Camera recommendations

Thetrevolution · Sep 25, 2006

I'm looking to get an SLR that is not too pricy. The main thing I'm looking for is complete manual controls. I would rather have it completely manual, without autofocus and such. My price ceiling is somewhere around $350 new or used. My friend recommended a Nikon FM10, what do you think about them? Any better ideas?

Torus34 · Sep 25, 2006

Many manufacturers sold fine manual 35mm SLRs. They are available at low prices now. Brands such as Pentax, Canon, Nikon, Minolta and Konica come to mind. Lots of lenses are available for all of them. You'll probably also want a good exposure meter, as the ones on the older rigs don't always age gracefully.

selmerdave · Sep 25, 2006

I think there are much better options than an FM-10 for that budget. You could probably get a Nikon F3 with a 50mm lens for that if you watch eBay, definitely FM2n and FE2 should be easy as well. If you wanted to go Pentax, you could get a KX or MX. All of the above are outstanding cameras. The FM10 is not manufactured by Nikon, and I doubt it would last anywhere near as long as any of the above. I think used is definitely the way to go, both because older stuff (70's and 80's) tends to be better made and also because that was the manual focus era so those cameras lend themselves better to manual photography.

Dave

fightheheathens · Sep 25, 2006

Pentax MX is a good fully manual camera, and at least my light meter has aged well...its much older then me and still works

JDP · Sep 25, 2006

Completely manual for $350? That's pretty easy these days. For $100 I picked up a Mamiya DLT1000 from 1968 and it came with a 50mm f/1.4, 90-230mm, flash, extension tubes, filters, and a nice hard padded case to keep it all together. Tack on $160 to get it cleaned, lubricated and adjusted and it's good as new. Or, well, I hope it will be - I'll find out in 3 weeks.

JEazy · Sep 25, 2006

I just bought a used 35mm Nikon N90s SLR w/vertical grip for $140 from bhphotovideo.com. look around at there used section, they have some great deals.

Luke_H · Sep 25, 2006

My opinion, because I have this setup and love it:

A Nikon N80 and Nikon's 50mm f1.8 AF/D lens.

It should run you about 250.00 for a used camera body in like-new condition along with a new lens.

You have full manual controls with shutter speeds up to 30 seconds.

You have full auto controls.

It's basically the new D80 digital camera except it uses film.

The ergonomics agree with my hands moreso than the older N90 camera.

This way you can use the camera for class, in manual mode, and then when you're not in the mood to waste time composing, you can use shutter or aperture priority.

The N80 has a screw hole in the shutter button for cable release, which I have used several times. Other plusses are the gridlines in the viewfinder along with a lighted LCD panel and lighted gridlines at night.

fightheheathens · Sep 25, 2006

as far as i knew, fully manual control meant (at least on SLR's) that the shutter and aperature were operated by a hand wound spring. IE the action of the shutter curtin is achieved by a manual action and not a magnetic system or other electrical device...but i could be wrong...

airgunr · Sep 26, 2006

I picked up a Nikon FM2n from Cameta. Full manual control. I does have a light meter that takes a battery but the camera will work without the battery just not meter. Built like a tank and will use all the modern AF lenses except the "G" series.

Don Simon · Sep 26, 2006

The FM2n is a great camera - flash sync speeds up to 1/250, shoots at all speeds without battery etc - but on the other hand it is significantly more expensive than other manual SLRs, and that money could instead be spend buying some quality glass instead. If you're planning to use a fully manual film camera a lot, for many years to come, then by all means go for something like an FM2n (or even an F3), or a similarly high-spec camera from another company like an Olympus OM3ti, Pentax LX or Canon F1. A camera like one of those in good condition will be an investment. It'll keep going forever and yet you'll be willing to pay to have it serviced anyway; it'll be tough enough to bounce off walls and at the same time you'll probably want to stop it from getting a scratch. On the other hand that may not be what you're looking for. If you just want a manual camera to experiment or learn with, or as a backup, you might be better going for something cheaper, like the FM10, FE10 or FG, the aforementioned Pentax MX, Pentax P30, Canon T60 or one of the Minolta SRT or XD series. They may not be as durable, but unless you habitually drop cameras from great heights that's unlikely to be a problem; they're still fairly sturdy for general use, even those partially made from the dreaded plastic. The real question is whether you'll miss things like high flash-sync speeds, shutter speeds over 1/1000 or 1/2000, or shooting without batteries (after all it's not hard to carry spares around). If not, you can get a nice lens or two with the money you saved, and still have manual control over exposure and focus.

airgunr · Sep 27, 2006

ZaphodB said:
<snip>If you're planning to use a fully manual film camera a lot, for many years to come, then by all means go for something like an FM2n (or even an F3), or a similarly high-spec camera from another company like an Olympus OM3ti, Pentax LX or Canon F1.<snip>.

Very good points and suggestions.

I think one of the things I like about the Nikons (not specifically the FM2n) is the lens compatabilities from the old manual cameras up to the newest digitals. I've got almost all Auto Focus lenses and all but the "G" series will work just fine on the manual as well as give me full fuctionality on my modern do everything cameras.

Some of the other systems like the Canons in particular don't have the backward/forward compatibilities so you have to have different lenses for each.

Just a point to keep in mind along with all the other factors to consider when selecting a camera and/or system.

nealjpage · Sep 27, 2006

airgunr said:
I think one of the things I like about the Nikons (not specifically the FM2n) is the lens compatabilities from the old manual cameras up to the newest digitals. I've got almost all Auto Focus lenses and all but the "G" series will work just fine on the manual as well as give me full fuctionality on my modern do everything cameras.

That's one of the things I also like about Pentax--almost all of their lenses will fit their modern cameras. The K1000 is built like a tank, too, which makes it awesome to use. It's a sense of power :lol:

ShandaLear · Sep 27, 2006

I absolutely LOVE my Fujifilm S5200. I got it on sale for $269. Bought a few lenses and an extended warranty and walked out of the Camera shop under $300. I've used much pricier cameras and gotten identical results. HUGELY recommended.

Started on a Pentax K-1000, an dinosaur that I still like for film.

Lol999 · Sep 29, 2006

I got back in the game last year with a manual focus Nikon F301. This really is a great learning camera, it has full manual, aperture priority auto, full program and TTL flash. Add exposure lock, built in motorwind and the fact it's built like a tank and you just can't go wrong. I gfot mine for the equivalent of $100US off e-bay and you canb often find them cheaper. It also accepts a wide range of lenses although I believe not the non AI series, which is no big deal as the AI onwards were often better (lets not mention the Series E or G). If that's not to your taste try the Nikon FM, fully manual and will even work without batteries, you just lose the meter. For $350US you might get a F3 which is a real camera, it does however have limitations on flash sync, 1/80th second and also the type of flash it accepts. That's why I keep thre F301 for when flash is called for!

Cheers, Lol