Which Vintage 35mm do you recommend?

georg16nik · Nov 25, 2015

AlexBC said:
...When I go home for the holidays, I'll be able to try a Nikon F. I'm looking forward to such a classic! It hasn't been used in around 15 years so I'll be sure to inspect it inside and out before cocking it. I've read about the shutter curtain getting wrinkles after sitting unused and then being cocked. Any truth to that?

In case I am not mistaken Nikon F used titanium foil.. so I guess you would be fine.
There are plenty of 70 to 80 years old cameras, still with their original shutter curtains.
Depending on the environment, the rubberized layer on the silk might loose elasticity and crack.
Some curtains are 3 layered - silk, rubber, silk; While others are 2 - silk, rubber.
Other use titanium, etc, etc.

flavio81 · Nov 25, 2015

AlexBC said:
Thank you for even more options! I'm not close to deciding, but I had an opportunity to try a Canon AE-1 recently and I think it is too small for me to use for extended periods of time. When I go home for the holidays, I'll be able to try a Nikon F. I'm looking forward to such a classic! It hasn't been used in around 15 years so I'll be sure to inspect it inside and out before cocking it. I've read about the shutter curtain getting wrinkles after sitting unused and then being cocked. Any truth to that?

Such titanium curtains getting wrinked is usually because someone put the finger on it.

I've seen plenty of Nikon Fs with titanium curtains in great shape. Same for Canon F-1s.

GRHazelton · Nov 25, 2015

Pioneer said:
All of these cameras are quite good and will do what you want.

But if you really are interested in using one of the best then find a serviced Pentax LX and enjoy shooting a light, professional camera with a very, very accurate meter. It may turn out to be a tad high for your stated budget but you certainly won't mind once you have used one for awhile.

EDIT - Of course it was still being sold in 2000 so it may not quite be vintage enough for you.

Amen to your statements! The LX has perhaps the best metering system ever. It will meter night shots, in my experience, to 10 or 15 minutes. Others have had successful exposures of several HOURS. The meter measures light falling on the FILM during the exposure, so changing light is compensated for. For close up work several different viewfinders are available (if you can find them) and since the meter reads off the film there's no worry about light entering the viewfinder. Interchangeable screens, too.

TTL flash metered off the film. Works really well.

The LX uses readily available silver oxide cells. The cells control shutter speeds below 1/75; all above are usable without power.

A winder is fairly readily available, 2 fps, and power rewind. Woo hoo! Also a motor drive, bulk film back, etc, etc. A full system camera.

Any K mount lens will work properly with the LX. With an adapter 42mm mount lenses will also work, but in stop-down mode for metering. I'd suggest trying to find the genuine Pentax adapter, imitations have been known to give problems.....

Cost? I lucked into a clean user from KEH not long ago for well under $200. A little brassing, a little dust, but works perfectly.

Naturally the LX has its faults. Metering is center weighted, but I "grew up" with that. The most irritating omission is the lack of an exposure hold button in the automatic mode. What was Pentax thinking??

Les Sarile · Nov 25, 2015

AlexBC said:
Thank you for even more options! I'm not close to deciding, but I had an opportunity to try a Canon AE-1 recently and I think it is too small for me to use for extended periods of time. When I go home for the holidays, I'll be able to try a Nikon F. I'm looking forward to such a classic! It hasn't been used in around 15 years so I'll be sure to inspect it inside and out before cocking it. I've read about the shutter curtain getting wrinkles after sitting unused and then being cocked. Any truth to that?

I've read of wrinkled shutter curtains but not on the cameras that used titanium. In fact, newer model cameras with mirror lockup have a warning about pointing the cameras directly in the sun when the mirror is locked up since their shutters are not metallic.

Of the interchangeable viewfinder camera types that I have, the Topcons don't use titanium curtains but the Canons, Minolta, Nikons and Pentax do.

Jerry Parker · Dec 1, 2015

flavio81 said:
All of these cameras are quite good and will do what you want.

But if you really are interested in using one of the best then find a Canon F-1N and enjoy shooting a fully professional camera with an extremely high build quality, excellent full-info viewfinder, totally accurate meter and an extremely good lens system. It may turn out to be a tad high for your stated budget but you certainly won't mind once you have used one for awhile. And you will save lots of money by using the Canon FD lenses.

Back in the day, my Canon F-1 was the best camera I ever used. The FD lens optics are spectacular and now they are pretty reasonably priced.

