Good modern or vintage 35mm?

I'm wanting to slowly creep back into taking photos and developing. What's a good starter camera? Also, any kind of kodachrome analog that's available?

Try an ELAN 7, they're cheap these days. Heck, the pro series 35mm's are relatively cheap...EOS-3?

I've been slowly getting back into film, but have no plans on developing. As for a Kodachrome - might be able to find some old stock someone wants to part with??? Still trying figure out what's what with film choices myself.

The Elan 7 has already been mentioned. I was a bit surprised at the current prices.

Modern-ish Nikon film bodies - N80 or F100. N80 is a good basic AF body, consumer build. F100 is more advanced, more robust as a pro "lite" build - some consider it a compact version of the F5.

Vintage bodies...

Pentax - K1000 is a solid, basic, manual focus body. Tons of lenses produced for the K-mount over the years, from many manufacturers.

Canon manual focus film cameras and the FD-mount manual focus lenses are fairly inexpensive. The AE-1 Program is another solid manual focus body, but gives you the option of using some automatic features. I have an AE-1P with motor-drive and 50/1.8, 35-70/3.5-4.5 and 70-210/4 lenses (and am currently running the first roll of film through it in many years).

Nikon - FM2N is a solid, basic, manual focus body, great viewfinder. F3HP is built like a brick with another great viewfinder, but I find the small black-on-gray lcd a bit hard to see (except in very bright conditions) and prefer the "- o +" exposure display of the FM2N (I find it easier to use). If you currently use Nikon, you might be able to use your lenses between digital and film bodies, depending on which digital body you have and which film body you get. I have the F3HP (and F100) and share lenses with my D300 & D700.

I've got an Élan 7Ne if you are interested. I even have the Canon grip on it. Two of my kids used it for classes, and I've never used it. What says the hive on a price point?

I use one of these. The older Nikons can be purchased with a nice lens for around $150

I love mine. Great camera.
http://KEH.com is a pretty good source for cameras.

One problem I'm running into is that I want to start to do development at home, especially for C41. It seems the Tetenal kit is the best way to go.

$150ish with the grip if perfect, $100 if beat up.

Its a great film camera and it is fast and exceedingly quiet. I love shooting it.

Last time I looked, it was like new. But as I said, my kids have been using it . But I was thinking around $125 with grip in like new condition. Glad to see I wasn't far off in my thinking.

I have an old Minolta SRT200 from around 1970 that I used in high school. I also have a Maxxum 5 from around 2k3. I prefer the SRT. I was also a fan of the X370. I also have a large assortment of lenses for it, that will work on pretty much any Minolta bayonette mount. (Yes, they are for sale!)

FYI - It's no longer possible to get Kodachrome developed.

If you're looking to manual cameras, I'm partial to Minolta. Otherwise, I'd choose whatever brand digital you'll end up wanting to use.

I think there is *maybe* one lab left in the US still processing Kodachrome, but Kodak ceased production of the film in 2009. You might find old stock left...

Just checked, the last lab in the us –– Dwayne's Photo –– ceased K-14 processing in 2010.

Honestly, shooting film in 2012, unless you are an artiste, doesn't make much sense. Get a digital SLR. Much of the technique for getting good shots applies to digital as it did to film.

m

ETA: If you are absolutely positive you want to shoot film, go medium format. You can pick up a Hasselblad and a lens or two for pennies on the dollar if you look around.

Pick up a used Nikon F3hp and a 50mm 1.4 Ais lens. Other Nikon lenses are available everywhere.

I shoot Fujichrome when I shoot slide film. You can buy mailers at B&H and Adorama for it.

An F3HP and an F2AS were my last film bodies. Both were traded in to KEH to get my Canon 1D mkII a few years ago.

Every now and then I miss my F2AS. The the MD-2 motor and batteries, it was a beast...

m

I own at least one of each of the Nikon F series. F through F6.

If you have an F2H I'll really hate you.

m

PENTAX K-1000

they seem to go for about $150

+1 on keh dot com

A couple years ago I had a chance to get one for $8000 as new in boxes. I had to pass (I bought a mint F3T and a couple mint F3HPs), but regret it to this day.

It was pretty damn sweet though. Last week there was an F3H on ebay, but kinda used condition for more than what I would have paid.



Edit: The f3H is still on ebay.

...worthless without pics?? Do we need another a classic/ film camera pr0n thread???

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