What Analog Camera Should I Buy
Film has experienced a bit of a resurgence in the past decade and we've seen a proliferation of never-before-made film stocks and even brought some back from the dead. But if you want to get started in film photography now, you'll need a camera. And so where should y'all start?
As a life-long, gorging shooter of film — from 35mm to 4×5 and feel with thousands of camera models — I have created this guide to signal out some of the best 35mm camera models at diverse prices.
Each choice is based on user experience and, naturally, my personal preferences. There are obviously hundreds, if not thousands, of options that others may prefer. So, before you enquire "what nearly such and such?" please keep in mind that I probably already considered it, I probably love the camera, and my conclusion to cull something else isn't a slight confronting information technology, merely for the sake of this guide, some choices had to exist made.
Nosotros'll exist looking at three categories: 35mm SLR Cameras, 35mm Compact Cameras, and 35mm Rangefinder Cameras. Within each of those, they are broken downwards into four pricing brackets: Ultra-Bargain, Bargain, Mid-Range, and Premium.
While used cameras can come from a diversity of sources, quality tin can vary. In our stance, the all-time U.Southward.-based sources for vintage cameras are Robert's Camera (UsedPhotoPro) in Indianapolis, Indiana, and KEH Camera in Smyrna, Georgia. Both offer six-month warranties and free aircraft on a majority of products.
At a Glance
The Best 35mm Film SLRs
Ultra-Bargain SLR: Yashica FX-103 Programme
This is one of my favorite hidden gems of the film world and tin can routinely be found with a Yashica 50mm lens for $100 or less. It uses the Contax Yashica (C/Y) bayonet mountain, which means it tin utilise all of the extremely excellent Contax Zeiss lenses, many of which still hold their own even on high-resolution digital cameras. In fact, some of the lenses were so good that their designs exist to this day in the Zeiss Classic and subsequently the Zeiss Milvus series.
The FX-103 Programme has 4 modes: P (Plan), HP (Loftier-Speed Plan), A (Aperture Priority), and M (Transmission). That's far more than most cameras in this price range, plus information technology has an unusually all-encompassing ASA range from 12 to 3200. There really isn't anything to mutter virtually here.
Similar alternatives include the Yashica FX-3 and Yashica FX-iii Super 2000.
The Best Deal SLR: Minolta X-570 or X-700
There are a number of great options I considered here: Nikon Fe, Nikon FM, Pentax K2, or MX, but ultimately settled on Minolta because the 10-570 was one of my get-go cameras and they're powerhouses — loaded with features, and compared to the Nikons or Pentaxes, the drinking glass is a great deal more affordable. The X-700 has Programme, Aperture Priority, and Manual modes; the X-570 lacks Program, which is honestly not a way I ever use with 35mm cameras anyway. Otherwise, the bodies and features are most identical.
In that location are a plethora of keen Minolta lenses available at very reasonable prices; at that place is also the renowned 58mm f/ane.two Rokkor which is a prissy clamper of glass that produces squeamish, dreamy images wide-open. Even that lens can be found at a modest cost. Your regular 50mm f/1.8 or 50mm f/1.vii Minolta lenses are clay cheap, and 50mm f/i.four or 55mm f/1.iv lenses are incredibly affordable every bit well.
Make sure to check compatibility between lens types (Physician versus MC) if yous intend to use the X-700's programme motorcar mode (MC lenses are aperture priority or manual only).
Robert's Camera is rarely without several X-700 bodies in stock.
The Best Mid-Range SLR: Nikon F3 / F3HP
The Nikon F3 is one of the finest cameras ever made. Information technology is nothing short of perfect; it has a rock-solid build, amazing ergonomics, and is i of the most dependable cameras I've always come beyond.
