i really want to get into photography and want to buy a film camera for taking mostly like candid shots. i also want one where you can switch out the lenses to upgrade . i want to buy a camera with a good lens. i want something reliable but still reasonably priced yea id just like to say BEGINNER means that I really do not have expirence and i wouldnt be asking a question like this if i already knew the answer. so basically i wanted advice not someone telling me to go look on the internet because im perfectly capable of doing that on my own thanks A good beginner outfit (also my travel outfit):
A used manual focus (Canon AE-1, Pentax K1000, Nikon). These camera bodies are extremely well made, incredibly tough and require only a watch battery that lasts most of the year. There are a huge number of excellent lenses readily available for these cameras. Also, when you use a manual, it helps you get your head around the basics of photography - exposure & focus; the camera isn't doing the work for you.
Get 3 lenses to start: wide (20-35mm), normal (50mm) and telephoto lens (100-200mm). Use a zoom if you want, but each lens has its own language, which can be very useful to you. And Canon, Nikkor and Takumar prime lenses for these cameras are absolutely top rate, if they're in good shape.
A bag, strap, cleaning kit, filters (skylight, pola, ND ), inexpensive tripod, cable release. Get a 100' bulk film loader and some cassettes, and you can save a bundle on film.
A developing tank & reel and some chemistry, and you can develop anywhere, anytime.
So, for under $500 - less than the price of a reasonable digital, you're 100% independent. Under $300, if you're resourceful.
Ebay, KEH, Adorama and Craigslist are good places to start looking.
Remember, people take great photographs, not cameras.
Have fun! hands down, I recommend the Pentax k1000. Its known around the universe as the "student" camera. The removable lenses you are talking about are for a SLR camera or, single lens reflex camera. The pentax k1000 is fully manual and will teach you a lot about photography. I got mine at a pawn shop for 20 bucks a few years ago because I wanted something with a lil more character than digital. Once you know what your doing its amazing you seem to be more than a beginner. i 'd suggest looking on the Internet for a good canon and accessories, but there are others you can look and see on the inter. most of the time people have reccomended to me either a cannon, or a nikon. in my personal experiance there both great cameras.
if your looking for a film camera try amazon.com they have a great selection of film and digital cameras, most of the time the camera will have user reviews.
another great company is minolta, all my friends and family use minolta, they have been sold to sony, but you can still find parts and supplies at various stores and websites. If you eventually want to upgrade to digital, you need to look at Canon and Nikon cameras.
Be sure if you choose Canon, pick a body that will accept the lenses that Canon DSLR's use -- the older Canon lenses will not fit on the new bodies.
Nikon has not changed their lens mounting system since they began making SLR cameras. Up grades, yes, AI (Auto Indexing), AF (Auto-Focus), and DX (Digital only), but they all fit. I have had fun using the digital 12-24mm on my F4. I can get an interesting "fish-eye" look because the lens does not cover the whole 24x36mm film space. I can also use my "old" 500mm mirror lens on my DSLR in the manual mode and get the results of the equivalency of a 750mm lens. Honestly, it really depends on your budget. As another person mentioned, the Pentax K1000 is almost considered a staple in photography. Very reliable and just basically, Really Really cheap (sub $100).
However, once hooked on photography, you may want something with auto-focus (especially sporting and fast moving events or subjects), auto-wind (AKA motor drive), and faster shutter speeds. The 2 greats have to be Canon and Nikon because their mounts for lenses can fit basically any of there respective lenses. But now you're running into hundreds of dollars; however, you may grow into them and didn't really need to upgrade.
Bottom line, all of these cameras are great because they're SLRs (Single Lens Reflex; what you see in the view finder is exactly what the camera will take a picture of). But most important is that you can change the lens for more tele or wide. If you want just cheap Pentax K1000 is hard to beat. If you can afford it, you may want to spend extra for the Canon or Nikon (I'm a Nikon fan) so you can grow into the camera as your skills improve. Their lens selection is amazing and only limited to your budget. I bought a pro-mateur Nikon 20 years ago I still use today. |
