What is the best analog camera?

[cooltouch]

Great selections; i'd add the rest of the SRT series, and also the Canon TX, FT and perhaps FX.

Yes, of course, with the Minoltas. I prefer the -101, though, because it has mirror lock up, whereas [most of?] the others don't.

And while those Canons are very capable cameras, I restricted my selection to FD-mount cameras. A couple of the big pluses of both the FTb and original F-1 is they have mirror lock up and a very useful selective area metering pattern, which I found to be great for shooting slides.

 

[flavio81]

Yes, of course, with the Minoltas. I prefer the -101, though, because it has mirror lock up, whereas [most of?] the others don't.

And while those Canons are very capable cameras, I restricted my selection to FD-mount cameras. A couple of the big pluses of both the FTb and original F-1 is they have mirror lock up and a very useful selective area metering pattern, which I found to be great for shooting slides.

The F-1 (all models) and FT-series cameras, as well as A-series cameras, have very soft mirror action, i don't recall having a need to use mirror lockup on them. Perhaps you do macro?

 

[cooltouch]

This is getting off topic, for the latecomers to the party, back at the top of the thread, the OP asked what he can get for A$200

The great thing about today's prices is most of the classic manual mechanical cameras will fit comfortably under this price limit. Especially semi-pro cameras like the Pentax MX and Nikon FM

 

[cooltouch]

The F-1 (all models) and FT-series cameras, as well as A-series cameras, have very soft mirror action, i don't recall having a need to use mirror lockup on them. Perhaps you do macro?

Yes, and also photography with very long lenses (600mm and longer), often at very slow shutter speeds. I agree that the Canons have soft mirror actions, but when I'm shooting with long lenses, I can see the quiver caused by mirror bounce, so mirror lock up does have some benefit.

 

[Eric Rose]

So @Kitpentax what did you decide on? Have you purchased anything yet? Keep us posted.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Hi
I would really like to get into film photography and am wondering what is the best camera to buy? A friend gifted me their Pentax p30 but it didn't survive the journey in the post. It had an electric shutter which the camera repair man explained often cause problems. So I would like to buy a fully mechanical operating one.
Ideally I wouldn't like to spend more than $200 Australian dollars.
Your thoughts are much appreciated!
Kit

That won't get you a Hasselblad

 

[ciniframe]

Seems like with all the comments and opinions one thing is for sure......
that working cameras are better than broken cameras.

 

[flavio81]

That won't get you a Hasselblad

But he can, for example, get a Ricohflex TLR in mint condition, or a Yashica 635. Nice, cheap TLRs.

 

[daleeman]

Have you seen the Ondu pinhole cameras? They seem quite nice. They look like they'd last forever. I really should try out pinhole photography one of these days. I just need to clear out a few old cameras to make space for a few new cameras in my collection first.

No I have not seen that camera. YET
I have a Zero Image pinhole and an elegant functional simple cameras

We are packing to move Feb 4th and I have it tucked away safe waiting to use it again.

 

[Roger Pellegrini]

You may not know this if you have always used Nikons, but their viewfinders have always been much less than lifesize in magnification since the introduction of the F. This is best for people that wear glasses. Of course with the advent of autofocus, VF's are not relied upon for critical focusing and therefore don't need to be bigger.

I would agree. My family has been in the photography business wince 1949. I have owned many cameras including the original Nikon F, Hasselblad, Rolleiflex, Deardorff 8x10's and 4x5's, and several Leicas (including the M4, M6 and MP). I think there is nothing more perfect than the F6. It is a joy to use.

 

[Karl K]

According to the late Marty Forscher (he was the best camera technician I ever met...look him up), the Nikon F2 was the best purely mechanical 35mm camera ever made. You can easily buy a beautiful example of this engineering and design masterpiece for less than $200 AU. There are several versions...F2, F2A, F2AS, F2SB, etc. The only difference is the type of light meter prism that sits on top. If that is not important to you, then buy an F2 Photomic. You'll be able to use almost any manual focus Nikon lens ever made and even some of the auto-focus lenses in their manual focus mode.

 

[juan]

F2

 

[cooltouch]

According to the late Marty Forscher (he was the best camera technician I ever met...look him up), the Nikon F2 was the best purely mechanical 35mm camera ever made. You can easily buy a beautiful example of this engineering and design masterpiece for less than $200 AU. There are several versions...F2, F2A, F2AS, F2SB, etc. The only difference is the type of light meter prism that sits on top. If that is not important to you, then buy an F2 Photomic. You'll be able to use almost any manual focus Nikon lens ever made and even some of the auto-focus lenses in their manual focus mode.

I started out shooting Canon and, within a couple of years, progressed to the original F-1, which I treasured. I have had a soft spot in my heart for that camera ever since. But I still recall my first F2 and the simple perfection that camera represented. That first one was an AS, but I've owned them all, except for the SB. It is so different from the F-1, yet so similar in capabilities. So, ever since my first F2, I've had to allow that it is my second most favorite 35mm camera of all time. Yeah, I like the F3 and the New F-1. In fact, I like them both a lot, but there's just something special about those two mechanical masterpieces such that they will always be at the top of my list of choices.

 

[cuthbert]

I started out shooting Canon and, within a couple of years, progressed to the original F-1, which I treasured. I have had a soft spot in my heart for that camera ever since. But I still recall my first F2 and the simple perfection that camera represented. That first one was an AS, but I've owned them all, except for the SB. It is so different from the F-1, yet so similar in capabilities. So, ever since my first F2, I've had to allow that it is my second most favorite 35mm camera of all time. Yeah, I like the F3 and the New F-1. In fact, I like them both a lot, but there's just something special about those two mechanical masterpieces such that they will always be at the top of my list of choices.

I feel my F1n is a smoother camera in terms of action in comparison to the F2, it's a less crude camera IMO.

On the other side I can't see the aperture inside the viewfinder and therefore that's an advantage of the F2.

 

[flavio81]

I feel my F1n is a smoother camera in terms of action in comparison to the F2, it's a less crude camera IMO.

On the other side I can't see the aperture inside the viewfinder and therefore that's an advantage of the F2.

Interesting point. For me they are about similar although yes, the film advance, mirror action and the shutter sound seem a bit smoother in the F-1. (I have the original model, not the "n").

And i agree that the viewfinder of the f2 (In my case F2A and F2 Photomic) is more complete because it shows the aperture and the shutter speed. But i find the partial meter of the F-1 easier (or more reassuring) to use than the centerweighted meter on the F2.

Still, for me the F2 is my #1 Nikon camera, it has displaced my F3 and F.

 

[cuthbert]

Yes among Nikons the F2 has no matches.

But outside there are other options.