Which SLR would you use most?

TomMessenger · Apr 8, 2011

I never know which SLR to take out with me. The choices are:

Canon AE1-P with 135 2.8 (I think I've lost the 50 1.8! )
Pentax Super A with 50 1.7
Minolta X 300 with 50 1.7 (Are these any good? Never tried it, it's mint and still has protective stickers, paperwork and receipt!)
Pentax S1a with Asahi Pentax 55 1.2 (lack of meter puts me off for general use)
Zenith 11 with Helios 44 (A bit of a tank!)

So which would you use, and why?

Klainmeister · Apr 8, 2011

I'd be inclined to take the Pentax Super, but I have a soft spot for those SLRs. The balance and feel is just right.

BrianShaw · Apr 8, 2011

I, personally, would dump them all and get a Nikon...

But given only those choices I would opt for the AE1 and 135mm mostly because of the lens. The longer focal length will allow for a more exciting type of imaging. It's a different way of looking at the world than through a "normal" lens.

Rick A · Apr 8, 2011

The one you like the most and feel most comfortable with. If the body ergonomics are right for you, then get more lenses for it and strike up a lifelong relationship.

mjs · Apr 8, 2011

Use each one exclusively for a week, then pick one. Sell the others and use the money to buy more lenses for the one you kept. Live in peace for at least a couple of days, until GAS hits you.

Mike

Clay2 · Apr 8, 2011

Put batteries in the Minolta X300 and see if the shutter and film-wind lever still unlock. There is a capacitor that dries out in

8-10 years and the camera locks up. Its a fine camera otherwise.

Best regards,

/Clay

narsuitus · Apr 8, 2011

Since you have not yet tried the Minolta X 300 with 50 1.7, that is the one I would use.

After trying it, I would probably not be satisfied with any on your list. Therefore, I would sell them and buy a Leica rangefinder.

tristan! · Apr 8, 2011

I would go for the Minolta, but I'm completely biased.

I learned on a X-570 (with the same 50mm 1.7 lens) and continued to use it as my only camera for over ten years!

Then I switched to Nikons.

TomMessenger · Apr 8, 2011

Klainmeister said:
I'd be inclined to take the Pentax Super, but I have a soft spot for those SLRs. The balance and feel is just right.

I know what you mean. I just find the viewfinder quite dark and more difficult to focus than the Minolta and Canon. The Minolta's viewfinder is very nice, but I don't like the feel of it at all. It's also the easiest of the 3 to focus. It's quite soft in the corners of the finder though, but whether that's the lens or the focus screen I don't know.

BrianShaw said:
I, personally, would dump them all and get a Nikon...

I have a Nikon F301, but didn't bother to include it in the list. It feels nasty and the winder makes a terrible noise! It's the only Nikon I've tried though to be fair, so I can't generalize.

Clay2 said:
Put batteries in the Minolta X300 and see if the shutter and film-wind lever still unlock. There is a capacitor that dries out in

8-10 years and the camera locks up. Its a fine camera otherwise.

It's in perfect working and cosmetic order with batteries, but thanks for the tip. I'll keep an eye on it.

narsuitus said:
Since you have not yet tried the Minolta X 300 with 50 1.7, that is the one I would use.

After trying it, I would probably not be satisfied with any on your list. Therefore, I would sell them and buy a Leica rangefinder.

I'm sure we'd all like a Leica!

I'm thinking I might as well take the Minolta out for a spin as it is probably the easiest overall to use. i just don't like the way it feels in my hands. My heart is set with the Canon and Pentax though. The Canon was my first ever manual camera and is in great order, and the Pentax belonged to my Grandpa.

Markster · Apr 8, 2011

Another vote for AE-1P. But you can pick up a f/1.8 50mm for about $10 probably. No worries on cheap lenses just to get started.

I also find it more comfortable with the "action grip" -- and my fingers wrap around it better. I really like the shutter selection wheel on that one. It's sticking forward and positioned just right to adjust on the fly without moving far from the shutter button. You can check light meter, drop down a shutter speed and check again very easily. That's without taking your eye from the viewfinder, I mean.

Ralph Javins · Apr 8, 2011

Good morning, Tom;

The Minolta X-300 can be a surprise. I have a similar model (or two), the Minolta X-700 (and the X-570 and the X-370).

The Minolta X-700 also feels funny in my hand. It is not easy to describe, but it is there, for some reason. However . . .

Everything changes when I put the Minolta MD-1 Motor Drive onto the X-700. Then everything becomes like a glove on my hand. The X-700 with MD-1 combination just fits my hand. Everything just seems to fall to exactly the place where my hand expects to find them. A marvelous transformation.

Do not give up yet on your Minolta X-300. You might find that with just a little assistance, it can become the most natural feeling camera you have.

waynecrider · Apr 8, 2011

To me the body wouldn't matter, it would be the lens. Your choices seem to be between a 135mm and a 50. Generally both FL's are underused although 50's are more popular then the 135. If you can trade or pickup something in a focal length you like the perspective of for the bodies with metering, you'd probably be happier. That being said, in lenses, the Pentax lenses would probably be slightly more then the Minolta which would be about even with the FD for the generics. In all of them tho a considered great lens will still be pricey. Since you have two bodies with a 50 which is a very usable FL, pickup a wide, macro or portrait length for the bodies that has the features you like and dump everything else. Consider the subject matter you shoot more often and get what you need.

