Looking to buy a Film Camera..but..

OK, I'm back. So you want to be a pro hmm?

This means that you are going to have to go digital fairly soon.

But, not just now. Get something good and cheap and manual. I would suggest either an old Pentax or an old Minolta SRT 101/201.

Get a 24/28mm, a 50m, and an 85 to 100ish for some portraits. All of these manual and primes.

These will do just what you need and when it's time to get your pro gear you won't have too much invested so that you can get into which ever brand you like. And you will be a photographer!
 
Just go to ebay and buy a Nikon F5. Best 35mm film camera.
$450 and you can get one right now with the mb26 data back already on it.
Pick up a sb28 flash for it for cheap as dirt too and you've got an awesome film set up.
If thats too expensive get an F100.
Like someone else said. Film cameras are very cheap now so just get the best and dont worry about shopping for entry level.
 
Sabrina, another thought, if you know someone who knows about cameras you might make the rounds of the pawn shops in the area.

You might get the whole kit on the cheap.

I found a Nikon 24mm for $10 last week in one.
 
Well guys.. [:
I already have a digital camera, and I'm really good on it.
Especially with the Digital Macro feature. -swoon-
Haha.
But yeah, I want to be good in digital AND film
[:
Plus film is so much more rewarding, in my opinion.

And I know nothing about Pawn shops.
xD

The only place I know that sells manual cameras/SLRs is..WolfCamera, but I don't know if they'll have the Rebel I want.


I was thinking if I saved my paychecks after buying everything i need for [this semester's] classes, I can buy an SLR & fully manual camera.
Cuz I know how I am, in the end I might do that.
And since everyone is saying how cheap the Old-fully manual cameras are, I just might. [:

Ahhhh!! I'm so confused. So should I get an SLR or just a Fully manual camera?

And @Anubis: Well, the SLRs on Amazon are pretty decent price-wise. Most of them, not even $400.00

And yes, I do want something for my 'entry level' but I also don't want a camera that I'll get bored of in no time.
Cuz I do know the basics of Film Photography, having taken the half-quarter class as a junior in High School, but I want to refresh and sharpen my skills, and see what kind of pictures I can make with Film.
 
Oh, and I forgot where I saw this but is it true that on SLRs right after you take a picture, the picture you took pops up on the LCD so you can see how you took it?
=S
 
Being a colledge student you should look at the older Canon lines such as the AE-1 and the like. they and their lenses are affordable and fully functional. If you are taking photogtraphy classes the AE-1 and the like commonly perferred by instructors over the EOS series due to their highly manual nature. Perferred to the point of cases where I have seen students having to replace an EOS with a more manual camera on a couple occations. Only drawback is the lenses do not mount onto the newer bodies be they digital or film.

The FD series lens is a great series of manual lenses, given Canons decision to incorperate AF into the lens from the beginning the FD line went truly obsolete with launch of the EOS cameras. The FD and EF mounts will not interrchange with out the use of adapters, those adaptors are rare and often of poor quality. That said many people are selling their lenses after upgrading to the EOS bodies and glass is readilly available at reasonable prices.

The Canon FD 50mm 1.8 and the Canon FD 50mm 1.4 where a kit lens back then, so they are readily available for under thirty bucks if your camera does not come with it from the get go (commonly 50mm 1.8).

I have seen complete setups including body and several lenses, filters, flash and other misc accesseries go for under $200 (USD)

This is one time where inexpencive is not a scarifice in quality. Canons FD glass is comperable to the current lens series in quality.

Sample photos taken with Canon FD lenses on the Canon EF body

Sample#1
Sample#2
Sample#3
Sample#4
Sample#5

*EDIT*
I was thinking if I saved my paychecks after buying everything i need for [this semester's] classes, I can buy an SLR & fully manual camera.
Cuz I know how I am, in the end I might do that.
And since everyone is saying how cheap the Old-fully manual cameras are, I just might. [:

Ahhhh!! I'm so confused. So should I get an SLR or just a Fully manual camera?

And @Anubis: Well, the SLRs on Amazon are pretty decent price-wise. Most of them, not even $400.00

And yes, I do want something for my 'entry level' but I also don't want a camera that I'll get bored of in no time.
Cuz I do know the basics of Film Photography, having taken the half-quarter class as a junior in High School, but I want to refresh and sharpen my skills, and see what kind of pictures I can make with Film.

There are fully manual SLR's, but I would advise just getting an SLR to start with and go from there, As I said above, the Canons from the seventies are a great combination of manual function with automated features.

If you want something really versital look into one of those Canon EFs like the one I linked earlier. It's a little harder to find and costs a little more but it is a wonderful camera.

http://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/Prod...=&ID=11&BC=CA&BCC=1&CC=2&CCC=1&BCL=&GBC=&GCC=

http://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/Prod...=&ID=11&BC=CA&BCC=1&CC=2&CCC=1&BCL=&GBC=&GCC=


Oh, and I forgot where I saw this but is it true that on SLRs right after you take a picture, the picture you took pops up on the LCD so you can see how you took it?
=S

Digital yes, film no, not that I have ever seen atleast.
 
