The most prominent characteristic of this model is the completely mechanical shutter build. The camera has a durable metal case that ensures sturdiness and reliability. The FM2 is one of the most desired vintage cameras anywhere in the world.
It is a wide-angle lens you can use with digital and vintage filming cameras produced by Nikon. The most interesting features of this lens are high sharpness, small minimal focal distance and complete lack of linear distortions. Another cool addition is the CRC Close Range Correction system that provides terrific image sharpness even when taking close-up photographs. Without a doubt, the Pentax K is the best cheap film camera.
Visually, K is also quite appealing thanks to the chrome- and leather-decorated design. The manufacturer still produces several viable lenses for the K including , , and 71mm models. The W67 is one the best vintage cameras ever created.
It allows taking photographs in the 6x7 format which gave the camera its name and comes with a fixed 55mm Nikkor lens that has proven to be the go-to choice for photographers. This model also has a LED viewfinder that offers unparalleled accuracy and manual focus levers that give you even more control over the shooting process.
The W67 was initially designed for mass-media photographers and thus requires film rolls. Its wide-angle lens excels at capturing architecture and house interiors without causing flairs. Unlike the series of plastic models, the SX is a fully-fledged mirror camera made of steel and glass that features leather elements.
Focusing is completely manual and gives you unlimited creative possibilities. The SX can become an amazing vintage camera for professionals and those who are madly in love with the art of instant photography. X shows us that Minolta is a really good camera brand. Being the leading model of the long-lasting X-series, this camera offered a similar build and design of previous X-series cameras like the XG-M. However, even though it had a lot of similar core components, the X set itself apart thanks to the revolutionary auto-exposure mode.
Moreover, this camera supports three different shooting modes that make it incredibly flexible. When shooting in manual, you can choose the shutter speed and aperture settings to get the correct exposure.
It offers impressive build quality and is perfect for portrait photography when combined with APS-C sensor mirrorless cameras or a black and white film camera as it provides a charming retro feel. What problems do you risk facing when using old film cameras? Similarly to how batteries in vehicles slowly amass acid, old cameras are prone to corrosion if the batteries are left in the body for years.
Before you purchase a film camera, examine the battery for the presence of any white or green traces. If they are minimal, you can get rid of them with a q-tip and a bit of baking soda. If not, you should opt for a different camera. The original face plates were taken off and the model designation stamped out.
These cameras are highly sought after by collectors because of their rarity. Finally, I really used the cassette to cassette a lot in high school I was on the yearbook staff at that time and would run around taking pictures after school. I would then cut the film and run to the school darkroom to develop the partial roll of photos I had taken.
The cassette to cassette capacity and the film cutting knife were actually very useful. Thanks for your further input. Regarding imports following WWII, the UK was in a parlous state, it was in fact bankrupt, something not impacting on the US economy which profited hugely from wartime manufacturing. In view of the economic position the UK was in, manufacturing was concentrated on the export market with the domestic market being particularly neglected and imports of many non-essential products were curtailed or even banned.
Stoicism, typical of the British of that era, got us through, and as a child, b. Food was rationed until when meat was the last product to come off rationing. This is the part where commenters point out all of the great cameras that were missed and there are too many. Obligatory mention of the Graflex Super D here. Our list here was restricted to mechanical 35mm SLRs. We added three honorable mentions at the end from different formats, since as you rightly say there are so many excellent ones out there.
I would love the conversation to continue here in the comments! I have several on your list. Having recently shot the Super D around the empty UC Berkeley campus architecture it feels just a bit smoother than the F2. The F2 has a shorter stroke but the Super D just glides. Spero proprio si tratti di una svista. For a couple of years I worked at a professional camera store, catering to the working photographer rather than the non-professional.
We sold the the Topcon. Back then, it was called the Beseler Topcon Super D. Beseler was the importer into the US. One of our government account execs. The Topcon was miles ahead of Nikon in design and optics, but lagging in business sense and marketing. Nikon, Hassellblad, et al, were imported through distributors rather than directly imported by the manufacturer. Back then, you had a personal relationship with the company rep. They were just a phone call away.
The Kodak professional catalog was like the Sears catalog. It seems they had a product for any photo situation, from working in the tropics to films and chemistry for the printing industry. It was a good time to be involved with the industry. But we must evolve and change to keep current with the existing times.
My pick for the best 35mm SLR? Take your black Nikon F with you and grab a pie. Have that while you shoot seagulls with the Topcon. Stay safe. Follow CDC guidelines. Get the vax as soon as you can. I have a couple of those old Kodak catalogs in the shop here. They truly are amazing, and the breadth of products with the big K on them is truly astonishing coffee makers and toothbrush holders and beach coolers… not to mention the stuff that actually makes photos.
It really is amazingly tough and smartly made. The Nikon F is of course fantastic, and that lens is great. But you are definitely going to cause some arguments with that pizza….
Just a few moments to step back and take a deep breath. The legendary Pentax LX was in my view the ultimate professional camera that was automatic and mechanical, able to continue in all weather conditions and continue to function even without batteries.