Jeff Kubach · Apr 8, 2011

All of them are great cameras, it is the guy behind that makes the difference. But if you back me in a corner, I'll that the Canon.

Jeff

guitstik · Apr 8, 2011

That Minolta is a load of c$%p. Just to show you how nice I am I'll take it off your hands and save you the trouble.

dehk · Apr 8, 2011

Each once a week. Problem Solved.

moki · Apr 8, 2011

I couldn't decide...

The S1a is not first choice, but I'd love the 55mm/1,2. Going manual without meter isn't that bad unless you have a lot of interior shots and complicated lighting. I even managed to expose a whole roll of slide film just right with a little practice... it's not hard at all.

The Minolta is pretty good and very compact for a camera of that class and the 50/1,7 seems to be the best normal lens for that camera. I found all old Minoltas a bit hard to get used to, but after a while they're worth it. It think, they're just made for smaller hands or something.

And the Zenit... well... do you want to take a lot of photos in less than safe regions and don't want to carry an extra weapon for self defense? This one's your choice

ntenny · Apr 8, 2011

I don't know all of these cameras well, but the bodies are functionally pretty similar (except for the one meterless Pentax), aren't they? So it seems like it comes down to the lenses and to personal taste in ergonomics.

Personally, I'd rotate through them and see if I eventually started developing a preference. You do need to find or replace that Canon 50/1.8, though. Excellent general-purpose normal lens, and they're practically free.

-NT

Aristophanes · Apr 8, 2011

Pentax Super Program for me, then my Minolta X-500 with the big glass. Actually, it's a toss-up. no, wait...

....3 hours of indecisiveness later I take a nap. Photography is soooo hard!

dynachrome · Apr 8, 2011

Which SLR?

As long as the capacitors are good I would use the Minolta. It has a bright viewfinder, a smooth and quiet sutter and a sensitive and accurate meter. The exposure lock, while not the best ergonomically, is handy. The excellent Minolta 320X flash operates in dedicated mode. All of the 50/1.7 Minolta lenses are very good and finding high quality Minolta manual focus lenses for reasonable prices is easy.

2F/2F · Apr 8, 2011

TomMessenger said:
Pentax S1a with Asahi Pentax 55 1.2 (lack of meter puts me off for general use)

I'd use that one the most. I'd keep that one, sell the rest, and use the money to buy a light meter and a book that sez how to use it, and maybe you'd even have enough left over for some more lenses.

2F/2F · Apr 8, 2011

Oops. I reread your post and realized that I forgot to say why.

IMO it is the best quality camera that is the most of a joy to use of the lot, and it has the most useful general-purpose lens of the lot. Lucky you that they happen to be together! Spotmatic type cameras are close to perfection when it comes to good-old cameras that simply do their jobs in a straightforward manner, and that are simple, comfortable, and intuitive to use.

Having f.1.2 can really be a help sometimes. And I like that super fast lenses are generally not blisteringly sharp wide open. Yet, stop down even one stop, but especially three or four, maybe up to five, and you've got a very technically sound lens all of a sudden. It is also a focal length that I love. A 55mm f/1.2 is one of my standard lenses when I shoot my Canons.

The meter issue is actually a benefit, because it will force you to ignore the damned thing and use an educated guess and/or a light meter, which I think almost everyone should be doing almost all the time to give themselves better exposures. It will prevent you from getting less-than-ideal exposures 90 percent of the time like you do with an in-camera meter. Sure, you get a fairly decent percentage of printable exposures in lighting that is not tricky (i.e. either super flat or super contrasty light), but in order to really get an ideal exposure, it takes so much monkeying about with measurement and tonal placement of different areas that you might as well have just held up an incident meter in the first place.

You'll also never need to buy hockey pucks ever again. This camera has you covered.

Bill Burk · Apr 8, 2011

These days I prefer manual cameras and wish I'd committed to manual cameras from the very beginning.
This camera is perfect for that:
-Pentax S1a with Asahi Pentax 55 1.2

I'd want a slight telephoto like 105 2.8

This will do for the shots that need telephoto:
-Canon AE1-P with 135 2.8

So I'd bring both cameras out with their respective lenses. You'll get the feel for one over the other, then you can decide to start looking for a 50 for the Canon or a 105 or 135 for the Pentax.

elekm · Apr 8, 2011

I think all of the cameras are roughly equal. Check the Canon for the famous "squeak." And of course expect to replace the foam seals.

If those were mine, I would sell them all and buy a better camera.

darinwc · Apr 9, 2011

I really like the Pentax super-A. I have to agree that its got a great balance and feel to it with its angled grips.
Also, the pentaxt-A 50mm f1.7 is a winner.

But thats beside the point. Here is what you do. Pick up some extra camera bags or insulated lunch bags, whatever. Setup each camera as a ready to go "kit".
Line them all up, closed.
When you go out, grab the one on the furthest left.
When you come back, replace it on the right.

Excalibur2 · Apr 9, 2011

Well there are those who like to pose with a camera and there are those that like to fiddle with umpteen controls on a camera, and there are those that just want to take pictures...for me I use my Canon T70 most but you haven't got one, but I do have a X-300 and it just does what it says on the tin so would recommend it.

Which SLR would you use most?

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