Last edited:
Oh okay. That's what I thought, haha. [Film =/= picture pop up]

And so, I've been looking all over for those Nikon FMs but they're like..200$ everywhere I see. :S Ebay and Adorama..and other places I can't remember now.

I guess I'll end up buying an SLR and Nikon FM if I ever end up finding one.

I also like the Canon you suggested Battou, but I wouldn't know where to look for that one either.

D:


So which one is better..

Nikon FM vs. Canon AE-1?
 
Last edited:
Oh okay. That's what I thought, haha. [Film =/= picture pop up]

And so, I've been looking all over for those Nikon FMs but they're like..200$ everywhere I see. :S Ebay and Adorama..and other places I can't remember now.

I guess I'll end up buying an SLR and Nikon FM if I ever end up finding one.

I also like the Canon you suggested Battou, but I wouldn't know where to look for that one either.

D:

In the post there are links to two of them being sold at KEH, and every now and agin they pop up on Ebay, I just bought a second one last week for a hundred fifty on two bidders and 4 bids, and there was a second one I was watching that went for only fifty bucks on five bidders and seven bids.

A quick check shows two currently on the auction block at E-bay

http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-EF-Film-C...ryZ15241QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The first one looks like it's going to get up there in price, but I will point it out because it's there (above). The other I don't antisipate going too high due to proformance affecting damage (below). That one is prolly not your best bet, but just in case.

http://cgi.ebay.com/CANON-EF-CAMERA...ryZ15241QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
 
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Sabrina,
If you don't mind mail order, KEH is great, I typically buy bargain grade, and bgn F3hp are quite cheap. (around $125 or so) Add a 50 1.8 AIS lens for around $50 and you will have a camera that will last you a lifetime.
 
Sabrina, don't do Anything until you have spoken to one of the professors in the photography department!!

I am in no way trying to be insulting here but you are demonstrating a high degree of confusion about all of this. Having a face to face with a knowledgeable person is the best way to clear it all up.

Keep saving so that when you are sure of what you will need you will be able to proceed right away.
 
Sabrina, don't do Anything until you have spoken to one of the professors in the photography department!!

I am in no way trying to be insulting here but you are demonstrating a high degree of confusion about all of this. Having a face to face with a knowledgeable person is the best way to clear it all up.

Keep saving so that when you are sure of what you will need you will be able to proceed right away.

Yes, Mike_E does have a point. There are a lot of things that seem to be conflicting indicitive to too much information at once. With a little patients we can clear up a bunch of it, but the professors in the photography department are really the only ones who can say for sure what is acceptable as far as what you will be needing. Here we (those of us who attended classes) tend to base our replies on what was required when we attended classes and/or assuming given observed tendancies. The only ones who can tell you definately are those who are making the rules so to speak.

Take what you have gathered here and ask them before buying.



Additionally: To answer the question you edited in to your post that I did not see, the FM and AE-1 are rival cameras of a similar era, they will perform equally, the only advantage one will have over the other is in availability. I don't know about the availability of the FM, but I do know the AE-1 is everywhere and dirt common. You have no need to buy an AE-1 now, there is always over a dozen avalialbe on E-bay cheap,I have not bothered looking at KEH or B&H for an AE-1 but I assume they will have a couple. It's almost impossible to missout on a good AE-1 so you can wait as long as needed and still find one.
 
Ooh.
I would wait 'til talking to the professor but I wanted to start learning ahead of time and getting familiar with the camera before.
 
Ooh.
I would wait 'til talking to the professor but I wanted to start learning ahead of time and getting familiar with the camera before.

As always the decision it yours to make, If you wan't to take a gamble and get a head start, my recomendation is the AE-1 with 50mm lens. Inexpencive, fairly easy to read/use and almost a sure fire bet to be acceptable in entry level classes.
 
I've made up my mind to buy the fully manual 65$ camera from djacobox372, if he ever answers D:

And then in about two months or so I'll get a Rebel or so.
 
I've made up my mind to buy the fully manual 65$ camera from djacobox372, if he ever answers D:

And then in about two months or so I'll get a Rebel or so.

Um.. if you're planning on getting the Nikon manual camera, why would you get a Rebel later on, that won't be able to use your Nikon lenses?

The FM is a good camera btw.. I have an FE, which is the same camera pretty much, but with Aperture Priority added into the mix although it doesn't work properly without a battery, while the FM can.

If you do get the FM, and the time comes when you're ready for a film camera upgrade, I would jump to the F100. I just got mine this past weekend for $200 and it is an amazing camera. I love it. Probably the best camera i've ever used. Plus it'll be able to meter your manual lenses leftover from the FM.
 

Most reactions

Back
Top