# which camera should I get?



## doctormark (Jan 13, 2009)

So I've been thinking of getting a vintage slr to start using.  They're inexpensive and simple to use, good qualities for me.  I have a Ricoh kr-30sp, from the early 80's that I _think_ works.  I'm hoping it will take a picture once the batteries come in.  

If it doesn't, I'm unsure which one to get next.  A canon ae-1 or a pentax k1000 are on the top of my list.  What else would be a good one to have?  I want something that is reliable and well aged.  Something with enough features to keep me busy, but still have the simplicity of a vintage 35mm.  

What do you think?


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## Battou (Jan 13, 2009)

Well, Since the Canon AE-1 has already been mentioned I'll chyme in the Canon EF, The Canon EF is a manual focus 35mm SLR camera produced between 1973 and 1978 and is compatible with Canon's FD and FL-mount lenses. This camera's main feature was the first and last of its kind. It was the Copal Square, a vertical-travel, metal-curtain, focal-plane shutter (Far more relyable than the cloth curtain of the AE-1) capable of shutter speeds from 1/1000 to 30s and is Multiple exposure enabled. The latter vertion of the model has the split microprism viewfinders identical the the AE-1.







Early model viewfinder


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## ksmattfish (Jan 26, 2009)

Calling those cameras vintage makes me feel very old. 

Argus C3 Argus C3 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Beat up versions are available in antique malls and flea markets all over for about $5.  A nice clean, fully functioning model might cost you $40.  Brush up on sunny 16.  

Pentax Spotmatics  Pentax Spotmatic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 
Excellent optics, built like a tank.

Exakta  Exakta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The grand daddy of the modern SLR/DSLR.

Kodak Retina  Kodak Retina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fold-up rangefinders

Some of these cameras look funky, but if you can handle a Pentax K1000 you can figure them out pretty quickly.


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## duncanp (Jan 26, 2009)

i use a canon AE-1 and love it, although i find its metering odd, it just keeps shouting an aperture at you all the time for a correct exposure which is an interesting way to meter.


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## Battou (Jan 26, 2009)

duncanp said:


> i use a canon AE-1 and love it, although i find its metering odd, it just keeps shouting an aperture at you all the time for a correct exposure which is an interesting way to meter.



The EF meters the same way, I like it as it's a little more manual thought to it. Additionally they both have stopdown metering marks, The EF has a big advantage there for those who stopdown meter as the stopdown lever is at the tip of the middle finger of the hand that stays on the camara as oppposed to the AE-1 having a slide switch on the lens hand side.


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## ruaslacker2 (Jan 26, 2009)

You might want to try the Canon FTb. It's a manual camera built like a tank. The battery only runs the meter so you can continue to shoot if your battery dies.

Jerry


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## ksmattfish (Jan 30, 2009)

Norita 66.  Just like a 6x6 K1000 (without the viewfinder meter).  Comes with a sweet, super fast, razor sharp 80mm f/2 lens.  Dirt cheap because no one knows about them.  I've got one, and it was my favorite low light camera when I shot film.  It looked like it had been dragged behind a truck for a few hundred miles, but it still worked great.

Norita 66 - Camerapedia.org


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## malkav41 (Feb 1, 2009)

I second the Ftb. I have one I picked up for 8 bucks with a Vivitar flash at the local Goodwill. It's a great camera!


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## LarryD (Feb 7, 2009)

malkav41 said:


> I second the Ftb. I have one I picked up for 8 bucks with a Vivitar flash at the local Goodwill. It's a great camera!


 
The FTb is a great little camera ...

It's needle and circle on the right in the viewfinder lets you, simply, over or under expose to your hearts content... or line the needle in the center of the circle for very nicely exposed shots....

I still have mine, bought new in 1972...... and a few attachments such as the low level light attachment that mounts on the hot-shoe.....


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## potownrob (Feb 7, 2009)

Miranda Sensorex - makes my Nikon F3HP feel like a toy (though that's a great camera too):
Miranda Camera Sensorex


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## dxqcanada (Feb 7, 2009)

The original Canon F-1.


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## doctormark (Feb 9, 2009)

Hearing this makes me want to get all of them.

Well I tested the Ricoh with new batteries and everything works well.  The pictures came out well.  What I'm thinking of doing now is selling it and going for a k1000 or a spotmatic, mostly because they're attractive aesthetically and I have two K mount lenses for them- an 80-200mm and a 36-100mm zoom, along with the 50mm it came with.  

Or I could sell everything and get a FTb.


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## Battou (Feb 9, 2009)

The Spotmatic is not a K mount it's a M-42 mount, the K lenese won't work.

If you are going to sell everything for a Canon....it's up to you. I've never shot an FTb but the FD glass is worth the price tags and then some.


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