I’ve been a professional photographer for nearly 50 years and have owned and/or used, literally, dozens of cameras - from 8x10 down to to 1/2 frame - and my take on this is that a camera and shutter is simply a light valve with a lens. The reason cameras like Nikon have high esteem is that they were made with the rigours and applications of professional use in mind, and I used many for years for this reason, but that doesn’t mean they were better at making a good image or particularly enjoyable to use for other applications. Because they’re made for hard professional use they tend to be heavy and sometimes a bit clunky. It all depends on the application When I wasn’t working I tended to use an Olympus OM type camera which is much lighter and more pleasant to carry about and takes pictures just as good, but wouldn’t survive out in the field for very long. I also liked small automatic point and shoot 35mm for social occasions etc. - which is what they’re made for. Almost all cameras are OK.

@mrca2004

2 ай бұрын

Exactly. the most important part of a camera is the 12 inches behind it. Ansel Adams. And a 35 mm film camera is just something that transports film with a shutter. It makes little difference whether the image captured is meaningful. People who master the craft and use those skills to tell a story can take great photos with simple cameras. My digital camera can photocopy what is in front of it without me setting anything. What I put in the frame, that takes skills and creativity.

The Nikon FM, FM2, FM2n and FM3a are also great film cameras that are fully mechanical. You only need batteries to operate the light meter but they will shoot at all the available shutter speeds even without batteries.

@kristen0009

Жыл бұрын

​@Rob Koch try a N75, i think you can adjust the viewfinder, i think they are like $15 bucks

@silvestersze9968

Жыл бұрын

@Rob Koch FM came out in 1977. I believe that first Ai body or the F2 Photomic A… FM and it’s sister, FE compact bodies were mainly targeted to the North America market

@silvestersze9968

Жыл бұрын

@Rob Koch FM2 is lighter weight than the original FM since more parts of the body were replaced with plastic. But the FM2 has the fastest 1/4000 shutter speed and syn speed of 1/250 (FM2N) in the world in it’s/their time. The only downside of the FM2 is all non-Ai lenses from 1959 can’t be used. 🎉

@silvestersze9968

Жыл бұрын

@Rob Koch There’re diopters/eyepieces or dioptric lenses from Nikon (accessories) I believe from-5 to +5 choices for you to choose from. But later AF Nikon bodies have built-in adjustments on the viewfinders.

@peterlanglois65

6 ай бұрын

@@silvestersze9968You can shoot "stopped down" no problem in many situations. I have even shot non-AI Nikkors on my D200 stopped down.

I love my Minolta SRT-201. The entire range of SRTs are great. They're mechanical with a battery for the meter. I haven't seen one go for more than $120 on the high end. Cheap high quality Rokkor lenses too. If I was in England I'd be shoving one in your hands, Roger!

I love my FE!!! Simple, and wonderful.

I love the old SLR warriors. Great list you got there. An old beater is a go-to camera when I’m leaving home for photo shooting. It is often a pick and choose between a FTb, a Spotmatic, a Minolta SR-T or a Nikkormat. They are all members of a exclusive club of sturdy, robust peoples cameras that rarely fail when out in the field. Well taken care of they seem to last forever.

Olympus Pen F is one of my favourite 35mm cameras - albeit half frame format… it’s solid, small/cute, easy to use and a beautiful design with its little logo in gothic script. Completely manual which I like. Plus a large array of lenses!

I’ve got my dad’s old Pentax KM and I used the Pentax ME Super as my first SLR in the 80s. But the Pentax MX is my favourite Pentax SLR. It’s so compact and light. I took one on a six week road trip a few years ago and really valued it small size and weight.

@GreenCurryiykyk

Жыл бұрын

ME Super was my high school graduation gift! I used it into the ground. As I recall, the electronic board that failed was more expensive to replace than a new camera (at least that's what the local camera shop said).

@Dempseybrothersband

Жыл бұрын

Was lucky to pick a Pentax MX up on eBay recently after a friend showed me his which he’d inherited. Mine’s in mint condition and a beautiful camera. My other one is a Fujica ST801 which I love too. I’m a novice though so very much learning how to use them. I actually did use an OM10 back in the day but didn’t know anything about photography. I still remember the feel of it though-great camera.

@stevensampliner4460

10 ай бұрын

I love my KM. Recently gave an ME Super to a friend that wanted to start film photography but had very little photography experience. So far, she loves it. I think it’s compact size, ease of use and low price point make it a great entry camera

@alexhaselden4623

8 ай бұрын

The MX is the best camera Pentax ever made.

@bsimpson6204

7 ай бұрын

MX was a great camera, it was the Pentax match for the Olympus OM1 in terms of size and specs.

I have an OM2n I inherited from my grandfather who bought it new. The Olympus OM cameras are really special, they were basically Leica sized SLR's with a fantastic selection of lenses. The OM cameras are still a great deal, the only maintenance I've ever had to do was light seals and batteries.