The F3 is, unsurprisingly, the successor to the legendary Nikon F2, only now with a built-in lite meter (no clunky finder necessary) and discontinuity-priority automation. Similar Nikon'southward Fe/FE2/FA models, the F3 has an electronically controlled shutter, then it will not office without batteries. On a personal note, in my feel with thousands of cameras, there is no correlation regarding longevity or reliability and whether the camera is mechanical or electronic.
The F3HP is merely the F3 with a high-eyepoint finder (very nice for those of us who wear spectacles). Since the finders are interchangeable, a regular F3 can go an F3HP by swapping in the DE-3 finder, and an F3HP tin employ one of the many other finders available – including the basic DE-2 finder. There's even a (very cool) waist level finder bachelor (DW-iii). Focusing screens are also easily interchangeable.
The Best Premium SLR: Canon EOS-1V or Nikon F6
I was tempted to put the Nikon F2 Titan here, simply I set aside my personal bias that sees the Titan as my "white whale" of cameras to instead choose non one, but ii of the all-time (and final) 35mm cameras ever fabricated. Why 2? Considering they are both excellent, "can't-go-wrong" options and the only thing that separates them is the lenses — if y'all already have EF mountain lenses, yous should go with the Canon and if you have F-mountain glass, you should choose the Nikon.
The Catechism EOS-1V, released in 2000, was the 5th generation of Canon's height-of-the-line professional series which started with the F-ane. Capable of an amazing 10 frames per 2d, it was the fastest moving-mirror moving-picture show camera ever fabricated at the time — only fixed pellicle mirror cameras like the Nikon F3H, capable of 13 frames per second when used with the MN-2 bombardment, were faster.
With five metering modes — evaluative, spot, center spot, partial, multi-spot, and focusing point-linked spot — and 45 zone TTL (through the lens) phase detection autofocus, the EOS-1V was a powerhouse slice of technology. It can apply any Canon EF lens made since the introduction of the mountain in 1987, though you may encounter issues with various third-party lenses. Most, nevertheless, work but fine. So capable and tech-filled was the EOS-1V, Canon would continue to industry it for another 18 years until they ended production of all non-digital bodies in 2018.
The Nikon F6 — unsurprisingly the sixth model in Nikon's highest tier of professional models that began with the Nikon F in 1959 — was released in 2004, supplanting the likewise fantabulous Nikon F5. While the F5 sported an integrated vertical grip, Nikon opted for a smaller, traditional body (with optional vertical grip) in the F6 — a design pick I personally adopt over the F5 for its versatility, smaller footprint, and 225-gram weight deviation.
The F6 is fully compatible, including metering, with almost all F-mount lenses since 1977. Non-AI lenses — unless they have been modified — and the newer E series lenses with an electronically controlled aperture are not compatible, and as with the Canon, yous may come across issues with some third-party lenses. Like all Nikon autofocus SLRs (and DSLRs), the F6's crowning achievements were its remarkable focus tracking abilities via the Multi-CAM 2000 autofocus sensor module and its 3D Color Matrix metering mode. Similar the Canon, the F6 would remain in product for over a decade until its discontinuation in 2020, at which fourth dimension it was the last remaining motion-picture show SLR still being manufactured.
The All-time 35mm Movie Meaty Cameras
The Best Ultra-Bargain Compact Picture Camera: Minox 35 GL or GT
These piffling fellas are such gems. They're maybe the smallest 35mm photographic camera e'er made (I believe that was the visitor's claim at the fourth dimension), though others come close. It is by no means perfect — the exposure control is limited, the film advance can exist finicky (likely due to how tiny and cramped everything is), it's zone focus but, and the leafage shutter is prone to failure at a higher rate than others.
No camera always made is more deserving of the adjective "discreet" than these cameras. Zone focus but and the limitation of aperture-priority only metering system means you lot actually only need to raise the photographic camera to your heart for framing. The foliage shutter and manual movie accelerate mean you lot'll never hear the photographic camera in action unless you happen to exist alone in a padded isolation room.
