Gifting a vintage film camera

Hi everybody,

 

Sorry if this kind of post is annoying, and please let me know if I should be posting this somewhere else.

 

I'm looking for an anniversary gift for my girlfriend, and she's been talking recently about wanting to get back into film photography. She used to be an avid photographer, mostly w/ a dslr, but she also did some film in high school and college (she studied art in college for a couple years). I know next to nothing about photography myself, unfortunately, so I've been reading articles and lists of the best affordable vintage film cameras, and I wanted to ask for some opinions if anyone would be kind enough to help me out.

 

What I think I want to do is get her two cameras: one pocket sized, a la the Olympic stylus epic II or a Nikon L35AF; and one slightly larger w more control and the option to swap lenses, etc. a la a Canon AE-1 or a Pentax K1000. Other considerations are: we travel a lot, so durability and size are both big factors; I wish I had the knowledge to rummage through thrift store bins, but I'd be afraid of buying her a broken camera and not realizing it.

 

As far as budget, I'd love to keep it under ~$200 for both cameras, and I'm open to spending the whole budget on one camera if that seems like the better move.

 

Thanks for reading and again, I hope this isn't too annoying :)

 

tl;dr: want suggestions for good cheap vintage film camera for GF

IMO, it's nearly impossible for somebody not into vintage film cameras to make a good choice. Find somebody else that's knowledgeable to look at them. Unless you can do minor service, I'd avoid anything on the 'bay or elsewhere, and only buy from known reputable dealers. Don't know where you are, but that might be somebody like KEH. Can you get her to drop some hints like if she'd like a TLR or other larger format, or just 35mm. For the latter, consider a Nikon FG. Not highly regarded, so inexpensive, but performs well. Also look at Olympus. There's a ton of Minolta out there, and the lenses are usually very good.

I think your idea for an anniversary gift is wonderful!

 

I'd love to help but I know zilch about either film photography or film cameras. I certainly think you've come to the right place. The percentage of 'classic/film camera' enthusiasts here is much higher than any other photography forum I've come across. But you may already have guessed that:).

 

Just a couple of thoughts (from a strictly digital amateur photographer). These may well be irrelevant!:

- does your gf still have any (digital) camera's except a phone?

- from images on the web, cameras like the Canon AE-1 (and others) look solid and physically well-made to me. I can imagine that they are a joy to hold and receive as a gift. Some point and shoot cameras are just as solid. Others seem to have a more 'plastic' look/feel. They work just as well of course and are probably lighter and cheaper than the 'metal ones'.

- I've never seen let alone held or tried a Canon AE-1. From what I read, it was a pioneer in the transition between soley mechanical cameras and those whose design was simplified with the introduction of electronic components. Depending on your viewpoint, it could be considered as 'not a real classic camera' or - as a pioneer - a unique 'classic'. The reviews I've just browsed through are positive.

- a camera that provides for interchangeable lenses should ideally come with a few interchangeable lenses;). As a package, the extra lenses don't cost much extra these days. But it's worth noting that, given the choice, a slightly more expensive but extensive 'package' might make for a more complete gift.

- with a camera + a few lenses, your gf may well need some kind of bag/rucksack to carry them around in. This could be part of the 'gift'.

 

Mike

Agree with Conrad. Maybe the best way to go would be to give her a $200 gift certificate to KEH or Robert's camera (robertscamera.com). That way she can get something she likes and that will actually work with a bit of a warranty.

 

To make it a little more fun than a gift card alone, you could pick up some cheap camera from craigslist, shopgoodwill.com, etc and stick the card inside the film door. Who knows, maybe even that cheap camera will turn out to be something she likes.

 

If you do go the shopgoodwill.com route, you can limit the search results to certain "sellers" which can be a goodwill in your area. That way you can pick it up and save the shipping costs which can be more than the camera itself. Just find an auction that's about to end where the price is like $10 or whatever you're willing to pay. Good cameras still fetch a lot of money there and they typically aren't tested at all except at a rudimentary level.

Sorry if this kind of post is annoying, and please let me know if I should be posting this somewhere else.

 

 

If this is your worst, you're among the angels here:D

 

It sounds like a swell idea to me. Many top quality, high-end film SLRs now sell for $100 and less. Good working "pro-amateur" models are even cheaper.

 

The non AF lenses are not quite such bargains, but they are still affordable.

 

I too recommend KEH as a good source of film cameras.

