sevo
Fokutorendaburando
Pretty much any of the bunch designed after the mid seventies, provided you like the lenses available for the mount and whatever special features the body might have. The first generation had teething problems, but past that, aperture-priority AE bodies (mostly Copal shuttered in any case) proved to be as solid as their manual predecessors.
jim_jm
Well-known
I'll recommend Nikon, only because that's what I use now. I'm sure your chances of finding an Oly/Pentax/Minolta/Canon body that suits you are just as good. I'd go with an F3 or FE2. Also an FM3A, if money was no concern. The F3 has the best in-camera meter I've ever used, especially for slide film. The FE2 is much lighter and a bit smaller, but doesn't feel as robust. Also with the F3 you can use pre-AI lenses in stop-down mode, if you like the look and feel of older lenses.
bhop73
Well-known
I'm a Nikon guy for SLRs so.. F3 if you want a smaller camera. F4 if you want matrix metering and you don't mind a little bigger, although, i'd go with the small mb-20 grip if you can. They're both pretty sweet as far as the aperture priority goes.
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
Given the recent Nikon price hike, I'm still going with the Chinon Memotron CE-II.
Aperture priority with all M42 lenses. Open aperture focusing with all M42 Auto lenses. Step-less electronic shutter so intermediate shutter speeds are possible. 1/2000th top speed. Takes a 6.2V battery that never gives in in cold weather.
Plus, it's brass and black paint and I swear, I've never seen paint quality on an SLR that came closer to a black paint Leica. Mine is covered in olive green leather and has an olive green strap, both courtesy of fellow RFF members who sent/sold me those.
Recently I found a pristine Panagor PMC 28mm 2.8 for mine for less than EUR 10. My 50mm is a Chinon 50mm 2.0 of which I am fairly certain it's a Tomioka made lens.
Aperture priority with all M42 lenses. Open aperture focusing with all M42 Auto lenses. Step-less electronic shutter so intermediate shutter speeds are possible. 1/2000th top speed. Takes a 6.2V battery that never gives in in cold weather.
Plus, it's brass and black paint and I swear, I've never seen paint quality on an SLR that came closer to a black paint Leica. Mine is covered in olive green leather and has an olive green strap, both courtesy of fellow RFF members who sent/sold me those.
Recently I found a pristine Panagor PMC 28mm 2.8 for mine for less than EUR 10. My 50mm is a Chinon 50mm 2.0 of which I am fairly certain it's a Tomioka made lens.
ChrisPlatt
Thread Killer
Pentax ME Super is a popular choice, but I recommend the P3N/P30T.
Nikon FE (AI lenses) or Nikkormat EL (non-AI lenses).
A real nice example of any of these should be available under $100USD.
Chris
Nikon FE (AI lenses) or Nikkormat EL (non-AI lenses).
A real nice example of any of these should be available under $100USD.
Chris
Shac
Well-known
Nikon FM3A - best of both worlds plus small
Otherwise the F3 - no need for motor - no worries on cold unless you plan on a winter at either of the poles
Otherwise the F3 - no need for motor - no worries on cold unless you plan on a winter at either of the poles
Godfrey
somewhat colored
WJJ3
Well-known
Minolta X-500! Because Its got all the controls you want where you want them and none that you don't. Its a shooter.
And also because - the lenses!
And also because - the lenses!
Frontman
Well-known
Another vote for the F4. And with the F4 you can use a myriad of manual and autofocus lenses. It uses AA batteries which are found everywhere, and you can get it without the battery grip which is on the one in the photo. It's an amazing camera which cost thousands when it came out, but now you can get them cheap. Few other cameras allow so many lens choices, and certainly not cameras by Canon, Pentax, or Minolta.
The F3 is a great camera, and retro-looking, but the F4 has a good deal more features, and higher shutter speeds.
For simplicity, the Nikon FE is the best camera, and is the greatest bargain, and you can use all Nikon manual focus lenses, and a great number of AF lenses if you focus them manually.
Huss
Veteran
There is one Buy It Now for $25 on that site. Comes w a free ET..
I just liked to bookend the AE mf SLR spectrum. Zenit 18 and Leica R9 pretty much does that.
Cuz let's be honest, the response to these threads is always what the person posting is using.
CMur12
Veteran
I like the Minolta X-570/500 and X-700, myself, but all of the major camera manufacturers produced models that will perform well.
AEL: It has to have AEL (auto-exposure lock) for me to even consider it. Minolta made some fine electronic automated cameras previous to the X-700 generation, but they didn't have AEL, so they didn't work for me.
I like aperture-priority automatic because the shutter is then timed steplessly, providing - at least in theory - a more exact exposure. (The equivalent is true in all forms of automated exposure.) I scan the scene for light values and I lock it on the part of the scene that provides the settings I want. Then I recompose and shoot.
Without AEL, you don't have much control over exposure. Dialing in exposure compensation takes longer than it would to use manual exposure, so I have never bothered with it.
