The best cheap 90's 00's 35mm SLRs?

Thanks everyone for your replies,

@Teflon-Mike

Thanks for much for your great post, sorry it's taken me a little while to reply but it took some time to read your post thoroughly!

I posted the thread as I kept seeing Pentax MZ50's, Minolta's, Canon 300's all for around £10 and I was intrigued to see if they had been dismissed because they were "too new" or because they were just less desirable. It was interesting to read your comment "significantly over specified and overpriced and over rated when they were new".

It's funny you mention the Minox, I have an ML35 bought second hand off eBay 10 years or so ago for not much money and got good results from it. Upon taking another look in the lost camera bag, they are beautiful cameras, I had no idea they were so expensive new, really great design and tiny.

RE Medium format, I have briefly explored but using a Holga and the results were average (I like to think more due to the camera!) I did have an old Agfa MF camera somewhere... I will keep an eye out on eBay and gumtree for any that appear and look to be worth a punt.

Home developing, is something I want to get back into (learnt the dark art at school in A'Level photography), I've got a list ready to order from maco.de, probably starting out with rodinal stand developing.

Your comment ".... so you will likely take fewer photo's and get more keepers from them." This is exactly why I want to return to film, it's so easy to take endless digital shots just because I can, I'm hoping the limitation with either 24, 36 (or less with MF), will make me take more time and thus improve my skills

Thanks again
 
terrific said:
RE Medium format, I have briefly explored but using a Holga and the results were average (I like to think more due to the camera!) I did have an old Agfa MF camera somewhere... I will keep an eye out on eBay and gumtree for any that appear and look to be worth a punt.
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To be fair, shooting a Holga is nothing like shooting medium format apart from the size of the negatives! You can pick up a nice Yashica TLR for less than £80 which will show you exactly why shooting MF is worthwhile.
 
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terrific said:
I posted the thread as I kept seeing Pentax MZ50's, Minolta's, Canon 300's all for around £10 and I was intrigued to see if they had been dismissed because they were "too new" or because they were just less desirable. It was interesting to read your comment "significantly over specified and overpriced and over rated when they were new".
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I don't think too many people in the F&C section are particularly bothered about the age of a camera, as long as they can use it and enjoy the experience and the results. My own small collection of usable cameras ranges from early 1900s folding and box types to a Canon EOS3 (not a 'cheap' 90s 00s 35mm SLR, but still good value for the features it has). Best of luck if you decide to have a go at developing film again, I'll be doing that too when I start shooting 100 ISO B&W again now the sunshine is putting in the occasional appearance!
 
Then save your pennies! Bin the Holga (or send it on a gnome trip!) ISTR that it was a plastic body plastic lens 'novelty' as much as anything, and taking 120 roll film in no way compensated for the basic inadequacies of the rather dire film trap or lens! Sort of a cheap way to waste expensive film to get petrol station disposable IQ, as far as I recall, beloved of the LOMO exponents for its random results.
If you already have a Miox 35? What are you faffing for! Grab some film and go use it! And for a tenner?!?!? That's already a bargain! As said that was a serious connoisseur's camera when new, just because it doesn't have a mirror box and interchangeable lenses, doesn't mean it wasn't a very serious bit of kt.
Like I said, irony of digital, and the death of the last digi-compact that saw me buy the D3200, actually saw the XA2 slipped back in my pocket as walk-about; and the Minox was the 'posh' alternative to that. It's a very usable camera, and something you can slip in your pocket as easily as an i-phone, that can delivers high end full-fame quality pictures, without the bulk or batteries!
 
I think it's a good thing that the more modern AF film cameras are cheap relative to the older manual ones. Particularly if you can get one with good manual controls and a reasonable focusing screen to allow for manual focusing. You still get complete manual control, but can switch to "Professional" mode if need be. The metering also tends to be better (matrix), and you also are less likely to have issues finding batteries, though I do wonder if the more exotic ones like 2CR5 will start being phased out as I think they're only used for these cameras.

Given the price of them is so low one factor worth considering is battery price. The cameras which have a pop up flash and inbuilt motor drive needed high powered batteries which can cost nearly as much as the cameras. Also if you can find rechargeable equivalents, sometimes they don't work due to voltage differences. For my Minolta film cameras I've bought the grips which allow you to use 4x AA NIMH rechargeable batteries instead of CR123. I don't mind the extra bulk as it fits better in my meaty hands, but it does leave me thinking I could be shooting medium format in not too much larger a form factor.
 
an1uk said:
Given the price of them is so low one factor worth considering is battery price.
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Good point. I've got a roll of Velvia 100 in my EOS 300 which I reckon is worth more than the camera itself...

terrific said:
I kept seeing Pentax MZ50's, Minolta's, Canon 300's all for around £10 and I was intrigued to see if they had been dismissed because they were "too new" or because they were just less desirable.
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I think it's just supply and demand. The Canon 300 was a mass-produced film body for the masses, most of whom are now using phones or digital cameras. Meanwhile people who still want film cameras seek out the vintage, semi-professional or professional models, which leaves the EOS 300 and equivalents in the bargain bin. For the money the EOS 300 is a very capable film camera and being consumer grade it's quite light as well, which is a good thing in my book.

I came across this website the other day: http://www.rockycameras.com/5-bargain-working-slr-cameras-146-c.asp. These guys sell working film SLRs for as low as £5. Check if the battery is included if you buy from them!
 
maarten.dhaese said:
Good point. I've got a roll of Velvia 100 in my EOS 300 which I reckon is worth more than the camera itself...



I think it's just supply and demand. The Canon 300 was a mass-produced film body for the masses, most of whom are now using phones or digital cameras. Meanwhile people who still want film cameras seek out the vintage, semi-professional or professional models, which leaves the EOS 300 and equivalents in the bargain bin. For the money the EOS 300 is a very capable film camera and being consumer grade it's quite light as well, which is a good thing in my book.

I came across this website the other day: http://www.rockycameras.com/5-bargain-working-slr-cameras-146-c.asp. These guys sell working film SLRs for as low as £5. Check if the battery is included if you buy from them!
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True.
I think the likes of Canon, Nikon, Minolta and Pentax were trying to sell as many consumer SLRs as possible because at the time DSLRs were so expensive only pros were buying them.
My Minolta Dynax 40 kit cost under £100 when new in 2004.
Those type of cameras are bargains now, my Canon EOS100 was only £5 from LCE's bargain bin and yes the battery did cost more ;)
These cameras are good though because you can use current lenses on them. Granted the EOS100 looks a little odd with the 24-105L on it but the results are good and it's easy to use.
 
Strappy said:
In other news, there's some lovely beginner's film SLR's just gone in to the Classifieds. Just saying, like ...
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I've seen them - they look very nice! I've got more 35mm film SLRs than I can use as it is though and if anything I'm thinking about buying a medium format film system next.
 
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