I think your idea for an anniversary gift is wonderful!

 

I'd love to help but I know zilch about either film photography or film cameras. I certainly think you've come to the right place. The percentage of 'classic/film camera' enthusiasts here is much higher than any other photography forum I've come across. But you may already have guessed that:).

 

Just a couple of thoughts (from a strictly digital amateur photographer). These may well be irrelevant!:

- does your gf still have any (digital) camera's except a phone?

- from images on the web, cameras like the Canon AE-1 (and others) look solid and physically well-made to me. I can imagine that they are a joy to hold and receive as a gift. Some point and shoot cameras are just as solid. Others seem to have a more 'plastic' look/feel. They work just as well of course and are probably lighter and cheaper than the 'metal ones'.

- I've never seen let alone held or tried a Canon AE-1. From what I read, it was a pioneer in the transition between soley mechanical cameras and those whose design was simplified with the introduction of electronic components. Depending on your viewpoint, it could be considered as 'not a real classic camera' or - as a pioneer - a unique 'classic'. The reviews I've just browsed through are positive.

- a camera that provides for interchangeable lenses should ideally come with a few interchangeable lenses;). As a package, the extra lenses don't cost much extra these days. But it's worth noting that, given the choice, a slightly more expensive but extensive 'package' might make for a more complete gift.

- with a camera + a few lenses, your gf may well need some kind of bag/rucksack to carry them around in. This could be part of the 'gift'.

 

Mike

 

Yeah, if you wanted to pick and SLR for someone an AE-1 is a fairly safe choice. "AE" stands for automatic exposure. It's not entirely automatic, you have to choose a shutter speed and it will pick the aperture based on lighting conditions. You focus the camera yourself. It also has a full manual mode. The slightly newer, slightly less well known, and sometime slightly cheaper option is the "AE-1 Program" which adds a real automatic exposure option. Robert's Camera has one for $60 in "good" condition which means it works but might look a little beat up. They might have others for sale in better condition. Here's the Robert's camera link for this camera: AE-1 Program

 

That comes without a lens which you would have to buy separately. The typical lens to start with for a classic SLR is a 50mm prime. Roberts also has those for this camera: 50mm FD 1.8 That's $33 and is described as in very good condition.

 

Since you mentioned travel, an SLR I like because they're more compact is the Olympus OM series. I'd recommend the OM-2 or OM-2n for your girlfriend. Similar in capability to an AE-1 except that you choose the aperture rather than the shutter speed and it will figure out the rest. This is known as "Aperture Priority" and many photographers prefer it to "Shutter Priority" which is what the AE-1 has. Roberts Camera has those as well. Keep in mind that the lens I linked above is a Canon "FD" lens and won't work with the OM. I didn't see any 50mm primes for Olympus OM cameras on Robert's site. That is one downside is that lenses aren't quite as common as the Canon's but they're still readily available. KEH has Olympus OM 50mm lenses for $20.

- from images on the web, cameras like the Canon AE-1 (and others) look solid and physically well-made to me. I can imagine that they are a joy to hold and receive as a gift. Some point and shoot cameras are just as solid. Others seem to have a more 'plastic' look/feel. They work just as well of course and are probably lighter and cheaper than the 'metal ones'.

- I've never seen let alone held or tried a Canon AE-1. From what I read, it was a pioneer in the transition between soley mechanical cameras and those whose design was simplified with the introduction of electronic components. Depending on your viewpoint, it could be considered as 'not a real classic camera' or - as a pioneer - a unique 'classic'. The reviews I've just browsed through are positive.

 

This is a purely subjective opinion/evaluation on my part, but when I got my first SLR-an A-1 with a 50mm f/1.8(the same basic body as an AE-1 and all the other Canon A-series SLRs) I thought it was the most solid/substantial camera I'd ever felt. 6 months later, I had a T90, then later several F-1s, and that illusion quickly shattered. The 50mm f/1.4 also changed my opinion of the build quality of the f/1.8.

 

With that said, the A-series cameras are superb cameras and still better made than things like late 90s low end SLRs or P&Ss. Their biggest weaknesses are the tendency for battery doors to break and for the mirror brake to develop a distinctive "squeal"-my first had both issues and I just ignored them(as a side note, if you have a Mac, the sound the computer makes when you take a screen shot in Macintosh OS/OS X/macOS is a recording of an AE-1 with a bit of squeal).

