Help me buy a camera. (please :) )
 

I've signed up for a photography class at school next quarter. It's something I've wanted to get into for a while, and I finally have some time in my schedule (plus a bit of extra money.) We need to supply our own camera (and film) for the class, and this is where I need help.

I don't really know anything about cameras... all my current photos are taken with disposables. I'd like to get a nice one, but I have a limited budget. It needs to be a 35 mm or a 120. We'll be developing our own film, and it will all be black and white (not sure if that makes any difference, but I thought I'd throw it out there in case it does.)

Right now, I'm planning on $300 or less... but knowing as little about cameras as I do, I don't even know if that's realistic. I can probably go up to $400, and if I need to go higher than that, I could negotiate a loan from my parents (or possibly an early birthday present!)

So. What do you awesome photographers recommend?

For medium format, you might try Seagull TLRs, which run somewhere between $200-$300. However, if you don't mind a little creative crappiness, you can get yourself a Holga for about $35. There is a whole photography community that revolves around the Holga here. This will leave some money left over for a decent used Canon Elan or a Nikon FM10.


Good luck!

Depending on what they're attempting to teach, a Holga might not be the right choice. If they're trying to teach technical principles, well, the Holga I had was pretty much limited to one aperture and one shutter speed and each setting was approximate-- there might be some assignments you can't do. I'd ask the instructor if they have any specific recommendations.

I'm not sure about where you live, but there are a couple of mom and pop camera shops in my area that sell used cameras. If you have any of those in your area you should be able to get whatever you need within your budget in 35mm format.

It's been a while since I thought about buying film camera of any format, but I remember when I was interested in a medium format/120 camera they were all $1000+ for just the camera body. This was back before digital cameras were so easy and great, so it's fairly likely that my advice is way outdated.

Ditto on the local shop recommendation. If there are any schools nearby then you should wait until the end of the semester. All of the photo 101 students who aren't art majors will have resold their entry level cameras and you'll be able to pick one up for cheap.

Whatever camera you choose, get one with a built in light meter. I started with a canon rebel t2.

Nikon FE2, FG, etc Nikon (Nippon Kogaku K.K.) Resources:- index page
Canon A series bodies Canon Camera Museum | Camera Hall - Film Cameras
Olympus OM10
Pentax Spotmatic series.

Nikon: You can use most of the older lenses with their digital cameras.
Others: Because there's not really a brisk trade in manual lenses amongst digital owners anymore, you'll get them cheap.

I agree with the recommendation against the Holga. The Holga is more of a toy camera and won't let you learn the fundamentals of photography that your class likely

Decent used medium format equipment can be purchased used for under 300 (look local, beware of ebay, go on craigslist if you go with a friend who knows how to inspect. Or, search google for keh), but I think 35 mm is the way to go for two reasons: 1) You have more exposures on 35 mm per roll, which lets you experiment more (eg. bracketing, which you'll learn in class), and 2) medium format equipment is primarily designed for professional use, which is nice once you have the basics down, but because of that, you'll pay for much more than you really need right now, especially if searching for a camera with a built in light meter (which should be high on your list of things to look for). Once you get hooked on 35mm film, I'm sure you'll eventually want to jump into medium format, but you can wait.

As for 35mm, I bought into the Nikon system, just because I had old Nikon lenses from my parents that I could inherit. I'm sure Canon would be just as good. Don't be afraid of completely manual, mechanical cameras -- they help you slow down and think about your shots more carefully. Also, don't be afraid of older lenses. Their image quality is just as good as cutting edge modern lenses, and in many cases, give you much more bang for your buck.

You're getting a lot of good advice in this thread. I concur with the idea of getting a 35mm camera. Try to stay with the more common makes. Nikon, Pentax, Cannon. I would be inclined to look for a Cannon. If you get a AE1 Program then your lenses will also work with the T-series. You can pick up lenses and accessories for these on Craigslist and Ebay cheap.

I prefer Nikon. The lens mount never changes. You can take a 40 year old lens and put it on a modern D-300. It would be totally manual but it will work. That's why used Nikon lenses are more expensive.

Don't be afraid of the lower quality of 35mm. I read an article recently that showed that the CofC (film resolution) still surpasses the pixel resolution of the latest digital cameras. If you do your work right you'll have excellent quality.

I hope this helps.

I agree with Jehu. Nikon is an awesome camera company and their lenses are excellent.

---------- Post added at 06:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:35 PM ----------

BTW older lenses are often better. Modern lenses are usually much slower than ones from the 70's. Wasn't terribly uncommon for a camera from the 70's to have a lens speed of around 1.2 or so. I'm amazed if I find anything faster than 4 these days (we're talking consumer-grade lenses here. the pro lenses are faster, but they also can cost as much as a car. )

Canon.

There is a reason they lead the market ;)

Not that I am biased or anything ... :D

The quality of the photographs produced by a camera are more directly linked to the photographer than the camera's brand.

I never implied otherwise.

I would select Canon due to the enormous market and hence variety of lenses and accessories.

;)

she needs film.
canon don't even make a film camera any more.

That said, when canon changed their lens mount, all the canon owners dumped their kit on the market. You'll get their lenses cheap now.

Caveat to what Jehu said, you can use any nikon lens on a Digital body that is AI or above.

You can't use a non-AI lens without it being modified, or damage may occur to the f-stop status ring.

Also, from my understanding, pretty much all 35mm slr Minolta lenses will fit on minolta/sony dslrs, so if you start with a minolta 35mm slr and upgrade to a dslr, you can keep using your lenses.

Thanks, everyone! I like several of the suggested cameras, and I'm leaning a bit toward a used Canon AE-1 at the moment... I'm taking a trip down to a reputable shop in the next week or two to have a look around, and it'll be nice to have a few models to ask about. You all rock! :icare:

the best thing to do is go to a local camera store, and hold as many different cameras as you can. Chances are that there is one that will just feel right. You want a camera that is comfortable to hold, and one that isn't too big or too small for you grip.

You'll spend a lot of time carrying it, so ergonomics is key. After all, they all take photos the same.