# Camera Recommendation?



## Strychnine. (Dec 21, 2017)

I've recently started taking an interest in film photography and wanted to actually try getting my feet wet and purchase myself a film camera. I'm looking for something nice under a $100 that takes 35mm film. If anyone has any recommendations that would be amazing! Thank you!


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## timor (Dec 22, 2017)

All depends how much do you know about working with film. Here I think about exposing and developing film. If nothing get Nikon F75.
Here some info about it:
Nikon N75 (aka F75 or U2)
I paid for my $25 but without a lens. With basic 50mm still should be below $100.


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## OldManJim (Dec 22, 2017)

Agree with Timor. Don't invest very much until the film bug has bitten you hard. Something like a used Nikon (or Canon) is a good idea. The older Nikons were mostly metal and pretty reliable. Buy from a reputable dealer so if there's a problem, you can get it easily resolved. If there is a local camera shop in your area, I'd patronize them. They should offer advice and help with getting started.

Good luck and welcome to he forum.


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## limr (Dec 22, 2017)

Meh, forget Canon or Nikon. Yeah, they're fine cameras but they also carry a price premium because of brand recognition, even the old film cameras. The Pentax K1000 was a student standard for decades, and actually is still recommended in the schools that still teach film. All manual, built solidly, and really good lenses. Overall, a camera that stands up to the other Canon and Nikon work horses of their day, and there are tons of them out there so you can probably find a camera in good condition for a good price.


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## timor (Dec 22, 2017)

I would agree with you Leonore... but not here. 
I like my K1000, have 3 of them, but how did you say, it is nowadays very good photography student's tool. Is OP a student of photography course ? If not and the only experience comes from digi, F75 (N75 in USA) is as close to it as it gets. In this light K1000 is a camera for more advanced film shooters, for people who understand exposure and development relationship or actively seeking this knowledge. If OP is one of those people fine, he/she is prepared for initial frustrations. If he/she is not F75 will serve well as it shoots like digi just without the LCD at the back.


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## jcdeboever (Dec 22, 2017)

Strychnine. said:


> I've recently started taking an interest in film photography and wanted to actually try getting my feet wet and purchase myself a film camera. I'm looking for something nice under a $100 that takes 35mm film. If anyone has any recommendations that would be amazing! Thank you!


If your in US, look up still works classic on Etsy. Send him an email and he will hook you up with a working, reliable, cla'd camera and lens to fit your budget. His name is Charles and a super, awesome, seller.


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## limr (Dec 22, 2017)

timor said:


> I would agree with you Leonore... but not here.
> I like my K1000, have 3 of them, but how did you say, it is nowadays very good photography student's tool. Is OP a student of photography course ? If not and the only experience comes from digi, F75 (N75 in USA) is as close to it as it gets. In this light K1000 is a camera for more advanced film shooters, for people who understand exposure and development relationship or actively seeking this knowledge. If OP is one of those people fine, he/she is prepared for initial frustrations. If he/she is not F75 will serve well as it shoots like digi just without the LCD at the back.



If the K1000 is for more advanced film users, why was it used to teach students who were starting from zero? There are a lot of assumptions about the OP's skill level and experience, but regardless, I don't think it matters anyway. Start with a camera that doesn't do anything automatically. Experience a steep learning curve. Learn to slow down and appreciate the medium. Why would someone want a camera that shoots like digital if what they want is a different experience? That doesn't teach them to appreciate film. It teaches them that it's all just the same, except for the 36-exposure limit, so why even bother?

So, @Strychnine. You still around? What do you feel your needs are in terms of auto vs manual settings? How similar do you want the experiences to be? Are you afraid of getting some really bad shots for the first few rolls before you get your first 'keeper'?


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## timor (Dec 22, 2017)

limr said:


> timor said:
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> > I would agree with you Leonore... but not here.
> ...


