recommendation for a film camera

[bored]

awhile back i showed my nephew some pictures of some of my hiking trips and he loved those pictures and wants to get into photography as a hobby. so i signed him up for a basic photography class in the local community college for fun. personally, i don't know much about camera. i just read look things up at cnet to get an idea and search the web which works well for digital but the professor requires film camera. which it think it's cool for him to learn how to use a dark room. i have looked up some film camera but i would like to have more options before buying. the requirement for the class is 35mm film or larger, adjustable shutter speeds, and f-stop. thanks in advance.

 

[Battou]

Canon AE-1 with Canon FD 50mm 1.4, minimum


Canon's FD glass is cheap and available and is just as sharp as modern lenses, they where only discontinued because Canon put AF in the lens and the FD mount could not handle it.

The Canon AE-1 is also dirt cheap and available. it's a semi-manual film camera with Aperture priority set with the aperture ring on the lens and can be used fully manual. TTL metering, split screen focusing is exelent to learn on.

 

[bhop]

Another option would be a Nikon FE, or FM, or the granddaddy of photography student cameras, Pentax K1000. These are all manual cameras (manual focus, manual settings for shutter speeds and apertures)

 

[saycheese76]

Another vote for the AE-1 for the same reasons as stated above. It's what I learned on. Good luck to him!

 

[jlykins]

+1 for the Nikon FE. I learned to shoot with a Minolta MCII. It's fully manual, but it has a meter built in. They can be found on ebay or craigslist for $30 or so with a 50mm lens.

 

[RebelTasha]

The AE-1 doesnt' have auto focus which is almost taken for granted these days.
There is the 35mm Canon Rebel that can be purchased very reasonaly on Ebay depending on which model they all have AF.
Or my current favourite the Elan ll has it too....

 

[epp_b]

I just got an FM with a Nikkor 50/1.8 lens for $75 on eBay. You can probably find a similar deal if you keep your eyes peeled.

Or, maybe, I can interest you in my F-801 for around $50?

 

[confused_in_the_darkroom]

pentax k-1000 is a great learning camera and is very reasonably priced. its not autofocus but w/e, its still fun.

 

[MikeBcos]

Ya know, photographers managed without autofocus for nearly 150 years, it's nice but it isn't absolutely necessary.

Any of the cameras mentioned above would be great, I have a Pentax K1000 and love it, I also have a Konica TC I've had for 20 years or more, aperture priority or manual, pretty good lens.

I would think that pretty much any camera from the eighties into the early nineties would be perfect, just make sure everything works.

 

[RebelTasha]

Ya know, photographers managed without autofocus for nearly 150 years, it's nice but it isn't absolutely necessary.

I agree I wanted to point it out though! I love using my AE-1 for most all pictures EXCEPT my children ... ahhh you moved!! They don't just move a little bit they move like several feet and I have to refocus again.. and again... and sometimes again...
The little split image circle works brilliant though.. It is a lot of fun to use!

 

[christopher walrath]

It's all been said but here are the big four.

Canon AE-1
Nikon FE/FM
Minolta sr-T101/XG-M
Pentax K1000

All built like tanks and very modular.

 

[MikeBcos]

I agree I wanted to point it out though! I love using my AE-1 for most all pictures EXCEPT my children ... ahhh you moved!! They don't just move a little bit they move like several feet and I have to refocus again.. and again... and sometimes again...
The little split image circle works brilliant though.. It is a lot of fun to use!

Yes, moving subjects take some practice, but you know the one thing that was really great about "vintage" cameras? They all came with a "Nifty Fifty"! :mrgreen:

 

[bored]

I just got an FM with a Nikkor 50/1.8 lens for $75 on eBay. You can probably find a similar deal if you keep your eyes peeled.

Or, maybe, I can interest you in my F-801 for around $50?

are any of those pictures from your site taken by your f-801? after looking up some prices, dample pictures, and reviews i'm in between the canon ae-1, since i have used canon cameras in the past and liked them, or the nikon fe.

 

[epp_b]

are any of those pictures from your site taken by your f-801? after looking up some prices, dample pictures, and reviews i'm in between the canon ae-1, since i have used canon cameras in the past and liked them, or the nikon fe.

A few yes:

http://eppb.myphotos.cc/album/animals/snowy_nose_large.jpg
http://eppb.myphotos.cc/album/landscapes_and_other_nature/path_logs_large.jpg
http://eppb.myphotos.cc/album/landscapes_and_other_nature/cattails_large.jpg
http://eppb.myphotos.cc/album/cars_and_transportation/old_truck_grill_large.jpg

Any imperfections will be due to my cheap scanner, not the camera.

And picture of the camera itself:
http://eppb.myphotos.cc/album/miscellaneous/f-801_large.jpg

(not taken with that camera, of course )

Keep in mind though that, especially with a film camera, the camera you use is almost completely irrelevant. The pictures you make are up to your film, lenses, lighting and, most of all, you.

 

[Early]

For complete, no cheating manual control, look at the Minolta SRT line. The ones I'd recommend are the Srt 102 with the mirror lock up feature. It also has an intentional multiple exposure provision, and show both shutter and aperture setting in the view finder; the 202, which doesn't have mirror lock up, but retains the ME provision and full info view finder. It also adds a film reminder slot. They both have hot shoes and PC contact. You also have the 101, which has the mirror lock up feature, but doesn't have a hot shoe, and you can't see the aperture setting in the view finder. It doesn't have the split image focusing thingie, but you can learn to live without that. And, just so you know, not all the 101's and 102'a have MLU. They're okay, just not worth as much.

Whatever you buy, make sure it is guaranteed to work. If someone says it seems to work, or worked the last time he used it, run the other way.