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know anything about film cameras? (1 Viewer)

Philip_G

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my roommate wants to go film camera shopping, but I dunno the first thing about them. She'll want manual camera, no autofocus or point and shoot stuff
 

Philip_G

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how about the nikon FM10?
there's a few on ebay for >200 bucks, cheaper than the FM2
 

Rob Lutter

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If you want a good manual SLR camera... I would recommend the Canon AE-1 Program (or AE1P). Good for making professional quality shots along with a "program" feature that allows you do point-and-shoot when you feel lazy ;)

^this is the camera I will always use... very reliable!

For newer cameras, I am constantly drooling over the Canon Rebel line of 35MM SLR cameras.
 

Christ Reynolds

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whats the difference (if any) between the ae-1 and the ae-1 program? i have the ae-1, and i quite enjoy it. actually i am borrowing it from my mother for a while, i believe my parents bought it in the mid 80s, does this sound right? anyway, good little camera.

CJ
 

Rob Lutter

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I have never used an AE1, but I can use my AE1P with special "program" lenses that allow me just to point and shoot if I want. I have a 220mm manual zoom lens and a 50mm lens that have this feature (released around the same time as the camera) and by turning the dial all the way to "program" on both the lens and camera, I can point-and-shoot and not have to mess around with the camera. Of course, you can toggle it off too and have a great manual camera too. It was REVOLUTIONARY back when it came out (I THINK it was the first point-and-shoot system to come out IIRC). AE1 is basically the same camera, just w/o the "program" system.

The AE1P came out in the mid-80s and my mom got it for Christmas the year it came out. Throught the years, this thing has got a shitload of use and I inherited it a couple of years back when I started taking pictures for my high school paper. :)

I actually considered photography as a career for a while during high school and, while hanging out with reporters from the local papers at school events (we had pretty good sports teams), these guys with equipment worth THOUSANDS of dollars more constantly told me what a great camera I had ;)
 

Philip_G

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well, she decided she wanted the automatic capability as well, so she picked up a nikon N65 with a nikon 28-100mm lense. It's a nice camera, the body has a $60 rebate and the lense a $10, so the total cost is less than $350 bucks.
I think it's a sound choice based on the (little) reading I've been doing. She needs the manual mode for a class, but will live with the camera for years, so the auto features will be nice.
 

Philip Hamm

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Count me in as another satisfied AE-1 Program owner. I inherited mine from my Dad, I think it came out in the early 80s, like 1981 or 1982. It's not quite "point-and-shoot" in Program mode, you have to focus the darn thing. I've taken some very nice photos with it if I do say so myself. Some pictures of my basses for the "Talkbass" forum 1 2. Here's a photo of the remnants of a fence at my family's 125+ year old country farm. Here are some photos of my car when new that I took with it.

I've also taken some remarkable shots that are not on line. Sorry.
 

Christ Reynolds

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these guys with equipment worth THOUSANDS of dollars more constantly told me what a great camera I had
i hope the same applies to my ae-1. i mentioned it in a previous thread in here, but i went to a camera shop down the street and brought my ae-1 with me, and the guy went nuts, told me what a great camera i had, and told me never to sell it. and in the same breath, he tells me that if i am ever going to sell it, to sell it to him. not worth a hell of a lot, according to ebays rates. still a great camera though, no need to upgrade.

CJ
 

CharlesD

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I've had the Olympus OM-2 for some time and I highly reccomend it. It has manual appeture and shutter speed controls as well as decent appeture priority auto mode (set the appeture and it will select the correct shutter speed)
 

Jagan Seshadri

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AE-1 Program is a great camera. That machine will be a kept in the family if I can help it! Though I'm a digital convert, I have to admit that the AE-1P and the 50mm/f1.8 prime lens take better pictures than my Canon G1. Great depth-of-field control, sharp pictures.

-JNS
 

JohnRice

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I used to know these models inside out. I used an AE-1 for a while in a previous life. I seem to remember something I prefered in it to the AE-1 program, but I can't remember what. I think it was probably a little tougher build. I can see from Rob's pic that the AE-1P has meter lock and a stop down lever (to see the actual depth of field, though not in program.) All the cameras mentioned here were quite good.

The N65 is a fine choice to get. It has some advantages over the older cameras for a new purchase, such as better lens availability.
 

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