@tompoynton

Жыл бұрын

OM-2 for life here, greatest camera ever. I dread the day the KZread hype machine gets wind of the OM system and the prices rocket beyond all sense

@GabrielGGabGattringer

Жыл бұрын

I love my Oly OM2n which I found at a fleamarket last year for just 120 Euro! I had to invest into new light seal foam & batteries but that was absolutely worth the money.

@stratocactus

Жыл бұрын

oh yes. My 1st SLR was an OM-1n a few years ago. I then bouught an OM-2n with the 50mm 1.4 for 130€ ! It's my go-to camera for anything "serious". Very reliable camera, super compact, and awesome lenses. Since, I've bought an Olympus 35 RC (40€ ^^) and found a Mju Zoom for 5€ at a charity store. I may have an Olympus addiction ahah

@tompoynton

Жыл бұрын

@@stratocactus Alongside my OM-2n I also have an RC, a mju ii & mju zoom 80, and an original XA

@mynewcolour

Жыл бұрын

It’s worth taking the deteriorating foam off from around the prism. It can stain the prism and mess with the view through the finder. How is battery life with the OM2? My OM4 will drain itself if the batteries are left in.

I have an Olympus OM2 and a 2n, plus a few lenses. Excellent quality. Love them to bits. I would recommend them to anyone.

On the Olympus front, the OM-1 was my goto camera back in the days of film. I still love it and the compact size and ease operation (shutter speed on lens mount) still remain my gold standard to this day. However, I would (have recently gone) go for an OM-2, because then you will be sure that it operates with current day batteries.

My first camera was an OM-1 I received from my parents in 1976 when I became my high school newspaper's "staff photographer". Had it refurbished to use alkaline batteries instead of the mercury ones a few decades ago. Picked up an OM-10 and an OM-4Ti as well back in the '80s, and numerous Zuiko lenses. They're still going strong after all these years. Recently purchased the last Olympus-branded camera made before they sold the camera business to OM Systems--the mirror-less OM-1. Figured my photography hobby might as well go out the way it started.

I still have my OM2n I bought in the 1980's. It was in the roof space and I'd forgotten about it to a year ago. Put new light seals on it, it a bit of a service and works perfectly. It got me back into film photography and still takes great pictures. Love it. Keep up the excellent videos!

@ShootFilmLikeaBoss

Жыл бұрын

Amazing!!

@OLDMANTEA

7 ай бұрын

The OM 4T is the pinnacle of that line but the OM 2N(which I won myself) is one of the greats. The OM 1,2 and 4 are all solid.

Minolta XD (XD11/XD7) is a true classic. It's greatly underappreciated and can be found cheap. If you're looking for a pro body with autofocus, Minolta Alpha 9 (Dyxum 9/Maxxum 9) is a beast of a camera.

@symbioticsystems

9 ай бұрын

This is a major omission.

@logtothebase2

9 ай бұрын

My Favorite Camera (that I used or owned) of the era was The Minolta X300

@hawaiifiles

8 ай бұрын

I agree on the Minolta XD11, XD 7 and its slightly lower end sibling the XD5. Adding the Minolta X700 and X370 to the list here.

@peeweebarney

3 ай бұрын

My first camera that I bought in 1972, when I was a teenager, was Minolta SRT-101 with a 50mm f1.8 lens from K-Mart for $209. Then, after I lost it (I put my camera gear on top of my car and drove off), I bought a Minolta XD-11 with a 35mm, 50mm, and 200mm MD lenses, along with a power winder. I used it for youth sports photography. I later bought a used Minolta XE-7 as a spare camera. I gave them later to my two sons and they sold it back in the early 2000s....augh! I should have kept them myself.

@pascalvallinoto6913

2 ай бұрын

Without forgetting that Minolta used these cameras to create the Laica R (The R3 is an XE-7, the R4/R4S is anXD7/11. He also built some of his own lenses, Vario Elmar 35-70 f3.5, 70-210 f4, Elamrit R 24mm and others...all Minolta Rokkor MD

Although I only shoot digitally now, I started with film cameras and my first SLR was a Canon AE 1. I loved that camera because of the awesome focus system and the accuracy of the internal light meter (once I figured out how to compensate for inaccurate readings such as backlighting and such). I could get great results. I actually have two of them now, both in near perfect condition.

I’d put the Nikon F3 on the list. A rock solid camera with an outstanding viewfinder. Get a good one, have it CLA’d, and you’ll have a camera that will last you the rest of your life, and should be put in your will for the next generation. Plus, it can use pretty much all of the manual focus “capable” Nikkor lenses ever made. As my eyes get older, I really appreciate cameras with high eye point finders.

@greggschwabauer6241

Жыл бұрын

I’d also add that they were made at the time when electronics were becoming more reliable, in the long term, then micro mechanical mechanisms.

