what is a good beginner camera

[mike_smith43]

I am getting ready to start an intro to photography class and i need

a 35mm slr with manual focus. I have no idea what a good start out

camera would be.

[adamlozo]

You can get a used Canon 10D. The focus is on the lens, and most all have the ability for manual and auto. If you have extra $, the 20D is real nice.

[Jochen_S]

Leica R8 or 9; they aren't bad and you can add a digital back later.

[mike_earussi1]

There are a lot of good used SLR's around, such as Pentax, Minolta, Canon, Nikon, Mamiya, Yashika, Fuji, Koni, etc. For your purposes any of them would work.

[SCL]

Film or digital?

[bill_thorlin]

Assuming a limited budget :-

 

Film and manual only camera - Minolta SRT101 - easily available, cheap, rugged, reliable and a good range of lenses.

 

Film and manual and auto-focus - Minolta 7000 the original AF with the same virtues as the 101.

 

Digital - pass.

[2yellowdogs]

You need a simple, manual focus basic film canera such as a Pentax K1000 or a Nikon FM or FM2. These cameras can be had for less than $150 with a good 50mm f1.8 lens.

 

Yes, you could buy a used 10d, but that's more money than you need to spend and I'd recommend learning with a good, inexpensive film camera first before moving to digital.

 

The Leica R8/R9 suggestion is either a joke or just ridiculous. Even used equipment would cost $1250 to $1500 for body and 50mm lens.

 

The K1000, FM or maybe a Canon AT-1 will allow you to produce photos that are as good as your talent will allow and enable you to learn the basics of photography - which, after all, is the primary goal here.

[michael_madio]

Go to a local used camera dealer and look at fully manual models with a functional meter, hot shoe, and a 50mm lens. Buy a model from a major manufacturer such as Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, Minolta, etc. The dealer should provide some type of warranty, at least 30 days. If/when you want to expand the kit, you can add a flash (Vivitar 285/Sunpak 383), 35mm and 90mm lenses.

 

If I had to make a specific suggestion, I would pick a Pentax Spotmatic II.

[dan flanders]

For years our camera store sold used cameras to students taking the photo courses at the local community college. While we dealt in many brands the overwhelming favorites were the screw mount Pentaxes. In many instances we sold the camera at the beginning of the term and bought it back at the end if it was still in useable condition. The Pentaxes seemed to be more resistant to abuse, easily repairable, and there was always a large selection of excellent lenses at affordable prices. I would think that even today the most affordable choice for a learner outfit would be Pentax.

[Brian]

The danger for a beginner asking a question here is that he may have no idea how insane the answers are. The request was for a beginner 35mm manual focus SLR and the first 2 replies were Canon 10D and Leica R8! Rather than trust photo.net, I suggest you ask the photography class leader for some recommendations.

[j.a.]

Hi Mike,

 

 

Classic question and rather difficult answer. Ignore the first responses, I think they are bad jokes. Do not let them mock you, it is a very common attitude towards beginners.

 

Really, you can start up with any camera you like : manual focusing system still remains a very good way to learn photography and maybe you will "stick" with it for many years.

 

On used market, try to find 24 X 36 mm Pentax gears like Super M, Program A or SuperProgram and several prime "K" lenses, maybe two or three zooms produced by Asahi. Mostly, this will fit with a small budget and it does not mean silly photography.

 

Another excellent option will be Minolta Md system, meaning traditionnal model gears like SRT, XD, XM and X 500 or X 700 cameras. The last ones are quite advanced bodies and they will perform well in all kind of light. Add several excellent Rokkor optics and you will never forget the Minolta's feeling...

 

best regards

 

J.A.

[rjacksonphoto]

I third the recommendation to ask your instructor.

[bradey]

a good used pentax k-1000 would be great. they used to be the standard for student photagraphers in many photo schools

[Jochen_S]

Dan, Brian, I didn't mean to joke. Why shouldn't one already start with Leica? - Some folks seem to end there and these cameras have no confusing multitude of additional controls hidden in submenus which would make them as hard to use in manual mode (or to even get there at all) as auto-everything-SLRs on the lowest pricelevel, so you can't say a R9 would be hard to use for a beginner.

 

The last beginner I talked into cheap used Pentax dumped both of his bodys on me, switched to Nikons professional line first, any kind of Leicas later and started selling his surplus M gear to me.

 

So Mike, if you are really determined, don't hesitate to get something good; if not borrow, if possible. Really any (even one of the very first, made before WW2) 35mm SLR should get you through that course. The bad thing is that nobody offers a entire system that includes cheap reliable 35mm bodys and great DSLRs convenient to use with the same manual focus lenses.

 

If you'll ask around you'll probably find something collecting dust in somebodys closet since this person purchased a digicam.

 

I don't agree about screw mount Pentax. They are becomming old and more expensive than the later k-mount versions which aren't bad (at least K1000, KX and MX seem to be rather reliable) but Ricoh KR5 or Vivitar 2000 are comparable and cheaper.

 

I wouldn't suggest to invest too much in Pentax; their DSLRs aren't that good compared to others.

[dan flanders]

Most photo courses I've known about concentrate on the basics and eschew more sophisticated features as automatic focus and zoom lenses. Usually the student is stapped financially and is interested only in obtaining the necessities for the cours. Select the system that is best represented in the community which offers the widest selection of basic gear. If it's Minolta, Nikon, etc, it make little difference. The time to acquire more sophistication is after the course is completed and the student has decided to pursue advanced instruction using whatever gear system he/she has chosen.

[ruinog]

Mike, just get a SLR which lenses could be used later on a more sophisticated camera.

I would go for a second hand Nikon F801 (N8008 in the States) or something like that. Get autofocus lenses, not manual focus ones. A Nikkor AF 50mm F1.8 is cheap and a very good lens. It will work fine on a DSLRlike the D70 or even the D200 when you upgrade.

A Pentax would be fine too. A ZX series can be bought very cheap.

Enjoy.

[michael_pimentel1]

Hello,

 

Ask your instructor.

 

My first student camera which I still use was/is a Pentax K1000. I'd buy one used for learning basic photography. If you want to get something new, the Vivitar 38000 like the K1000 uses a K-Mount and is manual would be a good choice. The cost would be under $200 with lens.

[nolefan32]

I'm going to chime in with the other posters that said the Pentax K1000 is your best choice. After all, you're wanting to learn photography, and so your best bet is an all-manual camera because it will teach you even more. Ignore the people telling you to get something like a used 10D - good camera, but you won't learn anything. The K1000 was the student camera of choice for years for a reason -- it's a solid, manual everything camera. And there are other all manual and nearly all manual cameras that can be had at good prices. I still love my Nikon EL2 I've been shooting since high school.

 

Check out eBay. I wouldn't recommend eBay for newer bodies, just because with all of the electronics, there's too much to break and too easy to get a lemon. But with a camera like the K1000, there's just not as much that can break. And I was just checking out entire K1000 outfits selling for less than $100.