Film Student

[1986]

i have 2 digital cameras that i shot with but i always wanted to start with film...any way my high school FINALLY got a photography class :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
it is an all film class which is sweet but now i want a film camera and i was looking at older cameras and i think i found the one i want i just wanted to know if it is a good camera...the canon AE-1 Program? i am not in any hurry to buy it now becuse the class isn't untill next year and im a little low on cash too but the camera is only around $150 so its not too bad

Thanks in advanced

 

[usayit]

Canon AE-1 Program is a good camera but it isn't the only choice out there. So do some research and enjoy the numerous choices you have available at a very cheap entrance fee.

Make sure the Canon AE-1 does not have shutter squeek!!! Also note that the FD mount for that camera doesn't not carry you into the latest system, EOS/EF mount.

Here's a good link for about the AE-1
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/SLRs/ae1/

Others I can suggest of the top of my head:
Canon A-1 < more advanced that the AE-1 but more $$$.
Pentax ME Super
Pentax MX < a bit more $$$.
Pentax K1000 < the "student" camera. Will probably be the most affordable.


For manual SLRs I'm a bit Pentax biased but I do own an AE-1 and A-1 and they are just as capable.

 

[1986]

thank you for the help

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Get a 35mm SLR with the EF mount.

 

[nealjpage]

I also would look at the Pentax K1000. Fully manual, great glass, and CHEAP. The built-in light meter is super easy to use, too.

 

[1986]

alright ill check it out

 

[Weaving Wax]

I have a Canon EOS 650 I got off of Ebay for 20 something bucks. (just the body). Plus, a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Lens for $50 on ebay barely used. So, all of that for under $100. If I were you, I'd try ebay. A lot of film bodies are going for dirt cheap because everyone is going digital. Good for you for wanting to go film!

 

[1986]

i will most likely buy ebay but i kinda like the old camera look

 

[Alpha]

The three classic photo student cameras would be the Canon AE-1, the Nikon FE, and the Pentax Me/Super/Program. I've shot all three on numerous occasions and must say that the Pentax Super Program is by far the best choice. It's compact, lighter weight than the other two, has the most easily readable meter, and has both shutter and aperture priority modes. I also firmly believe that it has the sharpest and best assortment of lenses (especially primes). The f1.4 and f1.7 can be had for 50 bucks on a good day, and there are several very fast longer primes, such as the 135mm f1.8.

 

[Don Simon]

Just a couple of thoughts:

$150 for an AE-1 may not be bad but it's not a great price either. I've picked up comparable cameras as low as £20 (about $40?) and still in excellent condition. My advice would be to look around local camera stores, check used camera listings, and really spend a while on Ebay seeing what prices cameras go for. Ebay can be wonderful but it's not always the cheapest, especially in the case of cameras which are well known or often recommended; for example the K1000 or AE-1 can actually sell for more than other equivalent or even better cameras from the same companies. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy one of those, just that you might want to do a bit of reading (every brand has a couple of 'fan' sites giving their product history) and see what else there is.

As usayit said, you might want to consider whether you want to go for a modern auto-focus film or digital SLR in the near future. If so you may want to go for a system where the old manual focus lenses and the modern auto-focus bodies are compatible; namely Pentax and Nikon. Pentax is simple; if it fits on a K1000 it will fit on a modern dSLR and ou will be able to meter. Compatibility with Nikon is not always so straightforward but oddly enough you can use manual focus Nikon lenses on a newer Canon EOS camera with an adapter, as some folks here have done. Unfortunately I do not know of any other old manual focus systems (Canon, Minolta, Olympus etc) that will work on a current autofocus camera without an inconvenient optical adapter.
Of course this may not really matter; there's nothing wrong with having an 'obsolete' system and in fact this means you can buy Canon FD, Olympus and Minolta manual focus lenses quite a bit cheaper than the alternatives. One final thought: If you're going for an old manual focus system and compatibility with modern auto systems doesn't matter, then you're not limited to the names that are still widely recognised today. Konica, Chinon, Yashica, Praktica and a number of other companies all made good cameras and glass which will still work today. When it comes to choosing a manual focus system you have almost endless choice.

 

[alinCiortea]

prakticas are great cameras and you can find famous lenses for this mount (M42). unfortunatelly, they are rather bulky and can be hard to handle at times (especially when using heavy telephoto lenses, even like the 135mm pentacon auto). the mount can also give you head-aches when in need of fast lens change. for this matter I'd choose a bayonet mount any day (I own a Praktica SuperTL). the bright side is that some of the most famous prime lenses, such as the Jupiter 85/2.8, CarlZeissJena Pancolar 50/1.8 or the Flektogon 35/2.8 will fit the mount and these lenses give you fabulous quality for the buck. (the Jupiter has 15 diaphragm petals, giving you virtually round bokeh at any f number. as I was reading somewhere - can't rember where, the Pancolar is regarded as one of the best 50mm primes in history. this could be wrong though)

as far as the bayonet mounts are considered, my personal choice would be Pentax. it will allow you to use the lenses on a digital SLR as well and the Super Takumar lenses are famous for their quality. from what I've been reading, my choice of body would be the pentax MX, for its options, but the K1000 and ME are highly regarded as well. the choice pretty much depends on what you want from a camera (fast shutter speeds, depth-of-field preview, universal mount etc)

 

[1986]

thanks for all the help...does anyone know a camera shop that carries used equipment around columbus, ohio

 

[Don Simon]

such as the Jupiter 85/2.8

Would that be the Jupiter 85/2 ? you are right about the bokeh, wonderful piece of glass.

The all-mechanical Pentaxes are great but personally I like the lesser-known P30, sure it's part plastic and needs batteries but it can be had for significantly less than the 'nicer' mechanicals and being newer it may be less likely to require a CLA, on the other hand it's better built than the newer ZX-M. In the words of Columbo, just one more thing: The Super-Takumars were M42 screw-mount lenses, not K-mount bayonet ones (though they can be used with Pentax K-mount SLRs with an adapter, as they can on Canon EOS or Minolta/Sony A-mount systems (but not Nikon or AFAIK Olympus).

By the way, welcome to the forum!

 

[fightheheathens]

I had a pentax MX for quite a long time. It was an amazing camera (dont have it anymore because it was stolen) And i would go with it again.
However, im getting a Nikon FM2n soon to replace my pentax for a varity of reasons the chief being that i dont really like the pentax Digital camera (personal choice) Although i can forsee getting a pentax MX again at some point on ebay. it was a great camera

 

[Weaving Wax]

thanks for all the help...does anyone know a camera shop that carries used equipment around columbus, ohio

I don't live in Ohio, but try googling it. Or going to yellowpages.com to see.. That's what I use to look for stuff in my area.