I like your answer. Since I don't think OP will ever show up again we can discuss some merits of teaching young people shooting film. Students you mention, yes, they might have zero experience. But they have teacher and are enrolled in a learning program. They will make mistakes, but mistakes will be discussed, understood and corrected. Now someone who wants to get his/her "feet wet" and buy K1000. That person will handle this camera like digital camera. I saw that. Guys after clicking started to look at the camera back. Sometimes it took 10 seconds for them to realize, that there is no picture showing, because there is no lcd screen.. Second comes very basic light metering in K1000, source of most of the frames being over or under exposed. Third is film development if shooting own b&w.  Alien world.
So, what do you think, who is Strychnine (BTW that's rat poison), dedicated student ? I don't think so. F75 gives wide spectrum of possibilities, from fully automatic to see, that it is possible to make good looking negatives, to fully manual (except for film transport) mode to understand how to make good looking negatives without help of the computer.


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## webestang64 (Dec 22, 2017)

limr said:


> Meh, forget Canon or Nikon. Yeah, they're fine cameras but they also carry a price premium because of brand recognition, even the old film cameras. The Pentax K1000 was a student standard for decades, and actually is still recommended in the schools that still teach film. All manual, built solidly, and really good lenses. Overall, a camera that stands up to the other Canon and Nikon work horses of their day, and there are tons of them out there so you can probably find a camera in good condition for a good price.



I vote for K1000 as well. Or a KM or K2 or KX.


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## RowdyRay (Dec 22, 2017)

How about an N80? 

Free Nikon N80 35mm Camera


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## earthmanbuck (Dec 22, 2017)

I haven't really progressed beyond the "occasional hobby" stage myself, so I don't have an enormous wealth of camera knowledge or experience. However, I started with a K1000, and it's still my favourite model to shoot with of the ones I've tried (in fact I have 2 now). There definitely is a learning curve in getting the hang of how exposure works, but it's a sturdy camera and it's laid out in a really straightforward and easy to read way, which is not always true of more advanced cameras. 

I have a couple lesser-used cameras I'm trying to sell, and I've considered just giving one to my girlfriend, because she's expressed an interest in learning...but my experience with learning on the K1000 makes me a little hesitant to give her anything that _isn't_ super basic to learn on. The problem with that is of course whenever I do see a cheap K1000 pop up and think about buying it for her, I'm worried I'm just going to keep it.


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## Strychnine. (Dec 23, 2017)

Thanks for the tips everyone! I'm definitely looking for something that's going to be different from my DSLR. If I wanted to stick to what I know I would just keep shooting digital. I'm going to look into a K1000 as that seems to be the popular option. Going forward, what's a good place online to buy cameras. I, unfortunately, don't have any shops where I live. 



timor said:


> Strychnine (BTW that's rat poison)


Thank you, I am very aware of this.


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## OldManJim (Dec 23, 2017)

KEH Camera, Roberts Camera, & B+H are all good options for used cameras. You can, of course, find them on eBay but those are individual sellers and that's a little riskier than an established store.


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## timor (Dec 23, 2017)

Strychnine. said:


> Thanks for the tips everyone! I'm definitely looking for something that's going to be different from my DSLR. If I wanted to stick to what I know I would just keep shooting digital. I'm going to look into a K1000 as that seems to be the popular option. Going forward, what's a good place online to buy cameras. I, unfortunately, don't have any shops where I live.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Very nice. I am glad to see you back. Honestly, I didn't have much hope. I've seen it before. People coming with interest in shooting film and disappearing  after realizing how much trouble it is comparing to digital. I hope you are as tough as your forum name suggests. Good luck !


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## webestang64 (Dec 23, 2017)

Strychnine. said:


> Going forward, what's a good place online to buy cameras. I, unfortunately, don't have any shops where I live.



We sell used cameras here at my job.....Schiller's Camera 314-968-3650 ask for Jim Brooks.


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## Dave442 (Dec 23, 2017)

I like the Minolta SRT-101 and Rokkor-X lenses - my first SLR kit - later used Pentax and then Olympus with each having additional features.


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## webestang64 (Dec 23, 2017)

Dave442 said:


> I like the Minolta SRT-101 and Rokkor-X lenses - my first SLR kit - later used Pentax and then Olympus with each having additional features.



My co-worker at the lab just got a very nice fully functional SRT-101 with 49mm lens for $85.


