Best value Film Cameras

[paragon]

Just to stimulate discussion on this Friday when most of the French have gone home because of the 35 hour week - they need to rest for the heavy weekend

What are the best value film cameras around at the present time?

(secondhand only please)

SLRs first - sorry
Nikon F3 - $200
Canon F1 - $200
Canon A1 - $100
Nikon F80 - $150
Pentax ME Super - $80

RFs - not my area
Oly SP - $80
Oly RC - $60
Leica M3 - always and forever - $800
Leica M6 Classic - $900
Nikon S - $500
Canon 7 - $300

Estimate of current prices - All in very good condition

 

[BillBingham2]

IMHO, you need to look at the classics. F2, OM-X (1, 2, 3 or 4), F3 are at prices that make them a great value. I have a feeling that we are not at the bottom of the market yet for SLRs. I think some of the RFs will continue to drop a bit, but I think the SLR market still has a good deal to give. Too many of them sold for too many years and people are selling them.

B2 (;->

 

[brachal]

I don't think anything can beat the Bessa-R for value.

 

[shadowfox]

We're talking about value right? which to me is an ascending (higher is better) ratio between quality and price:

RF: Yashica Electro 35 series, Kiev 4 series, Konica C35 series, and of course, Olympus XA series.

SLR: Olympus OM-single-digits (1/2/4) not 3 🙂

TLR: Yashica

 

[kshapero]

Om (1-2-3-4)
Nikon F2AS, F3Hp, F4, F2MN, F3MA, F100
Canon T90
Pentax LX
Contax (any manual focus)

 

[David Murphy]

My opinions on SLR's if we are talking your price range:

Nikon F - Non metered prism prefered. In the SLR world this one still stands alone wrt to quality IMO

Pentax MX - Very hard not to love this jewel-like tiny SLR

My opinions on Rangefinders:

Bessa-R - No need to elaborate

Contax II, IIa, III, or IIIa - If you can get a IIa in working condition it rivals the M3 in quality, yet is cheaper.

Screw Mount - Virtually any other LTM rangefinder made by Leica or in Japan (Canon, Leica, Leotax, Nicca, Tower, etc.). You can put a Russian coated Elmar (or Tessar) clone lens on them for dazzling performance and quality at very modest cost.

 

[Silva Lining]

With value being quality of picures vs cost of camera I would say that the Vivtar 35ES has to be the best value. You can often pick one up on the auction site for lest than £10 and the F1.7 lens is just great.

 

[cbass]

Minolta SR-T 101/201.

 

[PlantedTao]

RF = Electro 35 - $30
TLR = Yashica 124 - $200
SLR = Om 2 (this may be my next camera)

 

[mackigator]

Olympus XA! $40

 

[kmack]

A few people mentioned the FD mount Canon SLR's and I would have to concur.

Don't forget the lowly AE-1. It is an amazing camera for its class.

There is a large number of fine lenses for the FD system that can be had cheaply because it is now an orphan system. A good value all the way around.

 

[shadowfox]

Eh, some included Olympus OM-3 as *value* ... 😱

Don't get me wrong, *if* I ever became rich (uh-huh...), I'll definitely get one, and it'll replace my OM-1 permanently,

But at $600 to $1000 nowadays, it's *not* a good value. The OM-3T(i) is even more ridiculous.

 

[pesphoto]

how about the K1000 ...mine's about 30 years old and never a problem

 

[LOOP]

Best value

Best value

TLR: ikoflex Ic 120$
SLR: Contax Aria 300$
RF: Kiev 4 100$

 

[paragon]

A few people mentioned the FD mount Canon SLR's and I would have to concur.

Don't forget the lowly AE-1. It is an amazing camera for its class.

There is a large number of fine lenses for the FD system that can be had cheaply because it is now an orphan system. A good value all the way around.

I mentioned the Canon F1 and A1 in my initial posting

I have probably had more enjoyment out of my A1 than any other as i had it when the kids were small

They are amazing value today especially when you consider that FD glass is being "given away" - presumably because it is not forward compatible with Canon DSLRs as Pentax and Nikon glass is - that has been my one and only "beef" with Canon

 

[KoNickon]

Canon FD mount and Minolta MD mount (SRTs and the later X series). Canon FL bodies and lenses are extremely inexpensive. I agree with kmack's comment about the AE-1 -- an excellent and groundbreaking camera, and as far as I can tell pretty reliable even now.

Mamiya 645 SLRs (the original ones, not the Supers or 645E) and their lenses are extremely favorably priced now -- very reliable.

For rangefinders, the Yashica GS/GSN and Konica S2. Leicas are almost by definition not a good value, simply because they cost so much, even used. The Koni-Omegas/Omega Rapids produce first rate pictures and are very inexpensive.

For TLRs, Yashica D (with Yashinon) and Ricoh Diacord.

 

[markinlondon]

how about the K1000 ...mine's about 30 years old and never a problem

My partner bought a K1000 used in 1982, passed it on to me in 2000 and we gave it to a friend's daughter to use for her photography A-level a few weeks ago, I can agree with this.

My best bargain camera is an M2 if we take the joy of ownership as a factor in the value of a camera.

 

[PaulGuy]

I'll tell you what, speaking value pure and simple, the prices of medium format cameras like the various Mamiya 645 versions, the RZ and RB 6x7, and bronica's equivalents are selling off at unbelievable prices.

 

[FrankS]

...depends on your price point, but a Nikon F4 for about $300 is an amazing camera.

 

[pesphoto]

I hear F3hp's are going pretty cheaply nowadays. I think I bought one(no longer have it) for around $1000 about 15 years ago