recommend me a manual SLR


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overcrash

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Hougang
www.samuelgoh.net
can anyone recommend me a manual SLR?
and if possible the 2nd hand price also
cos trying to learn photography from scratch
hope you guys can help help a bit
 

Any manual camera that doesn't feature A, S or Auto mode so you will scratch your head all the time before pressing that final buttom.
It would better if the camera has exposure compensation.

Anyway, that's my humble opinion. Some may think with the above mentioned modes might actually help one to learn faster. But once you get used to the shutter and aperture basic combination, it will become your instint in deciding what f-stop or shutter to use to create what effect you like.
 

Originally posted by shorty
Any manual camera that doesn't feature A, S or Auto mode so you will scratch your head all the time before pressing that final buttom.
It would better if the camera has exposure compensation.

Anyway, that's my humble opinion. Some may think with the above mentioned modes might actually help one to learn faster. But once you get used to the shutter and aperture basic combination, it will become your instint in deciding what f-stop or shutter to use to create what effect you like.


so any model to recommend?
well, i know nuts about manual SLR :dunno: so hope u can help:embrass:
 

A classic manual focus SLR system that I will suggest is a the contax/yashica system.
A old Contax RX should be around 1K, if you don't want to spent so much then contax aria or yashica SLRs also can. Any price sold be the camera workshop after 5% off list price should be reasonable.

with the C/Y mount you have access to the best Carl Zeiss T* lenses as well as cheaper yashica lenses and even cheaper 3rd party lenses like those from Russia
 

Originally posted by zhoufang
A classic manual focus SLR system that I will suggest is a the contax/yashica system.
A old Contax RX should be around 1K, if you don't want to spent so much then contax aria or yashica SLRs also can. Any price sold be the camera workshop after 5% off list price should be reasonable.

with the C/Y mount you have access to the best Carl Zeiss T* lenses as well as cheaper yashica lenses and even cheaper 3rd party lenses like those from Russia

how much will the cheaper yashica SLR cost? (2nd hand ones)
me on tight budget.......
 

u might want to try the China phenix SLRs... about 200+ for a new body with 50mm... I trying to source for it..
 

Nikon FM2 (or FM) might be a good choice. If you are willing to spare the bucks,you can consider the F3 too.

offhand:
FM2 has the higher flash sync speed (1/250), F3 has TTL, slower (1/90 or was it 1/80?) but F3 has its own unique flash shoe vs the usual Nikon flash.

FM2 is fully manual, F3 still has aperture auto feature.

--------------

In terms of manual SLRs, the main thing is the intuitiveness of use. Your left hand sets the aperture while holding/supporting/focusing the lens. The right hand sets the speed while holding the grip of the body.

And of course, when loading the film, remember to set the ISO correctly (or in the lingo of old timers - the ASA).

Exposure wise, you have 2 look at a couple of LEDs in the viewfinder, the selected speed LED lights up in the viewfinder etc.

2 other considerations -
- easy availability of getting lens (used/new market)

- option of getting a SLR with both manual and auto capability. By the time you are done learning, you may be yearning for auto exposure, auto focus etc and then what, the favourite exhortation of "BUY, BUY, BUY" :)
 

Originally posted by skf
Nikon FM2 (or FM) might be a good choice. If you are willing to spare the bucks,you can consider the F3 too.

offhand:
FM2 has the higher flash sync speed (1/250), F3 has TTL, slower (1/90 or was it 1/80?) but F3 has its own unique flash shoe vs the usual Nikon flash.

FM2 is fully manual, F3 still has aperture auto feature.

--------------

In terms of manual SLRs, the main thing is the intuitiveness of use. Your left hand sets the aperture while holding/supporting/focusing the lens. The right hand sets the speed while holding the grip of the body.

And of course, when loading the film, remember to set the ISO correctly (or in the lingo of old timers - the ASA).

Exposure wise, you have 2 look at a couple of LEDs in the viewfinder, the selected speed LED lights up in the viewfinder etc.

2 other considerations -
- easy availability of getting lens (used/new market)

- option of getting a SLR with both manual and auto capability. By the time you are done learning, you may be yearning for auto exposure, auto focus etc and then what, the favourite exhortation of "BUY, BUY, BUY" :)


hi skf,

thanks for ur in depth enlightenment :eek:
so in your honest opinion, wat do you suggest i get?

my needs
-to learn photography from scratch
-will change to a much better one after learning the basics and maybe intermediate as well.


I believe when you start with the basics , you will end up with more. :D
 

get the M42 screw mount cameras... Praktica, Fujica or Pentax. Lotsa wonderful 2nd hand lens to chose from on the 2nd hand market and cheap too. I've got some M42 Carl Zeiss lens for a little over $100 each and I think they are truly fantastic. Contrast and colour saturation is really good.
 

I'm a Nikon FM3A user, but will not recommend it for a person starting out, too expensive. I would also say that for an FE2 or FM2.

