Which aperture priority SLR?

philipus

philipus

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Perhaps this is a different take on which camera to get.

I am considering adding an aperture priority SLR to my camera bag and as I am unconstrained by brand, any suggestion is welcome.

I'm mainly interested in getting as accurate exposures as possible since I shoot a lot of slide film. I don't mind (at all) electronic shutters. In fact, I think that may be a benefit if it offers step-less shutterspeeds. Then again, that is not a requirement.

Any thoughts?

br and thanks in advance
Philip
 
For over 34 years, the first camera that comes to mind is the Nikon F3.
Dead accurate metering, stepless electronic shutter, and TTL flash capability.
I've shot a lot of Kodachrome, Fuji Astia, Provia, Velvia, and Agfachrome with mine.
Downsides - the internal camera battery tends to die in cold weather. Fix is to mount the MD-4 with a NiCd battery pack in it. The motor's batteries then supply the camera. This makes it good down to -20C.

Make sure that the LCD on the camera you are thinking of is legible. You can't get replacement LCD meter readouts anymore.

If you can deal with a rangefinder, then my M7 is very similar in function to the Nikon F3.
 
Thank you Robert. I didn't realise that the internal batteries tend to die in cold weather. This is camera-related (as opposed to battery-related)?

I'd prefer to not have to carry a motor drive and I do shoot in cold countries sometimes (being Swedish).

br
Philip

Robert Lai said:
For over 34 years, the first camera that comes to mind is the Nikon F3.
Dead accurate metering, stepless electronic shutter, and TTL flash capability.

Downsides - the internal camera battery tends to die in cold weather. Fix is to mount the MD-4 with a NiCd battery pack in it. The motor's batteries then supply the camera.

Make sure that the LCD on the camera you are thinking of is legible. You can't get replacement LCD meter readouts anymore.

If you can deal with a rangefinder, then my M7 is very similar in function to the Nikon F3.
Click to expand...
 
Okay, manual or auto focus? I found the later Nikon Bodies with Matrix metering consistently accurate in exposure, maybe F100 or similar vintage. If you need Manual focus i think a FA is a good choice. Good luck.
 
Minolta x700 - a lot cheaper than the nikons. Dead on metering and has beautiful glass which is often quite cheap.

Second to that probbaly a canon a1 / AE1 P . The a1 is designed with automatic functions in mind and the aperture priority is very good, the AE1 is built cheaper but has still been accurate when ive used it.
 
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philipus said:
Thank you Robert. I didn't realise that the internal batteries tend to die in cold weather. This is camera-related (as opposed to battery-related)?

I'd prefer to not have to carry a motor drive and I do shoot in cold countries sometimes (being Swedish).

br
Philip
Click to expand...

It's a battery issue.

You really have to be out in the cold for quite a while for this to happen. In alll the years I've been a photographer I've never had it happen.
 
Thank you very much for the suggestions.

I would prefer manual focus.

yanchep_mike said:
Okay, manual or auto focus? I found the later Nikon Bodies with Matrix metering consistently accurate in exposure, maybe F100 or similar vintage. If you need Manual focus i think a FA is a good choice. Good luck.
Click to expand...
 
Jake Mongey said:
Minolta x700 - a lot cheaper than the nikons. Dead on metering and has beautiful glass which is often quite cheap.

Second to that probbaly a canon a1 / AE1P. The a1 is designed with automatic functions in mind and the aperture priority is very good, the AE1 is built cheaper but has still been accurate when ive used it.
Click to expand...

Just another note: Although the Ae1P is built cheaply I shot mine in iceland in -5-10 degrees c on a single battery which wasn't new and had 0 issues meanwhile my sony a7 conked out on me a lot. It got wet quite a bit but still tanked on with dead on metering
 
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The little battery's output dies in cold, revives when warmed up.
An accessory that Nikon made was a battery case with cord, for cold weather. You put the battery in an inside pocket, and let your body heat keep it warm. The cord supplies the camera. It plugs into the camera's battery port.

The camera can keep going in extremes of weather like this. I've tested this out myself (with the MD-4 / NiCd pack) in Canada and Upstate New York winters.
 
I've used a number of cameras with aperture priority metering, both digital and film, and they've had consistently accurate exposures. Of course the operator has to do some interpretation as with all light metering. I've had the most experience with Canon cameras, film and digital, and I learned to trust their metering. I never used my cameras in extreme conditions but I recall reading about National Geographic photographers using the EOS 1n under extremes of cold and heat without problems.
 
I understand your reluctance to use a motor drive, but the MD4 adds more than battery power to the F-3. The camera balances better with long or heavy lenses when the MD4 is attached. You probably won't need the Nicad packs - the eight AAs seem to hold up well in cold weather and they are almost universally available. I have four F-3s, all used for newspaper work when we still shot film. I continue to use them for personal work, and all have MD4s attached.
 
Jake Mongey said:
Minolta x700 - a lot cheaper than the nikons. Dead on metering and has beautiful glass which is often quite cheap.

Second to that probbaly a canon a1 / AE1. The a1 is designed with automatic functions in mind and the aperture priority is very good, the AE1 is built cheaper but has still been accurate when ive used it.
Click to expand...

I enjoyed shooting the X-700 until both died within weeks. They are very nice cameras, lightweight, look great, shoot great, but the electronics are VERY susceptible to death.

I enjoy shooting my Nikon FE2 and F3/T.
 
Nikon F3, any day of the week. Best meter I've ever used (IMHO kicks the crap out of even Matrix), extremely solid build, quick prism removal for waist-level shots...
If I had to give up either my F3s or my M6, I'd be hard pressed to make the choice.

ALSO, for what its worth... I have never had cold-weather issues with my F3, with the MD4 or without. The motor drive is a work of art, and handles like a dream, but both of my F3s run forever on the little SR44 cells, regardless of the clime.

This is a camera built to be used hard for a long, long time.
 
presspass said:
I understand your reluctance to use a motor drive, but the MD4 adds more than battery power to the F-3. The camera balances better with long or heavy lenses when the MD4 is attached. You probably won't need the Nicad packs - the eight AAs seem to hold up well in cold weather and they are almost universally available. I have four F-3s, all used for newspaper work when we still shot film. I continue to use them for personal work, and all have MD4s attached.
Click to expand...

I wasn't aware battery power was an issue with the F3. Batteries seem to last well over a year on these Nikon SLR bodies.
 
First questions....

What do you want to shoot with it?

Is weight and size a factor?

How much do you want to spend?

What glass do you want to get for it?

What is your budget?

Lots of great alternatives, just need to know priorities.

B2 (;->
 
If you want an aperture priority SLR with electronic shutter for super accurate exposures, I can't reccomend anything other than a Pentax LX.

Off-the-film-plane metering wins.
 
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