ISO 35mm camera suggestion

I have both Olympus and Canon. I'd say Olympus or Canon would be great. Olympus cameras and lenses are much smaller, Canon is autofocus and the lenses will work with your digital. That is the real difference to me. Every reasonably modern Japanese or German prime lens is great so I wouldn't worry too much about lens quality. Unless you shoot on a tripod with very high resolution film all the time, you'll be hard pressed to tell the differences.

It seems that you have to start from scratch. Your current Canon gear is useless on film Canon camera. There is no benefit of getting EOS.
Canon EOS system will cost you quite a lot compare to other 'old' cameras like OM. All the lenses are still current so they are quite expensive - you are competing with digital shooters.

If you want top quality, have a look at Contax cameras with Carl Zeiss lenses. An RTS and a bitingly sharp Planar 50mm/1.7 will set you back about $250. Add a Distagon 28mm and a Sonnar 85mm to complete your arsenal.
You can use Contax lenses on Canon with an adapter - the results will blow you away.

Nicholas Lindan said:

It is a good idea to stick with a system that is compatible with the equipment you already have.

Canon film-system lenses will fit your Canon digital rebel. And some Canon digital lenses will work with some Canon film bodies.

Olympus lenses certainly will not fit your existing gear, unless you expect to inherit your father's Olympus in the next few months, or are able to use his large stable of lenses, there is little reason to continue with Olympus gear. To the best of my knowledge Olympus film lenses do not fit Olympus digital bodies and the Olympus film system is all manual focus, something to consider if you would like AF capability in your film work. Interestingly, it is possible to mount Olympus lenses on Canon bodies.

Olympus film technology hasn't really been updated in the last 20 years. Most bodies and lenses are 70's vintage, and although that doesn't matter for lenses, the electronics in the bodies are nearing the end of their life.

I think anyone getting into both film and digital, or who will be working in both camps some day, should stick with product families that allow interchangeability of lenses and accessories between the two technologies.

Compatibility-wise you will be much better off staying with Canon.

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This is incorrect.

Converters are sold on ebay to use an OM lens on a Canon EOS or 4/3 (olympus digital) body.

As far as the age they were certainly not all made in the 70's, Olympus OM cameras were manufactured from 1972 - 2002. Even some of the earliest OM cameras have been shown to be reliable (in my experience anyway), and they are still repairable.

Consider an OM-2 or OM-2n if you like Olympus and don't mind manual focus & manual film transport. If you want more bells and whistles Canon EOS is probably a good option.

These websites are good references to research what body to buy:
http://zuserver2.star.ucl.ac.uk/~rwesson/esif/om-sif.htm
http://brashear.phys.appstate.edu/lhawkins/photo/olympus.faq.html

O-kay. This weekend I went to see some cameras at a store. I decided to go with Canon for no other reason than I like my digital Canon. I saw two. One was an Elan 7E, body only, for $150. The other one was an A-1 body, a 50mm f/1.4 lens, and a winder all for $249. What do you all think?

How about an analog Rebel? The T2 and K2 are pretty good.

I have 2 Canon systems: an EF body and FD/BL lenses from the 70s. EOS Elan IIE, A-2 (kinda broke but working) and an EOS 1 with 3 zoom lenses. Each is good in it's own way.

EOS 3 bodies are going for $250 or less. EOS 1V-HS (latest and greatest) bodies are going for $500 or less. There is one currently for sale at the Rangefinder Forum. CORRECTION: The 1V-HS sold quickly.

An EOS body with eye control focus is a revelation. Add the depth of field program and it becomes very good indeed. The last time I mentioned the DEP progeam here somebody said I was crazy. Maybe. but I like it.

Have you looked at www.keh.com? craigslist locally? The classifieds here? Classifieds at the Rangefinder Forum? film bodies are plentiful.

If you want a real thrill, get yourself a Nikon F3HP and 24-50-105 lenses. You could do worse.

macandal said:

O-kay. This weekend I went to see some cameras at a store. I decided to go with Canon for no other reason than I like my digital Canon. I saw two. One was an Elan 7E, body only, for $150. The other one was an A-1 body, a 50mm f/1.4 lens, and a winder all for $249. What do you all think?

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The A-1 was a great camera, but it will not take the modern EF lenses. On the other hand, that means you can use any of the superb FD lenses that can be had for cheap. I own an AE1-Program (an entry model compared to the A-1) and it still works fine, 27 years later. The A1 will depend on the battery, but the battery can be had for relatively cheap and will last a loooooong time (my AE1-P may have used 5 batteries in it's life !). If at some point the body dies, you can always buy a "new" body for your lenses.

