the simplest film camera

[Early]

For a light weight manual camera, try the Pentax MX.

 

[Junior897]

How about a Nikon EM. You can buy them pretty cheap on ebay with a 50mm f1.8. Or if you want to spend more for a better camera the FM2. Both are built very well, but they both take batteries. The FM2 will work without the battery.

 

[usayit]

Ones that come to mind.

Leica M3 (expensive)
Leica III (expensive)
Canon IVSB2 (expensive)
Russian Leica "Fed copies" (cheap. quiet compact. quality control lacking. takes some effort to find a good one)
Pentax/Asahi Spotmatic (very good. CLA affordable. inexpensive. lotsolenses. not as compact as rangefinders)
Pentax/Asahi K1000 (Same as spotmatic but new build and K-mount instead of M42)
Canon QL17 GIII (probably the best option of the bunch.)
Canon QL19
Canon Cannonet 28 (baby GL17. not as fast of a lens)

If it were me, I'd seriously consider carrying the QL17 after CLA'd. Fun and reliable cameras to shoot. VERY good optics and seriously fast 40mm f/1.7. Next inline would be my M3 but it might for a theft target.

If you want something new, there are not many choices in this fancy electronic world. Your best option would be a mechanical Voigtlander Bessa rangefinder with choice of lens. More specifically the R2M or R4M which has a completely mechanical shutter, M-mount (Voigtlander and Leica lenses), meter (if battery), and their quality is very high. The deciding factor between the two would be whether you prefer wider framlines or slightly more telephoto.

 

[Dwig]

...
Canon Cannonet 28 (baby GL17. not as fast of a lens)
...

I'd suggest skipping this one. It is an auto-only camera mandating a working battery. The only manual shutter speed is 1/30th to be used with flash (a slow speed to allow for flash bulb use in addition to electronic flash).

 

[illstudio]

Hi,

usually i use a canon 350D, which is amazing. however, i'm about to embark upon some travelling which could be a bit rough and am looking for the simplest film camera possible.

i'm talking mechanical wind, no flash, no batteries, manual focus if possible. it should also be fairly small. does such a thing exist?

thanks

Pentax Spotmatic SLR. Simple, cheap, you can't kill it. Look on eBay for killer deals.
Also the Nikon FG-20. I still use it when shooting girls in the saltwater surf.

 

[omtech]

XA is a nice little camera but is battery dependent. I suggest OM-1 or 1N. Completely mechanical shutter, lots of great used lenses available. John

 

[JohnMF]

I would go with an Olympus Trip 35 if you can find one.

I got mine from a thrift store for less than $5 in a group buy type thing.

Its batteryless, Mechanical wind, manual zone focusing, very small, built like a tank, good glass, and it just looks cool in black. It also has a built in meter that has worked very well for me, Ive yet to try slide film in it, but I doubt it would be a problem. And if you need flash it has a hot shoe and PC connection.

Heres a pic of mine and some sample shots taken with it

http://www.flickr.com/photos/randerson07/sets/72157608933597255/

Looking back over your original post, I'm going to do a u-turn here and second this suggestion. It meets all of you criteria and has a outstanding lens on it.

 

[djacobox372]

You should be able to find a yashica 35mm rangefinder with a battery-free light meter for <$50. They're light, reliable and durable cameras.

 

[epp_b]

This looks pretty simple

I'd say look at an old manual film camera. They control all the basics of what you need (basically exposure and focus) and nothing else.

 

[mnunes810]

minolta srt 101 handles my abuse well batteries not required

 

[bitteraspects]

A Pentax K1000 is reasonably small. It does have one battery (which lasts a long time) that powers the light meter. There's no on/off switch; capping the lens shuts down the meter. Can be had off ebay with 50mm lens for less than $50. I've also found it at pawn shops.

i always suggest this camera to people who want to learn how to really use a manual camera. its a great workhorse, and will teach you a lot

 

[a_spaceman]

I would go with an Olympus Trip 35 if you can find one.

I got mine from a thrift store for less than $5 in a group buy type thing.

Its batteryless, Mechanical wind, manual zone focusing, very small, built like a tank, good glass, and it just looks cool in black. It also has a built in meter that has worked very well for me, Ive yet to try slide film in it, but I doubt it would be a problem. And if you need flash it has a hot shoe and PC connection.

Heres a pic of mine and some sample shots taken with it

http://www.flickr.com/photos/randerson07/sets/72157608933597255/

+1
that's the one camera i immediately thought of as i read the thread title.
the trip 35 is one little great camera. they were hugely popular, which makes them cheap. look for one in charity shops and stores alike, or ebay - they go for cheap there, too.
you can't go wrong with one of these.

 

[Sangetsu]

Hi,

usually i use a canon 350D, which is amazing. however, i'm about to embark upon some travelling which could be a bit rough and am looking for the simplest film camera possible.

i'm talking mechanical wind, no flash, no batteries, manual focus if possible. it should also be fairly small. does such a thing exist?

thanks

Pentax Spotmatic SLR. Simple, cheap, you can't kill it. Look on eBay for killer deals.
Also the Nikon FG-20. I still use it when shooting girls in the saltwater surf.

Ditto on the Spotmatic, or the S3, or the SL. My local shop has all of these used for around $30 a pop, including a lens.

 

[javier]

I would recommend a Pentax K1000 as well. Cheap body, cheap lenses, reliable, simple to use, battery for the meter literally lasts for years and if it dies, the camera still works fine. It's the original 'student camera'. I have one and enjoy picking it up and playing with it from time to time, although, I haven't shot with it in a while.

check out this pentax k1000 group on flickr
Flickr: Pentax K-1000 users and lovers (k1000)

.

+3, i could not agree more.

 

[KmH]

Simple and under $40 brand new.