Best 35mm Film Camera

[Jeff Kubach]

Canon F1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11336821@N00/5226987647/

+1!

Jeff

[waynecrider]

I would caution not to be put off by buying something and finding it not to your liking thus causing you not to pursue shooting film. Cameras for me are to a certain extent something like the perfect pair of hiking boots. You may have to go thru a couple models or more till you find the perfect pairing. This extends alot to hand fit, control placement, viewfinder and information therein and weight. While most of us probably have more then 1 body, and for some of us even alot of bodies ( I own 9 working bodies and some half working) there are many times where there is just one or maybe 2 that get picked up most of the time. This can be a problem owning a digital body.

I'd also not be put off by auto focus cameras since they really in many instances sport improvements not only in that specific feature. Metering systems also improved to a great degree along with many other features including incorporated flash, diopters for us blind people and increased shooting speeds for action photography which includes 2 and 3 year old children. Ergonomics was a big plus as well with better handholds. If you stay in the Canon lineup you'll use your current lenses and have the advantage of more adapters available then other brands to use other lenses. Really a big plus there.

Look for big bright viewfinders and meters with at least 0 Ev sensitivity. I'm especially fond of exposure and flash compensation (and readouts) along with an incorporated flash. While not a Canon enthusiast outside FD, there are from what I have read some really good late model film bodies at reasonable prices.

[k.hendrik]

Hey wrightguy ! FM with 50-1.8 & 85-1.4. Inside Tri-x 400>1600 or 3200. Outside dev. with D76 and that will teach you asking silly questions ok, there has to be a finger and a good eye next to this; so every camera is suitable! Start with the cheapest one.

[Poisson Du Jour]

Handling dark situations has more to do with the photographer's skill, not the camera, which is there only to see the scene and commit it to film.
Any camera at all can handle dark situations — when you know how.

[desertratt]

There is no best. Who has the best wife/spouse/hound dog? What you need is a camera/lens that is in fine condition despite the age. I'm a Nikon and sometime Leica dude but I find the very best deals around seem to be on Minolta gear. I don't know why. Like every other camera maker they have made some gems and some models that go bow-wow in the night.

[Les Sarile]

Wow...I learned something Thanks for your post!

Nice photos btw.

Thanks!

[Halka]

Les, you need to stop posting this stuff, the LX is too sexy (And it would definitely break my bank)

I was under the impression that the OM family cameras were also capable of practically unlimited exposure times, since the OTF metering technology is practically the same. On a whim, I wound up my OM-2's shutter in the middle of the night and let it run with the cap on, the shutter clapped shut after some 40 seconds, so I guess I was wrong there. Then again it's a pretty battered piece and something could be off.

(sorry if thread hijacking)

(Also, what film was that? Exposing for 40 minutes, don't problems with reciprocity failure crop up?)

[Les Sarile]

Reciprocity failure - no data sheets for this in the exposure times I use, and mixed lighting all conspired to give that result from Kodak Ektar 100. We surely are in the golden age of film with these modern formulas

[wrightguy]

I found a good deal on a Nikon Manual Focus N2000. I think this will be a good introduction to the film photography world. Thank you everyone for your help. Every post helped and I will look back here if I ever decide to get a different/ new to me film SLR.

[AgX]

Nikon N2000 = Nikon F-301