Best looking solid "non plastic" 35mm cameras under $150?

cooltouch · Apr 12, 2017

Theo Sulphate said:
It was from your book that I first learned of the slow speeds available on the F2's self-timer. So, I had to buy one...

That is a rather cool feature, isn't it. Did you know that the F2's shutter speeds are also stepless? You can position the shutter speed dial between speed settings, and that in-between speed is what its shutter fires at. I don't know of any other manual mechanical camera that can do that.

Another vote for the F2 perhaps. You can find 'em in user condition for under $150.

trondareo · Apr 13, 2017

Nikon FE I bought at art school in 1987. Everything is just perfect about it. Great looks great handling, auto exposure. Huuge battery life. No pesky auto electronics or bla bla. And they are really cheap.
http://kenrockwell.com/nikon/fe.htm

cooltouch · Apr 13, 2017

faberryman said:
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I think it looks like a plastic brick with a garish front logo. Give me an F-1 or a black FTb any day.

Boy howdy. And toss the EF in with your preferences. I never really "got" the T-series aesthetic. To me, it has always seemed more like an idle sketch of an idea rather than a finished type of logo. The T70 and T50 are relatively handsome cameras if it weren't for their unfinished looking logos. And the T90 -- it's a crying shame that Canon slapped that big T90 on the face of a camera that wound up being the archetype for all current SLR styles, save a very few. And just what possessed them to include "Multiple metering system computerized 3 motor control" in such tiny letters next to the giant T90 that you practically need a magnifying glass to read it?

I have given some serious thought to sanding off everything on the front face of my T90 and then stenciling on a traditional Canon logo in its place. Just leave off the "T90" altogether.

Theo Sulphate · Apr 13, 2017

cooltouch said:
... And just what possessed them to include "Multiple metering system computerized 3 motor control" in such tiny letters next to the giant T90 that you practically need a magnifying glass to read it?
...

It's shallow thinking by the Product Marketing department, using the camera body as advertising space. I hate the camera just for that.

When new technology is introduced, lazy marketers do that type of thing (remember cars that touted "fuel injection" or "5 speed"?). It looked stupid then and it really looks stupid now.

I don't want advertisement scribbles on my cameras.

AgX · Apr 13, 2017

cooltouch said:
The T70 and T50 are relatively handsome cameras if it weren't for their unfinished looking logos. And the T90 -- it's a crying shame that Canon slapped that big T90 on the face of a camera that wound up being the archetype for all current SLR styles, save a very few.

I have given some serious thought to sanding off everything on the front face of my T90 and then stenciling on a traditional Canon logo in its place. Just leave off the "T90" altogether.

To the contrary I find the T50, T70, T80 ugly cameras, though they hold better than they look.
The T90 was a great step in the right direction.
The T60 is a really nice camera, but that logo on the prism housing spoils it. Yes, I considered grinding it off...

wastelanded · Apr 13, 2017

trondareo said:
Nikon FE I bought at art school in 1987. Everything is just perfect about it. Great looks great handling, auto exposure. Huuge battery life. No pesky auto electronics or bla bla. And they are really cheap.
http://kenrockwell.com/nikon/fe.htm

I have to agree. To me the FE/FM and their sequels are near perfect in proportions. I've had my FE2 for 31 years, and it still rocks. In hindsight I wish I'd opted for the FM2, to not rely on a battery to take pictures.

flavio81 · Apr 13, 2017

AgX said:
To the contrary I find the T50, T70, T80 ugly cameras, though they hold better than they look.
The T90 was a great step in the right direction.
The T60 is a really nice camera, but that logo on the prism housing spoils it. Yes, I considered grinding it off...

T90 i think it looks OK
T80 i find it looks acceptable, almost nice
T70 looks weird, unbalanced
T50 is uglier than the Stalin Purges...

AgX · Apr 13, 2017

How come?
The 50 and 70 are identical, except for the rewind knob and some buttons on the top.

blockend · Apr 14, 2017

I agree none of the T-Series Canons are attractive, however the T50 and T70 make sense if you think of them as interchangeable lens, reflex view compact cameras. They're simple to use, have metal shutters, a good grip, centre spot metering and the T70 has easy Program modes. In many ways they're very useful cameras, but they are unattractive and exceedingly NOISY!!

I should dig mine out and put a film through it...

Best looking solid "non plastic" 35mm cameras under $150?

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