In your opinion, what are the best modern 35mm film SLRs ever built?

[Les Sarile]

Thanks for your insight. Camera body, however, is just one side of the equation; lens is the other. I remember missing the far superior AF and IS of the EOS system from the late 90s. And since you mentioned Yashica - TL Electro-X was my very first SLR, sporting a fast f/1.4 Yashinon lens. I'm still looking for a pristine example of it on the S/H market for sentimental reasons only.

I don't have a sentimental attachment to it but always thought what a very good looking camera it is . . .

Yashica TL Electro X by Les DMess, on Flickr

 

[miha]

Thanks @Les Sarile . This picture brings back so many memories (including the scent of the camera ).

 

[Kino]

There are just too many good, modern SLRs; any one of the three would be fantastic.

With the abundance of choices and similar quality standards, you can afford to be illogical and just choose the one you like!

 

[dave olson]

The "best"? That would be subjective evaluation. Always subject to individual interpretation. A consensus would be impossible.

 

[eli griggs]

Lot of features don't make for a great camera, just increase usefulness.

This is very true, the real quality of a camera, to any photographer, is it's utility, the intuitive, natural feel and operation.

There have been a number of cameras that have been given all kinds of 'features' to attract buyers, but failed to build the kind of long term profession loyalty that the F-1 cameras have which includes a huge wealth of special adapters that build solidly upon an already great camera.

 

[Radost]

But if you had to pick a film camera for your L lenses, what would it be?

EOS elan7 ne if you can leave without spot meter.

 

[miha]

EOS elan7 ne if you can leave without spot meter.

Thanks, that would be EOS 30/33 over here. I've check the camera's specs, there is "selective" meter available, approx. 10% of viewfinder area at center as the description says, which is ok.

 

[Yashica]

I don't have a sentimental attachment to it but always thought what a very good looking camera it is . . .

Yashica TL Electro X by Les DMess, on Flickr

I have it into black since decades. Also being sentimental, emotional attached to this camera.

 

[manfrominternet]

If I'm just beating a dead horse, I'll make my sincere apology to you all now, but I honestly still can't figure out which 35mm film SLR camera would be best for evening/night photography.

My 'ideal' 35mm film camera would have the following (in order of importance):

1.) A large EV range, say, from -6.5 to 20 (like the Pentax LX, Olympus OM-2, Olympus OM-4/4TI) that can automatically meter for well over 30 seconds (which unfortunately seems to be the cutoff point for more modern film SLR cameras). If the camera can automatically meter out to nearly 15 minutes, I'd be ecstatic.

2.) Has an excellent line of sharp and contrasty lenses.

3.) Has a bright focusing screen, preferably with a good split screen, so that I can better focus for nighttime shots.

4.) Has a 100% or nearly 100% viewfinder. (I can't imagine further cropping 35mm negatives/slides.)

5.) The ability to squeeze in a few more frames than the standard count of 36. This would be nice, but not an absolute necessity.

Although it would also be nice to have, I'm not sure that I need, say, Nikon VR or Canon IS (image stabilized) lenses. I'm pretty sure that my camera will be sitting atop a tripod one way or another, particulalrly if I'm taking long-exposures/Todd Hido-esque photos.

That all said, here are the cameras I've found that sort of fit that mold in brief detail:

-Pentax LX - This camera has off the film metering (OTF), in Pentax's parlance "Integrated Direct Metering (IDM)", and a massive EV range of -6.5EV to 20EV if using autoexposure. I'm not sure how well this works in practice, but I've seen some great results.

-Olympus OM-2 - I'm specifically picking the OM-2 because I've heard that the OM-2N will only meter out to 2/3 minutes. The OM-2 is also includes an OTF meter and has a nice autoexposire EV range of -5.5EV to 18EV if using autoexposure.

-Olympus OM-4/4TI - I particularly like this camera as it's the newer of the OM system cameras and has that handy highlight/shadows spot meter (that the Canon T90 later apparently copied). It sports a comfortable EV range of -5EV to 19EV (-7EV in spot), although I don't know if the camera meters out to anything longer than 2 minutes. (I've heard conflicting reports.)

