Decided a 35mm film camera

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abdabs

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Jill
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Hi after alot of reading last night I've decided to go with a 35mm film slr camera. My wishes would be for it not to be too bulky or heavy I'm a wee little lady. What would your first choice be ignore budget, that I already have a canon gear or I'm a beginner to film.
Thanks in advance if you give me your preferences I can research them further as at the minute there seem to be alot to choose from and I don't have a clue with digital slr it's usually a choice of 2 brands Canon or Nikon
 
Pentax MX (small manual and nice)
Olympus OM1 or 2 (I have an OM2 and it has a nice auto and manual mode to it, most cameras seem to sacrifice usability of one for the other)

neither will break the bank budget wise
 
The Nikon FM/FE series are fairly compact too, but most of the manual/mechanical SLRs were reasonably handy, providing you didn't fit a motor drive.
 
Bill's reply is the only one you need. The Olympus and Pentax models were the smallest 35mm film SLRs - I believe the Pentax was specifically, although the Olympus is still very compact.

EDIT: I wrote this before your post came up Martyn - no offence intended.
 
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erm very difficult to know what you would like as if you want to use your Digital Canon lenses, then you would end up with a Digital looking camera that uses film. And if you want a more old fashioned Canon camera then these older lenses won't fit your digital camera, or the Canon digital lenses wont fit the older Canon cameras....so you would have a duplicate of lenses.
And you say "you are a beginner to film"...does that mean you are fed up with a Digital camera doing all the work for you and you want to think for yourself?
 
freecom2 said:
Bill's reply is the only one you need. The Olympus and Pentax models were the smallest 35mm film SLRs - I believe the Pentax was specifically, although the Olympus is still very compact.
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I'd agree, withthe caveat it depends how you want to use it.

The Olympus OM1 and Pentax MX are fully mechanical all manual cameras, you just put batteries in for the light meter, which may be ideal, but bear in mind there is NO fallback on aperture priority etc with these cameras, it's manual or no shot at all.

If you want something less involving the Pentax ME is aperture piority only, and a bit smaller (and in my mind nicer to hold) than the MX. In between the 2 you have the ME Super, which has Aperture priority or full manual, but it's an electronic camera that needs batteries to work. (So is the ME)

In the Olympus Range the OM2 Spot Program (usually just referred to as SP) offers a Program Auto mode, Aperture priority and manual mode with spot metering. (A and P modes use normal centre weighted metering). This is very accurate and is measured in 1/3 EV stops. For some reason they're not as popular as normal OM2s but do just as good, if not a better job.

Another choice might be an OM30, which offers focus confirm in the viewfinder.

These are all good cameras, and all available for around £50 so won't break the bank to try one and see how you get on.

Also depends what lenses you'll want - I've found it's quite difficult getting hold of Ultra wide angles for Olympus, but Pentax fit ones seem more readily available (and cheaper), which is why I switched form all OMs to mainly Pentaxes.



That's my collection. The Black Pentas is a Super A - it offers full auto, A and S modes, with the advantage over the others that all the details are displayed on an LCD in the viewfinder. The compromose is the actual viewfiner is reduced in size.

All the Pentaxes mentioned are smaller than my Lumix GH1, the OM is slightly larger. (Though I have had 2 in my pockets before now!)
 
The reasons the SP is not popular are many fold:

1) They eat batteries
2) Bits tend to fall off of them
3) The shutter sounds like it is travelling through custard.

Despite all that it is a great camera and I miss mine a little! The metering is very good and the lenses are of superb quality. ;)
 
I think with a simpler camera comes a need for only simpler lenses. With my MX I tend to shoot almost solely with a 55mm f/2 prime (I tend to prefer primes on digital/film regardless, but hey-ho). Most lenses, if you pick the right system i.e. avoid Nikon since the lenses are fully compatible with their modern DSLRs (which is odd since it's the same with Pentax, but the prices have stayed reasonably steady) can be picked up for relatively cheap anyway, so even if you do have to have a different set of lenses for your film camera it's not too much of a problem.

Alan, that's a good point. I think the general recommendation should be the Pentax ME Super/MX line of cameras since they all share the similar small size, or the Olympus OM series for the same reason. Have a look for picture comparisons, there are plenty on the net of people showing off their pretty looking cameras (see above! :D) and you might find one or two pictures with a comparison with a DSLR, which helps to give you an idea if you can't see them in person.

