My daughter wants a film camera

[Jack]

Actually, both of my daughters like to shoot film, and primarily B&W D). Currently they share their time "borrowing" my Canon 1V. Problems arises when they both want to shoot, so my youngest has decided she wants her own camera. So my question is what to get...

Obvious choice is another Canon body to make use of existing lenses. However, my youngest is attracted to the older, simpler all-manual cameras. That comment then got me to thinking about Medium format options with their current bargain prices for high quality MF. So what would you do and why?

PS Edit: I should also mention she and RF do not get along all that well, so looking primarily at SLR solutions.

 

[Bill_Green]

Hassy 501cm with the equivalent lens to what she uses now. Or a mamiya 645 or 7 if she wants a rangefinder. I haven't checked prices, but I bet a manual Mamiya 645 (M1000, etc.) and a couple lenses is dirt cheap.

 

[Jack]

Hi Bill, and thanks for your comment. Yes, older Mamiya 645, Pentax 645 and 6x7, and Bronica 645 and 6x6 are all pretty darn cheap, so a body and two or three lenses is definitely not outside the budget. Hassy 500 and C lenses are not really beyond reach either. I should have mentioned she is not really tuned to RF so I am looking at SLR's.

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

Can't beat an older Mamiya 645 with some stupidly cheap primes...

 

[Erik Five]

How about a Hexar AF with that very nice crisp 35 f:2 lens and stealth mode? 400$ish

 

[Bill_Green]

Hi Bill, and thanks for your comment. Yes, older Mamiya 645, Pentax 645 and 6x7, and Bronica 645 and 6x6 are all pretty darn cheap, so a body and two or three lenses is definitely not outside the budget. Hassy 500 and C lenses are not really beyond reach either. I should have mentioned she is not really tuned to RF so I am looking at SLR's.

Jack, I know it sounds silly, but I would tend to look for something that either has an upgrade path or is so cheap that you can throw it in the trash and not look back. Hassy and Mamiya have an upgrade path to some degree if she wants to add to it or go digital. Pentax, Hexar, etc. not so much.

You might also ask her what she likes/doesn't like about the Canon. If the answer is she likes the fast autofocus and metering, that changes the picture somewhat.

 

[helenhill]

FILM LIVES....YEA !!

I'm the most HAPPY Camper
w/my M2 /1958 DR Cron /1962 Lux / 35 Elmar...
(since the Man in the House took my M4 :angry

If Shes not a RF Gal then I would go for the Hasselblad 500C
I recently saw one at B&H with an 80mm for about $900.00
WOW, It was Grand ... just LOVED IT!!
Crisp View & Retro Coool

Jack, Don't you have a Leica IIIf w/ a Summar OR Summaron
Would She like that ?

All the Best-H :thumbup:

 

[glenerrolrd]

Jack

This may not make any sense ..but I have three R4 bodies just sitting. My oldest daughter allison ..used one for her HS photography class about 12 years ago. I have a ton of stuff ...motors,screens etc . I also have a few lenses that would work great....like the 50/2,135/2.8 a 67mm 180/2.8 ....

If I remember last checking these all were down in the $300 range ...some lower.


Roger

 

[TRSmith]

Another vote for the Hassy. Although it would require some adjustment and practice especially with the waist level viewfinder. On an entirely different track, how about a Holga?

 

[bensonga]

If you go the Hasselblad route, nothing older than a 500 C/M, in my view. And 501CMs are not that expensive now either.

I started with a Mamiya TLR (C220) and enjoyed using it for many, many years. Not much to go wrong with a box camera like the TLR. The TLR is also very portable (the lenses are so small, compared with any SLR type lens).

As cheap as MF film cameras are now....it's hard to make a case for 35mm film unless she wants to use long telephoto lenses. Seeing those big images on MF film really spoils us.

Gary Benson
Eagle River, Alaska

 

[Don Libby]

Jack

After about half way reading your first post I started thinking about a Mamiya AFD II along with a film back. My reasoning on this you already have the lens that will go along with it so that part is easy. The other part is that she can always stick a digital back on it if the mood ever hits her.

