(Another) Beginner Here :)

[Trevor Weaver]

Hello, My name is Trevor, I used to do photography with point and shoot cameras in the 90's and I've always enjoyed doing it, but for some reason I stopped. Just a few months ago a friend of mine let me play around with his nikon fm2, and then I realized that I almost forgot about how fun it was to do photography. He showed me how to develop film, and scan negatives and everything. It was great!

Now I want to get started again. I have adequate knowledge of cameras, I know I Want a manual, film, SLR camera .I'll be primarily shooting on B&W film (I can't develop color on my own at this point) and scanning the negatives on my computer. I've been searching craigslist, and I found 2 deals to get started on, but I don't know which one I should go with:

$50 (USD)
Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic F with 55mm f.8 lens
Asahi Pentax SP 1000 with 55mm 2.0 lens
Soligor 200mm f3.5 Telephoto lens
Pentax SMCT 35mm f3.5 Wide-angle lens
2X converter
Sekonic L-248 Light Meter
Some Accessories

or this

$60(USD)
-Pentax K1000 body
-50mm 1:2 Asahi lens
-28mm 1:2.8 Albinar wide-angle lens
-1:4/200 Asahi telephoto lens
-Toshiba Flash
-three Promaster screw-on macro lens (+1,+2, and +4)
-three rolls of Kodak ISO 800 color film
-Pentax Mount Adapter K

My friend told me that basically any camera from pentax, nikon, canon, minolta, konica, ect. would be fine to learn the basics. He said that eventually I'll want something better. I'm going to stick with nikon (so I can mooch off of my friend's lenses) but I'm not exactly sure about a model, I'm working on some cash for the eventual upgrade, my budget will be around $300. and I plan to be shooting motion shots (like animals running, sports ect.), landscapes, and very close up pictures (so basically a bit of everything). I don't know what to look for when I buy this camera though.

I'll also be developing film, scanning negatives and printing photos on my own, so is there a (cheap) scanner and/or printer that will allow me to scan my negatives, and print photos at a decent quality? (budget around $200+)


Hmm, I may be asking too much

tl;dr: of the two cameras at the top what should I get? What should I get after that, when I learn the basics, and what scanner/printer should I get?

 

[evo5gsr]

Go with the Pentax K1000.

 

[SBlanca]

i really don't know much about film slr's but why would someone rather purchase a film slr than a dslr knowing that with a digital slr you can do more things and save money

 

[Trevor Weaver]

i really don't know much about film slr's but why would someone rather purchase a film slr than a dslr knowing that with a digital slr you can do more things and save money

Newer =/= better.

 

[CanadianMe]

i really don't know much about film slr's but why would someone rather purchase a film slr than a dslr knowing that with a digital slr you can do more things and save money

I have DSLR and used to shoot SLR B&W film it is just not the same experience. I am loving DSLR but in time would consider shooting film on an SLR again. Just shooting is almost the same in but post processing there is something really different working in a dark room. In post processing they feel like two completely different medias and I miss doing dark room work, it was an art unto itself. They are not the same thing, I thought they would be close but just so different in many ways.

I agree I would pick the Pentax K1000.

 

[Big Mike]

You say that you want to stick with a Nikon so you can borrow your friend's lenses...but neither of those two are Nikon (or compatible)...am I missing something?

 

[Mav]

They're $50 and $60 for the whole package apparently? That 200mm f/4 in the second kit sounds pretty nice!

 

[eminart]

You say that you want to stick with a Nikon so you can borrow your friend's lenses...but neither of those two are Nikon (or compatible)...am I missing something?

I thought I was the only one.........

i really don't know much about film slr's but why would someone rather purchase a film slr than a dslr knowing that with a digital slr you can do more things and save money

Well, he's not going to get a DSLR for $60. I also agree that film is still a cool medium. I sold my Minolta X700, but only to help finance the D80 I just bought. Otherwise, I'd have kept it.

 

[Socrates]

You say that you want to stick with a Nikon so you can borrow your friend's lenses...but neither of those two are Nikon (or compatible)...am I missing something?

He's referring to "eventually" when he get's something better.

 

[probe1957]

I sold my Minolta X700, but only to help finance the D80 I just bought. Otherwise, I'd have kept it.

Same reason I sold my old F-1n and AT-1. Along with several lenses and a couple of year old film scanner.

 

[RyanLilly]

They're $50 and $60 for the whole package apparently? That 200mm f/4 in the second kit sounds pretty nice!

Thats what I was thinking; Buy them both!

 

[Sandspur]

Both sound interesting for the price. But go in assuming that about half the stuff in each package will be useless.

I might consider buying both packages too ... but be aware that the Spotmatic and SP 1000 use screw-mount lenses, while the K 1000 uses the Pentax bayonet mount.

I'd also be a little leery of that last item in the second pkg. - the "Pentax Mount Adapter K." That might indicate that the lenses in that package are actually screw-mount instead of bayonet mount. It's not really much of a problem, I used one a lot back a few years ago when I was converting over from Spotmatics to my first K 1000. But just be aware.

Oh, and one more thing - based purely on the potential age of the cameras involved - Pentax stopped making Spotmatics in 1976. the K 1000 was made from 1976 until 1997. So ... the K 1000 would certainly be "newer."

 

[Trevor Weaver]

OK, Thank you all so much for the replies!

I seemed to have confused some of you, so let me rephrase: I plan to eventually upgrade to a nikon brand of camera (probably something like a fm2) so that I may use my friends camera accessories. Also, from what I've read Nikon is known for its cameras durability (excluding the fm10).

Also, I've recently come unto a bit of cash, so I will in fact buy both cameras, and probably give the spotmatic to my younger brother.

And to those who asked, I want to go with film, because developing film and making photos is part of the art form that is photography. I may be kidding myself, but I feel that by using film(and passing it on to my brother), I am helping to keep that art alive.

Once again, thank you everyone!

what do you guys suggest for printers/scanners though?

 

[Dubious Drewski]

the Pentax K1000 is famous for a reason. I got to play with a beat-up one at work and it made me decide to get one off of ebay for cheap($60 - with 28m lens). I actually just need the lens for my K10D, but I want to get a chance to shoot a roll of film or two with the beloved k1000 as well.

One complaint some people have about it though is that it has a few too many fancy automatic features, and a newbie to photography might not learn as much as a result. But I wouldn't listen to that.

EDIT: but now I see that you've settled on a Nikon. That's cool too. Maybe I shouldn't be drunk.

 

[usayit]

i really don't know much about film slr's but why would someone rather purchase a film slr than a dslr knowing that with a digital slr you can do more things and save money

That statement is pretty much a Declaration of War with those that live in the film sub-forum... hehehe lol