At that place were xviii models released over 24 years, from 1974 to 1998, starting with the Minox 35 EL. Aside from the fixed focus Minox 35 AL, all models were fitted with one of 2 Tessar-blazon lenses — the 35/2.8 Color Minotar and the later on 35/2.8 MC Minoxar. While the Minox 35 GT-Ten or GT-S may be the best of them all, the earlier GL and GT — both of which can be identified by their orange shutter release button — are the best value options. I also have a personal preference for the Color Minotar over the MC Minoxar.
The just difference between the 2 is the addition of an electronic self-timer in the GT, as well as the relocation of the cablevision release socket to a position less likely to result in accidental triggering.
Best Bargain Compact Film Photographic camera: Olympus XA series
The Minox 35 is just well-nigh the only discreet, pocketable 35mm camera out there that comes in at an affordable price. Designed by Yoshihisa Maitani, primary camera designer of Olympus Optical Co Ltd. and the man backside the Pen, OM, and mju series of cameras, the Olympus XA line comprised five distinct models.
The first model, the Olympus XA, is a tiny rangefinder-coupled, aperture-priority (with +i.v backlight compensation) compact fitted with a sterling six-element 35/ii.8 F.Zuiko lens and a leafage shutter upwards to 1/500 of a second. The following model, the XA1, is a fixed-focus point and shoot with a 35mm f/4 lens, programmed auto exposure, express moving picture speed settings of ASA 100 and 400, and maximum 1/250th of a 2nd shutter. The XA2 uses a four-chemical element Tessar variant 35/3.five D.Zuiko lens, leaf shutter up to i/750th of a 2nd, programmed auto exposure, ASA from 25 to 800, and a iii-position zone focus mechanism.
The XA3 retained identical features as the XA2 but added automatic DX coding, ASA 1600 support, and the backlight compensation feature from the original XA. Finally, the XA4 pivoted to a new five-chemical element 28mm f/3.5 Zuiko "macro" lens, programmed auto exposure, maximum 1/750th shutter speed, and a new calibration focus mechanism. Unlike the XA2 and XA3, which simply gave users the choice of one of three focus positions (1.2-1.8m, 1.8m-half dozen.3m, and 6.3m to infinity), the XA4'due south sliding scale allowed for incremental positioning anywhere betwixt infinity and the camera's 0.3m minimum focus altitude.
All of the Olympus XA models remain quite affordable and tin usually be constitute for under $200. Your choice will depend on the features you want. The faster 35/2.8 lens and rangefinder coupling of the original XA, along with discontinuity priority, allows for a flake more than versatility and command compared to the XA2 and XA3. It as well commands the highest prices of the bunch. If you adopt a wider 28mm lens, the XA4 is the way to become. The XA1, in my opinion, is a poor choice with no clear benefits — but many deficiencies — over the other models.
The Best Mid-Range Compact Motion picture Camera: Rollei 35S
In 1966, DHW Fototechnik — successor of Franke & Heidecke of Rolleiflex and Rolleicord fame — introduced the Rollei 35 at Photokina. The camera — at the time the smallest 35mm ever fabricated — was designed by Heinz Waaske, chief design engineer of Wirgin, and featured a somewhat odd, boxy design with a battery-powered CdS light meter and a fantastic, collapsible Carl Zeiss Tessar 40mm f/3.5 lens. Later models transitioned to a 40/3.5 Rollei-HFT Tessar lens and marked "Made past Rollei," but the eyes are identical to the original Zeiss. Furthermore, from 1972 to 1973, some Rollei 35 cameras featured a 40/3.5 South-Xenar lens fabricated by Schneider.
Because of the Rollei 35's success, in 1967 a college-end variant was planned for market place, but due to the production's shift from Germany to Singapore, it would be a number of years earlier it saw an audience. Eventually, the Rollei 35S — now the most desirable of Rollei 35 models — debuted with a new, faster 40mm f/2.8 Zeiss-designed and licensed Sonnar lens. Like the Tessar, focus was controlled via a band at the stop of the lens, while the aperture and shutter speed were set via dials positioned to the right and left of the lens, respectively.
