which film camera do u have?

[Musicforever]

Which film camera do u have? whats the best affordable one for beginners

[TPF Sponsor]

[O|||||||O]

I have a few. The ones I still use are: Canon 1N RS, Olympus XA, Fujifilm GF670. I have a few more in the closet that I haven't used in years...

Best affordable one for a beginner? Define affordable. What's your budget? That 1N RS I have was only like $200 (which seemed like a steal to me)... Do lenses need to come out of the same budget, or will they be a separate budget?

[ann]

Nikon f90, f100, a Plaubel Makina which is my favorite (it has a lovely 6x7 negative format). 4x5 and it goes on and on

[flatflip]

I have a Pentax K1000. I learned on one in the 80's and got another one last year. I wish I had something lighter and smaller, I might use it more. There are always Canon AE-1's on craigslist for around $50 but I'm not really familiar with them.

[DannyD]

I own a few cameras !

35mm :
Canon EOS 3
Canon Elan 7
Minolta SRT-101 (The old lady)
Vivitar V3800n (The school camera)

120 Med Format
Bronica ETRS
Rolleiflex

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For a beginner, the best choice is the Vivitar V3800n. You can get it new for less than $200 with a 2years warranty and a very sharp prime lens 50mm f:1.7. This is for a brand new one.

Second handed cameras are real bargains nowadays. You may be able to get some Expert or Pro cameras for a fraction of their original listing prices. The camera is not so important. It's always better to have an entry level body with a good lens than a prof. camera with a cheapy plastic lens.

Do you have a Digital SLR ? You should get a film camera using the same lens mount than your digital SLR (ie : Sony DSLR and Minolta Maxxum Film SLR). That way, you may be able to use your film camera lenses on your digital camera.

[Mike_Freeze]

Canon EOS 3 (Canon's most advanced eye control technology - too bad this didn't carry over to digital - this is a pro camera)
Canon Elan IIe - a fine camera, not pro level
Minolta SRT 102 - my favorite all-time camera, has been repaired once, has shutter issues when I shoot faster than 1/60
Kodak Brownie - 1917 pinhole box camera
Hanimex Pocket Camera 100 (110mm film)
Polaroid 600 Series Land Camera SN M5B 68538 NE
- never used, mint condition – received as a promotional item from Huggies diapers

I agree with the reply suggesting that you purchase the (brand new) Nikon 35mm film camera - it's 100% manual (except for having a built-in light meter), and it will take fantastic photos if you are capable. OTOH, you can buy 1 of yesterday's pro cameras (like the Canon EOS 3) for around $250 on Ebay if you want/need a sophisticated camera. But regardless of what you buy, put your money into getting quality lenses - best to get a cheap body and use quality glass with it than the other way around. Good luck; film is fantastic!

[cgipson1]

I miss my Olympus OM4's.. and have considered picking one up, but don't know if I will! Might be fun to get back into B&W developing again... don't know!

[selmerdave]

Too many is the short answer...

Pentax MZ-5
Pentax KX
Pentax LX
Nikon FM2n
Nikon FE2
Nikon F3
Mamiya C330
Mamiya RB 67 Pro S
Kodak Tourist
An old Voigtlander model I don't recall...

Dave

[Musicforever]

What r the pros and cons of film cameras? Whats good for beginners

[cabledawg]

I've had an Olympus OM1 back in the day, but currently have two Canon AE-1's and an AE-1 Program. Ton of different lenses, small assortment of filters and a couple flash units with various features. Seems simple enough to use and they are cheap on evilbay/craigslist.

AS for the pros and cons of film versus digital, I think it depends on the audience you address. People who use film most of the time (like myself) tend to prefer film, but those who have gone digital tend to prefer digital. When it comes to picture quality, I think you'll find its more about the photographer than it is the media. A skilled photographer can get good pics from both. The advantage with digital is the preview screen that lets you know if your settings are too far off and you can snap several hundred shots on the same card.

[naptime]

my daughter and i are using canon eos rebel 2000's you can get them all day on ebay for around 40 bucks for the bodies.

so far, we like them.

[dxqcanada]

Minolta Maxxum 9000
Pros = I can share my full frame lenses with my Sony DSLR
Cons = split screen ground screen is hard to get

Yashica-Mat
Pros = cheap medium format
Cons = too many also feel this way so it is over inflated in price.

[fotoshooter]

SLR's: Minolta XE-7, XK, srT101, srT 102, srT 202, Nikon F...

Rangefinder: Leica M2, M3, M4, IIIa, IIIc, IIIf, Kodak Retina IIIc and C, Kodak Retina IIa, and others...

The srT's can be had on eBay fairly cheap.....

[Mike_E]

First, to accuratly answer your question we need to know your budget. The perfect camera system, or just a camera, is useless if you can't afford it.

The next question is what you would most like to shoot. Landscapes are a little different than street/snapshooting. Portraits are different than sports and so forth.

If you don't really know and want a catch-all hope for the best, I'd start with a rangefinder; rangefinders are easy to use, quiet, and generally smaller than a SLR.

I would also look on KEH.com and get one in what they term exelent or better shape. The reason for this is that if you are inexperienced you won't know if it's the camera or you that's messing up. Getting one that's in good working order will let you know that it isn't the camera right away.

Another good question you should be asking is what you should read before starting on your adventure.

There are a number of places on the web you can start such as here.. (rember that digital and film are mostly equal as far as shooting most things)

Tutorial Links
Cambridge in Colour - Photography Tutorials & Learning Community
Ultimate Exposure Computer
Tutorials
Zeltsman Apporach to Traditionla Classic Portraiture An oldie but a great guide that covers all the basics

Portraiture and Studio




That should get you started.

[maris]

Some Tachiharas, 8x10 and 4x5 formats. I don't have a non-film camera and really don't have a use for one. All my gear costs less than the high level DSLR stuff I see people carrying when they are after snapshots.