stevierose
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Well, all three of my kids are supposedly adults now (in their 30's). 
I don't think that you will be successful at solving this problem (your daughter's inattention to her belongings as a personality/behavioral pattern that leads to the loss or destruction of said belongings) by choosing a different type of camera. It is really her problem to work out. While there is a range of ruggedness in different cameras, they are all, ultimately, precision instruments and prone to damage if it goes far enough. The fact is that she can't really expect to take a decent SLR camera with her on this type of trip and not spend some attention on protecting it. It will break. Just like I can't drive a regular passenger sedan off road over rocks and boulders and expect it to survive the trip. I've tried many different versions of this with my kids, and it just doesn't work. You can't change reality to fit your kid.
That said, short of taking a Nikonos or similar camera system that is designed to resist the elements (likely too expensive) I would suggest that she take one of the small digicams that have been designed to be waterproof, dustproof, and impact resistant. Olympus and Panasonic both makes variants of this, and she can probably find an affordable one used that is one or two generations old. These also have the advantage of being small and light--helpful for backpacking.
If it must be an SLR I will add my vote to the Pentax MX which is a very solidly built compact SLR with great lenses that is inexpensive. It won't survive a dunk in a lake or being buried in sand, however.
Personally, when my kids went out on their world tours and backpacking trips back in their teens and twenties, I gave each of them an Olympus Stylus Epic and they all brought back great photos and intact cameras. The Stylus Epic has a great lens, is pocketable, and is "weather resistant". Unfortunately, they have caught on and cost $200 or so now, but still worth it.
If she must have a film camera with more control I would suggest a 1970's era fixed lens rangefinder like the Olympus 35RC. Well made, great lens, light and compact. I backpacked extensively with one of these back in the day, got great photos, and the camera survived. They are reasonably affordable but usually need new seals and benefit from cleaning the viewfinder. They use mercury batteries, but this is easily overcome.
My 2 cents. Good luck with this!
Steve Rosenblum
I don't think that you will be successful at solving this problem (your daughter's inattention to her belongings as a personality/behavioral pattern that leads to the loss or destruction of said belongings) by choosing a different type of camera. It is really her problem to work out. While there is a range of ruggedness in different cameras, they are all, ultimately, precision instruments and prone to damage if it goes far enough. The fact is that she can't really expect to take a decent SLR camera with her on this type of trip and not spend some attention on protecting it. It will break. Just like I can't drive a regular passenger sedan off road over rocks and boulders and expect it to survive the trip. I've tried many different versions of this with my kids, and it just doesn't work. You can't change reality to fit your kid.
That said, short of taking a Nikonos or similar camera system that is designed to resist the elements (likely too expensive) I would suggest that she take one of the small digicams that have been designed to be waterproof, dustproof, and impact resistant. Olympus and Panasonic both makes variants of this, and she can probably find an affordable one used that is one or two generations old. These also have the advantage of being small and light--helpful for backpacking.
If it must be an SLR I will add my vote to the Pentax MX which is a very solidly built compact SLR with great lenses that is inexpensive. It won't survive a dunk in a lake or being buried in sand, however.
Personally, when my kids went out on their world tours and backpacking trips back in their teens and twenties, I gave each of them an Olympus Stylus Epic and they all brought back great photos and intact cameras. The Stylus Epic has a great lens, is pocketable, and is "weather resistant". Unfortunately, they have caught on and cost $200 or so now, but still worth it.
If she must have a film camera with more control I would suggest a 1970's era fixed lens rangefinder like the Olympus 35RC. Well made, great lens, light and compact. I backpacked extensively with one of these back in the day, got great photos, and the camera survived. They are reasonably affordable but usually need new seals and benefit from cleaning the viewfinder. They use mercury batteries, but this is easily overcome.
My 2 cents. Good luck with this!
Steve Rosenblum
Hey,
Recommend me an SLR that is tough as nails in every aspect and won't break (the bank)?
My backpacking daughter takes SLRs on her trip and even manages to wreck a Chinon Memotron CE-II, which is a pretty tough camera already. So any advice on a tough-as-nails camera that preferably can also withstand a bit of beach sand is very welcome. Student's backpacking budget, so please no recommendations of the top line Nikon or Canon SLR...? Internal meter required and anything else is up for debate except build quality
sanmich
Veteran
You want the absolute toughest? the one that will laugh at the sand you want to throw at it?
