Recommend me a 35mm camera
Recommend me a 35mm camera
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Discussion

Jag-D

Original Poster:

19,633 posts

248 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
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Well I've decided that to continue learning and evolving as a photographer that I would take the plunge and study it at diploma and degree level at university, which is why I'm here.

They've asked if I could have a 35mm film camera as a part of my kit, so I'm looking for recommendations

Please fire away smile

Torquemada

621 posts

302 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
Nikon FM is what you need.

K12beano

20,854 posts

304 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
Torquemada said:
Nikon FM is what you need.
Very good starting point for a number of reasons, including the choice of secondhand glass.


Muska

1,174 posts

211 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
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I bought a couple of Nikon FE2's quite cheap. One under £100 and another, mint with new mirror foam and light seals for under £150.

It depends what you want though, My Mrs has a Canon SLR that I could probably only get £30 for on ebay if you just want something cheap!

markmullen

15,877 posts

263 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
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You're a Canon man aren't you Scott? If so why not go for an Eos so you can use your existing EF lens lineup? Even an Eos 1, as advanced as they got, goes for less than £100 on ebay.

Jag-D

Original Poster:

19,633 posts

248 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
markmullen said:
You're a Canon man aren't you Scott? If so why not go for an Eos so you can use your existing EF lens lineup? Even an Eos 1, as advanced as they got, goes for less than £100 on ebay.
Indeed I am sir and good call, I'll have to have a look and see what's on the market.

markmullen

15,877 posts

263 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
Jag-D said:
Indeed I am sir and good call, I'll have to have a look and see what's on the market.
Be careful, they're affordable, available and shiny, a trip to the bay of fleas will see you coming away with a sackload!

Jag-D

Original Poster:

19,633 posts

248 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
rofl

I won't be buying for a few months as I've got tattoo's, car's and bits toward the wedding to pay for hehe

After the wedding in August I'll be able to invest

Gad-Westy

16,564 posts

242 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
The Nikon FM is really nice but good ones fetch quite a bit of money these days. Maybe also look at the FG which will be a lot cheaper and to all intents and purposes does the same thing.

Shame you didn't ask this last week as I've just sold three 35mm SLR's including a Pentax K1000 which is a really nice camera.

I'm also a fan of the Olympus OM1 and OM2 as well. Worth a look.

davepoth

29,395 posts

228 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
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Jag-D said:
markmullen said:
You're a Canon man aren't you Scott? If so why not go for an Eos so you can use your existing EF lens lineup? Even an Eos 1, as advanced as they got, goes for less than £100 on ebay.
Indeed I am sir and good call, I'll have to have a look and see what's on the market.
Definitely go for something that matches your lenses, one less thing to buy...

Simpo Two

92,708 posts

294 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
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Gad-Westy said:
The Nikon FM
Sounds like a radio station... I thought 'That should have been replaced by Nikon Digital'

And of course it was

Craikeybaby

12,091 posts

254 months

Thursday 26th April 2012
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Another vote for using one that works with your existing lenses, it doesn't need to be a top of the range one eith a few years back I picked up an EOS 5 for about £25. The beauty of film is that the sensor is the same in whichever body you buy.

LongQ

13,864 posts

262 months

Thursday 26th April 2012
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If they want you to go even further back you can get Pre EOS Canon bodies and FD mount lenses for very little. An Adapter to make FD lenses work with your EOS body might be an interesting option to consider. Works best with longer lenses or for some type of macro work.

petrolsniffer

2,548 posts

203 months

Thursday 26th April 2012
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Why such modern suggestions?

I suggest a canon a1 very robust,lots of cheap quality glass on ebay,joys of manual focus,batterys last forever and when they do die you can use it without the built in metre.

Loved mine wish I never sold it frown

K12beano

20,854 posts

304 months

Thursday 26th April 2012
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Well I always aspired to an A1 - never got round to it - but had an AT-1, AV-1 and AE-1. All extremely well built and long-lasting kit. I had to have a shutter repair on one, IIRC. But still good none-the-less.

Gad-Westy

16,564 posts

242 months

Thursday 26th April 2012
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Craikeybaby said:
The beauty of film is that the sensor is the same in whichever body you buy.
Unless you get carried away like me and buy a medium format camera. I'm sure large format might follow one day. Slippery slope.

LongQ

13,864 posts

262 months

Thursday 26th April 2012
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K12beano said:
Well I always aspired to an A1 - never got round to it - but had an AT-1, AV-1 and AE-1. All extremely well built and long-lasting kit. I had to have a shutter repair on one, IIRC. But still good none-the-less.
I still have my original AE-1, an A1 I bought much later (pre-owned) and an eBay purchase - a wonderful New F1 with a couple of optional bits of gubbins attached. A superbly tactile experience and probably solid enough to do serious damage to any muggers that might accost one in a dark alley. They don't seem to make them like that any more, though the Canon 1 series comes very close and may indeed be more darable long term.

Can't speak for Nikon but I'm sure they offer similar.

ian in lancs

3,853 posts

227 months

Thursday 26th April 2012
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I have a Nikon F5 for £200...

Jag-D

Original Poster:

19,633 posts

248 months

Friday 27th April 2012
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Gad-Westy said:
Craikeybaby said:
The beauty of film is that the sensor is the same in whichever body you buy.
Unless you get carried away like me and buy a medium format camera. I'm sure large format might follow one day. Slippery slope.
which is also possible depending on how brave/stupid/ignorant to the wifes needs I become...

On the course which I'm applying for, they teach about digital, film, medium and some large format smile

Raoul Duke

938 posts

192 months

Friday 27th April 2012
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Its a fine path you are about to start walking down, and one which quickly becomes very addictive!!
I personally find far more satisfaction from getting a good shot off a film SLR than anything done digital. The way the old camera bodies and lenses feel so much more substantial is another plus.
When i did a similar course i decided upon a Pentax Spotmatic after looking at all the usual suspects. The bodies tend to be cheap as chips, yet very robust and the original M42 mount Pentax SMC lenses really are capable of producing some stunning images, these are well worth hunting down. Dont be fooled by their low price as the "prime" lenses that Pentax ( Asahi ) manufactured for this camera shot well above their price bracket. You can also get all manner of new Zeiss lenses in M42 which are supposed to be pretty decent although i have yet to try one first hand.
Went the medium format route myself shortly after with a Hasselblad 501C, which was something else again. Eventually sold the 'blad to help fund some travelling, but kept and still use the old Pentax which came with me and i suspect will never now be sold.
Also got an original Rollei 35 with lovely Zeiss glass - another keeper, and the next purchase will be either a Leica rangefinder ( 35mm of course ), or perhaps an old Pentax 67 medium format, or maybe even a Rolleiflex. I suspect that i am something of a luddite...!!
Go have a look at www.ffordes.com and try not to open your wallet.