They are both just about the best 35mm SLR manual focus that you could get. Minolta SRT series. Such nice cameras. I hear they make nice 24mm lenses as well…………….. Multiple messages, no response. From scratch, then cut it, polish it etc. If we allow the meter, why not the SRT, which surely must get some points for paving the way for the and others? I believe there was a pre-meter version of the Pentax, not sure about the Contax, while the Leica, Topcon and Canon seem to fit nicely into my totally mechanical non-electronic box.
These were the cameras for when men were men well, actually I was a boy. Great article! I enjoyed reading about all of your choices. I got to use many of them and am familiar with all of them. The F2 was my first pro camera which I got when I was a sophomore in high school. My only question is: The Polaroid? I believe it was electronic and dependent on the battery that was in the film pack.
Your input? Wonderful list, i need to find a Topcon now after reading your lines. Glad i own 6 from the list especially the last one that is my favorite. What a great lineup of cameras. I have taken some wonderful images with the Spotmatic F which I believe is the best model of the line. What scores with the Spotmatic is the incredible lenses up and down the roster.
Simple to just replace the battery once a year. And it did all of that 14 years before the FM3a. Perhaps you can identify what its charms are please. You might like this article though you probably already know all of the info contained therein. The Leica and Contax have never given me more only some mechanical troubles and electronic problems , the lens despite the Zeiss 3D of the Contax, at my old age now, I can say that the difference is too small, Leica has a cold rendering.
Excellent list of course, but honestly some of these cameras seem to be listed for their place in camera history and not necessarily because they are the best of the line. Case in point is the spectacular Olympus OM There is no debating its immeasurable importance to the advancement of the 35mm SLR design standard.
But if you are allowing electronic metering to exist in this list of fully mechanical cameras, there is no question that the Olympus OM-3Ti of the mids is a vastly more competent all-mechanical camera than the OM-1 of the early 70s. The OM-3Ti boasts advanced metering modes that I still envy today—how about memory spot metering that allows you to record multiple spot metered measurements for a single exposure, including setting highlights and shadows?
How about TTL flash metering with a mechanical shutter? All in the same small forum factor pioneered in the OM-1 not to mention access to one of the widest ranges of accessories, and excellent Zuiko optics. The OM-3Ti gets my vote.
We eventually decided that, in the case of the OM line, the first was so revolutionary that it needed to be included. Hope that makes sense. I was going to say exactly the same thing. This was a true Pro level camera system with interchangeable viewfinders focusing screens, camera backs and auto winders which inspired the Nikon F that came out six years later. Indeed, Geoff. I agree with all these choices. I had one with the Tessar f3.
Talk about mechanically wonderful cameras. Those were the good days for cameras and photographers. Exciting and forward-looking to the next brochure or catalogue. I even enjoyed having to use a separate light meter for the Exacta and Rolleiflex. Then some lobster. Keep shooting and thanks for the memories. I would agree with you to include the Exakta VX. I have several. They still work great. The next model the VX IIa is the pinnacle of refinement. It smoother, quieter, and just plain beautiful.
But you know what? I have owned a bunch and not one is still working. The shutter curtains all went out. Wonderful article, James. Glad to see you included the Spotmatic. My only quibble might be the inclusion of the Nikon FM3. I would have replaced it with the legendary Nikkormat. Hard to turn shutter speed dial. LEDs in the VF that get washed out easily in daylight. Excessively long film winder throw. Viewfinder that is impossible to see the sides if you wear glasses and without you still need to jam your eye into the peephole.
Opt for a model from one of the big five brands from back in seventies: Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus or Pentax. But any camera with a program mode is good for a beginner. If you want to get your hands on the camera before you buy, then check out vintage markets — but without the safety net of eBay or Amazon, you have to know what to look out for. That's your first port of call. It's also worth checking if replacement batteries are still available for your chosen camera.
One more thing: if you authentically want to pursuit film photography, then steer clear of Lomo cameras which produce those once-trendy but low-quality shots that took over Instagram a few years ago - the ones where colour bleeds into the edges of the frame.
Lomo cameras have got nasty old plastic lenses, and produce imperfect pictures. I spent my life trying to avoid taking shots like that! The aperture controls the light let through the lens, and the shutter speed decides how much light is allowed to reach the film.
According to John, different shots require different combinations of the two. If you're photographing landscape, you'll rely on the aperture, and then compensate with a light shutter speed. Aperture settings are generally set on a ring around the camera lens, while shutter speeds can be found on the top plate dial the opposite is the case in digital photography.
The perfect camera does not exist; however, you can find the camera that is perfect for you. This process is more stringent when you are working with old film cameras especially when you have little or no information to look through before purchasing. Humans are currently at a point where everything seems to be headed towards digitalization. It feels like the process of creation has been mostly automated, leaving little or nothing for the experts to handle.
This is why it is good to regularly take a step back and reflect on the analog options. Shooting on film, and the process of having to develop said film can be extremely rewarding for those who give it a try. This helps you to capture moments purposefully.
Learning photography with a manual camera will ultimately help you to improve as a photographer and help you develop keener instincts. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon. Additionally, we participate in other affiliate programs and sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links.
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Our webinars are always filled to the last seat. ONLY reserved seats will gain access to the room! Other salient features to users look out for includes: — If the camera advances film automatically — Metering options — Exposure options and capability — If it has an inbuilt flash Apart from this, factors such as shutter sound and camera body may also influence the decision of the buyer.
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