-Nikon FA - Nikon only claims exposures to 1 second, but according to Lord Ken Rockwell, the "camera works great out to several minute long exposures." The Nikon FA sports an EV range of 1EV to 16EV.

-Nikon F6 - Okay, so the EV range is only 0EV to 20EV (3D Color Matrix and Center-Weighted), and 2EV to 20EV (in Spot), however, the shutter speed can be prolonged to 30 minutes in M mode. I'm not exactly sure if this is helpful for nighttime exposures if the EV range is only from 0EV to 20EV

So far I'm leaning towards the Pentax LX (the newer model), however, I'd be just as happy with the Olympus OM-4/4TI if it could meter as many minutes out as the Pentax LX can. Any further thoughts on this?

Nonetheless, if anyone has any better suggestions, I'd love to hear it.

Many thanks if you've read down this far!

 

[Rayt]

Canon Eos 1v.

 

[Brad Deputy]

In a dark room with the lens cover on, the longest exposure I can get on my late model (2001) Olympus OM4ti is... 2 minutes, 5 seconds.

A remote trigger cable with a lock (and a timer like your phone) can extend to indefinite (doing your own exposure calculation though).

 

[Les Sarile]

If I'm just beating a dead horse, I'll make my sincere apology to you all now, but I honestly still can't figure out which 35mm film SLR camera would be best for evening/night photography.

My 'ideal' 35mm film camera would have the following (in order of importance):

1.) A large EV range, say, from -6.5 to 20 (like the Pentax LX, Olympus OM-2, Olympus OM-4/4TI) that can automatically meter for well over 30 seconds (which unfortunately seems to be the cutoff point for more modern film SLR cameras). If the camera can automatically meter out to nearly 15 minutes, I'd be ecstatic.

2.) Has an excellent line of sharp and contrasty lenses.

3.) Has a bright focusing screen, preferably with a good split screen, so that I can better focus for nighttime shots.

4.) Has a 100% or nearly 100% viewfinder. (I can't imagine further cropping 35mm negatives/slides.)

5.) The ability to squeeze in a few more frames than the standard count of 36. This would be nice, but not an absolute necessity.

Although it would also be nice to have, I'm not sure that I need, say, Nikon VR or Canon IS (image stabilized) lenses. I'm pretty sure that my camera will be sitting atop a tripod one way or another, particulalrly if I'm taking long-exposures/Todd Hido-esque photos.

That all said, here are the cameras I've found that sort of fit that mold in brief detail:

-Pentax LX - This camera has off the film metering (OTF), in Pentax's parlance "Integrated Direct Metering (IDM)", and a massive EV range of -6.5EV to 20EV if using autoexposure. I'm not sure how well this works in practice, but I've seen some great results.

-Olympus OM-2 - I'm specifically picking the OM-2 because I've heard that the OM-2N will only meter out to 2/3 minutes. The OM-2 is also includes an OTF meter and has a nice autoexposire EV range of -5.5EV to 18EV if using autoexposure.

-Olympus OM-4/4TI - I particularly like this camera as it's the newer of the OM system cameras and has that handy highlight/shadows spot meter (that the Canon T90 later apparently copied). It sports a comfortable EV range of -5EV to 19EV (-7EV in spot), although I don't know if the camera meters out to anything longer than 2 minutes. (I've heard conflicting reports.)

-Nikon FA - Nikon only claims exposures to 1 second, but according to Lord Ken Rockwell, the "camera works great out to several minute long exposures." The Nikon FA sports an EV range of 1EV to 16EV.

-Nikon F6 - Okay, so the EV range is only 0EV to 20EV (3D Color Matrix and Center-Weighted), and 2EV to 20EV (in Spot), however, the shutter speed can be prolonged to 30 minutes in M mode. I'm not exactly sure if this is helpful for nighttime exposures if the EV range is only from 0EV to 20EV

So far I'm leaning towards the Pentax LX (the newer model), however, I'd be just as happy with the Olympus OM-4/4TI if it could meter as many minutes out as the Pentax LX can. Any further thoughts on this?

