student camera

[tom_hipple]

I am looking for a camara for my daughter to learn on...she knows about F stops ect. and wants to learn on a full manual camara...becase of cost i would like to know...are the any of the leica copies that are realiabl and work farirly well...I am thinking about an e-bay zorki for $40.00 to $60.00...do you have any suggestions or ideas...I am open to any suggestion...

 

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Thank you

 

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Tom

[peter_hughes1]

Personally, I think such a camera would be self-defeating--much too

clunk, non-ergonomic and difficult to use. I would go with a manual

Nikon F or F2. Of course, that would be way over your $40 - $60 price

range.

[andrew_schank]

How about an older basic manual focus built in meter SLR from

Minolta, Pentax, etc?

[chi_huang]

I would recommend a Canonet QL 17 or similiar '70 rangefinder.

[richard palmer]

Zorki 4k?

[iván]

Hi, Tom:

 

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I'd support Andrew's opinion. Let's face it: how many amongst us

Leicaphiles did learn basics using a M3?

 

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I assume nowadays most people learn basics using SLR cameras. In

fact, and though the much I like my M3s I did so too.

 

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But then, unfortunately, too cheap a camera is too prone to cause too

many inconveniences that could detract your daughter from exercising

her photography. In Spanish we say the equivalent to "The cheap ends

up being expensive" or something similar in meaning. And keep in mind

that in time you will expend much more money in film and developing

than in the camera itself by far !

 

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In short I'd suggest any used old mechanical Minolta model with depth

of field preview and a 50 mm lens as a sound starting point.

 

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And if you can find a Pentax KM at a convenient price, I'd strongly

recommend it.

 

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Any of them will still work well long after your daughter had

mastered basics.

 

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I hope you both have fun.

 

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-Iván

[wilhelm]

Zorki is fine. Just be sure that you have return privilege if needed.

[Rob F.]

Can you find an old Petri? That was a decent rangefinder job with

non-interchangeable lens--I think it was around 45mm, but I don't

really remember. Maybe on ebay?

[bobtodrick]

From the point of view of someone who sells photo equipment primarily

to pros, gov't and SCHOOLS there is only one option. The venerable

Pentax K-1000. May be a bit over your price range (but not by much

with prudent shopping), it is fully manual, has more lenses available

on the used market than probably all others put together, and it

bulletproof. Proabably 90 percent of cameras sold to schools in

North America in the last 15 years have been K-1000. Can't miss!

[hoyin_lee1]

I agree with others that a SLR makes a better 'student camera', but

if you wish your daughter to learn to use a camera the hard way ;-P ,

then here are two suggestions that are almost as cheap as the Zorki,

but more reliable and more capable of producing high-quality images:

<a href="http://home.infi.net/~hudsonch/seagull.htm">Seagull TLR</a>;

<a href="http://www.cameraquest.com/ret3s.htm">Kodak Retina IIIS</a>

(I have the Retina IIc, which is similar to the IIIS--superb lens but

a real dog to use.)

[jeff_schraeder1]

There was a recent discussion on using a Ricoh 500 as an inexpensive

way to see if a Leica rangefinder was for you. They are great

cameras, the exact size as an M6, fully manual, 45mm lens. They can

be had on ebay for from $40 to $80 dollars in useable condition. I

keep one around as a backup and I also use it as an exercise. I go

out once in a while with my Ricoh and no light meter. Guessing at

exposure is a good exercise in thinking about light.

[jay_.]

I would not buy orphaned 25 year-old cameras, or hit-and-miss Eastern-

European gear for a student. They require upgrading to a completely

different camera (if not entire system) as the student's knowledge

and creative curiosity grows. My suggestion would be the Canon Rebel

2000 or Nikon N65, either of which can be operated in full-manual

fashion. If and when your daughter has mastered the basics and knows

how to "think like film", then she will be able to experiment with

the auto features in an intelligent manner (where she's controlling

them vs the other way around). If she really wants an all-mechanical

camera, I would suggest a Nikon FM10. It comes with a so-so Cosina-

made manual-focus 35-70 zoom but the whole package costs less than

half of an FM2n. Buy Nikon AF lenses for it, though, as the newer

Nikon AF bodies at the lower end (n65, n80) won't meter with manual

Nikkors.

[hoyin_lee1]

Speaking of the Ricoh 500 (see Jeff's response above), here's an

informative website on the 500G (with downloadable manual), if

anyone's interested: <a

href="http://members.spree.com/technology/gyudong/">http://members.spr

ee.com/technology/gyudong/</a>.

[Robin Smith]

I would pick up a good SLR from the 70s such as Olympus OM1, Canon

FTb, Minolta SRT101/303 etc. Pentax Spotmatic F. These are cheap

secondhand and very good.