 

Now that I primarily use the Nikon F2 and FM2 for manual focus film, I occasionally pick up my A-1 or a lighter/less expensive Nikon like an FG with a series E 50mm f/1.8 and appreciate just how small and lightweight they are. The only thing really making any of these cameras FEEL cheap in my mind is the weight, and extra weight for the sake of it is not necessarily a good thing(the A series cameras have metallicized plastic top and bottom plates-I haven't researched it but it wouldn't surprise me if the FG is basically the same material). At the same time, I've really come to appreciate the fact that the Olympus OM series cameras are even smaller than a small Canon or Nikon but feel like they're made out of a solid block of metal.

One warning- some older cameras probably take mercury batteries that you can't buy anymore. You can use the zinc-air hearing aid batteries, but they don't last long. Just be aware of the issue and what people do about it. Lots of posts on that here. I could make a case for something very simple, like a Nikon F (probably too much collector value), with no meter at all, paired up with a modern meter like a Gossen Luna-Lux, that uses common batteries and is super accurate. Or a Sekonic L398A that can sometimes be had used, that has a modern silicon cell, but doesn't use any batteries at all. Not too cheap,so maybe next anniversary.! Other battery-less selenium meters are more common and cheap.

This is the first of a couple of articles that list top 10 affordable film cameras

 

The article is discussed in another thread on this forum. Not everyone will agree with that top 10 (or 20 if you include the 2 edition) but it's not a bad place to start.

 

One of the criteria to make the last was that they don't use old style mercury batteries.

Hi everybody,

 

Sorry if this kind of post is annoying, and please let me know if I should be posting this somewhere else.

 

I'm looking for an anniversary gift for my girlfriend, and she's been talking recently about wanting to get back into film photography. She used to be an avid photographer, mostly w/ a dslr, but she also did some film in high school and college (she studied art in college for a couple years). I know next to nothing about photography myself, unfortunately, so I've been reading articles and lists of the best affordable vintage film cameras, and I wanted to ask for some opinions if anyone would be kind enough to help me out.

 

What I think I want to do is get her two cameras: one pocket sized, a la the Olympic stylus epic II or a Nikon L35AF; and one slightly larger w more control and the option to swap lenses, etc. a la a Canon AE-1 or a Pentax K1000. Other considerations are: we travel a lot, so durability and size are both big factors; I wish I had the knowledge to rummage through thrift store bins, but I'd be afraid of buying her a broken camera and not realizing it.

 

As far as budget, I'd love to keep it under ~$200 for both cameras, and I'm open to spending the whole budget on one camera if that seems like the better move.

 

Thanks for reading and again, I hope this isn't too annoying :)

 

tl;dr: want suggestions for good cheap vintage film camera for GF

 

Limit to one camera instead of 2 because your budget it too little. If you can afford spend more.

I agree with most of what others have suggested. Since you don't know her specific desires and aren't personally knowledgeable, a gift certificate to somewhere like KEH makes good sense.

What SCL said: you had a sweet thoughtful idea, but a surprise random camera or two is probably not the ideal way to proceed. Two significant issues: you yourself don't really know how to vet whatever camera(s) you buy to be sure they work properly, and your girlfriend has prior experience shooting film in high school/college.

 

If you were both completely new to film, getting her a random known-good popular camera would likely be a successful gift. But since she has prior experience with film cameras, she's almost certainly developed a comfort with a particular brand or type of camera (or would like to try one she hasn't used before). Those who adore the Olympus OM-2 might dislike the Canon AE-1, and vice versa. Or, she may have used a medium format camera like Yashica TLR or Bronica SLR in school: if she wants to return to that type of camera, the cost may be somewhat more than your $200 budget.

 

I agree with the others who recommended a $200 gift certificate from a reputable dealer like KEH: she'll appreciate that very much, and enjoy choosing exactly the camera she wants. To make it more fun, do as tomspielman suggested: buy an interesting-looking, non-working old $10 camera from a thrift store or antique mall, and tuck the gift card into/onto the camera. Even a $3 Kodak Instamatic from Goodwill would make a nice paperweight for the card.

Edited July 4, 2019 by orsetto

I would just add, always look for a camera complete with lens or lenses, not "body only". It's often possible to buy a lens and body for less than the price of a lens alone, such is the demand for lenses to adapt to mirrorless digital cameras.

