Recommendations on first film camera

[CaranDache]

I want to get into film photography but there are so many cameras I have no idea where to start. My budget is around $500 for a body and a lens. I have been looking at everything from a Nikon 35ti to a Mamiya 645 Pro. I would like to get something that will allow me to grow and expand into different lenses. Rangefinders and medium format cameras are highly appealing but may be out of my reach.

I know that Yashica SLRs like the Fx-3 can fit Ziess lenses which is appealing but would that really be better than a Nikon F2 or F3?

 

[djacobox372]

You might want to ask this question in the film forum...

I would highly recommend opting for medium format, assuming you can develop and scan yourself. Black and white negative development is very easy, super-cheap (less then 50 cents a roll), and doesn't need a dark room. Film scanners are fairly inexpensive ($150 or so for an epson that will scan medium format).

If you can't develop and scan the negatives yourself, then anything other then 35mm will become very expensive.

You can also develop color negatives at home but it requires more precision and the chemicals aren't as economical (about $2 a roll assuming you use all the chemicals to exhaustion).

Why medium format over 35mm? Resolution! it's like the difference between 10 and 30 megapixels. Higher resolution will give you smoother gradients, more cropping options, and allow you to shoot higher iso film without the grain becoming overbearing.

Medium format comes in a variety of sizes, with 6x6, 6x7, and 6x4.5 being the most common. 6x6 TLR's and 6x4.5 SLRS are very portable and good for street photography, whereas 6x7 SLRS are a bit bulky and better for tripod/studio work.

I'd suggest either a mamiya 645 TL PRO (6x4.5) or a yashica TLR (6x6).

If you want to go with 35mm then look no further then a nikon f100--they sell for less then $200 these days and are one of the finest pro-quality cameras ever made. They will also use all the modern nikon lenses and the vast majority of the older ones as well.

Good luck!