Best Cheap Nikon body

brofkand · Aug 21, 2008

Hey all,

I currently have a Nikon EM that I absolutely love. I love its small size, I love its weight, and I love the images I get from it more than anything.

However, my mother who was a yearbook photographer in her high school days has taken it over.

So, I am looking for another reasonably priced (less than $100) body. I may go with another EM just because I love the form factor so much, but if I can get a better body for just a little more cash I'll get it.

Thanks!

Denis P. · Aug 21, 2008

If you liked the EM, the FG should be more than adequate.
It's also lot lighter than other, more "professional" bodies.
I also had an EM, but never could come to grips with it being fully automatic.
Recently I got an FG, and I'm more than happy with it. It also has a very bright finder - another plus.

Steve Smith · Aug 21, 2008

Another vote for the FG here. Compact, manual, aperture priority and program modes and TTL flash capability.

I have had mine for at least twenty years with no problems.

Steve.

Christiaan Phleger · Aug 21, 2008

I'll go another direction. Get an F3. Sure its heavier, but with the DE-2 standard prism, its quite tidy. They can be found for simply stupid money. It also gives you more control, accessories, brighter finder and the ability to use Non AI lenses. As well, the EM and F3 were designed by the same team, and share similar design features.

2F/2F · Aug 21, 2008

With what they cost these days, why not just get a user F? Or did you need a meter and some auto functions?

mrtoml · Aug 21, 2008

I have an F3, FG and FM2n. The camera I end up reaching for the most when I want a 35mm SLR is the FG. I like it so much because of its size and weight and it is a pleasure to use (I usually use small rangefinders so maybe that's why). I liked it so much I got another one. They sell here for about £25/$50 used often including a lens. A bargain.

Robert Budding · Aug 21, 2008

The Nikon FE is a nice camera. My first serious camera was an FE2, but they cost about $200 now.

elekm · Aug 21, 2008

The FE is a very good body. I Also like the FT3, although it's bigger and heavier. The FM is a good camera but is a bit overpriced.

mgb74 · Aug 21, 2008

Darn mothers!

With a $100 budget for a body, I would think the FG, FE, and FM would all be in reach - especially if you're patient. While the FE and FM are not particularly small bodies, they aren't big and heavy like the Nikkormats or F2s.

Another alternative would be an Olympus OM2. It's small, high quality, cheap, and takes modern batteries. But you lose the lens compatibility. While this could be a significant drawback, when you look at the cost of used manual focus lenses today, it may not be as bad as you think.

John_Nikon_F · Aug 21, 2008

Or, if you want something smaller than the EM, look at the FG-20, which is essentially the EM with a manual mode. That said, I've been able to get FM2n's for less than $100. They're usually beaters, but, most of the time, work fine.

-J

brofkand · Aug 21, 2008

The all-automatic mode of the EM kind of bothers me, but not too bad. As long as I have a meter, I can certainly get by with all-manual. I would like to have aperture-priority mode.

Right now I'm looking at an FG. It appears to be very similar to my EM, but with manual modes as well. Which flashes get TTL metering?

mrtoml · Aug 21, 2008

You should have a look here:

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/emfgfg20/fg/index.htm

Page 4 has a detailed look at the FG's flash capabilities.

John_Nikon_F · Aug 21, 2008

Either check the link, or you can be rest assured that pretty much everything between the SB-15 and the SB-800 will work in TTL mode. Only flashes that won't are the SB-16A, SB-17, SB-19, SB-21A, or the SB-400. Everything else is fully compatible with the FG.

The SB-16A, 17, and 21A are F3-specific flashes. The SB-19 is meant for the EM and FG-20, but will work fine on any other Nikon. Non-TTL automatic or manual mode for that flash. The SB-400 is only compatible with one film Nikon in TTL mode. The F6. I currently use the SB-25 with all of my Nikon bodies, except for the FTn, which needs an SC-15 or 11 cord to use the SB-25 with it.

-J

David William White · Aug 21, 2008

The greatest thing about the FG is the shutter speed dial. It overhangs the body slightly and is super-easy to dial. I wish Nikon had kept this idea. My vote, however, goes to the FE because of the match needle meter, which I preferred over the little LED's, and over the LCD display of the heavier F3. I also thought the hinged wind lever of the FG was goofy.

RedTownCats · Aug 21, 2008

Another vote for the FG which is easily in your price range -- I'd go for one of these over an FG-20 or EM.

A mint- FM2n or FE2 would be better but tend to start at around twice what you're looking to pay -- larger body but not that much bigger.