I would just add, always look for a camera complete with lens or lenses, not "body only". It's often possible to buy a lens and body for less than the price of a lens alone, such is the demand for lenses to adapt to mirrorless digital cameras.

 

To that end, when I've been in the market for certain common "kit lenses"(lenses that were often sold new with the camera)-particularly variants of the 50mm-I've often found it only marginally more expensive to buy a body with the lens I wanted on it rather than buying the lens separately. I've bought a few Nikon 50mm f/2s that way(AI versions on EL2 bodies, the Auto H.C. on a Nikkorex) plus a 50mm f/1.8 AI-s(FA) and 5.8cm f/1.4(early F). Along those same lines, a few months back I decided to thin out a few duplicate/superfluous lenses, and I sold the 50mm f/1.8 AI-S for about 3/4 what I paid for the FA+lens+a few other extras.

For photo gear and some of my other hobbies, my wife won't try to buy something as a gift, cuz what I want can be VERY specific, and easy to miss.

I've returned stuff that she bought as gifts but that I did not want, and that always bummed her out.

A gift certificate for KEH would seem appropriate. Then it is photo related, and you leave her to pick exactly what she wants.

 

As others have said, watch out for the older cameras that used mercury batteries.

The zinc-air replacement battery lasts about 3 months. So if she shoots only a little, the battery usage may feel like a waste.

I don't like gift certificate. You still limit the gift to a single store. The best would be a blank check. If you can't afford that give nothing.

Now if you can't trust the person who is receiving your gift not to clean out your bank account then perhaps a gift is not necessary.

I don't like gift certificate. You still limit the gift to a single store.

 

Normally I might agree, but in this very specific set of circumstances a gift certificate for KEH is probably the best play. I mean, whats their competition really? If you're completely clueless on all the pitfalls of shopping for used film cameras, who else but KEH offers both breadth of models/condition AND bulletproof return/exchange policy? Yes, there are other excellent used camera dealers in USA/Canada: I've bought from several. But none with as large a stock and hassle-free returns as KEH.

 

If I knew for sure the recipient was fully versed in how to buy used gear, I might consider an eBay gift card and let them stalk their prey in THAT jungle: thats where most of us end up finding the best prices/availability. But a neophyte who just wants a quick clean purchase is better off paying slightly more to choose from KEH stockpile with iron-clad guarantee.

I'd say it all depends on where you live and if there is a good use camera shop in town. If you live where I do I'd say take the lovely lady shopping to my favourite local used camera store, make a fun trip of it and buy what appeals to her - after some great advice from the proprietor. The opportunity to actually handle the camera and get a feel for the way it functions can be very convincing in making a choice.

 

Ok, so having said all of that - if she did photography in school odds are good she used a K1000. They were ubiquitous in that role and a fine choice.

 

Now to my choice if I were buying for my own wife and was working within that budget. Nikon FE, 50 f1.8 and some sort of decent zoom lens (she loves zooms, the wider range, the better) and an Olympus XA. Of course, I don't have to buy her a film camera as she can just pick from my collection....

Normally I might agree, but in this very specific set of circumstances a gift certificate for KEH is probably the best play. I mean, whats their competition really? If you're completely clueless on all the pitfalls of shopping for used film cameras, who else but KEH offers both breadth of models/condition AND bulletproof return/exchange policy? Yes, there are other excellent used camera dealers in USA/Canada: I've bought from several. But none with as large a stock and hassle-free returns as KEH.

 

Yes, I agree that KEH is probably best for the novice/unknowing buyer.

 

Not everyone has Chuck local to them :) ( Inside Chuck Rubin's Legendary Camera Shop ) where cameras like AE-1s and K1000s with lenses are $100 items that come with a 3 month guarantee including batteries...

Chuck Rubin has the life I dream of....

I try to go by Chuck's at least one day a week-usually on Friday afternoon-but really any day works. It's a 15 minute drive from work with the traffic that time of day, so I can usually "loaf" for an hour or better until the store closes. I've been doing that for a few years now.

 

I never know what's going to pop up there, but whether or not anything does I always have a good time. There are plenty of times where I've gone in looking for something specific and ended up "excavating" a box from somewhere or another, or other times where I had nothing in particular on my mind and either saw something sitting on the counter/behind it/next to Chuck/wherever or-my favorite-tripped over it :)

Thanks for all the replies. Knowing her, I don't know how much she would actually like the gift card option. She has a lot on her plate, and doesn't get the same joy that I do out of finding the best deal on the best product online. I also found out that she has a Canon T3i from high school/college, and I think that she's actually most interested in a small, point-and-shoot/"street photography" style camera, the thinking being that having something small and easily available would by a catalyst to taking more photos again.