Laurent said:

The A-1 was a great camera, but it will not take the modern EF lenses. On the other hand, that means you can use any of the superb FD lenses that can be had for cheap.

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When God shuts a door he opens a window (or something like that). Isn't that right?

Laurent said:

I own an AE1-Program (an entry model compared to the A-1) and it still works fine, 27 years later.

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I thought the AE-1 Program came after the A1?

Laurent said:

The A1 will depend on the battery, but the battery can be had for relatively cheap and will last a loooooong time (my AE1-P may have used 5 batteries in it's life !). If at some point the body dies, you can always buy a "new" body for your lenses.

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I want something that's durable.

Laurent, thanks. I meant to ask, I've seen all these cameras in the A series (AE-1, AT-1, A1, AV-1, AE-1 Program, AL-1), what's the difference among them all? Is there one that stands out from all the rest?

I finally decided to get a Canon for no other reason than I like my current system (Rebel XTi dSLR) and deciding on any camera is way too difficult given the different variables each system offers. Even the Olympus I'm currently using is a good camera as, I'm sure, are all the others people have suggested here. I would hate to ask a question like, what's the best SLR out of all Canons because I've learned that those questions will not simplify my choices; it'll give me endless responses.

Early on, when I started thinking about getting more serious about photography (i.e., beyond point and shoots), I made the big mistake of asking, which one is best, Canons or Nikons? Oh boy. I think that thread is still going on, even three years after I first posted that question. Anyway, I hope you can help me out of this Canon fog.

The EF is Canon's last all metal, black enamel finish, rugged as an anvil body. It's also the only camera designed for 1.35v mercury batteries with built in circutry to allow use of current 1.5v alkaline batteries. modern silver batteries would be the ideal choice. Shutter speeds from 1/1000 to 30 seconds. Manual anytime mirror lock up. Multiple exposures. I bought mine in 1975. It just keeps going and going and going and going and...............

The Canon EOS A-2 and EOS-1 are good auto focus bodies. The EOS-1 was Canon's first pro body in the EOS line. Weather sealed. Solid. Built in diopter lens in the viewfinder. 100% viewing screen. Solid. The A-2 isn't far behind.

macandal said:

When God shuts a door he opens a window (or something like that).

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Should I be flattered by the comparison ?

macandal said:

I thought the AE-1 Program came after the A1?

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Indeed, it came after, as the replacement of the AE1, but it's still more limited in functionalities (No "Av" mode on an AE1 or AE1-P, mostly)

macandal said:

I want something that's durable.

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FD lenses will be durable, the body may be less due to the electronics but, again, there are plenty of "FD" bodies that are still working (the last ones were made about 20 years ago)

macandal said:

I meant to ask, I've seen all these cameras in the A series (AE-1, AT-1, A1, AV-1, AE-1 Program, AL-1), what's the difference among them all? Is there one that stands out from all the rest?

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That may be the A-1, for all it's features (multi-mode etc...) But the basis is almost the same (same exposure measurement for example).

for what I know :

AE1 was the first of the series, it has automatic exposure system ("TV" mode : shutte speed priority).

AT1 was after the AE1, it is a semi-manual camera (but still depends on a battery for the shutter operation, like all the A-series Canon)

A1 may have been the next in the series, it has Av, Tv and Program modes. It has a LED display, which may be less prone to failure than a needle.

AV1 is an automatic model ("Av", aperture priority, cannot be set to manual)

Then the AE1-P which is an AE1 modernized : it has the "Program" mode, uses LEDs for the display.

Finally came the AL1 : "assisted focus" (a LED tells you when the focus is OK... not very convincing I'm afraid (I never tried this though)). It's got the Av + Manual mode.

Then there are all the previous models (F1, FTb, etc...) for which I don't know a lot (LOVED the F1 I had and stupidly sold when I needed cash. It's 100% metal, does not depend on a battery (only for the light-meter).

After the A-series came the T ones, of which my favourite would be the T90 (mine died from the well-known sticky shutter issue), and the F1-New (improved version of the F1, but depends on the battery)

If I was to choose a "new" Canon FD camera today, that may be a T90 because it's got almost as many features as my EOS-3 (but I have to confess I almost always use the spot metering and manual mode :-( ) of an old F1 because it's a real beast.

