Best 35mm SLR?

Call me crazy, but this is the camera that I keep coming back to:


Chrome Yashica TL Electro X ITS by Greyscale3, on Flickr
(this one is a hybrid, the ITS version didn't come in chrome)

Yashica TL Electro X ITS with Yashinon DX 50mm/1.7 lens by Greyscale3, on Flickr

Fully manual, with a stepless electronically controlled shutter, wonderful, accurate metering if you get a good one, mirror lock-up, metal Copal square shutter, big and heavy and solid. Perhaps Yashica's only real "professional" body. I love the Nikon FM2N, and I have a Nikomat FTN that is growing on me. The Nikomat makes a better weapon, and has a better viewfinder, but nothing fits my hands better than this old Yashica.
 
Nikon f5. The last, and best, pro film camera made by Nikon. 150k rated titanium shutter. Built like a brick sh#thouse.

The F6 is a fondler's camera in comparison.
 
Each seems that each major brand has its favorites, but as a Nikon bigot, my love are just about any Nikon manual focus camera.
 
The original posting was Canon SLR. Read the first.
i would suggest the EOS-3 first. It is not light but would balance well with "L" lenses. The rebels(Kiss) are smaller and lighter but less balanced with heavy lenses.
 
If I were you I would choose the EOS 1n or 1v.. I got one myself and I think it is a good camera to be paired with L lenses. I'm currently in the market for the 17-35mm 2.8
 
If we just consider mechanical SLRs, the Nikon F2 could be the one provided it has one of the latest metering prism, that is to say with Ai coupling (the Nikon pre-Ai coupling fork is a pain when it comes to change the lens) and LED indications without the old resistor that is usually dead now. My other favorite is the Minolta Sr-t 303.

If we have a look at auto cameras, the Contaxes are great.
 
Sonny Boy Havidson said:
If we just consider mechanical SLRs, the Nikon F2 could be the one provided it has one of the latest metering prism, that is to say with Ai coupling (the Nikon pre-Ai coupling fork is a pain when it comes to change the lens) and LED indications without the old resistor that is usually dead now. My other favorite is the Minolta Sr-t 303.

If we have a look at auto cameras, the Contaxes are great.
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I've been using an F2 with a DP-12 finder (the last of the metered finders made for the F2) since 1988. And while my finder continues to meter and the LED display still glows brightly, I bought two new ring resistors from Sover Wong against the day that the one in my prism stops working.
 
There is no best. There are many fine 35mm SLRs. The lens matters more, but mid range mid speed primes (non-zooms) have been awfully good for a lot of years now. Pick your lens and find a body it works well on.
 
I'm not sure where the idea that the EOS 3 is a heavy camera comes from. Mine seems very light. Well, compared to my other SLR anyway, which is a New F-1 with the 12 AA cell motor drive. :) That one is a tank, for sure, but a real pleasure to use.
 
Dave Jenkins said:
If the original poster hasn't been utterly exhausted by this thread, I have a suggestion. I love the Olympus OM system, but after aging eyes forced me to switch to an autofocus system I used a pair of Canon EOS A2s for eight years before going digital. [FONT=&quot]The A2's combination of just the right features, precision, silence, durability, and reliability made it one of the best cameras ever made for day-in, day-out professional work. They were used by an astonishing number of professionals in their day, yet now you can buy them for pennies. And they will work just fine with all your L glass.

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I agree with that. The EOS-5 is an amazing camera - silent and precise, it will take the picture day after day after day.
 
I started this thread long ago. I really like Zeiss glass and decided to stay with manual focus, so I dabbled in Contax gear. Here is what I found:

Aria: I got a few rolls through the camera before the electronics got confused and I don't know how to fix it. It won't detect DX and I can't set EI/ISO. The controls that do so will only bring up the custom functions. The camera is light and viewfinder bright. The size reminds me of the OMs. Didn't use enough to really say much.

RX: Solid and smooth. The focus confirmation is useful from time to time. The camera is heavy, but comfortable to use.

RTS III: Heavy, smooth, large bright viewfinder, vertical shutter release and.. well.. it doesn't work. Mirror hangs, metering was questionable and so I didn't use it much. A few weeks ago I sent it to Tocad and they sent it to Japan for repair and CLA. I received a message saying that it would cost $230 to repair... reasonable. I paid the bill, so I'm guessing that I'll have it back within a month. I look forward to getting this one back. I think that this will be my favorite of the bunch.

LENSES:
Zeiss 100-300mm .. Great lens. Using it for Soccer. Have adapter for NEX-7

Zeiss 100mm Makro .. One of the sharpest lenses that I have ever used. Expensive... I found one NIB and wow .. what a lens.

Zeiss 50mm Planar .. enough said.

Zeiss 45mm Tessar .. The weak lens of the bunch, but right size for Aria

I also have two Contax flashes. One is from my G2 kit and the other is their larger hotshoe mount flash. Both flashes work as advertised.

The best advice above was to stay with Canon, but I've a weakness for lenses that have aperture rings, even the old Canon ones. I just picked up a canon zoom for shooting NEX-7 soccer video.
 
In theory, since you're using EF (EOS) mount, then... 1V. Also consider the 3 and 7. For me personally, I'll take any 35mm with a nice, big, bright finder with enough eye relief for an eye glass wearer.
 
Really, there is no best SLR camera but certainly over-hyped SLR cameras do exist.
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I have also owned or used a pretty wide range. Apart from the true dogs (Edixa comes to mind and some of the Prakticas were pretty awful) film SLRs since the 'sixties have all been capable of doing the basic tasks pretty well.

What matters, I think, are viewing and handling. If you don't like round-the-lens shutter settings, OMs and Nikkormats are not for you. If you need full screen focussing, stay away from the Contarex Cyclops and the original Leicaflex. I could go on at length but I'm sure I've said enough.
 
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