moon_mullins1

My answer to the above specs and with budget in mind would be a Nikon D200 or a D300. KEH in Atlanta usually has these and more available at $300US or in the case of the D200 much less. Both do everything I ask of them though I do have some costlier gear as well. I recommend Nikon because it's what I use but very good Canon gear is also available and affordable, other brands as well. KEH is very reputable and stands behind what they sell.

I've used Tri-X for years in both 35mm and medium formats and while it does a lot of things well it is not my first choice for portraits. FP-4 would be a good choice in D-76 and T-Max 100 is excellent. As for exposure that depends on your lighting but for portraits I'd aim for f/8 or f/11 giving good depth in what is often the sweet spot for many lenses. I don't know what format you are shooting but for 6x6 or 6x7 something in the 150-180 mm will be good. For 35mm I would say either an 85 or a 105/2.5 Nikkormat, a superb portrait lens. Some experimenting will be required, quite a bit honestly but you will find what you like.

No one has said it yet but a Nikon F2 is superb, by far my favorite and most used film camera body. not too expensive and there are plenty of good ones to be had. The Nikkormats are also solid well built bodies that just keep going. I'm also a big fan of the Pentax Spotmatic series and the K1000, all great items. There is almost no wrong answer to this question.

I've been working at photography 45years give or take and it has never been a better time technically to be involved. I took up digital when a 6mp camera was a big deal. I'm 2 or 3 generations out of date now and while I can't abandon digital I find it dull and less demanding. The result is that I've bought an entire set of darkroom gear and am going back to film more often. I have my C-41 film done locally but Tri-X and it's cousins are calling out. These days I am much more likely to be shooting film and leaving digital in the bag. As I write this I'm taking time away at the Gulf Coast and while I brought a digital I also brought an F4s, an N90s and an ancient Nikkormat Ft2. I take time, compose, think and sometimes walk away. Much of what I enjoy in photography is part of a process that I don't find on a computer so to the original post, enjoy film and hold on to a decent digital body or two. It will make itself clear as you go.