Nonetheless, if anyone has any better suggestions, I'd love to hear it.

Many thanks if you've read down this far!

15minutes - and much longer, aperture priority autoexposure and you only have the Pentax LX. The Nikons may achieve minutes but not predictably or consistently. The OM2 has a lot of qualifiers making it not practical.

 

[MartinCrabtree]

My F5 with MF-28 back will allow exposures up to 999H 59M 59Seconds. No idea what I'd use that for.

 

[Craig]

Cameras don't meter out to 15min because of film reciprocity failure, it would be pointless and inaccurate to do so. If it's that dark, exposure is mostly going to be a guessing game.

And take anything Rockwell says with a huge grain of salt. Verify everything there independently.

 

[Les Sarile]

And take anything Rockwell says with a huge grain of salt. Verify everything there independently.

Did Ken weigh in on this topic? I would be curious to read it if you have a link . . .

 

[Craig]

Did Ken weigh in on this topic? I would be curious to read it if you have a link . . .

No, but the OP said that Ken claims the Nikon FA is good to meter to several minutes. Nikon has never claimed such capabilities however.

 

[Les Sarile]

No, but the OP said that Ken claims the Nikon FA is good to meter to several minutes. Nikon has never claimed such capabilities however.

In his review of the FA - https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/fa.htm , he states, "Unlike any newer Nikons, the FA is also the only camera with Matrix metering which can meter exposures of seemingly unlimited duration. Newer cameras stop at 30 seconds of night exposure, while just like the FE, the FA will sit there for minutes clocking off a perfect time exposure." He doesn't specifically state aperture priority autoexposure. I have tested the length of time these Nikons will aperture priority autoexpose - FA, F3, FE, FE2 and FM3A, and they don't autoexpose consistently.

 

[BMbikerider]

I am late into this debate. However I have been with Nikon for the last 1/4 century and for manufacturing quality they are very hard to beat. My main colour film camera is a F6 (retirement present to myself) and I cannot remember getting an unprintable negative for my colour film. My 2nd and 3rd cameras camera are a F2a and an even older Nikkormat FT3. They give the standard of performance I wish for. No fancy metering, just solid dependability.

Before that I was a Minolta user and had SRT101/303's, XM, XEX1, X700's and eventually bought a 9000, the first AF 'pro' camera and it was good, (but understandably primitive compared to their later AF cameras) Some of the lenses were cloned over to the AF design, but it also had a different bayonet mount unlike Nikon who kept the same mount even after AF became the normal system. The 28/85 was a real cracker just like the manual version.

But one Minolta in my view was possibly equally as good as the F6 and that was the Dynax 9. I had 2 at one stage. Unfortunately this creation was at the end of the Minolta modern production line and didn't remain on sale for more than a couple of years. I have not seen one for sale in a camera dealers for a good number of years. However I am too deeply involved with Nikon now that I would find it difficult to change over.

The 'best' will be largely a personal preference, so there will not be a perfect answer to the question.

 

[xkaes]

But one Minolta in my view was possibly equally as good as the F6 and that was the Dynax 9. I had 2 at one stage. Unfortunately this creation was at the end of the Minolta modern production line and didn't remain on sale for more than a couple of years. I have not seen one for sale in a camera dealers for a good number of years. However I am too deeply involved with Nikon now that I would find it difficult to change over.

Since this is a discussion about the BEST SLR, I'd add (as I already have) that my vote goes to the Maxxum/Dynax 5 (AKA, Sweet II). It does 95% of what the Maxxum/Dynax 9 does, in a smaller, and much lighter body -- and at about 10% of the price of the Maxxum/Dynax 9. You can get a Maxxum/Dynax 5 with one (and sometimes two) zoom lens for under $25.

 

[Yashica]

Canon Eos 1v.

Its way pro, albeit very heavy, and very ugly, too...from my taste of aesthetics.

 

[Rayt]

Its way pro, albeit very heavy, and very ugly, too...from my taste of aesthetics.