As with all Rollei 35 models, the Rollei 35S featured a large, brilliant viewfinder without focusing aids, which meant the camera was, like the Minox 35, zone focus only with a friction match needle metering organisation. While the blueprint of the camera — from its left-handed shutter advance to its quirky controls — can be off-putting to some, there'south a lot of logic (and charm) that begins to click once you apply the camera. Shutter speed, aperture, and lite meter values can be hands seen and adjusted while looking down at the camera and the quality of the Zeiss-designed 40mm Sonnar lens speaks for itself.
The Best Premium Compact Pic Camera: Konica Hexar AF or Nikon 28/35Ti
I'1000 including two options hither because they are both exceptional and about the aforementioned price, yet 1 or the other may better suit your personal preferences.
There are a lot of options when it comes to premium compacts and plenty of other articles written virtually them. I absolutely love the Nikon Ti series (in either 28mm or 35mm flavors): they're fitted with utterly fantastic lenses and the — at first odd and potentially off-putting — dials on top are ane of my favorite points of design in any camera. They're the only autofocus point-and-shoot camera I tin can think of that allows you lot to see your aperture, exposure compensation, focus altitude, and the number of exposures remaining without raising it to your eye. Shutter speed, even so, is only displayed in the viewfinder.
My personal choice favorite, however, is the Hexar AF because information technology'southward the only autofocus, auto-advance bespeak and shoot that is placidity enough (unbelievably so, in this case) for me to describe it equally inconspicuous. The Nikons, the Minolta TC-1, the Contax T2/T3 — all are fantastic cameras with meridian-notch optics, but they're stripped of discretion by their loud, whirring film advance motors.
The Hexar AF is a bit larger than others due to its significantly larger (and magnificent) lens, but none of these cameras volition comfortably fit in a jeans pocket or shirt pocket anyway. Afterward yous cross that point, the differences become academic in my opinion — all of them volition do just fine in a jacket pocket or dangling from a wrist or neck strap. All the same still, the Hexar is undeniably larger, however, the weight is similar to the others considering of their titanium-bodied construction.
The Hexar too excels in several other ways due to its larger construction: in that location is actually a slight grip rather than the flat-fronted, indigestible designs of the others, and the viewfinder is of significantly higher magnification — closer to an actual rangefinder than a point and shoot. Many compacts have (let's face it) abysmal viewfinders, with the Leica Minilux existence a particularly notable offender. This is an inherent trade-off in return for their atomic size.
Of course, if size is a priority, the Nikons, with their smaller bodies and fully retractable lenses, are going to win out. Yous absolutely won't lose anything to the Hexar in terms of sheer image quality — though the Hexar's lens is a total stop faster — and at that place's one notable advantage in favor of the Nikons: matrix metering.
First introduced in the Nikon FA and after the F4, Nikon created what is today the well-nigh unremarkably used exposure style. Other cameras of the time had a spot or center-weighted meter, which tin can exist tricky to use under some circumstances. Matrix metering (also known as evaluative, multi, et cetera) uses a microprocessor to analyze a scene, compare it to like scenes in its library of computer knowledge, and choose an exposure based on what information technology believes is all-time for that scenario. Taken for granted today, it was incredibly remarkable technology when commencement introduced and only improved over fourth dimension.
The Best 35mm Film Rangefinder Cameras
The Best Ultra-Bargain Rangefinder Photographic camera: Canon P / Canon 7
When we think of rangefinders, our outset thoughts migrate to those of Leica and Zeiss Ikon, the ii primeval and well-nigh highly regarded rangefinder camera manufacturers. Only the market landscape, specially in the 1950s, looked quite a bit different — numerous Japanese manufacturers offered options more accessible to those without deep pockets. Nippon Kogaku (later Nikon), Chiyoda Kogaku Seiko (afterward Minolta), Tanaka Kogaku, Showa Kogaku — at that place was no shortage of options, many of which used Leica's M39 thread mount.
