Back to basics (or Af and manual again)

First of all: I already have an EOS AF camera. I´ll be given an old

Nikon F501 (I believe its the N2020) and some lenses (don´t know

which, but no AF big glass for sure, maybe MF) probably next week,

from my grandpa, who doesn´t shoot anymore, unfortunately, because he

was my inspiration (and he took wonderfull pictures too!!). I´ve been

looking for manual cameras for a while, because I like to use them,

and because better glass is cheaper than for my EOS.

 

My question is: Should I keep this body or should I sell it and buy a

manual body, such as F3 or F2 and keep the nice lenses? I don´t know

of its features (I´ve used it once, in 1995), but I´d like a cheap

camera capable of taking really long exposures, damaging the ground if

it falls (and not the camera), MLU, DOF preview, working without

batteries and all that stuff you can find on good all-manual cameras

(and for wich you pay top dollar with AF). If so, which Nikon body do

you recomend?

fm2n

I'd say keep it, at least for awhile, to get familiar

with the system. I don't think it has a huge resale

value, since it's not a fast AF camera, nor is it a MF camera.

But it's a capable camera, especially if you intend to ignore

its autofocus.

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The F2 certainly fits your requirements. The F3 almost does,

except without batteries it's limited to one shutter speed (it's

a real battery miser, though -- replace batteries every two years

and you'll always have power).

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The FM2n lacks MLU, but has mirror pre-fire via the self timer,

which is a substitute in many situations.

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The Nikkormat FT series (FT, FTn, FT2, and FT3) also fits

all your requirements. But note that, of these, only the FT3

works with AI meter coupling. The others require "rabbit ears"

on the lenses. The "rabbit ears" are on all manual focus lenses

except series E so that may not be such a limitation (and

there are some real bargains available in pre-AI lenses). Worse

might be the fact that parts are hard to find for all of these

Nikkormats, and it may be difficult to keep the meters working.

I like Richard's advice. I have to say, though, that, while I've never used the F501/N2020, I've <I>heard</I> that it's, in a word, a dog. I'd be concerned that, after using your EOS, you'll find the 501 to be frustrating. If that begins to happen, then I'd recommend a <I>real</I> Nikon mnual focus camera: an F3, F2, or FM3A - pretty much, I think, in that order. Whatever you choose, though, I think you'll have big fun. Let us know how it's going.

Sell it and use the money to buy extra EOS lenses for your existing system. Or keep it as a nice souvenir of your grandpa, but in that case do shoot a roll of film every now and then - just to keep the camera in good shape.

Conny

Switch off the AF featues and keep it at least long enough to figure out if you like any of the glass. If the glass is worth buying a $500 body for, pick up a new FM3A. Only Nikon manual body with spare parts gauranteed to be available for the next 7 years that works without a battery (sans meter).

Actually, I was looking for a manual system for two reasons: I like to shoot manual - it´s completely different from AF, even if you shut the automatics down and go with MF and M mode. And second, the lenses I´m interested are too expensive with an AF system. I´d like to have some extreme lenses, like a fisheye and super wide-angles, one good portrait lens (something like a fast 100 or 135), a nice true macro and a fast tele. They are all lenses that cost a small fortune in any AF system, and some of them just don´t justify the price for me.

 

Besides, a manual camera is more likely to have features only available to higher end cameras, like a split circle focusing finder, removable prism (and the ability to shoot from the hip), very long shutter speeds and such.

 

Thanks a lot for all your answers, I´ll tell you later what I thought about the F501 - actually, this same camera was the first SLR I´ve ever used :^)

I really hate to be the one to tell you this but unless you buy used lenses then the AF lenses are cheaper. Ive been told it is because the mf lenses are made of metal and are harder to make and are much more durable. So unless you are going to buy all used lenses it would be cheaper to stick with the Af.

Nate, thanks for the remark, but that was the whole point, buy used manual equipment. I live in Brazil, and new equipment is very expensive here, and people sometimes don´t know that old manual gear is sometimes of much better quality than new. So it may not be that difficult to get used gear for relatively low prices (compared to AF), mainly those costly lenses I mentioned.