A SLR might be more flexible than a rangefinder. On the cheap, I would recommend the Minolta MD or MC stuffs. A X700 (still have spare parts if you need to fix because still in production until a few years ago) cost about $200 and is a fine camera. A 50/1.4 cost half of that of a Nikon on the second-hand market, roughly $150. 28/2.8 MD also cheap, but forgotten how much.

If you still want a cheaper camera, the Canon AE or AV are really cheap. One guy was selling an AE with a 50/1.8 for $150.

The reason that these cameras are cheap not because they are losers but because the current lens line cannot be mounted on them. They are well-build with robust innards.

For the Minolta at least, it is not difficult to build an entire system around it just by sourcing 2nd hand. Some nice lenses like 35-70/3.5, some good macro lenses, some dirt cheap but still good lenses (45/2) etc.

When you really want a more sophisticated system, you can always sell them again and don't lose much. You can also keep them around since they are cheap and use them in third world countries etc.

BTW, my starting camera was a Nikon FE10. Definitely not worth it for the price considering all these cheap gems around!

Check out the net more, don't follow the crowd and you may save a huge bundle!
 

TRUST ME! :)

If u want manual SLR, two model I recommend:
1. Nikon FM2
2. Nikon F3hp

ONLY NIKON manual SLR is still compatible with current lenses (except the G lens), other brands have already change their lens mount when moving from manual to af.

:)
 

My recommendation is get the Nikon F80 and set it to manual. When you get fed up later on manual, you can switch it back to auto without buying another camera.

Cheers.:cool:
 

Originally posted by Kho King
TRUST ME! :)

If u want manual SLR, two model I recommend:
1. Nikon FM2
2. Nikon F3hp

ONLY NIKON manual SLR is still compatible with current lenses (except the G lens), other brands have already change their lens mount when moving from manual to af.

:)

For less than the price of an used F3HP, you can get a brand new FM3a which does quite a bit more (like 1/4000 max speed, 1/250 sync), Aperture Priority and the thing works without batteries!

And yes, takes almost all the Nikon lenses, old and current, except the G lenses. Now try putting an EF lens onto a Canon AE-1 Program or the current Minolta line of lenses onto a X700.....


Regards
CK
 

CK,
Price of F3hp has dropped A LOT! I have seend 2nd hand USED F3hp selling at S$500 (with MD4 some more, sold by my friend), good ~ mint condition one is from S$500~1k, so is very much worth it. New F3hp before it discontinue is S$2.2k~2.5k (year 2001).

FM3A is good, just that the price is quite high and hard to find in the 2nd hand market. Ok, if the original poster can find one...then get FM3A. FE2 is just too old...no more parts available from Nikon, hence they will not service it.
 

Originally posted by Kho King
CK,
Price of F3hp has dropped A LOT! I have seend 2nd hand USED F3hp selling at S$500 (with MD4 some more, sold by my friend), good ~ mint condition one is from S$500~1k, so is very much worth it. New F3hp before it discontinue is S$2.2k~2.5k (year 2001).

FM3A is good, just that the price is quite high and hard to find in the 2nd hand market. Ok, if the original poster can find one...then get FM3A. FE2 is just too old...no more parts available from Nikon, hence they will not service it.

In Johor? Must make a trip down there man. The S$500 F3HPs here are rather beat up.

Nikon SG has stopped servicing FE, FE2, FA, FG, EM, FM. :(

Regards
CK
 

Originally posted by ckiang
In Johor? Must make a trip down there man. The S$500 F3HPs here are rather beat up.

In Singapore actually, yup...the exterior look is quite beat up, but just serviced by Nikon 6 months before he sold away the F3hp, so CLA and no problem. I was tempted at that time...but kind of tight on budget.

If using the manual camera for non-flash photography, F3hp is much prefered than FM2 (for me). :)
 

Originally posted by overcrash
hi skf,

thanks for ur in depth enlightenment :eek:
so in your honest opinion, wat do you suggest i get?

my needs
-to learn photography from scratch
-will change to a much better one after learning the basics and maybe intermediate as well.


I believe when you start with the basics , you will end up with more. :D

- what kind of budget you have in mind?
- any particular brand that you favor?

I think the rest of the guys have also given quite a bit of opinions earlier on. With this input, you would have even more sugestions.
 

Originally posted by overcrash
can anyone recommend me a manual SLR?
and if possible the 2nd hand price also
cos trying to learn photography from scratch
hope you guys can help help a bit

Nikon FE. Below $300 usually.

Pick up a 50mm Nikkor and you're good to go.

I strongly recommend the FE (or Fe2 or FM3a) because of the nature of the match needle metering. It makes understanding of light metering very intuitive and easy to learn.

You can see exactly how many stops you're over or under. (The FM/FM2 is a lot less recommended for a beginner for the exact opposite reason).

Once you move on to higher end Nikons (if you want), the FE will make a nice backup body, or you can sell it for about the same price you bought it.
 

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