If you are ok with compromising on the SLR part, and 35mm is ok as the almost sole lens:
Nikonos V
If you are ok with compromising on the SLR part, and 35mm is ok as the almost sole lens:
Nikonos V
Axel
singleshooter
Well, all three of my kids are supposedly adults now (in their 30's).
I don't think that you will be successful at solving this problem (your daughter's inattention to her belongings as a personality/behavioral pattern that leads to the loss or destruction of said belongings) by choosing a different type of camera...
So I do.
In this case I have built redundancies by choosing cheap devices for my children.
Any "built like a tank"-camera will fail if the destructive creativity of kids comes to a special level.
Like some others here I have various experiences with my own kids at that point
Just in mind is a camera filled up with beer during a nice kid´s party or various items that were
left on a car´s roof before driving on.
RObert Budding
D'oh!
I carried a Nikon FE throughout Europe when I was a young man. It was tough enough, and it's a nice camera to use.
tunalegs
Pretended Artist
You're not going to find anything with greater longevity and mechanical durability than an Ihagee Exa. Seriously, centuries after every Nikon F has given up the ghost, scores of these things will still be snapping away. No meter of course (hand held meters are arguably better) and no shutter speeds above 1/150 - but also no clockwork or electronic timing mechanism, in fact hardly any internal parts at all
Dante_Stella
Rex canum cattorumque
Hardly expensive these days. You can get a nice looking F4 for under $200.
What seems overpriced is Nikon's amateur and midrange manual focus cameras. Think of it this way: you can buy six N6006 bodies for the price of one repair to an FM2 (or buy 12 N6006s for the price of one FM2).
Dante
cklammer
Member
I have actually read your OP but still my first recommendation would be (if it has to be film) the zone-focusing "Olympus Trip 35" being as considered discardable in your context; it features a great lens, no batteries required as it has a selenium meter, hot shoe and as to sturdiness: for $75 get five of them - three if you want that rare 40,5-mm-filter on the lenses. Millions of them were build ...
Otherwise, as she is already familiar with M42 kit: here in Germany we have M42 "Revueflex SD1" or "Revueflex AC1"/"Revueflex SC1" (the latter two even can do winders) all using easily available LR44/SR44 batteries (none of that pesky mercury battery logistics issue and the ways around thereof): all of them are some sort of Chinon originally and the bodies go as low as 8€ apiece without shipping. Buy three and put the f2.8 trinity on them: 28mm/50mm/135mm or if you want to spend more money: f2.8/24mm, f2.8/35mm and f3.5/200mm. Three bodies, three lenses no need for butterfingers changing lenses ...
One can get complete kits with a body and three lenses if one is looking carefully and patiently for very low amounts of expenditure.
The Revuenon lenses are quite decent despite being no great loss .. but consider putting (mostly 52mm threaded) UV/Sky filters anyway ... sacrificial goats and all that.
And lastly as we are a rangefinder forum here: Olympus XA (LR44/SR44 battery, too) with attached flash (single AA or AAA). Additionally: XA4 is scale focus with a very nicely reputed 28 mm lens but never had one myself.
Get SR44 batteries vastly in preference of LR44s due to differences in voltage behaviour.
Best Regards,
Christian
Otherwise, as she is already familiar with M42 kit: here in Germany we have M42 "Revueflex SD1" or "Revueflex AC1"/"Revueflex SC1" (the latter two even can do winders) all using easily available LR44/SR44 batteries (none of that pesky mercury battery logistics issue and the ways around thereof): all of them are some sort of Chinon originally and the bodies go as low as 8€ apiece without shipping. Buy three and put the f2.8 trinity on them: 28mm/50mm/135mm or if you want to spend more money: f2.8/24mm, f2.8/35mm and f3.5/200mm. Three bodies, three lenses no need for butterfingers changing lenses ...
One can get complete kits with a body and three lenses if one is looking carefully and patiently for very low amounts of expenditure.
The Revuenon lenses are quite decent despite being no great loss .. but consider putting (mostly 52mm threaded) UV/Sky filters anyway ... sacrificial goats and all that.
And lastly as we are a rangefinder forum here: Olympus XA (LR44/SR44 battery, too) with attached flash (single AA or AAA). Additionally: XA4 is scale focus with a very nicely reputed 28 mm lens but never had one myself.
Get SR44 batteries vastly in preference of LR44s due to differences in voltage behaviour.
Best Regards,
Christian