Then there’s the other part. Have you asked her what her preference is? Have her take a poll 35mm or medium format.

Remember no matter what you get her it might be incorrect if she doesn’t get a say in the matter.

Reading posts like this makes me very glad that I’m my wife’s only child!:ROTFL::ROTFL::ROTFL:

Good luck

don

Edited to add:

I think that film is still a very good way to begin with as you need to take images as if you only have one shot left on the roll of film.

 

[Dale Allyn]

Jack, does your daughter (or daughters) express an interest in a particular genre of photography? IOW are you/they looking at tools for street photography, landscape, urban abstracts, all of the above? For some this may enter into the choice, i.e. if street is where the interest lies one might prefer the potentially faster and stealthier SLR (since RF is not enjoyed). Other interests might be well served by a MF kit.

What kind of camera do they like to hold? If the MF kit seems unwieldy will it be left behind? But if the style they like to shoot is of static subjects the MF kit might feel great as one methodically composes shots, etc. That's not to say that a MF kit can't be great for street work (obviously).

Re. SLRs: When I shot 35mm film I preferred Nikon and Pentax (older ones like KX and K2DMD) camera bodies to Canon and Olympus. That was long ago. For digital SLRs I prefer the ergonomics of Canon to Nikon. My daughter has a Canon film camera which she chose, though I suspect that was in part due to the fact that I was shooting Canon digital at the time she was deciding. It didn't hurt that there was (is) a cabinet full of Canon glass on hand.

IOW it seems like more info is needed, and whatever we think is far less important than what your daughter(s) thinks or feels.

 

[PeterA]

hmmm my First choice? - an Olympus 35mm film body with a few of those excellent primes they made -small, light, robust outstanding optics and would cost you an embarrassingly small amount of cash.

Second choice - if your daughter likes the Hasselblad feel ..definately a 500 series body with an 80 - just lovely and retro cool...

 

[Jack]

Thanks for all your responses so far! To clarify a bit more, she likes the idea of an all mechanical camera, so what she doesn't like about the 1V is it is mostly electronic -- she's kind of retro that way. (I know, really too bad she doesn't go for the Leica RF!) Anyway, her main genres are urban abstract and street type images, and she does like B&W over color. My main concern is to not invest too much -- she is only 15 and a still a bit careless with things.

Dale, the idea of an AFD1 body and a film back crossed my mind, and it is a good idea.

Peter, an OM 1 or 2 and a few lenses is probably a great idea.

Roger, sent you a PM, but I suspect Leica gear is beyond what I want to spend until she shows she will be sticking with photography...

 

[cledry]

You can actually do some nice candid street photography with an old Rolleiflex TLR. The waistlevel finder and unassuming dated look doesn't draw attention and you can often take a candid facing the other way. I have even taken them around corners, you can flip it over and hold it overhead. It is reliable and silent. You are limited to the lens that it comes with but that is a great way to learn composition albeit in a square format, exposure and technique in general. I am biased because I still own and use my first camera, a Rolleiflex from 1961. It will be the one camera I never sell.

To go cheap you can go with one of the Rolleiflex copies, like a Yashicamat.

 

[jlm]

i vote for the rollei and a lightmeter and tri-x. I still have mine

 

[monza]

This is cool. My daughter took a photo class in high school and enjoyed using my old Nikon F2 that I have owned since I was her age. I kept a watchful eye, however, as she is also still a little careless with things.

 

[Amin]

I think an OM-1 or OM-2 would be a great choice, and very affordable.

 

[jlm]

add a book of portraits by Avedon to the rollei kit

 

[Dale Allyn]

Jack, I think you're lucky, in that she is interested in photography AND likes "retro" gear which is abundant and affordable. As others mentioned, the Olympus glass was excellent, though the wide primes can be hard to find now (and hence more expensive). The ergonomics of the OM-1 were not for me, but I sold a ton of them when they were new. I liked the Nikon F series, but some found it big and clunky.

Lots to choose from at mostly reasonable prices in her area of interest.