If you were to choose an SLR camera, which one would it be?

lpostcard · Sep 19, 2020

hello, I really need your suggestions on a topic. There are very high prices in film prices and development due to economic reasons in my country. So I want to sell some of my cameras and budget for a digital camera. because I can no longer use my analog cameras due to the film prices.
No problem with compact and medium format cameras. But I am very unsure about my SLR cameras. Which one would you choose among the 3 slr and lenses below?

1.minolta xd-s (black and 5th generation with new logo)
minolta rokkor 45mm f2
vivitar 19mm

2.pentax mx
smc-m 50mm f1.4
smc-m 28mm f2.8

3.olympus om-1
zuiko 50mm f1.8

I love the pentax lens quality. On the other hand, minolta confuses me as it is a rare piece and it is more special for me as a minolta brand.

Thank you for your ideas.

narsuitus · Sep 19, 2020

lpostcard said:
Which one would you choose among the 3 slr and lenses below?

Choose to sell or choose to keep?

Here is what I would do:

Option 1
Sell all three and keep my medium format film cameras.

Option 2
List all three for sale but only keep the one that does not sell.

Option 3
Keep the Pentax because I currently use Pentax Spotmatic SLRs and love them.

BradS · Sep 19, 2020

Personally, I'd keep the Pentax kit but all three are very capable and known to be quite good. As a matter of practicality though, I do like Option #2 suggested by narsuitus above.
I'd also suggest that over the long run, digital isn't really any cheaper, it just seems like it because you don't have the ongoing expense of film. I've never bought a digital camera but have greatly reduced the amount of film that I use and have found a less expensive film as well...
good luck and know that whatever you do, it will be ok.

lpostcard · Sep 19, 2020

narsuitus said:
Choose to sell or choose to keep?

I will sell my medium format machines. because 120 mm is very expensive. I'm thinking of keeping one of the 3 slr's above to myself. Saying goodbye to two. but this is very hard.(

Paul Howell · Sep 19, 2020

I would keep the MX, top build quality, wide range lens K, and M42 with adaptor.

Bill Burk · Sep 19, 2020

Hard choice. Short term, sell only the OM-1 because they fetch a high enough price that you will have money to budget.

Long term though, if you were to put it away for 20 years and give to your college student child, keep the OM-1 it might be the only one that still works.

lpostcard · Sep 19, 2020

Thanks for your answers. yeah it's a really tough decision, I like the pentax lenses and the mechanics of the om-1. I love the minolta because it is my first analog camera and it is a rare color. It was really hard to choose a single camera to keep going. maybe they should all stay with me no matter what.

runswithsizzers · Sep 19, 2020

Paul Howell said:
I would keep the MX, top build quality, wide range lens K, and M42 with adaptor.

+1

Then again, you seem to prefer the Minolta above the others (?). If so, keep that one. Shooting film is supposed to be fun, so keep the one you enjoy shooting the most.

Nitroplait · Sep 19, 2020

No doubt about it: You will regret selling your first camera!

Billy Axeman · Sep 19, 2020

I would sell everything and get a Pentax ES (or ES-II) with S-M-C Takumar 28mm f/3.5.

narsuitus · Sep 19, 2020

lpostcard said:
I will sell my medium format machines.

Out of curiosity, which medium formats will you sell?

Les Sarile · Sep 19, 2020

The OM-1 is the oddity here with the none traditional control locations, battery and no aperture in the viewfinder.

I appreciate the OM-1 because it changed the whole camera landscape with it's small size while maintaining quality. Pentax released their new K mount lenses but cut their production short and came out with the only camera to be smaller then the OM-1 while having traditional control locations and with an even bigger viewfinder magnification.

Of course I appreciate mine so I keep them all . . .

Old_Dick · Sep 19, 2020

Nikon F2as, keep my C330 and Zone VI 4x5. As my health problems persist so does my ability to carry weight. I have a Ftn that still kind of works. It has been abused from the time I purchased it new, decades ago.
My wife will say "why do you need another camera, you have enough junk you hardly use".

Chan Tran · Sep 19, 2020

Les said the OM-1 commands a high price then definitely sell it. I was a Nikon user but I always wanted the OM but when I had them I am glad I didn't choose them back when I started. Besides the OM-1 with mercury battery is considered by me as a meter less camera.
I would want to keep the Minolta if I have one. I have the XD-11 in chrome so the black XD-S is more valuable but I don't want to use the XD-11 so I wouldn't use the XD-S either. If you can get good money for it, sell it.
Now the Pentax MX is one I would actually use. So I would keep it for shooting film.

