Aperture priority camera

jpay

jpay

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Jay
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Hello everyone,

I would like advice on a solid built AV camera, simply for easy to use. I don't want a fully automatic or modern.

I know about the Canon Av1 option but what other models are there?

Thanks all
 
OlympusOM2, OM10? Great cameras. I started with an OM10 20-odd years ago and have
recently bought another.

Al
 
What's your budget, do you have any digital systems that you currently shoot (and if so, would you be worried about wanting to have compatibility across both systems), do you have any lenses already that you'd like to use, and do you have any previous good experiences with any film brands?
 
Whilst the Canon AV-1 is a quality camera, it is aperture priority only with no full manual control. There are various alternatives which will give you both including the Nikon FE or FE2, Pentax ME-Super, Olympus OM-10 (you'd need the manual adapter if you wanted manual control) or the OM-2n.

The OM-2n is better built than the OM-10 in my opinion, but either of them are perfectly good. There are many other examples to choose from including the Minolta range, but the above models are probably some of the more common available. The Canon's, such as AE-1 and AE-1 Program are shutter priority rather than aperture, although the A1 does offer all four modes.
 
Pentax ME Super, LX, Super A, Super Program,
Nikon FE, FE2, F2AS, F3,
Olympus OM10, OM20, OM2, OM2n, OM2SP, OM4, OM4T(i)
Canon AV1, A1

There were also others such as the Minolta XD and XG and the famous X700

There were a multitude of PK mount bodies from Chinon, Ricoh, Cosina, Exacta, Petri all with aperture priority and then the more upmarket

Contax and Yashica SLR bodies shared a mount with bodies such as the Contax 139MM 159MM 137MD 167MT and the RTS series 1,2,3 and the Yashica FX-3 FX-7 and the most famous FX-D

Leica R series R3-R9 need lots of pennies for the lenses for these cameras even if you can afford the bodies.

I realise there are lots more but these are the ones I can remember from memory.
 
I shall be trimming my film systems down a fair bit in the next few days, so if you keep an eye on the classifieds you might find a nice Pentax or Olympus that will suit your requirements.
 
Nikon fm3a is great but expensive.
 
Hey thanks for the suggestions everybody, I'm currently working with a minolta SRT 101 which I like but I've found an excuse in AV to buy a new camera so will look into the olympus and pentax as they seem to be th brands which appeal to me right now!

Although I may consider AV-1, Cheers again
 
Nikon FE/FE2/F3 all have an optional aperture priority. I'd go with one of them over the Av-1 any day. Have a look at the big Nikon FM/E thread here.
 
Pentax ME is fixed in aperture priority, no other modes except fixed flash sync and B. It's a cute little thing too!
 
Consider a Canon A-1, it has Program mode, Aperture priority mode, Shutter priority and fully manual modes. plus its nice and small :)
 
What about the Canon T90? I saw one dead cheap the other day, even the eos film camera can be bought for around £30-50.
 
Can someone enlighten me as to what 'MD' stands for on the OM2?

Many thanks,
Al
 
I believe it means it accepts a motor drive
 
Thanks very much. Presumably the MD model is later than the straight 'OM2' and 'OM2-n'?

Al
 
To sum up - there are a ton of aperture priority cameras, and most of them from very good makes each with very good reputations. Prices for some of the cameras mentioned range from bargain basement towards entry level DSLR money (*looks at minty FE2s and LXs*).

EdBray said:
Nikon FE, FE2, F2AS, F3
Click to expand...

Just a technical correction here Ed - the F2AS, or any incarnation of the F2, never featured aperture priority. The F2S, combined with an EE aperture control attachment DS-1 offered very rudimentary shutter speed priority, but that was about it.
 
freecom2 said:
To sum up - there are a ton of aperture priority cameras, and most of them from very good makes each with very good reputations. Prices for some of the cameras mentioned range from bargain basement towards entry level DSLR money (*looks at minty FE2s and LXs*).



Just a technical correction here Ed - the F2AS, or any incarnation of the F2, never featured aperture priority. The F2S, combined with an EE aperture control attachment DS-1 offered very rudimentary shutter speed priority, but that was about it.
Click to expand...

My apologies, for some reason I thought it had.

I've just seen your approval on Apug, many thanks for that.
 
Last edited:
EdBray said:
My apologies, for some reason I thought it had.

I've just seen your approval on Apug, many thanks for that.
Click to expand...

The only thing the F2A/F2AS had was AI compatibility, already a step up from the F2 Photomic/F2S. The various heads of the F2 could fill a book...

No need to thank because it's 100% genuine (y)

p.s. had to physically restrain myself from posting in your current big classifieds clearout; just got my Nikon FE back from a CLA and had decided that 2 Nikon bodies and 2 Pentax bodies was more than enough, have to resist anymore :bang: (I hear so much good stuff about the Olympus system, and they seem to be very popular amongst those that I trust on F&C)
 
freecom2 said:
The only thing the F2A/F2AS had was AI compatibility, already a step up from the F2 Photomic/F2S. The various heads of the F2 could fill a book...

No need to thank because it's 100% genuine (y)

p.s. had to physically restrain myself from posting in your current big classifieds clearout; just got my Nikon FE back from a CLA and had decided that 2 Nikon bodies and 2 Pentax bodies was more than enough, have to resist anymore :bang: (I hear so much good stuff about the Olympus system, and they seem to be very popular amongst those that I trust on F&C)
Click to expand...

One of the reasons I kept my OM4Ti (that and I'll never get what I paid for it) to shoot alongside my pair of LXs, MXs (although one MX will be going in the next cull) and my Super A and Super Program. If only the LX had the OM4T/i's spot metering then it would be complete.
 
freecom2 said:
But that would cure your GAS, and would make the process too easy! (y)

So many sleek OM bodies...
Click to expand...

One of the reasons for the cull is to get something different although still film orientated.
 
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