Oh yes it’s butt ugly but I was prioritising on performance. For pure beauty and functionality the Nikon F with the standard prism in black paint is itself a work of art.

 

[Yashica]

Oh yes it’s butt ugly but I was prioritising on performance. For pure beauty and functionality the Nikon F with the standard prism in black paint is itself a work of art.

I do agree. Albeit, i like some Contax SLRs more than manual focus Nikon, after the FM(2), i hoped onto AF with Nikon, and bought the F90x, F80 & F100. F60 as a cheap sidekick, back into its day for unsafe locations. Works surprisingly well, i mean the F60. F4 AF single point, pentaprism OVF compared to the very plasticky F65/F75 with dim-lit small pentamirror OVF, albeit only 1 AF point...but good enough simply, no frills, just the basic features, and bigger handgrip than my F80. With my AF 35/F2D, good to go everywhere. Paid like 600 bucks into 98, if i remember correctly, and as rear lens cap, a 2nd F60 into 2022 minty for just 10 quid extra.

 

[Rayt]

I do agree. Albeit, i like some Contax SLRs more than manual focus Nikon, after the FM(2), i hoped onto AF with Nikon, and bought the F90x, F80 & F100. F60 as a cheap sidekick, back into its day for unsafe locations. Works surprisingly well, i mean the F60. F4 AF single point, pentaprism OVF compared to the very plasticky F65/F75 with dim-lit small pentamirror OVF, albeit only 1 AF point...but good enough simply, no frills, just the basic features, and bigger handgrip than my F80. With my AF 35/F2D, good to go everywhere. Paid like 600 bucks into 98, if i remember correctly, and as rear lens cap, a 2nd F60 into 2022 minty for just 10 quid extra.

I learned how to used a camera with the F and FM2. When I bought a consumer AF body in the early 90’s I thought the AF was horrible. It constantly hunted and the screw drive motor was slow. I used the F4 in manual focus mode. AF did not improve until the next generation. Don’t want to rehash the Nikon vs Canon debate but keeping the N mount backward compatible meant compromises. I was taking a photo of my toddler son with an 1v and 24/1.4L very close up. Just as I was about to press the shutter he raised his hand and pointed at the lens. The lens in lightening speed locked on to the tip of his finger. Even today a lot of digital cameras can’t do this.

 

[Yashica]

I learned how to used a camera with the F and FM2. When I bought a consumer AF body in the early 90’s I thought the AF was horrible. It constantly hunted and the screw drive motor was slow. I used the F4 in manual focus mode. AF did not improve until the next generation. Don’t want to rehash the Nikon vs Canon debate but keeping the N mount backward compatible meant compromises. I was taking a photo of my toddler son with an 1v and 24/1.4L very close up. Just as I was about to press the shutter he raised his hand and pointed at the lens. The lens in lightening speed locked on to the tip of his finger. Even today a lot of digital cameras can’t do this.

Well, you know, the L luxury lenses aren't cheap from Canon, and usually fast via USM. Wheter it was EF or now RF mount, nowadays. I've found that 45 AF points of Canon silly somehow, because they're all mostly centered, not over the whole 36x24mm surface area. Seen that on my plasticky EOS 3, which i've sold not long after i've had bought it. For myself, the Canon EF (Film) SLRs had it's advantages, but they've been mostly way bulky, huge & ugly, compared to Nikon F aesthetics, back into its day.

Whileas i am fine with my F80, F100...also ergonomics, it does feel like a digital DSLR, doesn't make much a difference, if it would be the D700 or F100...into contrast.
With film, i like the slow approach much more, no auto exposure, auto rewind, auto anything...i had tons of fun with my FM, back then, also XD7, and various Contax. Yes, it wasn't pure mechanical, also with a light meter. But still a difference, to say a F100, its not a bad SLR, i still like it. But sometimes, my small Minox GT-E or just a Contax T and zone focusing is all what's being needed.

 

[DREW WILEY]

As far as reliability goes, the simpler the better. Per relatively recent Nikons likely to still be found in excellent condition : the FM2n : totally mechanical (except the light meter), and no "auto" nonsense.