which film camera do u have?

Nikon F501 and F4s.

Suitable for beginners? Actually I find that what's "beginner" or not isn't really about the camera, but the processing of the film. Cameras are cameras. I don't find my film SLR that much different from DSLR. What's different is understanding the difference between film and digital, and between different types of films.

Which is more affordable? Most SLRs are relatively cheap. I like the F501 for starters because it gives you the option of auto mode, but all manual controls are easily accessible. I think you can find a decent one on ebay for $75. The expensive part comes in when you buy films and processing cost. However the experience of it is something that digital can't provide.
 
I've got about 35 film cameras I've salvaged from thrift stores. They aren't the greatest, but I love them. I use my Nikon EM, Polaroid 100, and various Polaroid 600 models the most.
 
I have a few. The ones I use the most are my Leica M6 and Olympus XA. I've been using my Nikon F4s a bit lately too. I shot a roll through my Pentax K1000 this past weekend for old time's sake. I developed the film last night and just looking at the negatives, the look super sharp for that old 'beginner' camera. Can't wait to scan the roll tonight.
 
4 Polaroids.
1 Canon AE1 Program
1 Pentax K1000
1 Certo Dolly Vest Pocket
1 Exakta Varex VX
1 Exakta Varex IIb
1 DIY TLR
1 Olympus Trip 35
1 Olympus Pen EE 3
 
What do you want to photograph? Shoot in low light, lens speed counts there. A cheap camera and a good lens IMHO are best. The Nikon and Olympus are hard to beat due to lens compatibility. I used a OM-10 for years, great camera and great lens. I use: Nikon's N80 Fm-10 and a digital D3100, Yashicas MG-1 and Lynx 5000e, Argus C-3, and Polaroid 150 converted to pack film. Good luck.
David
 
I've got Olympus Trip 35 and 35 SP. The Trip not in best shape, diaphragm seems stuck. SP in brilliant condition. Also, I've got an Olympus OM-10 with two lenses. SP and OM is loaded with film, 400 bw and 400 colour respectively.
 
Nikon EM....my teenage daughter is using it right now for a class she is taking....can't wait until I get it back from her. Light metering is wonky, but only for the first few shots.
 
I use all 3 of these:

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I have a few film cameras...

Nikon F3
Nikon 8008 (2)
Nikon FE
Nikon N70
Contax G2
Rollei 6006
Pentax K1000

And a few older Kodak Brownie cameras :)
 
For someone wanting to get into film cheaply, Nikon is a nice system because there are so many old, usable lenses available that still work on the current cameras, and many of the current lenses still work on the first SLR camera they made. That is definitely not so with Canons, for instance. As a company, Canon seems to put planned obsolescence ahead of photography. Some of the other systems named are dead, and don't slide you into a modern system easily. This fact of history is why when I finally bought an expensive DSLR it was a Nikon, even though some other options appeared tastier. (Not any more, though, now that Nikon's announced the D800e!)

I have a fist full of Nikon film bodies, but my favorite is the FG, and that's what I've taken to carrying daily. It has manual, aperture, and priority modes, a nice hand grip, is compact, and cheap. For some reason no one ever thinks of this camera, which is contemporary and parallel with Canon's AE-1. If you don't mind cameras with batteries and motors (I don't care for the extra weight and noise) Nikon made a bunch, like the N2000 which is a great camera that people almost give away. Just stay away from the early Nikon AF cameras like the N2020, which auto focuses slower than you can do it yourself. The best $$ bargain in Nikon AFs is the N90, in my opinion. With the exception of the N90, the Nikons I've mentioned are available so cheaply that they can be considered throwaways.
 
My wife and I are a mixed marriage. I'm all Minolta, she's all Nikon.

I have two Minolta XD-11 bodies, and a Minolta SRT-201. She has two Nikon FG bodies. We both have what feels like several tons of lenses, filters, flash equipment, auto winders, etc.

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What r the pros and cons of film cameras? Whats good for beginners

The only con, is not finding film sometimes, and having to develop it. That being said, I've found film cameras to be far more durable than digi's, can take a bit of a beating and keep functioning. Look at a digi crosseyed, and it's broken. A film SLR can still function with no battery or dead battery. You will have to know something about aperture and speed settings to eyeball a shot, but if a digi battery fails, you have a cold lump of plastic in your hands.
 

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