What Digital Cameras are fully manual or capable of being set to fully manual, and ..

[Dmee]

I'm looking for a good manual Digital Camera that has interchangeable lenses, capable of being fully manual, to especially include manual focus, and can save images in RAW format.

I am thinking about becoming a hobbyist photographer because I like making pictures that I like to see. I prefer film-photography, but the availability of dark rooms forces my hand in that I'm going to need to have a manual digital camera as well.

Anyhow, all I really want is a camera that I can buy replaceable lenses for, different lenses for, filters for, that allows for full manual control over everything. I want to be able to fully disable any and all auto-features equipped on the camera. One that doesn't require any more than a button-battery to actually take a picture when on manual would be ideal, you know, just enough power to save captured images to the storage medium while everything else is controlled by non-electrical mechanisms.

I realize that most digital cameras will use electricity to control everything, so I expect this is probably how it will be with whatever one I buy.

What happened to the days when everything was triggered by a mechanical mechanism rather than an electronic one? When a solar flare hits the world, it'll be the film photographers who will be able to capture the nuance and visions of that time. By the time digital photographers get up and going again, the worst of it will have already passed. Don't let film photography die lest the world inevitably lament from the lack of documentation it otherwise could have had.


EDIT:
Thanks for your answers so far, but what about RAW format and interchangeable lenses. I'm not looking for any digital camera, I'm looking for one that is capable of all these functions, and also has a good range of functionality, it's versatile, good for all situations, lighting, and allows for inventiveness and ingenuity. One that doesn't have a lot of physical limitations as far as photography goes.

 

[astroNikon]

Basically, all Digital Cameras can be set to totally manual.
And the modern film cameras that use modern batteries can be set to totally manual.
or get an old film camera that is completely manual via ebay

If a solar flare hits like that .. we'll probably be all dead too.

 

[BrickHouse]

I'm not really up on my physics, but I wanna say that if that bad of a solar flare hits, it'll carry with it enough xray radiation to fry all the film rolls too.

 

[Dmee]

Not so. Solar flares hit the earth every so often, but none that would be so dangerous that it would kill us. What is a concern is that one day a huge solar flare's EMP is going to knock out electronics all over the world. Not all of electronics will be destroyed, but it would knock out electric grids across the world. It was concern not too long ago due to sun activity that was indicating another solar flare could hit earth, and we're actually within the time-frame to be due a massive solar flare. The thing is before-hand the world was never electronically engaged. However, today we're so dependent upon it, if one of those massive flares did hit us, it could cause us some big problems.

 

[Dmee]

I'm not really up on my physics, but I wanna say that if that bad of a solar flare hits, it'll carry with it enough xray radiation to fry all the film rolls too.

I hope not, but I don't know if solar flares emit enough x-ray radiation to do that or not.

 

[astroNikon]

"could cause us some problems" versus what you were stating seemed like "everything electrical will no longer work" .... a vast difference.

 

[limr]

See, I just think this forces your hand to develop yourself and then get a film scanner so you can see/edit your images on a computer and if there's something you want to print, send it out to something like Adoramapix.

I know that digital cameras can be set to be completely manual, but they're still governed by electronics. If that battery goes, the entire camera stops working, not just the ability to store your photos. If you don't want to rely on a battery and electronics for the actual operation of the camera, then you're pretty much left with old film cameras. And I personally think that's a fine option! (I should explain that I shoot old film cameras almost exclusively.)

As for which one to get...I'd suggest going to a store to handle some of the cameras. It's more enlightening than you think (only if the display cameras are able to be turned on, of course.) Just today I was waiting for some color film to be developed (I'm lucky enough to still have a really good film lab close by so they do my color and I do my own b&w at home) and passed the time browsing through a Target in the same shopping complex. I saw the camera aisle and randomly decided to play with the digital cameras (yes, while my film was being developed...hello, irony!)

