Bargains in the 35mm SLR world? (Least expensive SLRs?)

[elekm]

There also are a lot of 1970s cameras made by Vivitar, Chinon, Petri and others available for $20 or less.

The Vivitar XC-3 is a very nice camera and usually needs only to have its seals replaced. There also is a module that slides into the hot shoe and plugs into a port near the lens mount that gives it autoexposure.

I've bought several and never paid more than $12, and that includes the standard lens.

[ColdEye]

Om1 and OM2. Such amazing viewfinders. Plus the AF nikons and canons.

[Ap507b]

I have just picked up a Minolta Dynax 404si with a 35 to 80mm lens off of ebay for £9.99. The price included a lens hood. I can't see a mark on any of it. Looking at the spec of the camera, it was a steal.

I won't be keeping it though. It is going to someone I work with to live in their golf bag.

[pbromaghin]

The Minolta X- series are wonderful cameras and dirt cheap. The Minolta lenses - oh gawd. I bought my first one 10 years ago and have been given 3 bodies since then. They can suffer the failure of a $10 capacitor that costs $75 to have a guy replace if you can't do it yourself. 1 of the 4 has this problem.

[Jeff Kubach]

Some of the Canon FD cameras are not too bad. While not the cheapest, still a bargin.

Jeff

[vpwphoto]

Actually the lower end and newer AF cameras are much more of a bargain. Camera like N90, N80 from Nikon are very cheap these days.

I agree a $75 N90s trumps a $10 Minolta, Pentax, Nikon, Canon AE 1980 era camera.
I paid $900+ for an N90s (don't do for the 6006,7007,8008... they had shutter issues (for me).

[filmamigo]

Spotmatics. I see clean Spotmatic II's for $20 on a regular basis, most often with a nice Takumar lens attached.

The Spotmatic F is essentially identical to the K1000 -- whose K-mount and cult status make it one of the most over-priced SLRs on the market. That's a hint to students needing a camera, who often overpay for the K1000 because it's recommended to them. Get a Spotmatic F with lens instead, and you get the same camera, for less.

As much as these old cameras "should" have a CLA performed, I have yet to meet a Spotmatic with an inaccurate shutter. (I've owned or handled at least 15 examples and even the grungiest ones were reliable and accurate.) Pentax did a fine job on the Spotmatics. It's no wonder they were reluctant to "update" to a new lens mount, and no wonder they re-used as much as they could when creating the K-mount cameras.

If you don't want an oldie mechanical, then I agree that the Nikon F75 is THE bargain in full-featured modern SLRs.

[elekm]

I agree -- the Spotmatics seem to have held up pretty well over the years.

[whlogan]

Keep an eye on KEH Nikon auito focus bodies or manual focus bodies.... I just got a N90
s with battery extender for $59.00! Looks like new and it was their BGN grade. Just keep watching. Also the N8008(S) GO FOR VERY LITTLE. gOOD OUTFIT; GOOD SERVICE AND GOOD HELP. Can't go wrong there.
Logan

[Nick Merritt]

The Fujica SLRs have always been very undervalued, I think. And the Ricohs also. Funny how things play out -- those were two smalltime players back 40+ years ago, and now they're a couple of the few survivors.