Your Faves: Ridiculously Cheap Great Film Cameras!

CameraQuest

CameraQuest

Head Bartender
Staff member
Local time
10:22 AM
Joined
Mar 1, 2005
Messages
6,684
Location
over the hills from Malibu
View My Gallery
I look at the prices of the new typical greatly overpriced fad film camera from new or practically unknown manufacturers
and then look in disbelief at ridiculously cheap prices for many all time classic film cameras.

What are you great film classic cameras that usually generate silly cheap prices on ebay? not good buys, GREAT buys!

Some of my cheap film fave greats include:

Nikon F
Nikon F2
Nikon F5
Nikon F100

Canon T90
Canon RT

Olympus OM system
Olympus Pen F system - half frame 35 not digital

Bronica SQ-Ai
Mamiya RZ

Hassy - all film models

Large format -
Linhof Technicas

Sure many film rangefinders have lost value too, but not like film SLRs!

What are your favorite cheap greats in today's film camera marketplace?

Stephen
 
Nikkormats, any model
Nikon F2
XA, and Mju's
OM1
Pentax MZ-5 (KAF2 mount)

I have obtained all of these for under $15. Some for $5 (XA, Mju). Excellent lenses available for F-mount, OM-mount and KAF2 for under $100.
 
Hard to go past an OM2 ... mine cost me forty five dollars five or six years ago and it hasn't put a foot wrong. THE SLR of it's era IMO ... nothing else has such a brilliant AE function and a better finder probably doesn't exist.
 
Pentax M's especially the versatile ME Super, worth buying to use the 85mm f/2 on..

Olympus OM10 Often bought for the lens and generally found to be a great little camera.

Olympus mju-I Overshadowed by the mju-II

Olympus XA2 and XA3 Overshadowed by the XA

Olympus iS-3000 A great but ignored bridge SLR with a fixed zoom to 180mm at f/5.6.

Minolta 7000 and 7000i Both fascinating cameras and great lenses.

Minolta X-300 Overshadowed by the um, er...

Dozens of P&S cameras with 28 to 80 - 90mm zooms on them and made by every maker. Best to stop at 85mm or so as f/11 starts appearing after that...

FED 2 Still under-priced and the best of the bunch.

Konica A4 and

Leica mini & mini zoom. Overshadowed by the Minilux range.

Regards, David
 
Nikon F80 - a brilliant camera. I bought one new in about 2002 for around £350, now they're often less than £35. Many in fab condition - will do 95% of what an F100 or F5 will do.
 
Even though I prefer the Nikon F2 over the F3 for most applications, I have to say that the prices for a F3 in decent condition can be gobsmackingly low. There are great deals to be had on F2's as well, but if you do not care for the big finders and want the eyelevel, prices go up readily.
I might be biased towards simplicity, but I'd rather trust an older F3 over the more automated F4. Oh and the F5 can be had for comparatively little money.... we are spoiled indeed.

Greetings, Ljós
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
  • Article Article
12 Great Buys in Vintage Film Cameras:These superb user-collectibles offer real value for users and collectors.
2 3
Replies
47
Views
20K
Bolo Kukus
B
J
  • Article Article
Weird & Wonderful Scale Focusing 35mm cameras: 11 cool models of bygone era that are still fun user-collectibles!
Replies
10
Views
1K
Muggins
Muggins
J
  • Article Article
What exactly is a point & shoot camera? Glad you asked!The Kodak of 1888 may have been the first, and even Leica got into the act!
Replies
17
Views
1K
Mos6502
Mos6502
J
35mm Still-Picture Photography: It began with scale focusing cameras! Back To Basics. Part 1, From the first to half-frame 35s of then and now.
Replies
10
Views
1K
Jason Schneider
J
J
  • Article Article
The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of the 110 Format By 2009, 110 was kaput. Lomography brought it back! Part 2: A selection of fascinating 110 cameras.
2 3
Replies
41
Views
5K
Timmyjoe
Timmyjoe
Back
Top Bottom