The outset rangefinder to hit the market place from the Canon Camera Company was the Hansa Catechism in 1936, which was fitted with a Nikkor bayonet focusing mount. At the time, Canon did not have the means to manufacturer its own lenses, so it turned to Nippon Kogaku (Nikon) for help. This cooperation continued for well-nigh a decade until Canon began manufacturing its ain Serenar branded lenses. In 1952, the company released the Canon IIIA with its standard Leica M39 pitch thread; subsequent Canon lenses were now compatible on Leica thread mount bodies.
Leica's release of the revolutionary M3 in 1954 presented a challenge for other manufacturers — its huge, bright viewfinder, simpler flick loading, and move from a moving-picture show accelerate knob to a lever winder all made for a significantly improved user experience. Canon responded with the Catechism VT in 1956, simply it wasn't until the release of the Canon P (often referred to as the "Populaire") in 1958 that the visitor saw truly huge success.
The Canon P bundled already existing features from other companies — the integrated rangefinder/viewfinder and non-rotating shutter speed dial from Contax, the lever advance from Leica, the huge i:1 viewfinder from Nikon to proper name a few — and presented them in an affordable and very dependable trunk. In that location were also some improvements: a hinged door, which would eventually become the standard photographic camera blueprint, 35mm framelines and parallax correction in the viewfinder, and metal shutter curtains, preventing burning.
The result was the most popular camera the company had always made with nearly twice as many sales every bit whatsoever previous model.
Three years subsequently, Canon would release the Catechism seven, whose biggest design change was the addition of a selenium exposure meter into the photographic camera's peak. The Canon 7 was as well coupled (both literally and figuratively) with the fastest lens ever made at the time: the Canon "Dreamer" 50mm f/0.95.
Both the Catechism P and Canon seven are very desirable rangefinder options, with a plethora of affordable M39 lenses to choose from. The Canon P, despite existence the less advanced of the two, commands higher prices, simply can frequently be found for under $225, though prices have been on the ascent. A working Canon seven can exist sourced for under $150, though if you intend to use the light meter, be sure to check its accuracy equally selenium meters frequently didn't stand up the exam of time.
The Best Deal Rangefinder Camera: Contax G1
Contax, over again pioneering some of the most innovative engineering science, surprised the camera world in 1994 when it released an autofocus rangefinder. That camera was the G1 — a titanium-clad torso with electronically controlled exposure, autofocus, and rangefinder system. Lenses are spiral-driven via an in-body motor that turns a pin on the lens mount, driving the helicoid back and forth.
Dissimilar every other rangefinder camera to that point (and since then), the viewfinder field-of-view changes depending on the lens being used. Instead of relying on a small box in the middle of the finder for a 90mm lens, for example, the viewfinder "zooms" to fill the entire frame. No matter your chosen focal length, the entire viewfinder will exist used.
None of this itself is a reason to add it to your bag, but the lenses are what clinch the deal. Like well-nigh Contax lenses, G-mountain glass was made by Carl Zeiss, and they are some of the company's finest work. Ranging from a 16mm Hologon to a 90mm Sonnar, all of the lenses are optical works of art. In my opinion, the ii.8/90 Sonnar and 2/45 Planar stand out equally the crown jewels.
The 90 Sonnar can be found for very reasonable prices and is a must-have lens for any G1 or G2 owner. It as well adapts easily to most mirrorless systems besides — though due to the lack of a focus ring on K lenses, focus must be controlled by a ring on the adapter, which is non as bad equally information technology sounds in practice. I recommend either the Metabones or the Fotodiox Pro, with an border to the Metabones. There are even autofocus adapters available — the Techart TZG-01 for Nikon Z mountain and the Shoten GTE adapter for Sony Due east mount. The 28mm and wider lenses don't perform as well on most digital bodies, but the 45 and ninety lenses sing.
