35mm SLR advice

Fujiguy

Hi,

i just back into photography after an illness forced me to rest for a bit, anyway i started a photography course, and the first bit is on film. i used to have a canon rebel k2 ( 3000v ) and enjoyed the camera immensely, but i want to upgrade to a better or full frame film SLR. The ones i have researched are the Nikon F65 F100 or Canon AE-1 but i wondered is there any full frame camera's cheaper to buy as i have to work full time to pay for this course.

I scour adverts everyday, but no luck on the F100 and the few AE-1's are relatively expensive. any advice on full frame or "pro" film slr's that are cheaper these days is really appreciated thanks.

magicbastarder

when you say 'pro', do you mean in terms of build quality or a certain minimum spec?

DaireQuinlan

just looking at the specs of that Canon online it seems to be pretty capable in terms of features. What are you looking for specifically in a new camera ? The F100 is probably one of the finest 35mm SLRs ever made, so it holds its price fairly well on the 2nd hand market. The f90/f90x/s is probably 99% as capable and typically goes for a lot less.

Also I don't really get what you mean by 'full frame' 35mm SLRs. There are a handful of half frame 35mm SLRs and some APS SLRs but I doubt you'd come across them . The canon you already own is a 'full frame' 35mm slr.

Given that you already own an AF capable bells and whistles laden electronic cam, why not get something manual to complement it ? A Pentax K1000 maybe, or a Nikon fe/2 or fm/2 or something similar.

magicbastarder

i'm always happy to recommend an olympus OM1. lovely piece of kit. the 50mm f1.8 lenses are fairly common too.
the OM1 would have been a professional camera when it was released.

aidanic

Try the Canon EOS 30, which can be found on eBay, body only, for < €50. It's controls are pretty close to the current digital bodies.

Mike.Za

Some of the best pictures I have take were on a Minolta SRT bought on Ebay for 50 euro with a 50mm 1.7 RokkorX MD lens. You cant beat it.

Here it is with an OK wide angle lens. Its not as bells as whistles but if you know your ins and outs of photography(aperture, shutter speed, ISO) then it'll do the job.

Minolta SRT

Camera of Choice for Annie Leibovitz for years!!!

pete4130

The F100, as Daire said is probably the best 35mm SLR I've ever used. Small, tough rugged, fast, dependable, simple. They do hold their value but they are worth it. I've got one back in Ireland and I'm on the look out for a decent one for good money here in Australia....as well as an F5 but thats another story.

The F90x is the predecessor to the F100 and is 90% the camera the F100 is. It looks a bit clunkier, not as many frames per second (not too important) and is tough, reliable, simple etc.

The Canon 3000v will get you good results. The same film goes into a 3000v as an F100.

aidanic

pete4130 wrote: »

The Canon 3000v will get you good results. The same film goes into a 3000v as an F100.

I had an EOS3000 for about 5 minutes, and discovered it ran the roll of film backwards, spooling it onto pickup reel at the start, and then winding it back into the canister as you took frames. Annoyed the hell out of me. Body went back on eBay the same day. Have a nice alternative pack of EOS 30 bodies instead.

(of interest, and yes, I'm rambling now) I picked up an EOS 3 on eBay, but again didn't like it. Older, clunkier than the '30, and so it didn't last long here either.

If you already have EF lenses, then the EOS 30 is a good start - if you're starting from zero, then the other options the guys mention are just as good.

magicbastarder

i think there's an F100 for sale in the window of the camera exchange, if you live in dublin; might be an idea to manhandle one.

i've never once taken a shot on an autofocus film SLR. i assume they just handle a bit like a DSLR. with fewer controls.

DaireQuinlan

magicbastarder wrote: »

i think there's an F100 for sale in the window of the camera exchange, if you live in dublin; might be an idea to manhandle one.

i've never once taken a shot on an autofocus film SLR. i assume they just handle a bit like a DSLR. with fewer controls.

pretty much, the F100 or the F90 was the base for Nikon's earlier DSLRs.
My favourite AF slr is my F4. All the controls are still on dials so you can see exactly what the camera is set to shoot at even when it's turned off Wasn't until the F5 that Nikon bowed to the inevitable and put in control wheels and LCDs on the top cover.

Fujiguy

Thanks all for the replies. I will quite honest here in saying money is a huge factor, so today i traded a monitor i was selling on adverts for a Minolta maxxum 5si. When i looked through the viewfinder i saw... blobs on the info pane ( the shutter speed, aperture, and meter are completely unreadable ), i asked a friend who knows about repairing cameras and he told me its called LCD leak, and common with the 5xi. for a trade worth 90 euro, i have had to re up it on adverts for 60, hoping to get 50, but probably 40. i of course ( unlike the original seller ) described there was an issue and tried to describe the best i could.

So basically my spending money is what i get for this ( if anything )

Should have said, do not have the 3000v or the lenses anymore.

As i said im not up on film cameras, but i thought some Slr's were not full frame, or cropped or something? not sure probably wrong, but what i meant by pro is more about the results, or quality of the picture taken ( taken for example using the best film out there, what camera shines that bit more )

Thanks again for the replies.

DaireQuinlan

Fujiguy wrote: »

As i said im not up on film cameras, but i thought some Slr's were not full frame, or cropped or something? not sure probably wrong, but what i meant by pro is more about the results, or quality of the picture taken ( taken for example using the best film out there, what camera shines that bit more )

Honestly, once you have a semi competent camera that exposes correctly and winds on the film you're good to go. The camera itself isn't going to make a whit of difference to the quality of your pictures. You do that

aidanic

Fujiguy wrote: »

... I will quite honest here in saying money is a huge factor

... this is not a bad deal ebay.ie EOS 30 The EOS 3000 is going for around €25 on ebay.ie.

thefizz

aidanic wrote: »

I had an EOS3000 for about 5 minutes, and discovered it ran the roll of film backwards, spooling it onto pickup reel at the start, and then winding it back into the canister as you took frames. Annoyed the hell out of me.