If you're open to other options, and are happy to keep looking for a few weeks, near mint F80/N80 bodies go for around this price now and then -- seen a couple go for this price over the last 3-4 weeks. Certainly more bulky and obviously targetted at AF rather than MF -- depends if you're having to look for new lenses as well

I know a few people that really like the F801/N8008.

r-brian · Aug 21, 2008

Like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, a nice FG has just been listed in the classified section priced within your price range.

I have absolutely no connection with this advert, just thought I'd bring it to your attention.

k_jupiter · Aug 22, 2008

Send the guy the 80 bucks and be done with it. If the seals are toast, get the kit from the guy on EBay and just do it. You are still in well under a hundred dollars.

Sometimes ya gotta learn to pull the trigger before the target is long gone.

tim in san jose

gerryyaum · Aug 22, 2008

The prices for used film cameras are dropping rapidly. I bought a second Nikon F5 body recently for under $400. Why not invest a bit more and get a top end pro camera, there is nothing like the feel of a professional camera in your hands.

Richard Kelham · Aug 22, 2008

gerryyaum said:
Why not invest a bit more and get a top end pro camera, there is nothing like the feel of a professional camera in your hands.

There's nothing like the weight of a pro camera either!

John_Nikon_F · Aug 22, 2008

Richard Kelham said:
There's nothing like the weight of a pro camera either!

*chuckle* Yep, especially once you get to the F5... Although, since I'm used to carrying around F3HP's and F3P's with MD-4's attached, my old F5 didn't feel much different. I am glad, however, that I downdated a little and switched back to an F4s. A wee bit lighter on the neck.

The FG in the for sale forum sounds like a pretty decent deal. Add a MD-14 winder to it for a little more, and have some fun...

-J

Richard Kelham · Aug 22, 2008

There's one other option that hasn't been mentioned, should the deal with the FG fall through, and that is the FE10/FM10 OK so not a full-blooded Nikon, but very compact, light, and a lot newer than any FG/FG20. I have a couple for knock about snap-shooting and they are fine. And cheap! And a lot lighter than an F3 with motor drive...

Richard

narsuitus · Aug 22, 2008

At one time, I used the auto-exposure EM as an inexpensive and lightweight body for the times I did not want to carry my expensive and heavy F2 or F3.

Today, I use the inexpensive and lightweight auto-exposure/auto focus Nikon N70/F70 for the times I do not want to carry my expensive and heavy F2 or F4.

By the way, I prefer to use the word inexpensive rather than cheap to describe a Nikon.

Paul VanAudenhove · Aug 23, 2008

I would stick with either another EM, or go for the FG. They can both be had at very reasonable prices. If the budget were larger, I would suggest hunting for an F3. Another choice might be looking for a Nikkormat. Oddly, and unlike others, when I want a 'knocking about' camera, I always take my F2. Of course I use it on a wide strap, which helps with the weight.

k_jupiter · Aug 23, 2008

narsuitus said:
By the way, I prefer to use the word inexpensive rather than cheap to describe a Nikon.

In most cases, I would agree. On the other hand, the EM is pretty much a piece of crap. Whomever designed the metering interface on that camera should have been fired. Matter of fact, probably was.

I would go for an older FM2 body. Be careful, they have a lot of miles on them but I have had mine for 22 years of tough life and it still keeps on clickin'.

Battery needed only for metering, if it dies, you still have sunny 16. Sync speed up to 1/250. All mechanical camera. That titanium shutter is still accurate, still reliable.

Just my opinion. Good equipment is too cheap these days to mess with crap.

tim in san jose

fotch · Aug 23, 2008

k_jupiter said:
In most cases, I would agree. On the other hand, the EM is pretty much a piece of crap.

Just my opinion. Good equipment is too cheap these days to mess with crap.

tim in san jose

I agree with Tim, although crap may be a bit too insulting to owners of these cameras. I have owned both EM's & FG's and the only good thing I can say is you can mount Nikon lens on them. When new, they were very inexpensive (cheaply made) and many have had electronic problems which are unfixable.

For something lighter weight or less costly, look at the FE or FM. There is a FE in APUG classifieds for I think $90 (not mine, no connection with seller) that may be something to consider.

By the way, I still have one of those fried FG's and although the electronics are dead, it still works on the two mechanical speeds, 1/90th and B. This limits is use to sort of a 35mm Box camera with a Nikon lens.

JMHO

Best Cheap Nikon body

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency