Old(ish) film camera for B&W general photog - what do I look for?

[paulhillion]

I know hardly anything about film cameras - so I need your advice please. I'd like to purchase a used camera body to be used soley for B&W general/street/portrait photography, nothing serious I just want to have it with me when I'm out and about, holidays etc.

I don't want a modern AF film camera but rather something like the famous photographers would have used in the 60's 70's. I guess my budget would be up to a couple of hundred quid.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[FotOz]

Grab youself an old Pentax Spotmatic in ANY second-hand shop. Should set you back about 5 quid. Extra screw mount lenses about 2 quid each.

[airfrogusmc]

Alway go with an old FTb and a 35mm lens. Probably get one and the lens in good shape for less than $300.

[René Damkot]

If you're going to do it, do it well ;)
Nikon F2 or F3.
Leica M.

[Croasdail]

The nice thing about file is the body really isn't that big of a deal for 95% of the applications. A nice older Nikon will give you some really glass choices. Like said also the old Pentax and Minolta (SRT-201) will run for ever. Even an XG-7 will work nicely. Lots and lots of options.

[airfrogusmc]

If you're going to do it, do it well ;)
Nikon F2 or F3.
Leica M.
I would take an old Canon F-1 over the Nikon F2 or 3 but the Leica M now you're talk'n with a 35mm lens..The KING of street and documentary photography.

[rhys]

I would avoid the spotmatic as it takes mercury batteries which are now not available. The K1000 is a better choice.

[Karl C]

I would take an old Canon F-1 over the Nikon F2 or 3 but the Leica M now you're talk'n with a 35mm lens..The KING of street and documentary photography.

He could also use an old Canon A-1 too.

[breal101]

I would take an old Canon F-1 over the Nikon F2 or 3 but the Leica M now you're talk'n with a 35mm lens..The KING of street and documentary photography.

I second that. The M3 I had was by far the best piece of machinery I have ever owned. A true work of art, probably above the OP's budget but the coolest cameras ever made IMO.

[DrPablo]

Why would you choose 35mm? Get a medium format camera. The optics, sharpness, and capture size make MF hands down better than 35mm unless you really need all the different options of 35mm cameras.

The best kind of camera for street photography is a twin lens reflex. They run the gamut from some very inexpensive Yashica and Lubitel TLRs up to some Rollei and Mamiya options with some of the best optics ever made. Go to KEH.com and look at the Mamiya TLR options. There are some wonderful deals there.

If you don't want a TLR, the next best options are either medium format SLRs that have waist level finders (like the Bronica, Rollei, or Hasselblad -- I'd consider the Mamiya RB67 too big for street photography), or medium format rangefinders.

The TLRs and the SLRs both have waist-level finders, which means that you're not holding the camera to your face. It makes it much easier to take unsuspected candids, because you're not looking directly at your subjects. The TLRs are virtually silent, whereas the SLRs are pretty loud.

The rangefinders are practically silent as well, and phenomenal for low light, but you need to look directly through them. It's hard to be inconspicuous that way. Probably the best deal on MF rangefinders would be the Mamiya 6 -- I'd prefer the Mamiya 7 or 7ii, but they're quite expensive. But the Mamiya rangefinder lenses are ungodly sharp. There are many other rangefinders out there in the 645 format.

But please, just pick something in MF. You can shoot EI 6400 or 12800 in medium format with some films and the grain is no big deal; but in 35mm grain is much more important.

[rhys]

I have two Fed cameras. A Fed 4 and a Fed 2. I wanted to collect the whole Fed series but nobody was selling on my last few trips to the former USSR.

They take m39 Leica screw lenses as they are the Russian rip-off of the Leica S series. The bodies are excellent - just use Leica glass on them for best results.

For the Leica M series, the M4P was the very best of the best.

[DrPablo]

Funny you mention that, Rhys. When I was in Moscow and St. Petersburg a couple years ago they were selling just tons of old cameras all over the place. I wish I'd known as much as I do now. I'd have gobbled a bunch of them up.

[rhys]

If i'd known then what I know now I'd have bought some Feds, Zorkis and Matrjoshka dolls when I was first in Latvia - when they were dirt cheap. Then I could have had 7 big ones for the price of a big one now!

[DrPablo]

I'll be in Poland next year -- there may be a lot of old Russian cameras there too.

[FotOz]

I would avoid the spotmatic as it takes mercury batteries which are now not available. The K1000 is a better choice.
Who needs batteries in a Spotmatic? All it does is swing the exposure meter needle wildly - depending on where you're pointing it. I used a Spotmatic WITHOUT batteries when I was learning, the same as when I was using my Rolleicord. You learned to calculate exposures then. That was real photography!

[Mark_48]

I would avoid the spotmatic as it takes mercury batteries which are now not available. The K1000 is a better choice.

There is a Zinc/air battery that is the replacement for the Spotmatic mercury type. I think it was slightly off in voltage, but is close enough for metering with film. Or simply get a handheld meter and learn that way.
You can use the Pentax Takumar screwmount lenses on your Canon bodies with an adapter and build yourself a collection of excellent primes on the cheap as well.
Not sure how many "famous" photographers might have used a Spotmatic, but they were widely used and reasonably priced at the time.
When looking for an old camera, look at the seals around the back which may be of black foam material. They deteriorate, get gummy and fall apart loosing the ability to seal out light. The interior mirror area may have foam as well.
Try the camera at all shutter speeds to make sure the mirror and shutter work properly. Open the back and view from the back though the lens when you do this. The lens aperature should auto stop down if it's set for anything less than wide open.

[René Damkot]

There is a Zinc/air battery that is the replacement for the Spotmatic mercury type.

My Rollei 35 also uses a Mercury battery. I tried replacing it with one of the Zinc/Air batteries, but for some reason that didn't work well... Rollei put a Mercury in again.

The best solution (if you want to use a battery) is to get an adapter (http://www.cameracheckpoint.com.au/html/mercury_battery.html) that allows you to use Silver Oxide cells, another adapter (http://www.criscam.com/products_services/mercury_battery_adapters/) that does the same, or make one yourself: PDF Manual (http://www.ihagee.org/batt-adapt-us.pdf)...