@stevensampliner4460

10 ай бұрын

That’s great to hear. I’ve just picked up an F3 that has been CLA’d by my local official Nikon retailer guy, who happens to still be a film shooter. The F3 wasn’t on my shopping list but I touched it and the decision was made for me hahaha

@emielv7677

9 ай бұрын

I've got the f3 as well. It's my favourite camera

@siypic

9 ай бұрын

F3 great great camera.

@peterthomas5792

9 ай бұрын

Agreed. Had one, loved it.

This is a great channel to follow for years. RS. Canada

I have two OM-1s that I bought new in the mid 70s, both are still in regular use. Also an OM-1 10 that has seen a little use but it is a battery hog like you mentioned. I should get some batteries and give it another try. My favorite old SLR is a Mamiya dtl500 that I also have had since new. It's very similar to the Pentax Spotmatic with a 5 degree spot meter. It always traveled with me at my work as a locomotive engineer (driver) over four decades and it went through a lot of film documenting my trips.

Loved both my OM1 & OM2, could never afford the OM3, and OM4 at the time. Olympus had a brilliant advertising campaign in that era.

@rogershore3128

5 ай бұрын

The OM4 is amazing and i still use it. Allows you to adapt to your own eyesight. Very smart. The spot metering is superb. And believe it or not, easy cameras to obtain and get repaired.

Hey Roger, nice selection mate, well explained, enthusiastic as ever, happy to see a FED 2 made the list, LOL

love these old cameras, great review and thanks for sharing

I had the Canon F1n. It was a sweet 35mm camera and they are still fairly pricey online for a 35mm camera, you can find a nice workable F1n for about $400US. It was my go-to camera, and it lasted me many many years.

In the early 80s, I bought my first SLR when I was 16. It was a Pentax K1000. Shooting slide film on a manual camera was the best way to learn for me. Slide film was not forgiving like negative film. What you shot is what you got. I used that camera for about 15 years until the Nikon N90 came out. 40 years later the K1000 still works.

@ShootFilmLikeaBoss

Жыл бұрын

Those Pentax mechanical cameras were and still are awesome. With the K Mount lenses also being plentyfull

@101wonderment

11 ай бұрын

impressive

@Beentryingtochangethisforages

7 ай бұрын

Me too, bought my K1000 in 1980. Stopped using it when digital came along, but so incredibly chuffed when my daughter did photography at Uni and gave it a new life.

@n0w3lly90

6 ай бұрын

That was actually a great starter SLR and gave access to the excellent range of Pentax K-mount lenses

@n0w3lly90

6 ай бұрын

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss yep, Pentax k-mount lenses are definitely highly regarded

Great list of cameras you showed in the video. I have purchased the below over time from charity shops /boot sales etc a couple sadly don't work but the rest do and I enjoy using them as well as my dslr. Keep up the good work 😊📷👍 Early 1980's Miranda ms 1 super film camera. 1979 Olympus om 10 film camera 1972 Yashika 35 ME film camera 1937 Zeiss icon nattar 515-16 1968 - 73 Zenit b film camera Circa 1960's halina 35x super film camera Circa 1950's koroll bencini film camera 120 1939-mid to 1950's ensign ful-vue film camera Circa 1957 ilford sportsman film camera 1948 coronet 12-20 box camera 120 film 1972 Yashika 35 gs 1976 - 1997 Pentax k1000 1974 Pentax mv

Canon A1 ... using the one I have owned since the 90's on an expedition to St Kilda next week ... recently restored, works like a dream.

My first ever SLR was an Olympus OM1 when I was in college ...I love the Yashica Electro, I use mine for IR film and love it!!!I have a bunch of Feds and they suffer from the holes in the shutter like the Leica!!! I love Pentax cameras, everything from the Spotmatic thru the current digital stuff ... Nothing better than Takumar glass!!!

I have the F5 and F100 and love them both. Recently bought a couple of F bodies and I have to say I am very happy with them. Rugged and reliable all around.

I have been doing photography since 1973. I have, and still use, my Nikon FTN, F2A, F3HP, F4E, F5, FE2, Nikkormat FT2, Nikonos V, Canon F-1 and EF and Pentax Spotmatic F. And of course, my favorite film camera, my Hasselblad 500 CM.

I have a few of these cameras in my collection. Film lives!

I have a Nikon F that I bought near-mint from Japan for < $100 and a Yashica Mat 124g bought here in the US for my first toe dips into manual film photography. Really enjoying both of them so far.

I'm glad you added the Nikon F100 to your list! What's great about that camera is that it works with my Nikon DSLR lenses. I take that one when I go out with the DSLR and lenses and want to shoot some film as well. All I have to add to my backpack is the F100 body. So, I think the F100 makes a lot of sense if you already have F mount lenses (D or G type, but not the recent lenses with an electronic aperture). Less so if you don't. The camera feels surprisingly similar to my old D700. It doesn't give you the manual feel of some of the older bodies, so if I just am taking a film camera I go for one of those (the Minolta XD7/XD11 in my case), with a 50mm on it. That's a much smaller and lighter package and a real pleasure to use.

love my nikon f80 and mat124g also got an olympus trip 35 really great fun little camera to shoot with.

