Need some advice on my first SLR

Maybe you should figure which focal lengths you want to use, and whether you want to expand the system (buy more macro accessories or such).

Research which system has the focal lengths you want and at what prices. What about bodies.

Then buy.

For example OM system: good bodies: single digit, most affordable OM-1, OM-2. Problems with rotting foam and damaged prisms - repairable by transplanting prism from OM-10. good lenses: most of them, especially the fast ones, but the cheaper slower ones are often just as good. Slower lenses share 49mm filters, fast 55mm. Lenses are usable on EOS with adapter, thus more expensive, but not nearly as expensive as Nikon F mount.

On the other hand Canon FD lenses are not compatible with any digital body (minus G1) and cheaper. Bodies: A1 (F1, T90 are more expensive).
 
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The Nikon F3HP offers 100% view of the film's frame, a great high eye-point viewfinder, terrific long lenses (105mm F2.5, 180mm F2.8, 300, 400, etc) and great macro lenses. All the things you want in an SLR!
Vic
 
I like the Pentaxes (or other K mounts like Chinon) and Nikon F3 (reg. or HP) for film because whatever lenses you get, you can get a decent dslr body later and still use the lenses. The F3 uses non AI (stop down metering) or AI and on with wide open metering.

You can possibly use Zuiko lenses with adapters on other brands of DSLRS, I just haven't done it. With K and F mounts, no adapters needed with current DSLRS of the same brand as the lens.
 
In alphabetical order: Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Pentax are all good.
Check out a used camera store and see which one fits your needs.
I'm partial to Nikons, the F4 in particular for its versatility, but most people find it a bit on the big side.
Any of the 50/1.4 lenses by those 4 companies are excellent choices.
If you prefer all manual, Nikkormat FT2 and FT3 bodies are cheap and very reliable.
 
I know that I really should replace the seals of my well used Pentax MX, but after so many years ( bought second hand some 20 years ago) it's still going strong and a joy to use. Don't know about the Olympus finder, maybe it's better, but: All my lenses, 28, 35, 50 and 100mm share the 49mm filter thread, as my Fuji GS645S does! So practical! Now I use the 28/2.8 also for digital on a cheap 6mp 100d which makes a very fine 42mm lens (crop 1.5) like on my beloved Olympus 35RC.
The cloth shutter of the MX is even Leica-like!

Thomas (wallace)
 
dirt cheap

dirt cheap

If dirt cheap is out of the question, read on... next post...

I vote for the Chinon Memotron CE-II.

They are as low as USD 40.00 for a well cared camera by now.
It features a top shutter speed of 1/2000th, M42 screw mount lenses, full manual control, double exposure option, and best of all: it allows for wide open focussing with APERTURE PRIORITY FOR ANY M42 auto-lens, only stopping down just before exposure. AE-lock even is provided, albeit somewhat cumbersome to engage. Exposure compensation is present as well. Can you believe it, all of this on a 1976-released camera?

Slap any M42-mount 50mm 1.4 lens on for another USD40.00 and you're in business. The camera is all brass and black laquer, Leica quality I dare say. Mechanics are built like a tank.

And, last but not least: no one takes you seriously with an unknown ancient camera, allowing for great shots since you pose no threat😀
 
Since you have range finder and TLR cameras, perhaps you would like to use the SLR to take pictures that those kind of cameras don't do so well at. So I am going to recommend something different that the fine OM and Nikons that are being recommended by many others here.

I recommend that you get a Nikon F5 and a 105mm f/2.8 micro lens. This is an excellent combination, the lens is ultra modern, with fast auto-focusing, vr, good results from 1:1 to infinity. The camera has the fastest, and most accurate focusing and auto-exposure of any film camera. Having a modern Nikon, as opposed to the wonderful mechanical models, makes it possible for you to use the latest Nikon lenses and other accessories.

And F5 bodies are available for a fraction of the cost of the similar but current F6 (and include a couple features the F6 doesn't!)

knodd said:
Hi guys,

I've got a couple of rangefinders and a TLR, and now i'm looking to get my first film SLR 🙂 thing is, i know absolutely nothing about SLRs, so i was hoping to get some advice from you guys here. I want to get an affordable SLR that would give me decent results, i don't have to get something dirt cheap, but i want something i won't feel like upgrading immediately. I've heard good things about FMs and OMs but i really have no idea where to start!

I will probably be getting it with a 50 1.4 or 1.8 as well, lens recommendations are definitely welcome too! 🙂

cheers,
shaun
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Great idea about the OM-10 Prism, very good to know.

I think you will find about as many good reasons to go with Olympus, Nikon, Canon or Pentax as you will hear reasons to or not to use a filter to protect your front element. I do have to add that the EF was a wonderful camera the few times I used it. I loved the wheel and it was sized right.

I think more important than which SLR you want to choose is what you think you want to shoot and find the lens(es) that match you style, interest, budget and needs and let that do the picking.

B2 (;->

B2 (;->
 
Different viewpoint-Why do you want a SLR? For macro, telephoto, or autofocus? For macro a manual focus camera is fine, for telephoto for non-moving items again manual is fine. However if you want to shoot things that are moving you need autofocus. If wieght is important the Nikon F-100 is a good choice, if you don't mind the extra weight the F5 is outstanding re. focus and light metering and the price has dropped to where the increment over a manual camera is quite low.
 
