Best starter 35mm film camera

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tonx

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tony
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Hi

This question has probably been asked before, but i cannot seem to find it. I am looking at getting into photogaphy to go along with my other hobby of wild camping & was looking for any recommendations for a good 35mm film camera to start with, as i am on a very limited budget & would also like to start at the very beginning.

Thanks in advance.
 
Do you want an SLR or a compact camera to start off with?
 
My guess is that with very limited budget and wild camping goes travel light?

Factors 1 & 3 may rule out an SLR and if photography is new to you may not be the best plac to start anyway. Charity shops may be better than ebay as a source. If you want a nice retro fashion statement something like an Olympus Trip will set you back £20-35, something slightly more modern, plastic and electric will be less in a charity shop and might start at a fiver. You are going to have to factor in film and developement costs: you'll get in date Kodak colour in Poundland for £1, developing might be a fiver or slithyl more if you want the images on cd.
Hope this helps...
 
Do you happen to have any lenses already, or lenses that you'd want to be in a compatible system with (say if your friends/family have cameras already)? And if you could set a firm budget, it might help narrow the search a bit. And the compact/SLR question.

Welcome to TP and Film & Conventional! :)
 
Having started on film, knowing nothing about photography when I started, I feel I should give and old make "Praktica" a shout. I started photography on mine, and I love my Praktica to bits! I still use it to this day!

They were a German camera company quite a while ago, and although they are long out of the camera business, you can usually pick up a decent camera, that is well-built, simple and has all the basic functions you need for 35mm. They are reasonably cheap and easy to find in charity shops and on ebay (even here sometimes!). Plus, you can find a lot of different lenses that will fit for quite low prices, allowing you to experiment lots.

Having said that, you can find a lot of really good 35mm film cameras out there at a reasonable price, from 5-10 years old to around 30-40 years old!

I would suggest if your going down the second-hand route, and aren't too sure about the kit, do try and buy the camera in person rather than online, so you can give it a good look-over and make sure its in decent condition!

:)
 
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AleksanderLoesch said:
Having started on film, knowing nothing about photography when I started, I feel I should give and old make "Praktica" a shout. I started photography on mine, and I love my Praktica to bits! I still use it to this day!

They were a German camera company quite a while ago, and although they are long out of the camera business, you can usually pick up a decent camera, that is well-built, simple and has all the basic functions you need for 35mm. They are reasonably cheap and easy to find in charity shops and on ebay (even here sometimes!). Plus, you can find a lot of different lenses that will fit for quite low prices, allowing you to experiment lots.

Having said that, you can find a lot of really good 35mm film cameras out there at a reasonable price, from 5-10 years old to around 30-40 years old!

I would suggest if your going down the second-hand route, and aren't too sure about the kit, do try and buy the camera in person rather than online, so you can give it a good look-over and make sure its in decent condition!

:)
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I'd agree with that...a MTL3 or MTL5 with a Meyer or Helios or Pentacon nifty fifty lens is a VG combo and can be cheap £5-£25 tough as old boots for camping or even for use as a defensive weapon, and will give results close to an expensive DSLR without the usual worries of expensive gear e.g. theft/dropping/sand/dirt/rain/scratches etc etc
 
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excalibur2 said:
I'd agree with that...a MTL3 or MTL5 with a Meyer or Helios or Pentacon nifty fifty lens is a VG combo and can be cheap £5-£25 tough as old boots for camping or even for use as a defensive weapon, and will give results close to an expensive DSLR without the usual worries of expensive gear e.g. theft/dropping/sand/dirt/rain/scratches etc etc
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I have both the MTL 3 and MTL 5! both are amazing. I love my MTL 3. I will take it to the grave with me!
 
Good suggestions here...I would second the Olympus Trip suggestion because even if (or should I say when) you start getting serious about film you'll still want to keep it and use it sometimes. If you're going for a more complex set up like an SLR I'd probably recommend spending a little more than a Praktica would cost and get something you'd likely build on. Eg a Nikon FM or FE, which would cost about £50 plus about the same for a 50mm lens. Obviously more than the Praktica but hardly megabucks, and it would get you started on a system which has serious longevity (even interchangeability with digital bodies, should that appeal).
 
TheGreatSoprendo said:
Good suggestions here...I would second the Olympus Trip suggestion because even if (or should I say when) you start getting serious about film you'll still want to keep it and use it sometimes. If you're going for a more complex set up like an SLR I'd probably recommend spending a little more than a Praktica would cost and get something you'd likely build on. Eg a Nikon FM or FE, which would cost about £50 plus about the same for a 50mm lens. Obviously more than the Praktica but hardly megabucks, and it would get you started on a system which has serious longevity (even interchangeability with digital bodies, should that appeal).
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I do agree with that too actually! If you know you want to get into film -longterm- its a rather good idea!

If you want to see what its like... then a trip/praktica is probably a cheaper option. :)
 
I think for starting out there is a lot to be said for the Trip 35 route.

I found that a simple camera like a Trip 35 to get a feel for film and to work on composition - if you can find one for £5-10 you are laughing. This is how my film addiction was started.

If you really want to start learning however, a film SLR like a Nikon FG-20 or a Canon AV-1 (something with aperture priority) and a 50mm 1.8 lens or similar is a great starting point.

Then you can buy more lenses as you need or upgrade to a better body when the time comes.

This is the route I took. It's also the route my youngest sister has been taking - I'm just about to get her a wideangle for her Canon AV-1.

Frankly I think you could jump straight into an entry-level SLR with a 50mm lens and you'll have so much more scope to learn from the start. For £30-50 you should be able to find something.
 
JCoquillon said:
Frankly I think you could jump straight into an entry-level SLR with a 50mm lens and you'll have so much more scope to learn from the start. For £30-50 you should be able to find something.
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Amen to that!

Just pick up a camera and shoot! :D(y)
 
As a camera to take with me for wild camping / lightweight backpacking, I'd be looking for something compact, but still with a decent lens. I actually got into photography to take pictures whilst walking/climbing and began with a MTL3, trading to a Canon AE-1 program when I dropped the MTL from a bivi-ledge near the top of the Aig. Du Midi. If I was in the market now, to be honest I'd probably be looking for something smaller/lighter such as a 35mm Rangefinder with a good fixed lens, such as the Canon Canonet QL17 or one of the Yashica ELectro 35's - though they're not particularly cheap, at least for a good condition, recently serviced version.
 
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