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<p>Jonny, "relatively inexpensive is, well, relative. What's your budget?</p>

<p>For a start, look at <a href="http://www.keh.com/onlinestore/home.aspx">KEH</a>, a reputable and reasonably priced used gear dealer. I would look for an Olympus OM-1, Pentax K1000 or similar camera.</p>

<p>Good luck, and if you have questions, you know where to find us...</p>

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You need to be a little more specific than that. Are we talking a rangefinder or SLR camera for instance? New or used? What's "relatively inexpensive" mean for you? As a photography student you need full manual control of course, but is automation also OK or does your teacher want you to use a manual-only camera for now?

 

There's lots and lots of good used bargains out there right now. Off the top of my head, a Minolta SRT 101 or 201 with a couple of lenses is a high quality option, and since no digital camera uses that mount the lenses come cheap too. Or a Canon FD body and lenses, for the same reason. Or get a full-manual Pentax screwmount body and lenses, and then you can use those lenses on a digital Pentax with an adapter if you start using digital later on.

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<p>Thanks for all your suggestions. Im looking for a used slr camera for under $100...automation is ok. Again just a high quality camera that i can take around with me at all times. At the moment i have a few medium formats and a dslr which are kind of bulky so a compact 35mm camera with a good performance would be ideal.</p>
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You might want to consider one of the folders with a good lens and Compur shutter. They will fold up and fit in your pocket and literally "go anywhere". They are super little cameras and very reliable, and way smaller than any SLR for a go anywhere camera that can be carried all the time. They are capable of taking pictures of equal quality to an SLR, but sooooo much more compact.

 

Something like the little Baldax, Beltica, or Retina would be good reliable cameras, that can be found for less than 100.00, and you can stick them in your pocket and take them anywhere. .<div>00UnsW-182225784.jpg.8b16b28b64390f24aadeace6e658535c.jpg</div>

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<p>I've seen several Nikon EM's on the big auction site for $50, which would leave you money for a lens (maybe a 50 1.8 E). If you want a newer camera, I've seen both the Nikon N80 and the Canon Elan II, both excellent cameras, for under $100. Keep in mind that the older cameras will likely need to be CLA'd. </p>

<p>Good luck. </p>

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<p>I don't know if I can mention it in this forum, but if you're looking for a compact SLR with <whisper>autofocus</whisper>, then you could try the Dynax/Maxxum 5 from Minolta. In the manual focus SLR world the Olympus OM1 is highly regarded and the Minolta XD-7 (or -11) is also quite a tidy unit.</p>
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<p>Another vote for the Minolta XD-11 (one of my absolute favorite cameras) or XE-7. Both of those have automation and are very high quality cameras (produced in cooperation with Leica), but if you want a fully mechanical camera try the Minolta SR-T series. A Canon FTb is also a superb choice, as would be a Canon AE-1 Program. The suggestion of the Pentax ME-Super is also an excellent one. Choices, choices...</p>
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<p>If it's Minolta, I'd skip the ancient SRT series because of battery issues(same goes for early Olympus and Canon SLRs) and look at an X-700.The Nikon FG is now bargain-priced and often sells as a kit with the 50/1.8E. Another Nikon option is an older AF model like the 801s/8008s or F90x/N90s that work superbly with MF Nikon lenses.</p>
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<p>Don't be afraid of cameras using the 1.35v mercury battery. In my unconverted OM-1's I use the 1.4v zinc air cells, size 675. A twelve pack of Walgreens brand cost me $8 on sale and a single cell lasts about 5~6 months in my camera. I don't even need the washer to center the battery, just drop it in and screw on the cap, works every time and the meter agrees closely with my studio delux meter and my other OM-1 Camtech converted to silver oxide cells when they did an repair & cla. The OM-1's are well made, compact, light weight and not too expensive. The best OM value is probably a OM-2n. They have both manual and aperture preferred auto and run on the still common silver oxide button cells. You did mention 'SLR' and 'take around with me at all times' and sometime these are seen as mutually exclusive due to weight and size constraints. That said, only you can decide if you want to carry a 35mm SLR most of the time. When I was a young 20 something my Miranda G was never more than an arms length away and I traveled all over with it.</p>
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<p>The Minolta XD11 (same thing as XD7) is as close as I've found to the perfect manual SLR. It's not exactly perfect because the covering peels off - but that just gives you an excuse to go to cameraleather.com and get a bright red snakeskin cover for it :) Small, light, well designed interface, great viewfinder with all the important information displayed, easy to use knobs, vertical metal shutter, A/S/M modes.</p>
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