Manual focus 35mm recommendations (similar to AE-1 Program)

[tomfrh]

Hi,

I currently have a canon EOS and some nice L lenses, which are great, however I keep dreaming back to my family's Canon AE-1 Program that we had in the 80s and 90s. That was such a tidy camera.

I'd like to get another camera like this. I'd be happy with another AE-1 program, however I know there were a lot of great cameras in this style. The more recent Nikon FM3a looks really good!

Some things that would be nice:

*Spot meter
*lightweight
*cheap

Any suggestions would be recommended. There's just so many to choose from! When it comes to canon there's the A-1, the F series, which I'm not familiar with. And there's a million Nikon variants - FM/ FM2/ Fe/ FE2/ F2/ FA etc...! Then there the minolta, pentax, olympus etc...so much to choose from!

Thanks!

Tom

 

[nsurit]

I likethe Olympus OM 2S and they sometimes die on you. When not dead they are great cameras.

 

[Dennis S]

Meters
lightweight
Inexpensive not "cheap"

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Rick A]

OM-4, OM-4t --reasonable. OM-3, OM-3t --completely out of most everybody's price range. OM-2 S, not really worth getting. I'm sure there are other brands and models that you will get bombarded with.

 

[summicron1]

OM1, any of a zillion older canon, pentax spotmatic...the list is endless.

 

[Rick A]

OM1, any of a zillion older canon, pentax spotmatic...the list is endless.

OP asked about spot meter, OM-1, OM-1n or OM-2, OM-2n do not have this, nor do any other models except OM-3, OM-4 and updated models with those numbers. Steer clear of the OM-10 and any letter model.

 

[Arvee]

OM-4 (T). I picked up an EX+ OM-4 (late version w/o battery problem), 50 f/1.4 and the Oly 75-150 zoom and T-32 flash for a C-note. I was extremely fortunate but the late OM-4 versions are still reasonable and have the features you desire.

As an aside, all of the A series Canons, i.e., AE-1, A-1, AE-1P, etc., all are plagued with the infamous 'shutter squeal.' It's not too difficult to fix yourself if you're comfortable opening up the camera. It also can be bargaining point that can net you substantial savings. It took me about 20 minutes and watch oiler to repair my AE-1P.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

OP asked about spot meter, OM-1, OM-1n or OM-2, OM-2n do not have this, nor do any other models except OM-3, OM-4 and updated models with those numbers. Steer clear of the OM-10 and any letter model.

Apart the -3 and -4 series, the OM-2SP or OM-2S as it is known in the US market has spot metering. It is in fact a -4 downgraded without the memory or multi-spot. But, it still has spotmetering.
Unfortunately it suffers from the same excessive battery drain as the -4.
Not really a problem as LR44 batteries are cheap enough and a pair still last a few months.

 

[elekm]

The number of offerings is so broad that you can name a brand, and there's a camera that will fit the bill. Minolta, Olympus, Pentax, Nikon, Yashica, Contax, Canon and even Konica.

On the German side, by that time, only Rolleiflex offered a small-body SLRs with a near-identical Voigtlander model also available. Maybe the Agfa Selectronic, which was made by Chinon (I think).

Vivitar had a couple of smaller cameras, and I recently sold a Ricoh XR10 Super or something like that.

Chinon also had its own line of SLRs, as did Fuji.

Buy a camera and you can end up with a star or a doorstop.

- Decide how much exposure automation you want and whether you want a camera that doesn't need batteries to operate.
- Decide if you want a traditional viewfinder or LED displays.
- Decide if you want a metal body or a plastic body.

The choices are endless. Sort of like saying that you want an older car with manual transmission.

 

[Rick A]

Apart the -3 and -4 series, the OM-2SP or OM-2S as it is known in the US market has spot metering. It is in fact a -4 downgraded without the memory or multi-spot. But, it still has spotmetering.
Unfortunately it suffers from the same excessive battery drain as the -4.
Not really a problem as LR44 batteries are cheap enough and a pair still last a few months.