Bear in mind they also have functional ergonomic differences as well - all Pentax's either have a shutter speed dial on the top plate, or have the shutter speeds selected by an up/down button. Most Olympus' have the shutter speed around the lens mount. Both systems have their aperture selection around the lens barrel.

Oh, and one last thing Jill - a question like this will inevitably get you lots of personal opinions about particular cameras, but the truth is there are many very competent 35mm film SLRs. Your question is more specific - that you wanted a compact one, which helps cut down the choices more, but in general "what camera" threads tend to attract a lot of replies with a lot of personal bias (I don't pretend that mine isn't, since the Pentax MX is probably my favourite camera). Just keep that in mind.
 
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I was working on the principle that someone who has a 5DMkII and Fuji x100 in their bag, and wants a 35mm film SLR is probably a) living in manual mode anyway b) wants a film slr to get a more hands on mechanical camera. Hence my suggestion of the MX firstly and OM second. As freecom2 said, lens prices for both Pentax K mount and Olympus OM are pretty reasonable and you will most likely find you don't use so many anyway. I'd assume you would want a 50mm for general out and about (usually cheap unless you want f1.4 and then they are not silly) and an 85mm as you do a lot of portraiture (these can be very pricey oddly), 135mm maybe for portraits if you can get away with it (usually very cheap if you can live with f3.5).
 
I know that the OP said small and I know that both the Oly's and Pentax are neat and effective cameras but a Nikon F3 is not much bigger, lasts forever and is one of the best SLR cameras ever made plus nearly every single Nikon lens will fit it so you can get some nice E series lenses very cheaply.

Plus its shuper shexy

F3-and-50mm-lens.jpg



Andy
 
well - the rest of the lads have it covered for the "old school" cameras. I'd like to pitch in and recommend a nice Canon of the same vintage, as the Canon FD lenses are lovely, however, most of the affordable bodies (AE-1, AE-1program, A-1) are cursed with a problem known as "Canon Cough". It's treatable - and a A-1 that's had it's cough mixture is a lovely camera. I've got one myself, and a bunch of the FD/FDn glass that goes with it. But to recommend a Canon that's not going to wheeze like an asthmatic donkey when you press the shutter, or be a horrendous square cornered plastic monstrosity, then it'd have to be a Canon F1n, and they're big money for a clean and tidy one.

As you mentioned re-using your existing glass, there are a couple of options - the EOS-3/EOS-1v, which are pretty much like for like replacements for your 5Dii body (but with better AF performance - more like the 1D series!) - the EOS-3 is something like 30g lighter than the 5Dii, the 1v is 135g heavier. But - for a lighter and much smaller alternative, there is the EOS-30V. It's around the same size as a 450D, and weighs around 2/3 of what your 5Dii body does. They also go for silly cheap money considering they are one of the last enthusiast level film bodies Canon made - mine cost me the grand sum of £25, and didn't look like it'd ever had a film through it!

At the end of the day, most of the recommendations you'll get are from personal preference. The truth is, most of the 35mm SLR's mentioned in this thread are lovely bits of kit, and will all take great pictures if you know what you are doing with them. My honest advice, is to look for a system where the lenses you want are available at a price that's affordable - it's all about the Glass. What lenses you want, and what you consider affordable is down to you. At the end of the day, a film camera body is pretty much just a light tight box with a means of moving the film back and forwards, and a shutter. Metering will be a little more rudimentary than you're used to, but thats why God (or the Flying Spaghetti Monster - bless his noodley tendrils) gave C41 and B&W film a 3 stop exposure lattitude.
 
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Thank you everyone I know that everyone has a preference I will be biased and that's fine in going to make a list of them all so I can then research and see which fits what I need my knowledge of film cameras was nil and just in 24 hrs I've learnt so much more. Again I don't mind getting a different make to canon I've decides im not bothered about using my lenses I already have, their for my work shoots the film will be for my personal use to slow down and enjoy photography instead of click click till my hearts content
 
Well - speaking as a dyed in the wool Canon shooter. You can keep every other camera mentioned in this thread - I'll take that Nikon F3, pretty please!
 
