New to Film - Which Camera?

<p>I've always shot digital, primarily using lots of old M42 and K-mount MF lenses on Pentax DSLR bodies.<br>

I've amassed some film bodies through garage sales, gifts, etc - and am now very curious about shooting in 35mm.<br>

Maybe some of you can enlighten me on which of the cameras below might be the most 'fully-featured' or 'functional' camera. I know this is all very subjective, but I'd love some input - especially from those who have used these cameras ...</p>

<p>Pentax K Mount<br /> -----------------<br /> Pentax k1000<br /> Pentax ME<br /> <br /> M42 Mount<br /> -----------------<br /> Pentax ESII<br /> Fujica ST705<br /> Praktica L<br /> <br /> C/Y Mount<br /> ------------------<br /> Yashica FX-103<br /> <br /> PS I have lenses in each of these systems, so my main concern is finding a pleasant body that produces good results.</p>

<p>I think the FX-103 is the same as the FX-D but with TTL flash capability and two program modes instead of one (high- and lo-speed, like the Contax 159MM). Mine is the FX-D, very nice to use, accurate shutter, simply superb range of lenses at modest cost. There is a winder for it, though it's not whisper quiet. Plenty of accessories to make it a really good system camera. Does everything a camera should, though you must always keep a spare battery to hand, as there's no mechanical fallback as there is with, say, the Nikon FG, which is very close in design spirit. Yashicas are my preferred cameras.</p>

<p>I don't have any bayonet Pentaxes, but I do have a Pentax SP1000 for mounting my M42 lenses, and it's very neat, a very traditional and pleasant feel, compact, solid, and 'right'. I like it a lot, but it wouldn't dislodge any of my Yashicas if push came to shove.</p>

<p>I could never get the hang of the Praktica L series, though I know it was a popular line. I had a Praktica Nova I years and years ago, and although it was an unsophisticated design, with that clunky East German look about it, I got results from its old Domiplan lens that were far better than that lens's mediocre reputation, and I think my example was significantly better than average, as opposed to the Domiplan being under-rated. I did have an Exakta RTL1000 a few decades ago, which was of the L series design at the more sophisticated end. It reappeared a while later with an M42 mount as the Praktica VLC. Good lenses.</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice. I'll probably pop in a roll or two of film into the Yashica.</p>

<p>In the Pentax K mount you might look into a Pentax ME Super, a wonderful more fully featured version of the ME, or the somewhat more costly MX, an all manual version. The K1000 is a nice, very basic camera but it's really a K mount version of a later Spotmatic; I have the Spotmatic SP and as Alex said, it's got a great feel to it that really does just feel 'right' and, of course, accepts the M42 screwmount lenses. I don't have any experience with the C/Y mount Yashicas, only the M42 mount bodies such as the Yashica TL-Super and TL-Electro, both very nice, sturdy bodies that accept a line of great performing M42 lenses.</p>

<p>I would just try them all until you find the one that suits you best. I would probably start off with the one that feels best in your hands and work from there.</p>

<p>Not a bad idea either. I was thinking of that already ...</p>

<p>I might start with the one that has the brightest, biggest viewfinder.</p>

<p>I'm going to begin by putting a couple of new batteries into the Yashica, see if the meter still works ...</p>

<p>Andriy, I didn't read your post very well...I just saw cameras that I recognized and got excited, not realizing that all of these were cameras that you <em>already</em> own. Shows how well I pay attention. With that in mind, I agree with Tom. You should definitely try them all and see which one you like the most. I'd be interested in hearing about your impressions of each one as you try them, so keep us posted if you wouldn't mind.</p>

<p>The cameras you've listed are all SLR's. They are the most versatile class of camera around imho. The only drawback they might have is because they use a ground glass surface for focusing, they get harder to focus in dim lighting. I might also suggest a rangefinder type camera. Most of them are fixed lens (one focal length), but you can't beat the bright viewfinders. I've read wonderful things about the old Yashica rangefinders as well as those made by Minolta.</p>

<p>That's quite a project, I can try I guess :)</p>

<p>The ME only has automatic exposure, but it has a high-magnification finder like many of the M-series Pentaxes. I just got a Pentax MX for about $40, repaired it myself (not something everyone can do), and I'm stunned by the huge 0.97x magnification finder. Not much eye relief, so it would be a pain with eyeglasses. The ME finder is close.<br>

I also got a K1000 for "free" with a lens I wanted. Lot bigger and heavier, and a lower magnification finder that isn't as bright. But its simplicity is appealing, the "needle" meter indicator is really easier to use than the LEDs in the MX. Also, its shutter speed dial isn't as tight as the MX.<br>

Pentax-M lenses are cheap and fantastic.</p>

 

<p>The M42 thread Fujica ST series mostly have a split image focusing area on the focusing screen. Even my old ST 605 (which only goes to 1/700 sec) has the split image. I can't offer an opinion on the Pentax ESII, but I have a Spotmatic that is easy enough to focus. I find the ME easier to focus than the K1000 so if you don't mind "auto only" then that's a good starting point. I tried one, but went for the all manual and mechanical MX instead.</p>

<p>You are in an enviable position. No-one can tell you want camera to shoot. Basically, the honest to gods truth is that despite what some magazines may want you to believe, features does not a camera make. Features are just the things that are bonuses ON TOP of whether or not you will like the camera. You will enjoy a camera based on criteria such as how if feels in you hand, how quickly you can focus, how easily your fingers come to the various controls and how comfortable you are shooting it. As most shooters had to figure out this slowly by shooting with one camera before moving to the next, you have the chance to try many different ones. As different as these cameras may sound features-wise, or look, they probably give similar results if they have 50mm lenses. I recommend handling each one for awhile, looking through the viewfinder, playing with focus and changing settings etc so you can get a feel. That will give you a better idea of which camera here is more useful to you than anyone here could possibly say.</p>

<p>Patrick's is a valuable point. When you consider the top three (Canon, Nikon, and your own particular favourite), you will already be spoiled for choice in terms of sheer optical and photographic quality. It really does boil down to what feels good in your hands. It astonishes some that I simply cannot get on with Olympus SLRs. My old Yashica TL-Electro did not much appeal to me either, despite my being a Yashica user. Nikons don't feel right in my hands, not least because I'm so used to the focussing ring turning the other way, and the lens mount/unmount going the other way too. My only Canons are EOS types, and they are mere functional tools to me with little of that 'je ne sais quoi'. Pentax Spotmatics and their siblings are lovely. Any of these nevertheless forms the basis of a corking system, and what niggles another may well be what swings it in your favour.</p>

<p>Using Pentax ME for now after I found some batteries for it. Nice large viewfinder, simple auto-exposure operation. Can't wait to get the 1st roll developed. Wish I had darkroom access here in Vancouver.</p>

<p>Shoot, the first roll came back totally blank (unexposed). I think I didn't engage it properly with the little "teeth" when loading so it didn't actually wind forward after each shot.<br>

I half-expected something like this from my 1st ever film experiment, but it still made me feel 'special' for lack of a better word. At least they didn't charge me anything for this ...<br>

2nd roll from the Pentax ES II is being developed right now. Hopefully, there's something to look at on that one.</p>

<p>olympus om1 md</p>

<p>one of my first shots (from roll #2 - Pentax ES II + Takumar 50/1.4 + expired Kodak Max 400):<br>

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3522/3902207338_96fa6a649f_b.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="679" /></p>