Camera Suggestions for a Beginner

[ktmrider]

I am looking for suggestions for a film camera for a young woman. We have just completed a two week trip to Iceland and I loaned her an M2 with 15mm and 35mm lenses, an incident meter and Ektar 100. She liked using it when not shooting with her i-phone.

Anyway, she is working to pay for college tuition so I am thinking Leica may be above her price range. I think she needs something with a TTL meter so I am thinking something like a Nikon FM or FE or perhaps an Olympus OM1 (a system I have never owned) or a Canon.

Thoughts/suggestions?

 

[Ken Ford]

I think you're on the right track - an FM or OM1n with fresh seals would do the trick for not a lot of money. I'd give the FM a slight edge due to the quantity and variety of inexpensive lenses out there.

 

[lynnb]

Another vote for either the FM/FE or OM1/OM4. If she wants AF, a Nikon N80/F80 with the cheap Nikkor 50/1.8 AF-D is another good pick.

Edit: another suggestion is Pentax ME Super, very similar to the OM.. both have great viewfinders.

 

[robert blu]

Nikon FM2 should be ok, small, light easy to use.
robert

 

[Jerevan]

Just about any of these options already mentioned would do, but make sure the camera actually works as intended. Nothing is worse than figuring out a wonky camera, especially when you are starting the adventure.

 

[Fraser]

Om2 maybe rather than om1 for easier batteries, what about an eos 5 or an f90x with 50mm.

 

[ForestCap]

I'd suggest a small bodied camera with light weight, so she would like to carry it around. The weight and size matter a lot in this case, I guess.

I think any of the Cosina OEM SLRs would do, namely one of the Nikon FM10, Canon T60, Olympus OM-2000 and Yashica FX-3 Super 2000.

They are newer cameras (easy to find one doesn't need CLA), all have TTL meter, some even have spot metering. They can shoot without batteries, and they can be cheap (much cheaper than their cousin Bessa RFs). They are lighter and smaller than the "professional SLRs" but they can be mounted with the wonderful lenses from their corresponding systems so nice photos are more or less guaranteed.

I'm shooting my Olympus OM-2000 now and I like it.

 

[daveleo]

Yeh, a Nikon FM/2 or FM3a with their 50mm lens would be an excellent and not very expensive choice.

 

[aizan]

pentax spotmatic
olympus om-2 spot/program
canon ftbn
nikon fm2

 

[madNbad]

Pentax K1000. Uses readily available batteries and you can find them for not much money.

 

[maggieo]

Pentax K1000. Uses readily available batteries and you can find them for not much money.

I'll second that recommendation.

 

[Addy101]

Everybody will mention his favourite manual focus camera, be it Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Pentax, Minolta, you name it.

Are you sure a manual focus SLR is what she wants?
Would something like a Voigtländer Bessa R be an option?
Or something like a Canon Canonet 28 or Minolta Hi-matic 7SII?

If you go for a manual focus SLR it really doesn't matter what brand. Don't get an entry level one, but you don't need a top of the range one. Some important things already got mentioned: what battery does it use and how's the condition of the camera.

Edit: I would like to add a recommendation, and yes it is a favourite of mine: Minolta X700. These are great cameras, affordable, batteries are easy to find, under appreciated so very affordable.

I think any of the cameras already mentioned will do, but be aware that Nikon manual focus lenses are expensive compared to Canon and Minolta.

 

[Chubberino]

Canon A-1 and a 50mm 1.8 FDn.

 

[gb hill]

Another + for the K1000.

 

[ktmrider]

Thanks for the suggestions. They pretty much fall in line with my thinking. The plan is to visit CAMERA AND DARKROOM in Albuquerque soon so she can handle a lot of 35mm bodies. Most all quality brands work similiarly so the key is ergonomics.

 

[gb hill]

I shoot Canon A series camera's but it's because of the 6 volt battery that has become a bit expensive & harder to find in stores is why I don't recommend it. I'm sure you will find a great camera. Minolta's are nice too, especially the X series.

 

[nasmformyzombie]

It's 2016, get a body with automatic exposure as an option. Nikon FE or FE2 instead of an FM or FM2, for example.

 

[Dwig]

I would strongly recommend limiting the options to a camera that uses a readily available battery. This would rule out the otherwise decent options that include the Pentax Spotmatic models, the OM-1 series, Canon F... series (except the "New F1), and Nikkormats other than the FT2 and FT3.

I'd vote for:

• any Pentax K series or M series other than the ME (ME Super is OK), with a particular liking for the KX and MX models.
• any of the various Nikon FM/FE family, particularly the newer "...2" models.

 

[Roger Hicks]

It's 2016. . .

Yeah. And?

Why not go for a camera that still works when the battery dies?

Cheers,

R.

 

[maggieo]

Honestly, since she has an iPhone, which has several good light meter apps available, I think I'd find her a beater M4-P and a Voigtlander 50.