You can keep your grubby Canon infected paws of my lovely little Effie if you don't mind. :D

Andy
 
abdabs said:
Thank you everyone I know that everyone has a preference I will be biased and that's fine in going to make a list of them all so I can then research and see which fits what I need my knowledge of film cameras was nil and just in 24 hrs I've learnt so much more.
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You can all the waking hours in a day researching and looking at film cameras. That's how I pass the time... :thinking:

There's an absolute wealth of information out there, seriously. Before my MX came, I'd read the manual (just to make sure I didn't miss out any quirks in the operation), knew exactly what the viewfinder would look like and knew what the metering was like. It's all out there. The field of cameras on sale these days seems a lot narrower - Canikon, and maybe a smattering of Olympus/Pentax on the sides - but at the era of cameras that a lot of us have mentioned, there were a LOT of good contenders, and exactly like now there were often multiple cameras available from the same manufacturer to suit different needs. Have a look at this Nikon ad from 1978 here for instance. And keep in mind that the standard kit lens was often a 50mm f/1.8 prime, weird when nowadays a kit lens is often a slow mid-range zoom, but that's why in my opinion only go for a camera body with the prime lens from the same manufacturer. You often see old film cameras for sale with weird 3rd party primes (or even worse, awful zooms from that era), but for very little extra money you can get one with the kit prime lens that actually came with the camera.
 
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I'm swaying to the pentax mx or Olympus om1 with to begin 50mm then maybe 85mm. I mainly shoot in manual so don't mind it doesn't have aperture priority and they seem more weight friendly so I'm going to have a nosey on eBay what is the max you would pay for either of them good condition
 
Also, keep in mind that the OM1 needs a now illegal (at least in the UK, are you buying from Abu Dhabi?) 1.35V mercury battery to power the meter.
 
I'm still in Abu Dhabi till next week for 2 months so was going to order it to be delivered in UK. I've just had a quick look on eBay and the pentax with 50mm lens are going between £90 - 135 good condition the higher price has 6month warranty are these reasonable prices
 
Olympus OM1 or 2 (I have an OM2 and it has a nice auto and manual mode to it, most cameras seem to sacrifice usability of one for the other)
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:plus1:

Also, keep in mind that the OM1 needs a now illegal (at least in the UK, are you buying from Abu Dhabi?) 1.35V mercury battery to power the meter.
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You can get OM1s that have been converted (or get them converted) or alternatively use http://www.paulbg.com/px625europe.html this adaptor, which lets you use zinc/air batteries.
 
abdabs said:
I'm still in Abu Dhabi till next week for 2 months so was going to order it to be delivered in UK. I've just had a quick look on eBay and the pentax with 50mm lens are going between £90 - 135 good condition the higher price has 6month warranty are these reasonable prices
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Personally, I would get an MX body only (or one with a 50mm f/1.7 - the ones you are looking at have the 50mm f/2 which is also a good lens, but the f/1.7 has an even better reputation), spend another £40 or so to get it CLA'd - I got mine CLA'd by Miles Whitehead. You are new to all these terms, so I'll explain - a CLA is a 'clean, lube and adjust'.

So if you play your eBay cards right and get an MX + 50mm f/1.7 like this one, factor in a service, you'd get some change from £100 AND have a fully serviced camera - which is better than any 6 month warranty, since the service is designed to bring the camera up to factory spec. The CLA itself is warrantied, so you'd get a 6 month warranty on the service anyway.

Don't forget the other cameras out there as well - lots of very good cameras available for relatively little money.
 
Thanks freecom2 especially for explaining what CLA is so I should look for a pentax with 50mm 1.7 good condition for about £50 then get the CLA done myself.
How about the Olympus om1 when looking on eBay none said they had been converted and what price is reasonable
 
abdabs said:
I'm still in Abu Dhabi till next week for 2 months so was going to order it to be delivered in UK. I've just had a quick look on eBay and the pentax with 50mm lens are going between £90 - 135 good condition the higher price has 6month warranty are these reasonable prices
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Not really - the Pentax MX in auction tops out at £50ish, although there will be no warranty, you can still buy another and have change if it does break, which chances are, it won't.

EDIT: Missed Freecoms posts. This is now my MX.
 