So, I find any automated exposure without AEL useless, which rules out a lot of cameras for me. You might want to take this into consideration based on your own technique.
- Murray
PS. Responding to Joe Lopez's report of his X-700s dying: When these cameras fail, it is almost invariably a certain capacitor that requires replacing and is a simple repair. As far as I know, failure of the entire circuit is rare.
As I indicated, my bias is Minolta, but competent SLRs with aperture-priority automation were offered by almost all of the known brands. You may want to determine which features you want in such a camera (AEL or not, ergonomics, etc), in order to make your decision.
AEL: It has to have AEL (auto-exposure lock) for me to even consider it. Minolta made some fine electronic automated cameras previous to the X-700 generation, but they didn't have AEL, so they didn't work for me.
I like aperture-priority automatic because the shutter is then timed steplessly, providing - at least in theory - a more exact exposure. (The equivalent is true in all forms of automated exposure.) I scan the scene for light values and I lock it on the part of the scene that provides the settings I want. Then I recompose and shoot.
Without AEL, you don't have much control over exposure. Dialing in exposure compensation takes longer than it would to use manual exposure, so I have never bothered with it.
So, I find any automated exposure without AEL useless, which rules out a lot of cameras for me. You might want to take this into consideration based on your own technique.
- Murray
PS. Responding to Joe Lopez's report of his X-700s dying: When these cameras fail, it is almost invariably a certain capacitor that requires replacing and is a simple repair. As far as I know, failure of the entire circuit is rare.
As I indicated, my bias is Minolta, but competent SLRs with aperture-priority automation were offered by almost all of the known brands. You may want to determine which features you want in such a camera (AEL or not, ergonomics, etc), in order to make your decision.
ChrisPlatt
Thread Killer
AE memory lock used with substitute metering gives the control of manual but is faster.
Chris
Chris
CMur12
Veteran
Axel
singleshooter
If you have no dependencies on the lens system simply get one of the various Konicas, Ricohs, Revues, Porsts, Cosinas,
Chinons or other brands that go cheap and often unused through the shops and boards.
I have a Canon EOS100/Elan that does all my left film jobs quiet and reliable. Flash and Motor on board, AF and much
more modern features if you want. Simple AV-Mode with nearly every ever produced lens is also possible.
Oh no
For a manual photographer AE lock is only for preventing of permanently changing the exposure.
The fastest way to shoot still is when you simply have to change or lock nothing. If there is a need to change exposure just change.
That is the most control.
If you shoot manual you control your parameters or you don´t.
If you shoot automatic you control your automatic.
Chinons or other brands that go cheap and often unused through the shops and boards.
I have a Canon EOS100/Elan that does all my left film jobs quiet and reliable. Flash and Motor on board, AF and much
more modern features if you want. Simple AV-Mode with nearly every ever produced lens is also possible.
Oh no
For a manual photographer AE lock is only for preventing of permanently changing the exposure.
The fastest way to shoot still is when you simply have to change or lock nothing. If there is a need to change exposure just change.
That is the most control.
If you shoot manual you control your parameters or you don´t.
If you shoot automatic you control your automatic.
michaelwj
----------------
I find that there are some actual well thought out responses, but I agree that most "which XX is the best?" or "which XX should I buy?" are interpreted as "which XX are you using now?"
In that light, the best aperture priority camera is the iPhone, as long as you never want to change the aperture.
More seriously, I only have experience with Nikon's, so I would interpret the question as "Which NIkon aperture priority camera should I buy?" and my answer to my question would be an FM3A or F3 depending on how big you want it to be.
PKR
Veteran
I used and use F3s. Never had battery issues in cold weather with AAs in an MD4. The batteries don't die, the battery voltage drops below the operating threshold in extreme cold. I did have trouble at 22 below in Minnesota while working outdoors. The LCD went black as Nikon said it would in very cold weather. Once the camera warmed up the LCD recovered as Nikon said it would. I used the cameras in manual only and at the time had an older Minolta spot meter with a rotating dial.. no LCD for my exposure metering. The cameras functioned just fine in the cold. If your working in extreme cold you best not use a motor but manual advance to avoid static marks on the film. You can manually advance the F3 with the M4 attached.
Nikon made a cabled battery holder for cold weather. You kept the battery warm with your body heat and power was wired to a F3 sans MD4.
The F3 was in production for a very long time. You should be able to find a good one easily.
If I wanted an auto expose camera I would buy a Nikon FA.
nickthetasmaniac
Veteran
Pentax LX is a lovely bit of kit, especially if you like doing (very) long exposure work.
valdas
Veteran
I have the CE-3 model. It lacks 1/2000 speed (only 1/1000), but yes, rare model with aperture priority in M42. So this is a big plus for me. The minus for this model (not sure about CE II) is that even if battery dies shutter still operates, but it shoots at one speed (I think 1/125). So when I develop an under/over exposed film I realise that it's time to replace the battery...
and the brass...