Only the first series of OM-4's had the battery problem, I bought one of the later ones that never had issues with battery drain. I bought it new in 1985 and still have it. I had John Hermanson do a thorough rehab on it a couple of years back and it still runs like a new camea. Unfortunately, I don't shoot enough 35mm to justify keping it or my OM-2n but I am keeping my OM-1.

 

[nsurit]

OM-4, OM-4t --reasonable. OM-3, OM-3t --completely out of most everybody's price range. OM-2 S, not really worth getting. I'm sure there are other brands and models that you will get bombarded with.

The question was about a camera body and more appropriately should have been about lenses. Zuiko glass is hard to beat. I have both the OM 3 and 3T and the same with the OM 4. I would not discount the OM 2S just because of them sometimes going dead. Athough I have the 3's and 4's, the OM 2S is my walking around body. Bill Barber

 

[MattKing]

One of the upper level Canon EOS bodies that would allow you to change the focusing screen to one better suited for manual focusing.

And then switch off the auto focus on your L lenses.

The EF 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens is great fun.

 

[Les Sarile]

You should check out one of these . . .

The Olympus OM-3 has a true spot meter and battery is only used for metering.
The Nikon FM3A is the most recent and is the only full hybrid shutter. With batteries it has aperture priority auto expose but all shutter speeds are still available when batteries are dead.
The Pentax LX is similar in size but has the most selection of replaceable viewfinders. Only camera that can aperture priority auto expose for as long as it takes. When batteries die, it still has the upper half of shutter speeds available.

 

[frank]

Nikon 801s/8008s depending on market. Great camera with manual focus lenses. Has focus confirmation light for MF lenses. (AF is slow by today's standards.)

 

[DREW WILEY]

The FM3a has too many bells and whistles for me. I have one of these, but really prefer the more completely manual FM2n !

 

[film_man]

There are tons and tons of good cameras so the list really is endless. I can only say about the ones I owend so here it is:

OM-1, nice small compact camera. However I prefer the OM-4Ti which is equally small and tidy and a bit more refined in use, plus has a spot meter as you want.

My all time favourite 35mm mechanical camera is the FM2n though, paired with a Zeiss 50/1.4 it made a fantastic combo. Kind of regret selling it...

On the other hand, since you do have a Canon system, if you just want to shoot film without getting into a completely new system a EOS 3/1N/1V with a Ec-S (high precision screen for manual focus, also great for normal focus with f/2.8 lenses or faster) screen is a fantastic system. You can use all your current lenses and mount loads of other things with cheap adapters.

However with all said and done, my favourite 35mm electronic camera is the one (actually two) I have now: Leica R8.

 

[tomfrh]

The FM3a has too many bells and whistles for me. I have one of these, but really prefer the more completely manual FM2n !

What do you mean by bells and whistles?

 

[blockend]

Spot metering was unusual to rare in the manual focus era. As opposed to manual focus cameras that hung on into the AF era. In the late plastic fantastic film era spot metering was everywhere. If you want a 1970s/early 1980s spot metered manual focus camera you're in a small market.

Spot can be useful, but to meter correctly full manual centre weighted (or whatever) can often be quicker. A left field choice if you don't mind an ugly, noisy, but undeniably cheap manual focus camera is the Canon T70. It has a 12mm centre spot.

 

[DaveTheWalker]

Just because nobody has mentioned it. The Canon F1(N) is a great camera...but definitely *not* lightweight

 

[Les Sarile]

What do you mean by bells and whistles?

The FM3A is a merger of the features of the FE2 & FM2N. The biggest bells and whistles is the full hybrid shutter system and the addition of DX coding which can be manually set.

 

[MattKrull]

I own an AE-1 (and now an AT-1 as well), and several OMs. If you don't care about Shutter-priority auto exposure, the AT-1 is a fully manual version of the AE-1 that works just as well for less money (still no spot meter though).