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freecom2 said:
Also, keep in mind that the OM1 needs a now illegal (at least in the UK, are you buying from Abu Dhabi?) 1.35V mercury battery to power the meter.
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Weincell do replacement zinc-air batteries that give the same voltage so they don't affect the metering:

http://www.weincell.com/

You would need the MRB625 battery from them.
 
I always seem to miss something key out, heh, thanks for pointing that out Samuel. There are replacements, but they really are alternatives rather than replacements - Weincell's are notorious for draining quickly, they are more expensive and more difficult to get hold of than the standard SR44/LR44 watch batteries that many other cameras take, and unless you are absolutely heart set on the camera I wouldn't bother with the Weincell (I'd personally go for the adapter conversion). I can just pop down the road to pick up some replacement batteries if my MX batteries suddenly conked off, but it would be more difficult to get a 1.35V replacement.

Alan, you got a pretty decent deal there. I should've been an MX salesman in the 70s, I love and publicise the things so much.

Jill, unfortunately I'm not hugely familiar with OM1 prices - I've seen OM2 + 50mm f/1.8 priced at £60-90, but I'm never really been in the Olympus camp. Hopefully someone else can enlighten. Also, you don't have to get a CLA, but it's more a peace of mind thing, especially if you end up back in Abu Dhabi without access to someone who would be able to repair your camera if it broke. As many people point out, the oldest MXs celebrate their 35th (!!!) birthday this year which means up to 35 years of usage, dirt and grime, and whilst Pentax built their cameras superbly those factors do take their toll. Also, light seals (which are important to keep the area where the film is exposed 'light tight', so no light gets in through any holes in the camera) often crumble and fall apart, which a CLA will replace. You can do this yourself with a kit for about £8 if you feel handy, although if it's included in a £40 service the economics and your preference might be to just opt for the full CLA really.
 
I'm currently bidding for a pentax mx with 50mm 1.7 keep your fingers crossed and don't any of u guys go and outbid me
 
Right well, the thread title is 35mm camera and since there has was no mention of SLR's and lenses till post 16, I'm going to throw in a couple of fixed lens range finders.
These cameras are a complete departure from the same old same same old rigmarole you have with SLR's, no less enjoyable, in fact I find them quite liberating.
They are elegant, small and light, fast and quiet.:)

for cheap - Yashica Electro

bit more dosh - Konica S3

you have to spend quite a bit more for an interchangeable lens range finders.
 
A Nikon FM2n 35mm f2 ais and a 85 f2 ais or 105mm is f2.5 ais,wont go wrong
 
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I was in your dilemma until today. I had to choose between an OM1n or a Nikon F3. I went Nikon mainly because I intend to buy a Nikon DSLR, and because their lens availability here is much better. I fell in love with the OM1n after using it though. Either one you get, you won't regret your purchase! Just keep in mind that the F3 also features the awesome removable prism for those fun shots.
 
The Nikon F series is pretty cool like that - managed to get a reasonable shot when I tried shooting from the waist!

Bear in mind that the Olympus has both the aperture and shutter speed settings around the lens and lens mount area, whereas most other cameras have the aperture on the lens and the shutter speed on the top panel of the camera. Some people have a preference, some people don't mind - but keep it in mind.
 
Of course you could stay with Canon, and save on lenses - also this would give you a choice as you could use your existing ones from your 5D.

I use both an EOS 3, which is a beast of a camera with some super features, and also a Canon 300V, which is a very light camera, a pleasing design, and can be fully manual or fully automatic (with lots of choices in between). You can pick one of these up on Fleabay for about £30.

http://www.canon.co.uk/for_home/product_finder/cameras/slr/eos_300v/index.asp.

Alan
 
I have bought the pentax mx and it currently sent away to be checked and get in full working order but thank you everyone for your advice very excited to start using it
 
Count Elmsley said:
Of course you could stay with Canon, and save on lenses - also this would give you a choice as you could use your existing ones from your 5D.

I use both an EOS 3, which is a beast of a camera with some super features, and also a Canon 300V, which is a very light camera, a pleasing design, and can be fully manual or fully automatic (with lots of choices in between). You can pick one of these up on Fleabay for about £30.

http://www.canon.co.uk/for_home/product_finder/cameras/slr/eos_300v/index.asp.

Alan
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For Mark and yourself
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=356679
 
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