I was a film cameraman in the Bosnian civil war back in the early 90s. I was shooting on Betacam but I carried an old Nikon F2 with me also. That camera was so reliable. I could have bought any camera of the time, but there’s a good reason why press photographers back in the day used the F2. They just worked, rugged & you could clean them so easily in the dark if you had to.

@peeweebarney

3 ай бұрын

Do you still have it? I bought a used one two years ago and it came with a Nikomat camera, along with accessories and a case. What lenses did you have for your F2?

Along the lines of the FEDs, the Zorki 4k is a great choice. Really bright range finder, diopter adjust, m39, thumb wind, and they are a bit newer than the FEDs so are less prone to duff shutter curtains. The shutter speed selector is a bit annoying (bit of a cheese grater). They are also pretty cheap (circa £150). Great range finder.

I’ve had my Nikon FE from new in 1982 and it’s still perfect. At the time I considered an OM10 and Canon AE-1 and still think I made the right choice. Also have an F100 for AF and love it. Previously had an F80 which is 80% of an F100 for less money. Had a K1000 but never took to it. Seriously thinking about getting an OM-1 to try.

Great selection! I chose Olympus OM-1, the digital version I have inspired me to look for its film ancestor with the same name. Also picked up a Trip 35, as my favourite focal length of 40mm is insanely priced for the old OM System. The Trip was broken beyond repair making sense, the OM-1 had the infamous damage to the prism from the foam acid residues and needs service. But I got it with the fantastic 50mm f/1.4 in great shape and an original leather case, for just 120€! The camera gets professional service now and I get a new Trip 35 prepared there as well, can’t wait to get them back and start using them for real.

I've got an AE-1 Program and love it.

There are so many great film cameras out there that can cater to all needs, taste and budget. The Nikon FA is a favourite user. The Voigtlander Vito B, big finder is a joy to look through, the Pentax ME to throw around. Nikon F black eye level to collect :)

I started my SLR life with my Canon FTb in the 1970's. I ended up with lenses from 17mm to 600mm plus a variety of accessories. A great camera system and I produced many wonderful photos with it. I still have that camera and lenses/accessories and they all still work just fine. I ended my film life with the Canon A2E that was probably near the top of the Canon line before they abandoned film and went digital. I still have that camera but only with the one kit lens. I, too, have abandoned film and went fully digital, changing brands to Nikon. I loved film but I can do absolutely amazing things with my high-end digital cameras now that I never dreamed of in my film days. But my wonderful film cameras will remain with me forever, complete with their fantastic memories.

@peeweebarney

3 ай бұрын

Wait until the holographic or 3d cameras comes out, then you will ditch your digital cameras. And with a double function as a mobile phone...haha.

I always adored and wanted a Nikon FM and that's the only manual camera that I have . Absolutely love it .

Feliks Edmund Dzerzhinsky was not the creator of this camera, he was the organizer of the Soviet security services - the most cruel services in the Soviet bloc (nkvd). FED is the name of the factory named after him in Kiev.

@jjjalistair6880

11 ай бұрын

The FED commune was in Kharkiv ;) Kiev camera factory was "Arsenal"

@dmytroyehorov2905

10 ай бұрын

@@jjjalistair6880please, use Ukrainian transcript Kyiv) But it’s hard while we are talking about film cameras, because I have Kiev-4 camera, with only Russian manual

@chrisfetto9400

10 ай бұрын

He was the founder of the NKVD, later to become the KGB. The factory started with orphan labour making cameras and then armaments or munitions when the second world war began - from what I've gleaned.

@chrisfetto9400

10 ай бұрын

Edmund... Really?

@Wiencourager

7 ай бұрын

A lot of the orphans in the FED camera factory were probably orphaned after their parents were sent to the gulag, or worse.

WHAT ? No Minoltas ?

@joshpawley5757

Ай бұрын

Yer Minolta SRT101📷

@robertwaffel8248

Ай бұрын

pssst!!!! don't tell the internet! keeps the prices low! 😊 I keep collecting them and that sweet, sweet Rokkor glass!

Fun list! I have used 9 of the 10 you talked about and have owned 7 of them. So, I think we largely agree on what a camera is. :) The FED 2 was in production for a very long time as you noted and they made a lot of them. A bit more than 2 million over the decades. I think they are a good, basic rangefinder camera with the advantage of being able to use quite a lot of excellent lenses. The down side of the FED 2 is that finding a well working example can be hit or miss. Some cameras that you didn't mention that I think are worth considering are the Nikon 8008, the Minolta Dynax/Maxxum 7, and the Pentax K2. All of these three are what I think of a "prosumer" kind of cameras, situated slightly below the company's professional cameras. They have maybe 80% of the pro camera features but are/were significantly less expensive. I really have not looked at the market in a couple years so I do not have any idea what used prices are like currently, sorry!

I loved using Nikon FM2 and F3, Great cameras.