I love my OMs. Used them before I got into RFs. Advantage is size, 100% viewfinder, and ease of use (for me). I still think OM3/4 meters are the best SLR meters ever designed. Disadvantage of OM is that the Zuiko lens line is pretty small. For example, there is no fast 90/85 or 35. The OM Zuiko Superstars (50/2, 90/2, 100/2, 180/2, etc.) are even today very expensive. Normal Zuikos are quite affordable though. There are a few very good non Zuiko OM-mount lenses available, like the Vivitar Series 1 90/2.5 and Tokina ATX 100-300/4 that I proudly own, but not many.

If you want a bigger lens selection Canon/Nikon might be better suited.

The biggest lens selection available of course is for Pentax/M42 mount bodies.


How about something else alltogether ? SLR + 6x6 ? Used Hasselblads are not too expensive these days 🙂

Best,

Roland.
 
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I have an old Ae1 my wife the Av1, They are cheep and we love them. had an extensive Fd based outfit through most of the 80s sadly they were stolen. My favorite of all of them was the Ae1p, I keep meaning to get a new one. I also have a couple of Nikons (fe and a 601) but I prefer the Canons, if you can id say go try some to get a feel for the camera.
But thinking off the wall maybe the Contax line? the lenses are supposed to be superb, Ive not tried them so I cant judge.
 
ferider said:
I I still think OM3/4 meters are the best SLR meters ever designed. The biggest lens selection available of course is for Pentax/M42 mount bodies.



Roland.
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Hi Roland,
Try a Canon T90 and you may change your mind about which SLR system has the best meter.

Cheers,
 
raid said:
Hi Roland,
Try a Canon T90 and you may change your mind about which SLR system has the best meter.

Cheers,
Click to expand...

Raid, from T90 info on Wikipedia:

"To these, Canon copied the metering options found on Olympus's OM-4 Multi-spot metering allowed the photographer to average up to eight spot meter readings from different parts of the scene. In another feature borrowed from Olympus, separate Highlight and Shadow spot readings could be taken. These adjusted the camera's metering decisions to ensure extremes of tonal range were not muted and grey in the final exposure."

Got to give it to Canon, they copied stuff from the best 😀 😛
 
OM1 vs OM2

OM1 vs OM2

There are some slight differences, and I truly loved my OM1, when the batteries were easily accessible. I sold my OM1 and now have a couple of OM2 bodies, as the batteries are shelf items at Radio Shack, etc.

Small, w unique metering, spot on some OM2 models.

As said the OM Zuiko 50/1.4 lens is a keeper, but look for a serial number over 1 million. The early ones are excellent, but the late lenses are just a touch better.

As mentioned the OM-10 is a great value, selling cheap, cheap, cheap. But it was marketed as a budget camera and no manual over-ride. Aperture priority and automatic shutter speed. There is a manual over-ride attachment that plugs in next to the lens, making shutter speed control manual. At that point you would think you had an OM-1 or early OM-2.

Others to consider:

Minolta X-370
Minolta X-570 bit rare
Minolta X-700

Canon A-1 semi pro
Canon AE-1

Pentax K-1000 the venerable student camera-mercury battery
later Pentax K mounts
Earlier Pentax thread mounts fully manual-Supur Takumar lenses

covered Olympus

Naturally, there are others. Most of the cameras I listed were superb student models, although the Canon A-1 was more sophisticated.

In addition, there are a ton of autofocus selections in the market. I have listed only Manual Focus models here.
 
shadowfox said:
Raid, from T90 info on Wikipedia:

"To these, Canon copied the metering options found on Olympus's OM-4 Multi-spot metering allowed the photographer to average up to eight spot meter readings from different parts of the scene. In another feature borrowed from Olympus, separate Highlight and Shadow spot readings could be taken. These adjusted the camera's metering decisions to ensure extremes of tonal range were not muted and grey in the final exposure."

Got to give it to Canon, they copied stuff from the best 😀 😛
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Yes, and the emphasis is on "to these" ... ! Canon integrated several features into one metering system, and they took from Olympus and added it to what Canon already had. In the end, it was the superior system. 😀
 
Just because nobody's mentioned these,

Just because nobody's mentioned these,

You might want to look at the Minolta SRT series... Srt 101, 102, etc... these are very sturdy cameras, and are all manual, if that's your pleasure. As a matter of fact, the SRT 101 is known as "the tank" in some circles. Minolta Rokkor glass can be some of the best.. afaik, Minolta even made some lenses for Leica at one time. Bodies and lenses are plentiful, check out KEH. While not "dirt cheap," excellent condition items are very reasonable.

The SRT 101 is my sentimental favorite, my first 35mm back in 1971. I Still have it and use it. The 135mm f2.8 lens is particularly sharp, as are most of the 50 - 55 mm lenses. It had a CLA last summer, still works perfectly. You may have to have a "conversion" to allow using 1.5v 625 batteries in place of the no longer available 1.35 v mercury batteries, but that's not expensive and a good tech can handle it easily.

To continue the sentimentality, I just purchased an M-Rokkor 90mm lens for my R3A RF kit. I guess I never caught on to Nikon and Canon, etc. Nothing wrong with them... might even be better, but I've never gone wrong with a Minolta.
 
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