MattKing · Sep 19, 2020

Welcome to Photrio.
I would base my choice on my personal preference, and on the local market conditions where I am, including the market conditions I can easily access through international sources.
So if I were you, I would lean more on advice from those familiar with Turkey.

Les Sarile · Sep 19, 2020

lpostcard said:
I will sell my medium format machines. because 120 mm is very expensive. I'm thinking of keeping one of the 3 slr's above to myself. Saying goodbye to two. but this is very hard.(

It would make sense to sell the two that fetches the most.

4season · Sep 19, 2020

I would sell the Minolta XD-S because it's the most valuable, and because I'm tired of servicing Minolta electronics!
Next, I would sell the Pentax MX because it doesn't seem especially easy to service, and it's ring resistor wears out.
Olympus OM looks nice and tidy inside and is the easiest for me to service, so I'd keep the OM1.

Huss · Sep 19, 2020

Sell them all. Buy an F6 which is pretty much a digital camera that takes film.

Ok, sell them all, buy a used Sony A7II with an adapter to use one or two of the lenses that you kept from your film cameras.

George Mann · Sep 19, 2020

I choose my Nikon F90x because it offers everything I need. Faithful, reliable, well built and runs on AA batteries.

wiltw · Sep 19, 2020

Les Sarile said:
The OM-1 is the oddity here with the none traditional control locations, battery and no aperture in the viewfinder.

I appreciate the OM-1 because it changed the whole camera landscape with it's small size while maintaining quality. Pentax released their new K mount lenses but cut their production short and came out with the only camera to be smaller then the OM-1 while having traditional control locations and with an even bigger viewfinder magnification.

Of course I appreciate mine so I keep them all . . .

The apparent lack of information in the viewfinder allowed Olympus to present a higher magnification view of the focusing screen at about 0.92x. When camera makers started to cram more information into the viewfinder, the magnification of the focus screen SHRANK to typically 0.75x

darkosaric · Sep 19, 2020

lpostcard, do you develop the films yourself? Do you shoot B&W, color, or both?
Welcome to APUG btw .

Steve Bellayr · Sep 19, 2020

nikon f3hp it has great choice of lenses excellent examples readily found right now i have one with a 35mm f2,0 carl zeiss lens attached sitting on my desk

Andrew O'Neill · Sep 19, 2020

Steve Bellayr said:
nikon f3hp it has great choice of lenses excellent examples readily found right now i have one with a 35mm f2,0 carl zeiss lens attached sitting on my desk

My choice as well. Back in the day I used to lust over having one. Could never afford one. Then when I could afford one, I was already into large format...

Les Sarile · Sep 19, 2020

wiltw said:
The apparent lack of information in the viewfinder allowed Olympus to present a higher magnification view of the focusing screen at about 0.92x. When camera makers started to cram more information into the viewfinder, the magnification of the focus screen SHRANK to typically 0.75x

The Pentax MX was physically smaller in all dimensions then the OM-1, it has a larger viewfinder magnification at .97X compared to the OM-1's .92X and still have the full info available in the viewfinder- meter, shutter speed and aperture. All without having to resort to putting the shutter speed on the lens mount. Yoshihisa Maitani discusses the development of the OM-1 and why they had to move the shutter in "The path to a compact SLR would require the efficient use of underutilized space." at https://www.olympus-global.com/technology/museum/lecture/vol2_03/?page=technology_museum. Of course having the aperture indicators at the tip of the lenses means you cannot display it via the window in the prism. There are other indirect ways to show the aperture.

Paul Howell · Sep 19, 2020

Not sure why folks feel a need to recommend cameras not listed as these are 3 systems he currently owns and wants to sell 2 as film really expensive in his part of the world. I stick with keeping the MX, if the meter dies still operative with sunny 16 or handheld.

If you were to choose an SLR camera, which one would it be?

lpostcard

narsuitus

BradS

lpostcard

Paul Howell

Bill Burk

lpostcard

runswithsizzers

Nitroplait

Billy Axeman

narsuitus

Les Sarile

Old_Dick

Chan Tran

MattKing

Moderator

Les Sarile

4season

Huss

George Mann

wiltw

darkosaric

Steve Bellayr

Andrew O'Neill

Moderator

Les Sarile

Paul Howell

If you were to choose an SLR camera, which one would it be?

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