Be careful however, I'm sure a thread about "which Canon" can be as long as a "Nikon Vs Canon" ;-)

Laurent

Laurent said:

Be careful however, I'm sure a thread about "which Canon" can be as long as a "Nikon Vs Canon" ;-)

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Don't worry, I've learned my lesson.

When I was buying my first camera, it was between a Canon Elan 7e and a Nikon N80. Both are great but I went with the N80 since its more up my alley for the kind of photography I do (grid lines and cable shutter release were among the top determining factors). The Elan 7e used should be very cheap and a very good camera. Since you already have Canon lenses, you might as well stay with the brand. Check KEH for good used prices. I bet you'll like the Elan's controls far more than your Rebel

Still dealing with this. I think I now want, if possible, to get a film Rebel so I can share lenses with my dSLR. I understand that my current lens, Sigma 30mm/1.4, would not be compatible with a film camera, but, did Sigma ever make lenses for film cameras? Another way to put this question, are there any lenses I can share with my dSLR (Rebel XTi) and the one I am going to get? Thanks.

Merry Christmas all and happy new year!!!

I think you should consider a Canon EOS 3. A little more rugged than the Rebel cameras. Or an Elan 7 (I think the most recent Elan was the Elan 7ne, but someone will correct me if I am wrong). Any lenses that you buy for the Canon 35mm film camera will work on your Canon DSLR.

Chazzy said:

Any lenses that you buy for the Canon 35mm film camera will work on your Canon DSLR.

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Your last statement is not entirely true, and that's why I was asking. Some lenses, at least some Sigma lenses, as far as I understand, are digital-only.

Thanks for your input, Chazzy.

A Canon EOS SLR seems like the logical choice. They can be had for peanuts. On the cheap end of things, I am partial to the EOS 5/A2 over any of the 600-series cameras. Getting into the higher-end models, if you want to spend a few hundred, I would go for an EOS 3 hands down. It is the best bang for the buck out there in a 35mm AF camera, IMO. Functionally speaking, it is almost the same camera as the 1V, but at about 40-50% the price, plus it has ECF.

macandal said:

Your last statement is not entirely true, and that's why I was asking. Some lenses, at least some Sigma lenses, as far as I understand, are digital-only.

Thanks for your input, Chazzy.

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Read it again, slower this time.

Dave Pritchard said:

Read it again, slower this time.

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ditto

macandal said:

Some lenses, at least some Sigma lenses, as far as I understand, are digital-only.

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Any lens made for a Canon EOS 35mm camera (EF lens mount) will also mount on your digital Canon (EF-S mount with a 1.6 crop factor, also known as APS-C), but not the other way around; there is a mechanical feature on the EF-S lens mount that prevents this. (This is different from Nikon, where you can certainly mount a "digital only" lens on a film body, but without full frame coverage).

In the case of Sigma, the "digital only" lenses carry the abbreviation DC. Sigma lenses with DG designations will cover a full-size frame, either digital or 35mm, and can also be used on an APS-C format camera. If you check the product descriptions you should see specifications that tell you which cameras the lens fits.

If you're leaning toward an EOS body, you may as well spend some "big" bucks (pocket change compared to any DSLR) and get a high end camera.
Here's a guy selling an EOS 3 (beautiful camera, awesome multi-spot metering) for 180 bucks. (I don't know the seller.)
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/849053/

If you go for an older manual focus system, keep this table in mind. http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/eosfaq/manual_focus_EOS.html
Any of the green-system lenses can mount to your Canon DSLR. The excellent old Olympus Zuiko (OM) glass has a near-cult following among the Canon pixel peepers of the world. Since you're already shooting an Oly, one of the OM bodies might be a sensible buy.

As mentioned, Canon FD is high quality and cheap - since the lenses don't play well with the major DSLR systems. I can assure you that any of the A series bodies are more than 'durable' and will, with minimal maintenance, easily outlast your DSLR ... and possibly even yourself! I've got several, and the A-1 is my personal favorite. It offers both shutter and aperture priority AE, excellent low-light metering, and (IMO) very clean styling. While not as robust as the older F1 brick, it is still very well built. I'm a little hesitant to recommend my favorite T-90 (Best manual focus camera ever? ) since the shutter mechanism is prone to develop problems if the camera is left to sit for extended periods, so buying a 100% known-good body is a bit of a crapshoot.

Plenty of Canon AF/MF info at: http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/