If you search for Contax G1 bodies, y'all may find some described as "green label." These are updated versions with modified ROM and will have a literal green label inside where the film canister sits. The upgrade allows these bodies to use the 21mm and 35mm lenses (regular G1's tin but utilise the 16mm, 28mm, 45mm, and 90mm lenses). Just the G2 can utilize the 35-70mm zoom, which happens to be the just rangefinder zoom lens ever made.
The Best Mid-Range Rangefinder Photographic camera: Minolta CLE
When it comes to rangefinders, the Minolta CLE is one of the best deals on the marketplace.
Its predecessor, the Leica CL (sometimes labeled "Leitz Minolta CL"), was designed in concert with Minolta and released in 1973. Unlike many other Chiliad-mountain rangefinders, the CL has framelines for 40mm lenses in addition to 50 and 90mm. Leica and Minolta designed and released the Leica forty/ii Summicron with the photographic camera every bit well as the Leica Elmar-C ninety/4.
Like the M5 that was released one year prior, the CL uses a CdS meter on a pivoting arm in front of the shutter that drops downwards just before the moment of exposure. Considering of this, certain lenses cannot exist mounted without dissentious the arm: those with excessively protruding rear elements (ofttimes super wide-angle) and some collapsible lenses (which can exist used if you don't fully collapse them).
Vii years later, Minolta introduced the very similar Minolta CLE — i of the about avant-garde rangefinders of its time due to the inclusion of aperture-priority autoexposure (something Leica wouldn't attain until the release of the M7 decades later). Different the CL, the CLE utilized a silicon photodiode meter that measured the light reflected off the unique spotted patterning of the shutter curtain — protruding rear elements or collapsible lenses were no longer an issue.
The CLE as well added a frame line for 28mm lenses in addition to 40 and 90mm lenses — the old was paired with the release of Minolta's new M-Rokkor 28/2.8. Minolta also released the M-Rokkor xl/2 and M-Rokkor 90/iv — identical to the previous Leica versions optically, though the Leica variants are single coated, while the Minoltas are multi-coated.
The Minolta CLE is not only superior to the Leica CL by every metric, just usually, not much more expensive, and the 1000-Rokkor lenses are decidedly cheaper than their (single-coated) Leica counterparts.
The Best Premium Rangefinder Camera: Leica M4-2 or M4-P
There are legitimate reasons to cull merely almost any Leica rangefinder here — the M3, M2, M4, M5, M6, M7, M-A, and MP are all worthy for their own reasons. The M3 may be my personal favorite considering of my love for 50mm lenses and that gorgeous, brilliant 0.91x viewfinder. But if I had to pick the all-time all-arounder, information technology would be either the M4-2 or M4-P.
The production of the Leica M4 stopped in 1972 and its successor, the Leica M5, was released to a very lukewarm reception and poor sales. Ironically, the M5 has risen in value more any other model over the past few years — it has at least doubled in four or five years. In response to the M5's marketplace failure, Leica restarted product of the M4, and in 1977 released the M4-2 using a streamlined production procedure. The M4-2 saw the cold shoe swapped for a hot shoe, the removal of the cocky-timer, and motor drive compatibility. Similar the M4, it had framelines for 35/50/90/135mm lenses with a 0.72 magnification viewfinder.
4 years afterward the M4-P was launched, which added framelines for 28/75mm lenses and the trademark Leica red dot on the front of the camera.
While the later M6 and M7 cameras were fitted with a built-in light meter, they also come at a significantly higher cost and the M7 is entirely dependent on its electronics. For me, the M4-2 and M4-P hitting the sweet spot of versatility, build quality, aesthetics, and toll. If you prefer chrome over black, yous'll take better luck with the original M4, though — most M4-2 and M4-P bodies are black.
Prototype credits: Header photo past Mia Domenico.
Source: https://petapixel.com/best-35mm-film-cameras/
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