Well, if one does need AF, i'd suggest the Nikon F60. Whileas the F60, i do hear all your complaints hereby in my ears, you'd ask.
Simply for that reasons:
1) better build quality than the N65/F65 and N75/F75 bodies, they look like a Toy SLR vs the F60.
2) bright, bigger all glas pentaprism vs a smaller, dim-lit pentamirror on the bodies above
3) It's dirt cheap, paid like 579 DM into 1998 my 1st copy, but only 10 EUR last week for my 2nd iteration
4) dependable lightmeter, it works great
5) no frills, back to basic as it could get via a 35mm AF SLR, nothing, what you don't need
6) real hard off switch, unlike the mentioned SLRs, preserve battery life
7) Old AF-D, AF-G lenses would work perfectly fine
8) I also do own a double of the N80/F80 and F100 Nikons, for unsecure locations, -spots, i always choose the F60.
9) Nikons 28-70/3.5-4.5D is optically really nice, very cheap as small standard Zoom, it was one of two Kitlenses for the F100...
10) One would being surprised, with a low spec'd SLR, that you only focus about compostion, no features, nothing to fiddle,
play with around...use it for some weeks, months...years...and you'd know what i said.
11) with a little TLC, it basically lasts forever, if nothing breaks here.
12) quality of the images is dependend of the mounted lens, and which 35mm film
13) Last, but not least, good, big handgrip, even bigger than the N80/F80.
14) 3D Matrix Metering with AF-D, AF-G lenses
Cons:
1) only 1 AF Point (not an issue really)
2) No AF-S, VR lenses support
3) one dial is sufficent, even 2 dials would being fine to adjust aperture/shutter speed at the same time
As for non AF 35mm SLRs, i'd suggest a Minolta XD5, XD7, or X700. These bodies do have all a huge, bright OVF.
Many great Minolta MD series (MD, MD-II/III lenses are being avialable, for little prices, but great optically)
As alternative, a cheap Yashica FX-3 Super 2000, or FX-1, or FR-I...these are all very cheap nowadays, and greatly working,
one could always upgrade via C/Y Contax Yashica mount to better spec'd Zeiss lenses, but the Yashica ML series is no slouch,
for real. I am using them, and the Contax MM series since decades...as well as Minolta MD III....
But into the end, any cheap 35mm SLR would do, whatever mount or system. I do prefer 35mm as my #1 focal length, 40mm as my
2nd, and 50mm is okay, but not my prefered one. The rest is into 1-2 Zooms, usually.
A good idea (M42) is also any Pentax Spotmatic series, with M42, there are many quality, and cheap lenses for that mount
being avialable nowadays.
Good light.
Simply for that reasons:
1) better build quality than the N65/F65 and N75/F75 bodies, they look like a Toy SLR vs the F60.
2) bright, bigger all glas pentaprism vs a smaller, dim-lit pentamirror on the bodies above
3) It's dirt cheap, paid like 579 DM into 1998 my 1st copy, but only 10 EUR last week for my 2nd iteration
4) dependable lightmeter, it works great
5) no frills, back to basic as it could get via a 35mm AF SLR, nothing, what you don't need
6) real hard off switch, unlike the mentioned SLRs, preserve battery life
7) Old AF-D, AF-G lenses would work perfectly fine
8) I also do own a double of the N80/F80 and F100 Nikons, for unsecure locations, -spots, i always choose the F60.
9) Nikons 28-70/3.5-4.5D is optically really nice, very cheap as small standard Zoom, it was one of two Kitlenses for the F100...
10) One would being surprised, with a low spec'd SLR, that you only focus about compostion, no features, nothing to fiddle,
play with around...use it for some weeks, months...years...and you'd know what i said.
11) with a little TLC, it basically lasts forever, if nothing breaks here.
12) quality of the images is dependend of the mounted lens, and which 35mm film
13) Last, but not least, good, big handgrip, even bigger than the N80/F80.
14) 3D Matrix Metering with AF-D, AF-G lenses
Cons:
1) only 1 AF Point (not an issue really)
2) No AF-S, VR lenses support
3) one dial is sufficent, even 2 dials would being fine to adjust aperture/shutter speed at the same time
As for non AF 35mm SLRs, i'd suggest a Minolta XD5, XD7, or X700. These bodies do have all a huge, bright OVF.
Many great Minolta MD series (MD, MD-II/III lenses are being avialable, for little prices, but great optically)
As alternative, a cheap Yashica FX-3 Super 2000, or FX-1, or FR-I...these are all very cheap nowadays, and greatly working,
one could always upgrade via C/Y Contax Yashica mount to better spec'd Zeiss lenses, but the Yashica ML series is no slouch,
for real. I am using them, and the Contax MM series since decades...as well as Minolta MD III....
But into the end, any cheap 35mm SLR would do, whatever mount or system. I do prefer 35mm as my #1 focal length, 40mm as my
2nd, and 50mm is okay, but not my prefered one. The rest is into 1-2 Zooms, usually.
A good idea (M42) is also any Pentax Spotmatic series, with M42, there are many quality, and cheap lenses for that mount
being avialable nowadays.
Good light.
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