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## limr (Dec 23, 2017)

timor said:


> I like your answer. Since I don't think OP will ever show up again we can discuss some merits of teaching young people shooting film. Students you mention, yes, they might have zero experience. But they have teacher and are enrolled in a learning program. They will make mistakes, but mistakes will be discussed, understood and corrected.



And now, folks have YouTube and photo forums for this. 



> Now someone who wants to get his/her "feet wet" and buy K1000. That person will handle this camera like digital camera. I saw that.



That doesn't mean everyone will. It's a big assumption. 



> Guys after clicking started to look at the camera back. Sometimes it took 10 seconds for them to realize, that there is no picture showing, because there is no lcd screen..



Sounds like they have bigger issues than just getting used to a film camera 



> Second comes very basic light metering in K1000, source of most of the frames being over or under exposed.



You're underestimating the metering system.



> Third is film development if shooting own b&w.  Alien world.



Not necessarily. Most people start out with sending their film to a lab. If they get the film 'bug' then they may move onto developing. One thing at a time.



> So, what do you think, who is Strychnine (BTW that's rat poison), dedicated student ? I don't think so. F75 gives wide spectrum of possibilities, from fully automatic to see, that it is possible to make good looking negatives, to fully manual (except for film transport) mode to understand how to make good looking negatives without help of the computer.



And now you're underestimating the student without knowing his/her capabilities or motivation.


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## limr (Dec 23, 2017)

Strychnine. said:


> Thanks for the tips everyone! I'm definitely looking for something that's going to be different from my DSLR. If I wanted to stick to what I know I would just keep shooting digital. I'm going to look into a K1000 as that seems to be the popular option. Going forward, what's a good place online to buy cameras. I, unfortunately, don't have any shops where I live.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I second the recommendation of keh.com. Their stock changes, too, so it's worth it to keep checking it regularly. Don't be afraid of their "Bargain" rating, either. The gear is often in better shape than you would expect for a 'bargain.' The "As-is" rating is a bit more accurate, however. There are other Pentax bodies, as well - don't know as much about them. One thing about the Spotmatic, however - it is essentially the same as a K1000, but it has the earlier M42 screw mount. The Pentax bodies from the K1000 onward all use a K-mount (including the DSLRs, so it's easy to use legacy lenses on digital bodies.)


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## timor (Dec 23, 2017)

limr said:


> timor said:
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> > I like your answer. Since I don't think OP will ever show up again we can discuss some merits of teaching young people shooting film. Students you mention, yes, they might have zero experience. But they have teacher and are enrolled in a learning program. They will make mistakes, but mistakes will be discussed, understood and corrected.
> ...


I love your optimism which I lack in this and similar cases. Maybe just bad experience on my part. To many people without any real commitment. here quite recent one:
Film Came out with Vertical Black and White Stripes?
Guy never even looked at the answers.


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## Dave442 (Dec 23, 2017)

Most the recommendations on here are for SLR cameras. I think that in their day the SLR was a very good option, just as today with the DSLR, as you have the interchangeable lens options to make a kit that will cover a wide range of subject matter and styles of shooting. However, I think that film is now more of a niche where one might specialize in a certain style when shooting film and leave the broader range to the digital realm. I expect a lot of todays film shooters are just using a couple of focal lengths. I would go with a 24 or 28mm lens for indoor events and outdoor landscape and 35mm for street.

With that being said, I would also think it good to look at rangefinder camera options in 35mm (format - as you stated).  While it was a bear of a camera to operate, I really had fun using a hand-me-down Argus C-44 rangefinder. The film was hard to load and harder to rewind, metering was with a handheld Gossen, using another lens meant adding on the turret that had the 35mm, 50mm and 100mm viewing angles, it had a cold shoe for the flash, the lenses had filters that did not thread on they were dropped in and held in place by another ring (you will want filters when shooting B&W). But the nice part was the sound of the leaf shutter, much quieter than that of an SLR or DSLR and that lends itself well to street shooting - as does the metering with the handheld meter and then just raising the camera up to frame and shoot.  Another great camera I used was an Agfa Super Silette fixed lens rangefinder - it allowed locking in the shutter speed and aperture from the handheld meter and then you could move both together just like you were using the P mode on todays DSLR.

There may be some bumps along the road. I was at a camera shop a few years ago when a girl that looked to be taking a college photography course was picking up her film and the guy was showing her that the entire roll was blank. She looked like she was ready to throw in the towel, but the guy pointed out that the film was not exposed by the camera (no fault of the Pentax) and she had probably just not loaded it properly and then had not checked to see that it was being wound when advancing the film. My grandfather told me you had to be able to run be able to change a roll of film, good practice for today and changing a battery and memory card.


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## limr (Dec 23, 2017)

timor said:


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I am in education, I have to be optimistic about people wanting to learn stuff


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## timor (Dec 23, 2017)

Dave442 said:


> Most the recommendations on here are for SLR cameras. I think that in their day the SLR was a very good option, just as today with the DSLR, as you have the interchangeable lens options to make a kit that will cover a wide range of subject matter and styles of shooting. However, I think that film is now more of a niche where one might specialize in a certain style when shooting film and leave the broader range to the digital realm. I expect a lot of todays film shooters are just using a couple of focal lengths. I would go with a 24 or 28mm lens for indoor events and outdoor landscape and 35mm for street.
> 
> With that being said, I would also think it good to look at rangefinder camera options in 35mm (format - as you stated).  While it was a bear of a camera to operate, I really had fun using a hand-me-down Argus C-44 rangefinder. The film was hard to load and harder to rewind, metering was with a handheld Gossen, using another lens meant adding on the turret that had the 35mm, 50mm and 100mm viewing angles, it had a cold shoe for the flash, the lenses had filters that did not thread on they were dropped in and held in place by another ring (you will want filters when shooting B&W). But the nice part was the sound of the leaf shutter, much quieter than that of an SLR or DSLR and that lends itself well to street shooting - as does the metering with the handheld meter and then just raising the camera up to frame and shoot.  Another great camera I used was an Agfa Super Silette fixed lens rangefinder - it allowed locking in the shutter speed and aperture from the handheld meter and then you could move both together just like you were using the P mode on todays DSLR.
> 
> There may be some bumps along the road. I was at a camera shop a few years ago when a girl that looked to be taking a college photography course was picking up her film and the guy was showing her that the entire roll was blank. She looked like she was ready to throw in the towel, but the guy pointed out that the film was not exposed by the camera (no fault of the Pentax) and she had probably just not loaded it properly and then had not checked to see that it was being wound when advancing the film. My grandfather told me you had to be able to run be able to change a roll of film, good practice for today and changing a battery and memory card.


Great story. I still shoot time to time my Agfa Silette.


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## timor (Dec 23, 2017)

limr said:


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In this matter my thrust in you is limitless


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## cemam (Dec 31, 2017)

Until OP gets a film camera, it is fun to emulate a SLR--set the DSLR to all manual, turn off the LCD display, pick a film-range ISO, and either daylight or tungsten white balance.  Don't look at the pics until you have shot 36 exposures.  I do it occasionally to remind myself to think about the process.


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## timor (Jan 1, 2018)

cemam said:


> Until OP gets a film camera, it is fun to emulate a SLR--set the DSLR to all manual, turn off the LCD display, pick a film-range ISO, and either daylight or tungsten white balance.  Don't look at the pics until you have shot 36 exposures.  I do it occasionally to remind myself to think about the process.


And if only you would use hand held light meter instead of in camera one, experience could be even more interesting.


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## cemam (Jan 1, 2018)

timor said:


> cemam said:
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> ...


I was spoiled, my first SLR had built-in metering.


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## timor (Jan 1, 2018)

cemam said:


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If you shoot in color only, that's ok.


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## cemam (Jan 1, 2018)

timor said:


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Pretend you still need film with Yashica’s digital camera
What a concept!


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## timor (Jan 1, 2018)

cemam said:


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You are kidding, right ?


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## cemam (Jan 1, 2018)

timor said:


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You know you want one.


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## timor (Jan 1, 2018)

cemam said:


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Want what ? A toy for Barbie ? 
 I am not too big fan of living in virtual reality.  I am strange.


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