I have just bought my first 35mm camera, Pentax K1000 with SMC Pentax-M 1.7 50mm lens. Found your channel and subscribed. Got my first films today, ready for the weekend 🙂 lots of learning to do now

My first camera was a Pentax K-1000, which I bought used for $60 in 1990. It was a great camera to learn on because the metering was so simple. I tried several other cameras, but my favorite was the Nikon F4s. Great for photojournalism and portraits.

@stuartmackie9620

Жыл бұрын

I traveled to Hong Kong in 1996 where new cameras were very good value. I ended up with a Nikon F90x which proved to be a very good camera in all respects (except smallness) and similar in performance (but cheaper) than the F4, if I remember.

I would add the Yashica FX3 Super 2000 to this list. Here in Europe they cost a little over 100 EUR at the moment and it's a fantastic camera. Small, light (and a little plasticy), full manual (with lightmeter) but awesome to use and very tough. And the best part: it has a Y/C mount so you can add some of the best lenses that were ever produced on this little beast. I unfortunately sold mine but using it with the Tessa 45mm 2.8 pancake was such a joy and the image quality was nothing short of amazing.

I loved my Canon A1 back in 1979.

I love the OM 1s. Simple yet bomb-proof solid.

After my first 35mm camera, a Canon AV-1, I had a Pentax ME Super and a Pentax Super A. I took a huge amount of photographs - bought my film in bulk and rolled my own.

I would add the Nikon Nikkormat range. I have a near-mint black Nikomat EL (I imported it several years ago from Japan, where these cameras were named Nikomat for the home market). I paid £36 (IIRC) for the camera body, which is Aperture Priority like the later FE, is built like a tank, and takes the early pre-AI (Automatic Indexing) lenses. These are of superb quality and are inexpensive, particularly compared to the AI-S range designed to operate on the Nikon FA.

@letome

7 ай бұрын

Best classic camera I ever had. Bought it around 1972, with a standard 52 mm (I think) and the amazing 135 mm Nikkor f:2.8 (lots and lots of live concerts). Dragged i through Asia in 1982, and finally a burglar got away with it in the late 90'ies.

@dufushead

6 ай бұрын

back in the day these were the F1 for non professional photograhers. I used to fantise about owning one !!!

I agree with you on the Electro 35. Very sharp lens.

Still have my Canon A-1, Canon AE-1, Canon AE-1 Program, several Minolta XD-7s, Bronica ETRS, Mamiiya C3 and C330. And all their lenses.

I have two OM-1 cameras, in superb condition and perfect working order, both with working batteries that I probably last replaced in the early 2000s. I bought the first one 1979 and the second one a couple of years later. I used to have colour film in one, and b&w in the other, and slung both around my neck; a Zuiko 50mm 1.8 on each and I was a street-shooting machine. Printed everything full frame as well, because cropping means you didn't frame right in the first place. I used them extensively back in the day.

@Gma7788

Ай бұрын

A romantic, false account of what happened back in the day.

@harbourdogNL

Ай бұрын

@@Gma7788 What would you know about it? Enjoy the life of a troll, do you, sad little man?

I would suggest something from the old Minolta SRT line. Built like tanks, work without the battery, fully manual, lots of lenses, and as long as you stick to Minolta Rokkor lenses they are always very sharp.

@RCAvhstape

Жыл бұрын

To add: my main 35mm camera is a Minolta X-700, which is a great camera but is also a bit more complicated. There are fewer repair shops willing to fix them because of the electronics, I had to send mine off to a distant shop last year. So for a beginner I recommend an SRT because of their simplicity. I have an SRT-101 I literally picked out of the trash and it works fine after a quick cleanup. The X and SRT line use the same lens mount, which makes it a nice addition to my lineup as well.

@dufushead

6 ай бұрын

My second camera was a Minolta AL which I still regret selling 50+ years later. Great tools.

@peeweebarney

3 ай бұрын

My first camera that I bought was a Minolta SRT-101 with a 50mm f1.7 Rokkor lens for $209 back in 1972 from K-Mart. I was 16 years old then.

Oh man, a designer Dzerzhinsky, you made my day. Lovely video, btw, personalny I would mention Canon EOS 600.

what a great video!!! I loved the fact that your choices of cameras were not based on trends or hypes, but in functionality and price. Sure, the F5 is something else, but the K1000, OM10, Spotmatic... they are all are pretty capable and affordable cameras that any film photographer (beginner or pros) will be able to make great images with. Excellent video!!!

@ShootFilmLikeaBoss

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Having used Pentax cameras since the 1970’s my vote would be for the MX & LX models. Both cameras have a beautiful feel and are solid performers. The LX is probably my favorite Pentax of all time, until I purchased my K1 mark II. And the beauty of the k-mount lenses is that I can used my beloved 50 mm f/1.4 on my K1. Cheers and shoot film!

@alexhaselden4623

8 ай бұрын

The KX was also pretty decent. A bit larger and less refined than the MX but much better than the K1000.