 

I had come across that 10 best film cameras to buy for cheap article, and I like the look of the olympus stylus epic, but they seem to be going for more like $500 in good condition on eBay, which seems like too much. The Olympus XA looks nice too, and is a bit cheaper online. There's one on KEH for $257, but there's also a XA2 for $140 and an XA1 for $72. Are the XA1 and XA2 worth considering? Is the difference in price just due to the relative notoriety, or is the XA really that much better than the other two?

I'm also becoming interested in the Olympus Trip 35. Has anyone dealt with this shop in the U.K. and have insight into how long delivery takes to the states/custom fees/overall service? The shop came recommended from a couple blog posts and seems reputable. The fact that he services them and offers 6 months warranty might make it worth the ~$20-30 more than they go for on ebay

Ugh. The more you tell us about her, and the more options you tell us you are seriously considering buying, the more I think you should give this idea a hard pass and just take her out to a nice dinner or something. This thread is rapidly making me extremely thankful I've never been involved with anyone who made any attempt at gifting me with a photography related item. Dude, unless she POINT BLANK and very SPECIFICALLY tells you exactly what kind of "street/travel" shooting she wants to do, how serious she is about actually doing it, and what type of camera she thinks would be suitable for it, steer clear. That you would even contemplate importing an Oly Trip 35... just yikes.

 

Her existing camera is a Canon T3i, which is digital. That old, obsolete digital camera can still run rings around nearly any compact film camera in terms of street flexibility and being able to capture a shot on the run in nearly any lighting. If you (or she) think you're gonna be able to globe trot with a bottom-feeder two-speed film camera, and get anywhere near the number of keepers you could get by just using your phones, think again. Film requires far more precise exposure, and a halfway decent range of camera settings. The Oly Trip 35 was/is a cute compact camera with a decent lens, but it comes from an era when film was the ONLY choice, and millions of people were content with results that would be considered garbage by any 12 year old today weilding an iPhone.. At least in those days, film was cheap, processing was cheap, and you could get both at any business within 50 yards of your house.

 

Today, using film is an expensive fetish: the only two legit reasons to bother are for the overall zen experience and/or artistic intent (in which case "the right gear for you personally" is important) or because you just want authentic organic film grain and hacky poor exposure for some Instagram posts (in which case, the camera is irrelevant). For any sort of serious travel shooting, I wouldn't waste my time on a film camera with extremely limited mechanism, no matter how good the lens. I suppose your GF could be one of those inexplicable hipsters who revels in under/over exposed intentionally-bad "Dad Photos" for kicks: in that case, fine, buy her anything because it won't matter. Just be aware the Trip 35 type of camera is about as useful to make good travel photos as a brick of Swiss cheese is to hammer a nail. It is a 100% high-noon broad daylight camera that will suck in most other situations: basically an Instamatic or Holga with much better lens.

 

"Knowing her, I don't know how much she would actually like the gift card option. She has a lot on her plate, and doesn't get the same joy that I do out of finding the best deal on the best product online." That, my friend, is the red flag telling the bull to go down to the pub and have a beer, because there is no way he'll win the fight. Anyone with the faintest smattering of school training in shooting film would automatically have some idea of what camera they might want to shoot if they pick up the hobby again six or seven years later. It isn't a question of being too busy and not wanting to shop for a deal: anyone who's ever shot more than five rolls of film for a class can pick a camera from the KEH website in about 30 seconds. If she truly cannot be bothered to expend even that little amount of energy to get back into film, then she probably doesn't really want to and is just floating the idea for her own transient amusement. Unless you can read her mind, don't take the bait.

Edited July 9, 2019 by orsetto

If you're intent on buying her a camera regardless, and you're certain she's only looking for a tiny lightweight pocket sized cam, then the Olympus XA is the only one you've mentioned that might work for her. It has a good lens and exposure system. The XA1 and XA2 were more like the Trip 35: tolerable back in the film era, but not worth wasting film in today (lenses and exposure not as good, blah results). There are better pocket cams than the XA, but most today have lingering electronic problems that you won't want to drop in her lap (or would take awhile to sort thru specialty dealers who have restored guaranteed pricey examples for sale).