What's your favourite 35mm camera or substitute?

[colrehogan]

Canon EOS Elan 7E and Canon EOS 3 (a beast) and Canon EOS 1 VHS.

I got rid of all my Canon AF stuff years ago (Elan IIe (battery compartment design problem) and an EOS 3 (battery hog) and haven't regretted it for a second. Still have my original Canon FD kit though.

I have a Nikon FM3A and F5. As for what camera fits in your hand well, you are the one who has to decide that. Go to a camera shop and hold the ones you're interested in, if possible.

[arigram]

Nicole I too have a Nikon F90X (it seems we are camera-mates!) which I have "retired" in favor of my Hasselblad and I also have a 38 year old Nikon F.
Maybe you should look for a Leica?
I can't think of any other system that has what you describe and has maybe better lenses than Nikon. I don't have one so I can't offer any more details.

[modafoto]

Morten the Canon Man. How long have you been shooting with Canon?

Since 2001 (the year I started shooting). I have

• Canon EOS Elan 7E
• Canon EOS 300
• Canon AV-1

The newer ones are having slimmer bodies.

[modafoto]

I got rid of all my Canon AF stuff years ago (Elan IIe (battery compartment design problem) and an EOS 3 (battery hog) and haven't regretted it for a second. Still have my original Canon FD kit though.

I feel it is a matter of taste. I shot a few Nikons before deciding which to buy, but they didn't handle as well as the Canons to me...

[BradS]

My favorite 35mm?

Pentax KX -- bought mine in 1978 and it is still my number one choice...although, the new FM3a is getting more and more attention.

Unfortunately, I don't think either one of these meet your stated requiremnts.

[titrisol]

More info can be found online in places like:
http://www.pentax-manuals.com
http://www.aohc.it/index.htm
http://www.m-fortytwo.info/

From my experience... The Spottie was also my dad's camera, he bought it in Japan in the early 70s, with a 55/1.8, 200/4, 17/4 fisheye and close up accesories. I later added a couple of Vivitar zoom lenses and some russian Zenits.
When I learned to take pictures, he let me use his Zeiss Ikon Contessa first and then I was allowed to use the Spottie. I guess I learned how to use that camera real well, since I used it until I got to college and was able to buy a Nikon FE2 and a succesion of cameras ever since.
However I always go back to the Spottie. The size and feel of it is very comfortable to me, the controls are postioned where they should be. Drawbacks: the viewfinder could be brighter, you have to meter light stopping down the lens, and it lacks a hot shoe for flash. The metering is not spot but centerwighted meter me thinks.

I have acquired another one for not so much money and I'm happy with it, I'll have to send it for a CLA soon. I found Sekor and Asahi lenses disguised as Sears or JCPenney here so I can;t complain.

Now I'm saving my buck$$$ for a Pentax 645, which I think is a spotmatic in steroids.

Titrisol - I love the size and age of the Pentax Spotmatic. Do you have any more info? Cheers, Nicole

[FrankB]

Hi Nicole,

I'd second Morten's vote for the N80 (or the F80 as we Brits call it!). I've had one for over four years now and rate it very highly indeed. It is a bit smaller than the N90X and I find it handles really well. The ergonomics are bob on, for me. The best bet for yourself is to handle one and see what you think.

It's a little smaller too than the equivalent Canon. The Canon wins out on features like motorwind and mirror lockup but strangely loses out on spotmetering (the Canon has a partial meter), a cable release, selectable gridlines in the 'finder and (for me) ergonomics.

The possible fly in the ointment is that an N80 will not meter through non-AF lenses. Why Nikon chose to do this truly *stupid* thing with an otherwise brilliant camera you'll have to enquire from them but, if you have a lot of manual lenses and don't want to change them, then this is not the body for you (and I'd look carefully at other newish Nikon bodies for the same problem before parting with any cash, too!).

If you dislike the N80 (there's no accounting for taste! ) and can bear to part with your lenses then take a look at the Minolta Dynax 5. It's very small, has great features and Minolta do some good glass. Personally I don't find the ergonomics as intuitive as the N80 and the non-standard Dynax hotshoe may be an issue for you, but it is a very good camera.

Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me with any other questions you may have.

All the best,

Frank

[bjorke]

If you are used to Nikon the Canon may throw you -- the focus turns in the opposite way! (Freaked me out when I switched many years ago)

The FD Canons were pretty swell and ergonomic. I still have one left (an AE-1)

Contax RTS is loud

but..... small + quiet? RANGEFINDER

Contax G remains my fave tho a wee bit louder than an M (hey, it's motorized)

[Nick Zentena]

Except for the Nikon lens mount I think the Pentax *ist fits your requirements. It's seems too small to me. But if you want small it's small.

[Gordon Coale]

FED 2 rangefinder, but then you have to hold the light meter in your hand.