There is a reason for that, keeps any exposed frames safe in case the back of the camera is opened before the roll is finished.

pete4130

aidanic wrote: »

I had an EOS3000 for about 5 minutes, and discovered it ran the roll of film backwards, spooling it onto pickup reel at the start, and then winding it back into the canister as you took frames. Annoyed the hell out of me. Body went back on eBay the same day. Have a nice alternative pack of EOS 30 bodies instead.

(of interest, and yes, I'm rambling now) I picked up an EOS 3 on eBay, but again didn't like it. Older, clunkier than the '30, and so it didn't last long here either.

If you already have EF lenses, then the EOS 30 is a good start - if you're starting from zero, then the other options the guys mention are just as good.

See thats a really good thing. as you take photos they are sucked back inside the light proof film spool, so if something crap happens and you have to open the camera, all the exposures you've already shot are safe inside the spool!

aidanic

thefizz wrote: »

There is a reason for that, keeps any exposed frames safe in case the back of the camera is opened before the roll is finished.

pete4130 wrote: »

See thats a really good thing. as you take photos they are sucked back inside the light proof film spool, so if something crap happens and you have to open the camera, all the exposures you've already shot are safe inside the spool!

Thanks - I know this and it's benefits.

On the other hand, my frames are numbered backwards, with #36 being the first frame I took, and #1 being the last. That frustrates me

magicbastarder

aidanic wrote: »

On the other hand, my frames are numbered backwards, with #36 being the first frame I took, and #1 being the last. That frustrates me

load the roll upside-down. problem solved!

magicbastarder

pete4130 wrote: »

See thats a really good thing. as you take photos they are sucked back inside the light proof film spool, so if something crap happens and you have to open the camera, all the exposures you've already shot are safe inside the spool!

i don't think i've ever accidentally opened the back on a film SLR halfway through a roll.
i've had to do a mid-roll rewind on occasion, mind, if the film i have loaded is unsuited to the circumstances.

Effects

There's tons of good cameras on adverts for cheap money. You need to keep looking down the list as an ad can be a month old before you can renew it and put it back to the top. I just sold a Nikon F65 this week for €50. Didn't have much along the lines of interest in it. There's plenty more like that if you just bother to look. Canon AE-1s pop up quite frequently. Just bargain them down a bit. The AE-1 is one of my favourite cameras and lovely to shoot with. Fully manual or shutter priority.

Effects

magicbastarder wrote: »

i've had to do a mid-roll rewind on occasion, mind, if the film i have loaded is unsuited to the circumstances.

I use an Eos 1 quite a bit and it has a handy custom function that leaves the leader out. I've rewound mid roll and note the frame number and can then use that roll again from where I left off.

DaireQuinlan

Effects wrote: »

I use an Eos 1 quite a bit and it has a handy custom function that leaves the leader out. I've rewound mid roll and note the frame number and can then use that roll again from where I left off.

I never ever leave the leader out of even a partially exposed roll of film. If I do I can put it down, then turn around literally 20 minutes later and pick it up and say "oh look an unexposed roll of film I didn't know I had ! Excellent ! I'll put it into this unloaded camera that's sitting beside it on the table !" And then that results in shots like THIS:

pete4130

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

I never ever leave the leader out of even a partially exposed roll of film. If I do I can put it down, then turn around literally 20 minutes later and pick it up and say "oh look an unexposed roll of film I didn't know I had ! Excellent ! I'll put it into this unloaded camera that's sitting beside it on the table !" And then that results in shots like THIS:

Thats why you carry a marker in your camera bag and write the frame number on the roll so you know its not fresh. It's what I used to do pre-digital to change films. Then go 2 frames over the number on the roll to make sure you didn't get any double exposures. I used to carry a roll of tongue tape (from my days working in a photo lab) in my bag at all times.

pete4130

magicbastarder wrote: »

i don't think i've ever accidentally opened the back on a film SLR halfway through a roll.
i've had to do a mid-roll rewind on occasion, mind, if the film i have loaded is unsuited to the circumstances.

I've had occasions where batteries have inadvertently died mid way through a film rewind or in the heat of the moment (with a Pentax MZ-50 in the May Day riots of 2001 in Dublin in Dame Street) accidentally turned my camera off mid roll, ceasing the rewind process with no way to advance or force rewind resulting in the loss of the whole roll (even though I ejected and rewound the roll inside a zipped up, inside out jacket with my arms down the sleeves like a dark bag). That day....I wished I was shooting Canon for that reason!

DaireQuinlan

pete4130 wrote: »

Thats why you carry a marker in your camera bag and write the frame number on the roll so you know its not fresh. It's what I used to do pre-digital to change films. Then go 2 frames over the number on the roll to make sure you didn't get any double exposures. I used to carry a roll of tongue tape (from my days working in a photo lab) in my bag at all times.

Ah but what happens if you've put the film down to go and find the marker and in the process get distracted ... wander back to the table 20 minutes later ... etc etc etc
You're presupposing a level of organisation and intelligence here which I patently don't possess :-D

pete4130

DQ...you make me smile

EDIT: ...it made Noosixty smile too

magicbastarder

pete4130 wrote: »

I've had occasions where batteries have inadvertently died mid way through a film rewind or in the heat of the moment

all my film cameras are manual winders, so i've never had this problem. but i follow the same system as you - any roll i do a mid-roll rewind, i write the frame number on it.