@ianthomson9363

7 ай бұрын

I started with a K1000, but traded it in for an MX when that became available. It performed perfectly, had excellent handling especially with the motor drive attached, and just felt right. After many years of upgrading (mostly Pentax, but a Ricoh managed to creep in), I now have a K1 and I can't think of any reason to change it. I recently bought another MX for old times' sake and it still feels right. Pressing the shutter release and feeling the precision engineering working inside still gives me pleasure. I'm glad that I've stayed with Pentax with the backwards-compatible lens mount as there are some bargains to be had in the second hand lens market.

Awesome series Rog! Maybe I’d add the Pentax LX to that list… I think at the moment a good one can be found between 300-500 USD. Will you do a similar series for 120 cameras?

@dukenukem5768

11 ай бұрын

I think he is trying to keep it affordable.

Great content as ever Rog! My go to recommendation for new 35mm film enthusiasts is the Canon EOS range. As you've shown yourself in recent videos, they're super easy to use and the EF lens range is second to none for image quality and range. Other than the EOS 1 and 3, the bodies are stupidly cheap and lens prices are falling fast too. Battery life and availability is really the only downside. Plus, no one stops you to ask about your camera when you're out shooting...

Fun to watch! I was a newspaper photog in the 80s and used two Canon F1n bodies with motors, lots of lenses and a Metz 45CT flash. A ton to carry. Sometimes I just grabbed my Leica M4, a 35 and a 50 and just set exposure with my eyes. Oh the times have changed..

@ShootFilmLikeaBoss

11 ай бұрын

I bet the Leica was a relief to use.

Pentax fan here! Look for a Pentax MX (smaler) in stead of a K1000/spotmatic or even an Pentax ME-Super (Cheap)..

@oudviola

Жыл бұрын

I'm pretty happy with my ME and MX, although I'd love to trade up to an LX if one came along. Pentax has a beam splitter, a mirror attachment that fits on any 50mm thread diameter lens. It makes two stereo images on one 24x36 frame, which go in a regular slide film holder and are viewed with Pentax' slide viewer to get 3d images. Tons of fun!

Great list! The only thing i would add is to the Pentax K1000. Watch out for what model you buy, later models *can* be pretty cheapily made and unreliable, the best way to go is try to find earlier, made in Japan, models

@dukenukem5768

11 ай бұрын

Not only were later genuine Pentax ones sub-standard, but there have also been fakes made which can fool a beginner.

First camera I used was a 1950s Braun Paxette - a mechanical fixed lens rangefinder-style (has a separate rangefinder attachment) with a leaf shutter - which my father gave me when I was young. My first was a Chinon CP5 in the mid 80s… Both still work fine, as do the Pentax ME Super & Nikon F301 I inherited later… I think you hit upon a great point, the wide range of quality lenses available for all these relatively cheap cameras 👍

The OM2 was a great compact camera. I used it for photomicroscopy because the metering system worked so well and it was light weight. The F5 was incredible and the f100 made a good back-up camera.

The Nikon FE is quite a good and very nice camera to shoot, the Pentax K1000 is a camera that is a little too much on the rough side for me, good camera but make me curse from time to time. One camera that you did not mention but is quite impressive for a mid 1960's is the Minolta SRT101, I love using this very well built camera

@dukenukem5768

11 ай бұрын

The K1000 is OK but over-rated and over-priced today - it is a very basic camera. The Minolta SRT101 is a better choice.

@GigiDAmico

10 ай бұрын

I just bought the srt 101 and the metering is not ok, I think it works with light but not with low light, any idea? thanks

@nelsonm.5044

10 ай бұрын

@@GigiDAmico mine is also not as reliable in low light situation compare to outdoor. You also have to remember these camera used to work with 1.35 volt mercury battery, if you put a modern 1.5 Volt battery, it does change how the meter reacts. What I did is do a comparison with my digital camera meter and there is a difference of one stop of light between what my Minolta meter tells me and the right exposure on my digital camera

I'd suggest the Minolta X300. Cheap, well built and lovely to use. They cost from £50 - 100. I'd also recommend Zeiss Ikon Contaflex. These are beautifully made and have a simple range of Pro Tessar lenses from 35mm, 50mm, 80mm & 115mm. Still available around the £50 - 100 mark. There are plenty of others, but the above are among my favourites to use, not necessarily the most glamorous or expensive.

@frankzappa3834

Жыл бұрын

Second the X300/X370. A camera to fall in love with.

@DanielWOstler

9 ай бұрын

Those Contaflex cameras live in a world of their own.

@matthiasgalus4287

9 ай бұрын

I still have my x300 that I got for Xmas in 1988 and it never let me down. Great camera you can get without paying crazy money. Most Nikons and so on are totally overpriced

@donball9777

9 ай бұрын

Just bought a Minolta X-300 for £10. Mint condition. Got to love charity shops.