MartinCrabtree · Dec 1, 2015

Compared to most Nikon glass FD lenses are cheap. Main reason I still have 3 AE-1 bodies.

CropDusterMan · Dec 1, 2015

Leica. They hold their value. M3 or M4...

Roger Cole · Dec 2, 2015

Yeah, they do, and so do the lenses. In common with Hasselblad a system with a few lenses will cost vastly more than any of the common Japanese brands without any improvement at all in the results.

Richard S. (rich815) · Dec 2, 2015

Roger Cole said:
Yeah, they do, and so do the lenses. In common with Hasselblad a system with a few lenses will cost vastly more than any of the common Japanese brands without any improvement at all in the results.

Depends on your definition of "improvement".

ColColt · Dec 2, 2015

There's such a long list of cameras that would fit the OP's criteria. Some that would are gong to be a bit more than his $300 body price but there are still so many out there that are superb examples of "days gone by". I still like the Nikon F, F2 series and Leica M2 or M3 and you can't go wrong with the Canon F-1. Close your eyes and pick-no dogs in that group.

pbromaghin · Dec 2, 2015

With used film equipment prices as low as they are, what brand doesn't hold its value?

Sirius Glass · Dec 2, 2015

pbromaghin said:
With used film equipment prices as low as they are, what brand doesn't hold its value?

Even Hasselblad lens prices have been slowly falling over the last five years.

Photo-gear · Dec 2, 2015

MartinCrabtree said:
Compared to most Nikon glass FD lenses are cheap. Main reason I still have 3 AE-1 bodies.

3 ae-1 will do the job for one Nikon. lol

AgX · Dec 3, 2015

I rather see that as my general rule-of-three for old user-cameras:

-) one for actual use
-) one as immediate stand-in in case of failure of the first
-) one for parts

Xmas · Dec 3, 2015

Richard S. (rich815) said:
Depends on your definition of "improvement".

Detectable difference?
The modern eg Cosina LTM or M lenses are better than pre 70 Leica lenses by some margin, if you are using them wide open, with slow film, a test chart and heavy tripod.

The only easy detectable difference is flare and iris images...

Xmas · Dec 3, 2015

AgX said:
I rather see that as my general rule-of-three for old user-cameras:

-) one for actual use
-) one as immediate stand-in in case of failure of the first
-) one for parts

I normally carry three bodies, when I only take two I've had two fail...

Sewin · Dec 3, 2015

Xmas said:
I normally carry three bodies, when I only take two I've had two fail...

That's unlucky, two failures on a trip.

Roger Cole · Dec 3, 2015

I carry three 35mm bodies on trips because I keep them loaded with different film. With my M645 it's just different backs, though the bulk works out similar since the camera is larger and bulkier.

Sirius Glass · Dec 3, 2015

For 35mm I carry two bodies, one for black & white and one for color.

ColColt · Dec 3, 2015

Sirius Glass said:
For 35mm I carry two bodies, one for black & white and one for color.

I use to do that-the color one being K64. I never was a great fan of color film for prints in 35mm. In 120, however, VPS sure did shine, though.

Sirius Glass · Dec 3, 2015

Sirius Glass said:
For 35mm I carry two bodies, one for black & white and one for color.

ColColt said:
I use to do that-the color one being K64. I never was a great fan of color film for prints in 35mm. In 120, however, VPS sure did shine, though.

For medium format I use multiple backs, but we all know that medium format is vastly superior to 35mm.

ColColt · Dec 3, 2015

The only medium format I ever had was the Pentax 6x7 and after seeing the quality of the images I was awe struck. I never saw the need experimenting with any others. I had 16x20's that looked as good as 35mm did on 5x7. I just wish the camera weighed about three pounds lighter!

kivis · Dec 4, 2015

I have owned at one time or another most all of the above camera's named. IMHO the best all manual SLR from the era is the Pentax MX and the best aperture preferred is the Nikon FE.

georg16nik · Dec 4, 2015

+1 about Pentax MX

Roger Cole · Dec 4, 2015

Yep, love my MX. The black ones are far more rare and almost always way more expensive. Mine is chrome. At the time I think I paid less for it in KEH EX than they wanted for K1000s and the MX is just in a different league. The market seems to have caught on and MXs are more now but still usually a good buy on a great camera. Some might find them too small got easy handling though I have large-ish hands and it works great for me.

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Which Vintage 35mm do you recommend?

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