What is the best armature 35mm camera w/lens to buy?

Before you buy one, ask around and find out what your friends and family have and see if you can use theirs for a roll or two. then compare and see which you like best. Even perhaps rent one for a day.
I received a Pracktica with two lens about 30 years ago and have loved it since.l never had a minutes worth of trouble with it and it takes just as good of pictures as it on day one. Not sure they even still make cameras and not even sure I spelled it right, lol, but it has been a great camera and the only 35mm i have ever owned.

I have owned a Cannon Rebel since 1996 and would not take anything for it. My lens is a Tamron - they make the lightest, most efficient zoom lens around.

I'm particular to Nikon but Canon also has some very nice cameras.

Check out dpreview.com for review and comments from users.

Rebels are great. They have all the manual functions along with the automatic settings. I would highly recommend it. However I have never found a camera better than the Minolta SRT-202 or the Canon AE-1. They are the sturdiest and most reliable machines ever built. They may be antiques but a better film camera there isn't. Plus they are cheap ans everywhere and easy to replace if you break it.

i used to have an old pentax for a few years...shot alot of pictures with that one.