I would add the OM2n, Auto and Manual plus used an easy to get battery. Great show as always mate. Denis

When I was wedding photographer I had 3 Nikon F100’s. The F4 and F5 were mainly used for sports and the news papers. Also I had heard that the Spotmatic never had a spot meter. They thought they could make it, but they couldn’t make it reliable so they decided to go with center weighted. But they had already put the name stamp on the cameras.😢 not sure if that one’s T or F. LOVE your channel!!!

I've had both AE-1 and the program, They're pretty good cameras but if you don't mind paying a little more I'd get the A-1 instead. It has five shooting modes and the electronics are a lot better than it's AE and P cousins

@reinhard8053

6 ай бұрын

Back in the days the A-1 was kind of a dream camera for me, but much too expensive. Some months ago I bought one in the end but didn't have a chance to shoot with it, yet.

I have a K1000 and found it underwhelming as a camera... Konica Autoreflex T series are great and relatively cheap. My favorite manual SLR has to be the Nikon FG though - so small with a fantastic viewfinder and TTL flash metering if you need it. Both should be around $50-100 depending on condition and if they come with a lens or not.

@johnkaplun9619

Жыл бұрын

The k1000 is a beginner camera. It's like a Canon ae1, great to learn the basics

@dukenukem5768

11 ай бұрын

The K1000 is frustrating because you cannot see the shutter speed in the viewfinder - essential IMHO otherwise you need to take it down from your eye after metering to check you have a sensible speed..

I had a Canon AT-1, a fine piece of kit.

Always loved my Nikon FM2 - 40 years and still going strong (and a 1/4000 mechanical shutter!)

I think Felix Dzerzhinsky was the head of the Soviet secret police. The camera was produced by a children's labour commune in Ukraine, which he was involved with.

@mynewcolour

Жыл бұрын

Well that’s terrifying.

The only camera you should be looking to get is the Conflict 45AF. Totally unbiased opinion.

@Nobody-Nowhere

Жыл бұрын

Conflict CORP paid me to say that the camera is awesome and i love it, its my unbiased opinion.

@ConflictCorp

Жыл бұрын

@@Nobody-Nowhere Awesome unbiased opinion from a totally real user. I appreciate it.

Great video. My dad bought a Voigtlander Vito B in 1957. It worked until about 20 years ago. I just bought a mint condition one that is fully functional for $200 with a pristine case.

@ShootFilmLikeaBoss

7 ай бұрын

Awesome!

Great list. I have my Pentax MX, still works from new. I used it regularly from 1980 till about 2005. Got into Nikon with the N6006 (aka. F601) a beast of a consumer camera, very well built and has nearly all of the features of the F801 and even F4. The last film camera for me was the Nikon F100. I love it, its fast and light and the battery grip makes it even handier to use. To this day I still want an F4, an F5 and even an excellent condition F2 could have me reaching into the wallet.

Great video & great list- there are so many REALLY good film cameras! Currently I've an OM2n which I love, a Canon EOS50e which I had back in the late 90's, I bought my current one for a tenner though! Oh and a lovely little Ricoh FF70 compact. That thing takes really lovely photos!

@ghw7192

7 ай бұрын

Agreed on the K1000. I managed a camera store for 15 years and the made in China modes could be problematic, usually with the film advance. The mae in Japan K1000s are workhorses. Very reliable.

Great video as always, my Zeiss Ikon Nettar arrived last Thursday I did take you in on an Instagram post. I have 2 cameras that I would like to own and that's a Canon F1 and a Rolleiflex F2.8 with a Planar lens.

Found this interesting and I have a couple on your list. Currently have 8 film cameras which are: Pentax K1000 and K2, Canon EOS 1vh and EOS 3, Nikon FM2N and F4 and now F100. Also had but mistakenly sold a Zeiss Ikon. You’ve given me some to think about now. Thanks for the video.

I’ve been having fun with an old Argus C3.

I have a Cannon 35mm SLR model A1 which I bought in the late 70's for about $400 (US). I bought the electronic flash - SpeedLite 199A ($50) a few months later. I'm still using it today.

I really like my Minolta a7, its a great SLR that has all the settings. It also uses the a mount system which makes it compatible with a huge variety of really old minolta and newer Sony lenses.

Nice choices. I have an OM-10, an OM-2SP and a Yashica Electro 35GT!

I’ve had four of these but currently I’m using two film cameras not on this list. One is a Nikon F3 given to me by a friend and I have a Minolta XG-M as well. All great cameras! Thanks for sharing.

Great stuff! I've had an AE-1p since I bought it new in '85, and recently added a Spotmatic F. I also have a Vivitar XC-3 (by Cosina), Canon AL-1 (GREAT focusing), Yashica TL Super, and a couple of others. One of these days, I'll add something from Nikon. There is one thing I would add to your video in general. At least in my experience, while many of the '60s-'80s vintage cameras will function properly as received, a service is required for consistent shutter speed function. Light seals are another area, and a much easier one to remedy. In my area, a service - camera and lens (if it has a slower aperture or a stiff focus ring) - runs around $150, and I assume that as part of the price of getting into a new camera. I feel I'm wasting film if the camera is truly not up to snuff. I recently purchased a little (apparently home-made) Japanese shutter tester off e-bay for a bit under $100. I tested it with known good cameras with known errors, and the thing is absolutely spot on. And, it reinforced my opinion about getting cameras serviced. As an example, it revealed that on my Vivitar, the first shutter curtain was slow if shot one frame every few minutes. If I shot fast, repeat frames were dead on. But let it sit for a minute or two, and the shutter speed would drift off again. Not surprising with old lube. The difference wasn't huge - as an example, the first pic at 1/500 would be at about 1/750, the second shot immediately after would be at an exemplary 1/550, and quick repeats would be in that area. Let it sit for a minute, and the next shot would be 1/750 or so again.

I just picked up Canon's flagship film SLR, the F-1 and a "new" 28mm f2.8. this kit can be had for about $300 in decent condition. For $400 you can get it in really good condition. These are a great value (as are many of the Canon film SLRs) and worth a mention.

Another great video, Boss! I'll point anybody looking for a film camera to this.

@ShootFilmLikeaBoss

Жыл бұрын

Thanks

Another shout our for the OM-2n. It was my first olympus OM camera and i love it to bits. I also have an OM-4 which i adore. Olympus is the brand for me when it comes to SLRs

Just got my FED 4 in the post today, looking forward to take it out! Picked it up quite cheap at £15+pp

I had a beautiful OM1 and I think one of OM1n and an OMf . Loved it , sadly all gone now.

My K1000, AE-1 and FE (always by my side). Love shooting these to this day.

First time to your YT channel. Looks interesting. On my wish list, I would add another Maitani masterpiece, the Olympus XA. It’s a tiny, fully functional rangefinder compact. Aperture priority with through the finder speed readout on the meter needle. Great little lens, actually a 35mm telephoto unit done to keep the depth down to a minimum. Controls work the same way round as OM series cameras. Won’t work without batteries but I took mine on a round the world tour and never needed to replace them. Honourable mention also to the XA4 28 mm camera. No rangefinder but short focal length makes focus distance hard to miss. Programme exposure only but you do get DX film setting. Worth considering over including a 28mm lens with your OM system because it makes less of a lump in your pocket and it’s only half a stop slower than the Zuiko.

Loved my x700 Minolta

It may be worth mentioning that some advertised cameras are pictured with a lens fitted which is often not part of the deal. Also, if buying from Japan, exercise caution. I bought what was described as an 'as new' Nikon F2AS with a 55mm f1.2 lens which cost almost £500 (UK sterling). I took it for a service at P.J. Camera Repairs (as recommended by Grays of Westminster) and I had to fork out a further £114 for a CLA, light seal replacement and sticky shutter. It works great now of course, but the Japanese adverts are often 'optimistically worded'.

The Pentax K1000 is definitely a good choice. I have a couple of them, along with a Spotmatic. The K1000 was often used as a teaching camera by schools and colleges because of their simple, reliable, no-frills approach. The OM-1 and OM-2 were both beautiful cameras but they suffer from a design feature that relied of mercury batteries which you can no longer buy so if you want to use the built in light meters reliably, you need to find an alternative power solution. Two cameras I particularly enjoy, and which you didn't mention are the Canon AT-1 which was a simpler alternative to the AE-1, and another is the Nikon FM, which was a manual alternative to the Nikon FE. I tend to prefer all manual cameras to their automatic and semi-automatic stablemates. Nice video, by the way.

My favorite Nikon 8008. Bought new in 1988. Purchased another one used great condition a few months ago. Too expensive for film/processing to use but love this camera. I use Nikon d750 which is a very nice camera, but love 8008 best. Thanks for your channel. Have owned many Nikon film cameras over the years.

Terrific video RS. Canada

Blimey! A listing video I largely agree with!

I bought the K1000 as a backup camera because it was a mechanically operated camera, and I had my cameras die because the battery died on a photo shoot. Of all the film cameras I used one of my favorites is the Minolta X700. With aperture priority and program. I prefer control of depth of field rather than shutter priority, nut I used it more on manual. I currently have the Nikon FM. My medium format camera is my 120 format Mamiya 645. My first camera was a 35 mm Mamiya DSX 1000. Mamiya 35 mm don’t get a lot of press. But they are good cameras. One camera I like but never owned is the Canon F-1. My boss had one and I was envious of it. But my cameras I used were just fine. My X700 took great pictures when I was issued one as an army photographer. I had an auto winder and a dedicated automatic 360 PX flash was as good as any other professional setup.

The AE-1 was my first camera way back in the day. Loved that thing. Progressed to the AE-1Program and then the F-1n before getting the EOS1D - and then the exodus to digital. But you've got some classics. I also owned the Nikon FE (my brother had the F5), and everyone I know seemingly learned on the K1000!

@ShootFilmLikeaBoss

9 ай бұрын

The K1000 was very popular for students and schools I remember.