I picked up two Nikons (3200 and 5200 I believe). They were slick and shiny and the graphics were all fancy, and it all felt completely foreign to me. I tried a few Canons (Rebel something or other? Who knows. Can't keep these names straight.) I have a Canon point and shoot so it felt more familiar, but it still felt too...fiddly for me. Then I picked up a Pentax K-50 and I felt like I was coming home. My primary camera for the vast majority of the past 20 years was a K1000, and I just "get" Pentax. Even though all those dials and options and screen display were still confusing because I'm used to old mechanical cameras, I still figured that Pentax out a LOT faster and more intuitively than I did the Canons or Nikons.

I also tried out a Fuji and a Sony, and I found that for a more 'serious' kind of camera, I HATE not having a viewfinder.

Narrow your choices down by finding out which kind of cameras you have a sort of "connection" to (I know that sounds all wishy-washy, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt a similar reaction when first picking up a camera.) Then start getting into more details.

 

[Dmee]

I don't think everything electrical won't work, but from what I understand, there is a rather large amount of it that will fry when that happens, like entire national electric grids could go down for a significant period of time.

 

[limr]

Not so. Solar flares hit the earth every so often, but none that would be so dangerous that it would kill us. What is a concern is that one day a huge solar flare's EMP is going to knock out electronics all over the world. Not all of electronics will be destroyed, but it would knock out electric grids across the world. It was concern not too long ago due to sun activity that was indicating another solar flare could hit earth, and we're actually within the time-frame to be due a massive solar flare. The thing is before-hand the world was never electronically engaged. However, today we're so dependent upon it, if one of those massive flares did hit us, it could cause us some big problems.

Oh sure, way to freak us all out with your third post!

 

[gsgary]

The nearest camera to that is the Epson RD1, you even have to cock the shutter

 

[Dmee]

Thanks limr, nice and descriptive.

Yeah, I was thinking of ways to turn my bathroom into a temporary photo-developing lab. However, I think I may like the convenience of being able to see what my digital photos do. With film photos, you have to wait till the darkroom to see how what you did affected the image. With a digital camera, I imagine you get an idea of what it did right away.

Also, I'll probably be taking another photography class that uses digital cameras, and I'd prefer to have my own.

 

[limr]

The nearest camera to that is the Epson RD1, you even have to cock the shutter

Ouch! Body only used (it's discontinued so you can't even buy it new) is still over $1000: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0006FU2AC/ref=dp_olp_used_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=used

 

[gsgary]

Thanks limr, nice and descriptive.

Yeah, I was thinking of ways to turn my bathroom into a temporary photo-developing lab. However, I think I may like the convenience of being able to see what my digital photos do. With film photos, you have to wait till the darkroom to see how what you did affected the image. With a digital camera, I imagine you get an idea of what it did right away.

Also, I'll probably be taking another photography class that uses digital cameras, and I'd prefer to have my own.

When i get home with a roll of film it take me less than 30 minute to see what i have got

 

[limr]

Thanks limr, nice and descriptive.

Yeah, I was thinking of ways to turn my bathroom into a temporary photo-developing lab. However, I think I may like the convenience of being able to see what my digital photos do. With film photos, you have to wait till the darkroom to see how what you did affected the image. With a digital camera, I imagine you get an idea of what it did right away.

Also, I'll probably be taking another photography class that uses digital cameras, and I'd prefer to have my own.

I understand that. I love my film cameras and they'll be pried out of my cold, dead hands before I ever give them up, but I also think I'll end up with a DSLR at some point. Can't afford one right now, but I recognize their utility.

The best thing is that we can have both! You don't have to give up film just because you get a digital camera. (And remember that you don't need an actual darkroom to develop - only if you want to wet print. Just need a developing tank, chemicals, and a changing bag. And somewhere to hang them to dry - the bathroom is the best.)

 

[gsgary]

The nearest camera to that is the Epson RD1, you even have to cock the shutter

Ouch! Body only used (it's discontinued so you can't even buy it new) is still over $1000: Amazon.com: Buying Choices: Epson R-D1 6.1MP Digital Rangefinder Camera (Body Only)

It's on my list it produces wonderful B+W, the sensor is from a Nikon D70 and body is a Voigtlander