I'm going to be starting a b&w film class in a few weeks and will need to purchase a camera for it. We have a couple of great camera stores in town that I like to support and both have a pretty wide variety of used film cameras. I expect to love shooting film, so I think it will be something that sticks around.
Oh, and also, I've been popping into every thrift store I pass and have been skunked there. Also checked the MANY antique shops near me, and nada (for anything other than p&s).
Most of us are putting what camera's we use in the descriptions. Also I have gotten all but one of my film camera's from my local Freecycle group. See if there is a site for your area and post up a wanted advert. :)
My favourite film camera I have so far is a 1967 Fujica Compact 35, which cost £5.00 on Ebay :)
@jasehoad Thanks! I so wanted to join the film challenge, but it was just a bit ahead of me. Freecycle...great idea, I always forget about that and will definitely take a look.
I had an old Canon AE1 which I got about 10 years ago but in December I lost the rewind handle so got another Canon AE1 on E-Bay after Christmas - it was about £60 but that was fine. A SLR is better than a compact for classes as I have done courses before and you are asked to do different activities which you can't do with a compact. I take it you will be developing & printing your own images - hope you post them here.
@jasehoad Weird, when I replied earlier, the image you posted didn't load. It's fantastic! @la_photographic Thanks for that. I was on the fence between the two, so that's for the nudge to SLR. Yes, I will be doing the processing...can't wait!
@mabelkitty Thank you very much :) I also picked up a Canon AE-1 last week, and plan to shoot on that tomorrow, so you will be able to see some results from that when I post those on here. Depending on your budget you could go for a compact and SLR, there are some real bargain's on ebay or you may get lucky on freecycle, and the Fujica Compact is a dream for street photography.
Every film class I have checked into (and it's been a few :) ) want you to have something along the lines of an SLR, where the settings like aperture, shutter speed, etc., are all adjusted manually. Look for something like the Pentax MX or the Pentax K1000, both are recommended for film class. In fact, I would definitely lean toward Pentax in this area - Nikon and Canon have some great film cams, but you're more likely to find a good deal on a Pentax.
I'd also suggest a Mamiya Sekor, either the 500TL or the 1000TL, if you can find one, because they have really easy on-camera light metering and so you can cheat a little in class. ;)
They probably DON'T want you to have something like an Olympus Trip - as much as I love my little Trip, there's virtually nothing to adjust on it, so wouldn't be a good fit for film class. Same goes with a Holga or any of the plastic/toy cameras. A twin lens reflex, or TLR camera, such as a Rollei or a Yashica, is really nice, but fiddly to get used to and focus with, so for the purposes of class, get a nice clean SLR and you will be good to go.
Sorry for the mini-book - just wanted to cover all the bases! Have fun!!
@beautifulthing Thanks for the "mini-book" - I totally appreciate it! Yes, the class requires manual adjustments (I thought I had that in my original post; I guess I deleted that). Thanks for the tip on the Mamiya Sekors...I like the idea of on-camera light metering.
@5unflow3r Thanks for the tip. The local shop has that one, so good to know you're happy with it.
@kmrtn6 I'll look into that camera and let you know...thanks!
I think its quite late to reply to this post, but, anyhow.
I would recommend you Nikon FM2 and the Nikon EL2. Both are professional grade cameras. But it doesn't matter if you want to go pro with shooting films as any of the film cameras will cost about the same.
A few things about the Nikons; the FM2 gives you great range of shutter speeds.
While the EL2 has a mode for automatic shutter speed, even though it is a mechanical camera.
You can find out more at mir.com. (I don't know why I'm unable to post links)
I had a Canon AE-1 but the problems I encountered with the Canon were:
- Availability of lenses.
- Lens mount of Canon film cameras was Canon FD mount. While the DSLRs have EF mounts. So, those awesome old lenses won't fit on your Canon DSLR (if you have one).
- No service centres. And even the 3rd party repair shops did not help.
But I don't know how difficult or easy it would be to find service and accessories where you reside.
I don't know the country of your residence. But to buy a film camera I'd say to check out amazon and ebay. Or if there are antique shops in your area. I can't say much about the price of the cameras. But here, in India, one can get a film SLR in almost new condition in under $100. (:
Hope this helps (:
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Most of us are putting what camera's we use in the descriptions. Also I have gotten all but one of my film camera's from my local Freecycle group. See if there is a site for your area and post up a wanted advert. :)
My favourite film camera I have so far is a 1967 Fujica Compact 35, which cost £5.00 on Ebay :)
@la_photographic Thanks for that. I was on the fence between the two, so that's for the nudge to SLR. Yes, I will be doing the processing...can't wait!
I'd also suggest a Mamiya Sekor, either the 500TL or the 1000TL, if you can find one, because they have really easy on-camera light metering and so you can cheat a little in class. ;)
They probably DON'T want you to have something like an Olympus Trip - as much as I love my little Trip, there's virtually nothing to adjust on it, so wouldn't be a good fit for film class. Same goes with a Holga or any of the plastic/toy cameras. A twin lens reflex, or TLR camera, such as a Rollei or a Yashica, is really nice, but fiddly to get used to and focus with, so for the purposes of class, get a nice clean SLR and you will be good to go.
Sorry for the mini-book - just wanted to cover all the bases! Have fun!!
i have a canon t70 which i am looking to get rid of
Amazon has some:
http://www.amazon.com/Minolta-Maxxum-35mm-28-100-Lens/dp/B0000CAPDF
I have the same lens too.
@beautifulthing Thanks for the "mini-book" - I totally appreciate it! Yes, the class requires manual adjustments (I thought I had that in my original post; I guess I deleted that). Thanks for the tip on the Mamiya Sekors...I like the idea of on-camera light metering.
@5unflow3r Thanks for the tip. The local shop has that one, so good to know you're happy with it.
@kmrtn6 I'll look into that camera and let you know...thanks!
Hello.
I think its quite late to reply to this post, but, anyhow.
I would recommend you Nikon FM2 and the Nikon EL2. Both are professional grade cameras. But it doesn't matter if you want to go pro with shooting films as any of the film cameras will cost about the same.
A few things about the Nikons; the FM2 gives you great range of shutter speeds.
While the EL2 has a mode for automatic shutter speed, even though it is a mechanical camera.
You can find out more at mir.com. (I don't know why I'm unable to post links)
I had a Canon AE-1 but the problems I encountered with the Canon were:
- Availability of lenses.
- Lens mount of Canon film cameras was Canon FD mount. While the DSLRs have EF mounts. So, those awesome old lenses won't fit on your Canon DSLR (if you have one).
- No service centres. And even the 3rd party repair shops did not help.
But I don't know how difficult or easy it would be to find service and accessories where you reside.
I don't know the country of your residence. But to buy a film camera I'd say to check out amazon and ebay. Or if there are antique shops in your area. I can't say much about the price of the cameras. But here, in India, one can get a film SLR in almost new condition in under $100. (:
Hope this helps (: