vintage cameras need to be serviced. KEH does that, or at least checks for it with all their cameras. If you find anything wrong with the camera, you can send it back to them and they'll replace or repair it. Not many eBayer's are offering that! Ebay is really a waste of time in hopes to save a little money. Once you get more experienced with buying old cameras, eBay is wonderful. But I think it's irresponsible of anyone to recommend buying your first/only 35mm slr there.
You can download users manuals for them for free and you'll want to pick up a basic photography manual also.
Canon never really made many affordable 100% mechanical cameras and no longer offers one as far as I know. The lenses of their older, most affordable manual SLR's also do not fit their modern DSLR's but Pentax and Nikon's do. So when you buy vintage Pentax and Nikon lenses, you can keep them for a digital camera you may buy later. Because they are so compatible, they hold their value better than Canon lenses also. Canon makes excellent gear but I personally don't see much sense in looking to them for a camera of this type.
Minolta SLR's are generally not very rugged to my experience. I've handled/owned over 10 various bodies and they all broke or were broken except for one! Others obviously have different experiences and much of it probably depends on what climate region they are located in, but I NEVER hear about this many issues with K1000's or FM's. What is nice about Minolta SLR's though, is that the lenses can be used on their newer cameras and Sony DSLR's.
I hope that whatever you choose to buy, you enjoy learning about film photography and do some work you are really proud of. Feel free to email me at any time for questions.
JohnnyMartyr@Hotmail.com
Beginner DSLR camera?
Shelly
Im a newbie to photography, my friend recently got a canon DSLR camera and I was immediately fascinated.
I want to do mostly wildlife/landscape photography.
My range is up to $800. I heard at least 10 megapixels is good? Not bulky, relitively small and light. I also want flash and HD video
I picked out these two cameras, what do you all think?
Canon EOS Rebel T2i
http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/pâ¦
Sony Alpha A580
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/storâ¦
Any other recommendations?
also, what is frames per second, aperture, and shutter speed?
Thank you so much.
Answer
First off, try this.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/recommended-cameras.htm
This guy uses Nikons. The D3100 (about $650) is a great starter camera.
You like the idea about shooting wildlife? you might want a 200-300 mm lens to start off with: nikon makes some great little starter lenses in those ranges (provided you take pictures only in the bright of day). They are:
55-200: http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/lens/zoom/telephotozoom/af-s_dx_zoom55-200mmf_4-56g_ed/index.htm
55-300: http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/lens/zoom/telephotozoom/af-s_nikkor55-300mmf_45-56g_ed_vr/index.htm
and, if you can afford it (hey, we can all dream...): http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/lens/zoom/normalzoom/af-s_nikkor28-300mmf_35-56gd_ed_vr/index.htm
To answer your other questions:
Frames per second: the number of pictures your camera will take in ONE second (today's cameras can take anywhere from 3 to 12, if not faster.
Aperture is the opening size of your lens. Typically, it's a number like 1.4, 1.8, 3.5, 5.6. This refers to how much light your lens will let into your camera. Smaller numbers are better, though certainly more expensive.
Shutter speed: duration of time your shutter will stay open to expose your photo sensor (formerly film). 1/30 is half the time of 1/60. 1/125 or faster (like 1/250, or 1/500) are what you would want for shooting animals running outside, or birds flying.
Hope this helps!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guyfromclearwater/sets/
http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/lens/zoom/normalzoom/af-s_dx_18-200mmf_35-56g_ed_vr2/index.htm
First off, try this.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/recommended-cameras.htm
This guy uses Nikons. The D3100 (about $650) is a great starter camera.
You like the idea about shooting wildlife? you might want a 200-300 mm lens to start off with: nikon makes some great little starter lenses in those ranges (provided you take pictures only in the bright of day). They are:
55-200: http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/lens/zoom/telephotozoom/af-s_dx_zoom55-200mmf_4-56g_ed/index.htm
55-300: http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/lens/zoom/telephotozoom/af-s_nikkor55-300mmf_45-56g_ed_vr/index.htm
and, if you can afford it (hey, we can all dream...): http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/lens/zoom/normalzoom/af-s_nikkor28-300mmf_35-56gd_ed_vr/index.htm
To answer your other questions:
Frames per second: the number of pictures your camera will take in ONE second (today's cameras can take anywhere from 3 to 12, if not faster.
Aperture is the opening size of your lens. Typically, it's a number like 1.4, 1.8, 3.5, 5.6. This refers to how much light your lens will let into your camera. Smaller numbers are better, though certainly more expensive.
Shutter speed: duration of time your shutter will stay open to expose your photo sensor (formerly film). 1/30 is half the time of 1/60. 1/125 or faster (like 1/250, or 1/500) are what you would want for shooting animals running outside, or birds flying.
Hope this helps!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guyfromclearwater/sets/
http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/lens/zoom/normalzoom/af-s_dx_18-200mmf_35-56g_ed_vr2/index.htm
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