Lots of recommendations here for the OM-3/4, but seriously, the OM-2S is a wonderful camera.
The OM-2S fits the OP's wants nicely. It has spot a spot meter (and scene averaging by switching to A mode while taking your light reading). It is more compact but (very) slightly heavier than AE-1. I prefer the OM shutter speed dial to the AE-1's (I think the shutter speed selector on the AE-1 is it's only short coming). As mentioned it chews through batteries faster than other cameras (the AE-1 in particular lasts a life time on a single battery), but if you look on Amazon you can buy a ten pack of Energizer 357/303 batteries (which work perfectly in the OM-2S, and a pair last a pretty long time) for $10.

Pentax Spotmatic is also a good choice, especially if you are on a budget; the body may cost a bit more, but quality M42 lenses are a dime a dozen. You do need to deal with mercury replacement batteries (Wein cell, or hearing aid + adapter) unfortunately.

 

[PentaxBronica]

It depends on what you like in a user interface.

I'd suggest the Pentax Super A/Super Program as it's compact, light, runs from a couple of 1.5v batteries you can find pretty much anywhere and can use any K mount lens which covers full frame. Only downsides are that it uses buttons (rather than a dial) to set the shutter speed in manual mode, and the light meter display tells you how many stops over or under exposure you are (up to three either way) rather than simply indicating the shutter speed you should be using for that aperture setting. You get Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority or Metered Manual modes, the former two only with lenses with an A setting.

I don't regard its being completely battery dependent as a problem. A couple of spares weigh next to nothing and don't cost much, so just keep them in your camera bag.

If you want small, light, with a shutter speed dial and with some sort of automation then look for a P30n or P30t. They cost next to nothing now as collectors are put off by the plastic panels, but the chassis is a solid metal casting so they won't flex or crack. The viewfinder displays all shutter speeds, with one LED showing what you've selected and another flashing to show the speed the light meter recommends. You get metered manual, aperture priority and program mode (the latter only with lenses which have an "A" setting). Battery dependent again but it's hardly difficult to keep spares.

If you're not interested in having multiple AE exposure modes then look for a Pentax MX or KX. The latter is a hefty beast but can handle pretty much anything you throw at it. Shutter speed and aperture are displayed in the viewfinder, the batteries only power the light meter (which uses a match needle display - just align the black needle with the translucent blue one and the exposure is correct). They have no automation whatsoever but are an absolute joy to use.

You could also look for a K2, which can almost be considered a prototype LX.

Anything older may need servicing. My experience is that P30 series bodies and Super As tend to be either perfectly functional or dead, while KXs and MXs usually need new light seals and a clean at least. K2s are much the same, although mine needs to go for some professional attention as the shutter has taken to dragging when held in portrait orientation.

Edit, as someone mentioned the Spotmatic. No, it doesn't need mercury cells or zinc-air. The meter circuit in these is quite happy with modern batteries, although you'll need a spacer to hold them steady in the battery compartment.

 

[parkpy]

I loved the way my FM3a handled. It also handled flash photography very well.

Just about the perfect manual focus camera. I sold mine because my eyes and eyeglasses make manual focusing a bit difficult.

 

[trythis]

You mentioned fm3a and cheap in the same post...

You are either so wealthy that your concept of cheap is Romnian (as in Mitt) or you haven't looked into what these cost yet. Either is forgivable. ;-)

Isn't there an EF mount all manual Canon?

I think you should start with the model you are remembering. If you buy anything else you will still be thinking about it and buy it eventually anyway.

 

[Paul Howell]

I don't how if you will find in your area, but Miranda EE has spot and bottom weighted center metering, shutter speed preferred automation, unlike Canon, Nikon, Konica or Olympus narrower range of lens and no motor winder. Does have interchangeable viewfinder if you to hunt down a critical focus or waist level finder. Miranda went out of business around 1977 and it's name was sold, so in the 80s you will be Chinon rebranded as Miranda with a K mount.