PopPhoto's 12 Film Cameras Worth Buying Right Now

[Focus No. 9]

They break. Many of the used examples I see are worked-to-death junk.

That's what she said!

 

[Sirius Glass]

They break. Many of the used examples I see are worked-to-death junk.

There's an old joke about Land Rovers taking you there and Land Cruisers bringing you back after the breakdown.

Gee, that could be said about any camera, but you picked on Hasselblad based on your prejudices and what you had for breakfast. But you must have had something and all this time I thought that hallucinogenics were illegal in Canada.

Just sayin'

 

[Moopheus]

Where are the LF cameras? I feel like such a bastard child.

Yeah, if they really wanted to blow people's minds they could have suggested that a decent user Speed/Crown Graphic could be had for a couple hundred bucks.

They also missed the hipster-oriented toy camera, but I doubt that's their demographic anyway.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I am glad that they did not include LF cameras in that article because I only have two 4"x5" cameras and I still want to expand more in LF. I don't want the competition for LF equipment.

Steve

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

A bit of a random list, I thought. They might has well just have said, "there are a lot of great film cameras out there for cheap, here are some bargains," and maybe that's what it is, rather than a "top 12" list. If it gets some digital photographers to look into trying film, it's not a bad thing.

 

[CGW]

A bit of a random list, I thought. They might has well just have said, "there are a lot of great film cameras out there for cheap, here are some bargains," and maybe that's what it is, rather than a "top 12" list. If it gets some digital photographers to look into trying film, it's not a bad thing.

It's a reasonably informed sample, true. In many areas, though, the whole supply chain for film photography dissolved over the last 3-5 years. It's not so easy now for many to find basic process/print services and that discourages newcomers no matter how low camera prices fall.

 

[Mark Fisher]

I just think it is nice that they included so many 120 cameras. Anything they do to promote film use is fine with me. I think they were trying to span the low end to the high end and that list is as reasonable as any. The fact that I can think of probably another couple dozen they left out means there are a lot of great options out there!

 

[Sirius Glass]

Was it a complete list? No
The fact that the article was printed by a magazine which could not dump film any faster than it did, is the past is amazing. The fact that it included several 120 cameras is even better. Hopefully this will start a significant shift towards film.

We should embrace and encourage any new or returning people to film. Furthermore, we should help those who want to learn to develop film and make prints.

No Hasselblads or Leicas were injured or killed in the process of making this post. Neither were Nikons, Canons, Mamiyas nor Pentaxs.
​

Steve

 

[vpwphoto]

They break. Many of the used examples I see are worked-to-death junk.

There's an old joke about Land Rovers taking you there and Land Cruisers bringing you back after the breakdown.

Hyperbole that I'm not buying... too much testosterone have you.

 

[vpwphoto]

No Hasselblads or Leicas were injured or killed in the process of making this post. Neither were Nikons, Canons, Mamiyas nor Pentaxs.
​

Steve

Right on...

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

Im actually surprised they didnt throw a TLR or Holga on this list. Both are great fun, and easily accessible in any market.

I didnt think was a great list myself, but any acknowledgment that film is still around, and its virtues is still great...

 

[Michael W]

Realistically they publish articles like that on their website to get more page views. Why not list all 12 cameras one under the other? Why do you have to click from one page to another to see the next camera? Because it gets their page count up & that is good for selling advertising. When you look at it like that it's easy to see why some of the choices are odd - it has as much credibility as those 100 Greatest Albums lists.

 

[Dennis S]

I really thought they should have separated it to 2 groups eg. 35mm & 120 film cameras.

I also mentioned it there last night also as (dncswclds) but got no response...

 

[mabman]

Other than a 'Blad, the only one on that list I'd actually want is the GA645. I keep hoping to find one in good shape (pref. the ZI version) for under US$500, but so far that hasn't happened. I *was* hopeful, though - I see KEH has a GA645 Pro in BGN condition for US$484, which is a good sign that the prices were starting to come down to my ideal range. If this article reverses that trend and starts making the GA645 units *more* desirable and expensive, I'm going to be mad

 

[Tom Nutter]

8. Nikon FM10: WTF? Why bother when you can get mint FE, FM2n, N90s bodies for peanuts?

I have to totally agree with this...just got a second FM2...nothing to do with popular photography though.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Seems the article was a random stab in the dark for film cameras with a few big heavy-hitters (Hassy 500C, EOS 1N among, Pentax 67) and a smattering of the smaller, but just as robust cameras e.g. the Nikon FM10. NO particular order, and no evidence of favouritism.

Despite any misgivings, however, well founded or trivial, I agree we should be throwing our support behind any magazine coming up with writings about film cameras. I have seen some astronomical price increases locally here in Australia on digital cameras and also Canon's L-series lenses (increases were flagged after the Japan earthquake).

 

[CGW]

Despite any misgivings, however, well founded or trivial, I agree we should be throwing our support behind any magazine coming up with writings about film cameras. I have seen some astronomical price increases locally here in Australia on digital cameras and also Canon's L-series lenses (increases were flagged after the Japan earthquake).

The PopPhoto list was purely coincidental. I truly doubt they'd have bothered outside jitters about supply interruptions to new gear from Japan--the pretext for the camera list. Still, it may spark some interest but don't count on this nano-trend going far. I'm hoping I'm wrong.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Still, it may spark some interest but don't count on this nano-trend going far. I'm hoping I'm wrong.

Something we agree on. I am very slightly more positive than you are.

Steve

 

[jp498]

I'm glad to see it in there. I stopped subscribing to that magazine in the early 90's and have walked past it in the new stands since because I didn't need reviews of new digital cameras or it didn't have anything I couldn't find on the web.

Pop photo doesn't want people to get TOO far wound up in film photography; lest their readers take a break from the gerbil wheel product cycle consumers are on buying the newest DSLR every couple of years to keep up with the jones' which supports the magazine and it's advertisers. It's Pop photography, not Unpopular photography.

Someone could offer them advice for a follow up. Then there will be a run on all your favorite cameras and you won't be able to buy them reasonably priced for a while. But a healthy market for film cameras is a good thing as long as it's not just a bubble. They had some good choices and some uninformed choices (e.g. various used nikons are far better than the one shown). I'd have liked to see a TLR or two in the list and a LF camera or two. Like a speed/crown or calumet monorail. A toy/lomo camera might be worthwhile too.

Perhaps KEH and Ebay are advertisers in the magazine and encouraged them to do an article. I like KEH and perhaps KEH had some suggestions for them with regard to what they want to disappear from their inventory or was commonly better than average margin.

 

[InsuredDisaster]

8. Nikon FM10: WTF? Why bother when you can get mint FE, FM2n, N90s bodies for peanuts?

9.Nikon N80: Clueless. Again, an N90s (or N8008s if you're truly broke)is more flexible than this clunker. Takes expensive and not-available-everywhere CR123 batteries, not cheap and ubiquitous AAs.

.

Agree about the FM10, though if you are the sort of person who insists on buying new, you don't have many choices, do you? Still, I bought an FM2 for not too much and it has been great so far.

The N80 was chosen as it works with modern digital lenses, where as the N90s doesn't. I do agree about the batteries though. I'd vote for an F100 on this count. Slightly bigger and heavier, lacks a built in flash, but feels great and uses AA batteries.

Of course, as said we all have our own lists.

 

[BrianL]

I applaud the writer for the attempt but I do not think a lot of time and research went into it. Other the K-1000 he stayed with mostly electronic ladened 35mm bodies that today are showing up with problems that repairing are difficult to repair. For instance the Leica R series and others with lcd screens that can not be replaced as spares are few and far between.

I was surprised not to venerables that can be had so inexpensively as entry level systems such as something with M42 lenses such as the Spotmatic that does not have the mercury cell issue, an issue he never points out with any of the battery dependent cameras that used the likes of the PX625. Or the Yashica FR and FX series cameras that have fine Yashica glass and for a slightly better formula the Zeiss/Contax. In fact I am taken back they he did not bring up the Contax RTS III. Or, an Olympus OM.

Then he misses any TLR, a wonderful design whether it be a Yashica or Rollei or Mamyia. I think at least 1 should have been mentioned, possibly the Yashica based on price. Possibly not the Rollei as there are so may models and variations, it can take entire websites to get through it all.

I agree he might have split the list to 2 lists of 12 each and that would not have been enough to cover everyone's experiences and tastes. For instance there were no fixed lens 35mm cameras or rangefinders of which there were and still are some nice examples of while pointing out the FM-10 is still made as if it is the remaining 35mm still in production which it is not.

Possibly he will do a followup moving this article to an introductory piece and address in more detail and research in the following.